And She Games...: Gaming as a Tool #NASCAR #Gaming

My partner in crime, Deanna, always laughs at me because I can turn anything into a post about NASCAR, or Knitting. So, I thought I would share about how NASCAR drivers use gaming as a valuable tool to train for their jobs.

Whenever you watch NASCAR, you will hear references to iRacing, or how a driver learned about a track by "playing a video game".

The announcers call it "playing a video game", but at the NASCAR level when they are using it to learn a track, I feel like it's actually training.

According to Wikipedia:

iRacing.com is an online, subscription-based racing simulation service for Microsoft Windows created by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. In addition to accurately modeled vehicles and tracks, iRacing provides servers on which to race and practice and a sanctioning body to organize and oversee competition within the service.
From the start, iRacing has been marketed as both an entertainment service and a training tool for real life racers.They have established numerous partnerships with real-world racing organizations and series, including NASCAR, GRAND-AM, IndyCar, V8 Supercars, the SCCA, the Skip Barber Racing School, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, the Star Mazda Championship and Williams F1 among others.

A lot of the NASCAR drivers talk about it as being their way to test when NASCAR won't let them go testing! And as a Gamer girl and a NASCAR fan I love that they have found a way to include gaming into their lives and careers.

Dale Jr actually found his spotter by playing iRacing with a group of guys. He started getting close to the core group and ended up choosing one as his NASCAR spotter. I thought that was the coolest thing, since I have made a lot of friends online that I have become really close to.

He is quoted on their site iRacing.com as saying:

iRacing is the most modern racing simulation ever created. Every inch of every track is modeled perfectly. I’ve used iRacing to learn new courses such as Virginia International Raceway, or to keep the rust off at tracks such as Infineon Raceway. For the hardcore sim racer, this is your dream simulation. For the actual real-world racer, this is your ‘at-home’ test vehicle. Acclimate yourself with a new course or learn something new on an old favorite. Even a rookie in the sim racing world can get up to speed fast within the iRacing system

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver
2-Time NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion (1998, 1999)

He talks highly of it on a regular basis, even when the older retired drivers don't get it. He is a hard-core gamer, and a racer who has figured out how to join is love of gaming with his racing career.

Many newcomers into the sport credit iRacing with their rookie success, as they get to try out the tracks and get a feel for them before ever stepping behind a real wheel. In NASCAR racing, hitting your marks, and knowing the characteristics of a track can really help lead to success on the track, and this gives them an inside edge.

There are many other drivers in various forms of racing who use this too, but here is a list of NASCAR drivers I know that use it: