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Sim Racing Paddock 2020/2021 Update

Sim Racing Paddock 2020/2021 Update

2020 has been a crazy year for everyone, and I don’t know why, but it felt like a whirlwind for me! It’s crazy thinking we’re less than a month away from 2021, and things are still quite nuts… However, I did want to provide an update on the direction I see Sim Racing Paddock going in the future.

One of the toughest things for the year of 2020 has been the fact that I just simply have not had much…

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Fanatec's Black Friday Sales Unveiled!

Fanatec’s Black Friday Sales Unveiled!

(DISCLAIMER: LINKS ON THIS PAGE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS AND WILL HELP SUPPORT SRP, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU – PLEASE CONSIDER USING THEM TO SUPPORT THE WEBSITE AND CHANNEL)

Fanatec has been one of the most hot-and-cold Sim Racing companies when it comes to Black Friday sales (Fun Fact: I bought my first set of Load Cell Pedals off a Fanatec Black Friday Special in 2011). With the volatility of…

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Sim Racing Paddock Going FULL-Time! (and Some Other Announcements)

Sim Racing Paddock Going FULL-Time! (and Some Other Announcements)

Hey guys! I have some really exciting news!

A. TODAY marks SIX YEARS since I registered the Sim Racing Paddock domain name, so today marks the unofficial 6th birthday of Sim Racing Paddock! I technically went public on January 7th if I remember correctly, but I started working on the site before that.

B. I am announcing that I am going to be getting a THIRD studio (see the image above)! My…

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Partnering up with Fanatical

Partnering up with Fanatical

I have some exciting news! I have joined up with the Fanatical Affiliate Program, which is one of my favorite “Alternative” sites to get some great deals on computer games, including Sim Racing titles!

Fanatical has been around in some way since the 1990’s, originally creating their video games under the “Focus Multimedia”banner. Focus Multimedia was responsible for publishing some of my favorite…

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Sim Racing Paddock Pullover Hoodie

Sim Racing Paddock Pullover Hoodie

Beat the cold this Holiday Season with a Sim Racing Paddock Pullover Hoodie! Made out of quality materials and screen-printed in-home at VicciMoto in Petaluma, California, this hoodie is built to last, and will look stylish while you’re at it!

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Sim Racing Paddock Hat – FlexFit Support Sim Racing Paddock in Style with a FlexFit hat with a custom embroidered SRP logo on the front. Embroidered locally in Petaluma California, the hat is sure to last much longer than your patience while getting around that lapped car!

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Sim Racing Wheel Buyer's Guide - 2020 Edition

Sim Racing Wheel Buyer’s Guide – 2020 Edition

A couple years ago, I created my Sim Racing Wheel Buyer’s Guide, which appeared to be quite popular with you guys, but I haven’t exactly done a Follow-up video just yet. I wrote up a revision of the guide for 2018, but as of right now, it’s been 3 years since I’ve done a full fledged Buyer’s Guide. Well, I guess now is as good a time as ever! So this is the 2020 Edition of the Sim Racing Wheel…

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Sim Racing Paddock – Black Logo T-Shirt Show off your support for the channel with a stylish black T-Shirt! The shirt is screen printed in-home in Northern California, with high quality ink and materials. -Super Soft-hand Fabric -Fabric laundered, 4.3 oz., 60/40 combed ring-spun cotton/polyester blend, 32 singles -Set-in CVC 1×1 baby rib collar -Side seamed

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DiRT Rally 2.0 Open Sim Wheel + Heusinkveld Pro Pedals Fix

DiRT Rally 2.0 Open Sim Wheel + Heusinkveld Pro Pedals Fix

DiRT Rally 2.0 is officially here! That means that we have an all new rally title to play, throwing cars down treacherous courses! While driving with a direct drive wheel is one of the best experiences for you to have, out of the box, DiRT Rally 2.0 is NOT working properly with the Open Sim Wheel.

Fortunately, I was able to whip up a fix that will get you up and running! It is a modified version…

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F1 2018 Review

Hey Guys! Welcome to the Sim Racing Paddock. I’m William Marsh, and this is my review of F1 2018 by Codemasters. A lot of promises have been made by Codemasters, including improved physics, graphics, and more features. The question is, has Codemasters held true to those promises, and is F1 2018 truly a great improvement over F1 2017?

First, let’s bring in an “abridged review” for the 10% of Sim…

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Next Level Racing Wheel Stand Lite Review

Next Level Racing Wheel Stand Lite Review

Here is my review on the Next Level Racing Wheel Stand Lite. This is a budget entry-level Sim Racing wheel stand, retailing for $149, meant for the space-conscious Sim Racer. This is my second wheel stand review, and this is a drastically different model than the Trak Racer FS3 that I just reviewed the other day. The way I am viewing this wheel stand from Next Level Racing is a tier BELOW the…

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Fanatec Podium Series DD1 and DD2: Now Available for Pre-Order

Fanatec Podium Series DD1 and DD2: Now Available for Pre-Order

One of the most exciting racing wheels of 2018 has to be the Fanatec Podium Series Direct Drive wheels. The first Direct Drive wheel to come from Fanatec, the Podium Series had its official full announcement this month, and is now available to pre-order! While the DD2 was clearly the star of the show, with top of the line specs on it, it seemed like the DD1 may be the better value, featuring…

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Sim-Lab has announced a couple new cockpit models to add to their line-up, including a new model to fit into their sub-$500 bracket!

Sim-Lab is regarded to as one of the more popular 80/20 based cockpit distributers in the Sim Racing world, with a wide variety of cockpits and add-ons available for a competitive price. One of their popular cockpits was the “GT Cup” cockpit, which came in under the $500 price tag. Recently, that model was discontinued, and many were wondering what will replace the Cup in that price bracket.

Now we know that the newest “Entry Level” cockpit from Sim-Lab will be the GT1 Evo! The new cockpit features a similar framework to the GT1 cockpit, but it appears to be potentially using some thinner components, to shave off some weight. The pedal plate and wheel deck feature new machined components, which is a welcome improvement over the Cup’s design. The new wheel deck is compatible with wheels from Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Fanatec (including the upcoming Podium Series wheels). The pedal plate is compatible with Logitech, Thrustmaster, Fanatec, and Heusinkveld pedals. The GT1 Evo is also compatible with the Wheel Deck and Front Mounting wheel plates, if you are looking to use other wheels on the rig, such as an Open Sim Wheel.

The GT1 Evo cockpit will be available in Silver (€399) and Black (€499). It will be available once the Sim-Lab store re-opens on August 11th.

In addition, another eagerly awaited cockpit will be coming this August as well! Back in September of last year, Team Redline announced that they will be partnering up with Sim-Lab, and putting out a special version of the GT2 cockpit. Dubbed the “TeamRedline TR1”, this rig will feature a black anodized aluminum look, with matte black components. While it doesn’t look as… “Team Redline-y” as the initial images back in 2017, but I feel the more subtle look is a little better. The newly designed wheel deck looks particularly nice, and hopefully that will find its way to the base model GT2 rig as well.

The Sim-Lab TeamRedline TR1 will be available on August 11th, and will retail for €495.

I should be getting the TR1 cockpit in the next month or so to review, so stay tuned to the Sim Racing Paddock Youtube Channel for the review coming soon!

New Cockpits from Sim-Lab Announced Sim-Lab has announced a couple new cockpit models to add to their line-up, including a new model to fit into their sub-$500 bracket!

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If you have been around the Sim Racing world for a while, you have no doubt heard of the term “Tire Model”. The Tire Model is essentially the system that a Sim Racing title’s developer will employ to simulate tire dynamics, such as flex, torsion, grip, and also tires going flat or blowing out.

Many Sim developers will invest countless hours, trying to ensure that their tire model is the most realistic, due to the fact that tires and wear is a major factor in the real world. They tend to be one of the more publicized elements of Sim Racing titles, because of the sheer importance. However, it’s a tricky situation to get a tire model right, and sometimes there are portions of a tire model that falls through the cracks.

For instance, Assetto Corsa’s tire model has progressed through more than ten different iterations, however, a few issues have come to light in regards to tire wear and blowouts, which seem to cause some issues in regards to the way racing is handled overall in the sim.

In one of my recent live streams, I showcased IndyCar content that was released by VRC Modding Team. I had it set to a 51 lap race around the mod’s version of Texas Motor Speedway, set with authentic fuel and tire wear. I noticed that as I was running the event, my right side tires were going to run of rubber approximately ten laps before the end of the race (as seen at the 1:25:00 mark in my live stream). I had never had a tire blow out on me during a race, so I decided to run out the tires, to see what would happen. However, the tires never went flat, never blew out. I didn’t really even lose too much time due to tire falloff! I was left rather confused, and rather disappointed.

After the Live Stream, I decided to run another experiment. I set up the Dallara DW12 Formula NA 2012 to run around the oval circuit again, and decided to see what would happen if I attempted a full fuel run. I knew the tires were supposed to last approximately 35-40 laps, and the tank in the car would last a little shy of 75 laps. So, it was easy to say that, in theory, the tires should go flat long before the car would actually run out of fuel!

Well, in theory is one thing. In practice is another entirely! While the Assetto Corsa tire app showed that our right side tires “ran out” around lap 40, we were able to go over THIRTY more laps on the “out of grip” tires, with minimal loss in speed. Something was up…

Upon uploading the video evidence to Youtube, there was quite a mixed reception to the news. There seemed to be three main trains of thought regarding the video:

A. Some stated that the evidence was “inaccurate”, accusing the IndyCar mod to be of poor quality. B. A few comments stated that they were able to “Easily” blow their tires, and this was a “useless experiment”. C. Some people were genuinely surprised by this discovery.

When I was reading these comments from the community, I noticed an interesting trend, primarily with point “B” on my list. The people who stated that they have encountered tire blowouts stated that they only encountered that when either performing burnouts or drifting. This allowed me to concoct another theory in my head.

For my next experiment, I decided to test out a similar experiment, this time utilizing first-party content, direct from Kunos Simulazioni. For my experiment, I took the Ferrari 488 GT3 race car around the Silverstone GT circuit. This time, I decided to use 3x Tire Wear, so I didn’t have to spend over an hour trying to blow out the tires.

Half a lap into my run, I accidentally spun into Stowe, so I decided to test out the “Burnout” theory. Around 5 seconds later, my left rear tire blew out! So, that at least confirmed the fact regarding blowing tires via burnouts/drifting. However, I was still curious about if you could blow a tire “running down the grip meter”.

I took the Ferrari out for another run, and ran the tires out until the grip meter showed 0%. The tires on the Ferrari were set to last approximately 14 laps (which would be approximately 42 laps, after accounting for tire wear rate). After the tire grip went to 0%, nothing happened. I could feel that the lap time fall-off was more drastic, but that was likely due in part to Silverstone being a flat road course, as opposed to a banked oval. For good measure, I ran an extra lap and a half after the tire wear went down to 0%, and still saw no effects on the tires.

After that experiment ended, I decided to take the Dallara DW12 to Silverstone, and try seeing if I could blow the tires by performing a Burnout. It took less than ten seconds to blow out the right rear tire, so it can be said that this tire issue is not isolated to first or third party content, but was an inherent issue with the tire model itself.

Now some people may be wondering, “What the heck is the point of this experiment?!”. The main point is to expose something that is wrong with the tire model simulation. Part of the responsibility of the Sim Racing community is to bring issues to light, so they can be remedied and resolved in future releases, be it in a patch, or in a future title.

In this case, we are going to be having Assetto Corsa Competizione coming later this year. Unlike Assetto Corsa, which was initially designed for shorter, sprint style events (before support was added for pit stops and longer events), Competizione is being designed with endurance events in mind, such as the 24 Hours of Spa. Having a flaw like this in the sim could open up flaws in the competition model, and racing behavior that could be perceived as unrealistic.

Hopefully, with the physics and tire models being improved in the upcoming release, we will see a more dynamic tire model, that will allow for more improved tire wear, and blowouts due to extended abuse of tires. Time will tell, but hopefully we’ll be able to find out soon enough, when we get our hands on the AC:C Early Access!

So what are your thoughts on the Assetto Corsa tire model? What improvements would you like to see in Assetto Corsa Competizione? Let us know in the comments!

The Problem with Assetto Corsa’s Tire Model If you have been around the Sim Racing world for a while, you have no doubt heard of the term "Tire Model".

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Opinion: Why I Think Assetto Corsa Competizione is NOT Assetto Corsa 2

Opinion: Why I Think Assetto Corsa Competizione is NOT Assetto Corsa 2

Assetto Corsa Competizione is going to be one of the highlights of 2018 for Sim Racing, with many Sim Racers eagerly awaiting their first opportunity to get their hands on Kunos Simulazioni’s upcoming Sim. While there is plenty of excitement for the upcoming title, there are still many questions that need to be answered. One that is first and foremost is “Is Assetto Corsa Competizione going to…

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Microsoft and Playground Games have announced the latest iteration in the Forza Horizon series, Forza Horizon 4. The new racing game, releasing October 2nd, 2018 for the Xbox One and PC, will allow you to drive over 450 cars throughout Britain. Two Brtitish cars will be featured on the Forza Horizon 4 cover, the Land Rover Defender 90, and the brand new McLaren Senna Hypercar!

One of the newest features for Forza Horizon 4 will be the new “Seasons” system, simulating the progressions of seasons. Conditions thorughout the environment will adjust as the seasons change. For example, bodies of water will freeze over, allowing you to drive on the frozen surface (no word on if you can fall through thin ice though). Seasons will change on a weekly basis, and should provide for an interesting experience.

A welcome addition to the title is also a 60FPS mode on the Xbox One X (no word on if it’s available for PC, but considering FH3 on PC was able to run an unlocked frame rate, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t included). The first Forza Horizon titles were locked at 30FPS on console, so to be able to run 60 FPS on the Xbox is a very welcome addition (even though it requires the more expensive Xbox One X).

In addition to the many features carried over from previous Horizon titles, new features will be added to the latest iteration. A route creator will be a welcome addition, allowing you to create custom race events. Customization will be expanded, allowing for you not to only customize your car, but also your driver as well, with new personalization options. In addition, you’ll now be able to buy property in the game, which will give extra benefits.

While more information will be shared about Forza Horizon 4 as we get closer to its October release, it sounds like it will be an exciting addition to the open-world racing series. What do you think about the upcoming title? Let us know in the comments!

  E3: Forza Horizon 4 Announced – Heading to Britain Microsoft and Playground Games have announced the latest iteration in the Forza Horizon series, Forza Horizon 4.

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So I Got to Drive The FeelVR Direct Drive Wheel

So I Got to Drive The FeelVR Direct Drive Wheel

You guys have been asking me (relentlessly) about this, and now I’ve finally gotten the chance to test out the FeelVR Wheel! This wheel has been an incredibly hot topic in the Sim Racing Community, and I’m one of the first people in the United States to get my hands on this wheel! I got to spend a bit of time behind a prototype model of the wheel, and here are my thoughts on this highly…