BC

I plan on soon getting back to the track. I am in San Diego so I have several with easy access within 6 hours. Make it 8 and a few more pop up on the radar.

Las Vegas
Sears Point
Laguna
Buttonwillow
Thunderhill
Willowsprings


I noticed when I was at the track last time (Willow springs) that I do not easily learn the track while on it lap after lap. I don't yet know if I am simply just not smart enough to learn the layout quickly (or slowly) or if it is just from complete inexperience in the art of this process. I hope its just inexperience and I will get better at learning.

I was thinking that I would try i-racing.com or other close-to-reality simulators on the real tracks I have access to so I can better learn the details of the layout. Possibly if I have this as a challenge I can drive the track 100s of times, and possibly at that point I will have it memorized (I do not have problems memorizing text or verbal information - the text I can memorize almost instantly, and verbal information takes me a while longer).

Does anyone here do this? Learn tracks electronically so that you are not wasting your 500 dollar weekend figuring out AT THE APEX if the next corner is a left or a right?
I'd like to be out there to have fun, learn the car's characteristics and dynamics so I can improve my craft. I do not see the learning of the track details as part of the main driving craft. It is for professionals, I suppose, as learning a track quickly is why someone like Hamilton is paid, what, 10m a year?

I see it as saving money. Even so far as buying a subscription to this:

http://www.iracing.com/

Getting this:

http://www.amazon.com/Playseats-Evol...u-wl_list-recs

And this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NT9TK4/...SIN=B001NT9TK4

And some sort of screen - and using off-weekends to really learn these tracks.

Circuit Motorsports

Yes. VERY useful to get the sense of the flow of the track and have the subconcious knowledge of where you are on track at every turn, where the next turns are and where you need to be on course.

Iracing is accurate enough to build some decent site pictures from.

Sadly I think only 2 of the 6 you have are on Iracing. Rfactor can fill in the gaps though.

ajcjr

there was a recent thread on this. Search it, iracing is good from what i hear but there is also rfactor.

Potomac-Greg

You can generally learn a track by watching video, but vid does not convey braking zones or elevation. And my adult ADD makes it hard for me to focus on full laps sufficient to memorize from video.

Sims give much more of a direct experience. I've yet to drive a track after doing it on a sim, but next year I hope to do that (Mid-O and /or Watkins Glen).

race911

I think all of them are fantastic. I imagine after all the laps on the 'Ring, that if/when I ever wander over there I'll have a working knowledge of the basics.

Really wish there was a great representation of Thunderhill..........

More to the point of your "dilemma", though--if you're doing a DE, then your instructor should be able to pretty quickly identify appropriate braking, turn in, apex, exit points. If you're in a beginner group, then you're probably going to kinda be stuck with a learner weekend. Just how it goes.

If you're experienced and just coming back from a long layoff, then just hook up with a car that's running at the front. You'd be amazed at what appear to be braking zones are merely lifts, if not taken flat!

C.J. Ichiban

laguna on gran turismo or even better- forza 2 and 3 is so realistic when I actually drove the track for the first time I was up to speed even in the sketchy corners like 9.

I think sims and games are awesome for learning the shape and feel of the corners- it's all about what you put into it. if you take it seriously it will come alive.

Kein_Ersatz

Yes, used a PS3/GT4/GT25 for learning the Ring before heading to Germany for a automotive vacation. Made a huge difference, came up to speed on such a long track with all the turns, breaking points and speeds. Also, as mentioned, youtube/Vimeo in car videos are also useful too to learn the route.

For inexpensive seats, take a look at Obutto.

Gary R.

If you want accuracy, iRacing. I'm pretty sure they are the only outfit that laser scans every track to produce it for online simming. rFactor tracks can run from pretty close to HUH? on a track like Road Atlanta. iRacing gets it right down to the pavement discolorations or paint anomalies present the day they scanned... absolutely amazing.

John H

I think it helps to learn which way the road goes next, not so much for camber, grip, bumps braking or shift points. I used XBox for Sebring a couple years ago and I found I was not getting lost when I got there unlike I did on the video game for the first two sessions worth of laps.

RedlineMan

Hey;

SIM driving will be just as useful to you at any given stage of your developement as the real thing is in learning tracks, in relative terms. A SIM will never be as good as the real thing, but some are getting fairly close. I've been on a fairly advanced full motion SIM, and I found myself wanting to do more, which surprised me. At the very least you will know which direction the next turn is.

The more different tracks you go to, the faster you can figure out new ones. When you have sufficient data in your track knowledge folder, you can then relate turns at a new track with turns at ones you already know, and glean some understanding of how to drive them from your experience elsewhere. It is very satisfying to be 80-90% on pace after only a day at a new track, especially if it is technical.

Qwickrick

I went to iracing for the first time, prior to my first trip to VIR and it definitely did help. It gave me a sense of the track, which turn follows which, and I wasn't lost the first time out with a student.
I plan on going back prior to going to Sebring for my first time. It's still a simulation and does not count as seat time.

Gary R.

I actually have been counting all my iRacing time as CVR Instructor time.

C.J. Ichiban

hahahaha classic

Qwickrick

iRacing time does count towards becoming a simulated instructor

Best to all of you this holiday season

ervtx

Some of the best instructors I've ever had were simulated.

To truly get the most out of these sims, you have to spend some time tuning the the outputs of their physics engines. Harmonizing force feedback settings with screen yaw and roll, for example. It can take a bit of time to get it just right for each car, but it makes a big difference in learning why that particular turn looks like it has grip, but in fact doesn't.

It also helps to have a good surround sound system, and crank it up (drowns out those simulated instructors!)