From the track to the console: eSport keeps Herne in shape

RISING motorsport star Nathan Herne is keeping fit for the resumption of the TA2 season with eSports.

MUSCLE UP: Lismore-born Nathan Herne is currently preparing to make his debut in the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series, which gets underway with this weekend's opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park.

NATHAN Herne is used to living life in the fast lane on the track but thanks to the coronavirus enforced shutdown, he's becoming adept at eSports off the track.

Herne made waves his debut TA2 Muscle Car series last year, which saw him finished equal fourth in the standings.

TA2 Muscle Car series is currently postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic but Hearne is competing with the Trans AM squad in the ARG eSports Cup which sees drivers race against each other virtually using a simulator.

This type of racing is not unfamiliar to Herne, who has been refining his skills in his racing simulator for close to two years.

"I've always done sim racing, I've been doing it for the past two years but now I've really got into it. I can't think of anything better to do as a driver … it keeps your T-time and in motorsport T-time is the most important thing," Herne said.

The competition pits Herne against Australian motorsport royalty with the likes of Garth Tander taking part.

"We're racing against Garth Tander and Dylan O'Keefe and to be able to compete against them in what is basically a road car is insane, I know it's not a real race car but the technique and everything is the same as driving in real life," Herne said.

The simulator imitates what it is like to drive in a real race car which Herne said made the ARG espsorts Cup a valuable practice tool.

"In Formula Ford (Herne's previous competition) you had to right foot break and heel-and-toe on the down changes … with the TA2 it's a NASCAR style gearbox so you only have to left foot break," Herne said.

"To get the timing right was massive to learn and obviously it's a bit cheaper to learn on the simulator where you can't damage any parts," Herne said.

Herne is adding to his esport commitments by taking part in the US-based Trans AM esports championship this weekend.

With TA2 Racing Series hopeful of resuming later in the year, Herne only has his eyes on some silverware.

"We just want a championship - we joined Dream Racing Australia this year and the first line of the contract said 'you have to win a championship' which isn't much pressure but enough to live up too," Herne said.