PETALING JAYA: Motorsports outfit Hot Rocket Racing Club has teamed up with RaceRoom Asia to enter the sim racing world and cultivate Malaysia’s talents in the gaming segment.
In conjunction with the partnership, a "Race all you want" session was held for all Hot Rocket members at RaceRoom's premises in Ara Damansara here recently.
The partnership aims to cultivate the sim racing scene in Malaysia by holding monthly sim races at RaceRoom and offering free training to all members of Hot Rocket.
Simulated racing, commonly known as "sim racing", has brought the average person to race on world-class tracks in the virtual world.
It is a fast growing segment in the gaming industry that attempts to accurately simulate auto racing. The global gaming simulator market size was estimated at US$4 billion (RM19bil) in 2019 and is expected to reach nearly US$10 billion (RM47.3bil) in 2027.
“Hot Rocket hopes to scout out local talents and bring them out on the competitive route," said Hot Rocket Racing Club founder/president Terry Kuan.
"To be competitive in sim racing, a driver must understand all aspects of car handling with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tyre wear and grip, and suspension settings. Participants who perform at an exceptional level will be selected for our driver development program to train with our other partner Axle Sports and coached by Alex Yoong himself.
“We plan to incubate these talents and prepare them for high profile races and the highest performing drivers will be sponsored to represent the Hot Rocket Race Team. We hope to inspire and cultivate young Malaysians to reach their highest potential and bring the colours of our country’s flag to the world’s stage."
The cost of getting into Sim Racing is fairly low compared to real-life motor racing.
The average expenditure of a race car driver in race events at Sepang F1 circuit could cost up to RM100,000 a year alone.
The cost of car repairs, modifications, track practice, fuel, tyres, race applications and mechanics makes the sports beyond the reach of the average Malaysian.
However, a beginner’s setup to sim racing only requires a computer/ game console, sim rig, TV screen and an Internet connection to take part in official races all over the world.
Each of the RM150,000 RaceRoom Racing Motion Simulator comprised a Thinkvision 44-inch curved monitor; a Simecube direct drive steering base
Ascher Martin Steering wheel; a 3motion ‘Silentforce’ 3dof G-force motion simulator; a load cell (pressure sensor) brake and accelerator pedals; and RaceRoom Racing Experience EVO software.
RaceRoom, a partner in Hot Rocket’s sim racing division, is the premier free-to-play racing simulation software based in Germany. Jason Chong is the sole distributor of RaceRoom software & hardware for the whole of Asia. He is also a business partner with Klaus Wohlfarth, the founder of RaceRoom Entertainment AG.
For more information about Hot Rocket Racing Club, go to www.hotrocketracingclub.com
