Former Formula One Driver Allan McNish to Help Create New Online Racing Game

Ignite Game Technologies (“Ignite”), the gaming company creating a completely new online racing experience — Simraceway today unveiled legendary sports car and ex-Formula One driver Allan McNish as the latest professional racer to join its talented development team.

McNish will take up a dual role assisting with the development of the game’s vehicle physics and training a new generation of real-world drivers at its racing facility, the Simraceway Performance Driving Center (formerly the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School).

The Scot, who made his mark on endurance racing history with two 24 Hours of Le Mans triumphs and three American Le Mans Series titles, will focus on ensuring the authenticity of Simraceway’s vast range of sports cars. He joins a talented development team that is already benefiting from the experience and expertise of four-time IndyCar Series winner Dario Franchitti and double Indianapolis 500 Champion Dan Wheldon, who played a key role in the title’s development before his death in October 2011.

Ignite CEO Jonathan Haswell was delighted to have added McNish to Simraceway’s list of pro racers. “When we began our search for a driver to help us perfect Simraceway’s sports car physics, Allan’s name was right at the top of our list. The sheer depth and breadth of his knowledge and ability will provide us with an unparalleled resource which we can call on to help make Simraceway the most authentic racing game on the market. Thanks to Allan and Dario’s presence on the team, and Dan’s invaluable legacy, I feel like we are perfectly placed following our public beta launch in November.”

McNish, a central figure in the Jim Russell Future Driver Search, established in 2009 to discover the world’s finest young racers, will also assist with driver development programs at Simraceway’s real-world racing school, the Simraceway Performance Driving Center. The former F1 driver will spend time at the Infineon Raceway-based facility, calling on his three decades of competitive experience to train the students there. His unrivalled expertise will form part of a revolutionary program that utilizes real-world training methods alongside Simraceway’s simulation-grade software.

“It’s a thrill to be teaming up with Ignite on such an exciting project,” said McNish. “Through both Simraceway and the Simraceway Performance Driving Center, I’ll be able to achieve something that has always been very close to my heart: helping to develop the next generation of driving talent.”

by Ismail Uddin