Support the Creators
We're starting a book club. ALSO: A plea to help those who work in cars and motorsports, plus sim racing news and highlights.
A weekly newsletter by Ryan K. ZumMallen | @zoomy575m
Happy Race Day, especially to the bear who keeps our rally course cones upright while we’re stuck inside.
I’m going to get up on my horse to make a quick but important point. Here it is:
If someone makes something you enjoy, I implore you to please support and purchase their work. Many creators rely on their own self-promotion and freelancing to make ends meet as layoffs and cancellations have swept across the economy.
If you have a favorite Twitter follow, buy their book. If you enjoy a racing stream on Twitch, throw them a few bucks. If you have a favorite influencer, purchase something from their sponsors. I know it seems self-indulgent, but it helps in difficult times.
As writing and creating inches closer to the gig economy, more people who make the content we all love will lack the regular backing of a major outlet or the benefits of a full-time job. Even popular YouTube accounts rarely pay the bills on their own.
Meanwhile the popularity of sim racing has skyrocketed due in large part to huge viewerships that individual gamers bring to the broadcast. Yet for most this isn’t a career. They aren’t being paid. They need support.
This is going to make them directly dependent on you buying t-shirts, hats and steering wheels — what have you. Keep that in mind as this crisis crunches us all, because for a lot of people that following is the thread holding them together.
I’m not ashamed to throw my own hat into the ring. Sales of Slow Car Fast were really strong to start the year, and like many others this emergency has pulled my attention elsewhere. But if you want to support by buying the book in print or digital form, it does mean the world to me. Thank you to those who have already done so.
Just remember that we are all relying on each other. If things keep moving this direction there may not be a return to form for journalists and other creators. This could be the new normal. I hope we can start building new habits to help now, too.
Culture
Not a lot of real-world car culture happening at the moment, as I’m sure you can understand. So here’s a guide to keeping the enthusiast in your life busy.
First up, let’s start a book club. There is an incredible abundance of automotive content out there. The most recent to make waves is Faster, by Neal Bascomb, the story of Jewish driver Rene Dreyfus taking Nazi Germany head-on in the lead-up to World War II.
I would encourage you to purchase Faster from a local retailer if possible. I’ll post updates here each week so we can all laugh at how little progress I’m making, and we can have a final discussion in the May 6 newsletter. How’s that sound?
Since we’re all learning to bake, you might as well use proper tools:
How should you* spend quarantine? With your personalized sim racing rig, of course. (*If you’re Porsche factory driver Simona de Silvestro.)
I’m sorry but the Kremer 935K3 is just an incredible car.
The driver Emily Linscott teaches us how real racers practice social distancing.
Video Reel
Plan the perfect post-coronavirus road trip with this instructional video:
In case you thought sim racing seemed easy:
This seems like a bad idea? But hey, we’re all bored. Do you.
“No one will take their Lamborghini off-road,” they said. “No one will tow with their Lamborghini,” they said.
Wow that Honda really sounds like a trombone. Oh, that’s because it is.
If you need a laugh, here are Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button trying and failing to do an American accent.
What happens when your sim driving rig can drive itself?
Race Results
IndyCar caught onto the sim racing wave last weekend and held its first online event, drawing 600,000 viewers. Watch the whole thing here:
NASCAR repeated its massive success with a second race that topped 1.3 million viewers, breaking its own esports record from the previous week. Did anyone try to intentionally crash another driver out? Of course they did. Highlights here:
More expensive isn’t always better, especially in the virtual world.
The best thing about sim racing is you can make any cars do anything you want:
Race teams like Mercedes F1, McLaren UK and many others have pivoted to building breathing aids in these trying times.
Auction Block
There could be nothing as cool as this Japanese translation on the side of an R32 Skyline that’s up for sale.
Coronavirus don’t stop the show. RM Sotheby’s is hosting an online only sale with a ton of standout offerings, including proper Millennial catnip like an ’87 M6 and stunning Delta Integrale.
This Weekend
Motorsport has a handy guide to all of the sim racing you can watch this weekend, from F1, IndyCar, NASCAR and MotoGP.
That was quick. Round 2 of the IndyCar iRacing series will be televised on NBC Sports on Saturday.
And Finally…
There’s no real racing right now. Unless you count these dogs at supper time.
Inspiring stuff.
Drive hard and be safe.
Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.
Don’t forget to follow Carrara Media on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and visit our store to order your copy of Slow Car Fast in paperback or eBook.