Virtual racing; we all love it, but do some of us overindulge in it? It’s fun, incredibly realistic (if you pick the right games) and you can drive digital versions of some of the world’s greatest supercars from the comfort of your own living room.

It’s not just the exciting atmosphere that modern racing simulators generates, they also allow the user to gain some basic knowledge that might actually be useful in life. Sure, that knowledge is more about being able to name any supercar from 50 paces away rather than replacing driving lessons, but it’s still handy.

A lot of time goes into honing your skills to perfection and maintaining your best times and online rankings. You probably don’t want to know exactly how much time, but it’s worth sitting back and reflecting on the situation to see if you’re an elite driver or just a part-time racer.

So, how can you tell if you’ve played too many racing games? Take a look at the following and see if any apply to you, if they do you could well be a hardcore pro-gamer.

Are you hardcore?

You continually wipe the floor with all of your friends and they are unable to keep up with your epic skillz (the ‘Z’ implies extreme skills). Endlessly practicing to make sure that you keep your competitive edge against your real life and online friends, you take no prisoners, show little interest in the outside world and consider every other player to be a ‘noob’. If this sounds like you, then you may be on your way to being an elite racer.

A classic sign of a hardcore racing gamer is an impressive collection of peripherals and add-ons. We’re not just talking about owning a couple of £10 Mario Kart Wii steering wheels and a cuddly Yoshi, we’re talking hundreds of pounds worth of niche gaming gear. Hardcore racing gamers come equipped with the full racing set-up consisting of a steering wheel, foot pedals, and even gearsticks!

You’ve probably acquired intricate knowledge of every course available on your chosen game. You’re familiar with shortcuts, secret passages and exploitable glitches; you even know where to find ‘easter eggs’ like the Nessie sighting in Gran Turismo 5. You’re known for your ability to tackle specific race tracks with almost superhuman precision and you understand how each individual vehicle behaves on the track, even if you never use them.

You hear the menu screen music of your favorite racing game even when you’re not playing and can predict your favorite course even when you shut your eyes. You dream of digital cars and electronic tracks. You might have even considered trading in your boring real-world car for something ridiculously overpowered and overpriced. Or maybe you’ve found yourself considering if nitrous oxide injector would be useful during your morning commute?

Nothing seems to get in the way of you and your racing games. You’re the first in line when a new title is released and you have no problem with taking time off from school, uni or work just so you can enjoy the exhilarating experience of new tracks and cars. You’ve probably taken the time to write a game review or two on Amazon.

Racing games take a lot of skill and dedication. Shaving those precious seconds off your best times gives a fantastic feeling of accomplishment. It’s not just a feeling that racing games offer, its real world skills like quick reflexes and response times, concentration and determination.

Racing games are never an addiction, they’re brain training.

Editor’s Note

This guest post is brought to you by PassSmart.