The real world and virtual worlds collide in popular online racing game.
“iRacing lets you import the paint scheme into the game with the correct decal package and you can see how it looks on-track,” said Laird. “The Diet Mountain Dew (DMD) car I did for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked decent on the flat (the layout you import into iRacing), but I didn't know how it would look on-track. So I watched a replay and was surprised how awesome it looked. Another DMD design looked really awesome on the flat, but it was hideous on iRacing. It's a nice advantage to be able to get an accurate representation of what you're trying to make before you send it off to get wrapped and see the final product.”
Arguably the biggest contribution iRacing has made to these designers careers has less to do with laser scans and state-of-the-art simulation, and more to do with good old fashioned networking. Given iRacing’s widespread – and increasing – popularity among professional race drivers and teams, it’s an invaluable vehicle for the designers to showcase their work to the sport’s decision-makers.
“You get to know drivers directly, in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere rather than trying to approach them at a race track,” King said. “It creates a level of comfort when they’ve seen your work on iRacing and your relationship is just one iRacer to another, rather than as a fan to a super star athlete.”
“You can put your work out there and get a name for yourself,” said Driggers, of Charleston, SC. “You don’t really think about it that much, but one day you go on the site and see a personal message from Timmy Hill asking you to do his (iRacing) Daytona Prototype. So there I am, sitting with a Nationwide Series driver, just hanging around with him getting to know him and thinking, ‘This is the big leagues . . .’”
