Sim Racing and Group Outings

LIFESTYLE · UNITED KINGDOM

Sim Racing and Group Outings

What a simulator experience involves, booking for a group, technique and motion sickness

Racing simulators have become a mainstream night out, and a little preparation makes the difference between everyone enjoying it and half the group sitting out.

What it actually is

A force feedback wheel and pedals driving a physics simulation on a screen, usually in a fixed seat. Force feedback means the wheel pushes back as the tyres lose grip, which is the part people find surprising.

It is closer to driving than a console game and considerably less tiring than a real track day.

Booking for a group

Check the number of rigs available and how sessions are timed, since a large group frequently rotates rather than racing together. Confirm the minimum age and whether under-eighteens can attend at certain times.

Ask about accessibility, since hand controls and seat adjustment vary between venues.

Technique for beginners

Brake in a straight line before the corner rather than while turning. Look where you want to go rather than at the car ahead. Be smooth — abrupt steering and stabbing at the pedals is what spins a car.

Most people are fastest when they feel slowest, because smooth inputs keep the tyres working.

Assists

Traction control and anti-lock braking are usually available and make a car far easier to drive. Turning everything off is not a badge of honour for a first session.

Motion sickness

Some people feel unwell, particularly with a large screen and no physical motion. Sit further back, take breaks, focus on a distant point and stop if it starts rather than pushing through.

Alcohol makes it considerably worse.

Getting better quickly

Learn one circuit properly rather than trying several, since consistency comes from knowing braking points. Watch where faster drivers brake rather than where they accelerate.

Smooth is fast. Most improvement for a beginner comes from braking earlier and getting on the power sooner.

Sim racing at home

An entry-level force feedback wheel and pedals costs considerably less than it used to. Clamp it to a solid desk, since a wheel that moves ruins the feel.

Groups and accessibility

Check whether the venue is licensed, whether food is available and what the noise level is like, since these places are loud and that suits some groups and not others.

Ask about seat adjustment and hand controls in advance, and about quieter times if anyone in the group finds noise difficult.

Cost and booking

Check what the price actually includes — number of races, practice time and whether food is separate — and look at off-peak slots, which are considerably cheaper and quieter.

Book well ahead for weekends and for December, when these venues fill with work parties.

Practicalities

Flat shoes with thin soles, and trousers rather than anything restrictive. Eat beforehand rather than during.

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