By Evan Dalton for RTA Virtual Motorsport and Bwoah Motorsport  Foreword - This review was wrote solely from the perspective of Peter McCann's onboard  As the stretch in the evenings slowly disappears, and the dark wintery nights loom large, one thing is bound to keep sim racers cosy in the October and November evenings and that is the return of RTA Virtual Motorsport. In a collaborative effort with Formula Vee Ireland, the RTA Formula Vee Ireland Series was born and sim racers across the country flocked to the entry forms in an attempt to impress in the virtual version of Ireland’s budget single seater class.  The virtual paddock arrived at Silverstone for three races at the famous circuit’s National variation. An iconic track in global single seater racing and RTA. Qualifying started in interesting fashion, with a sudden rush out of the pit lane resulting in contact between front runners left right and centre. With a lot of previous champions struggling to get la...

 By Evan Dalton for TheCollegeView Photo : The Journal A new policy announced today by Taoiseach Michael Martin states that the Irish Government will attempt to solve the housing crisis through a new four step plan, known as ‘NOWT.’  The new process, NOWT, which stands for Neglect, Overlook, Withhold Attention and Tune Out aims to address the current property deficit in the country. According to a report by stockbroker Davy prior to the 2024 General Election, Ireland needs at least 93,000 homes built a year, until 2031, to satisfy the current need. Initial figures released by the Department of Housing say that NOWT will fall 93,000 short of this figure in 2025 and 2026.  When asked by TheCollegeView in a press conference outside Leinster House, Martin told TheCollegeView that the inspiration for NOWT was inspired by former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey’s, “inspirational ability to ensure all aspects of policy were accounted for, and all areas of Government were above board.”...

By Evan Dalton for TheCollegeView Photo : Brynn Lennon Under the Singaporean night sky, in sweltering 31 degrees celsius, Zak Brown stood tall, with his chest out with pride, as his team became back-to-back Formula 1 Constructors Champions for the first time since 1991.  Brown took over the team as CEO in 2018, just two years after joining the firm, when Mclaren were near the bottom of the Formula 1 pecking order. Vocal outbursts from Fernando Alonso were more frequent than decent results but since then Brown has done exactly what he set out to do, bring Mclaren back to the top.  However, his personnel don't exactly share the same team spirit.  Current championship leader Oscar Piastri was in quite the opposite mood. So much so that when Brown came over the team radio to congratulate Piastri on his hard work, he pulled the cord out for a bit of post race peace and quiet. The Australian didn’t appear on the podium either for championship celebrations and was missing from t...

The ‘sim racer’ takeover of Irish Formula Vee is well underway By Evan Dalton There is a trend emerging in Irish motorsport. Young talents from one end of the country to the other are slowly starting to dominate various categories. The ‘ole reliables’ of different classes are not picking up the results they used to, or maybe feel they should be, and although multiple factors are at play there is one stark contrast between the youth and the proven - youth racers in Ireland never stop driving, whereas everyone else stops once the season ends in September.  Since the birth of ‘simulation’ or ‘sim racing,’ it has acted as not only a proving ground, but an at-home practice facility for drivers when the season ends. It is a tool utilised by many across the world, all the way from amateurs to Formula 1 world champions, however, it is even more noticeable in Irish motorsport, so why are Irish sim racers taking over the racing scene?  What Is Sim Racing?  Sim racing is a general t...

What is an NLS Permit and why does Max Verstappen want one? By Evan Dalton Unsurprisingly, another weekend of motorsport has concluded and all the talk is about Max Verstappen. The surprise this time, however, is the chatter not being about his Formula 1 achievements, but rather how he has been spending his spare time racing at one of the most famous circuits in the world, battling with semi-professionals, all in order to earn a license so he can take a step towards competing in one of his dream races - the Nurburgring 24 Hours.  To participate in events at ‘The Green Hell,’ it is mandatory to earn your NLS racing permit, even if you’re a four time Formula 1 world champion. It is a complicated process, but one that can be completed by anyone looking to participate in Nurburgring competition. So how is it done?  What is an NLS Racing Permit?  To give the licence its official name, it is the DMSB Permit Nordschleife, but more commonly known as either the ‘Nordschleife Licen...