Rally sims like Dirt Rally 2.0 and WRC 10 allow you to listen to the calls of a co-driver, who tells you about the course ahead in note form; here is a guide to understanding those notes.
For some sim racers, hearing your co-driver say “And left 3 into right 6; jump maybe, and left 2 don’t cut” is a firm action plan for the next 10 to 20 seconds of your life. For others, it may as well be gibberish. If you’re in the latter crowd, this article is for you. This is a guide to help you understand those potentially confusing co-driver calls in rally games.
The first thing to understand is that these calls matter. It is possible to survive a rally stage without knowing the calls, but understanding and listening to the co-driver calls is the most effective way to get faster in rally games like Dirt Rally 2.0 in WRC 10.
In these games and numerous others, your co-driver will call out the upcoming corner or corners. This allows you to tailor your approach speed and angle to maximize entry and exit speed to save time. Here are the most common calls to listen for.
Numbers
For some sim racers, hearing your co-driver say “And left 3 into right 6; jump maybe, and left 2 don’t cut” is a firm action plan for the next 10 to 20 seconds of your life. For others, it may as well be gibberish. If you’re in the latter crowd, this article is for you. This is a guide to help you understand those potentially confusing co-driver calls in rally games.
The first thing to understand is that these calls matter. It is possible to survive a rally stage without knowing the calls, but understanding and listening to the co-driver calls is the most effective way to get faster in rally games like Dirt Rally 2.0 in WRC 10.
In these games and numerous others, your co-driver will call out the upcoming corner or corners. This allows you to tailor your approach speed and angle to maximize entry and exit speed to save time. Here are the most common calls to listen for.
Numbers
- 6 – the fastest of the numbered corners; can often be taken at full throttle or with a slight throttle lift
- 5 – slower than a 6, a 5 will almost certainly require a lift of the throttle on approach
- 4 – slower again, 4’s require a careful approach; you’ll need to take considerable speed out on approach
- 3 – a 3 is a slightly tighter 4, and the difference between the two is difficult to perceive for new drivers. 3’s and 4’s are arguably the biggest challenge when learning, since taking out too much speed when entering the corner is a common source of lost time for beginners
- 2 – 2 corners are definitely slow. Approach with caution
- 1 – the slowest of the numbered corners, a 1 requires players to slow their cars right down when approaching
- Flat – a section or gentle bend that can be taken with ease at full throttle
- Acute / Hairpin – corners that form an angle smaller than 90 degrees fall lower than the numbering scale; these require a slow approach, and as your skills grow you can experiment with handbrake turns and Scandinavian Flicks to save time
- 90 / Square – a square angled corner, commonly found on road stages
- Chicane – a quick succession of opposite corners; plan your entry angle carefully to maximize your speed through chicanes
- Caution – a hazard is ahead; new or inexperienced drivers should reduce their speed to avoid colliding with a roadside object or going off the road
- Tightens – a succession of corners that gets tighter. For example, “left 4 tightens 2” begins as a 4 and ends as a tighter and slower 2
- [Rock / Tree / Logs] In / Out – roadside objects that you could collide with; for example, “left 3 rock in” means there is a rock at the inside (apex side) of the corner
- Narrow(s) – the course becomes narrower (tighter left to right) ahead
- Unseen – a corner or object can’t be seen from the normal approach angle; for example, “right 3 into unseen hairpin right” means that you should be aware of a hairpin when exiting the preceding right hand corner
- Over Crest – a distinct crest in the road lies ahead; this can often obstruct your view of upcoming corners
- Jump – the car will become airborne when driving over an upcoming crest in the road
- Bump(s) - a rough section that can upset the car’s balance; use caution if the area precedes a corner
- Opens – the road will become wider ahead; this gives you more opportunity for a faster corner exit speed
- Maybe – the road ahead has different possibilities; for example, “jump maybe” means the car may or may not get airborne depending on how fast you exit the previous corner
- Keep Left / Right / Middle – the fastest or safest driving line is achieved by placing the car on a certain area of the road as you proceed
- Cut / Don’t Cut / Small Cut / Big Cut – hazards ahead may prevent or hinder cutting (don’t cut / small cut), or flat corners with open apex areas will offer more of a chance to cut (cut / big cut)
- Over Bridge / Through Gate – a gate or bridge is ahead
- Through Water – standing or flowing water is ahead on the track; this will commonly slow the car dramatically, so aim for the narrowest part of the water if possible
- Tarmac / Ice / Dirt – the road surface ahead will change
- 50 / 80 / 100 etc. - a distance of road; for example, “30, and left 5” means that a straight section of road 30 meters long precedes the upcoming left-handed corner
- Junction – two roads intersect ahead
- Short / (very) Long – refers to an unusually short or long corner
- Brake / Hard Brake / Slow – advanced warning that you'll need to slow the car considerably to successfully take subsequent corners
