iRacing.com – Brands Hatch Reality Check Gallery

Following the much-discussed reality check video of iRacing’s Brand Hatch circuit and the release of the track earlier today, Sam Hazim has put together one of his famous reality check galleries.

The gallery shows photos of the British track side by side with screenshots from iRacing’s latest track, giving everyone an idea how accurate the virtual version of the British track really is.

The 3,7 kilometer Brands Hatch circuit hosted 12 Formula One Grand Prix and is well known as a touring car venue these days, hosting both the WTCC & DTM as well as the British BTCC. iRacing’s version includes both the Indy and the GP layout, selling for $14.95.


  • jux

    Some of the trees and tree lines are quite different in a couple of pics. Maybe they didn’t have a chance to photograph the track as carefully as the ones in the US. The track itself and most of the surroundings look as good as usual though.

  • GeraArg

    jux: Some of the trees and tree lines are quite different in a couple of pics. Maybe they didn’t have a chance to photograph the track as carefully as the ones in the US. The track itself and most of the surroundings look as good as usual though.

    It must be difficult to put a tree is exactly like in reality, surely for that require millions of polys and don´t make sense to overload the actual video cards for that. :grin:

  • felipe

    provability is that iRacing has got the best racing track surfaces out there but the background are the worse out there too and the colors look so different from the real thing. But still hats off for the track surface!

  • moppenheimer

    felipe: provability is that iRacing has got the best racing track surfaces out there but the background are the worse out there too and the colors look so different from the real thing. But still hats off for the track surface!

    the worst out there? name 1 sim with more accurate trackside objects….

  • Lincoln Miner

    felipe: provability is that iRacing has got the best racing track surfaces out there but the background are the worse out there too and the colors look so different from the real thing. But still hats off for the track surface!

    Felipe here is a picture of Paddock Hill Bend with those trees…

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Paddockhillbendtop.jpg

    And the Google Maps URL.

    http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&t=k&z=16&ll=51.356722,0.263157&spn=0.010117,0.019956/

    I think iRacing positioned those big trees to close to the apex of Paddock Hill Bend. They are at the exit by the Vodaphone sign, but not at the apex. Big goof.

    They fixed the water tower, which was too large at their Indianapolis track, so they are concerned with accuracy. My guess is they’ll definitely fix this goof with an update.

    I don’t see any other errors, but I haven’t looked that close.

  • carbonfibre

    Can we get the same guy to do like a 4 way version of iRacing, Simbin, Shift and whatever’s the best rFactor mod side by side?

  • Lincoln Miner

    I’ve just run about 50 laps on Brands in the Indy car. Terrific track. Very tricky. A bit like Watkins in spots with bigger hills. They really did a great job with the elevation changes and the subtle off camber turns and bumps etc. I love coming down pit row with all the bricks into Paddock Hill and just when you think Paddock Hill was interesting you get the nasty, blind off camber Druids Bend hairpin. Then Graham Hill is pretty easy, but boom you get nailed with the very tricky Surtees. Up the huge Hawthorn Hill. The uphill Hawthorn bend is a blast followed by a tricky blind Wesfield Bend down Dingle Dell to another blind Dingle Bell Corner. You get a break at Stirlings Bend then Clearways, which is a bit like the baby brother to Paddock Hill Bend… a downhill right hander into the fast Clark Curve and you finish with Brabham Straight past pit row and the main grandstands.

    This course is a blast! :-) I’ve only tried it in the Indy car, but man this is a fun track!

  • moppenheimer

    carbonfibre: Can we get the same guy to do like a 4 way version of iRacing, Simbin, Shift and whatever’s the best rFactor mod side by side?

    it would be much harder because you’d have to make custom cams for the RF/Simbin stuff, and maybe Shift too, not sure how their cams work

  • MadCat360

    Looks great! But these comparisons really illustrate the weird washed out colors in iRacing. They need to fix that (and I think I read somewhere that they are).

  • http://www.srrs-racing.net/ ermax18

    moppenheimer, rFactor has a freelook mode where you can fly anywhere you want on the track and can rotate the camera in anyway you want along with zoom in and out. That is what all those button maps are for. It isn’t as well done as iRacings cameras but not to bad.

  • Panchito

    Track looks to much yellowish on iracing, grass is to light, and as always, it feels empty (much more a trackday than a race).

    But is the best version I’ve seen :happy:

  • http://www.racinglinedevelopments.com the.cosmic.pope

    Panchito: Track looks to much yellowish on iracing, grass is to light, and as always, it feels empty (much more a trackday than a race).But is the best version I’ve seen

    It feels empty because the screenshots were taken during practice. Like other sims, there is less crowd for practice than with race.

  • hoboracer

    moppenheimer:
    the worst out there? name 1 sim with more accurate trackside objects….

    Easy, Toca3.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8bvQ6h4ONw

  • marc1111

    Man that track is fun!!! Strange that I noticed a couple inconsistencies with the trees as well. Amazing that we actually complain about that, but iRacing set the standard!! :lol: Also, we are able to use a lot of grassphalt in iRacing, not sure I’ve seen many real live videos where the whole car is on the grassphalt in certain places and still running fast laps.

    Anyway, here are up a couple Dallaras fighting. The elevation changes are awesome!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ARNVPhceM

  • Lincoln Miner

    marc1111: Man that track is fun!!!Strange that I noticed a couple inconsistencies with the trees as well.Amazing that we actually complain about that, but iRacing set the standard!! Also, we are able to use a lot of grassphalt in iRacing, not sure I’ve seen many real live videos where the whole car is on the grassphalt in certain places and still running fast laps.Anyway, here are up a couple Dallaras fighting.The elevation changes are awesome!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ARNVPhceM

    Nice video. You make it look way easier than it actually is… Saw your time of 1:14 in a practice session yesterday. 1st 1:14 I’ve seen.

    Good pass at the end of the video at Westfield/Dingle Dell. Nice multi-lap chase. FYI, I tried you Sebring setup and it’s way too loose for me. I’d need a lot more practice to be able to run your setups! :-)

  • moppenheimer

    hoboracer: Easy, Toca3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8bvQ6h4ONw

    I hope thats a joke…….

  • http://www.f1elites.com Crazy Bored

    I don’t care what anyone says, this track is a lot of fun.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opG5y03-DR8

  • marc1111

    Crazy Bored: I don’t care what anyone says, this track is a lot of fun.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opG5y03-DR8

    Ha Crazy Bored!!! I recognize your car. We just had a nice battle a couple hours ago in the fun race. Too bad that guy in first spun and took us both out. I wasn’t even trying to pass him into T1 really, just trying to shake him up a little and it seemed like he freaked out every time. Was great fun! :happy:

  • hoboracer

    moppenheimer:
    I hope thats a joke…….

    Why, did you notice how accurate the trackside objects were in the video? (granted it’s model is from 2006)

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