Editing Sim racing (section)

===Graphics accelerator era (1997–2002)===
Graphics accelerator cards brought a new level of realism to the graphics and physics of sim racing games. These new [[graphics processing unit]]s provided [[texture mapping]], [[Spatial anti-aliasing|antialiasing]], [[Particle system|particle effects]] (i.e. fog, rain and snow), [[High dynamic range rendering|HDR]] and the capability to perform polygonal calculations faster, while taking the load off of the main processor. ''[[F1 Racing Simulation]]'' by [[Ubisoft]], was among the first to utilize the new technology in 1997.

After years of development, Microprose released ''[[Grand Prix 3]]'', which used a more modern graphics engine and featured the same customizable structure of ''GP2''. However, ''GP3'' was not as well received as its predecessor due to a lack of full online multiplayer and the fact it was based on the same, outdated graphics engine as GP2. However, because of the graphical and physical similarities between the two games, the game was popular with modders who were able to port mod tracks and cars directly into GP3.

Another milestone in sim racing came in 1998 with the release of Papyrus’ ''[[Grand Prix Legends]]'', which was based on 1967 F1 season. It was hailed as outstanding in all areas, especially in its physics and sound design. For many players, their first real experience of sim racing was through GPL or one of its many derivatives, such as NASCAR Racing 2003. The release of a groundbreaking third-party add-on for GPL, VROC (Virtual Racers Online Connection), allowed players to join online and race in leagues.

Despite its age, ''GPL'' has remained a common benchmark for Racing Sims even in the modern era thanks to a strong community who continue creating new content for the game to this very day. Modding teams even managed to further improve on the game's physics and create third-Party expansions for following seasons, such as the 1969 season.

Wired magazine wrote an in-depth article about racing sims called Hard Drive in their February 1997 issue.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Riddell |first=Rob |date=Feb 1997 |title=Hard Drive |url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffdrivesim_pr.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991009233743/https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffdrivesim_pr.html |archive-date=1999-10-09 }}</ref> In 1997, [[TORCS]] was released. Uniquely for Racing Sims, it was open source, making it even easier for modding teams to add new features and even create whole new games (Such as the TORCS-Based Speed Dreams)

[[Sega AM2]]'s 1999 arcade game ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'', later ported to the [[Dreamcast]] in 2000, was considered the most accurate simulation of the [[Ferrari F355]] possible up until that time; its focus on realism was considered unusual for an arcade game at the time.<ref>{{cite web|title=F355 Challenge: It's hard. It's hard. And it's hard. But god, is it worth it.|url=http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/165/165388p1.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721143801/http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/165/165388p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2012|website=IGN|access-date=15 April 2012|date=September 19, 2000}}</ref>

Since ''Grand Prix Legends'', its publisher [[Image Space Incorporated]] has produced its own sims such as ''[[Sports Car GT]]'' in 1999 and the officially-licensed ''F1'' series starting in 2000, all published by [[Electronic Arts]]. Unlike the Papyrus sims, the physics are easily modified, and many communities have been founded with the sole purpose of improving and updating MotorEngine-based games. One such community, [[Simbin]], have created their own company and have released several games themselves, including ''[[GTR – FIA GT Racing Game]]'', ''[[GT Legends]]'', ''[[GTR - FIA GT Racing Game 2|GTR 2]]'', ''[[Race – The Official WTCC Game|RACE – The Official WTCC Game]]'', ''[[Race 07|RACE 07]]'', ''[[STCC – The Game]]'', ''[[GTR Evolution]]'', ''[[Race On]]'' and the Free-to-Play ''[[RaceRoom Racing Experience]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Simbin Game titles|url=http://www.simbin.se/main/games.htm|publisher=simbin.se|access-date=2008-02-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222205448/http://www.simbin.se/main/games.htm|archive-date=2008-02-22}}</ref>