Welcome to SimBits
Welcome
Firstly, we would like to give our readers a warm welcome to SimBits. This is a category sponsored by PitByte which acts as a general roundup of recent Sim Racing races and series from around the web. We’ll package these roundups into an easy to read review format for your enjoyment. This category will also include exclusive driver and team interviews, as well as interviews with relevant Sim Racing personalities. Buckle up and settle in for the ride.
Wait, what is Sim Racing?
In case you’re unaware of what Sim Racing is, our friends over at Wikipedia have summed it up rather well. You can find their definition and explanation here.
Let’s get to it
Where better to begin a new Sim Racing related roundup than with the ever so popular racing sim, iRacing? iRacing are the leaders when it comes to Massively Multiplayer online racing. They use accurately modeled vehicles and tracks, and offer an unrivaled progression system for racers of all ages and skill levels to enjoy. iRacing are also not shy to support the organizations who use their platforms to run their leagues and hosted races. They often feature live broadcasts and news articles from these organizations to help promote the leagues, the platform, and also the teams and drivers.
iRacing host 3 top-level World Championship series under their own branded banner. These are the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series, which plays host to the most talented Oval Sim Racers on the planet; The iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series, Where arguably the worlds best open-wheel Sim Racers all fight to claim the ultimate title of “The Worlds Best Sim Racing Driver”; and more recently they have the Blancpain GT Series. All 3 of these series have already seen through their first races of the 2016 season.
The outlook is currently as follows:
iWCGPS:
Photo courtesy of iRacing.com Facebook page.
The iWCGPS is effectively the Formula One of Sim Racing. Drivers race an accurately modeled Mclaren MP4-30 Formula One spec race car on a number of highly detailed circuits modeled after their real world counterparts throughout the entire season.
Martin Kronke has done a stellar job in all of the races so far this season, and leads the Drivers Championship with 249 points in his Coanda powered machine. The iRacing iWCGPS record holder for the most Championship wins, the “Grand Master” Greger Huttu is currently in 2nd overall in his Team Redline machine with 240 points. Olli Pahkala sees himself in 3rd place overall with 214 points overall after a consistent string of results inside the top 10.
This season has been all about Coanda vs Team Redline so far. There’s a half and half split inside the top 4 in the Drivers Championship between Coanda and Team Redline. Both teams have an extremely competitive history, although Team Redline boast the most Drivers Championships of any team in iRacing iWCGPS history. We’re looking with a keen eye this season to see whether Coanda can get one of their own into the top spot at the end of the season. Should they accomplish this feat, they’ll be the first team in a number of years to dethrone the almighty Greger Huttu.
The best of the rest come in the form of: Mivano, Radicals, Iberica, and Apex Racing UK. These teams have all proven to be competitive in a multitude of series on iRacing. However, these teams have struggled to establish themselves as consistent front runners this season. Although the focus may be at the front this year, don’t discount these teams from providing truly scintillating and enthralling racing throughout the season.
Blancpain GT Series:
Photo courtesy of iRacing.com Facebook Page.
The Blancpain GT Series is a brand new series introduced to the World Championship circuit for 2016 by iRacing. Teams field up to 5 drivers per car, and then race for anywhere between 2 hours and 6 hours in accurately modeled GT3 spec race cars on circuits accurately modeled after their real world counterparts throughout the season.
The first round of the season saw Core Motorsports, well known within the endurance scene, win the race and take the inaugural lead of the inaugural Blancpain GT Series season. They were followed by INEX Racing, another well-known team within the sim racing scene as a whole. 3rd place was filled by IndyCar experts Vortex Racing. Our usual suspects from the iWCGPS in the form of Team Redline trailed just behind in 4th place. An old World Championship Series name in Glacier Racing made their return to the World Championship circuit in style after they came home in 5th.
The balance of performance plays a big part in this series, and we can expect the results and standings to chop and change throughout the year. It’s going to be an exciting season and is definitely going to provide some of the best racing you’ll ever see. You don’t want to miss it.
NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series:
Photo courtesy of iRacing.com YouTube Channel.
This series boasts some of the most recognized names in iRacing. Alfalla, Hudson, Conti, Humpe, Stergios, and Vincent to name a few. This series is all about running wheel-to-wheel and provides some of the most exciting racing we have ever seen in Sim Racing.
Ray Alfalla, the most decorated driver in the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series when it comes to championships and race wins, is leading the championship by 14 points. Ray has produced a number of consistent finishes this season. Living up to the reason why he is known as one of the best Oval racers on the iRacing service. PJ Stergios finds himself in 2nd place. PJ is no stranger to the World Championship circuit and has been around the block in all types of vehicles on iRacing. He’s been doing an exceptional job so far this season, getting himself into 2nd in the Drivers Standings. Allen Boes has worked his way into 3rd in the Driver standings and is tied on points with PJ’s brother, Jake Stergios. Both are no stranger to the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series and have been relatively competitive previously. It’s an interesting split at the front of the pack and it will be interesting to see how things pan out as the season progresses.
Extra things to keep an eye out for in May
- The newly announced iRacing VLN Endurance Championship which kicks off on May 15th.
- The iRacing.com Indy500 from May 20th to May 22nd.
That’s a wrap
That’s just about all we have time for in this edition of SimBits here on PitByte. We hope you enjoyed this edition of our new Sim Racing series. Please share this article with your friends if you enjoyed it. Comment down below with your feedback on the article, and don’t be shy to tell us what you would like to see more of from this series.
