Introducing iLounge Racing + Elise Trophy Updates!

[Vipers]

 

Hi All,

So this is an idea I have had for a while so I am excited to finally announce the launch of iLounge Racing plus I will post all updates from our adventures in the Elise Trophy here 👍

What is iLounge Racing I hear you say?

So the idea behind iLounge Racing, hope you like the name by the way, basically HiFi Lounge without the Hif, is that we have got some exciting motorsport, racing simulator and car plans for the year ahead and I know a lot of our customers are also Petrolheads but I am also aware that not all HiFi enthusiasts share this passion so as to not overwhelm HiFi Lounge with car stuff I thought it prudent to start a separate website + social media channels where I can share all our motorsport and car news + stories in this area, I will still mention the big news on HFL but this gives us more scope to cover everything without overcrowding the HFL blogs section with non HiFi news.

So what does 2021 have in store?

Lotus Elise Trophy!

So as many of you will know after racing in the Radical SR1 Cup for the last 3 years it is time to try something new and as I have been a lifelong Lotus enthusiast it made sense to give the Elise Trophy a try so we will be uploading the race videos from each of this years 7 events + any other footage we have, the Elise is at the Hangar 111 at the moment being converted into a race car with the first test on the 9th April, certainly can't wait to get back on track, please find more info below -

https://bit.ly/2Oyc8ve

New Race Suit

We've also had the below race suit designed, certainly starting to think it is a case of 'all the gear and no idea' though.

Go Karting!

After my return to Go Karting last year after 20+ years away I have signed up for another year in the Lotus Cup at Rye House, yeah it is all Lotus this year, basically an hour long race once a month, have to say weight is everything in Go Karting so I have been sweating the weight off on my Peloton over the last 12 months so am now over 2 stone lighter than this time last year so hopefully that will help move me up the grid, I’ve now got a new GoPro so we will be uploading highlights from each round, I really love the cut and thrust of Go Karting, it is real racing, so can’t wait to get stuck in again.

UK's only Domestic Racing Simulator Demo Facilities.

This is the really exciting news, during this third lockdown we have moved the Headphone demo room into a smaller more intimate room to free up the space for an exciting new business, basically the UK’s first demo room for domestic home racing simulators.

So I started playing racing simulators with Geoff Crammond’s Revs on the BBC Micro in 1984, a notoriously hard F3 simulator with only one track at launch, Silverstone, but at the time it felt like you were driving a real race car rather than an arcade game, then I worked my way through all Geoff’s F1 games up to Grand Prix 4 in 2002, then there the Papyrus games like Indycar Racing and Grand Prix Legends then last year I was introduced to iRacing where online racing really is taken to a totally new level.

I find it hard to believe that I really wasn’t aware of iRacing until thanks to Covid-19, Radical Cars took their racing online due to the UK Race Circuits being closed, I had previously been racing a Radical SR1 in the real world so was keen to see what online racing was like, needless to say I have been addicted ever since, installing a multi screen setup at home where I now race everyday after work.

When looking around at simulator equipment to buy for myself I realised that there was no where in the UK that I could find where you could demo a full system and get advice on what would be the best setup for me and funnily enough I soon figured out that the home racing simulator business is very similar to the HiFi Business and basically having a demo facility would be a good idea, I focus on iRacing and to be honest there is a hell of a lot to learn, a year in and I am still learning new functions and tricks so we want to help people choose the right system for themselves and answer any questions that iRacing is bound to throw up, obviously these systems can be used with any other racing sims but iRacing is where we focus.

We will have 3 simulators on permanent demo at 3 different price points but all very engaging and capable of posting the fastest times on iRacing and that will allow to realise your potential as an online racer, if you are interested in motorsport and have never tried one of these simulators please come in to give one a try and I know once experienced you will be hooked as I was.

We can also offer the full build and install package so there really is nothing to worry about, you can just get stuck straight in and enjoy your motorsport everyday.

As a customer of iLounge Racing you will also be eligible to join our weekly league races, for me this is where iRacing comes into its own, I race in a league every Thursday evening, to race the same people once a week in a championship really does add another level of competition, you can also join our Discord channel where we can discuss what happened in the race and look forward to the next race, really looking forward to creating an iLounge Racing community.

Sim racing is fun but I must admit I am surprised how serious I take it, it is certainly more than just a game, if you would like to explore this world more please feel free to get in touch to discuss your requirements or feel free to book an appointment to try out one of our simulators.

Please see below for more info on my home system, which already I'm thinking of upgrading, see just like HiFi -

https://bit.ly/3wf4d7s

Live iRacing Race Video’s

As mentioned above I race in the UK&I Radical League every Thursday evening which really is brilliant fun and HiFi Lounge is one of the title sponsors, we have just bought on a commentator and the races are now streamed live on YouTube, please search for ‘Milky Cereal’ to follow these live at 9pm every Thursday.

Please find a link to last weeks race at Oulton Park, I actually had a pretty good race here.

New Car Livery

Plus we've just had the below Livery designed for our Radical SR8 that I race daily on iRacing so if you watch any of the races that will be me behind the virtual wheel.

Car Videos

Finally we will be looking to add some car stuff to the website, I love my cars so we will start off with doing some videos on the cars I own then see where it takes us, we have quite a few HiFi customers with really nice cars so it would be great to do some videos of their cars also, if you fancy it let me know, doesn't have to be a SuperCar, just an interesting car.

To Sum Up!

So as you can see 2021 promises to be a busy year and why I feel that starting the iLounge Racing website and Social sites made sense as not to mix it up with the HiFi news, if you’d like to keep abreast of what iLounge Racing gets up to please see all the links needed below and please feel free to follow them -

Website - https://iloungeracing.co.uk/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ilounge_racing/

FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/iloungeracing

You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-P27LCxLlSAqRScDGHqKg

Twitter - https://twitter.com/IloungeRacing

And remember as Steve McQueen said (from the greatest motorsport film ever made, Le Mans)-

Thanks for taking the time to look and if you fancy coming along to any of the track action or to check out our simulator demo facilities please feel free to get in touch to discuss.

Regards,

Paul.

[Vipers]

Photobook From Shakedown of new Race Lotus Elise at Silverstone!

 

Hi All,

I just wanted to share some pictures from our shakedown drive of the new race Lotus Elise at Silverstone last Friday, back there again this Sunday for one more drive before the season starts at Donington on April 23rd.

The day went well other than it raining most of the day but the Elise drove beautifully until the end of the day where we got a bad judder on the front left corner and also realised that trying to drive on a track with traction control switched on isn't the best idea but luckily that could be switched off which made it a lot more fun to drive.

Still nowhere near its limits but the Elise is such a confidence inspiring car I really feel I will be able to get on top of it's performance easier than I could with the Radical, well here's hoping anway.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[andyj007]

great update!!   paul.. new  i lounge venture looks ace.. 

that elise.. epic..  

see you at a track soon :)_

 

[Vipers]

Thanks Andy, just got back from Rye, got a third place 👍 

[Vipers]

Build Pictures Converting Road Lotus Elise into a Race Car!

 

Hi Everyone,

I just thought I would post some pictures of the conversion of our Road Lotus Elise into a Race car, Lotus used to supply race Elise's but no longer do unfortunately so if you want to race in the Lotus Elise Trophy you have 3 options really, buy an Elise that has already been converted, buy a used Elise and convert it, there are certainly a lot of S1 Elise's racing or the way we did it, buy a brand spanking new Elise then pull it all apart, replace a hell of a lot of parts and put it back together again and hey presto, you have a race car.

Lotus specialists Hangar 111 did the conversion for us, have to say they did a brilliant job and whilst they were doing the work they took some snaps to show the work involved, have to say in the end you really wouldn't know that the car had been through this dismantling process, great job guys.

Please see pics below, really does show the amount of work involved, if interested you can see more pictures on www.iloungeracing.co.uk

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[Vipers]

I Can Now Say I've Raced A Lotus 👍 RD 1 Photobook!

 

Hi All,

So last weekend we had our first race in the Lotus Elise at Donnington Park, one of my favourite tracks, firstly it was a huge tick as I can now say I have raced a Lotus 😁

So how did it go? if I am totally honest I was a little disappointed that I wasn't a little quicker but we did come away with a trophy for third place in our class so I really can't complain at that and as seat time is so important, and I was racing people who have been in the Elise Trophy for years, then I'm hopeful as I get to know the car better then we can move up the grid and taking positives from the weekend I got faster with every session on track with my fastest laps coming at the end of the 45 minute race on Sunday.

Next stop in Silverstone in a couple of weeks which I am really looking forward too as I'd like to think we can really be in the mix there and whichever way you look at it I will be racing a Lotus as Silverstone, now that really is a dream come true.

Please find a selection of pictures below taken from the our first race in the Lotus Elise Trophy at Donington Park.

Cheers,

Paul.

[eclat22]

Well done, it's always a result to finish and 3rd in class👍.

[Bibs]

Congrats on the silverware 

[Vipers]

Thanks guys, was certainly a pleasant surprise 😀 Can't wait for Silverstone now.

[Vipers]

Lotus Elise Trophy Race Updates Rounds 2 and 3!

Hi Everyone,

Got a little behind with our race updates I'm afraid as we have now completed race 2 of our Elise Trophy which was at Silverstone and was very wet and I wasn't very competitive to be honest so the less we say about that the better but then we went to Oulton Park last weekend and it was great weather and I felt I really started to get the best from myself and the car although I did find a second on my last very lap which was a surprise so I am not sure where that came from but Oulton Park is such a great drivers track that encourages you to attack every corner, really was a lot of fun and spectators where allowed again which did make all the difference.

Next weekend we are at Cadwell Park which is arguably the prettiest UK track and is often called the mini Nurburgring which makes me a little nervous as it is so narrow and the barriers are very close and you can get airborne at the so called 'Mountain' which will be interesting.

But we left Oulton Park with another trophy for 2nd in our class so that was a great way to end 2 fun days at the track, please find some pics below and a video of my 2 best laps around Oulton park which also are my best laps in the Elise so far, unfortunately we think there is something wrong with the camera as the quality isn't great so we have sent it back to the supplier to check it out but it will give you an idea of how great Oulton is to drive.

Oulton Park 2 Best Laps

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Vipers]

Great Racing at Hockenheim Until !!!!!!!

This was the first time I had raced at Hockenheim on iRacing and it seemed to suit my driving style with quite possibly some of the best racing I have had on Iracing, well until lap 13 where we had what I would like to call a racing incident, awesome fun though, it was certainly very tense and I was a little sweaty once the race was over.

 

If anyone fancies joining our Thursday night league races on iRacing please feel free to get in touch.

 

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[Vipers]

Geoff Crammond's REVS, This Is Where It All Started For Me, Back In 1984!

 

Hi all,

 

So showing my age a little here but my love of Sim Racing began way back in 1984 on my BBC Micro with Geoff Crammond’s Rev’s, a F3 simulator that originally only came with one track, Silverstone, it was incredibly hard but was totally groundbreaking as it was arguably the world’s first motorsport simulator, later Geoff went on to steal many more hours of my life with his F1 Simulators, Grand Prix 1-4, again truly astonishing for their time.

 

I came across this brilliant video last night on YouTube so thought it was worth sharing for anyone who also loved Rev’s but also as an educational piece to show where our Sim Racing love started.

 

Plus you can also play it online on the below link –

 

http://bbcmicro.co.uk//jsbeeb/play.php?autoboot&disc=http://bbcmicro.co.uk//gameimg/discs/267/Disc015-Revs.ssd&noseek

 

Cheers,

Paul.

[Vipers]

Photobook From Round 4, Cadwell Park, The Prettiest Track in the UK!

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick update from our Lotus Elise Trophy exploits, for the last round we headed to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire which without doubt is the most picturesque race track in the UK, I must admit I’m always a little nervous when arriving there as it is very narrow with some really fast corners, it is also very undulating with not a lot of run off so get it wrong and it will bite but as always it worked its wonders on me again and I left falling in love with Cadwell all over again.

No trophies this time I’m afraid but had some good track action which is the whole point really and the car survived the dangers of the Mini Nurburgring as it is affectionately known.

The season is disappearing fast, this weekend we are at Snetterton, nowhere as pretty as Cadwell but equally as demanding, every race we have got more performance out the car and from me also so really hoping that trend continues this weekend and that it stays dry.

The penny dropped the other day when testing at Snetterton that the Elise is a very different animal to the Radical, basically with the Radical it feels planted thanks to the aero I guess but with the Elise if it isn’t moving around under you then you are just not going fast enough, you almost have to drive it to the point it is just about to break away, the good news is that when it does oversteer it is very easy to get it back, very much like a big go kart, so I really hope to test that theory more this weekend.

Please find a few pics below for the stunning Cadwell Park.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

 

[Bibs]

Stunning pics Paul, really nice and good luck at Snett 

 

[Vipers]

Thanks mate.

[andyj007]

awesome photos...  that track looks epic.....  its the only one my trackday insurance will not  cover!  ..   what do you prefer cadwell or oulton park

 

[Bravo73]

2 hours ago, andyj007 said:

its the only one my trackday insurance will not  cover!

Your TD insurance doesn’t cover Cadwell? How very specific & slightly bizarre. 

[C8RKH]

3 hours ago, andyj007 said:

awesome photos...  that track looks epic.....  its the only one my trackday insurance will not  cover!  ..   what do you prefer cadwell or oulton park

 

Cadwell is just superb. You need to change your insurer as i have no issue with mine at Cadwell. Booked in for the triple header in October - Anglesey, Oulton and Cadwell. Three days of driving heaven!

[Vipers]

12 hours ago, andyj007 said:

what do you prefer cadwell or oulton park

 

Now that is a tough question Andy, both my 2 favourites but I'd say Cadwell just edges it.

9 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Booked in for the triple header in October - Anglesey, Oulton and Cadwell. Three days of driving heaven!

Never doen Anglesey but that sounds like the perfect 3 days.

[C8RKH]

You MUST do Anglesey. On a sunny day as you turn over the hill and see the Atlantic/Irish Sea roll in front of you ...  Just sublime.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Bravo73

[Vipers]

Definitely on the list 👍

[C8RKH]

On 13/08/2021 at 07:57, Vipers said:

Definitely on the list 👍

Edited August 14, 2021 by Bravo73

[Vipers]

Wow that is mental, I bet the race Elise would be epic round there, I'll have to watch some YouTube video's later.

 

[andyj007]

woser thats like philipe island in auustrailia i think.. its getting that sunny say tho

 

[Vipers]

Snetterton Photobook, Fire, Rain + New Livery!

 

Hi All,

So for our Snetterton race weekend it was certainly a weekend like no other, basically it was British Summertime so we had plenty of rain but we also had a huge pit lane fire just when we were about to go out for our first race, basically a teams lorry caught fire and it took 2 fire engines to get it under control, luckily no one was injured but it meant we lost our first race and our 2nd race was re-scheduled for 6pm, this ended up being cut short due to a car stranded on the track so basically we did 3 days at the track for a 17 minute race but at least we came away with a trophy so it wasn't all bad.

Plus we had the new livery on the Elise to promote iLounge Racing, a couple of tweaks to do but overall really happy with the look, really stands out on track now.

So off to Brands Hatch this weekend, really looking forward to this one as it is on the short Indy layout so is very much like a big Go Kart track which should suit me, presently we are 5th overall in the standings and 2nd in our class so plenty to still play for.

We were testing there last week and I had my closest moment to a big crash yet, please see below, certainly a Code Brown moment but luckily we got away with just a little damage under the car where I had to go over the grass in avoidance, could certainly have been much worse.

Anyway please find a few pictures below from our Snetterton weekend.

Cheers,

Paul.