Racing simulators at a consumer level are typically considered a joke by professional racing drivers. That wasn’t the case with Motum Simulation’s 6 axis VR Motion Simulator which were experienced by Red Bull Holden Racing Team drivers, Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen.
Ahead of this weekend’s Gold Coast 600 Supercars race, the pair took part in a virtual race-off in front of local fans.
Whincup said,
“Getting a few laps in on the simulator ahead of the Gold Coast 600 can only help and there were some fans who gave us a run for our seat. The Motum simulator felt incredibly realistic, with good feedback through the steering wheel and pedals. The biggest difference to the real race track is it’s not as expensive when you make mistakes on this thing.”
In this short clip, we see Shane van Gisbergen in the Oculus Rift and the driving experience is clearly fairly realistic, with him reacting with a hand in the air, apologising for making contact with another car. This kind of immersive experience doesn’t come cheap, with the company actually hiring these simulators out for individual sessions, or group events. There’s a range of prices, but as an example, 10 hours of seat time will set you back $2,199.00.
J-Dub & SVG battle it out on the race simulator tonight 💪👊 #RedBullHolden pic.twitter.com/6WdqeMJMcp
— Red Bull Holden (@redbullholden) October 18, 2017
The Vodafone Gold Coast 600 kicks off on the streets of Surfers Paradise from the 20 – 22nd October.
More information at http://redbullholdenracing.com.
