In a post earlier this week I shared my experience driving to a local mountain pass with my friends. Despite feeling increasingly jaded and apathetic as I age, driving always gives me a sense of joy. The reason I fell in love with motorsports is a combination of motorcycles as a child. Need for Speed Games, movies, cartoons, continued to fuel my love of cars and machines. As a child I remember going to the go kart track with my father. When he realized how expensive karting was we decided to pursue other sporting ventures. My life as a child was filled with lacrosse, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling, swimming, track, and even bowling at one point.
The great thing about being on the bowling team was my ability to practice Initial D Stage 5. I was undefeated locally.
The sports we played were far more affordable than racing. Racing means buying a kart, engine, tires, helmet, oil, parts, and other maintenance over a motorsports career. It’s a lot cheaper to buy a basketball and some kicks then to even just regularly use a rental kart. I found out last week how expensive rental karts are. I was able to afford karting this time because I recieved a pretty generous tip on my last tour. Thanks to my group!!
Do you Guys Want to Go-Karting??
After two weeks of not seeing my friends, I wanted to hang out. Usually, we go out for drinks and food, but that night I was feeling like doing something a little different. Honestly, I’m not really a fan of drinking. Despite this I’m a fan of being around my friends. With company I indulge in a bit of degeneracy every now and then. Because we’re all motorheads we love to do small drives and meets across various locations in Japan. While racing is expensive, so is just having a car, I can’t even afford to fix and maintain mine.
F. Dream is My Dream
Safety Briefing
Behind all of these fun motorsports events are usually boring, but important safety briefing. If you’ve ever watched motorsports you would know many of the rules as a lot of them are common sense. No weaving, crashing, blocking and what to do in case of an incident or being stuck. The session also explains what flags mean.
- Blue Flags Someone faster is behind you
- Yellow Flag Caution No Passing Drive Slow and Cautious
- Checkered Flag Final Lap
- Red Flag Session Stopped
- Black Flag Disqualified, Mechanical Problem, Unsportsmanlike conduct
Track Layout
The track has a balcony with a view of the track. Veteran regulars lapped below as I studied their lines and brake application. While grip driving, the corners don’t look as exciting as drifting, driving on the limit is a different kind of joy. The cars whizzed by at around 100km/h, I was expecting some lame lawn mower engine karts. This wasn’t your local minigolf and go kart track. Overall there are 10 turns with 1 straight, 2 hairpins, 1 chicane, 1 double apex, and three high speed sections. I found that it was a really fun near fourty second lap.
The estimated beginner time is around forty seconds, but you know we’re faster than that.
Speedy Speed Boy, as fast as I can be
Speedy Speed Boy, every night and day
Wind is on my face
Turn 1
Turn 1 is a high speed sweeper. I’m not sure if I lost a little time not taking a tight enough line. Coming off of the main straight you’re around top speed of the kart and you even hit the limiter. When I entered the corner for the first time, it was actually the last corner I took as we came out of the pits. I had gathered from the rest of the track that the kart had enough grip to make the turn. Flat out, the speed in the kart wasn’t wasn’t enough to break traction. I’m not sure if I was losing speed not lifting, but the tires didn’t feel like they were scrubbing so I wouldn’t have lost time understeering.
Turn 2
Turn 2 is the first hairpin and first turn that you need to apply the brakes. I took the kart wide to the left almost touching the tire barriers before braking in a smooth line and trying to prioritize the exit speed. As long as I kept the two inside tires within the white lines I count it as within track limits. Bringing the kart into the inside edge the goal is to start accelerating as soon as possible.
Turn 3
I ran turn three flat out. The line I took was a little wider than that of the blue line there. I think here I might have lost time to scrubbing the tires.
Turns 4 & 5
Turns four and five are linked. Because it’s a chicane into a tight ninety degree left turn it was hard for me to know if the line I took was optimal. After watching the experienced guys I knew it was a good Idea to run the curb to keep speed.
Turn 6 & 7
Turn 6 wasn’t complex. It was more about staying as far to the right as possible. Some laps I even brushed against the barrier. I did feel as if I was losing time to some understeer entering turn 7. The shallow right hander fed into the last braking zone of the track.
Turn 8 & 9
Turn 8 is one of the most important parts of the track. It’s really easy to spin the rears in this turn. The smallest flick slows your lap time tremendously as it’s the last braking zone of the circuit. You can take a lot of curb in turn 9 to cut the corner shorter. Because your speed will already be low it shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you hug the inside corner.
Turn 10
Turn 10, which is the name of a gaming studio, might as well be a straight in the rental karts. By the time you’ve reached turn 10 you’re probably mid speed and building up to the limiter. All the weight should be on the rear wheels. The rental karts don’t have enough power or torque to spin the rears even with the centrifugal force. Just keep the kart as tight to the right as possible.
Qualifying
Just like Formula 1, there was a 10 lap qualifying session before the race. We went out to chose our Karts and because of one of my friends I chose number 7. Number 7 was in third place. As soon as we made our way out onto the track I began to test the limits. Unlike Sim Racing in real life you don’t have time to build pace gradually. In the limited time available, it’s important to find the levels of grip and the speed you can carry through turns. I tried to experiment with different types of braking entering the turns.
Should I brush the brakes here? Threshold brake here? Where’s the place to trail brake? I was trying to find the correct brake pressure as well. Too much brakes lock up lose time, too little brakes don’t slow the kart enough. I could definitely find time applying the accelerator smoothly, but I felt the karts lacked a lot of torque and speed. It was possible to floor it without any wheelspin unless the kart was already upset.
Lap after lap you become one with the track, kart, line and you find it. The Tao, the flow, the force, whatever you want to call it. Whether it’s god or something greater, you’re there. Given the money, time, or talent I could drive that little go kart around all day. Even without it and barely being able to afford it I was there.
The Starting Grid
After a combined qualifying/practice we puttered into the paddock to hear the results. Everyone had big smiles on their faces as we gathered together. Despite the elation, it was a mix of emotions as the starting grid was read aloud.
- Marco
- Iichi
- Dave
- Amos
(I forgot the positions after fourth 😅)
- Yo
- Gerry
I was pretty happy to win my first pole position. At the same time there was a lot of pressure starting at the front of the grid. The great thing about having a wild imagination is that you can almost picture yourself there. On the other hand, it also makes you compare that vision to reality. Still in my head I pretended I would have to be interviewed about the grid position.
Yeah the rental kart had really good pace today. I felt there was a little bit more to extract from the car so I’m happy to be at the front of the grid, but we’ll see if we can stay there in 15 minutes when the race starts. I was just trying to find the grip and trust my lines, we started in the traffic but we gave ourselves a little space with some overtakes for some clean air.
Marco in His Head Pretending to Be interviewed
Green Room
I always get nervous before competitions. Although this was just karting for fun I’m competitive and I like to win. Throughout the years of athletic competitions, eSports, and presentations I’ve learned to sit with that feeling. In the green room we all looked at our shaking hands, our bodies still rife with adrenaline. I used to be afraid of that feeling, but I learned to like it after listening to podcasts. Nervousness and excitement have the same physical expression, it’s how our minds chose to react to the stimulus that affects our outlook.
Analytics and Data
I was a little disappointed by the analytics and data delivered by the track. I guess there is only so much you can do with, simple karts and sensors, but I felt this is an area that could be improved. Sector times, kart telemetry, accelerator and braking inputs are all things that you can gather in sim racing sessions. I think with sim racing, it’s easy to get all that data because somewhere underneath all the pretty graphics are number values being crunched by the game. I’ve seen some newer go karts have screens and sector times, but it might depend on the modernity of the track. I’m sure the sensors are probably expensive however.
Lights Out
Just like in Formula 1, before we set the grid we did a formation lap. I tried to get as much temperature into my tires and brakes before the race started. I accelerated hard and followed the input with fast braking. The front tires were warmed with a bit of weaving. I knew at my level it didn’t really matter, but it was fun to pretend. Slowly stopping into my box I took a deep breath.
I’m so happy to be here
The Heat
The lights counted up 1, 2, 3, 4. As the bulbs ignited the tension in the air rose with them. When the lights illuminated everything was calm, still, and silent. Even the sound of our idling engines was muffled as I focused on the bar before me. The serenity was ripped to shreds by the sound of engines revving as the lights extinguished. Holding onto my lead I settled into a rhythm. I set a strong pace for 3 laps, I felt some pressure for a couple of turns but I was beginning to open a gap.
Four laps in I oversteered after the chicane and the gap I had built shrinked. I felt a slight bump from behind. The small slide had lost me my lead as we went down the back straight. We went into turn one, but I managed to stay ahead. While losing time into the chicane wasn’t too bad as the small straight after it only lost a tenth I made an error in the second hairpin and then the heat was really on. Due to the long straight after the second hairpin losing exit speed there is extremely punishing. Yet in a race if you prioritize exit speed too much you might get overtaken.
Barreling down into turn 1 I was considering driving a defensive line, instead I went wide left to try to open the corner as much as possible.
Switchback?
From the inside Iichi had sent a divebomb, he went late on the brakes. Too late as he lost the rear end to oversteer, after a slight correction he was in front of me mid corner. I tried to do the classic switchback on him, I was quite disappointed in my exit speed as we both accelerated away at relatively the same pace. The switchback had failed me, now I was the one chasing.
Gaining
Being caught off guard it was my turn to try to close the gap. I felt myself getting closer and closer. Would I get a chance to pull a move. While in qualifying I had about 2 tenths on the field, starting in the front gave Iichi a chance to copy my lines. Now behind I was actually in the danger of running Iichi’s race and not my own. I found myself getting pulled into his rhythm which seemed incompatible with my driving style.
Overdriving
Wanting to catch Iichi for my chance at a move I fell into the mistake of over driving the car. Instead of remaining calm I kept trying to gain time in new ways, pushing braking points further, or accelerating slower, which ultimately slowed me down. The gap widened more than I had closed it in the previous laps. After falling too far behind I realized my overdriving had cost me the race. Feeling a sense of calm I put down my three fastest laps in the race, but it wasn’t enough.
The Checkered Flag
The checkered flag was waved and it was a roller coaster of emotions. I finished on the podium, but I had dropped down on the grid position. While victory had eluded me, I still had fun. While I was happy for Iichi, I also wanted that victory. There was nothing on the line, no contracts, fame, glory, but I felt a little closer to the F1 Drivers I had watched on T.V. I think I could start to understand their feelings when a teammate wins, you did well, but you still lost out. I was competitive by nature, one day I hope to stand at the top of a podium, but boy it was such a blast.
Podium Celebration
Because we did a group reservation, the track threw a little podium ceremony. The times were called out as we got our little printed lap time sheet. We were even handed three tansan water to do the podium “champagne spray”. I actually failed at that as I forgot to cover it up with my thumb when I shook it. . . I’ll have to get more podiums to practice that technique.
I’m Okay With Second. . .But I want First
Somewhere on my convoluted blog there is a post titled “Taking L’s Gracefully”, where I write about being okay with things not going exactly how you imagined them. I’d like to say failure, losses, and coming up short lead you to wins down the road, but I’m not really sure I can confirm that because I haven’t really had a win in awhile. All I can do is put my obsessive highly functioning autistic mind to work and think about things I can improve moving forward.
Things to Improve Moving Forward
- Awareness of where other drivers are
- Driving Defensive Lines
- Dealing with pressure from behind
- Staying calm while chasing, running own lines race
- Catching slides sooner
- Throttle too aggressive on corner exit
- Locking up the rear under braking
- Always using all the available track
It Only Gets More Difficult
At the very beginning stages the only thing I was worried about was pushing as fast as possible. Is it better to manage tire, brake, and engine temps? Does the fastest line change after heavy running? As you get better all this small attention to detail matters, but for now I’ll keep pushing faster. I realize that every small correction and getting over the limit helps your body to recognize where the limit is over time.
Upon analyzing the data we had over the race, IIchi actually had the fastest lap time, but it was while watching me and copying my line. The fastest group of laps was my laps towards the end the group when I was free running so the pace is there. Still, the pace of the serious racers who were in the 33.0s and the 34.0s range. I had so much improvement to gain if I continued to develop the feeling on the road.
But How to Race With Almost no Money?
Some of you might have already deciphered where this article is heading. Others might be wondering why it took nearly 20 minutes of reading to get to the headline. But the answer to how to race with almost no money is Sim Racing. There have been various case studies of Sim Drivers who translate their skills into real life. Usually it’s a combination of physical seat time and Simulated driving, but to say it’s not useful when the current three time world champion lives in a sim would be disingenuous.
What do I need to Sim Race?
- Console or Gaming PC $300-$700 depending on choice
- Monitor or TV – $100 – $200
- Wheel with force feedback $200-$1500
- Desk or Sim Cockpit Free – $300
- Sim Racing Title – $50
- Sim Racing Subscription – $12 a month optional
Wasn’t this supposed to be a “Sim race with almost no Money” guide? Yes let me get to that. Many of these items above are optional or lot of you already own. Sim racing is one of those hobbies where you can spend as much as you want, but that’s the point you CAN. It’s not necessary to spend all that money to get started. Because I thought I’d eventually save up enough money to be able to drift one day I actually already owned a wheel and racing sim from a few years ago.
My journey looked more like this.
Console or Gaming PC $300-$700 depending on choiceMonitor or TV – $100 – $200Wheel with force feedback $200-$1500Desk or Sim Cockpit Free – $300Sim Racing Title – $50- Sim Racing Subscription – $12 a month optional
Most people recommend iracing, which is probably the most fully fleshed out and supported eSports racing league. But I’m so cheap I didn’t want to pay for that subscription. On top of that their monetization model is fairly agressive. So I looked at a way around it.
World Sim Series
I already own the Racing Simulator called Assetto Corsa, I use it to practice drifting with some of my friends. With it’s mod support I’ve even used it to live out my weeb fantasies and drive on Initial D roads. It has it’s own built in multiplayer server browser, but I can’t say it’s in-depth or that league racing is fleshed out. Not knowing where to start I turned to google which pointed me to World Sim Series.
Within seconds I was driving the GT86 around magione chasing the time of 1:37:99 to qualify for a rookie license. I’ve entered a couple races and I’m having a blast. It’s exhilarating going from being 5 seconds off the pace to within a second of the top drivers in my lobbies. I’m not even really pushing for wins currently. WSS requires you to get 5 more clean races to get an amature license. When you have an amature license you can enter open wheel events.
Already I feel more comfortable chasing people while on the limit and I’m looking to iron out better driving habits and skills. With eSports you can use telemetry, replays, and solid lap and sector data to push for improvement.
What Racing Means
As I reflect on this journey, from childhood dreams to the adrenaline of real-life racing, I realize that the joy isn’t just in winning—it’s in the chase, the camaraderie, and the continuous pursuit of improvement. Whether on the track or in the virtual world, every lap teaches me something new, helping me inch closer to that elusive perfect run.
Racing, much like life, is a series of small victories and lessons learned. While I may not always stand at the top of the podium, the thrill of the race, the connection with friends, and the memories we create are what truly matter. I’m grateful for every opportunity to feel the rush of speed, the challenge of competition, and the joy of simply being behind the wheel.
As I look ahead, I’m excited to see where this passion will take me—whether it’s on the next track, in the next sim race, or perhaps even in the fulfillment of a dream I’ve yet to imagine. For now, I’ll keep pushing forward, both on and off the track, knowing that each moment is part of a bigger journey.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. See you at the next race.
I’m excited to see where my motorsports journey will take me 10 years down the line.
Much Love 🩵🦥🩷💖
LaidbackMarco
It’s my dream to bring experiences like this to school leagues to create an affordable/accessible introduction into engineering and motorsport. Let me know if you are aware of any opportunities or connections that might allow a programme like this to flourish.
