Max

The Short Version

I've been racing for over 8 years. I started where most people start — a Logitech wheel clamped to a desk — and worked my way through belt-drive, gear-drive, and eventually direct drive. My first direct drive setup was built around the Moza R9, and I haven't gone back. I built SimraceBeast because I wanted the kind of structured, honest, methodology-backed sim racing resource that didn't exist when I was making my own purchasing decisions.

Everything published on this site has gone through my hands and my rig. No spec-sheet reviews. No anonymous writers. Just real seat time and honest assessments.

My Sim Racing Story

It started around 2016 with a Logitech G29 and Assetto Corsa. The wheel was bolted — badly — to a kitchen table. The pedals slid across the floor unless I wedged them against the wall. Force feedback felt like a washing machine. I thought that was just how sim racing worked.

Six months later, after too many YouTube rabbit holes, I upgraded to a Thrustmaster T300RS. The difference was significant enough to make me realise that hardware actually mattered. FFB wasn't noise — it was information. That realisation is what turned a casual interest into a serious hobby.

From there the upgrades came in phases: better pedals, a proper cockpit, a dedicated PC. The belt-drive ceiling was hit fairly quickly — the T300RS is a good wheel, but once you know what you're missing, you know. I spent a long time reading about direct drive before committing.

In 2022, I made the move to direct drive with the Moza R9. It was my first DD wheel base, and it changed the way I understood force feedback entirely. The resolution, the speed of response, the ability to feel what the car was doing at the limit — these were not incremental improvements. They were categorical ones. Since then I've tested several other bases and pedal sets, which is documented in the equipment list below.

Today the rig runs a Moza R12 with Heusinkveld Sprint pedals in a custom cockpit built by a handy friend. Most of my seat time is in iRacing, with regular sessions in Assetto Corsa Competizione and Automobilista 2.

Sim Titles & Hours

Equipment I've Personally Owned or Tested

This list covers hardware that has been in my rig or hands-on tested at sufficient depth to write about. Products marked [Current] are part of my active setup.

Wheel Bases

Pedals

Steering Wheels (Rims)

Cockpit

Display

My Approach to Reviews

I don't publish a review until I've logged a minimum of 4 weeks and 20 hours on a product across multiple sim titles. The scoring criteria and testing protocol are fully documented in the SimraceBeast Methodology.

I aim to test every product in the context of what it competes with — not in isolation. A wheel base isn't good or bad in a vacuum; it's good or bad relative to what else is available at that price. That's the comparison framework I use for every evaluation.

I'm not an engineer and I don't claim to be. I'm a racer who has spent a lot of time and money figuring out what makes hardware feel right behind the wheel, and who wants to share that in a structured, transparent way.

Find Me Online

• YouTube: (coming soon)
• Reddit: (coming soon)
• Discord: (coming soon)
• Twitter / X: (coming soon)
• iRacing profile: (coming soon)