Sim racing holds the possibility of being an entry point into the world of real-life racing, but as James Baldwin found out, it's not a sure thing even for the World's Fastest Gamer.
A video posted by World's Fastest Gamer winner @JaaamesBaldwin gave us a candid look at how hard it can be to sustain a career at the top levels of auto racing, even for someone with an impressive resume.
Baldwin won the WFG tournament in 2019, which earned him a $1,000,000 sponsorship deal to transition to real racing. His crossover to the real track was a successful one, and he earned a victory in his debut British GT race and collected multiple pole positions throughout the season in his Jenson Team Rocket RJN McLaren 720S GT3.
But in spite of the success he was having in both sim racing and the British GT series, off-track issues would soon intervene in his racing career as he explains in his video.
James' story illustrates a number of truisms, but also brings to light some lesser-known facets of what it might take to break into the world of racing.
Most of us who are somewhat familiar with auto racing know that the barrier for entry into any professional series is very high. Racing skills, industry connections and money considerations all need to be sorted before a driver can make a bid for long-term seat. In Baldwin's case, even this wasn't enough.
The story of his struggles is a compelling one, and thankfully his video ends hinting at a positive outcome. Baldwin remains active both in his sim rig and on track, and surely we will see much more from him in the coming years.
If you enjoyed listening to James Baldwin's story? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @RaceDepartment or in the comments below!
