17 hours ago, n4gix said:

I became "hooked" on Euro Truck Sim 2 several years ago to the point where I actually became involved with the Pro-Mods group who were into developing new countries and improving the stock SCS map.

Similarly, I became interested in ATS while it was still in beta and had a ball with it as well. Unfortunately I've had to stop since replacing my CH yoke with a new Saitek yoke. I can no longer steer accurately due to the Saitek having a large "null zone" when trying to turn right. I've since found out that this is a common defect with Saitek yokes. It isn't much of a problem with aircraft, but for steering a vehicle at highway speeds it becomes deadly!

I have Bus Simulator 18, which is similar to Euro Truck Sim, such sims are quite fun, but my fav two road race games I have on Steam, one is "Road to Knoxville" which I love and F1 2019.  I was first raised in Sauk Village, IL, then Tinley Park, IL, and between 1964-1966 my folks would take me to the Sprint Car races where our family friend and Indy Hero Gary Bettenhausen would race, and our local Tinley Park Hero, Bud Kohler.  I had a badge Bud gave me and I did not attend stock car races until I saw them in the Calistoga County Fair, and I'd see the demolition derbys, but I'd feel as all little boys and girls did every dent, ever collision, on those figure eight tracks. 

I was a huge hot wheels fan and I also had a toy which had airplanes that hung from hooks, and they flew down suspended from a 15 foot wire, my first Flightsim, lol, around the early 70's I recall, right around the time of my appendectomy.  My first toy robot wasn't the one from Lost in Space, it was a robot called "Zintar", wish I still had it, Zintar was "My friend Mr Nobody" from Lost in Space, LOL, everyone has a spirit they remember as holy, the spirit of playfulness and joy.

I finally saw one last stock car race, when a semi-pro racer and friend invited me to be with his pit crew at a race in Franklin Virginia, near Roanoke, in 2014, right before I went to work with American Airlines here in Phoenix.  They actually held up the start of one of the races so I could cross the track and get to my friend WJ Alitzer and his Dad Jay Alitzer in the pits.

It was his best finish to that point that year, he won third place and won $500, I was there when he collected his winnings.  I believe in the following year he went all the way to win the championship, but like many race car drivers, the G forces on their neck cause a lot of nerve pain, so he gave up his passion for race car driving and went to work for Toyota.  But because one of his fans was a child with cancer, he created a cancer charity for the race car drivers on their circuit, which included races in the Carolinas as well.  He is quite an inspiration to me, as they say, there is always a bigger fish!

John

John,

was this the one you were talking about from the 70’s? This was my first flight sim.

 

https://youtu.be/W7HMqSr0vG8