Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to chase our dreams, even while working a regular job to before it takes off and ARCA Menards Series driver, Presley Sorah is no exception. As of the last decade, there has been an influx of individuals with dreams of making it to the top who’ve utilized iRacing, the popular racing simulator. This has allowed the hashtag, #sim2reality, to become popular amongst those who have spent hours on there prior to getting behind the wheel of a real vehicle.
“I started racing in 2014 in soapbox derby cars, which might not be prominent with a lot of NASCAR drivers. I won Rookie of the Year in the 2014 Soapbox Derby and that was my first step in racing. I started racing go-karts at various racetracks and got several years in karting. From there, we didn’t have a major plan regarding what was in store next and then.”
#Sim2Reality: Not just a metaphor lumped into a hashtag.
Racing has always been expensive, but fortunately, iRacing allows drivers to get behind the wheel from the comfort of their homes and at an affordable price, with memberships ranging from only $15 to $200 for up to two years, and wheel and pedal setups for as low as $299.99.
“I saw a post on social media from NASCAR, highlighting a new series on iRacing.” Sorah recalls. “I had been following iRacing for a few years, but didn’t know much about it. The eNASCAR Ignite Series, which was for 13-16-year-olds, allowed for the grand prize winner to get seat time in a late model, was an opportunity I took advantage of. I told my parents ‘we have to do this’ and for the first year of the series, they would take me an-hour-and-a-half to Indianapolis to use someone else’s sim rig. While I wasn’t very good, I was happy to place around 62nd out of around 500 competitors since I didn’t have much experience. When I did it the following year, I had my own sim rig and advance in the playoffs and championship and placed 19th that season. Since then, I’ve been racing competitively on there from the amateur to the professional series. I’ve won the Monday Night Racing Championship in 2022, which consisted of a lot of NASCAR personnel and winning this championship put me on the map from there, which allowed me to get some real world opportunities.
Proving himself, one race at a time.
In racing, once you win in the lower ranks, that’s a testimony to other car owners, sponsors and competitors that you have what it takes to make it big time. Opportunities begin to arise and as a driver, it’s life changing when car owners ask you to get behind the wheel of their vehicle.
“I got to race late models for Brayton Laster Motorsports and got to race in several races in Indiana and even Tennessee, allowing me to get approval for ARCA and here I am, three races into this season, running part-time. My progress has been pretty insane from going from just being an iRacer to getting to the ARCA Menards Series.
Sorah looks forward to competing on the biggest stage at his home track at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ARCA Menards Series will run the Circle City 200 at 6PM EST.
“It’s been a lot of hard work going into this effort. Every race I’ve been a part of has prepared me for this moment and even the media and public relations efforts with sponsorship are going a long way. I’ll be piloting the #12 Fast Track Racing Toyota Camry and it’s going to be an awesome day. We’re going to have a really fast car and Fast Track Racing has had back-to-back top-5’s recently, so I’m really hoping this event further puts me on the map. I’m going to have a ton of support there and I’m excited to represent my fellow Hoosiers.
Playing Superman: Balancing being a teacher and a dedicated race car driver
Outside of being a race car driver, Sorah is also a teacher and balances this with being a part-time race car driver. Almost every driver wants to go full-time in the future and they understand the dedication that’ll take, and the hard-work that goes into this career venture., as well as the sacrifices that come with the feat of making it to the top levels of stock car racing.
“My goal is to race full-time professionally in any series, but preferably in NASCAR, but the teaching I do right now is a great job for me. I’m great with kids, good with teaching them and they love asking about racing, even thought we aren’t always talking motorsports. I teach at a Preschool and deal with three-year-olds and four-year-olds. It’s awesome to watch them grow and I enjoy being a teaching assistant. I really enjoyed last year and I’m coming back this year, so it’s refreshing being able to get up every day and be able to enjoy my job. The school works with me and allows me to take time off to race and I’ve even had a few of the staff pitch in to help me with a little sponsorship for my first ARCA race in Pensacola, Florida earlier this year. They also surprised me with a massive checkered flag that was signed by every single student and staff member in the building and it’s hung up on my wall at home to this day”.
Presley Sorah is going to make a lot of noise, once he gets his full-time opportunity in racing and is going to be coming to a track near you in the future. His journey of turning heads on iRacing to becoming a real-life phenom in the ranks of professional auto racing. His big opportunity is on the horizon in a few weeks and this will be a career-changing race for him. A top-5 or top-10 finish is not a guarantee that he’ll land a NASCAR Cup Series ride overnight, but those results can lead to potentially a full-time effort in ARCA down the road, a debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series and owners better keep their eyes on him. Keep your eyes out for him, as he’s on the rise and will be getting better over time, behind the wheel.
Every Man on Every Crew 