This past weekend, YouTube personality Mat Armstrong, best known for rebuilding wrecked cars, made his real-world racing debut as Racemore’s guest driver in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia Grand Finale at Mantorp Park.
Mat’s journey began almost a year ago when he bought his own Racemore simulator. Over the winter and spring he put in countless hours of virtual racing, achieving standout results in the Racemore GT World Series. His performances even led his own HWBT crew to livestream the online events.
After months of sim training, Racemore CEO Nicklas Ericsson and Fragus Motorsport gave Mat the chance to put his skills to the test in a real Porsche 992 GT3 cup car. His first outing came during a rainy test day at Gelleråsen—his very first time in a race car and on slick tires. Despite the conditions, the team quickly saw his potential.
At Mantorp Park, Mat joined the Fragus Motorsport crew for practice and qualifying. A small crash in Thursday’s session could have ended his weekend, but the professional team repaired the car overnight and had it ready for Friday. By the finale, Mat had found his pace and secured a 13th-place finish in the last race of the season.
“This project shows how far our simulator training can take a driver—from 100% simulation to a real Porsche Carrera cup grid,” said Nicklas Ericsson, CEO of Racemore. “Mat’s dedication and natural talent made this debut a success.”
A big thank you to Fragus Motorsport for providing the race car and to everyone who visited us at Mantorp Park.
Take a look at some moments from the week below:
