What began as a hobby soon turned into a passion: today, he is a professional Gran Turismo sim racer with many accolades to his name, including being crowned champion at the Unleashed Youth Sim Racing and GT7 Malaysia Esports League championships last year.
Now, to introduce more people to the excitement of this virtual sport, the 25-year-old has opened DannyR Esports Studio, a vibrant centre offering top-of-the-line sim-racing facilities in Subang Jaya.
For newcomers, simulated racing is a virtual motorsport that aims to replicate real-world racing as accurately as possible. Unlike arcade-style racing games, sim racing focuses on realism, simulating how real cars behave under braking, acceleration, tyre wear, fuel consumption and track conditions.
“If you’re looking for an open, cosy environment to improve your driving skills while having fun with your friends and family, this is the place for you,” Dhanesh told FMT Lifestyle.
“It’s the cheapest way for anyone to enjoy the thrills of racing. Also, if you crash, you don’t have to worry about injuries or spending thousands of ringgit in damages,” he quipped.
Dhanesh’s brightly lit centre, which opened this month, features 10 state-of-the-art racing rigs, each with its own Playstation 5. Top gear such as Thrustmaster T598 racing wheels and pedals mean race enthusiasts can blaze down their preferred virtual tracks in style.
Beyond the hardware, the studio is designed as a social space where racing fans can linger, learn and connect. For anyone who’s had F1 fantasies, or fans of renowned sim racers such as Mikail Hizal, Takuma Miyazono, or Jose Serrano, this is definitely the place for you.
“I have unlocked pretty much everything on each copy of ‘Gran Turismo 7’ here and bought most of the cars. You can create all sorts of fun races on Formula 1 tracks or other tracks with beautiful sceneries and layouts,” he explained.
If you’ve ever wanted to try something like driving a classic 1960s Cadillac on a modern track like the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, now’s your chance!
The Ipoh-born sim racer, whose favourite drivers include Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher, shared that it had always been his vision to create a fun place where drivers of all skill levels could come together.
For newbies to the esport, Dhanesh also offers coaching sessions: who better to learn from than a champion sim racer who has represented Malaysia in the Amsterdam and Barcelona 2023 Gran Turismo world tours?
Dhanesh’s advice to new drivers is to take the time to learn all the techniques and build up muscle memory. One doesn’t become a pro racer in a day.
In the near future, he also plans to organise events and competitions at DannyR Studio, and hopes to discover and nurture a new generation of sim-racing talent here.
He further noted that sim racing is a popular gateway to actual racing, as 90% of the esport’s skills are applicable to driving in real life.
In fact, according to Dhanesh, many sim racers eventually take to physical tracks: he cites British racer Jann Mardenborough, who inspired the 2023 film “Gran Turismo”, as an example.
Which of course, begs the question – might we see Dhanesh participating in a real-life car race in future? “Hopefully someday,” he replied with a grin.
DannyR Esports Studio
Retail 07, Tingkat LG2 Podium Perniagaan EduMetro,
Persiaran Subang Permai,
USJ 1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business hours: 12pm-1am (Tuesdays to Sundays)