This weekend is the ADAC SimRacing Expo in Nuremberg, Germany. Here’s everything going on at the biggest event in simracing.
Image Credit: ADAC SimRacing Expo
For its eighth edition, the ADAC SimRacing Expo has relocated from its original home beside the Nurburgring to the large event halls in Nuremberg. Taking place from 1-4, December in collaboration with the Retro Classics Bavaria meetup, the event halls won’t just be full of SimRacing equipment, but also a plethora of gorgeous classic automobiles.
The gathering has something for all ages, then. But what exactly will be on display at the expo? Here’s all you need to know before attending the biggest SimRacing event of the year this weekend.
Rigs and Equipment at the SimRacing Expo
It wouldn’t be an international Expo show without a vast hall of stands promoting new products, and the 2022 SimRacing Expo is no different. Take a brief look at the event’s website and you’ll come face-to-face with an immense list of brands attending. In fact, an entire 10,000m² hall will be full of stands.
Many of these will offer the opportunity to experience the feeling of strapping yourself into a full-size sim rig. Brands such as Next Level Racing, Trak Racer and equipment marketplace Sim-Motion will have plenty of products on display.
If you’re getting a rig, you’re going to need new set of pedals and a wheel upgrade. The Expo has you covered there too. Display and test setups will feature new products from direct drive wheels to load cell pedals. Of course, there will also be more entry level products for those starting out in simracing.
Finally, last month we learnt about Simucube’s brand new technology essentially injecting their pedals with force feedback. The so-called ‘Active Pedal’ will also surely be on display at the Expo for many an enthusiast to gawk at. All while crying when faced with the price.
Fierce Competition
As with any SimRacing event, Esports are a major focus. In particular, two professional races are set to get blood pumping throughout the event hall.
The first race on the slate is the final round of Simracing.gp’s Professional Trophy. This championship has been ongoing since July and culminates in a 6-hour dogfight between the best racers around. Obviously, the venue for such an important event had to be Assetto Corsa Competizione’s version of the Nurburgring GP course in the GT3 class of cars.
The GT3 cars will be busy this weekend as the second of the two professional esport competitions will also do battle in the staple GT cars. The ADAC Digital GT500 will put iRacing in the spotlight. Countless teams signed up to take part in this 500-kilometre race taking place throughout Sunday, the final day of the show.
Aside from professional competitions requiring hours upon hours of practice, RaceRoom will be running its own community event. In the run-up to the Expo, the free-to-play title has run a time trial competition allowing everyone to participate from the comfort of their own home.
In order to keep things fair, the cars and tracks used for the challenge weren’t announced until the week before the event. As such, aliens weren’t given the time to practice the specific car-track combinations. The vehicle class selection was decided via a vote on the game’s social media platforms.
From all leaderboard challenge entrants, the fastest 32 drivers received invites to attend the SimRacing Expo and take part in a racing finale. That specific battle takes place on Friday towards the end of the day.
Major Conferences at the Expo
Last but not least, the SimRacing Expo is the perfect place to get up close and personal with the big personalities in online racing. Throughout the event, a stage will host several chats and interviews with major personalities and influencers.
The likes of Jimmy Broadbent and Jardier will grab the microphone to discuss their experiences in the Sim Racing world. Other chats will include large services like Grid Finder, VCO and Varjo to discuss the future of virtual racing.
Away from the big stage, the SimRacing Expo is set to become a hub for anyone passionate about simracing. Those in attendance may even be able to spot some of our own patrolling the grounds of the Nuremburg Messe.
Are you attending the 2022 ADAC SimRacing Expo? If so, what are you most excited for? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
