THE recent past has been a challenging time for sports fans around the world, as COVID-19 has frozen physical action across many levels.
However, drivers from the elite to the beginner are still lucky enough to enjoy their chosen hobby.
The iRacing online platform has allowed motorsport fans of any age and ability to get behind the wheel and race one another in the virtual world.
Some of the leading motorsport categories in the world such as Supercars, Indy Car and NASCAR have used iRacing to create virtual championships.
These races have been a hit with drivers and fans alike and long-time Mount Gambier sim-racer Jamie Mashado has witnessed a dramatic rise of popularity in the program.
“It (iRacing) was building, but COVID-19 has sort of tipped it over the edge,” he said.
“There has been a glut of new faces on our websites and forums and sim-rig retailers have been flat out in the last couple of months.”
Mashado said the realism of online racing has allowed it to take off much faster than other sports during this quiet period.
“Virtual car racing is the best because it simulates what you do in real life,” he said.
“You sit in the driver’s seat, turn the steering wheel, push the pedals and race your competitors.
“You do not kick a soccer ball with a controller.”
Mashado has been lining up on online grids for around four years.
His first taste of the activity was on the Xbox console platform playing Project Cars 2, where he fought against 200 drivers in an Australian and New Zealand combined league.
During the start of 2019, Mashado made the jump to the more-competitive world of iRacing and has loved every minute of it.
“The highest level of simulator racing in the world is iRacing – it is the elite,” he said.
“There are not many slouches out there.
“Everyone thinks they are the next world champion and the intensity of the racing is really high because the depth of talent is massive.
“If you make a mistake, it is over – you will not win the race.”
The iRacing community is now over 110,000 strong and caters for any taste.
The platform is not just restricted to drivers, with teams searching for car painters, owners, engineers and spotters, while some people enjoy running and broadcasting their own championships.
Events in almost any class imaginable arrive every 15 minutes, with races ranging from short sprints to 24-hour endurance rounds.
Mashado focuses on the Australian Supercars and has become a front runner.
He is ranked 10th in the international series and 47th in the Australian equivalent and has raced alongside the likes of Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
Mashado said drivers must concentrate on a single series to reach the top.
“I dabbled in a little bit of everything when I first joined and realised you cannot spread yourself out,” he said.
“If you want to be at a competitive level, you have to focus on one car and series, so I focused on V8 Supercars and I am now in the top 50 in the world.”
Mashado drives for Phase4 Motorsport and said races provide a thorough examination of your physical and mental fitness.
“Everything you can possibly expect in a real situation, you will experience in iRacing,” he said.
“There is a huge variety in the weather and track conditions.
“I have raced Go Karts and the techniques are exactly the same, but you just do not have the G-forces or the feeling of the track through your seat.
“I still get nervous before a race and in those first four laps I am driving with the concentration of someone handling a nuclear bomb.
“The concentration is intense, you can be physically and mentally worn out.”
The self-described “perfectionist” spends around 20 hours per week practising and bases his driving style off the legendary four-time Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost.
After spending countless hours and thousands of dollars on iRacing, Mashado said he will continue the hobby for as long as he can.
“I use a standard setup and I would have spent about $3000 all up,” he said.
“But you can get so many hours out of it because you can do it at your own pace.
“I plan on racing until I cannot do it any more.”
