Irish Motorsport Is Slowly Being Taken Over By Sim Racers - And Here's Why

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 term for games and platforms that actively attempt to simulate real life motorsport. This includes all the variables such as, car handling, tyre wear, fuel usage, crashes, spins and everything else in between. They are run on computers and consoles and stretch from games for kids all the way to million euro setups in Formula 1 HQ’s.

The first emergence of Sim Racing was in the 1990’s, however the rapid increase in technological capabilities in the modern 21st century has rapidly improved how realistic these ‘games’ are, to the point where they are no longer called games, but simply online platforms. 

How Does It Help? 

Sim racing allows drivers to nurture their craft when they aren’t in the real car, on the real track. It is a much more cost effective alternative to testing your car at the circuit. Real life testing involves track rental, the purchase of tyres, fuel and you can only do it at specific times. Sim Racing, bar the odd subscription, is a one time purchase and can be done at any time. 

Sim racing has not only improved the skills of drivers within the sport, allowing them to hone their on track skills, reaction times and understanding of the car, but it has also paved a pathway into the sport for those not already involved. The most famous example is Jann Mardenborough, who went from playing Gran Turismo in his bedroom, to a podium at the 24 Hour of Le Mans in 2013. 

So Where Is It Evident In Ireland? 

Although sim racing is without question helping competitors already in the sport, the real eyebrow raiser is the quality of drivers making the jump from sim racer to real racer. Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec champion Sean McGovern, United Formula Ford UK champion Jason Smyth, from Celbridge, and even Dacia Sandero Rally stage winner Oscar Mangan all have extensive sim racing experience. The class that stands out most in this merit however, is Irish Formula Vee. 

Formula Vee is a budget single seater class that is slowly becoming the real life home to the Irish sim racer. The big success stories of the 2025 Formula Vee season, for the most part, have come from sim racers. 

At the start of September, Ronan Doherty, from Dunloy, Co.Antrim, won the famous trophy race of the Irish Formula Vee season, the Leinster Trophy. Doherty first started racing on a simulator in 2022, making the jump to the real car in 2023. “The simulator is realistic to an extent. It certainly helped towards the start of my real racing career, as I had already developed braking techniques on the sim.”

Doherty is not the only Vee racer who has made the transition. Conor Melia and Sean McClements are virtual compatriots of Doherty’s and are now reaping the rewards of their virtual efforts, on the real track. This past weekend in Kirkistown, Sean McClements took his first ever pole position, for the season final, whereas Conor Melia took his first ever race victory. 

“The sim is something I’d recommend to anyone,” said McClements. “Use me as a prime example, it only took me half a day on track to get up to speed. I personally see no negatives, it’s cheap, it’s fun and you make loads of friends along the way. I wouldn’t be racing now if it wasn’t for the sim.

Due to the success of drivers like Doherty, Melia and McClements, the rest of the Formula Vee grid is slowly starting to practice on the sim. Organisations such as RTA Virtual Motorsport are beginning specific Formula Vee online championships to help the drivers during the off season. 

In most areas of life, an over reliance on technology can result in a decrease of human performance, but in Irish motorsport, technology and success is a direct correlation.