If my original dream had come true, I’d be behind the wheel of my motorhome right now, towing my race car and trailer to one track or another, somewhere here in the United States. In the old days when I used to actually race, preparing for the race was the worst part of the entire experience. I’d flog on the race car all week (Actually, someone else did most of the work. I am hopelessly not mechanically inclined.), rush to get everything packed, then hit the road at the last minute to make sure to get to the track early enough to get a good spot in the paddock. I loved racing, but I hated getting ready to race.
That’s why I’m so excited about sim racing on Forza Motorsport 7. Very little preparation. Lots of seat time.
To get ready for my first race, I’ll be taking the virtual motorhome down to south Florida to compete on the road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In real life, I’ve only been to Homestead-Miami once. I was scheduled to compete in a twelve-hour race with some friends in a Volvo 740. Volvo 740? I know, it seems weird. The car is a brick. But my friend, Randy Pobst, was a Volvo factory driver, and he loves weird race cars.
Anyway, the car, dubbed The Happy Moose, had some mechanical issues when we arrived at the track. We (well, not me) tore into the engine and found a blown head gasket. It took a while to source the parts and put the engine back together, but we got it out there. Randy took the car out for a few laps, but something wasn’t right. The engine would starve for fuel in the turns, and was painfully slow on the straightaways. We couldn’t figure out the problem, and finally called it quits. I never did get out on track.
That won’t happen in Forza Motorsport 7.