iRacing 24H of Spa Showcases Strange Exploit

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iRacing Spa 24H Tire Exploit.jpg
Viewers of iRacing’s 24 Hours of Spa event saw a strange approach to racing lines over this weekend’s event.

Many of the top level sim racers participating in this weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa event in iRacing utilized a not-so-subtle approach to managing tire temperatures.

The exploit was known before the event, but had not been showcased to this extent before. Drivers utilized a tactic that involved deliberately driving with the outside tires on the grass.

The method was on full display as the cars made their way up the Kemmel straight at Spa Francorchamps. Long trains of cars could be seen driving with two tires on track and two on the grass.

The method seemed to work very well, with some estimating that it saved a much as a half second per lap.

Because it was known beforehand and every car in select splits seems to be using this technique, it seemed unlikely to have affected the finishing order. But, it does seem to highlight a gap in realism for a sim that works hard to mitigate differences versus real racing.

What are your thoughts on this tactic? Is it an immersion-breaking exploit, a clever workaround, or something in between? Let us know in the comments below.
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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T
zorak said:
Serious question Austin - is there any sim title that you actually enjoy or have anything positive to say about? I didn’t mind reading your stuff on your old website and your YouTube channel, but I do wonder why you feel the need to commentate on a hobby where all you do is criticise it.
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Probably because he wants sims to be more than what a lot of it has devolved too. A lot of titles have completely gutted offline/single player experiences to basically only focus on the driving and MP/Esports. There is a few exceptions, but for all the titles out right now very few offer a complete package of offline immersive career modes with a great driving experience. I'm not saying I agree with all of Austin's points or how he delivers them, but it's clear he wants sims to take steps forward and become more than what they are today.
 
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BP said:
Here’s the thing: I won’t disagree with saying iRacing is not a perfect sim, it definitely has its flaws like all other consumer sims, and as I said many times I drive all the sims and enjoy them all in different ways…but to judge the W12 and all of iRacing based on how one single car handles curbs that are higher than any one curb its IRL counterpart had to deal with, and ignore how the car feels everywhere else seems like cherry picking the worst case scenario to fit a conclusion. The same Jimmy has also said that the W12 set a new standard for modern formula 1 cars in sims, so which opinion is the real one lol? Maybe it's halfway between: that the car feels great but there are a few small quirks to it like the curbs (which is an assessment I can agree with).



Oh boy...y'all should read my comments a bit more clearly before accusing me of slander: I said "most other sims add artificial FFB signals "...which was in response to what @nangu said: "How about feeling and catching slides in other sim titles"...he wasn't specific about a title and I never said all sim racing titles. @wolftree You yourself said "Almost every modern racing sim has moved to" ...so that implies that 1) there are some that still do it (that's a fact) and that 2) at some point, some...SOME of the sims you named did indeed use additional effects (also a fact). If my impressions of those sims are not up to their current July 2022 standard then fine, I am misinformed, but to call it slander implies malicious intent, of which I have none. Also misinformed btw are many of the "iceRacing" type comments that still linger about iRacing even though it has substantially improved for quite awhile now.

Come on guys, I'm not doing this sim war argument with you...I have no dog in that fight as I appreciate all the many choices we have. They all bring something great to the market and I applaud them all...and they all fall short of the glory too (as I've said many times) including iRacing...but most of what I saw in the comments were bitter insults thrown at the title, not constructive criticism (which some of you seem to think are the same thing)...it comes off as 'see, told ya that expensive sim was trash and everyone who buys into it are idiots"...actually some of you say pretty much that regularly on any iRacing thread. I was just trying to offer some perspective.
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Sorry, was unable to reply before.

I am pretty sure that Jimmy said that "... the W12 set a new standard for formula 1 cars in sims..." before the back and forth with Jardier (I could be wrong, though).

But, even so, the car reacting in a completely unrealistic manner to curbs is, for me, a major red-flag and taints its simulation value as it points towards "fudged up" physics.

You even mention that iRacing had to make changes to their physics for the W12, which I will say that it might mean that they had to do exactly what I said above, ie. find a way to "patch up" their base physics engine to generate a plausible result and that the laps around Nords which Jimmy and Jardier exposed the shortcomings of the end result.

I would also say that there is another indication that something is odd in the W12, which is the fact that the car floats over the track a LOT (there is plenty of video evidence of this - being that I would say that we are talking about +10 virtual centimeters), which again, might explain how it can go over the high curbs at Nords virtually uneventfully.

As a final note: I don't like iRacing, it's not for me, but it's an incredible platform for people have an intense (and in the end plausible/believable) simracing experience, with people from all around the world and with minimum user experience issues.

That is, per se, a major and uncontested achievement.

What I don't agree with is that we all should blindly accept something that is evidently not true, ie. that it is, hands down, the best and most accurate simulator.
 
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Fat-Alfie said:
That sounds like the difference between exploiting a loophole of a game in order to win, rather than simulating real car racing.
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I'd disagree to a degree.
I think the exploit is silly an unrealistic
but especially in the top split these are bigger esports teams that are I'd say near a professional level. They will do anything they can for performance
and we see this is real world racing, from abusing track limits to burning engine oil for extra power
 
BP
v4v474 said:
Sorry, was unable to reply before.

I am pretty sure that Jimmy said that "... the W12 set a new standard for formula 1 cars in sims..." before the back and forth with Jardier (I could be wrong, though).

But, even so, the car reacting in a completely unrealistic manner to curbs is, for me, a major red-flag and taints its simulation value as it points towards "fudged up" physics.

You even mention that iRacing had to make changes to their physics for the W12, which I will say that it might mean that they had to do exactly what I said above, ie. find a way to "patch up" their base physics engine to generate a plausible result and that the laps around Nords which Jimmy and Jardier exposed the shortcomings of the end result.

I would also say that there is another indication that something is odd in the W12, which is the fact that the car floats over the track a LOT (there is plenty of video evidence of this - being that I would say that we are talking about +10 virtual centimeters), which again, might explain how it can go over the high curbs at Nords virtually uneventfully.

As a final note: I don't like iRacing, it's not for me, but it's an incredible platform for people have an intense (and in the end plausible/believable) simracing experience, with people from all around the world and with minimum user experience issues.

That is, per se, a major and uncontested achievement.

What I don't agree with is that we all should blindly accept something that is evidently not true, ie. that it is, hands down, the best and most accurate simulator.
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Two quick corrections:
1) I never said they changed their physics for the W12. I'm also not confirming or denying that they did (I don't know if that happened tbh), just saying that I did not make that statement; someone else did.
2) I have never claimed, nor will I ever claim, that iRacing is the best and most accurate simulator...I think you're mixing up your replies, because what I have said consistently is that all sims have their strengths and weaknesses, in all aspects, no sim is perfect...drive what you like!

He said it shortly after the release of the car AFAIK, so most likely before the Jardier video I'm assuming.

Can you please post links to videos to all these things you claim there's plenty of evidence of? Especially the bit about the cars floating...because I have not observed that in any replays of my races, and so far my searches for this haven't uncovered anything. I do know that in some sims with certain graphical settings (most notably disabling shadows) that cars may appear to be floating/not connected to the ground, but beyond that I haven't seen anything.

Also, I must ask this: have you actually driven iRacing's W12, or is your opinion of it purely from hearsay?
 
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BP said:
Two quick corrections:
1) I never said they changed their physics for the W12. I'm also not confirming or denying that they did (I don't know if that happened tbh), just saying that I did not make that statement; someone else did.
2) I have never claimed, nor will I ever claim, that iRacing is the best and most accurate simulator...I think you're mixing up your replies, because what I have said consistently is that all sims have their strengths and weaknesses, in all aspects, no sim is perfect...drive what you like!

He said it shortly after the release of the car AFAIK, so most likely before the Jardier video I'm assuming.

Can you please post links to videos to all these things you claim there's plenty of evidence of? Especially the bit about the cars floating...because I have not observed that in any replays of my races, and so far my searches for this haven't uncovered anything. I do know that in some sims with certain graphical settings (most notably disabling shadows) that cars may appear to be floating/not connected to the ground, but beyond that I haven't seen anything.

Also, I must ask this: have you actually driven iRacing's W12, or is your opinion of it purely from hearsay?
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Ah! Sorry! I thought you had mentioned those things :-D in any case, it was a broad spectrum commentary.
And no, I haven't tried the W12, so it's strictly based on my observations and some remarks from people I trust.
I have many friends that speak highly of the W12, which does not mean that there isn't "something fudged under the hood".
As for the floating W12, I have seen that in high end, maxed out settings (for instance, Dan Suzuki @ Bathurst on one of his Twitch streams, as well as on a few YT videos by a guy who makes cinematic videos (SimRacing Videographer).
I did notice now that the floating effect seems to vary from track to track.
Here is an example of just a minor level of detachment from the track:
Found another by a different fellow (where I actually commented on the subject):
 
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a stiff suspension 'should' pick up the inside front in certain situations. But in the first vid, the rear tire appeared to float as the car pulled away.
 
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davehenrie said:
a stiff suspension 'should' pick up the inside front in certain situations. But in the first vid, the rear tire appeared to float as the car pulled away.
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It clearly floats. Which I gather was a way to make it react to the track in a believable way within iRacing’s engine (I assume “softer”)

Again, I am not saying that the W12 is not a great sim car. I am the firmest believer in giving more importance to the “illusion of driving a race car” rather than chase the accuracy of certain physical simulation aspects.

For instance, ACC may be much more “accurate” simulating tyres pressures (and etc), but that makes it - for my personal perspective - a better sim for a (sim)race engineer, but not necessarily for a (sim)driver.

Note: ACC is also an excellent simracing title and I spent quite a number of hours driving on it, but it’s always a matter of preference, of what each one of us wants out of a sim.
 
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BP
v4v474 said:
It clearly floats. Which I gather was a way to make it react to the track in a believable way within iRacing’s engine (I assume “softer”)

Again, I am not saying that the W12 is not a great sim car. I am the firmest believer in giving more importance to the “illusion of driving a race car” rather than chase the accuracy of certain physical simulation aspects.

For instance, ACC may be much more “accurate” simulating tyres pressures (and etc), but that makes it - for my personal perspective - a better sim for a (sim)race engineer, but not necessarily for a (sim)driver.

Note: ACC is also an excellent simracing title and I spent quite a number of hours driving on it, but it’s always a matter of preference, of what each one of us wants out of a sim.
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Ok so I do see the floating you're talking about. I agree with @davehenrie about the front tyre lifting, that's expected. However, if that rear tyre doesn't spin up from actual floating (as it would and has many times for me on bumpy tracks or curbs or off-camber areas) and destabilize the car under accel, then it's possible it's just a graphical glitch as opposed to a physics glitch IMO.

Whatever it is, it does need to be fixed no question there...but aside from that, the car still meets the criteria which you yourself deem most important: "giving more importance to the “illusion of driving a race car” rather than chase the accuracy of certain physical simulation aspects.". I've driven the car constantly and near exclusively since it launched in December and it definitely achieves that goal IMO...it very much feels connected to the road (and not connected in areas where you expect it to be).

Using your very own ACC analogy, one can say the W12 currently isn't better for a (sim)photographer or a (sim)spectator, but it's definitely amazing for a (sim)driver.
 

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