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| Gamers compete for a chance to race for real in the first leg of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy. |
Forty-something drivers who could not programme a VCR in the 1980s will never believe
this, but crashing a car on a computer game has become as good a training tool
for drivers as are expensive simulators for aircraft pilots.
Proof of this comes from three sources.
In Umhlanga, ThoroughTec develops simulators to train drivers of
giant mining equipment, armoured vehicles and construction equipment.
The company recently built its new headquarters and research and
development facility and last year spent a significant portion of its resources
on expanding the range of surface and underground simulator cabs on offer.
The second proof now lives in a racers’ commune near the
Silverstone race track in the UK. He is Ashley Oldfield (29), a former motoring
journalist at Media24 magazine
topCar, who bested thousands of South African hopefuls in the local leg
of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy. This programme takes the world’s best
gamers and turns them into racers. Oldsfield now lives in England, sharing a
house with other winners from Germany, Belgium, Qatar, Russia and the U.S, all
of whom race as much as they can to gain points to earn their international
racing licences.
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| The interior of Drift Creations' simulator. |
The third proof comes from Drift Creations, a Johannesburg company
whose partners have invested several million rands to fit a simulator in a taxi,
with a realistically moving seat and wrap-around screens that have trained at
least one aspiring racer relatively cheaply.
Paul van der Spuy and Lourens Rothmann designed the hardware and
software.
“The main focus of the unit is drifting as we plan to grow the
sport. The problem is that there is hardly any training available so the sport
is basically standing still,” Van der Spuy told Witness
Wheels.
“The idea is based on flight simulation and all you are doing is
training your techniques and honing your skill in a safe and controlled
environment. My son qualified in the top 16 in his first event and recently did
a tandem showdown. By any drifting standards the average person takes about six
months to drift the track and qualify top 16.”
He said Drift Creations would bring their van to KwaZulu-Natal upon
request. They charge a daily rental of R11 500 for six hours, plus a set-up fee
of R1 500. Travel and accommodation to be confirmed on booking.
