Community Question | How Long Have You Been A Sim Racer?

Martin Bell · Jul 2, 2020

The first game I remember was Geoff Crammonds F1GP on a vanilla Amiga 500 then 1200 from around the 90s . Got a 68060 accelerator card at some point and the handling improved massively. I still remember the amazement of improved control and being able to catch a sliding car rather than putting it into the barrier. Not sure if it was a planning decision around scalability or I just got lucky but either way, thanks Geoff.

Paul McCluskey · Jul 2, 2020

Crammonds F1 on Amiga was maybe not the 1st but one I see as being a complete sim and loved the Papyrus ones too, Gpl was my 1st online sim racing experience and it was great days in vroc , I'll make a mention of VFR Honda on amiga being my 1st proper bike sim, had great set of circuits and doing manual gears n braking was great fun.

kronik · Jul 2, 2020

Started 1986 with REVS + on the C64. It was not really a sim, rather simcade.
Then Grand Prix 1 (1991) with keyboard, GP 2, followed by GP3 with my first wheel: A MS Sidewinder with FF.

WarBoss · Jul 2, 2020

My sim racing career startend together with buying my first pc and directly bought GP2, but the Sim I have the most Hours in is GTR2, which is still one of my favourite sims

Ben Keough · Jul 2, 2020

Probably "started" with Microprose Grand Prix, but the first sim I spent significant time with was Papyrus's NASCAR Racing, then IndyCar 2 and NASCAR 2003. Overall I spent the most time on LFS—my first multiplayer sim.

Helldriver · Jul 2, 2020

The first Sim i´ve played was also Indianapolis 500.
Other car games were 4D Sports Driving, Test Drive, Car & Driver, Street Rod I & II, etc.
I just love car / racing games.

boomn · Jul 2, 2020

I grew up playing a lot of NFS:SE and then NFS: Porsche with a wheel. It was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't consider it sim racing. Later I got Sport Car GT and found out how awesome modding is, but I still played that one more like a game and wasn't trying to be a "sim racer". After playing racing games for 25 years, I would say that I became a "sim racer" about 6 years ago when I got rFactor, GTR2 and GTL

Prenten Olivier · Jul 2, 2020

Became addict by playing seriously with wheel and pedals in 2001 on F1C with RH mods.
Then rF, nKPro, rF2, AC, iR and currently on ACC & F1 2020 when it is release.

drako90 · Jul 2, 2020

My first racing game: Formula1 97 for PlayStation One.
But if we speak about "SimRacing" like our first time driving in private Leagues,
to me it's ofcourse.... rFactor 1 in 2006..Well GTR2 too, but on public servers only.

Grimmsel · Jul 2, 2020

The first racing game that I played and I would call a "sim" was Revs on a C64 back in 1988
So I do 32 years of sim racing

since then I played allmost every racing sim...
My all time favorites back in the days
Grand Prix 2, Indycar Racing 2, Grand Prix Legends, GTR 2
Now I play rF2, ACC, AMS2 and Dirt Rally 2.0 (no clear favorite on this list)

Ardylicious · Jul 2, 2020

As long as i can remember from the games on the Atari and colecovision. But they were never simulation. Neither was Revs on the 64. Was indy 500 and Crammond the beginning? I have always liked racing games from outrun and chase hq. But i remember Winning run in the arcade and W.E.C. le mans . But it was probably GTR that began the more serious sim racing. The implementation of peripherals have added extra dimension and immersion. I am excited by the future of what is to come.

Shincha20 · Jul 2, 2020

Crammond’s GP4 on my dad’s lap maybe in 2004 or 5.
With an oversized wheel in my hand and not reaching the pedals.
Great memories.

Sergio Loro · Jul 2, 2020

mid 90's GP2 first, Nascar 99, GPL, Nascar 3, Nascar 2003, a Dirt oval track game, ducati superbike, ama superbike and so on!!

zehazoltan · Jul 2, 2020

If F1 2002 counts then: F1 2002 -> rFactor -> Race07 -> Assetto Corsa -> Dirt Rally 1-2 -> ACC -> AMS2

stimpy · Jul 2, 2020

Started with Grand Prix 2 followed with GP3 and GP3K, first encounter with GT/NGT cars was the predecessor of GTR2, the mod GTR2002 for F1 Challenge.
Later on Grand Prix Legends, GTR/GTR2/Race07, rF1, AMS.
These days I prefere rF2.

daveclifton · Jul 2, 2020

I've been sim racing since 1992, starting with Geoff Crammond's F1GP on the Amiga which blew me away. Bought a G25 and got seriously racing online in 2007, but since settling down and having children, I am now an armchair controller player, enjoying all the most recent sims albeit in very short bursts.

Still love it though. Automobilista 2 with a controller is my new passion, loving the control and the close racing.

Can't really commit to over 20 minutes now, so online racing has gone really, bar some messing on LFS, but once the kids are older, I intend on going VR and getting right back into it properly.

My youngest boy is 4 and loves BeamNG, so I may be raising a future F1 champion or a psychopath.....time will tell.

JPL083 · Jul 2, 2020

Cannot remember the exact year anymore, but end side of the 80's. C64 and Pitstop. Also top down games Super Sprint and Burning Rubber.

ThugUK · Jul 2, 2020

Difficult question for me.
Ok, i did enjoy the old Atari 2600 Pole Position game in the early 80's, but it wasnt really a sim.
The first 'sim' i played was one for the Amiga (possibly Test Drive) which i played to death too.
I then got my first PC in 1998 and soon after got TOCA 1 and 2 and raced a mate over dial up for months around Croft (my local track).
I also bought GPL and Richard Burns Rally when they first came out.
I even bought a MS steering wheel to play with.

However, i only became more serious in the last few years with AS, DR, ACC and DR2.
I then bought a DD wheel and full motion sim.