Whilst at one point it seemed like an anomaly, now it is very common for people to forge a path in high-level motorsport as a result of their sim racing. Here are a few examples of recent successes from sim to reality.
All the way back in 2008 when GT Academy took a PlayStation gamer and gave them a real-life racing contract, they were called mad for doing it. To take someone who plays racing games and strapping them to a 200mph rocket where they cannot rely on pressing reset, seemed out of the realm of possibility.
Fast forward over a decade later and it is almost part of the course of being a racing driver. Several people have fallen back on sim racing and as a result, many of them have now been able to take advantage of real-world racing opportunities that have come their way.
So with many high-profile examples of recent success stories from the sim into reality, here are our picks for the drivers who prove time and time again that sim racing is a viable pathway into motorsport.
Last weekend, Broadbent was invited to take part in the Ginetta GT Championship running on the undercard of British GT at Snetterton. In his debut race in the championship, Jimmy managed to finish second in class. Not bad going!
Jimmy Broadbent is the most Hollywood example of an average guy who becomes a racing driver. He still keeps up with his sim racing escapades on his YouTube channel which has just short of 950,000 subscribers. Plus, he lends his voice to the Gran Turismo World Series, so he is probably sim racing's busiest man.
Wherever he ends up, the sim racing world will be holding him up as the ambassador of our scene!
Of course, Blakeley well and truly left his mark in early 2022 when he went up against Sebastian Vettel in the Race of Champions in Sweden, ending up defeating the 4-time world champion. Then later that year, he became F1 Esports champion in his first season with McLaren.
It is a great shame that Blakeley has not been able to get the funds together for a full-season campaign because he could be a genuine title contender in GB4 and beyond. But if anything could springboard him into getting more opportunities, you can certainly do worse than winning a race in a series as competitive as GB4.
Speaking of someone taking full advantage of their few and far-between opportunities..
After that though, nothing. Baldwin was left out to dry and it would appear his dream of racing for real was over. But thankfully, solace came at the hands of the Garage 59 team in the GT World Challenge Europe series. They got James a place in their team for the Spa 24 hours in 2022, which did not go to plan.
But when the opportunity came knocking for 2024, Baldwin well and truly proved his ability.
Together with Mark Sansom, Christopher Salkeld and Nicolai Kjaergaard, they finished 38th overall and 9th in the Bronze Cup. But if that was not already impressive, Baldwin was one of the fastest drivers on average throughout the entire field within the last third of the race.
Here's hoping Baldwin has done enough to warrant enough interest from potential sponsors so he can finally make use of that undeniable talent.
He would go on to qualify for the first F1 Esports final, then the following year won the Nations Cup title in the Gran Turismo Championships and McLaren's Shadow Project sim racing competition. As a result of this increased exposure, a door opened up for him in the Formula Regional European Championship where he ended the season third.
Then before embarking on a season in FIA F3, Fraga took a trip down to New Zealand. In a tightly fought battle with F1 prospect and stand-in driver, Liam Lawson, Fraga won the Toyota Racing Series title. This accolade has been won in the past by F1 drivers Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, plus where fellow Gran Turismo-affiliated driver Jann Mardenborough just missed out on the title.
This promise however did not get reflected in his debut F3 season and the promise of a place in one of the top teams for the following year failed to materialise. So Igor - who is still active in the Gran Turismo World Series - took up an opportunity in his birthland, Japan.
Juggling a dual campaign in Super Formula Lights and the GT300 class in Super GT, Fraga ended the Super Formula Lights season with a pole, a win and six additional podium finishes on his way to fourth in the championship. One must wonder, how would Fraga's career have gone had he not picked up the F1 game.
But when that avenue closed, he turned his attention to professional sim racing and streaming with his YouTube channel; currently sitting at nearly 130,000 subscribers. He has become one of the top pro drivers on Assetto Corsa Competizione but is also pretty handy on a few other sims too.
As a result of all that, 'Jarrod' (as Jimmy Broadbent affectionately calls him) is now back in a real racing car. For 2024, Honzik joined the Renault Clio Cup Mid Europe where he has already competed at the likes of Hockenheim and Spa. The series will visit Magny-Cours, Barcelona and Paul Ricard in the coming months.
Jarder is currently 11th in the Mid-Europe standings with a duo of 20th-place finishes to his name. Considering the Mid Europe series shares the grid with a range of other Clio Cup championships, the competitiveness of the championship as a whole is immensely high.
Just like every other person on this list, Honzik is truly a great ambassador for showcasing the power of sim racing. A truly inexpensive way to showcase one's racing ability and promote your brand on a global scale.
Can you name any other most recent success stories from sim racing in real-world motorsport? Tell us on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
All the way back in 2008 when GT Academy took a PlayStation gamer and gave them a real-life racing contract, they were called mad for doing it. To take someone who plays racing games and strapping them to a 200mph rocket where they cannot rely on pressing reset, seemed out of the realm of possibility.
Fast forward over a decade later and it is almost part of the course of being a racing driver. Several people have fallen back on sim racing and as a result, many of them have now been able to take advantage of real-world racing opportunities that have come their way.
So with many high-profile examples of recent success stories from the sim into reality, here are our picks for the drivers who prove time and time again that sim racing is a viable pathway into motorsport.
Jimmy Broadbent
Jimmer's story from sim racing in his parent's shed to becoming what he is today will be a tale as old as time. After winning the Praga Cup UK in 2022, his success in real-world motorsport has only grown exponentially. Such as competing in the Nürburgring 24 hours this year and finishing second in class, despite the early finish.Last weekend, Broadbent was invited to take part in the Ginetta GT Championship running on the undercard of British GT at Snetterton. In his debut race in the championship, Jimmy managed to finish second in class. Not bad going!
Jimmy Broadbent is the most Hollywood example of an average guy who becomes a racing driver. He still keeps up with his sim racing escapades on his YouTube channel which has just short of 950,000 subscribers. Plus, he lends his voice to the Gran Turismo World Series, so he is probably sim racing's busiest man.
Wherever he ends up, the sim racing world will be holding him up as the ambassador of our scene!
Lucas Blakeley
Also at the same meeting as Broadbent's Ginetta GT Championship debut, an F1 Esports champion was making headlines. In the GB4 Championship, Lucas Blakeley competed in two outings last season and picked up a podium finish, but on his return? The Scot bagged himself a win in the opening race of the event!Of course, Blakeley well and truly left his mark in early 2022 when he went up against Sebastian Vettel in the Race of Champions in Sweden, ending up defeating the 4-time world champion. Then later that year, he became F1 Esports champion in his first season with McLaren.
It is a great shame that Blakeley has not been able to get the funds together for a full-season campaign because he could be a genuine title contender in GB4 and beyond. But if anything could springboard him into getting more opportunities, you can certainly do worse than winning a race in a series as competitive as GB4.
Speaking of someone taking full advantage of their few and far-between opportunities..
James Baldwin
In 2019, the World's Fastest Gamer competition was won by James Baldwin and for his prize, he competed in British GT for the following year with Jenson Team Rocket RJN. He quickly established himself, winning on debut with teammate Michael O'Brien and fought for the championship, ending the season in fourth.After that though, nothing. Baldwin was left out to dry and it would appear his dream of racing for real was over. But thankfully, solace came at the hands of the Garage 59 team in the GT World Challenge Europe series. They got James a place in their team for the Spa 24 hours in 2022, which did not go to plan.
But when the opportunity came knocking for 2024, Baldwin well and truly proved his ability.
Together with Mark Sansom, Christopher Salkeld and Nicolai Kjaergaard, they finished 38th overall and 9th in the Bronze Cup. But if that was not already impressive, Baldwin was one of the fastest drivers on average throughout the entire field within the last third of the race.
Here's hoping Baldwin has done enough to warrant enough interest from potential sponsors so he can finally make use of that undeniable talent.
Igor Fraga
After winning the Brazilian F3 Academy class title, Japanese-born Brazilian racing driver Igor Fraga was competing in Mexican F4 and in an attempt to get ahead of his competition in the lead up to the round on the Mexico City circuit, he picked up the latest F1 game to learn the track. Little did Fraga perhaps expect that this would improve his career prospects exponentially.He would go on to qualify for the first F1 Esports final, then the following year won the Nations Cup title in the Gran Turismo Championships and McLaren's Shadow Project sim racing competition. As a result of this increased exposure, a door opened up for him in the Formula Regional European Championship where he ended the season third.
Then before embarking on a season in FIA F3, Fraga took a trip down to New Zealand. In a tightly fought battle with F1 prospect and stand-in driver, Liam Lawson, Fraga won the Toyota Racing Series title. This accolade has been won in the past by F1 drivers Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, plus where fellow Gran Turismo-affiliated driver Jann Mardenborough just missed out on the title.
This promise however did not get reflected in his debut F3 season and the promise of a place in one of the top teams for the following year failed to materialise. So Igor - who is still active in the Gran Turismo World Series - took up an opportunity in his birthland, Japan.
Juggling a dual campaign in Super Formula Lights and the GT300 class in Super GT, Fraga ended the Super Formula Lights season with a pole, a win and six additional podium finishes on his way to fourth in the championship. One must wonder, how would Fraga's career have gone had he not picked up the F1 game.
Jardier
Just like Jimmy Broadbent, everyone's favourite overly enthusiastic Viking lookalike Jaroslav Honzik aka Jardier is now racing in the real world. Like many people, Honzik competed in real life between 2002 and 2006, becoming a BMW 130i champion in his last year of racing.But when that avenue closed, he turned his attention to professional sim racing and streaming with his YouTube channel; currently sitting at nearly 130,000 subscribers. He has become one of the top pro drivers on Assetto Corsa Competizione but is also pretty handy on a few other sims too.
As a result of all that, 'Jarrod' (as Jimmy Broadbent affectionately calls him) is now back in a real racing car. For 2024, Honzik joined the Renault Clio Cup Mid Europe where he has already competed at the likes of Hockenheim and Spa. The series will visit Magny-Cours, Barcelona and Paul Ricard in the coming months.
Jarder is currently 11th in the Mid-Europe standings with a duo of 20th-place finishes to his name. Considering the Mid Europe series shares the grid with a range of other Clio Cup championships, the competitiveness of the championship as a whole is immensely high.
Just like every other person on this list, Honzik is truly a great ambassador for showcasing the power of sim racing. A truly inexpensive way to showcase one's racing ability and promote your brand on a global scale.
Can you name any other most recent success stories from sim racing in real-world motorsport? Tell us on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
