On December 14th the premier racing simulator software company iRacing.com hosted its inaugural Pro Race of Champions Tournament – a virtual racing event for real world professional race drivers. The iRacing Tournament featured 27 top racecar drivers from F1, Indycar, Nascar, ALMS, Grand Am and other series from locations across the globe.
The green flag dropped not once but twice for a simulated race of 30 laps at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Oval and for second virtual race of 10 laps at Watkins Glen Road course. At stake was a more than $2000 in charity donations from iRacing that went primarily to the winner’s favorite charity ($1500) and to first two runners up as well ($500 and $250).

In theory, to take part in such a virtual race one would need only a PC, a steering wheel and pedals, as well as an Internet connection. As iRacing President Tony Gardner put it, “How cool is it to have big names from most of the top series racing each other . . . from the comfort of their living rooms around the world? It’s a testament to the incredible strides online racing has made in just the past couple of years.”

Of course getting the chance to sit in a high-end racing simulator makes it all the more fun and realistic– which is why the tournament gave us at CXC Simulations a thrill as well!

Competing in this exciting simulated racing challenge were two of CXC’s development drivers, Tommy Kendall and Matt Halliday. They competed in the race sitting in the CXC simulators located at the newly opened Sim Center at Santa Monica Airport called “SeatTime” (http://virtualseattime.com/). SeatTime features multiple CXC Simulators, where the public can rent them every day to either race or fly – CXC simulators are capable of both.

For Tommy Kendall, the experience in a serious simulation race was a first and he had lots of fun running in the middle of the pack. He placed 19th on the Oval and 16th at Watkins Glen.

V8 Supercar driver Matt Halliday came in strong at the front of the field, making it into the top ten of both races by finishing 10th at Charlotte and 5th at Watkins Glen.

Who sped to the finish line first? Former F1 and Nascar driver Scott Speed won the opening race in virtual Chevrolet Silverados while Australian V8 Supercar driver Shane van Gisbergen led in all ten laps in the second race in his simulated Mazda MX5 car. Yet Brandon Davis won the iPRoC simulated racing tournament overall, as his cumulative racing results put him on top. Davis gave his $1500 donation prize to his favorite charity, the Special Operations Warriors Foundation.

The simulated race was a big hit with its professional driver participants and with spectators; PSRTV broadcasted the event live at iRacing.com, where over 10,000 unique viewers watched. For those who are still interested in checking out the race for themselves, it can be viewed here: http://www.psrtv.com/archive/

CXC Simulations is headquartered in Marina del Rey, California and was established specifically to manufacture a professional-level racing simulator that was not only suited to pro drivers and race teams, but one that was practical for home use as well. Developed with the expertise and experience of professional drivers and engineers over a two-year period, the result was the CXC Motion Pro II, about which AutoWeek said, “might just be the best racing simulator in the world.”

Powered by a purpose-built rack-mounted simulation computer, the MP II is meticulously assembled from the same materials as racecars: aluminum, laser-cut steel and carbon fiber. It is compatible with all major commercial and online software options and users may choose from a practically limitless and ever-increasing list of modern or vintage cars to drive, including F1, GT, NASCAR, sports cars, off-road, open-wheel and rally (even race boats) and tracks around the world to race on. The CXC MP II is now also available as a flight simulator. Yet what separates the MP II from other simulators is the implementation and interpretation of that software; the precise timing, intensity and accuracy of its proprietary full-motion system, tactile transducers and force-feedback controls, together with 5.1 surround sound and a 1080p high-definition panorama video display. The MP II realistically reproduces the sensation of racing, making it the ultimate driving simulator for both racing professionals and recreational enthusiasts alike.