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NEW YORK, NY (3 July 2007) The American Le Mans Series hosted a VIP luncheon at Central Park's Tavern on the Green June 28 featuring an unusual side dish: the opportunity to test drive a race car on the track that will host their next race without ever leaving the restaurant. Thanks to iRacing.com and its leading-edge computer simulation technology, journalists and other invited guests were able to experience the thrill and challenge of piloting a Formula Skip Barber 2000 racing car at historic Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, CT, site of the July 7 Northeast Grand Prix.
"The primary use of our simulation software package is for driver orientation and training for both professional and amateur racing teams," said Scott McKee, vice president of marketing at iRacing.com. "But we were very happy to help the American Le Mans Series bring Lime Rock Park to Central Park, and give drivers, officials and members of the press a realistic behind-the-wheel experience of one of America's classic road-racing venues."
American Le Mans Series drivers who have already sampled the "sim" have marveled at the precision of the track replications. iRacing.com's proprietary Exactrac process uses laser scanning to capture the three-dimensional profile of the asphalt and adjacent curbing, including road camber, cracks, undulations and patches, all with accuracy measured in millimeters. Combined with these hyper-accurate "bump maps" are true-to-life sight-pictures made up of track-side objects, such as barriers, trees and grandstands, all located precisely.
Attendees of the invitation-only event who slid behind the wheel for the first time had the opportunity to learn the challenges of the track in a way that in-car video can never hope to approach.
The racecars are modeled with no less attention to detail. A sophisticated physics model, virtual wind tunnel and proprietary tire model are combined with exhaustive real-world data gathering, often including disassembling the car and measuring and weighing each of its components, to create a mathematical and graphic representation nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. The driving experience feels real because mathematically it is real.
The company's dedication to authenticity is in part fueled by the presence of so many current and former real-world racers on the staff. "Collectively we've got more than 100 years of real-world racing experience," McKee noted. "We're all involved in this because of our passion for the sport."
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