The POC Sim Racing League  

What is Sim Racing?

Sim (simulated) racing  is the collective term for computer software that attempts to accurately simulate auto racing, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings. To be competitive in sim racing, a driver must understand all aspects of car handling that make real-world racing so difficult, such as threshold braking, how to maintain control of a car as the tires lose traction, and how properly to enter and exit a turn without sacrificing speed. It is this level of difficulty that distinguishes sim racing from “arcade” driving games where real-world variables are taken out of the equation and the principal objective is to create a sense of speed as opposed to a sense of realism.

In general, sim racing applications, such as rFactor, Grand Prix Legends, NASCAR Racing, Race 07, F1 Challenge ’99–’02, F1 ’18–’19, Assetto Corsa, GTR 2, Project CARS, iRacing and Richard Burns Rally are less popular than arcade-style games, mainly because much more skill and practice is required to master them. An exception is Gran Turismo, which has achieved worldwide fame, as have “simcade” titles such as Forza Motorsport, Colin McRae Rally, F1 ’09–’17 and NASCAR Heat Evolution. Also, because of the demands on the computer system, race sims require faster computers to run effectively, as well as a somewhat costly steering wheel and pedals for the throttle and brakes. Most arcade-style driving games can be played with a simple joystick controller or even a mouse and keyboard.

With the development of online racing capability, the ability to drive against human opponents as opposed to computer AI is the closest many will come to driving real cars on a real track. Even those who race in real-world competition use simulations for practice or for entertainment. With continued development of the physics engine software that forms the basis of these sims, as well as improved hardware (providing tactile feedback), the experience is becoming more realistic.

Get Started:

All club members with track experience or online sim racing experience are invited to participate – however, you will need an iRacing Membership and a simulator. Most importantly, sim racing is meant to be fun among people who share a common interest.

Season 3 –  Registration Open – See Below

Most races will open at 4:30pm PST for open practice (3 hour) followed by a 30 minute open qualifying and 30 minute race. (4 longer/enduro races) Races will continue to be broadcasted by our friends at Global SimRacing Channel. There will be 4 drops this season for people that can’t make all of the races. We will have awards for this season at our annual POC Banquet.

We will continue to allow open setups.

Start practicing now and we will see you on track! (virtually of course)

Let’s make the Porsche Owners Club Virtual Club Racing at its Best! 

To sign up, please sign up on MSReg and then click, iRacing League and request acceptance. In your request please include your email address and member number, if available.

POC Sim Racing Links –

How do you get ready? (FAQ)

1) Make sure your computer will run iRacing

The last thing you want to do is go out and buy all of the equipment just to find out that your computer will not even run the software.

PC Computers:

• Windows 8.1 64-Bit, Windows 10 64-Bit
• 64-bit Windows
• 4 core CPU or better – Some examples (but not limited to): AMD FX-6300, Intel Core i5-4430, Intel Core i5-2320, AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• 8 GB of RAM
• A gaming graphics card with at least 2GB of DEDICATED memory – Some examples (but not limited to):  Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 @ 2 GB / GTX 1050 or ATI Radeon HD 7850 @ 2GB / AMD RX 550 or better
• 10 GB of free disk space (40 GB for all cars and tracks)
• Microphone required for voice chat.

Please click the attached link to verify: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/Client/iRacing/?apikey=dec37c7f-8819-45d4-94f2-f33cf0956712

2) Decide how you want to view your racing (Single/Triple Monitor or Virtual Reality Headset

This will come down to a few things. How much room you have will almost always be the deciding factor. A single monitor by far will be the least expensive route but will be lacking in depth perception and field of view inside your vehicle. A triple screen is exactly that, 3 screens side by side to help with your field of view but will typically still lack a bit in depth perception. This is a great way to set up a simulator but can take up a lot of room. The third option would be a virtual reality headset. The headset is great for small spaces but still gives you great field of view and depth perception. (Make sure you can handle a VR headset prior to buying one, they can make some people sick)

3) Select a steering wheel & pedal set

Wheels are typically the first piece of equipment that sim racers to invest in. It is important to know what you need, what to look for and what to expect before you make any decisions on your new racing wheel so that you can get the right deal for you. So, what is the average cost of a sim racing whee? Generally, the cost of a sim racing wheel will be linked to its quality: for the entry level expect a price range between $50 and $150; for mid-range $150 to $300; anything above that would typically be premium quality. Brands to look at for sets would be Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Fanatec. All three brands have a range of quality with direct drive wheels being the most expensive wheels that offer the highest amount of force feedback.

4) Wheelstand or Sim Racing Cockpit (aka. “rig”)

Deciding on which is usually down to 3 factors: cost, space in your room, and how powerful your wheel is, and what accessories you need mounting

A full rig is going to cost more than a wheelstand – a rig is essentially a wheel stand attached to a seat (that’s a basic way of thinking about it). Wheelstands are cheaper, but they still aren’t ‘cheap’. The most basic wheel stand is about $100, and the premium wheelstands like the Trak Racer FS3 and Next Level Racing Wheel Stand are between $150 – $250. Wheelstands however are the only choice for people who are short of space in their room. The great thing about Wheel Stands is that once you are done playing, you simply fold it up, and they fold into a very small and compact form, that is easy to store in a tight space. So if you are short on space in your room, but need a solid mounting solution for your wheel, a Wheel Stand is your perfect solution.

However, in our opinion, if you want an authentic sim racing experience, and have a powerful racing wheel, then wheelstands are not suitable. They are not rigid enough, so the wheel and/or pedal decks will flex, which distracts you and will ultimately slow you down. Furthermore, you are restricted to fewer accessories (with only one mount, you couldn’t have both a handbrake and a shifter for example, you would only be able to use one), which limits the quality of your sim racing experience.

Also, as Direct Drive Wheels become evermore affordable and popular, it is likely that soon you will soon buy one. Wheelstands generally could not mount a Direct Drive Wheel to them, therefore you may save money in the short term by buying a wheelstand, but when you come to upgrade to Direct Drive, your wheelstand will be redundant, so you’ll need to buy a rig then.  

Wheelstands also miss out one of the most important parts of racing: the seating position. Anyone whose ever been in a proper racing car will know that you sit low down in a deep, bolstered bucket seat, in a perfect position to control the wheel and pedals. With a wheel stand, it’s likely you’ll be sitting on a sofa or an office chair. Not really the same type of experience, …this is where Sim Racing Cockpits come in! 

Sim Racing Cockpits are fantastic: they’re strong, adjustable, flexible, comfortable, customizable and to be honest, pretty cool looking! They give you a perfect driving position, hunkered in a comfortable bucket seat, with strong wheel and pedal decks, so you can use powerful Force feedback wheels. They usually are also very customizable, so you can add multiple different mounts, for anything from shifters/handbrakes to ButtKickers and button boxes. For anyone who wants to take sim racing seriously, and have a fully immersive sim racing experience, a Sim Racing Cockpit is a must buy.

For any other questions, please reach out to Matt Hollander at marketing@porscheclub.com

Porsche Owners Club Sim Racing Partner Discounts

Series Title Sponsors