Nitro Concepts C-Racer Sim Racing Wheel Stand Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

If you fancy giving sim racing a go, but aren't sure if it's right for you, then spending loads of money on a cockpit and all the extras that are available can soon get very expensive, and certainly isn't necessary. Way back when I was a beginner, I bought a cheap, second-hand Thrustmaster T300RS, and while you may laugh at me, I mounted it to an ironing board in front of the TV to get it up and running. Right then and there, I knew I was hooked, but I soon needed something a little sturdier, something that was actually meant for sim racing!

A more practical way to enjoy sim racing as a beginner or casual racer is to use a wheel stand. It is an inexpensive way to get up and running, it is purpose-built for the job, and they are compact enough to fold away when not in use, much like an ironing board, I suppose. While there are many on the market, today I have the Nitro Concepts C-Racer Wheel Stand in for review, to see if it's stronger and more practical than the aforementioned ironing board. Priced at just $200, converted from GBP at the time of writing, this foldable, compact wheel stand can be quickly set up for a race and tucked away when not needed. The C-Racer also includes a caster rail, so you can use your gaming/office chair with the stand without sliding away from the action.

Let's take a look then, and see if the Nitro Concepts C-Racer is right for you.

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Packaging

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The C-Racer's packaging is plain, with a simple image of the stand printed on the front of the box. A Nitro Concepts logo sits in the top left, with the C-Racer model logo to the top right. The rest of the packaging is fairly bare, but this product doesn't need or justify the full-color gloss printing that high-end premium models sometimes get; it would just raise the cost for no reason.

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The only other point of note on the packaging is the product information, which details the weight of the Nitro Concepts C-Racer at 18.4 kg (40.5 lbs). The weight is a plus, making it easier to maneuver around the house thanks to its foldable design.

Unboxing the Nitro Concepts C-Racer Wheel Stand

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The steel-framed C-Racer is well packaged and includes all our mounting hardware and extras within a cardboard box.

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The main frame of the C-Racer is pre-assembled, meaning little to no setup time, as you will see soon. Here, viewed from the top, I have included the caster tray for reference; I will be fitting it soon.

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Now viewed from the other side, it may seem confusing in terms of orientation at first, but you quickly realize how this wheel stand is designed when you open it up. Literally taking two seconds to expand the C-Racer, it then sits in its functional form.

In its smallest configuration, as shown here, it measures 67cm long and 56cm wide, so if you aren't adding the included shifter mount or caster tray, or lifting the wheel deck, it is really compact. In its lowest position, the frame sits 60cm tall above the wheel deck.

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The front and rear sections simply pivot on the brackets shown here, opening up to the full extent allowed by the slot.

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Looking at the pedal plate adjustment, each side features a rail with positioning steps to adjust the pedal plate angle. These are adjusted using the thumbwheels on each side. Simply loosen them off, adjust, and tighten them back up.

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The included pedal plate is quite long, with 545mm of front-to-back adjustment provided by the slots centered at 202mm, 234mm, and 276mm. As noted with the Nitro Concepts S-Racer, there is no mention of compatible wheels and pedals on the product page, but hopefully, they will rectify this going forward. Underneath, you can see the framing for the pedal plate, with space even in its lowest position to run cables to where they need to be.

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Towards the front of the pedal plate, nearest the driver, are the pivot points for adjusting the pedal plate angle.

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Adjustment bars for the pedal plate are attached at the top of the frame's pivot point. Given the price and expected use case of the C-Racer, I would guess installing a set of high-end load-cell pedals would make this a weak spot for rigidity and flex in the pedal plate. Be sensible, though, and install a more modest pedal set, and I am sure it will perform well.

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The full range of pedal plate adjustment is shown here, and it is so easy to set to your preferred angle using the thumbscrews I mentioned earlier.

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More thumbscrews are used to adjust the wheel deck bar from its resting, most compact position at 0cm / 60cm overall. This can then be extended to a maximum of 30cm, making the frame 80cm tall overall, providing a great range of adjustment to cater for most users.

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Attachment points are shown here for the wheel deck plate and the included side gear mount. The gear mount is universal, so it can be fitted to either side of the frame.

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I will soon actually have to start adding some components to the C-Racer, but it is around 90% complete out of the box, so let's see what's included in the accessory pack.

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With everything shown here, we have all the mounting hardware, bolts, nuts, and tools I will need. The wheel deck plate, gear shifter mount, frame feet, and caster wheel tray brackets are also included, along with a pedal plate spacing bracket.

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Attaching the feet took seconds, screwing them into the bottom of the frame using the threaded inserts provided. While there is no lock nut on these, they are more than satisfactory for the C-Racer. Again, like the Nitro Concepts S-Racer, if you have the space and don't need to fold this down all the time, you could swap these out for caster wheels to move it around the home easily.

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Just while we are near the feet, seam and tack welds all around the C-Racer look good, with the powder-coated finish to the steel frame hopefully providing years of hard-wearing protection.

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It's nice that Nitro Concepts includes a paper manual, but in all honesty, this frame is so simple to construct that you don't truly need it to get up and running, given everything is so self-explanatory.

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Now it's time to build and add the gear shifter. I did have a quick glance at the manual, just to confirm I used the right nuts and bolts. This mount features a range of adjustments and can be mounted on either side, depending on your preference. While I have shown it here and attached it, it won't be used during the test process; sticking with a flappy-paddle setup instead. It does, though, feel well-built and robust enough for either an H pattern or a sequential shifter.

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Next, I can mount the wheel deck plate; again, I can't list compatibility, as it simply isn't available. If you saw the Nitro Concepts S-Racer review, then you will know I had to use an adapter plate for the Asetek Intitium wheel base I was using for testing. The wheel deck plate attaches with two screw nearest the driver, acting as a pivot point for the front of the plate to be tilted. Installation was again so simple, and there is some clearance underneath to access the mounting holes for your wheel base.

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Above, you can see the travel range of the wheel deck plate. Before I move to testing, this will obviously be the weakest part of the wheel area of the frame and will likely induce some flex. While the plate itself feels nice and strong, we are looking at an entry-level wheel stand, not a premium cockpit.

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For testing today, I will again be using the noblechairs EPIC Gaming Chair - Black Edition; however, unlike the Nitro Concepts S-Racer review, I won't have to remove the armrests or caster wheels, as we need the wheels to lock the chair to the C-Racer wheel stand itself.

This shows the flexibility of the Nitro Concepts C-Racer, and while you could use the wheel stand on its own with a static chair, such as a dining chair, having the option to use your own gaming or office chair is a real plus. It's more than likely that if you are looking to buy one of these, you already have a gaming chair, so it's a great inclusion from Nitro Concepts, adding a little more rigidity to the complete setup.

As with the other small components that needed attaching to the main C-Racer frame, adding the caster wheel tray was a simple, five-minute process. The caster tray can be adjusted in length or folded into the frame when not in use, with foam protective pads on the bottom. To tighten everything up, the side clamps also feature a ratcheting mechanism, similar to what Trak Racer uses for the TR120S V2 pedal plate assembly.

Installation & Software

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With the caster wheel tray attached, it's time to install the wheel and pedals of choice for today. I have a Thrustmaster T598 wheel set here for review, so it made sense to try it out on the Nitro Concepts C-Racer. Thrustmaster also included their Raceline Load Cell Brake Upgrade Kit, so I will test out the C-Racer with both pedal variants. This isn't quite an entry-level wheel, so it should push the Nitro Concepts C-Racer towards its limits.

Installation of the wheel base threw up some issues, and it is frustrating that the T598 wheelbase isn't straight out of the box compatible with the C-Racer, so once again, I have had to come up with a solution to get this installed. Thrustmaster includes an angled wheel-mount plate and plastic clamps to secure the base to a desk, but I couldn't even use the clamps here, as the mounting brackets on the C-Racer wheel plate get in the way. So, I have had to compromise, use the metal plate included with the wheelbase, and use the only two holes that line up on the C-Racer wheel deck plate.

To say I am a bit miffed with this is an understatement. That makes both Asetek and Thrustmaster not a simple bolt-on-and-play solution with the Nitro Concepts C-Racer wheel stand. You could argue that these are both mid-tier wheels, but it would still be nice to have them fit as you would expect.

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So, moving into the house, here you can see the bolt holding down the T598, and there's no criticism of Thrustmaster here, by the way. I think Nitro Concepts may need to review the mounting hole patterns on their rigs and perhaps develop a revision that is made available to consumers. It could even be that because both of these wheels were released after the C-Racer, their mounting patterns are omitted.

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On a plus for installation, the pedals were easily installed, albeit slightly offset by a couple of millimeters within the rails. You could use the adapter plate provided with the C-Racer, but there's really no need here, as you can always offset the pedal faceplates if needed.

Kris' Sim Racing Test System Specifications

Final Thoughts

Diving into corners with the Thrustmaster T598 at full power, all 5Nm of it, I ran testing over a few days, on a variety of racing sims to see what the Nitro Concepts C-Racer has to offer.

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Initially, it took me a while to get used to the driving position, given that I spend most of my time in the Trak Racer TR120S V2. One real plus point is the comfort provided by the noblechairs EPIC Gaming Chair - Black Edition, it's a luxury compared to a rigid bucket seat! I did have to drop the chair as far down as it would go, then raise the wheel deck quite a bit; however, I slowly found a good position that worked for all 5'8" of me. I am not the tallest, and there is enough capacity to adjust things for shorter or taller people.

Let's cover the bad first, get it out of the way, and then look at the plus points of the Nitro concepts C-Racer Wheel Stand. The most obvious point to pick up on is the rigidity and flex, with some of this self-induced by Nitro Concepts, and some added by me running a 5Nm Direct Axial Drive wheel base.

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By making attaching hardware almost impossible without a list of compatible wheelbases, it's a lot of guesswork to figure out what to use with this wheel stand, should you be looking to buy one. Given that the Thrustmaster T598 could only be attached using a single bolt to either side of the mounting bracket, it's not a great surprise that the experience when driving was full of flex and pivoting, front to back, and even when you turn the power down to a more entry-level strength, it's still hugely evident. Had I been able to use four bolts, this would have vastly improved. Remember, though, this wheel stand is better suited to lower-strength, belt- or gear-driven bases, so I am pushing the C-Racer to its limits. I would sooner do this than use the weakest wheel on the market, so you get a good idea of what to expect. If a Logitech G29/G920, or a Thrustmaster T128 bolt straight on, then you really are on to a winner, but right now, I can't tell you if they fit out of the box or not.

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The pedal plate offered a better experience, but still includes some sway and movement. In this case, it can be forgiven given the wheel stand's design and use case. Hard braking didn't make me think that I was going to pull the frame apart, but again, it is certainly suited to entry-level pedal sets that will perform quite comfortably here. Using a gaming chair for racing was also a bit of a challenge, given that I could spin side to side. Once I got used to it, though, I found myself focusing more on the driving, and for just some plain old fun, it's a good enough experience. I certainly wouldn't be trying to set any new lap records in this configuration, though.

With the bad stuff out of the way, there isn't a lot else to dislike about the Nitro Concepts C-Racer. It provides a great balance of cost, convenience, and performance, and I think you would be hard-pressed to achieve much better at this price point. Paired with the right wheel set, providing you can figure out which one fits properly, of course, then for casual racing, it ticks quite a few boxes.

As with other racing frames available from Nitro Concepts, they are just a little lacking in some areas, particularly in compatibility and optional extras. Having said that, given the C-Racers use case, you probably aren't going to be looking at a range of bolt-on extras anyway, and are more likely to be going for a better-rounded ecosystem with a dedicated chassis to build upon.

If Nitro Concepts can address the mounting queries so the consumer can proceed with the purchase confident that it will fit their hardware, then they are onto a winner. If they do, it's a great choice for casual weekend racers or those just wanting a taste of what sim racing has to offer. It offers a well-rounded experience at a good price, with the convenience of folding it away when not in use.