DAMS 360,
PASSION ABOVE ALL.

How I got into SimRacing

My name is Damien Jolivet, I am 46 years old and I started SimRacing in September 2023. I had long been passionate about racing games and until then mostly played titles such as Forza Horizon and the GRID series with a controller. After discovering SimRacing on YouTube, I decided to take the plunge, starting with a Thrustmaster T248.

What began as simply a new way to play quickly became a true passion.

Why DAMS 360 was born

In December 2024, I created ACA 360°. The original idea was simple: create a small team and a place where a few friends could meet up and race together.

With the arrival of hosted servers on Le Mans Ultimate, we began organising open races and then championships. The community embraced it and the adventure grew far beyond what we had initially imagined, eventually bringing together nearly 2,000 members on the community server.

I managed it as Team Manager, but running a structure of that size requires a huge amount of time and commitment. Gradually, organisation took over from what had brought me to SimRacing in the first place: driving, practising, sharing races with friends and simply having fun.

So I chose to step down from my role and leave ACA 360° in order to regain that balance and fully focus on driving again, either solo or with friends.

DAMS 360 was born from that continuity. The name is deliberately a nod to that first adventure: a way to keep a connection with what I had built while opening a much more personal new chapter.

Endurance, sharing and racing as a team

Today, I do not race with an obsession for performance or results. Of course, when the lights go green I give it everything and try to achieve the best possible result. But I would far rather finish well down the order after an unforgettable race than stand on a podium without having enjoyed it.

That is also why I am especially drawn to endurance racing. Sprint races appeal to me much less. I love long events, strategy, stints and above all sharing a car and a goal with a teammate. I also race as a crew with my friend Jérôme, mainly in the official competitions organised on Le Mans Ultimate.

Racing as a team completely changes how you approach an event. You are no longer driving only for yourself: you are also driving for the friend who handed you the car and will take it back after you. I love that responsibility, the trust it requires and all the emotions shared throughout a race: the pressure before getting behind the wheel, the relief after a good stint, the unexpected issues you have to overcome, cheering your teammate on while they are on track, and that special satisfaction of crossing the line after several hours of effort.

That collective dimension is what I love so much about endurance racing: pushing ourselves, staying focused, helping and supporting each other, keeping each other motivated and making it to the finish together.

My military background also shaped my attachment to these values: team spirit, commitment, mutual support, pushing beyond your limits and the pride of achieving something together.

Why Le Mans Ultimate became my main simulator

Le Mans Ultimate has become my main simulator because it matches exactly what I am looking for in SimRacing.

In my view, there is currently no real equivalent for someone who prioritises long, team-based endurance races. With RaceControl Pro championships and regularly organised special events, I can enjoy the type of SimRacing I love without having to rely mainly on sprint races.

But beyond the game itself, what matters to me is what it allows us to experience: preparing for a race, learning, improving, sharing a car, going through both success and setbacks and ultimately being able to say: we did it together.

If there is one circuit I always particularly enjoy driving, it is Watkins Glen. I love the layout, but also the distinctive atmosphere found at many American circuits. They have an identity and ambience I really enjoy, which makes racing there feel very special to me.

I share my races as I experience them

When I started streaming, I did not set myself any targets for numbers or performance. I simply wanted to share what I was experiencing.

Over time, life has taught me something important: when you have a dream or something you want to do, you have to try. It may work, it may not. But to me, the real failure would be never having tried.

DAMS 360 is therefore not meant to tell the story of a driver who wins every race, is always in the top splits or breaks records on every lap.

Instead, I want to share the races of a passionate SimRacer, not an “alien” driver : with my good days and bad days, my progress, mistakes, joys, disappointments, podiums when they come… and all those races where the final result tells only a small part of the story.

That is the reality I want to share through my live streams exclusively on YouTube with everyone who chooses to follow the journey.

What I look for from my SimRig

My SimRig has gradually evolved around one very clear goal: seeking maximum immersion.

Direct Drive, hydraulic pedals, haptics, ventilation, displays, accessories… every element is chosen to enhance that feeling.

When I sit in my simulator, my goal is almost to trick my brain: no longer feeling like I am at home in front of a screen, but instead sitting in a race car, on a circuit, ready to start.

That pursuit is also part of DAMS 360. I enjoy discovering new hardware, understanding what it genuinely adds and sharing my experience with the community.

Partners chosen with purpose, not collected

The same philosophy applies to DAMS 360 partnerships.

My goal is not to display as many logos as possible. I generally start by looking for hardware that genuinely interests me, then I may contact the brand to see whether a collaboration could make sense.

I have already turned down partnerships when the proposed terms did not match my way of doing things.

A partnership must never prevent me from saying what I genuinely think about a product. I want to keep my freedom to speak openly and remain honest with my community, whether a product was received through a collaboration or purchased personally.

A brand's value or prestige does not determine my choice either. I would rather represent a smaller company whose values I share than a major brand I do not identify with.