RPW Column: In A World Where iRacing’s Now The Norm, Rocky Warner’s ‘Keeping It Old School’

RPW Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – GLOVERSVILLE, NY – In a world where racers are using video games, especially during the off-season, as testing tools to learn the latest track grooves, new set-ups and how a car will react, one Modified Champion is, how do they say, “kicking it Old School” this winter.

Not only that, this driver has been doing it for quite a few winters to be exact.

That champion is Rocky Warner, and the 2019 Modified titlist from Fonda Speedway didn’t spend his Wednesday night glued to his computer as iRacing rolled out the Northeast Dirt Modified for use on their platform. Nope. He sat in front of his flat-screen television, pellet stove by his side, wired PlayStation 2 controller in hand and made lap after lap after lap in a winged Sprint Car.

He was fixated…just as intently on the screen as he would be in either his Jake Spraker or Jason Simmons-owned Modifieds.

Warner fell in love, back in the day, with the 2002 RatBag Games release, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. The game featured some of the greatest Sprint Car drivers of all time. You didn’t have to paint the car yourself. You didn’t have to buy tracks or cars. Once the veteran from Gloversville, NY purchased the DVD, he was racing…and has been for a while.

Well, sort of.

`I’ve gone through three PlayStation consoles this week alone,” Warner said with a laugh. “I think the age of them, plus the dust may be killing them. I’ve also gone through at least five or six discs over the years.”

Now, for Warner and his family, they usually spend their off-seasons enjoying another vice to keep those racing juices flowing. Unfortunately, in the current world we live in, that hasn’t been possible.

“We usually do the RC Car racing thing in the winter,” he said. “However, the place we go to has been forced to do the limited capacity thing with the virus situation. That means we haven’t really done anything with that this year.”

So how come Rocky hasn’t joined the iRacing craze like several of his DIRTcar and Short Track Super Series counterparts and fans that cheer him on? Dirt Sprint Cars and Late Models have been on their platform for quite some time and, as stated earlier, the Northeast Dirt Big Block and 358-Modifieds were released on Wednesday.

“Honestly, cost is a major factor for me,” he said. “If you’re going to do it, you have to do it right. That means a good chunk of change for a fast computer and monitors and the like. Plus, I know if I had it, I’m sure I’d be racing 24/7.”

Instead, Warner has stuck with the PS2 gaming system and enjoyed pushing down the loud pedal in a virtual 2002 World of Outlaws Sprinter against the likes of “the King”, “Slammin’ Sammy” and “Danny the Dude”.

“This is just fun for me,” he said. “I really feel that, out of all of the different games that have come out for dirt racing, this one is the most realistic,” he said. “The graphics have gotten better over the years, but the cars don’t drive like the real thing. In my opinion, they’ve tried numerous times since and failed.”

Playing this game, something he’s done for years, also brings Warner back to a time when things were simpler. Now, looking back, those memories also bring a big smile to his face.

“I actually a funny story about that,” he said. “My Dad used to bust my chops during the winter back in the day. I’d be playing the game in the garage and used to tell him I was staying sharp for the season. I even had a nice streak going of winning one of my home track openers for a few years. See, I wasn’t lying, I guess.”

Rocky Warner may be a champion. He may have won on the biggest stages dominated divisions. That just proves he’s a racer in every sense of the word. However, in actuality, he’s just like the rest of us. He loves this sport, and can’t get away from the adrenaline the competition brings.

Only difference between he and most of the racers he competes against during the summer months is that Rocky’s a little more ‘old school.’ That’s just fine with him, though…well, as long as he doesn’t burn through PS2’s and WoO game discs.