For virtual racers, a league of their own - NYTimes.com

HOW does it feel to go flat out into a turn at Indy with all four tires fighting for grip, or to drift out of the narrow groove at Darlington into an unforgiving swath of slick asphalt? What’s it like to pick your way through the traffic at Daytona with nerves rubbed raw and Dale Earnhardt Jr. inches off your rear bumper?

In the world of virtual racing, aspiring champions — few of whom have ever been behind the wheel of a real racecar — are coming closer than ever to finding out. They’re doing it from their dens and living rooms, using simulation software developed by companies like iRacing.com, a subscription-based online racing service that started last year...