Sim racing has exploded in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing it to the attention of the masses. And now a new film called The Sim Racer is putting the spotlight on virtual racing.
Following its September 2022 theatrical premiere in Atlanta, Georgia, UK and US viewers can now watch The Sim Racer on Amazon.
A spotlight for sim racing
From Ron Howard’s Rush to Ford V Ferrari (or Le Mans 66), plenty of Hollywood films have depicted the world of racing on the silver screen, but this is the first film to put sim racing in the spotlight.
Directed by sim racing fan Brock Drury, Roman Boylen plays Luke Wallace, a sim racer with aspirations to become a real racing driver. But unless he can come up with $9,600 in 30 days, he will lose his home.
It's this setup that leads to him entering a major sim racing tournament to try and win a $20,000 cash prize and save his home.
The sim racing action takes place in iRacing, with shots in the trailer showing racers competing in the Super Late Model series at USA International.
With racing coach Bootie Burns (Scott Oakley) teaching Wallace how to be a better driver, the story has similarities with the 1991 NASCAR race film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise.
iRacing commentator Evan Posocco and Maconi Setup Shop founder Jeff Maconi also appear in the film as sim racing announcers.
If you have an hour and seven minutes to spare, The Sim Racer looks like it could be worth a watch. Just don’t expect the production to match Sony’s forthcoming Gran Turismo movie adaptation.
How to watch The Sim Racer
The Sim Racer can be rented on Amazon Prime Video for 30 days for £4.99/$4.99 in HD or £3.99/$3.99 in SD. You can also buy it for £9.99/$9.99 in HD and £8.99/$8.99 in SD.