A real-time sim racing leaderboard works by reading lap times straight out of the racing software as each lap is completed and pushing them to a big screen, sorted fastest first. Real motorsport does the same job with transponders and timing loops in the track; a simulator already knows exactly where the car is, so the timing comes from the game itself. The screen does the rest: a visible target is what makes guests ask for “one more run.”
How timing works on a real track
At a circuit, MYLAPS explains, detection loops are embedded in the track surface at the start/finish line and at intermediate timing points. Each loop acts as an antenna, picking up signals from transponders on the cars and passing them to a decoder, which determines the precise moment each transponder crossed the loop. Timing software turns those crossings into lap and sector times.
How timing works in a simulator
In a sim, the car’s position is known on every physics step, so the software records when it crosses the start/finish line itself. The question is how outside programs read that data. Developers do it through interfaces the game publishes. For Assetto Corsa Competizione, Kunos posted shared-memory documentation on its official forum, developers in that thread describe using it to build tools that collect lap times, and information about other cars and drivers comes through a UDP broadcasting SDK that ships with the game. A leaderboard app reads that feed, attaches the driver’s name, and updates the display.
Design choices that make a leaderboard work
- Best lap or total time: best lap rewards one great effort; total time over a fixed number of laps rewards consistency.
- Valid laps only: decide whether laps that cut the track count; if the software marks laps invalid, show only valid ones.
- Same car, same track: mixing cars makes the times meaningless.
- Names guests want shown: first names or nicknames, entered before the run.
- Prizes by category: fastest overall, fastest first-timer, most improved.
Why it keeps spectators engaged
A sorted list of names and times gives the people watching a reason to stay: they can see who is on top, how close the next driver is, and whether the time on screen is about to fall. For teams, an average per department turns individual runs into a group contest.
The hardware under the timing
Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs. The full-motion rigs use SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which are driven by electric actuators. SIGMA Integrale describes its DK2 system as servo-motor actuators with 2 inches (50 mm) of travel, driven by game telemetry to produce pitch, roll and heave for braking, acceleration, cornering and road texture.
Get started
Tell us if you want a live leaderboard at your corporate event, private party or brand activation, and we will confirm what we can set up at your venue or hotel. Car and track choices are on the cars and tracks pages.
We deliver, set up, staff and tear down. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum, all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote delivery on request. See pricing for volume discounts. We also sell and lease simulators for homes and businesses. Our showroom and demo space is at 2920 NW 5th Ave, Suite 105, Miami, an address we share with Shift Arcade Miami.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com or send an inquiry; we reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours of lead time.