Hear from 'Channel 199' about what it takes to run a successful sim racing team

Professional sim racing is becoming a larger ESport, with professional racers such as Max Verstappen and Travis Pastrana taking part in international milestone events, all from the comfort of their homes. As the profile of these sports continues to grow and more people engage with the Esports racing space, we are seeing new teams and individuals gaining large followings through their ability to compete.

It has also created opportunities for current motorsport leagues to branch into the Esports space, such as NASCAR’s Coca Cola eNASCAR series and endurance races held across the calendar year.

As part of Trak Racer’s commitment to being a part of the wider sim-racing community, we have maintained a standing relationship with the Channel 199 racing team throughout 2024 and now into 2025. The team competes across many different sim-racing formats, including dirt, GT and NASCAR events, with past entries in IMSA events as well.

The current eNASCAR line-up of Dylan Duval and Zack Novack has made it into the 2025 eNASCAR playoffs, a massive achievement. With the team sitting at the top of the standings at the time of writing, there is a lot of positive momentum within the organisation.

The growing success of the team has led us to ask what it takes not only to run these teams, but also to identify the similarities between e-motorsports and traditional motorsports, beyond the obvious need for a race car. We spoke with team manager Trever Teal and members of the Channel 199 driver line-up to find out what it takes to be a successful team in the very competitive sim racing space.

What’s behind the naming of the ‘Channel 199’ in your team title?

“Channel 199 is a YouTube channel created by Mr. Travis Pastrana and friends to showcase the wild activities they are getting up to in that week. Whether it be drifting Can-Am side by sides in a backyard gymkhana competition, racing Ford Crown Victorias at an oval track or jumping mini vans you'll definitely have something entertaining to watch. We are pumped to be representing them!”

What inspired Channel 199 to jump from real world racing, into sim racing?

“Travis Pastrana, founder of Channel 199, has been a sim racing enthusiast for over a decade. He visited iRacing’s headquarters in 2021 to train on their simulator for his record-breaking Mt. Washington Hillclimb run. During the pandemic, he competed in virtual racing leagues alongside professional racers, Nitro Circus stars like Blake Williams, and sim racing pros. 

Other Channel 199 members, such as Jim DeChamp, actively participate in sim racing events, while athletes like Banks Hovey and Gray Leadbetter use it as a tool to contribute to the group’s motorsports legacy. Pastrana and his Channel 199 crew are passionate advocates for sim racing, promoting its role in skill development and fan engagement with the sim racing team.”

What does it mean to be a part of Channel 199 sim racing?

Dylan Duval (Current eNASCAR driver) - “It's really an honor to be a part of Channel 199 Sim Racing. I've been a part of the eNASCAR team since the beginning. It's been extremely gratifying to have been able to play a role in our growth over the past two seasons, and that first win at Talladega last season was just such a great moment to share with the team, there's no team more deserving.

Our guys are awesome, they give us the kind of support that makes us want to go out and be better for them. To be able to drive the #199 with Travis Pastrana's support and blessing, is truly an honor, there's just no better way to put it.”

Zack Novak (Current eNASCAR driver) - “I have loved every second of my time with C199. They have welcomed me with open arms and given me an incredible opportunity to once again prove my spot at the top level of sim racing.

 
The community Channel 199 Sim Racing has built is a testament to the involvement of all of the people that help run everything. Travis, Teal, Blake, Josh, and Connor on top of the entire crew have put together one of the best teams anyone could ever want to be a part of.”

Josh Edmundson - “It means a lot for me to be able to represent Channel 199 in sim racing. Growing up racing motocross and being into action sports made me a fan of Travis Pastrana. The things he has accomplished across so many different motorsports and action sports is incredible.
I have a ton of respect for him and everyone else on the crew. On top of that, the people at Channel 199 are genuinely awesome people. Very down to earth and supportive of the sim racing efforts which is awesome. Not to mention they are absolute bad asses doing crazy stunts and racing all kinds of things. Also proud to be a part of such a powerhouse sim racing team.

Our team has a bunch of very talented racers that want to win and will put in the effort needed to make that happen. There are no other US based sim racing teams that compete at the highest level in multiple genres of sim racing like Channel 199 Sim Racing does. So It really is one of the most prestigious teams to be on, and I am very thankful to be a part of it.”

Channel 199 has been involved in all types of racing sim categories, what's next for the team (any sneak peeks)? Anything you’d love to explore in the sim space?

“We are staying focused on competing at the top level of Rallycross, Off-Road, and eNASCAR. However, we have been expanding into road racing. Last year we had two full time cars in the IMSA Esports Global Championship and we plan to repeat that this season.

Our team driver Oskar Biksrud will also attempt to re-qualify for the Porsche Tag Heuer Esports Supercup and if the IndyCar series returns we will have a few drivers attempting to qualify for that as well.”

What does the collaboration between Channel 199 and Trak Racer represent?

“This partnership blends our passion for pushing boundaries in action sports and competitive motorsports with cutting-edge sim racing technology. It equips our professional sim racing team drivers and Channel 199 athletes with top-tier gear to deliver thrilling virtual racing. Together, we’re creating exciting content to engage fans and make sim racing accessible and exhilarating for enthusiasts everywhere.”

What's the craziest stunt/event that Channel 199 pulled off?

“That's a tough one! I'd have to say dropping a Can-Am side by side from an excavator on to a vertical landing or jumping a Corvette 110 feet on dirt but there are so many that stand out!”

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Looking at your eNASCAR team, both of your drivers have now made it into the playoffs. How do you as a team define the pressure step and change that needs to occur between regular season and playoffs? Is the pressure as high for sim-racers as it is for a traditional Nascar driver?

“We as a team just try to be there to help with anything they need and encourage them. Thankfully we have two of the most experienced drivers that both have playoff experience. They know what they need to do and it is awesome to see how determined they both are to fight for this championship.

As for the pressure I absolutely believe it is equal to what real racers face. The effort and dedication it takes to compete at that level is incredible and the amount of money on the line can be life changing as well. So when it comes down to a few playoff races the pressure is certainly high.”

A lot of people think that sim-racing is a simple exercise of putting the cars on track and knowing how to drive them. Can you explain to us why a modern sim racer needs to be their own engineer & driver and how your wider team structure helps with strategy for race days.

“To be a top level sim racer you must understand how the vehicle works in depth and try to extract every bit of performance you can within the settings.

Many cars have massive amounts of adjustments in suspension, gearing, and aero. A fast driver that understands how the changes affect the performance can be a massive benefit, not just for themselves, but also for giving feedback to the other drivers and setup builders on the team. 

However, some changes match driving styles and preferences, so it is important to have that knowledge.”

Can you explain how good gear helps your sim racers make a difference in their race results?

“Absolutely, good equipment can help a driver in many ways, especially with comfort and consistency. Having a comfortable rig that will not flex is very beneficial for staying focused during a race.

Other equipment like wheels and pedals mounted properly can really help a driver's consistency which equals overall speed.”

Can you tell us what you think sim-racing's overall impact has been on motorsports and do you think it's made motorsports more accessible?

“I think the impact so far has been massive and it's still growing. Sim racing opens the door for many people to understand and enjoy motorsports. It is so close to the real thing, that makes watching even more exciting.  It is also really cool there are so many real life pro drivers that sim race often.

The fact you can race against F1, NASCAR, IndyCar and other drivers on iRacing is pretty amazing. And of course some people have made it from the sim into real racing, which I believe is going to become more common in the future.”

The team at Trak Racer is looking forward to the ongoing partnership with the Channel 199 team alongside watching Dylan, Novak and Channel 199 compete throughout the closing playoff rounds of the Coca-Cola eNASCAR sim racing series.

You can catch the upcoming races on either the eNASCAR Twitch & iRacing’s Youtube through their respective official channels:

https://www.twitch.tv/nascar
https://www.youtube.com/@iRacingOfficial