Founder, Steve “Stevie” Ray has a passion of connecting the real world of motorsports with the sim world.
Stevie has a background in both simulation and real world racing. His real world experience goes back to being raised around the SCCA. Both parents autocrossed, and his father became the builder, mechanic and crew for his Uncle who raced SCCA production cars from a HP “bug-eye” Sprite, a GP/FP Spridget, followed for the majority of years in a EP Alfa Romeo. Steve literally grew up at and around SCCA events. The roots were planted.
Steve started his training in simulation in the United States Air Force as a Flight Simulator Technician. Repairing and maintaining flight simulators meant he was working around flight crews daily, and saw how simulators and real world could work together, and most importantly, how important it could be.
After a career in the USAF, Steve’s roots once again pulled. He went to a SCCA driver school and raced the Spec Racer/Spec Renault (Gen 1) for a few years, just prior to the change over to the Spec Racer Ford. He accomplished a Regional Championship in the MidWest Division and held a couple of track records at one point.
After the USAF career, the professional career turned to simulation, working at a simulator manufacturer plant, a simulator training facility for that manufacturer, and finally as a airline flight simulator technician.
During dinner at his desk one night while working the midnight maintenance shift at the airline, Steve discovered a thing called Iracing while searching the internet on simulation. That was 2011, and the roots pulled again, and Steve was hooked.
While exploring and enjoying his new hobby, the roots kept pulling harder. Steve found the SRF community in iracing and dug in. He created a league called the SRF Weekend Warriors in 2015, and it has grown since. This provided a perfect chance to connect real world. The Warriors have now been sponsored by 2 race prep shops, a sim equipment add-on company, a company that made Warriors hats and shirts (as well as anything else), and now a software company that provides software to real world drivers, and sim drivers.
Because of the hobby, he has had the opportunity to race with many current SCCA drivers, including several National Champions, ex F1 drivers, and even past and current NASCAR champs Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliot, as well as the rest of Team Hendricks in a Pro-Am race.
Steve also has worked with the World Racing League (WRL) and the SCCA to help establish and run their respective ESports programs.
Check out the podcast interview on “Inside the SCCA”
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