Academy Base — Custom Sim Racing Build

The build most people end up with. A full direct-drive foundation with a proper bucket seat, tactile feedback and a wide single sightline — the standard Academy Base, ready to order as specced.

Base is where the Academy lineup stops being an entry rig and starts being the thing you keep.

What's in it

• Chassis — TrakRacer TR160 V5, pro-grade extruded aluminium, anodised black
• Seat — MOMO Supercup XL bucket, on an adjustable GT/Formula bracket
• Wheelbase — Fanatec ClubSport DD, 15Nm direct drive
• Wheel — Fanatec ClubSport Wheel RS round rim
• Pedals — VNM Lite load cell, on a TR-One universal mount
• Display — 49" curved ultrawide, 144Hz, on a VESA arm
• PC — built and tested in-house, specced to drive a 49" ultrawide at high refresh
• Tactile — Buttkicker Gamer Plus with amplifier, mounted and tuned
• Also included — 2.1 audio, wireless keyboard and mouse, cabling and surge protection

What the extra spend buys you over the entry build

Nearly double the wheelbase torque, a seat you can sit in for a two-hour stint, a 49" sightline instead of 34", and tactile feedback through the chassis so you feel the rear step out before you see it. The chassis is also the one that takes upgrades — active pedals, a shifter, a handbrake, triples — without being replaced.

About the PC

We build the PC in-house and spec it to the display it has to drive. Component availability and pricing move constantly, so we do not lock the listing to a fixed part number — we lock it to performance. You will be told the exact build before you pay, and it will not go below the standard for this tier.

How you get it

Assembled, wired and QA-tested in Tampa, then hand-delivered and installed in your room by the team that built it, including display alignment, cable management and a full walkthrough. Delivery outside the Tampa area is quoted per build.

Want it configured differently?

This listing is the standard Base exactly as specced above. Most owners add active pedals, a shifter or a handbrake — those are configured with a builder rather than bought off the page, and custom Base builds start from $10,000 depending on specification. See the full range or book a fitting, and the fee is credited in full against your build.