I remember reading this in the magazine last month I think it was. Very interesting story I thought, would be interesting to try with few more people to see if it really is natural skill that comes across in the game or whether the game is what led to the times being quick.
I don't see why a sim racer couldn't be a successful racer in real life, but it would take serious investment. However, there is evidence that suggests people that haven't raced since being a child are at a physiological disadvantage than those that had. In one test F1 drivers who had done driven since an early age (usually karts between 8-16) proved better at yaw movement awareness (summit like that) tests than rival drivers who had not done the same, and as well jet fighter pilots. So F1 might be out of bounds for now, but GT racing, Touring Cars? Why not the hell not?
This specific 'TopGear' feature however felt more like an iRacing/Skip Barber advert than anything else though, which is a shame. I would rather see a proper independent full-on analysis, but this kid now has car driving experience so we'd have to find someone new
Was posted on the forum before. Someone close to his driving ability (in a sim) with alittle more physical stamina would be much more interesting to follow.
Gregger had never even been on a rollercoaster before. He might know how to solve a G-force equation, but he's never experienced any.
Of course, never experiencing G-forces like that could also help him in sim racing, since in sims you don't feel anything physically.
Woah relax I had no idea who he was, so I named the topic like that.
I agree, it would be a lot more interesting to see a bigger event with completely unexperienced (in terms of real racing) simracers, who has some physical endurance.
I thought this was stupid. Why not give him a month or two of training? Sticking some fat guy whos good at computer games in a race car isn't really going to work now is it.
Rapid compared to who exactly? While I am sure he did a very very good job, we aren't really given anything other than what appears to be a marketing ploy - play iRacing and you'll be a mint driver in real life. This is where I feel a tad dissapointed. It doesn't prove anything other than a guy who plays sims a lot happens to be OK in his first time in a race car.
I am sure he performed above average, and he is genuinely talented, but what are we learning here?
Without full and proper analysis of an experiment like this no conclusions can be solidly found. For example I once led Lewis Hamilton in a race. That means I was for a brief period in time better than an F1 World Champion, visavi, I am F1 World Champion quality! Which of course is complete bollocks, but you do become tiresome these claims of uber-driving from apparent inexperienced drivers. If there is more data from the day I'd love to see it.
It's about time a real proper analysis was done Anyone know if this kid is going to actually race for proper now and stop fannying about on sims?
In the end with some bit karting experience as a novice and thus not recognised as a top driver, this lad was 4.5 seconds of Davidson (F1 standard driver) with no car experience. Had he had a day in the simulator to understand the car he could have been much closer. Who knows? Seconds here seconds there... it's too big a gap to conclude anything.
Point being these types of one-day things rarely prove anything. I am in no doubt this iRacing lad did very well, but we have nothing really to learn.
Maybe if we got some random person, stuck them in a simulator for a month, maybe they'd do even better? Who knows. This is my point, these kind of 'features' only do a disservice to sim racers, because the expectations are unrealistically raised.
All we can conclude with confidence is that a simulator can prepare a driver enough to perform above average on their first experience in a race car. Nothing more, nothing less. Though I don't think the drive in that specific car was his first experience in a car that day either looking at the pics.
The reason I say this is that I'd love for a real commitment and effort to be made to answer these questions. Can a sim-only driver really hack-it in a top competitive racing environment (not some random car series either).
His name is Greger and I race with him on GPL and I regularly used his setups. Top Bloke!
AS sim racers, you should know who Greger Huttu is, and not from iRacing!
"This is another first for Greger. He’s never been on a rollercoaster, or even in a fast road car. In fact, the quickest he’s ever been was on the flight over here, which also happened to be his first plane ride.”
He has never even driven a quick road car, never mind drive a quick car around a track, and he jumps in and is only 3 seconds off the pace on his 4th lap. Tell me that isn't impressive. He would have been 13th out of 18 on the grid for last years race, after 4 laps!
That is what's impressive about it. And yes, Greger Huttu rings a bell for me, saw some laps of some replays in various sims from him and could just not understand how he can be this fast in some corners
Well.. Greger is like the top star in sim racing world. You don't need to race him to know his deeds. If you read and inform yourself about sim racing in general at some point that name will show up. Unless you only care for LFS sim racing experience.
Take care
No one can say whether it's impressive or not, that's the point. My instinct is, it's quite impressive, but without comparison, without a real experiment, it's a missed an opportunity. Also, I am pretty sure theSkip Barber school didn't put him in that car straight away either which this photo suggests
It sounds like I am putting down on what this guy has done, but I'd like more done. This just sounds like an advert, and this dude woulda been a perfect test dummy for something more worthwhile.
I had no idea who he was, so I named the topic like that.