The World of Outlaws iRacing Invitationals have allowed Seavey, as well as several other drivers, the opportunity to “run with the Outlaws” – in both the sprint car and late model – something he probably wouldn’t have been able to do this year and never in a World of Outlaws Late Model.
Seavey only has three previous World of Outlaws sprint car starts – including one last year.
“Hopefully this leads a few opportunities where I can spread my wings and do some fender racing,” Seavey said. “That would be a lot of run. It’s just cool to participate with the Outlaws. I think we all hope to get back racing and hopefully I get to run a few more Outlaw races this year. Obviously, not just in general, but in real life.
“Winged racing in general for me is a struggle, but I feel like I get better every time I race. Hopefully there are more Outlaw races (for me) in the future.”
There may even be World of Outlaws Late Model races in his future. He was tapped by Mark Richards to run the virtual paint scheme of the famed Rocket Racing house car, which he won with last week.
Through that relationship, Richards is willing to give Seavey a few laps in the real Rocket Racing No. 1 car — normally driven by two-time World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion Brandon Sheppard.
“We told Seavey we’re probably going to let him come out and try one of Sheppard’s cars at one of our next testing sessions, just to let him get the feel of a real late model,” Richards said.
When it comes to success on iRacing, Seavey said it’s all about practice. Especially for real race car drivers. Racers are used to being able to feel how their car is reacting to the track conditions.
There is no feel on iRacing — aside from force feedback in the steering wheel or if you have a full simulator that can provide it. There are only visuals. You have to adapt to seeing how the car is handling and being able to make adjustments off of that, he said.
To most, knowing how to do that well only comes from hours of practice.
“The people that have more time to practice tend to seem to be the ones that do better,” Seavey said. “Cause in real life you don’t get as much time to practice. It seems the more natural talented guys end up being faster. On the sim it seems like the guys with more time end up being better. Not always.
“There’s a lot of guys that don’t practice much and are really fast, and there are some people who aren’t that good in real life, but they sit at their computer for six or eight hours a day and they beat you.”
For now, until the racing season is back in swing, Seavey is comfortable sitting barefoot in his lawn chair, continuing to win – a lot.