Like every industry, the racecar apparel industry has its own insider-only secrets. And as a savvy consumer who depends on the comfort and safety that your gear provides, it's important for you to understand some well-known trade secrets BEFORE you put down your hard-earned cash to add a new piece of fireproof kit to your wardrobe. So here are 10 secrets that we've learned in over 2 decades of trying, wearing, testing, racing, and destroying helmets, race suits, gloves, shoes, and more... as well as, of course, speaking with vendors and manufacturers. Modern Racing Suits don't fit "correctly" unless you are sitting down Have you ever looked at an F1 or Indycar driver and noticed how often they walk around with their suits unzipped from the waist up? That's no coincidence. Photo by Jen Ross The truth of the matter is that modern road racing suits are extremely uncomfortable to walk around in. Those of us who have tried "well-fitting" suits know that it is difficult to stand up straight in a FIA 8856-2018 or SFI 3.2/5 rated racing suit without feeling that the fireproof fabric near your crotch is giving you the worst "front-wedgie" you have ever had in your life. The reason is that racing suits are cut in a way to give you maximum mobility when you are seated in your car. This makes sense. Suits are safety equipment, and they should be designed to protect you while you're using them (i.e. when you're seated in your car). Unfortunately, this means that modern suits have less fabric on the front of your suit than the backside, which makes the front tight and the back slightly baggy. It also causes the back of your collar to obnoxiously dig into the back of your neck when you stand up straight. So what should you do, especially if you aren't able try a suit on before you buy it? 2024 USTCC TC class Champion Sean Milburn has a great tip: First, buy a body measuring tape (like this one ), use it to accurate measurements of every part of your body, add 2 cm (or approximately 3/4 of an inch) to every vertical measurement (torso, sleeve length, inseam/outseam) , then use those figures to compare against the sizing guide that the manufacturer provides. This is especially important for your vertical torso measurement and the inseam / outseam of your legs, as the bottom half of your racing suit will naturally ride up from your ankles as you drive. Sean Milburn (center) in his custom-cut racing suit This recommendation also applies if you are planning to order a custom suit from a manufacturer like TRT , Marina, or OMP (three popular manufacturers of custom-cut racing suits). These sutits are sewn together with very little fabric overlap, so there is no room to "let out" any fabric to make them bigger in any dimension. Your best bet is to order the suit "long" and have a dry cleaner or a tailor "bring in" some of the fabric in case it happens to be too tall or too long for your body. Racing shoes don't "break in." Some even shrink with wear Most sneakers and dress shoes will "break in" as you wear them. Shoe salesmen will cheerily tell you that it's ok if a dress shoe feels slightly too tight, because you can just walk around in them for a bit and they will eventually stretch to fit your feet. And they would be right. Not so with racing shoes. Modern racing shoes are made of thicker material than your average street or dress shoe. Others have stiffer fire-resistant liners on the inside that don't stretch at all. Worse yet, due to the harsh conditions and moisture accumulated from on-track use, most leather or suede racing shoes will actually shrink over time, making for an increasingly tight fit as you wear the shoe more often. Because of this, we recommend that you try your street shoe size and 1/2 size up (in US sizing) before buying a pair of racing shoes. We then recommend that you choose the one that gives you a tiny bit of extra space at the tip of the toe box. When those shoes inevitably get wet, they will shrink. And that tiny bit of extra space in the toe will keep the shoe from becoming uncomfortably tight. Unfortunately, most racing shoe manufacturers do not make "wide" shoes. American racing shoe brands generally run wider than their European counterparts, but for some of us, even that isn't enough. For those cases, we recommend using a shoe stretcher , like this: We recently learned (from speaking to a few manufacturers) that it is perfectly ok to use this type of stretcher on a leather or suede racing shoe. These stretchers will not only give you some extra room to articulate your heel, but will also widen the toe box just enough to make a narrow shoe a comfortable fit on a wider foot. This also seems to work on shrunken shoes as well, so if you want to extend the life of your racing shoes, we recommend spending the $20 to $40 US to get a set to park in your closet. You can (and should) wash your racing suit 20 to 30 years ago, it was the norm for drivers to rarely (or never) wash their Nomex or FPF (AKA ProBan or Pyrovatex) racing suit. In 2025, most suit manufacturers recommend that you wash your suit on a regular basis. What changed? The answer is that racers and suit manufacturers realized that "track grime" is flammable. The grease, oil, fuel vapors, and rubber dust that becomes embedded in the fibers of your racing suit over time will degrade its fire-resistant properties. Cleaning that grime off of your gear is considered better than any potential wear or damage that you might cause by machine-washing your racing suit. The other answer is that fabric detergents have come a long way in the last few decades. While race-specific detergents like Molecule Performance Wash have existed for years, off-the-shelf detergents like Woolite and All Free & Clear have caught up and are now proven safe to use on Nomex. Even the latest wave of sweat-beating activewear detergents are safe to use on racing suits. We recommend washing your suit in on the Delicate cycle with cold or warm water to preserve the fibers of your suit and to prevent shrinking. Most manufacturers recommend air drying your suit on a hanger, but we have found that it is ok to tumble dry your suit as long as you set the heat at its lowest setting (e.g. no heat, tumble dry low) in a laundry net. New shoes and gloves are always better Photo by Sam Draiss Photography While suit and helmet technology have evolved gradually over the past 20 years, racing gloves and shoes have improved in leaps and bounds just in the past few years. If you want to upgrade your gear, we recommend putting that money into new gloves or new shoes. In just a few short years, the stiff leather palms of old school racing gloves have become completely obsolete, replaced by comfortable and flexible Nomex fabrics that offer similar protection while providing much-needed dexterity. The chunky sticky silicon "fingerprints" that used to be common on fabric gloves have now been replaced by large, flat tactile pads that are less likely to peel off or pick up dirt. Even external stitching is starting to become a relic of the past — Robotic sewing processes now make it possible to make low-profile internal stitching that you can't feel while wearing the gloves. Photo: Sparco On the footwear front, racing shoes have become lighter, more flexible, and more comfortable to drive or walk in than ever before. The soles of new racing shoes are thinner, better contoured, and have built-in hinge points so you can flex your foot while actuating the pedals or walking around the paddock. Fire-resistant liners have given manufacturers the flexibility to poke tons of vent holes on the sides of the shoe, making for a much more breathable and less sweaty driving experience. Photo: Alpinestars Rounded heels are now the norm, reducing wear on the soles of your shoes when you pivot your feet against the oft-abrasive floorboards of your racecar. And heel cutouts on the backs of newer mid-top shoes have all but eliminated the cuts and calluses that form on the back of your ankles over the course of a long race weekend. If you haven't replaced your shoes or gloves in the last 5 years, we strongly recommend that you look at the sale rack of the racing supply store at your local track. Some of the shoes and gloves on the clearance rack are light years ahead in both safety and comfort. It's worth getting the most comfortable underwear you can afford Many racers will spend a ton of money getting the best suit they can afford and wear their street clothes under it. Having tested a variety of undergarments and materials (including not wearing undergarments at all), we have come to the conclusion that it's more comfortable to get a slightly cheaper suit and a set of flexible, high quality Nomex undergarments to wear under it. From a safety perspective, the benefits are obvious. Nomex underwear will protect you from fire and abrasion better than your cotton or synthetic undershirt (or boxers) ever can. But the real benefit is in comfort. Nomex is extremely breathable and will keep you cooler in and out of the car. Plus they are easy to wash, which means you can show up at the track with a fresh set of clothes every day. Another benefit is that properly sized Nomex undergarments tend to be both slimming and flattering for most bodies. There is an undeniable "cool factor" that draws the attention of competitors and spectators when you walk around with your black Nomex undershirt exposed above a half-zipped FIA or SFI rated fire suit. And coolness always counts. The "original" Simpson HANS is the least comfortable Head & Neck Restraint available today Photo: Sam Draiss Photography Ever since the patent of the original Hubbard HANS device expired in the 2000s, there has been a steady stream of companies entering the Head & Neck safety restraint market. The closely guarded secret here? The original Simpson HANS device is arguably the worst Head & Neck device on the market today. The original HANS design relies on a large, stiff frame that comes down in front of your collar bone to brace your torso in an impact. This design has proven safe yet uncomfortable for many, especially for drivers with flatter torsos as well as female drivers who find that their car's racing harnesses compress the frame into their chest in a constricting manner. Fortunately, upstart competitors have been looking for ways to improve upon the original HANS design. And over the last 20 years, they have succeeded. The NecksGen Rev2 Lite head and neck restraint is the current gold standard for comfortable and safe head & neck restraints. Their design is so light and unintrusive that you barely feel it while strapped into the car. The low-profile NecksGen design was so comfortable that the original sellers of HANS device saw them as a threat and attempted to litigate them into stopping production of their product (which at the time was called the DefNder device). Photo: NecksGen Despite their attempts at litigation, failing, and making subsequent improvements to the HANS design, the latest HANS IV with the sliding tethers and lighter frame are still no match for the NecksGen style design for comfort and weight. For budget-conscious racers, the similar (albeit slightly heavier) Zamp Z-Tech Series 8A head & neck restraint offers the same level of protection and similar comfort at an even lower price point. Even Simpson's own Hybrid Sport restraint (the author's HnR of choice) offers a more comfortable and ergonomic fit, and the harness is comfortable enough that you can wear it all day. With even lighter, more affordable, and even more ergonomic devices like the upcoming NecksGen Rev X Carbon on the horizon, there is very little reason to consider the "original" Simpson HANS series at this time. All of the cheap helmets are made by the same two (related) companies. And that's OK Photo: BSR Helmets If you have been in the market for an affordable helmet, you may have noticed that many of the budget offerings out there look and feel very similar. This is no coincidence. Most of the budget-friendly helmets from brands like Pyrotect, B2, GForce, Conquer, Zamp, and USR are all manufactured by Beijing Rodia Sports Manufacture Co or Beijing Shenzhou Rodia Industry & Trade Co. This means that, aside from cosmetic differences in the vents, shell shape, and features, all of these helmets offer similar protection, similar quality, and similar optics through their visors. This is not necessarily a bad thing. All of these BRSM and BSRI auto racing helmets have passed SFI SA Testing at independent testing houses. And an affordable, certified helmet is better than one that isn't built to the same standards. In fact, the shells for BSRI's Carbon helmets are manufactured in Japan and are of excellent quality and comparable weight to those on more expensive helmets. Of course, you will miss out on the ergonomic advantages, the smaller shells, more aerodynamic shapes, and clearer visor optics that you get from the more expensive helmet brands. And as someone who started with a $250 G-Force hybrid open-face and now races with a top-shelf Arai GP6S, this author always recommends getting the best helmet you can afford. But for less than $275 US for a comfortable full-face helmet that meets Snell SA2020 standards, there is no shame in picking the budget brands to protect your head. If that sounds more your speed, our advice is to pick the cheapest one. Because many of them are the exact same product with a different badge. You should choose your helmet by head shape, not just by fit There are a myriad of fitment checks and sizing guides to help you choose a fitted helmet. But very few auto racing helmet vendors or manufacturers talk about the shape of your head. This is one area where we can benefit from following the example set by our two-wheeled brethren in the motorcycle racing world. Head shape is one of the first things a motorcycle rider looks at when choosing a helmet. Most drivers' heads fit into one of three categories: Round Oval, Intermediate Oval, or the Long Oval, based on the profile of their head when viewed from above. Illustration: FortNine.ca While there are means of measuring the profile of your head, it is much easier (and surprisingly, more accurate) to just take a photograph of the top of your head and make an educated guess as to which head shape profile that is closest to the actual shape of your head. Some helmet manufacturers, like Arai, will list the head shape for their helmets in their spec sheets. But most auto racing helmet manufacturers do not. Fortunately, most manufacturers tend to cater towards a particular head shape across their lineup of their auto racing helmets. From firsthand experience, we can share that the following manufacturers' Snell and FIA rated car racing helmets tend to fit these head shapes the best: Arai Intermediate Oval Bell Round Oval to Intermediate Oval HJC Long Oval Sparco Long Oval to Intermediate Oval Stilo Round Oval to Intermediate Oval Our tip is to try your helmet on before you buy it, and if you feel pressure points on the front and back of your head (i.e. the helmet is too round for your head) or you feel pressure on the sides of your head (i.e. the helmet is too long for your head), try on a different brand of helmet, not just a different model from the same brand. Your noggin will thank you in the long run. Get several pairs of socks to wear at the track. Ask for them as cheap gifts Those of us who enjoy the occasional wet-weather hike know that wet socks will drain your stamina. Not only is it uncomfortable, but the moisture can also promote the growth of bacteria and fungi on your feet, which can cause uncomfortable swelling while you drive. From our experience, the best thing you can do is to carry multiple pairs of clean Nomex socks with you in your gear bag. This author carries 3 pairs of socks to an average race weekend, and launders them (along with his Nomex undergarments) in the hotel's washing machines on Saturday night. Clean Nomex socks are cheap, comfortable, and are the difference between an unpleasant slog through a wet race and a comfortable drive where at least your feet are dry. Our advice here is to ask for them as a cheap gift from family members. It's hard to have too many Nomex socks in your wardrobe. Not only do they offer an extra layer of protection, they are comfortable enough to wear under dress shoes, just in case you forget to do your laundry over the weekend. Custom printed (dye-sublimation) suits are not breathable Photo: Denise Conner One recent trend in custom racing suits is to offer custom-cut suits with printed designs. These suits, such as the OMP Racing One Art and the Marina UNIC Plus, give buyers the ability to fully customize the design of their suit based on a digital drawing. Much like the custom vinyl wraps on cars, you can get your suit printed in any design or color as long as it can be illustrated in a program like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. This amazing advancement in racing suit technology gives racers the ability to create a racing suit that looks exactly the way that they want. The downside? Custom printed suits are hotter and less breathable than other suits. The reason for this is that the manufacturers of these printed suits use a process called dye sublimation to press the ink directly into the fabric. In order for this process to work without bleeding ink to the other side, the outer layer of the suit needs to be woven more tightly than they would in a typical suit. This results in a suit that feels heavier and is less breathable than an "off the rack" piece from a manufacturer like Sparco, OMP, or Alpinestars. And in a closed cockpit car with limited airflow, this can result in sweating or overheating while driving. Our recommendation is to ensure that there is sufficient airflow and driver cooling in your car before committing to a fully custom dye sublimation racing suit. And if that isn't possible, look for a simpler design that is made up from pre-dyed colored fabrics (like the Marina Air Plus instead of the dye sublimation UNIC Plus). Or just look for an "off the rack" suit made with lightweight modern fabrics. Either way, your body will thank you on those hot summer days. Photo: Sam Draiss Photography See you at the track. ~R Disclosure Section: All products tested for this article were rented from other racers, or purchased out of Roger's own pocket at full price. StudioVRM and Roger Maeda are not affiliated or sponsored by any of the brands or vendors mentioned above. StudioVRM is an Amazon Associate, which means that we get a small amount of referral income if you buy a product using any Amazon links in the article.

The oddball wheel and pedal set for drivers who want to put real-life racing first People always seem surprised when they find out that many club and pro racers don't own high-end sim racing rigs. If you have ever raced on a mid to high-end sim racing rig, you probably already know why: Even the newest, most expensive prosumer / eSports-grade sim racing gear can't replicate the subtle sensations or the "seat-of-the-pants" feelings that drivers rely on to control a real racecar on an actual track. And while that is still very much the case in 2024, there is another, much simpler reason as to why many fast drivers drive on Logitech wheels and secondhand Fanatec gear: Racecar drivers have surprisingly little money and even less time. Racing is expensive, especially in ultra-competitive series where the difference between winning and finishing 10th comes down to how many dollars you can invest into developing the car and driver. Because of this, most competitive racecar drivers will put their hard-earned budget into development, consumables, and testing time in a physical car (or kart) before they even think about spending money on sim racing hardware. That said, sim racing can still be a valuable tool for keeping a racer's instincts sharp and staving off the off-track blues during the long gaps between race weekends. What all of this means is that there is a market for a simple, affordable, sim racing wheel and pedal set that is designed to mimic the feeling of driving a real car on a real track. Enter the GTR Simulator RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel + v3 Pedals In 2021, sim cockpit maker GTR Simulator built just that — A budget-friendly force-feedback wheel and pedal set that comes pre-tuned to satisfy the needs of real-life racers and track enthusiasts. The RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel was originally sold through an Indiegogo campaign, with the claim that it was "Expertly Designed by a Professional Racer". While the original campaign experienced delivery delays and issues with support (the hallmarks of any crowdfunded hardware project), it eventually did deliver. And to our surprise, it seems to have delivered on its original promise particularly well. The Wheel Base The RS30's wheel base and button setup is visually identical to the oft-forgotten MadCatz Pro Force Feedback wheel, which later became the base for the PXN v10 Force Feedback wheel. Inside the familiar plastic housing is a surprisingly powerful helical gear mechanism that gives a force feedback sensation that is both sharper and stronger than what you get from the Logitech G29 / G920 / G923 series of wheels. The hardware force feedback profile is reminiscent of that of the much-loved Logitech G27: Slightly muted, with movements that "knock" rather than "jerk" the wheel in response to the FFB from your sim of choice. Some competitive sim racers dislike this feeling, as it can potentially limit the amount of information that you get through the steering wheel. But ironically, this sensation is very similar to the feedback that you get in a real car on a racetrack. The wheel itself is a 280mm D-shaped wheel wrapped in Alcantara, an unusual choice for a budget-friendly wheel. Having used the RS30 for longer sessions, we can say that this results in a noticeably more comfortable (read: less sweaty) sim racing experience for those of us who prefer to drive with thinner (or no) gloves. Because the RS30 uses a gear-driven force feedback mechanism, it runs significantly cooler than most Direct Drive wheels. This means that you won't have to worry about heat-related force feedback fade or overheating problems that you get from some cheaper Direct Drive wheels. At the back of the wheel base, there is a toggle switch which allows you to lock the wheel at a max rotation of 270 degrees for Formula car games and older titles. We found this function to be unnecessary for most modern racing sims. The button layout is intuitive, with the D-pad and X / Y / A / B buttons placed towards the outside of the wheel center, so that most racers won't have to stretch their thumbs to reach them. However, the inputs for the two shoulder (bumper) buttons are missing. In their place are two trigger paddles placed directly under the shifter paddles, which are hardware-mapped to hand controls for the throttle and brake. Wait, Hand Controls? On an Entry-Level Sim Racing Wheel? Yes, you read that correctly. The GTR Simulator RS30 is the only sim racing wheel that comes with pre-configured hand controls for the throttle and brake. We aren't entirely sure why GTR Simulator chose to map these paddles to hand controls, but having tested them extensively, we can say that they are implemented quite well. The travel on the hand control paddles is just long enough to give the driver an accurate gauge of how much throttle or brake is being applied, and the springs provide just enough resistance to not cause fatigue over a 30 or 40 minute race. Although the brake paddle doesn't have the same feedback as the lever-based hand controls on a real car, it's definitely good enough for a sim racer to race competitively without the use of their legs. For those of us who are fortunate enough to have full use of both legs, these hand controls give a convenient means to keep the throttle held down so you can stretch your legs or itch your calves down a long straight. The downside is that there seems to be no way to remap these paddles to anything other than the throttle and brake pedals. We have reached out to GTR Simulator about this, as they advertise the lower paddles as being re-mappable. However, we have not yet received a response. We will update this article if we do receive instructions on how to map these to other controls, such as the XBox shoulder buttons, a hand clutch, or a handbrake. The Shifter Paddles The shifter paddles are wide, spring loaded aluminum units that have a solid feel reminiscent of the paddles on the Logitech G27. While these paddles lack the magnetic snap-back of real-life paddle shifters, they do feel natural and are easy to use. Although they use a different type of switch from the current line of entry level offerings from Logitech and Thrustmaster, the paddles on the RS30 do seem to be susceptible to the same annoying "double upshift" issue that causes your car to shift up two gears at the most inopportune of times. We were able to fix this very easily by disassembling the wheel, putting a generous dab of Nyogel 767a damping grease (or any sort of keyboard switch grease) on the end of the springs for the shifter paddles, and reassembling it. Disassembling the wheel was a surprisingly straightforward operation due to the fact that the RS30's wheel can be removed from the base using a tool-less quick release. The whole wheel rim and switch assembly can then be taken apart with a set of small Torx bits and a (+) head screwdriver. In its stock configuration, some of our testers felt that the shift paddles came too close to the wheel when fully pressed, resulting in a few drivers pinching their fingers on up and downshifts. The fix was simple - Carefully apply 40 to 50 lbs of force to the paddles, and they will bend. We bent our shifter and hand control paddles back almost 2 inches without issue. All of their paddles have since held their shape since then (despite some unnecessarily aggressive upshifts and downshifts). The v3 Pro Pedal Box GTR Simulator's v3 Pro Pedal Box is the highlight of this sim racing wheel bundle. This pedal base is adjustable for pedal position, pedal travel, and resistance. They come mounted on a heavy-duty steel platform that allows for pedal height and angle adjustment via the adjustment screws for its diamond-plate heelplate. This is the only pedal set in its price range that offers this level of adjustability, and it does so in a package so sturdy that it feels like it would survive a drop out of a 2nd story window. While the v3 pedal box uses a spring-and-position-sensor setup (like most entry level pedals), the springs behind the throttle and brake pedals are just the right stiffness to emulate the forces required to depress the throttle and brakes on a real car. At their maximum stiffness settings, it takes slightly over 22 lbs of force to fully depress the throttle pedal and just under 100 lbs of force to fully depress the brake pedal. This is significantly stiffer than what is offered by the entry level pedal sets from PXN and Moza and is much more realistic than the ultra-stiff rubber bump stops that come in the Logitech G29/G920/G923's pedal boxes. This is particularly important because many real-life racers use sim racing to help keep their left foot braking skills sharp. Most club and pro racers still drive three pedal manual transmission cars and rarely get the chance to practice left foot braking. Having a brake pedal that is stiff enough, yet not so stiff that it can be used as a crutch, is invaluable as a training tool. Although Yours Truly tends to prefer a stiffer brake pedal with shorter travel, we recognize that most newer cars achieve full braking force at 77 to 85 lbs of pedal force. The 92 lbs-f of pedal force that the v3 pedals offer is about as realistic as you can get without going to an expensive load cell or pneumatic pressure pedal set. The pedal covers themselves are also taller than those in other entry level kits, making them more similar to what you would find in a modern sports car. The throttle pedal comes with an adjustable lateral stop to keep your foot from slipping off the throttle while dancing on the accelerator to control a slide. These details put these GTR Simulator v3 pedals head and shoulders above the pedals that come with the sub-$500 racing wheels from the likes of Logitech and Thrustmaster. They also put the v3 pedals miles ahead of the soft, plasticky pedal boxes offered by PXN with their v10 racing wheel. *Although we reviewed the 2-pedal box, GTR Simulator also makes a 3-pedal version. The clutch pedal on the 3-pedal box takes a maximum of 22 lbs of force to fully depress, similar to what you would experience on a modern-day manual transmission Touring Car. Software & Compatibility We were surprised to find that there is no driver software to install with the GTR Simulator RS30 wheel. The only software that GTR Simulator provides are a firmware update to the latest version, a manual that shows you how to calibrate the wheel, and a pre-configured copy of Forza Emuwheel (a program specifically designed for playing Forza titles using less-popular wheels on Windows PCs). Since our wheel was already updated to the latest Firmware version and properly pre-calibrated (as it should be), we had no use for the first two pieces of software. This was admittedly a little jarring for Yours Truly, who has spent countless hours pre-configuring Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Fanatec wheels before using them. Because the RS30 is not a super-popular wheel, you will most likely need to map the controls and test the wheel and pedals within the settings the first time you play any PC game. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the RS30 "just worked" with many popular titles. Assetto Corsa, ACC, F1 23, Automobilista 2, iRacing, RaceRoom and even the vintage Project Cars 2 worked perfectly once the controls were mapped properly. F1 23 complained about a controller mapping issue at first, but we were able to fix that by changing some of the button mappings. It's quite impressive, especially considering how buggy and resource-intensive some manufacturers' drivers and support software tends to be (we're looking at you Logitech G Hub). Even Forza Motorsport 7 worked with the use of the provided presets for Forza Emuwheel — Though we should point out that the more powerful force feedback motors in the RS30 wheel made us painfully aware of how primitive FM7's force feedback code is compared to that in newer titles. As expected, some titles did give us issues. The Force Feedback did not seem to work at all in DiRT Rally 2.0, DiRT 4, and GRID (2019). We tried the workarounds listed on the PXN site and on GTR Simulator's original Indiegogo page, to no avail. We also tried connecting the RS30 to PXN's Bluetooth Mobile App (PXN's method for configuring their wheels), but this did not work either as the RS30 appears to be missing the Bluetooth transmitter in the PXN v10. From our experience, this chart on the PXN Gaming site seems to closely mirror our experience with the GTR RS30 wheel. We recommend reviewing this list to make sure your favorite titles are not highlighted in red or green before buying the RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel. *Unfortunately, we did not have access to an Xbox available to test with. While GTR Simulator claims XBox compatibility, we suspect that players might miss the use of the bumper buttons (see above) in newer titles. How's the Gameplay? TL;DR: The GTR Simulator RS30 wheel drives like a much nicer Logitech G920. Although the internal design and construction of both wheels are technically similar, the RS30 is slightly better in every single way. The Alcantara wheel rim just feels more pleasant to hold and doesn't become sticky or slick during a long race. The buttons are placed just slightly far enough apart so you don't have to move your hand to press the D-pad. The gear mechanism feels significantly less "clicky" than a Logitech G-series wheel, and the occasional clacking of the helical gears is quieter due to the fact that the RS30 wheelbase uses thicker plastic walls to hold the gear mechanism in place. The v3 pedals are far superior to anything else you can get in a $500 wheel and pedal set. They feel great regardless of whether we wear SFI rated racing shoes, wear socks, or even drive barefoot (the author's preferred method for sim racing). Even with aftermarket modifications to the pedal and shifter, our old Logitech G920 wouldn't hold a candle to the feel of the GTR Simulator RS30 or its v3 pedals. We suspect that hardcore sim racers might be disappointed by the very slight notchiness of the RS30's gear-driven FFB, as well as the lack of a two-stage brake pedal that is becoming more and more common in newer sim racing pedals. But for the real-life track day enthusiast, weekend warrior, or racer without a sim racing sponsor? The GTR Simulator RS30 is the perfect fit for a budget-oriented real-life racer*. *On PC that is. Remember, we were not able to test the RS30 on an XBox. The Curious Conclusion So given all of that, would we, the budget-conscious club and pro racers at StudioVRM, recommend the GTR Simulator RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel + v3 Pedal bundle? Some retailers (such as Micro Center and Kohl's) are selling the RS30 Ultra + 2 pedal bundle for $300 - $350 US. At this price, we would recommend it wholeheartedly. The incremental improvements over the gear-driven Logitech G series and the entry-level Thrustmaster wheels are both significant and relevant for racers of real-life cars. And more importantly, they are things that cannot be easily replicated with bolt-on mods, especially for this price. However, MSRP for the RS30 Ultra + v3 pedal bundle is closer to $500. This would have been a good deal in 2021 or 2022, but with the arrival of affordable Direct Drive setups from Moza, Fanatec / Corsair, and even Logitech themselves, this price tag becomes difficult to justify. With a more advanced wheel base, better software support, dedicated buttons for the XBox shoulder bumpers, and maybe some different spring and bump stop options for the v3 pedals, the GTR Simulator RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel could still be very competitive in the $550 - $650 market. As it stands, however, it looks like the RS30 may unfortunately be left behind by the rapidly evolving offerings in the entry level wheel & pedal market. Of course, this doesn't spell doom or gloom for GTR Simulator as a company. Their bread and butter is in the sale of budget-friendly sim cockpits. They would do just fine selling sim cockpits for other companies' wheel and pedal setups. If we were in GTR Simulator's shoes, we would forego building a "RS40 Wheel Base" and instead start selling upgrade kits for Moza, PXN, and Logitech's latest offerings. The Alcantara wheel, the rock-solid pedal base, the tuning of the pedal springs, and the hand controls on the wheels are all features that would greatly enhance the driving experience on a Fanatec CSL DD, a Moza R5, or even PXN's latest v12 Lite DD wheel bundle. All that said, we plan to keep our GTR Simulator RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel for a long time — At the very least, until we have the $1200 or so in spare cash for an upper midrange wheel and pedal setup. Summary The Good: Wheel and pedals feel like what you have in a real production car Outstanding hardware adjustability on both the wheel base and pedals Helical gear force feedback system beats Logitech's gear system in noise and feel Force Feedback Motor is deceptively powerful Hand controls are surprisingly useful No additional software needed on PC - Just plug in and go The Bad: Support and documentation are both lacking compared to competitors Can't remap hand controls, which limits the number of buttons you can use in some games Position-based pedal sensors won't satisfy hardcore sim racers Lack of aftermarket pedal springs and wheel rims limit customizability Disclosure Section: StudioVRM.Racing and Roger Maeda are not affiliated or sponsored by GTR Simulator. The RS30 Ultra Force Feedback Wheel and v3 pedals used in this review were purchased in a like-new Open Box state from a fellow US Touring Car Championship driver, for fair market value. The GTR Simulator GTS-T cockpit shown in the photos was provided as a prize from the 2024 USTCC Virtual Series competition, in which Roger Maeda placed 4th overall. Roger owns products from Logitech and Thrustmaster, and recommends products from Logitech, Thrustmaster, Moza, and Fanatec / Corsair based on firsthand experience with their products.

Photo by Sam Draiss Photography A whole nine years have passed since we published the first installment of our Building a Honda Prelude Racecar series. And thanks to enthusiasts like you, these old articles still receive hundreds of views every week. While the advice and recommendations in these early articles are still relevant today, some of the products mentioned are no longer available or have been supplanted by better options. So, I thought it would help to put this quick list of updates and errata together for those of you who may be building a Honda Prelude Racecar in 2024: Classing The US race classing landscape has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Most new club racing classes now rely on power to weight ratio or bracket racing style lap time-based classes for their race groups. This is a good thing for owners of 4th and 5th gen Preludes, who traditionally had to fit their cars into classes where they couldn't get their cars light enough to meet minimum weight or couldn't reach power targets with the stock H23A1 or H22 engines. We now recommend choosing a class which allow for cars to be competitive with a minimum weight of 2500 lbs or higher (with driver), and a target power output of 180 hp to 250 hp. Those figures should be attainable for the average club racer. Suspension While we at StudioVRM are still fans of Tein's tanky twin-tube suspension dampers, they are becoming harder to find. Ever since Tein's non-rebuildable "Z" dampers became the focus of their aftermarket coilover business, they have made fewer and fewer suspension dampers that are actually suitable for track use. Because of this reality, we now have to look elsewhere for budget-friendly coilover options. We now recommend looking at the following options when choosing budget-friendly race coilovers for your Prelude racecar: Redshift Suspension valved BC Racing Coilovers Shaftworks Motion Control Suspension (MCS) While slightly more expensive than the budget-friendly dampers on our Prelude, the budget options from these three vendors should perform similarly or better than what we use today. The silver lining is that the cost of durable, spherical bearing conversions for our Honda control arms have come down dramatically in the past few years. We now recommend skipping the polyurethane bushings kits and going straight to spherical bearings, even on street cars. We also recommend running higher spring rates than in the past. Part of this is because newer dampers do such a good job of managing low-speed movement in the shock that there are fewer penalties to running stiffer main springs. The other is due to another reason, which is mentioned further below. Brakes Thanks to the low cost of track-capable aftermarket calipers and rotors, most racing classes now allow the use of aftermarket brake calipers and rotors. This is great news for those of us with 4th and 5th gen Preludes which, due to the size and weight of their base chassis, will often end up running with a race weight north of 2500 lbs. Our budget recommendation for Preludes with larger (17" or 18") wheels is the FatFour Customs Acura RL brake kit - a sturdy big brake kit that combines the 4 piston aluminum calipers off of a 2005 Acura RL with redrilled rotors from a Nissan 350Z. While this kit is heavier than most of the Wilwood-based kits out there, we have found it to be a more rigid and fade-resistant setup. As far as brake pad compounds, we still recommend the Raybestos ST-43, ST-45, and ST-47 compounds for the front and ST-77s for the rear calipers. However, The ST-45 and ST-77 compounds are still on an extraordinarily long (6 to 12 month) backorder due to ongoing supply issues. If you need something on a more urgent basis, we would recommend looking in the Carbotech or G-Loc brakes catalog for a suitable substitute. As for cooling, we now recommend skipping the traditional metal hose brake ducts and using vents in the bumper to encourage more airflow to the wheel well to help keep the front brakes cool. This is partly because routing large diameter brake hose is so difficult within the Prelude's cluttered wheel wells, and partly because you can cool the brakes, axles, and shocks with much smaller openings in the front bumper. Engine Due to a lack of spare parts, we were forced to switch from the affordable Honda H23A1 non-VTEC engine to the more high-strung H22 VTEC platform in 2023. And while having access to a greater variety of off the shelf parts is a welcome change, it is hard to ignore the fact that H-series engine cores are no longer as cheap or as affordable as they used to be. Yes, Honda K series swaps are a popular and common option for street cars. However, the K swap mounts for the 4th and 5th gen chassis place the transmission in a position which puts the cv joints at an extreme angle. The load on those joints is so extreme that even top shelf racing axles (e.g. Raxles VIR axles ) will typically only last a handful of race weekends before breaking. At $800 per set, replacing these axles on a regular basis can get very expensive very quickly. While we do plan to continue with the H22 platform for the foreseeable future, we now plan to use race-prepared, sleeved blocks from our Technical Partner, Bad Guys Worldwide . The costs to build a sleeved block are still reasonable at the time of writing, and will greatly extend the life of the engines. This is especially important as many H22 engines are now so old that the FRM coated cylinder liners are starting to fail due to old age and wear. Differential and Transmission Limited slip differentials and aftermarket Final Drives have become so affordable and cheap that they are now among the first Powertrain modifications that we would make if we were building a new Prelude racecar. This is partly because most used manual transmissions tend to come with a fair bit of synchro and bearing wear, and should be inspected or rebuilt before putting into service in a race car. Fortunately, companies like MFactory / Synchrotech have made this very affordable for us Prelude owners, with several options available for rebuild kits, final drives, and limited slip differentials. As for what type of Limited Slip Differential to use, metal plate clutch pack LSDs have a decisive performance advantage over helical gear units, to the tune of about one second per lap on a 1 minute 30 second road course. However, even modern-day clutch pack diffs need to be serviced and rebuilt on a regular basis. For those of us who are not able to rebuild transaxles and differentials on a regular basis, we recommend a WaveTrac . WaveTrac diffs continue to offer an affordable, low-maintenance alternative to more expensive clutch pack differentials, and offer performance somewhere between a helical differential and a clutch pack differential. Aero Thanks to the increased flexibility offered by modern rulebooks, downforce-producing aero is both affordable and effective to the point of being almost mandatory. We recommend cutting your own splitter from 1/2" birch plywood and using quick release mounts and splitter rods from Professional Awesome Racing to mount it. PA's quick release mechanism and compression fit splitter rod design are clever, durable, affordable, and you can buy spare parts for them. The last bit is important as splitters and splitter mounting components tend to suffer a tremendous amount of wear and damage, especially as both car and driver become faster. As far as rear wings, we recommend looking at large-chord aluminum wings, similar to what is offered by Winglogic . Be warned that the Winglogic wings are not bolt-on aero pieces. You will need some fabrication skills and the ability to weld thin-gauge aluminum, and the ability to source your own uprights. However, as far as budget-friendly wings go, they currently offer the best balance between affordability and outright performance. One of their wing elements, a set of eBay-sourced wing upgrights, and a TIG welder to bring it all together will shave seconds off of your lap times for pennies on the dollar. Questions? Have a question about any of the info above? Feel free to reach out to us via our Contact Us form . Disclosure: The Bad Guys (AKA Bad Guys Worldwide) is a Technical Partner of StudioVRM.Racing , and have provided discounted engine rebuild services to us for our latest race engine build. StudioVRM and Roger Maeda are not affiliated with Tein, Redshift Suspension, Shaftworks, Motion Control Suspension, FatFour Customs, Carbotech, G-Loc, Raxles, MFactory / Synchromesh, WaveTrac, Professional Awesome Racing, Winglogic, or any of the other vendors mentioned here. Any of the parts purchased and reviewed for this article have been purchased at full price from our team's car development budget.

Privacy and Cookie policy for the StudioVRM.Racing site Privacy & Cookie Policy Effective date: July 3rd, 2020 StudioVRM ("us", "we", or "our") operates the https://studiovrm.racing website (the "Service"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. Our Privacy Policy for StudioVRM is managed through Free Privacy Policy . We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy, terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible from https://studiovrm.racing Information Collection and Use We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you. Types of Data Collected Personal Data While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to: Cookies and Usage Data Usage Data We may also collect information how the Service is accessed and used ("Usage Data"). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. Tracking & Cookies Data We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our Service. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service. Examples of Cookies we use: Session Cookies. We use Session Cookies to operate our Service. Preference Cookies. We use Preference Cookies to remember your preferences and various settings. Security Cookies. We use Security Cookies for security purposes. Use of Data StudioVRM uses the collected data for various purposes: To provide and maintain the Service To notify you about changes to our Service To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so To provide customer care and support To provide analysis or valuable information so that we can improve the Service To monitor the usage of the Service To detect, prevent and address technical issues Transfer Of Data Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction. If you are located outside United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. StudioVRM will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information. Disclosure Of Data Legal Requirements StudioVRM may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: To comply with a legal obligation To protect and defend the rights or property of StudioVRM To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public To protect against legal liability Security Of Data The security of your data is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. Service Providers We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service ("Service Providers"), to provide the Service on our behalf, to perform Service-related services or to assist us in analyzing how our Service is used. These third parties have access to your Personal Data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose. Analytics We may use third-party Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service. Google Analytics Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network. You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en Links To Other Sites Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services. Children's Privacy Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 18 ("Children"). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Children has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers. Changes To This Privacy Policy We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will let you know via email and/or a prominent notice on our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "effective date" at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: Contact Us

Driver bio for Roger Maeda, the Driver-Author-Mechanic known as "Touring Car Racing's Greatest Loser." Roger Maeda Driver/Author – StudioVRM Racing Team Stats Height: 5'8" (172 cm) Weight: 175 lbs (77 kg) Born: Kyoto, Japan Resides: East Brunswick, New Jersey Nationality: United States of America Trivia Daily Driver: Toyota FJ Cruiser Favorite Driver(s): Jenson Button, Kaz Nakajima Favorite F1 Team: Racing Bulls Likes: Chess, Precision Pistol, Italian Food Motto: Let every loss make you stronger. Pro Touring Car Racing's Greatest Loser Racing the road less traveled means encountering more obstacles than the average driver. As a result, Roger Maeda is no stranger to losing. Yet, through every defeat Maeda has grown stronger, faster, and wiser. As he steps up to the flagship TC class of the USTCC in 2025, Maeda strives to push the limits of car, driver, and technology in pursuit of even greater performance. Racing Record *Season in progress 2025 USTCC East Series - TC Class * 2024 US Touring Car Championship East Series 2nd in SP 2023 US Touring Car Championship East Series 🏆1st in SP 2022 US Touring Car Championship East Series 2021 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2020 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2019 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2018 US Touring Car Championship East Series 2017 SCCA Pro-IT Series 2016 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring Class 2015 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring Class 2014 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring Class 2013 IMG Endurance Racing Series 🏆1st in PI-4 2013 IMG Sprint Race Series 2012 IMG Sprint Race Series 2011 EMRA Sprint Race Series 2010 EMRA Time Trial Series 🏆1st in ST-4 2009 EMRA Time Trial Series 2008 EMRA Time Trial Series 2007 EMRA Time Trial Series

Technical specs and details on the StudioVRM.Racing Honda Prelude. Our flagship race platform built with our philosophy of combining modern tech and classic machinery. The Car: StudioVRM.Racing Honda Prelude "Kikka" Chassis 1993 Honda Prelude 2615 lbs with Driver Studio VRM – BRT Front Splitter Custom 71" wing from Maximum Attack Motorsports BRT wing uprights and end plates JF Custom Metal aluminum side skirts 8 Point Road Race Roll Cage Engine Honda H22A VTEC Engine AEM 3" Intake Skunk2 74mm Throttle Body Bad Guys Intake Manifold Bosch 600cc Injectors Walbro 255 LPH fuel pump PLM race header Canton Accusump Oil Accumulator Engine oil Cooler Vented value cover with 2 qt Oasis catch can Electronics Honda S300 tuned by Evans Performance Academy Burton Racing / Hondarulez COP Conversion Transmission Honda M2S4 5-speed MT WaveTrac Limited Slip Differential MFactory 4.64:1 Final Drive Suspension Race-valved Tein Super Street Coilovers Swift Springs 14kg-f/mm Front, 18kg-f/mm Rear Kingpin Machine spherical bearing conversion Team Professional Awesome Bump Stops Brakes FatFour Customs RL Big Brake Kit Raybestos ST-45 racing brake pads Wheels & Tyres Hankook F200 Slicks: 235/620R17 F – 215/615R17 R Kei Office 17x8 F – 17x7.5 R What's in a Name? In deference to the team's motto of "Bloom in Chaos" the StudioVRM.Racing Team assigns each of its race vehicles a flower-themed name. Kikka was the car that started this tradition. Kikka "the Citrus Blossom" owes its name to the dazzling white flowers of the thorny Tachibana orange plant. In its native Japan, the Tachibana blossom is regarded as a symbol of remembrance and perpetual youth - much like the ever-evolving, 30-year-old 4th gen Honda Prelude that shares its name.