Competitors in Focus - Michael Paisley...

We took the opportunity to speak to Jamaica's Michael Paisley last evening on his thoughts on sim-racing and its place within the Caribbean.

Stefan Gajie: Welcome Michael to Competitors in Focus and thank you for the opportunity in having this interview with us. You came on with CSRO for the Miracle Corp. AMSOIL Competition last November and you rallied on through with us after, tell the people a bit about yourself in the sim-racing sphere and what are some of your achievements and challenges faced so far.

Michael Paisley: Thank you for having me, Stefan. Well, I'm Michael Paisley and I'm 20 years old and to start I have been racing go-karts in Jamaica since 2017, and hope to start car racing in the future. I saw the AMSOIL event on Instagram last year and saw this as a great opportunity to test my skills on the online scene. Back then I raced with a Logitech G920 steering wheel that I borrowed from my friend for that same event and finished in the mid-pack of the Gold Classification! From then on I have been racing on my PS4 controller to this day.

Stefan Gajie: How serious are you about sim-racing?

Michael Paisley: My involvement in sim-racing started when I joined CSRO and this experience so far has made this very important to me. SIM-Racing as a whole is very important knowing that even though it is online, it still helps you to grow and learn about motorsports exceptionally.

Stefan Gajie: And how exactly would you say sim-racing is beneficial to the real motorsport scene?

Michael Paisley: I think that sim-racing plays a major role in attracting spectators to the motorsport scene as it can be streamed anywhere online for anyone to see. The action-packed racing online is one of the most exciting events you can watch as a viewer. Taking that into consideration it then persuades a bunch of people to come out to their national track and watch the real racing that takes place. In terms of the drivers... sim-racing is seen as a motivator for all the drivers who take part in these online events to give it a go in the real motorsport scene. Motorsports in the Caribbean is one of the most iconic events that will ever take place since my grandfather Hilary Jardine brought life to the sport. His achievements motivate me to this day to push my hardest and do my best in any racing event that I take part in.

Stefan Gajie: I didn't know your grandad was Hilary, he was indeed a stalwart within the Caribbean for motor racing and will be remembered as such. Where do you see yourself in the future of sim-racing within the Caribbean?

Michael Paisley: Yes, he sure was, thank you. I hope to see myself acquire a sim-racing setup shortly to get the full sim-racing experience and find more pace from myself. I would thoroughly enjoy representing the Caribbean in any future sim-racing events and help to put the Caribbean SIM-Racing Organization on the map.

Stefan Gajie: What are your thoughts on sim-racing?

Michael Paisley: I believe that sim-racing is an excellent opportunity for the younger kids to grow a passion for motorsports since it is less expensive than real-life racing. Nowadays, with online technology taking over, sim-racing will leap further into the world of e-sports and continue to grow in the future. With that being said I would be happier than ever to lead the CSRO's charge into the world of e-sports.

Stefan Gajie: Michael, it surely has been a pleasure. If there is anything you could tell your grandad today, what would it be?

Michael Paisley: If there was one thing I could tell him today, it would be that none of this would be happening if it wasn't for him and that I am very grateful to be living out my dream goal of racing in the Caribbean and hopefully carrying your legacy outside of the Caribbean in the future.

Photo of Michael Paisley by the late Mikey Spice

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