For Father's Day, iRacing has given me a code for a free 1 month membership.

First one to email me expressing interest gets it.

iRacing is a ton of fun for anyone thinking about getting the service. It's internet based, costs a few dollars a month. All you need is a computer and a USB based wheel/gear shift (if you have a USB based system from one of the racing games that will work).

The program is amazing, it's not a game. They map every milimeter of the tracks they have online, and the car physics are amazing. You can adjust everything from tire pressure to camber. They have Laguna Seca, Summit Point and Lime Rock in the basic package (among others), and other tracks available for a few bucks ($15 or so, VIR, Watkins Glen, etc.). The starter car is a Pontiac Solstice for competitive racing, you can also practice on a spec racer ford. Other cars are available for $$$ (Miata coming soon, they say!)

I've been learning on this system, it's really great. And, when you can't get to the track (and for a whole lot cheaper!), it's great for practice. You can practice 24 hours a day, or enter into virtual races head to head against others. For me, since I am unlikely to get into actual real world racing, its about as close as I will come.

I highly recommend iRacing (I actually started on their 1 month promo and bought a 1 year right away, costs something like $10/month). I get iRacing credits if you use my email as a referral, so please do so!