Stephen Racing Driving & SIM Enthusiast   ( back to Team Profiles page )

Stephen's Racing Journey

My passion for motor cars began when I was about 11 or 12, sparked by my Uncle David - a professional mechanic whose career began at North London's renowned Hexagon car dealers during the golden era of 1970s performance cars. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos, BMWs, and Porsches passed regularly through his hands.

One car in particular left a lasting impression: an Alfa Romeo Alfasud. David described it as having an "unburstable" flat-four engine and handling feedback that rivalled far more exotic machinery. After one memorable drive around North London - returning with the tyres literally melting - I was hooked. At 17, I persuaded my parents to buy one, and that little car taught me just how rewarding a lightweight, communicative chassis could be.

Looking back, it wasn't just the cars themselves, but the experience - the speed, sound, and mechanical theatre - that shaped everything that followed.

From Karting to Club Racing

As a teenager, with limited access to the open road, I channelled that fascination into kart racing. Living near Maidstone in Kent, I was fortunate to be close to Buckmore Park, one of the UK's most respected kart circuits. I soon found myself competing there, as well as at Lydd Raceway, Tilbury, and Bayford Meadows, running 100cc two-stroke karts.

Those early years laid the foundations for everything that came next.

After university, I moved into endurance karting, competing in four-stroke six-hour races. One standout memory involved racing two six-hour endurance events on the same day - at Buckmore Park and Bayford Meadows - with drivers travelling between circuits mid-event to make driver changes and refuelling stops. It was chaotic, exhausting, and hugely rewarding.

I later progressed into Club 100 UK arrive-and-drive two-stroke karting before taking the step into car racing.

Sports Prototypes, Sports Cars, and Real Driver Development

A pivotal moment came at the Goodwood Revival around the year 2000, where I encountered the Fisher Fury. Within a year, I was racing a bike-engined Fury powered by a Honda CBR engine in the 750 Motor Club's RGB Championship - a series built around driver-developed cars and pure performance per pound.

RGB later evolved into Sports 1000, now a fiercely competitive mid-engined prototype championship delivering extraordinary performance and kart-like handling. I've been part of that world for nearly a decade, and it has been one of the most defining chapters of my racing life.

Looking ahead to 2026, I'll be moving into the CALM All Porsche Trophy Series in a Porsche Cayman S - reuniting with a long-time racing friend and transitioning into longer-format races. It's an exciting new challenge, supported by Tim Gray Motorsport, who continue to run our programme.

Why Simulation Matters in Real Motorsport

As my real-world racing evolved, so did my approach to preparation.

Around four years ago, I invested in a racing simulator - not for gaming, but as a driver development tool. Platforms such as Assetto Corsa and iRacing replicate real circuits with astonishing accuracy, allowing you to learn layouts, braking references, and car behaviour without the cost and risk of track time.

The ability to adjust car setup in the simulator mirrors real-world engineering remarkably closely. For any club racer balancing performance with budgets, simulation quickly becomes invaluable.

Testing the DX Winner 2 in the Real World

More recently, I upgraded my simulator with the DynamicX DX Winner 2 motion platform.

I've used motion simulators before, and like many drivers, I was sceptical. Motion can be impressive visually - but unless it delivers usable feedback, it's of limited value.

The DX Winner 2 changed that.

For the first time, I could genuinely feel:

• Weight transfer under braking and acceleration
• Lateral load building through corners
• Surface texture and kerb interaction
• Early rear-end grip loss - before it becomes obvious visually

Crucially, the feedback is fast, controlled, and informative - not exaggerated. That makes it a meaningful training tool rather than just an immersive experience.

As I prepare for the 2026 season and the transition into sports car racing, this level of feedback allows me to explore the limits safely and consistently, helping me arrive at the circuit better prepared and sharper from the first session.

Why This Matters at SimScapers

At SimScapers, we don't approach simulation as a novelty or a sales exercise.
We test equipment the same way real drivers use it - as a tool to improve performance, confidence, and consistency.

Stephen independently invested in his simulator setup before working with SimScapers and continues to use it as part of his own racing programme. That real-world usage shapes how we evaluate, recommend, and support the products we offer.

If it doesn't add value on track, it doesn't belong in our ecosystem.

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About Stephen

Stephen is a UK-based club racing driver with experience spanning karting, endurance racing, Sports 1000 prototypes, and sports car competition. He uses simulation technology as part of his real-world driver development programme and leads hands-on testing at SimScapers.

 

 

 

 

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