👋Some Drivers Need a Spanking...

You can't call me a virgin now. I just spent the whole last race banging the wall... - James

NEWS FLASH

IMSA hit a Home Run: The race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was pure chaos, highlighted by a four-car pile-up and a dramatic first-time win for AO Racing in the LMP2 class. Meanwhile, Wayne Taylor Racing defied the odds in GTD, clinching a victory after a first-lap spin, and Dragon Speed's risky fuel strategy earned them the top spot in GTD Pro. The event was a masterclass in perseverance and bold gambles, shaking up the championship standings with just three rounds to go.

Split 22 takes a vacation: In a bizarre turn of events, a team of professional racing drivers decided to go rogue during a major iRacing endurance event, intentionally causing chaos and ruining the competition for others. After a series of their own on-track mishaps, the team began deliberately blocking and crashing into competitors, turning the prestigious 24-hour race into their personal demolition derby. The stunt earned them a disqualification and the fury of the sim-racing community, who are now calling for a permanent ban for the unsportsmanlike behavior.

Road Course Hero: Shane van Gisbergen is cementing his status as NASCAR's road course king, absolutely dominating the race at Sonoma to lock in his third consecutive road course victory. The Kiwi phenom led a stunning 97 of 110 laps, tying a record set by Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and putting him in elite company for the most wins this season. This victory not only gives his Trackhouse Racing team four wins in the last eight races but also boosts his playoff standing, making him a serious threat for the title.

SIM RACING SNIPPETS

• The Race to Approval Sim Racing Trailer at Mosport was a success over the weekend, with Carey Brooks setting up a prime viewing spot in the infield for everyone to connect. It was the perfect home base for the SRN community to also hang out, watch some intense racing, and settle the debate on which car and driver combos were the fastest on the legendary track.

• Motorsport Games is riding a victory lap after a huge month for its Le Mans Ultimate game, smashing player records and seeing its online subscription service grow by a massive 148%. With a full "version 1.0" release on the horizon, new free cars, and a much-anticipated Career Mode in the works, it seems the company is just getting warmed up.

• Fresh off its public debut, an updated and more polished version of Project Motor Racing will be playable on high-end rigs at Gamescom in Germany next month. This gives sim racers another chance to get behind the wheel and test the new title ahead of its full release on November 25th, which will feature a unique approval process for user-generated content.

MOTORSPORTS REPORT

• NASCAR is officially running it back, announcing the season-opening Clash exhibition race will return to the legendary Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, 2026. The move follows this year's successful event, won by Chase Elliott, which was the first time the Cup series had competed at the historic quarter-mile track since 1971.

• FOX Sports' big gamble on IndyCar has largely fallen flat, with most races seeing a viewership decline compared to last year, while its NASCAR coverage is drawing heavy criticism from fans for stale production and missing key on-track action. The network's outdated approach is thrown into sharp relief by the success of Amazon Prime's tech-forward broadcasts, suggesting FOX needs a major playbook refresh to keep pace with a modern audience.

• In a bizarre moment at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sebastian Vettel's iconic 2012 championship-winning Red Bull RB8 had a strange and embarrassing crash. While preparing for a run, Red Bull's own esports driver, Sebastian Job, suddenly couldn't turn the car right and drove the priceless piece of history straight into the hay bales. Is this the most unusual crash of the year?

THE SPOTLIGHT

From Pixels to Pink Slips: The Real-World Stakes of Virtual Racing

The days of treating racing sims like a consequence-free video game online are over. What happens in the virtual world of iRacing no longer stays there; it has very real, career-altering consequences in professional motorsport. Think iRacing is just a game? Think again. With a premium subscription model, a mandatory real-name policy, and a detailed "Sporting Code," the platform was built to be a serious, professional-grade simulation. When events are broadcast on national television, the stakes are incredibly high. Sponsors invest real money, and they expect real professionalism.

Still not convinced? The evidence is piling up:

• The Rage Quit: After an on-track incident during a televised eNASCAR event, Bubba Wallace quit the race in frustration. His sponsor, Blue-Emu, immediately and publicly dropped him on Twitter, stating, "We're interested in drivers, not quitters."

• The Career Implosion: During a non-official iRacing event, NASCAR star Kyle Larson used a racial slur on a public audio channel. The fallout was catastrophic. Within 48 hours, he was fired by his team, lost all his major sponsors, and was suspended by both NASCAR and iRacing.

• The Community Backlash: A team of real-world junior formula drivers deliberately griefed amateur competitors in the prestigious iRacing 24 Hours of Spa. Coined “Split 22” The iRacing community's fury created a massive PR crisis for the drivers and their team.

• The Imposter: Audi Formula E driver Daniel Abt was sacked by his team after he recruited a professional sim racer to secretly compete for him in a virtual race. Abt was caught when organizers realized his location didn't match the driver's, and he was forced to come clean.

The translation from a virtual mistake to a real-world disaster is fueled by a perfect storm of modern sponsorship contracts with "morality clauses," the amplifying power of social media that turns a slip-up into a viral crisis in minutes, and the interlocking interests of iRacing and sanctioning bodies like NASCAR who must protect their brands.

Is your on-screen persona one you'd be willing to bet your career on?

SRN RECAP AND UNFILTERED THOUGHTS

• This week is more of a recovery week for me. I’ve been pretty tired after the last few weeks of pushing flat out. Rest assured, I am still plugging away at things!

• The Super Formula Top Split Public series is taking donations to support weekly broadcasts. We’ve had some supporters and are happy to say that the next couple weeks are fully covered! You can donate here if you’re interested.

• SRN Esports member, Patrick Mason raced in the Toyota Gazoo GR86 Esports series last weekend. Someone took him out during the pace laps of the initial race, the second race, Patrick was able to bring it home. Here’s a link to the race. https://www.youtube.com/live/cg-xzRrm4Ec

• Check out this thrilling onboard lap from SRN Member Alex Ellis who races in the GT4 Americas Series IRL. He is running on Virginia International Raceway from the driver's perspective in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in this video.

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

Without your support, we wouldn't be where we are today!

If you’d like to, here's how you can help:

• Subscribe with a Twitch Prime Sub or Subscribe to our Patreon.

• Share our Newsletter, Grid Geeks.

Your contribution helps us maintain our community race night servers through Sim Racing Nation and other events we arrange for the community and our continued efforts to bring you this content.