CategoryMiscellaneous

Will Club Racing Survive 2022?

Image of the magellan tent on top of my aluma tilt trailer.

I see a concerning thread on social media as we approach the full-blown race season. Namely, more and more club racers are talking about race budgets falling apart due to insane gas prices and unchecked inflation. Which got me thinking, what can a racer do to mitigate these extra costs?

Autocross is Still Fun!

Lotus Elise and Caterham 7

I used to autocross a lot until I started wheel to wheel racing. Autocross is more available, cheaper and much less demanding on resources. It may not be as exhilarating as racing; but it is a great way to learn and practice car control, hang out with gearheads and in my case … finally test the Lotus.

Sim Racing in VR Part 3 (Pimax 8k Plus)

This headset has me excited. After upgrading my rig to the Pimax 8k Plus I can confidently say VR sim racing has arrived. That’s a bold statement I’ve waited several hardware generations to say by the way.

SEMA 360 Showcase: Best of the Rest

The DYME PSI Rattlesnake got my vote for top product at the 2020 SEMA 360 show but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a slew of products worth noting. Rather for innovation, need or novelty, the following products caught my eye and deserve more attention and perhaps your business. eFlexPro by eFlexFuel Technology eFlexFuel Technology sells turnkey solutions to add flex fuel capabilities...

SEMA 360 Showcase: DYME PSI Rattlesnake

I combed through the product section at specifically looking for new or generally unknown products that would be of particular interest to the racing community and custom builders. One such item that immediately caught my eye was the Rattlesnake by DYME PSI.

Apex Pro – A Racer’s Perspective

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.

Sim Racing in VR Part 2 (Enter PimaxVR)

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...

Sim Racing in VR Part 1 (Primer)

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...

A Lap Around Memphis International Raceway 944spec

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.

Is the Season Over? A Racer’s Guide to Coping with 2020.

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...

Racecar Prep: The Nuts and Bolts of Things

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.

What the _ _ _ _ Happened to the Internet

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on a good rant and I’m about to show my age with this one. Lately, I find myself asking, ‘What the hell happened to the internet?’ Over the past decade, this once amazing research tool has slowly turned into one big advertisement seemingly designed to distract your focus and drain your pocketbook. This ‘erosion of...

About the Author:

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.

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