I wanna get a lil personal maybe slightly emotional.
Sitting here reading the threads. Checking out those racers in which we all have spent many laps chasing, racing, or running for our lives from. Makes one realize how well you know the fellow racers. Truly amazing how the sim side actually brings so much real world racing into ones life.
I grew up with a father racing. He owned a Dirt Late Model. Uncle Drove. From birth till 8ish I grew up at the dirt track. It was racing or bust. Race fuel still makes me feel like a child snuggling with a security blanket. The sound of a camming V8 is a soothing lullaby. I literally could sleep for a week with humming howl of a big tire on the hauler rolling done the highway.
So with a tightly engrained desire to race and be around racing. I had always wanted too. The oldman and mom. Decided after spending an obscene amount on a motor to try and make the big one. World 100 This one could lead to asphalt racing and possible NASCAR. However unfortunately this hot motor decided to puke it's innards onto the clay at Eldora during hot lapping. Mom said that's it. We tried to go big. Motor blown. Salvage what you can sell it off. Focus on business and kids. There was four of us. So now at 8 all my life goes gone. I was left with an empty hole. I knew nothing else.
So as I progressed in life. I raced what I could. Bikes, RC's......excelled in RC racing. With the hard work I prayed my father would see that I have talent and build very solid cars. That whole blown motor ruining my life still leaves a distaste. Thought possible he realize that deep desire and harness it knowing i would work harder and smarter not have issues he did. Not so much. So I grow to driving age and kinda stale out. Attending the races. My other uncle owned a car. So I did get to wrench and be involved. Worked for me. At age 18 I am a man. I will buy my own race car. Well the oldman and mom instilled good money spending and pretty much I wasn't nearly as ignorant to less known sides of racing as most. Where I would not get buried. So with that I decided to try drag racing my daily driver. That really filled some voids. But truly going straight is not racing. I want to turn and brake. Use strategy Lap after lap. . I pretty much gave up on this dream.
So still to this day I can't come to terms with owning my own racer. It just to expensive and would put my kids out as well myself relative to work. Maybe when my kids are grown. I join a slower class of racing for old guys.
Being a GT fan since day. I had always dreamed of cockpits sitting in living room. Racing online with others. Racing while virtually is at a minimal investment. I was like man this is perfect idea for people similar to myself. Maintained this dream and during the DFGT GT4 days I about committed. However said not till there is a clutch and shifter. Now gt5 rolls around and the wheels are incredible. Clutches. Banger sticks. It's time. got G27 built a cock pit and proceeded to improve my skills and get into leagues.
So now we are present time. With the Sim Racing. I have gotten know many. In which I never dreamed of this side the side that seems to be the binding of what is racing. The racers!!! Friendships with those that have exactly sane desires as yourself. That's really great to have. As well getting know each others driving. Know who is fast and who to chase. Who pass when and where.
These things really add a depth. I have never really had. Amazing to me that sim racing provides such depth in once racing career. Wether you sit in front of a screen or in an actual car. We come to love and respect the other racers.
There are many names I could toss out and tell you what kind of driver they are as well prob type of person of track.

the race is an emotional rollercoaster. One that will show true colors of a persons character.
After all that. I wanna say thank you all. Everyone here should be proud of being. Sim Racer. While some may think it's just a game and playing. They never sat down and attempted anything that requires 45-2.5hrs of commitment. You don't get breaks, you don't get a breather. You mentally and sometime physically exhaust yourself. This is something many can't handle. They just don't have what it takes.
Fellow Racers. You are Elite!