alexb76

Anyone around here uses SIM Racing to improve track driving skills?

I am starting to get into it, and just ordered some set of GT3 wheel set and pedals that looks almost identical to our cars, with load sensing brakes (modulates per pressure on the brake like regular cars)... next is finding the right software and tracks, and hopefully a SIM that reflect our car characteristics correctly.

Anyone with experience and tips/tricks, please chime in. My biggest question is which SW (on PC) has a good 997 modeling.

utkinpol

not sure. track driving is all about your reflexes and 'back feel' to adjust your inputs based on the lateral load, you work with suspension dynamically, all that simulation only messes things up when you get to the actual track.
it helps to learn new track you never been to and when you know how to drive it also may help, but as of an actual learning tool to learn how to drive - I do not think it will do much good.

much better thing than that is to find local go-kart club and start doing karting. that will help big time.

PasPar2

I set up an entire iracing rig and hammered it for around a month then never touched it again. it feels fake and disconnected - and I did try hard to get into it (winter boredom).

1990nein

I have to disagree with the above. A combination of sim racing and indoor/outdoor go-karting is an extremely economical and efficient way of learning track driving skills.

I highly recommend Simbin's GTR2. The game has the most accurate representation of driving physics of all the sims I've played, which include Live for Speed, rFactor, iRacing, Gran Turismo 5.

Sims are great because you can learn how a car reacts without worrying about financial costs of crashing, tire wear, etc. You can easily do trial & error or specific training on certain corners or situations with the press of a restart button. You can also modify suspension/aero/engine/alignment/LSD settings (probably more settings than you would in your real car) and learn exactly how slight changes in different components would affect the car's handling. Just take a glimpse of the attached image below - that's just 1 page of settings you can adjust.

While you don't get the G-force and suspension cues that you would in a real vehicle, there are TONS of visual cues (I learned a great deal with just a mouse and keyboard), as well as physical cues you can build muscle memory with using a steering wheel. A positive way to look at this is that you are actually isolating the steering wheel tehcnique and perfecting those skills before you move on to working with other driving cues.

GTR2 is an older sim, however there is a cult following behind it that continues to develop mods/replica tracks/replica cars. I've even found local tracks that would never be in a mainstream sim/game (such as Willow Springs, popular choice for car magazine tests). I remember there was a german car magazine website that gives out free legitimate cd keys, and you can download the GTR2 software somewhere else.

baddogz28

I've been very happy with iRacing. To me, it will feel as real as your budget will allow, and spending a lot of time in the MX5 on iRacing I felt much more confident tossing around the MX5 I had in my garage.