My993C2

I wanted to ask this question here because there will be some real world Watkins Glen users here and some of these same real world users may have also tried the iRacing version. I have been a member of iRacing since 2009, however I pretty much only used the game as iPractice for much of 2010 and 2011 and let my membership lapse for the entire 2012 season. In fact I assumed that my membership had expired. But the other day, I logged back in and low and behold my membership is still valid until October of this year.

I feel like an iRookie and iNoobie all over again in this game as iRacing's road courses definitely give you the impression that you are driving on ice with slicks if you over drive their cars. So instead of jumping into the fastest most powerful cars in my virtual garage, I decided I needed to go back to the start and drive some of the rookie and/or D license cars. I turned a whole slew of laps in the MX-5 at Limerock (I still have work to do there, but I am starting to sort myself out), but then I also jumped into the Skip Barber car and turned some laps at Limerock (work still to do, but I did reasonably well), I also turned some laps in the Skip Barber at Laguna Seca and I am really struggling with maintaining decent speed at the hair pin coming off of the front straight not to mention I am slow as molasses at the Cork Screw. But this week the Skip Barber in iRacing is at Watkins Glen doing the Boot configuration. So I headed there for some practice and I was amazed at how smooth things went there. I am still a few seconds off of the pace that the aliens log, but as I said I was amazed at how smooth I was able to drive this track versus some of the others. So my question is, is the real world Watkins Glen also like this? Or did I just find some sort of iRacing gaming anomaly?

PS: I don't think I will be able to do an iRacing race this week at Watkins Glen because this summer I got into some real world Kart racing (I own and race a 2-stroke Rotax DD2 Kart) and tonight (Tuesday) as well as Thursday I will be at my local Karting track practicing. I will also be at the track all day Saturday volunteering to marshal a "Try a Kart" day and of course this Sunday I will be racing in the local Kart Racing club's week #9 races and my Kart beats me up physically so I do need rest between my Karting days. But I do want to return to Watkins Glen in my iRacing Skip Barber. I still could not believe how smooth my practice session went last night compared to some other tracks.

Van

I would imagine that your iSeatTime is helping you develop your iSkillz.

ProCoach

You're on the "right track."

GuyIncognito

FYI the Mustang in iracing is modeled on BF Goodrich R1s, and having driven on them in real life as well I think the model is pretty decent.

so if you go to the track on r-comps, you may want to use the Mustang, even if the car is nose heavy and understeery (i.e. the opposite of a 993).

ajcjr

All i can say is when jumping on to the real track watkins glen was intimidating my first time out. I was like hey its like iracing, until you see all the walls and barriers around you lol.

My993C2

I hear you. There are a couple of turns at my local track that you don't want to mess up on. In the games, if you kiss the wall (or worse) you hit the reset button. In the real world the reset button often does not work. Sometimes I get frustrated with the icy easy to lose it feel of the iRacing cars, but I think it is their way too keep us honest in the game. If the iRacing cars gave us the grip we would really like, it would be no different than all the console racing games.

pontifex4

The difference is probably that the Glen has a lot of banking. I first did the Glen on iRacing, in anticipation of going there for real. What worked there in the sim also worked there in real life: I had high praise from my check ride instructor after the first lap, and had no trouble catching other cars in that lower group on lap two or three, so it really does work if you respect the sim and treat it like real life, even if it's missing some of the feel. For example, a lot of the visual references I had been using outside of the track were there in real life, too.

If you do it the way I did, though, it's probably better for your instructor's piece of mind if you don't claim to be at the track to try to improve your sim performance...

baddogz28

What kinda times are you turning in the Miata at LRP?
Just replaced my old Fanatec GT2 rig with all the new Clubsport stuff (base/csl wheel/clubsport V2 pedals) last night after taking the summer off from iRacing to chase tail on the water. Felt good to be back into it but if you get off that line the slightest little bit in 2 and 3 the lap's trashed. Boy was I rusty.

MUSSBERGER

I think they are pretty accurate for my skill set. Take that for what it's worth. Just wish they had a Porsche to play with.

Gary R.

It's coming in the form of a Ruf, as is NJMP, hopefully both will be here before winter so we can run a NE PCA "season"..