Getting into PC gaming can be hard, and getting into driving simulators, like iRacing, can be even harder. There are so many specs to know, and special equipment to acquire. It makes the head spin to put it all together. Well, we know that, and we are here to help clear the clutter. This is a quick guide to getting started in iRacing, consider it the easy button to going racing!

Starting from zero, you’re going to need a computer. For most, this is the hardest part about getting started. iRacing was designed to be easy on computers, and because of that most any modern computer has plenty of power to run the simulator. Even some laptops are plenty capable. The basic spec sheet runs like this:

Those are the basic minimums. Now, that looks a bit scary, but very likely the computer you are on right now meets or exceeds those requirements. Now, if you do not have a computer that was built recently, or want to have a dedicated system for your driving simulator, there are budget friendly, easy solutions there as well.

There are plenty of companies that specialize in building driving simulator PCs, as well as companies that build general gaming pre-fab computers. Something like this would be a great piece of hardware to get your driving simulator on its wheels and running:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA77G5N88891

Now that you have a computer that will run iRacing, the next step is to get the driving hardware going. While iRacing does support hand-held controllers, like an Xbox controller, your driving experience is going to be tremendously improved by buying a wheel and pedals. There are lots of options to choose from, and you can spend as much as you’d like to on your setup. But, we are here for an 80%, easy button solution. Something close to this would be great equipment to get you started. Plenty capable, but still budget friendly:

https://www.amazon.com/d/PS4-Racing-Wheels-Controllers/Logitech-Dual-Motor-Feedback-Responsive-Playstation/B00Z0UWWYC?th=1

Now that you have your hardware sorted, it needs a place to live. This is a preference heavy area of the simulator. There are no rulesets, specs, or even recommended setups to read about here. Lots of drivers find that clamping their wheel to their existing desk, and the pedal box under the desk works just fine. However, if that is not your style, and you want to keep the space dedicated, there are tons of simple setups out there, like this one. It’s easy on the wallet, fairly compact, and does the job:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Stand-Pro-Steering-included/dp/B004AYMCRG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_tr_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0XE00GMBSE6T567N8K79

If you want something a little more official, and you don’t need it to store easily, this is a good option as well: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010W3O8R0/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B010W3O8R0&th=1

The internet is also full of “build it yourself” plans that start at “Free.99”. 

With that, you are well on your way to having a fully functional driving simulator! All in all, if you are starting from scratch, you can get into being a race car driver for less than $1000, which isn’t a small chunk of change, especially when you think of it in terms of tires, coilovers, or even a fresh set of belts and a new bucket seat. But, put it in terms of unlimited practice, no maintenance bills, and no hours in the garage with greasy hands, and the price gets a whole lot better.

It’s never too early to start thinking about sliding cars around in the dirt and mud of a Sports Car Club of America® RallyCross® event, which is why the Club is excited to announce the 2019 schedule for the new DirtFish SCCA® RallyCross National Tour, formerly known as the RallyCross National Challenge series.

Three events are planned for this year’s DirtFish RallyCross National Tour. The season opens in May at Utah Motorsports Campus in Erda, followed by a June visit to Chillicothe, Ohio and the Ross County Fairgrounds.  The third and final National Tour event then takes place at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, before drivers converge on National Balloon Classic Memorial Balloon Field in Indianola, Iowa for the DirtFish RallyCross National Championship in September.

Dates for the 2019 DirtFish SCCA RallyCross National Tour are as follows:
May 24-26: The Utah Challenge
Location TBA

June 14-16: The Great Lakes Challenge
Ross County Fairgrounds; Chillicothe, Ohio

July 19-21: The Mid-America Challenge
Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Missouri

RallyCross is the SCCA’s most widespread and readily accessible form of extreme dirt motorsport. The activity is a scaled-down version of a rally stage laid out on a non-paved plot of land where the course is delineated by traffic cones instead of trees or rocks. Participation requirements are considerably less than those associated with other forms of performance rally, so drivers usually only need a mechanically sound, hardtop vehicle and a helmet to come play in the dirt.

National Tour events mimic the DirtFish RallyCross National Championship. However, there is room for local organizers to insert local “flavor” to an event, with the objective being to allow for some experimentation of new concepts/procedures. The exact degree of variance is coordinated with the RXB and National Office. All 11 official RallyCross national classes may compete at National Tour events, but there is also the potential to include a limited number of local classes to bolster attendance and interest. Each National Tour event includes two days of competition on at least two courses with between six and fifteen scheduled runs.

Each RallyCross National Tour event has a National Steward selected by the RXB and/or SCCA National Staff. The host Region/Division, however, manages all event functions, including but not limited to: site procurement, registration, course design, tech, timing and scoring, safety, protests, trophies and social components.

For additional information on DirtFish SCCA RallyCross, visit https://www.scca.com/rallycross.

The Sports Car Club of America®, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,500-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both Club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 116 Regions and subsidiary divisions. Much of the SCCA’s activities are made possible with support from the following Official Partners: Hagerty, the Official Insurance Partner of SCCA; Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA; Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA; and Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. To learn more, please visit http://www.scca.com.