There will be an official sim racing steering wheel available, and equipment provided for top racers at live events as Fanatec partners the eNASCAR Heat Pro League going forwards.
The German sim hardware manufacturer already supports a range of eSports championships, announcing a new multi-year agreement with WRC eSports in April. And now they’ve signed up to be the official stearing partner for the eNASCAR Heat Pro League just as the Gold Edition of NASCAR Heat 5 arrives on July 7th, with the standard edition released on July 10th, 2020.
What this means, is that Fanatec will supply the hardware for events in the series, which will see the best 28 NASCAR Heat drivers represent real-life NASCAR racing teams as they compete for a prize pool worth more than $200,000.
And it also results in an officially licensed ClubSport Steering Wheel NASCAR, which is perfect for oval racing in any game, including the newly released NASCAR Heat 5.
Out this weak, the game features all the official teams, cars and drivers from the NASCAR Cup and supporting Xfinity, Gander RV & Outdoor Truck, and Xtreme Dirt Series, with 34 tracks and up to 40 players in online multipler on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Thomas Jackermeier, CEO of Fanatec, said, “NASCAR is without a doubt one of the greatest and most spectacular racing series on the planet, and we are proud to work with Motorsport Games to make the virtual experience even more realistic. Fanatec will support the eNASCAR Heat Pro League with our NASCAR-licensed products for many years to come.”
Dmitry Kozko, CEO of Motorsport Games, said, “Fanatec is a perfect partner for NASCAR Heat and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League. The level of authenticity and realism that Fanatec brings to its products will further engross our players into the world of NASCAR. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
The Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheel NASCAR
Whether or not you’re planning to race at a professional level on NASCAR Heat 5, the new Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheel NASCAR does look rather nice.
There are two different options currently listed via the Fanatec site. The Fanatec Podium Steering Wheel NASCAR comes with the Podium Wheel Rim NASCAR and Podium Hub (without any additional buttons) for €299.95, while the Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheel comes with the rim, and the ClubSport Steering Wheel Universal Hub for Xbox One at €399.95.
So it depends whether you want the extra buttons and functionality on the ClubSport Hub, and the additional Xbox compatibility, of course.
The features list include a three-spoke aluminium 35cm rim with genuine Alcantara all over it, plus the embroidered NASCAR logo and a metal hub cover embossed with the Fanatec F.
Features (ClubSport Universal Hub):
- Officially licensed NASCAR product
- Three-spoke aluminium wheel rim with a 35 cm diameter
- Genuine Alcantara© grip
- Genuine Alcantara© hub cover with embroidered NASCAR logo
- Metal hub cover with embossed Fanatec ‘F’ signet
- Weight: 1009 g rim only, 1065 g with metal hub cover, 1200 g with soft hub cover
- A connected wheel base will become Xbox One compatible
- Fully assembled and pre-configured to mount the GT wheel rim (or similar). The default button cluster layout may not be suitable for the dished spoke design of the Podium Wheel Rim NASCAR.
- Detachable button caps with Xbox One symbols
- 16 integrated buttons on top of the hub
- Four button clusters with three buttons each
- FunkySwitch™ with four-way direction pad, two-way rotary function and push button. Comes with a metal knob
- Small or big shifter paddles for different rim diameters.
- The big shifter paddles are fully adjustable in distance, width and angle
- Shifter paddle units can be taken off to save weight.
- LED display for Tuning or telemetry functions. It can be installed in two positions: Standing or flat
- USB port to charge a smartphone. Not a data connection.
- An additional fifth button box unit can be attached (not included)
- Data port for future feature upgrades
Features (Podium Hub)
- Officially licensed NASCAR product
- Three-spoke aluminium wheel rim with a 35 cm diameter
- Genuine Alcantara© grip
- Genuine Alcantara© hub cover with embroidered NASCAR logo
- Metal hub cover with embossed Fanatec ‘F’ signet
- Gold anodised aluminium monocoque
- Ultra sturdy and lightweight space frame design
- ClubSport Quick Release Adapter (Supports interchangeable Quick Release)
- Two connectors for the Podium Advanced Paddle Module (4 buttons + 2 analogue axes)*
- Two connectors for Button Clusters (2 x 3 buttons)*
- One DataPort-C connector for accessories (e.g. Podium Button Module Endurance)*
- Overall weight including Podium Hub: 1572 g (rim only), 1625 g (with metal hub cover), 1763 g (with soft hub cover)
Compatibility:
- PODIUM Wheel Base DD1
- PODIUM Wheel Base DD2
- PODIUM Racing Wheel F1® PS4™
- ClubSport Wheel Base V2
- ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5
- CSL Elite Wheel Base V1.1
- CSL Elite Wheel Base
- CSL Elite Racing Wheel – officially licensed for PS4
- CSL Elite Wheel Base + – officially licensed for PS4
As with most sim racing products when you get into the mid-market price range, it’s about understanding what wheel base, hub and rim you need for your PC or console. And then being able to swap rims for different styles of racing, for example, if you’re going between NASCAR and possibly GT3 or open-wheel competition.
Either way, the Fanatec Podium Steering Wheel NASCAR looks like a pretty nice rim, and as Fanatec partners the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, you can expect to see it in the hands of the world’s top NASCAR Heat 5 racers.
Speaking of which, physical copies of the game are currently unavailable from Game or Amazon. You can download it from Steam for the PC, the Microsoft Store for Xbox One, or from the release date on the PlayStation store. And if you want a U.S physical edition of the game in the UK, you can order them via Play Asia.
And you can keep up with the latest NASCAR Heat 5 news, updates and eSports, right here.
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