Episode 0520 - iRacers Lounge Podcast

2/12/2026 – Up in Smoke – Episode 0520

iRacers Lounge Podcast – Conversation Topics

Show Introduction

On today’s show it’s DAYTONA 500 WEEK and the start of NiS, is I’m sorry enough?, we will look at many long term hardware reviews, is the Heusinkveld One a hate it or love it wheel? find out why you need Simhub, has the eNASCAR GOAT returned? and a guest with a very unique connection to sim racing

And remember you can follow along with us on your PC or mobile device in real time as you listen to the show and see for yourself all of the great topics and products we’ll discuss by visiting iracerslounge.com and selecting show notes. Hope to see you there..

TITLE SPONSOR READ:

https://www.premierracingsetups .com/

Special Guest

Matt Sassono

Topics

Spotter and Driver Practice

How To Fix Formula Cars/Series

To Protest Or Not?

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92317/do-you-protest-if-you-get-an-apology

Oh My, Looks Like An 8x To Me

Necessary Or Nerdy?

The GOAT Returns

2026 A Refreshed Season

https://www.iracing.com/enascar-coca-cola-iracing-series-readies-for-refreshed-2026-season

Always The Cone’s Fault

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92287/please-fix-the-cone-we-have-been-waiting-nearly-18-yrs

Sim Racing Expo – Charlotte, NC

May 22 – May 24, 2026

Porsche Esports Carrera Cup North America

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92038/porsche-esports-carrera-cup-north-america-kicks-off?utm_source=community-search&utm_medium=organic-search&utm_term=carrera+cup

https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/2026/motorsport/porsche-esports-carrera-cup-north-america-marks-inaugural-season-in-2026.html

MPI Challenge

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92055/mpi-challenge-feb-5-19/p1

Bathurst 12HR

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92109/bathurst-12-hour-presented-by-rss

IndyCar iRacing Series

https://forums.iracing.com/discussion/92351/2026-indycar-iracing-series-schedule/p1

2026 Daytona 500

https://www.iracing.com/this-week-iracing-daytona-500-special-event-2026

This Week In iRacing

https://www.iracing.com/this-week-in-iracing-february-10th-to-february-16th-2026

Podcast Housekeeping

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We are in the regular rotation… (Mike)

https://performancemotorsportsnetwork.com/

iRacers Lounge Merch!!!

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Fantasy

https://fantasygames.nascar.com/live/leagues/iracers-lounge-podcast-fantasy-league

Hardware/Software

Sparco Evo Carbon

Qubic System Long Term Review

Swivel Seat Slider

On A Steam Deck?

Long Term Review

Seat Mover Vs 3 DOF Motion

Worth The Upgrade?

How Good Is It?

GSI Interlock

More Memory Fallout

JJ Gets A New Simulator

Hate It Or Love It?

Another Unique Build

Why You Need Simhub

Mercedes AMG F1 Cockpit

Simagic Alpha Evo Long Term Review

VNM Direct Haptics

Daddy Shark…

Discord Back Tracks On Age Verification

https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/10/discord-backtracks-on-controversial-age-verification-rolloutkind-of/

Simsonn’s New Wheel Base

https://www.simsonn.com/collections/base-hub

Rig Tour

Very Vertical

McLaren Racing Center

Simsonn Handbrake

Results

NASCAR iRacing Series

Wednesday Open -NiS – Daytona 500

Kyle – P Wrecked OUT BY A DUMB ASS! Went a lap down for speeding in the pits at lap 40. By lap 77 I was the first car a lap down and playing it safe. On lap 98 saw a wreck way ahead and checked up and the car behind me just cleaned me out, sending me head first into the inside wall and causing my engine to blow. Only had a 2X from it but there was still too much damage.
Chris – P 35. Was riding on lap 30 and th car in front disappeared… I got damage and crashed then the car reappeared. Worst netcode I ever saw.
David – P15 had to drop to the back on the last run cause 21x. Had up to 13 minutes of damage getting caught up in wrecks, also spead in the pits to get put in that situation. Was amazed to be keeping up with the draft though with 9 minutes of option repairs. Was down to 1 minute when last run happened
Brad- P2 What could have been. Kept the car perfectly clean the entire race. Planned to play the long game and just ride at the front to avoid the mess and hopefully be around at the end. Managed to lead some laps after the last green flag stop but would ultimately find myself in p2 on a GWC. Was running in p2 coming to the white and was turned in the trioval. Managed to get keep the car going and passed some damaged cars to take the checkered in p3. The leader was DQ’s due to incidents and I bumped up to p2. Very long night…I’m still tired.
John – P12. This was a woulda coulda shoulda race for me. Started on the pole. Everything went great until a green flag pitstop on lap 170. Had everything set up perfectly. Recruited guys to pit with me. They all wrecked going into the pits. I made it through, but got a speeding penalty. If I would have nailed the stop I most likely would have came out in first place. Instead I went a lap down. We had five cautions after that so I got my lap back, but it was too late to make moves. Caught up behind too many lap cars. At least I picked up over 1.0 on my safety rating and 36 irating points. I’ll be running two more of these. Hope to do better.

Thursday Open- NiS – Daytona 500

Mike- P6- was leading on the white went to block the top didn’t quite get the block done. They went around against the wall and I got snookered and fell a P6 real happy that I was in a position to win and got myself as the leader at the end of that race.
David – P11 led a good chuck. Late caution comesout i get a phantom 4x to get a penalty, served it on the 2nd GWC crossed line in 14th but 3 people got last lap penalties.
Chris – P 4. Started P3 on a GWC. Thought we had it. I went high too early and the line was not organized. Wish I had that back.
Bobby – P wrecked out

Official Series

A Open

Brad W – P17 (Richmond) top split and was just out classed. Car was tight over the long run but I think that was more of me pressing too hard early in the run. Had a string of yellows but ended up with a 80 lap green run to the finish.
- P5 (Daytona) Stayed up front almost the entire race and actually led some laps. As the the end was getting close the racing became much more aggressive. Lots of three wide before a late yellow that would give us a GWC. We would run the final two laps stacked up three wide and about 5 lanes deep. Great race to the checkered and I picked the right line (inside).
Kyle P – P10 at Daytona. Started P3 and was able to just ride there until after the 2nd caution we pitted and I came out P2. Restarted and got passed by 2 cars on the bottom sending me to P4 where P3 got clipped by the bottom row and I was collateral damage. Had over 2 minutes of repairs. Pitted before pit road opened and got half of it fixed and with 2 till green pitted for the other half coming out in front of the pack about a half a lap before they took the green. Knew if a caution didn’t fall quick I would be lapped and of course it doesn’t and I ride around P15 and slowly pick off positions. With 2 to go the leaders are getting crazy and just throwing blocks like crazy so I sit back hoping for a caution but with one to go It wasn’t going to happen. So I hammer down and just catch the field reaching 204mph I’m flying up on the field and then mayhem happens and I was able to pick up 2 more spots and nearly my lap back but the leader was just inches ahead of me keeping me a lap down with a P10 finish. It was exciting for a 70 lap dash and to be a lap down because If I had gotten my lap back I would have had just enough fuel to finish.
John K. – P27. got wrecked out on lap 1. An idiot forgot to turn his wheel going into turn three on lap one and came up and smashed the car in front of me. I had nowhere to go.

A Fixed

Mike- P 8- was running top five got to the front let a lap or two miss the first three cautions, but got wrecked in the fourth one with front end damage stayed out anyway was in mix on the final lap where I was second on the bottom, but ended up getting wrecked across the line backwards, finishing P8
- P 20 had a grid race going was leading coming into the green white checker. I wanted to get a jump on that restart was looking up at the wall for the restart zone. I see a black sticker on the wall. I think that’s it. No that wasn’t the restart zone. I went about 30 yards too soon black flag. But nice to be in contention and to get back up front where I belong as usual.

B Open

John K – P 6. Overall a safe race. Only one caution. Not a whole lot of action. Single file for the most part until the last few laps. Car was a little loose in the corners, but no problems hanging on to it. Would like to do more of these races, but with the 500 going on I probably won’t get to.

Ring Meister

Mike – P IL 15. Indy next car. Started fifth got through the first lap at the end of the first lap some guy about five car links back didn’t even try to hit the brakes and just flew through the grass and took out six cars in the final corner
- Started P2 finish P3 had nothing for the leader
- Then started on pole, but spun out not once but twice, but still finish. P3 felt like I really gave up the win on this one.
- Then started a third but was quickly wrecked out when a guy did a unshaved rejoin and clipped me just barely
- Then started a third but wrecked out with sloppy driving

League / Hosted Races

Grass Roots Racing

GTP/GT3 League – Spa Sprint Race

William W – P4 – Running the Aston in this short season to force myself out of my McLaren comfort zone. I’ve always really liked the Aston in testing, but for here the front end just felt non-existent, and I felt like I was really overdriving it easily. Still had decent pace, and only 1x at Spa, but felt I could do a little better.
Brad W – P wrecked out

Elbows Out Racing League (LMP2 and GT3 Wednesday Nights)

William- P7- I am dumb dumb dumb. Road America has to be one of my best and favorite tracks, and I have mega pace here. Qualified P2, 0.001 behind a really fast guy. Lost to P3 on lap 1 but got back on the next lap. Did the next 12 or so laps 2.0s behind P1 until I pit, and then I made a mistake like I haven’t in a very long time. I was due apparently. Going into the pits i hit a bump and double tapped my pit limiter, and by the time i realized it wasn’t engaged it was too late. 40sec stop and hold. Ruined a guaranteed P2. Even worse Weaver as my teammate tried to kill himself in T1 about lap 10.

Hosted-

Ellis – P 87 at Daytona P7 got into it with a guy cause he was floating up and I would try to get underneath them and I did which resulted in a bumper book and he got turned. He wasn’t too happy with me. I looked at the replay. It wasn’t too pretty but he did leave an opening and he got turned.

Final Thoughts

Words Spoken in Closing Audio Clip -“”Thank you for listening to the iRacers Lounge podcast make sure to go subscribe to us on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Google Play, Facebook & Twitter, See You On The Track .”

TITLE

Up in Smoke

Description

So sit back, relax and join us on the iRacers Lounge Podcast.

iRacers Lounge Podcast is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Podbean, Spreaker, Podbay, PodFanatic, Overcast, Amazon, and other podcast players.

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Hosts:

Mike Ellis – https://x.com/mikedeanellis

David Hall – https://x.com/dmixmage

Greg Hecktus – twitter.com/froozenkaktus

Donnie Spiker – https://www.instagram.com/spikerman19/

Brad Wrenn – https://x.com/bradwrenn

John Kerley – https://x.com/KerleyJohnE

Justin Pearson – https://www.facebook.com/justin.pearson.5811

Bobby Jonas – https://x.com/bjonas71

William Westbrook – https://www.facebook.com/william.westbrook.35

Kris Randall – https://www.signalcraftstudio.com/