iRacing, anyone else tried it?

It’s an online auto racing sim. I just started last week, but I’ve been impressed so far. Initial observations:

Real racing punishes stupidity through financial and Darwinian disincentives. None of that applies online, but they still want clean racing. (One leadfooted asshole could ruin the fun for a lot of people.) There’s a licensing system that rewards (virtual) safety. Also, everything is done under your real name, no nicks.

Beyond the initial cars and tracks, you have to pay for content. I’m not sure how that will shake out yet; lure you in with cheap subscriptions and make it up on tracks and cars, maybe. The detail and accuracy are very impressive.

It’s susceptible to network issues. Other cars wink in and out, occasionally, and I’ve had lost my connection a few times. (I think that’s a local problem, though.)

There are some heavy hitters on here, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. And even the people you’ve never heard of are wicked fast. So far, I’m mostly trying to stay out of the way. (Had some decent finishes when others have gotten too aggressive.) It tries to match you with racers of similar skill levels.

I’ve been a racing sim driver for many years now and iRacing is indeed impressive. Nothing else comes close in terms of realistic physics, car accuracy, and track modeling.

I like the seriousness of the online racing. It is stressful always worrying about bumping another car or putting a couple wheels off the track though. Definitely not for the casual gamer, but it is highly rewarding when you get everything right.

Unfortunately, as much as I liked it, I didn’t have enough time to race to justify the price. Not that it costs all that much, but it is significantly more than just going out and buying a game at the store. I hope to get back into it when I have a bit more money to spare…