Chad Wheeler is a dirt racer who decided to build a rig during a rain out; Now, he has a full sim racing business on the side
Chad Wheeler is a dirt racing driver that runs a dirt modified and a dirt midget on occasion. Aside from that, he’s active in the digital world of iRacing as well.
When dirt was announced for iRacing, Wheeler was one of many that quickly found the online simulator world. On an off weekend, he created a sim chassis and that has spawned a new side business for the racer.
Wheeler is the owner of WR1 Sim Chassis. He build rigs that are designed to look good in the race shop or anywhere for that matter. The rigs are self contained meaning the seat, wheel, pedals, wires, computer and all button boxes are designed to sit inside the rig. That makes it look good no matter where it’s sitting.
Other racing simulators rigs on the market range on a scale from basic to absolutely ridiculous. You can easily spend $50,000 on a rig.
Some are suspended in the air so they are given the opportunity to take every movement from the simulator world and bring it into the real world.
While there is a huge advantage to those motion rigs, like the ability to feel the car and tweak the setup to perfection. However, there’s also disadvantages. The biggest one being that it’s going to make you slower.
Chad Wheeler talks racing simulators
Have you tested a solid rig side-by-side with one that moves?
“I haven’t personally sat on any kind of motion stuff,” Chad Wheeler stated to RacingNews.co .
“We just built our rig off of stationary, wanting something that you’d be able to walk around and not take up a lot of room. Then, it was something that was self contained. So, you could move it all together.”
“We built it for guys to put in their race shop. Or a guy to put it in his apartment. They’re 6′ by 2′. So, they don’t take up too much space.”
“We race competitively on iRacing. We just feel like somebody sitting stationary is going to outrun somebody that’s moving.”
“I do think there is a plus to the motion stuff. If you don’t competitively race on iRacing and you’re not racing 300 other people that are stationary. If everybody was moving, you’d be ok.”
“I think until the costs come down in some of the actuators then it’s not feasible or affordable for all of your buddies to be able to do it. What we sell, is what we race.”
iRacing
How long have you been on iRacing?
“Probably two years, when dirt first came out. But, we started the rigs on R-Factor. We raced the late model stuff there.”
“I had a couple buddies get me into it. We started with a G-29 screwed onto the desk and the pedals were moving.”
“We got rained out one weekend and decided we were going to build a self contained unit. So, I climbed in the race car and had my guys measure the steering wheel to the chest measurement. Then, we put our legs exactly how we sit in the car.”
“We play a lot of golf too. We laugh that it’s a lot of muscle memory. So, if you race for a living and you practice on iRacing then you need to be in that same position that you are in your car.”
“Some times your leg muscles, your feet. Some of the stuff that you really don’t think is a factor, becomes a factor in being smooth.”
“It’s dead on to a modified or a late model. We’ve looked at building a sprint car version with the wheel flipped over and doing the pedals straight up and down.”
“We’ve messed with it a little bit. Luckily, all my friends and people we sell to are mostly modified and late model guys.”
iRacing on the road
You told me that you played it on the road before? Where’s the craziest place that you’ve jumped on the game?
“We were driving one time and we played it a little bit going down the road.”
That brought a laugh from both of us.
“Anywhere you can get cell signal you can play it. We have some friends that actually hot spot it from their cell phone.”
“I don’t recommend it. It cuts out. Or if you’re leading a race and you wreck a bunch of people because your internet cut out… You’ll feel kinda bad.”
“We set them up at the chili bowl and we sold probably 25. I have a full-time job, then we race too. So, I just build them in the winter or when we have an off week.”
“All the stuff is kinda custom per person. If they race, we try to make it look like their car. So, when they push it in the race shop it looks like their car manufacture made it.”
WR1 Sim Chassis Pricing
Note: 2017 was the last time a pricing sheet was posted. Prices might have changed since
The rigs come in aluminum or steel version.
Bare Frame (not painted)
$650.00
Bare Frame 1 (Powder Coated Flat Black)
$900.00
Bare Frame 2 (Powder Coated Flat Black)
– Standard Seat
– Custom Floor Design
$1,100
Race Ready 1 (Powder Coated)
– Standard Seat
– Custom Floor Design
– HP PC (1070 Graphics Card)
– Bose 2.1 Speakers
– 34″ Curved LG Monitor
– Fanatic Base and Pedals
– MPI Wheel
– Alienware PC (+$300)
$5,150
Race Ready 2 (Powder Coated)
– Driven Full Containment Seat
– LED Running Lights
– Custom Floor Design
– HP PC (1070 Graphics Card)
– Bose 2.1 Speakers
– 34″ Curved LG Monitor
– Fanatic Base and Pedals
– MPI Wheel
– Alienware PC (+$300)
$5,680
WR1 Chassis Photos
WR1 Chassis WR1 Sim Rig Chad Wheeler – WR1 Chassis iRacing Cockpit – WR1 Chassis Wr1 – iRacing Simulator Cockpit 
WR1 Sim Chassis
