I only picked up this Sim Racing hobby back in March but I’ve already poured a lot of time and money into it. The last time I fell this hard for a new hobby, it was D&D and that was more than a decade ago. My enthusiasm also appears to be contagious because our racing streams are always packed. If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with all this sim racing and how to get involved, I’ve got you covered.
Jerry and I stream this game every Friday at 2:00pmPST. This has quickly become one of our most popular shows. It’s two hours of Jerry and I drinking in the afternoon and managing a racing team called Gabir Motors. This game is ridiculously entertaining and I don’t just mean the racing. The off the track antics and story lines that develop over the course of a season are surprisingly engaging. I expected to manage tire temperatures and gas levels. I didn’t think I’d have to deal with a driver discovering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ mid season or how that would affect his racing!
These streams are not on any regular schedule but they tend to happen in the evenings around 10pmPST. The best way to catch a live one is to get an alert from the channel or keep an eye on my Tweeter.
Usually these races are in public lobbies but the matches tend to be pretty even if a little chaotic. I have earned a class D license which is not great but still gives me access to a wide selection of styles to race. If you tune in for one of these late night streams it will probably be oval or road racing. Regardless of the series, Jerry is in my ear whenever possible as my spotter. He is also logged into the game but his position as spotter gives him access to a variety of cameras to watch the action from. His job is to keep me apprised of race conditions, cars ahead and behind me, wrecks and anything else he thinks might help me get around the track faster.
We even got invited to an iRacing Pro-Am event that put Jerry and I on the track with a bunch of honest to God professional drivers. The Subaru IRX invitational was last Friday but you can catch the official VOD here:
Or see it from my point of view here:
Watch Subaru IRX ALL-Star Invitational! from PennyArcade on www.twitch.tv
I will also be streaming Penny Arcade league events occasionally. We’ve got about 50 people in the league now and we’re developing a schedule for group practices and tournaments. If you’d like to join, just look us up in the iRacing League directory and send a request. I am accepting all comers regardless of skill level. We have lots of rookies and lots of pros who are willing to teach.
Anytime we are out there streaming Motorsports of any kind we have been supported by a surprisingly enthusiastic streaming audience. We have dubbed them the Pit Crew and I have to be honest I am shocked at how their numbers continue to grow. I didn’t think Jerry would follow me into this obsession, much less the hundreds of you guys who have been tuning in at night! We’ve got real racing knowledge in the Pit Crew and they have given me lots of tips. We also have people like myself who are just getting into the hobby. It’s been a great mix and I love to see all the new people telling me they broke down and bought a wheel.
The way I see it, my job is to share my enthusiasm about games. The fact that so many of you are coming along for the ride tells me I’m doing a good job. The excitement of live races on the hour, full of people who (for the most part) are trying to race as fast and as clean as they can to progress their license while improving their safety rating, is unlike anything I’ve ever played before. I am having a great time and I think that must be coming through in these streams. Thanks to the Pit Crew for joining us on this trip!
-Gabe out
