Gift Ideas for the iRacer

Whenever friends and family ask me what I want for Christmas I am always stumped. Maybe it’s because they put me on the spot. Or maybe I just never bothered to think about it. Whatever the reason, I get the feeling I’m not alone when it comes to bumbling through an answer and finally settling on “I don’t want anything” as if trying to sound modest.

To help those of you who are like me, and to help myself too, I put together a short list of some great gift ideas for your favorite iRacer (or me if you can’t think of anyone else to spend your money on).

Logitech G27 – What can I say about the G27? This is by far the most popular wheel to use for iRacing. Clutch pedal, stick shift or paddles, six wheel buttons and great force feedback. ($299.99) http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/wheels/devices/5184

AP Electrix (Pastore) Load Cell Pedal Mod – This is the best ‘mod’ I have ever installed on my racing rig! Changes the way the brake pedal on a G25 or G27 works. Out of the box a G25/G27 brake pedal is position-based. This mod makes it pressure-based, which is a much better feel for anyone who has ever been on track in a real car. My driving instantly improved due to the much more realistic feeling brake pedal. ($75) http://www.apelectrix.com/index.html

Perfect Pedal – The perfect pedal is another mod that changes the feel of your G25/G27 brake pedal. By using a hydraulic cylinder, this mod replicates the feel of a real world car’s braking system much more accurately than a position-based sensor can.  ($249.99) www.perfectpedal.com

Driving Chassis – prices vary greatly on each of these based on the configuration you choose so check their websites for more information on ordering.

• PlaySeat –one of the most affordable chassis out there, very compact and comfortable www.playseat.com
• Left Lane Industries – nicely designed chassis which really adds to the immersion by giving you the feel you are in a real car – http://www.leftlaneindustries.com/
• Wagner Race Products – custom built chassis made from extruded aluminum and available as a complete system with everything from the PC to the chassis to the controls – http://www.wagnerraceproducts.com/
• Blue Tiger – full motion platform for someone who wants to go for a ride -http://www.bluetiger.com

iRacing Paddock – Beginner’s Guide to Road Racing on iRacing.com by Ray Bryden – this is a great read for anyone new to iRacing. ($19.99) – http://www.amazon.com/iRacing-Paddock-Beginners-Simracing-iRacing-com/dp/145154667X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292599997&sr=1-1

Carroll Smith’s Engineer in Your Pocket – This pocket-sized guide gives you quick tips on how to make changes to your car setup to ‘fix’ problems. I use it when I am iRacing and when I go to the track or an autocross.  ($19.99) http://www.amazon.com/Carroll-Smiths-Engineer-Your-Pocket/dp/0965160017

Logitech G930 – this is my favorite USB headset, and trust me, I have tried all of them! I got to demo a set at PAX this year and have been hooked ever since. Great sound, really comfortable and the fact that they are wireless just adds to the convenience.($159.99) http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/headsets/devices/7248

Merry Christmas!