WHEELMAN

Rayomand Banajee, eight-time national karting champion and founder of IR eSports, which runs the Indian SIM Racing League, speaks to TURN OF SPEED about how this platform can be a springboard for young enthusiasts to pursue their motorsport dream and about the future of online racing. Read on. TOS: Tell us about the inception of the Indian SIM Racing League. How did you go about creating the format? 
RB: We have been working on creating a national level simulator racing format for the last two years. After giving it an entity, IR eSports, we were all set to launch this championship in April this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, obviously we couldn’t set up an online racing venue where motorsport enthusiasts could come and compete on our custom-made simulators, so, we tweaked the format and allowed anyone who owns a personal computer to participate, keeping in mind [that] they need to have simulator equipment like a bigger screen, a steering wheel and the pedals. This is how we started the Indian SIM Race League. Also, we’ve tried to keep it as close to real-world racing as possible. For instance, a racer would be penalized for even minor damage, and would have to head to the