Delta's Twentea-Twentea Break

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Cost of going Historic Racing still creeping up- Elan 26R replica built 2019, £175k, and another organiser charging big ‘membership’ fees, in this case £350 p.a.

Yes, I got that message too.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Cost of going Historic Racing still creeping up- Elan 26R replica built 2019, £175k, and another organiser charging big ‘membership’ fees, in this case £350 p.a.

Racing has always been expensive for us mere mortals and the only way that I did it at a decent level was with a fair bit of sponsorship and an understanding wife. I'm afraid it's getting to the stage where there will defiantly be more falling numbers, that will mean costs going even further until only millionaires will be on the grid with their silly money cars !

[delta]

750 motor club membership . £25.00.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

750 motor club membership . £25.00.

That more like it, but does it include a Clay Shooting day like the one I referred to? (Which I’m guessing isn’t free....)

TBH, the more a race series organiser tries to suggest I’m a member of some elite group, the less interested in racing with them I become.......

[delta]

Yes Mike . I just want to go motor racing . Not interested in all this hospitality . Well guess I do like a nice lunch . 🙄.

[rbs]

Originally Posted by delta

Yes Mike . I just want to go motor racing . Not interested in all this hospitality . Well guess I do like a nice lunch . 🙄.

The choice is with you drivers, support the smaller clubs, VSCC, CSCC & HSCC although they seem to be getting more elitist as each year goes by.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Racing has always been expensive for us mere mortals and the only way that I did it at a decent level was with a fair bit of sponsorship and an understanding wife. I'm afraid it's getting to the stage where there will defiantly be more falling numbers, that will mean costs going even further until only millionaires will be on the grid with their silly money cars !

Any wonder that racing simulator companies and e-sports companies had a massive presence at the Autosport show.....

[grantp]

Originally Posted by andy97

Any wonder that racing simulator companies and e-sports companies had a massive presence at the Autosport show.....

It's a good point Andy.

It seems that it may be possible to actually make a bit of a living creating Racing Simulator videos from the comfort of one's own home.

If successful one can compete in international events (Simulator based) and maybe even get the occasional opportunity to drive a 'proper' car.

Some decent drivers seem to be getting involved.

All very clean and green and likely with more spectators (via You Tube) then would ever appear at a circuit.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by grantp

It's a good point Andy.

It seems that it may be possible to actually make a bit of a living creating Racing Simulator videos from the comfort of one's own home.

If successful one can compete in international events (Simulator based) and maybe even get the occasional opportunity to drive a 'proper' car.

Some decent drivers seem to be getting involved.

All very clean and green and likely with more spectators (via You Tube) then would ever appear at a circuit.

I was surprised that one of that “stands” was actually a large stage with about 12 “driving stations” and a big screen above. There were rows of seats for approx 100 people to sit and watch the “race” with commentary and lap times displayed.

[Mike Bell]

The ever increasing popularity off sim racing is surely more centred on modern rather than historics?

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The ever increasing popularity off sim racing is surely more centred on modern rather than historics?

Give it time!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The ever increasing popularity off sim racing is surely more centred on modern rather than historics?

Sure, but if we cant afford to race, whether historics or not, whats the alternative?
Personally i will just give up as cant stand “computer games”.
Oh, and the Autosport stand i referred to were “racing” GT40s etc at Le Mans. Not sure how they performed compared to a real thing?!

[Willmaz223]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The ever increasing popularity off sim racing is surely more centred on modern rather than historics?

At the Le Mans 24 Hours last year they had a Sim Tournament that was using the games variety of cars to run races for cars from different eras.

For example there was races for Group C, GT40 vs P3 Ferrari and so on so its not all modern.

Example https://youtu.be/cJh-qF5VZ8Y

Moving on some sim racing creators channels now have hundreds of thousands of subscribers (one has 350K ) and has had the opportunity to go to Monaco, New York and visit races such as Formula E along with driving a Mclaren 570 GT4 and other events. Not bad just by driving on a game or sim and people watching.

There is also events such as the Le Mans 24 Hours with drivers such as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris driving in. Nicki Thiim along with a lot of Professional Gt3 drivers use it as training and get better at circuits .

Along with its mainly cheaper although if you want to go all out you will spend many thousands of pounds getting a Wheel, Pedals, PC up to spec, games, Rig etc.

Sim Racing will be getting bigger but its all mostly centered on modern cars although there is historic cars in these games, just not used in competitions etc mostly.


Hope that all made some sense.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The ever increasing popularity off sim racing is surely more centred on modern rather than historics?

I think the sims (or at least some of them) set out to cater for all experiences.

Which are the most popular will, presumably, mainly depend upon the age of the interest pilotes.

So there is a potentially ever shifting demography.

Interestingly the potential for being able to "drive" old versions of a circuit may be tempting to some.

I wonder if any of the sims offer digital versions of the previous iterations of Spa for example.

Here's one for Nurburgring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwiwDm5HB9s

[delta]

I have been learning circuits on a simulator. Usually drive a Radical .After an hour I'm knackard. They are use full just to get an idea on track layout.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by delta

I have been learning circuits on a simulator. Usually drive a Radical .After an hour I'm knackard. They are use full just to get an idea on track layout.

I seem to recall you did simulator laps of PI in a Radical last year prior to your visit. (A bit of homework!) IIRC you were close to real time record pace.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by grantp

Interestingly the potential for being able to "drive" old versions of a circuit may be tempting to some.

I wonder if any of the sims offer digital versions of the previous iterations of Spa for example.

Here is a guy competing in a sim of the 1955 Belgian GP at the old Spa. It is using the game Grand Prix Legends.
(Funnily enough I posted a Shell review of the (actual) same race in the Historic video thread a few days ago) The sound of the real cars is much better than the game!)

The actual race starts just before 7 mins in. Before that is all abouts set up and reviews etc (The guy did a re-run of the whole 1955 WDC events).

The sim of Grand Prix Legends is an old one (I remember buying it at the end of the old millenium,) but physics and graphics have been changed and updated through the years. It has a huge following nowadays, with all sorts of additional old tracks added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQc8qpw9UHY

[Lancsbreaker]

Had a quick look at that "sim" - only the first lap to be fair - but I just don't get it....I can see that it can be OK for getting an idea of a testing circuit, but it doesn't feel remotely real to me, and unless you have some sort of tactile feedback loops into seats and steering wheel, I can't see how it could.



But of course I'm not a gamer, and never have been

[Willmaz223]

Driver 61 now has its own sim channel. Crikey.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJp...HWiVTNQ/videos

[terence]

Originally Posted by delta

I have been learning circuits on a simulator. Usually drive a Radical .After an hour I'm knackard. They are use full just to get an idea on track layout.

Had a Chinese guy tell me on his introductory lap around here that he had done over a 1000 laps on a simulator. His driving was OK enough, driving pretty slow at that so off he goes, promising everyone that he didn't need anymore instruction.
At least he got round to Breidscheid Bridge before he tried a VERY late braking area, two meters away from the wall, after accelerating out of the downhill easy right. His lap ended there and then.
Me? Not a fan of simulators😂

[Gerard C]

Nice one, Terry! The good thing with those simulators is that they can help to learn an unknown track. The negative aspect is, once in real life, the reset button can cost much more than a penny in the slot!

[midgetman]

One of my mechanics is a steward at the FIA sim racing series. Goes around the world earning good money.

Another earns a small income by driving for a small sim team. They're sponsored and he earns a couple of hundred per month.

We've got a couple of gamers with YouTube channels coming in my karts in March - they'll make a video for their followers featuring the team and we can use it at a promo video. Tens of thousands of followers each, it'll out our brand in front of a kit of eyeballs looking for fun.

MiniMM spends hours refining set ups, pounding round virtual race tracks before racing his mates online. They actually met last year at the Silverstone WEC round so it's kind of the reverse to how we started out!

It's a whole new world out there.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[GORDON STREETER]

One of my relatives has a sim set up and as I was round his place he asked me if I wanted a go, he said "I'll give you a race on any circuit that you like" so I said Brands Hatch. I was actually surprised at how good and accurate it was and much to his dismay I beat him ! So they work the other way as well as I must have done a few thousand laps of the circuit over the years and had never tried one of these sims until that day

[terence]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Nice one, Terry! The good thing with those simulators is that they can help to learn an unknown track. The negative aspect is, once in real life, the reset button can cost much more than a penny in the slot!

Too right Gerard. The guy went to our local Race wäre suppliers first. New Helmet, suit, gloves and boots first.
Just to drive a Clio road car🤔

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

One of my relatives has a sim set up and as I was round his place he asked me if I wanted a go, he said "I'll give you a race on any circuit that you like" so I said Brands Hatch. I was actually surprised at how good and accurate it was and much to his dismay I beat him ! So they work the other way as well as I must have done a few thousand laps of the circuit over the years and had never tried one of these sims until that day

A new career as a SIM driver coach looms on the horizon, Gordon.