Auto_Werks 3.6

Maybe I just don't like it so far.... And it could be that my wheel is not good enough to enjoy, but so far I'm not a fan of iRacing.

To me it seems like the physics are only right when you are absolutely flogging it. I would like to be able to run consistent 9/10ths, not lighting the world on fire, but driving safely without flying off the track. I find the iracing cars to be twitchy and unforgiving. After some practice I can run 1:01s around limerock in the mx5 cup car, which is good enough to run mid pack in the public race before getting punted off. I guess it's just not what I expected.

I'm including a YouTube link to me driving an actual track day... I'm definitely not a pro racer, but I certainly don't spend any time worrying about my next off! I apologize to those of you have seen this vid before...




Am I the only on

M758

Remember no butt feel on a sim like that. For real drivers like us that make it harder since we have lost and important sense of what the car is doing on the track.

gomez1

You may want to try not shuffle steering. It might help.

ProCoach

Well, I think the proper equipment is absolutely necessary to get the best out of it. You also need a decent computer to render without stuttering the scenery. I work with (and race with online) plenty of "real racers" like Darren Turner, Justin Wilson and Patrick Long. Few of them use motion platforms.

Where it works well is training your eyes. Please, give it a chance.

pontifex4

As an amateur, I have to agree with this.

GuyIncognito

I use a full motion sim, so I have some of the "seat of the pants" feel; the hardest part for me is not having feedback from the tires.

also, what have you been driving in iracing? the MX5 is crap now with the new tire model. drive something faster, or with some downforce, and see if your opinion changes.

also I agree with Peter, it's an effective tool but perhaps not for what you want/need to work on.

car_slave

You may want to switch to the right hand drive 5 speed Mazda.
Failing that. Try some oval racing. If you can avoid the all wrecks and not get rear ended while getting around them, you can always get a good finish.
Lately I've come to the conclusion that I'm not a great sim driver, but it does help my REAL driving.

ProCoach

This is true for 90% of the people I know (as well as some GP drivers). Therein lies the value.

Auto_Werks 3.6

I started with the spec racer ford. I actually like the MX5 WAY better than the SRF. Maybe I should download a car that is not supposed to be on a spec tire.

Coochas

I recently started playing on iRacing mainly to learn the line at VIR since I am heading there in a few weeks for the first time. I am using an average laptop and the $150 logitech wheel. It took me a few days to get used to not feeling the car and of course it will never be the same. That being said, I am really enjoying it and am very happy that I signed up.

BGB Motorsports

The proper equipment definitely helps, as will driving cars like the MX-5. The SRF, the Solstice and the Skippy cars are too hard to drive I think and, can't be that difficult in real life. I know, since I race a Spec Racer Ford and the only time I fly off the track is when me, the dumb drive,r drove it at 12/10ths. You have to brake with 15% brake pressure in some of those other cars to avoid lock-up and catastrophe.

The circle track events are awesome, especially at the super speedways.

I find that the only people that say that sim racing doesn't translate and is a waste of time are those that lack the patience to give it a try and the humility to be slow in the beginning. It's an awesome tool, one I have our drivers use a lot and something that has helped me be fast at tracks I've never visited.

You can't put a dollar amount on a tool that allows you to go flat up through esses at Watkins Glen AND has a "reset" button for when you crash it dash-board deep to the gauges.

It's well worth the $ and a lot of fun at times.

ProCoach

^^THIS^^

It's a powerful tool, one that deserves the study and concentration you give the real thing.

The other bene is that when you practice in a quicker car, the slower car you actually drive on track seems easier. You can push the conscious act of driving the car down to the subconscious because you have that much more "headroom."

I worked with a Stohr driver that was doing 1:22's at Road Atlanta, doing a slow "track walk" and VERY detailed corner study with him in the Star Mazda.

Then, I had him practice in the Dallara with a MoTeC file export between runs to improve. We went over it and kept going until he could do easy single digit laps within a few tenths and even hundredths.

The following weekend, he went down for the National and did 1:19's in the Stohr, before the car broke... He said that after the Dallara, the Stohr was easy!

GuyIncognito

by MoTeC I assume you mean the McLaren telemetry in iracing?

do you use that a lot with clients?

ProCoach

Nope.

I'm not up to speed on the ATLAS (McLaren) software yet.

I use a cool plug-in to output iRacing runs to both MoTeC .ld and Racelogic (Performance Box and Video VBOX) .vbo files for comparison to real-life runs.

Works great and the only way to seriously tune the driver AND the car!

GuyIncognito

ah, cool...I didn't know iracing had that capability, but then I don't have a data logging system.