Paschalis Gkergis and Ismaeel Ellahi at The Sim Racing Expo in Charlotte 2026

Paschalis Gkergis and Ismaeel Ellahi at The Sim Racing Expo in Charlotte 2026 VRS Sim Racing Gear - https://vrs.racing/shop/ VRS Sim Racing Academy - https://vrs.racing/academy/ Two of the fastest names in sim and real life racing, VRS Coach Paschalis Gkergis and real life IMSA driver Ismaeel Ellahi, sit down at the Sim Racing Expo in Charlotte 2026 for an in depth conversation about what it truly takes to go fast. From hot lap preparation and car setup to the philosophy behind braking, ABS usage and spring selection, the two break down the technical and mental side of racing in a way that is both educational and genuinely fascinating for anyone looking to improve. The conversation goes deeper than just lap times though. Ismaeel and Pash open up about the crossover between sim and real life racing, how to climb the competitive ladder, and most importantly how to handle failure. Whether you are a sim racer chasing your first top split or a real life driver looking to bridge the gap, this one is packed with insights you will not find anywhere else. 0:00 Introductions 0:49 How Pash prepares for a hot lap and data pack recording 1:46 How Ismaeel approaches real life race preparation vs the sim 2:46 Why a quality brake pedal matters for both sim and real life 3:36 Blue spring vs red spring and how each driver uses them 5:23 Understanding braking scales between sim and real life 6:32 ABS in sim vs real life, which cars to use it in and which to avoid 9:13 Ismaeel's advice for crossing over from sim to real life racing 11:10 How to go from 2K iRating to competing at a pro level 13:54 How both drivers handle failure, crashes and racing incidents 17:05 Hardware failures and the pain of things outside your control 17:48 Where to watch Pash and Ismaeel next Follow us on: Instagram:   / the_realvrs   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/the_realvrs/ Discord:   / discord   X: https://x.com/realVRS/ Pinterest:   / the_realvrs   #vrsracing #simracing #simracer #simracingexpo #charlotte