After establishing the racing simulator division under our main team, TEAM SX83 SimLife, we have met many skilled individuals from the simulator community. This includes Yang Bowen (nickname: Wei Li), who will represent TEAM SX83 SimLife in the upcoming K4-GP in Japan. For the main team, this is a brand new challenge, and for Wei Li, it marks his very first real race.

After our team began using the ASETEK SIMSPORTS racing simulator as training equipment, we explored various realistic racing software on the market, including AC, ACC, and iRacing. This allowed us to understand the game's physics and develop a conversion logic that aligns with real-world physics. Once we became familiar with all of this, we suddenly had a bold idea: "If real-world drivers can use simulators for pre-race practice, can simulator drivers use that experience to participate in real car races?"

 

With our theory taking shape, it was time to put it into practice. At this moment, the car owner charging station and QSTARZ had a collaboration with a Japanese team to participate in the K4-GP, a endurance race held in Fuji focusing on local small-displacement K cars. The Japanese team prepared two spots for Taiwanese drivers, presenting us with a perfect opportunity to test our bold idea. Thus, in addition to the team leader, Coach Su Yanming, we also brought along Wei Li, who has proven to be quite fast in the simulator. Together, we set off for Japan to compete.

The team arrived in Japan two days early to help Wei Li purchase the necessary equipment for the race, including a helmet, gloves, and more. Although Wei Li has achieved great success as a simulator driver in the esports arena, he had never participated in an actual race, not even a track day. In his daily life, he only drives a regular car to commute, so he had no racing gear whatsoever. Fortunately, the FIA-certified equipment required for the K4-GP was not of a very high standard, making it easy for us to find what we needed at a local racing gear shop.

On race day, we arrived at Fuji Circuit at 5 AM to meet with the collaborating Japanese team and attend the pre-race driver meeting. However, our translator was unable to make it, and the driver's briefing manual did not have an English version. We had to rely on the few Chinese characters in the manual and translation software to try to understand the race regulations. Due to communication difficulties, we confirmed our driving order with the collaborating team just before the race: the Japanese drivers would take the first and third stints, while Wei Li would drive the second stint and Coach Su would take the fourth.

 

After the dynamic start, the vehicles raced by as we returned to the pit to monitor the action on screen. Everything proceeded like any other race, but we noticed that most teams in the same category were posting lap times of around 2:50, which was slower than we had anticipated. We didn’t think much of it at the time as the race progressed to Wei Li's turn.

When it was finally his time to drive, Wei Li appeared quite nervous. Sitting in a race car for the first time, his mind went blank, and he even forgot how to fasten the four-point safety harness. Fortunately, Coach Su was there to assist him, allowing Wei Li to leave the pit and begin his very first competitive lap. However, shortly after he started, another team experienced an incident that brought out the safety car.

We were unsure if Wei Li had seen the flags or understood how to follow the safety car instructions, so we closely monitored the screen to check if he received any penalties for violations. Thankfully, as one of the organizers of the TAS (Taiwan Top Simulation Racing League), Wei Li had a solid understanding of the race rules. During the three laps under yellow flags, there were no violations, and when the race resumed, he reacted quickly, accelerating and pushing forward. To our surprise, he clocked a lap time of 2:47, and in the following 30 minutes, he continued to reduce his times, ultimately achieving a lap of 2:44 before coming into the pits for a driver change.
 

 

Although Wei Li's lap times surprised us, issues arose due to his rapid pace. After less than 20 minutes into the third stint, the Japanese driver returned to the pit, leading us to believe something was wrong with the car. After some back-and-forth communication with the technician using translation software, we discovered we had made a mistake. The manual stated that the 50-litre fuel limit was not the maximum for each refueling but the total fuel allowed for the entire race. Misunderstanding this due to translation errors, we thought it referred to the former. In simple terms, we couldn't race at full speed the whole time; we had to adopt fuel-saving strategies at certain times to secure victory in this 5-hour endurance race. Unfortunately, the fuel Wei Li had already burned could not be replenished, so we quickly calculated our fuel levels and consumption. Ultimately, we decided to keep the car in the pit until the last 30 minutes when Coach Su would drive, aiming to complete a single lap and cross the finish line to ensure the team could finish the race.

In the end, thanks to Coach Su's strong push, we achieved a lap time of 2:42, securing the fastest lap of the event for that car model and crossing the finish line. Although our final standings were far behind other teams, we gained valuable experience. At that moment, our hypothesis was confirmed: "It is absolutely feasible for simulator drivers to participate in real car races." The gap between Coach Su, who has a decade of racing experience, and Wei Li, who had none, was only 2 seconds in the same car, on the same track, at the same time. This small difference can be attributed to Wei Li's driving experience with racing simulators. Through the simulator, Wei Li could closely observe the layout of Fuji Circuit, practice each corner, and gradually master the vehicle's physics through repeated practice. This ultimately enabled him to transfer everything he had learned in the simulator to the car and track he was driving in the shortest time possible.

This is the essence of our recent promotion of racing simulators: enjoying the thrill of driving or honing racing skills doesn't require spending a fortune on a car, modifications, or entering competitions. Through simulators, one can experience all this at the lowest cost. Not to mention, a single simulator allows participation in various competitions with different car models and classes worldwide, which in reality would cost millions. The emergence of simulators has created a more affordable and effective shortcut for people to engage with racing, transcending physical and regulatory limitations to let everyone enjoy the joy of driving. As long-time car enthusiasts, we hope everyone can experience this joy. Our cross-genre drivers serve to prove the realism and credibility of racing simulators. In the future, we will continue to launch more initiatives and events to further promote racing!