I am wondering if before I get in a car next summer it would be helpful to learn the track in a simulator, say iRacing? Anybody do it? Ever try an Oculus instead of a TV?

I have a new iRacing setup now but not a lot of "seat time" in it as of yet, but over the years I've done a lot of Gran Turismo, Forza, Asseto Corsa, Cars2, etc... It can be super fun as well as challenging but is really different vs a real car in several key obvious ways.

One thing I have found a plus is it absolutely can help you learn the layouts/lines of tracks you may someday drive for real; also, it helps get used to driving on track with traffic, having cars all around you that you can't always see easily.

What track? Racing or just DE? imho, one of the most exciting things is going to a new track "cold".

I agree. I also think that sims are a good general overview, but unless it's a really good one (sim) they never give you the whole car specific, conditions specific overview.

iRacing is pretty darn solid in terms of the physics, tracks, graphics, etc. There's been a massive uptick in participation (check out all the races streamed on YouTube lately which include PCA & POC Porsche club groups) but you need significantly complex and expensive hardware to have a reasonable experience with that.

I can tell you the POC virtual racers are really hardcore serious and competitive, some putting in many hours of practice over the weeks prior to each race. Here is a recent Laguna Seca race for instance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0VtgsMJBBU...eature=youtu.be

POC sim racing page:

https://www.porscheclub.com/simracing/

PCA sim racing page:

https://pcasimracing.com/