Making the jump to a full rig is one of the best upgrades a sim racer can make. The added stability and customizability allows for a more enjoyable experience – but one discipline profits from this more than others: While racing on circuits in GT3 or Formula cars is also helped, the effects are even more pronounced when rallying, as I recently found out.
After years of using a wheel stand and an IKEA chair, I finally switched to an actual rig in late 2021. The benefits became clear immediately: No more setting up equipment if I wanted to race and put it back right after. Always the same position you adjusted for yourself, and no more flex that went all over the place when turning the wheel, especially in frantic situations.
You might already guess where I am going with this: Rallying is practically frantic situations from start to finish – but somehow, I had never tried a rally sim on the rig since I got it. I remembered that I wrote a review on WRC 10 on release last year, so I decided to give it a go again, but this time without the fear of flinging a wheel stand around the living room.
The difference is night and day: Even locations that need lightning-quick reflexes, especially the blindingly fast tarmac stages in Belgium and Spain, I was able to handle with much more confidence. While before, the thought of moving something unintentionally mid-stage and having to somehow move it back while plowing through a forest on a gravel road at 170kph had always been in the back of my mind, this distraction was entirely gone. Sure, my driving on gravel is still a debacle, but at least it is a confident debacle now.
Modern circuit race cars require mostly smooth input, which is why it is possible to be consistent in them even using a bit of an improvised rig setup like my wheel stand and chair combo. Most of the time, you are going to be fine, and the odd messy situation here and there can be handled. But the nature of rally racing makes it a different sport entirely, not just in its point-to-point nature compared to circuit racing, but also in what is required from the sim racer to conquer it.
If you are thinking about your next upgrade, definitely consider a full rig if you have the space. Unfortunately, this is one of the more expensive upgrades to make, but then again, good load cell pedals are not exactly cheap either – and those are the other “upgrade immediately” piece of equipment if you do not have a set of them. In both cases, it is important to note that just the equipment will not make you faster. They will absolutely help your consistency, however, and that is a key to good results.
Have you made similar experiences? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @RaceDepartment or in the comments below!
After years of using a wheel stand and an IKEA chair, I finally switched to an actual rig in late 2021. The benefits became clear immediately: No more setting up equipment if I wanted to race and put it back right after. Always the same position you adjusted for yourself, and no more flex that went all over the place when turning the wheel, especially in frantic situations.
You might already guess where I am going with this: Rallying is practically frantic situations from start to finish – but somehow, I had never tried a rally sim on the rig since I got it. I remembered that I wrote a review on WRC 10 on release last year, so I decided to give it a go again, but this time without the fear of flinging a wheel stand around the living room.
The difference is night and day: Even locations that need lightning-quick reflexes, especially the blindingly fast tarmac stages in Belgium and Spain, I was able to handle with much more confidence. While before, the thought of moving something unintentionally mid-stage and having to somehow move it back while plowing through a forest on a gravel road at 170kph had always been in the back of my mind, this distraction was entirely gone. Sure, my driving on gravel is still a debacle, but at least it is a confident debacle now.
Modern circuit race cars require mostly smooth input, which is why it is possible to be consistent in them even using a bit of an improvised rig setup like my wheel stand and chair combo. Most of the time, you are going to be fine, and the odd messy situation here and there can be handled. But the nature of rally racing makes it a different sport entirely, not just in its point-to-point nature compared to circuit racing, but also in what is required from the sim racer to conquer it.
If you are thinking about your next upgrade, definitely consider a full rig if you have the space. Unfortunately, this is one of the more expensive upgrades to make, but then again, good load cell pedals are not exactly cheap either – and those are the other “upgrade immediately” piece of equipment if you do not have a set of them. In both cases, it is important to note that just the equipment will not make you faster. They will absolutely help your consistency, however, and that is a key to good results.
Have you made similar experiences? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @RaceDepartment or in the comments below!
