Highlander Luke Lukess is one of the many people who participates in e-sports to experience the thrill of auto racing in a simulated environment.

“At one point in 2012 I was ranked top 50 in the world out of 70,000 F1 racers,” Mr Lukess said.

“I turned to sim racing as a cheap alternative to racing real cars, which I’d done at a club level for many years.”

Simulator (sim) attempts to simulate auto racing, and features real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip and suspension settings.

Mr Lukess said interest in the sport was on the rise.

“Simulator racing is only going to get bigger and bigger as e-sports move rapidly into the broadcast world,” Mr Lukess said.

“Real world racers such as V8 Supercar Driver legend Shane van Gisbergen are often on i-racing sessions.”

After a decade of sim racing as a hobby, Mr Lukess decided to share his passion and start a sim racing centre called Race Stars.

“I wanted to create something interesting and new in the Southern Highlands for car enthusiasts that hadn’t been attempted anywhere outside of a capital city in Australia,” Mr Lukess said.

“It gives race drivers a cheap alternative to racing track days and also provides a really fun environment to safely race your mates.

The centre runs weekly leagues, hot lap competitions and open sessions.

People race in various cars including GT3, Formula 1, RallyCross, Nascar and Dirt Speedway cars. 

Visit www.racestars.com.au for more information.