RAF eMotorsports has had an expansive 2024 with an expanded calendar of events, significant equipment upgrades and more!
The main effort every year is the Armed Forces Virtual Race Challenge (AFVRC), emulating the championship that members of Motor Racing compete in. As there have been every year there were some changes for 2024, moving away from single-make racing to using the full roster of GT4 cars available on iRacing during the first half of 2024.
Something new for 2024 was the introduction of the Budget GT3 Cup, a series with a lower entry fee compared to the main AFVRC using different cars, but keeping the total cost to a competitor down by utilising tracks from the included content of iRacing. It was also a first opportunity to make use of one of iRacing’s most significant ever updates; the introduction of wet weather!
The overall Public Engagement effort has been reduced after a few years of growth, mostly due to it being unsustainable effort, however racing simulators found their way to Autosport International, the National Air & Space Camp at RAF Syerston, both of the major air shows at Cosford and Fairford, as well as the Formula One British Grand Prix with members of eMotorsports, Motor Racing and Rallying all speaking to members of the public at the various events about what RAF personnel can do outside of work.
Another new venture for this year was the formation of AFVRC Endurance, enabling mixed teams of service and veteran personnel to compete in iRacing Special Events such as the 6 Hours of the Glen, Spa 24 Hours, Petit Le Mans, Britcar 24 Hours of Silverstone and more. Several teams have competed with a good mix of personnel, it has often been a struggle for single-service teams to find enough numbers to enter so this new option has given many more drivers the chance to get on the virtual track, alongside teammates old and new.
As already mentioned, the team’s simulators saw an upgrade this year moving from the fantastic but bulky Vesaro simulators that were purchased in 2020 to new aluminium profile rigs that are much more compact, lightweight and easy to transport. There are now 4 of these simulators which are for public engagement, grassroots development events and eventually available for team members to use outside of these events for synthetic training or competition.
A final effort from eMotorsports in 2024 was in giving assistance to Motor Racing as they carried out another Grassroots Day, giving three team members the chance to get behind the wheel on track for the first time, two of which then went on to compete in the Race of Remembrance at Anglesey. Using the simulators to demonstrate a virtual form of Donington Park in a Mazda MX-5, it put them in good stead for the real thing a few hours later.