I find it hard to write an introduction for my latest trip to the National Corvette Museum so I will say this; I have always had a love hate relationship with this track and this weekend was particularly difficult. Preparation I always stress having a plan for a race weekend and this weekend was no exception. NCM is a complex 23 turn course in it’s full configuration with a mix of turns...
When I first started racing a friend told me to go where the competition is. Simple advice really but as someone that likes to build it was definitely something I needed to hear. That is exactly what I did when I entered 944 spec with NASA Midsouth. A class with large fields at home as well in the Southeast and Great Lakes regions. I’ve enjoyed several successful seasons in 944 spec and my...
Back to the swamp for round 3 of the NASA Midsouth 2020 season. And following the established trend, this year was tamer than last with all of the excitement reserved for the track.
The Apex Pro is a pretty cool piece of kit in the driver aid market. As a standalone device, it measures the car’s performance against it’s potential and flashes a series of lights to give the driver real-time feedback. When combined with your iPhone or iPod the Apex becomes a powerful data acquisition tool.
‘Holy Shit it’s great to be back at Barber!’ Yep, that’s what I’m starting with.
What better way to reignite the 2020 season than a trek to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the annual Turn 7 Girl memorial event hosted by NASA Southeast. This year was unique with the addition of a few Covid-19 restrictions that everyone was more than willing to comply with in order to race.
VR resolutions are improving rapidly leaving the narrow FOV (Field of View) the biggest drawback in sim racing. Most mainstream headsets are in the 100 to 120 degree range limiting peripheral vision dramatically. This is fine in a lot of VR games but in sim racing, peripheral vision is a huge component to immersion. Something serious sim racers traditionally remedy with a 3 screen build. Enter...
I’m not sure I actually enjoy sim racing yet. I’ve used sims such as iRacing to learn a new track in the past but never jumped in the competitive ‘deep end’ of the sim so to speak. I’ve always been more drawn to the fps and arcade style genres. Games where you function at 100 percent intensity. Perhaps that is where a distinction could be drawn as iRacing isn’t...
I want this article to serve as a primer for running the road course at Memphis International Raceway and help new drivers come up to speed quickly. Memphis is a short, rough and very rewarding track to drive with a surprising amount of nuance.
The current Covid-19 outbreak is wreaking havoc around the globe. Over the last two weeks we’ve watched world economies shutter as more countries go from a wait and see approach to varying degrees of quarantine. Italy appears to be a turning point in response and as evidenced by the toilet paper hoarding, people are panicking. I’m not here to say whether this level of panic from...
2019 was a great season that solidified an upward trend in my racing and building on that momentum is the goal of the 2020 season. Looking at the results from the season opener with NASA Mid South at Memphis International Raceway, things are off to a great start.
Racecars undergo a lot more stress than your daily driver. Bolts wiggle loose, leaks develop, lines rub, components wear at a much greater rate etc… That is why at the beginning of every season, a full nut and bolt check is crucial to a successful campaign.
Chris Simmons is a race car driver, instructor, business owner and all around gearhead. His passion for motorsport started in the drifting community and progressed into wheel to wheel racing of all kinds. When off track Chris can be found training and working on a myriad of projects. After a hiatus from writing, he is back to share his passion, knowledge and experience in regard to motorsports on and off the track.