Progression shout-out thread.

[Yoeri Gijsen]

I noticed while reading this forum that a lot of people are working on their licenses, ratings and standings, so I figured it might be a nice idea to have this one thread where you can shout out your latest marks, achievements and memorable moments.

So, let flow the "Yay, I got my D-license!"-'s, "Yeah, 2000 iRating!"-'s and "Whoohooo, my first victory!"-'s.

 

[George Pilkington]

Carl & Joe, its such a shame aint it? There is very little like blasting around there in a pack of cars. Its total concentration required and you are working all the time. I love it, but, and its a big BUT, its so frustrating when the race is over in 2 laps for the reasons you both state...
The RD truck race that Joe ran the other night was the same. I dont think we had 2 laps of racing without a wreck in the first 30 minutes...

But, there is much good driving to be had in the Carb Cup practise sessions I have found. On more than one occasion i have run dry of fuel haveing lapped all session in a pack of 6+. Wicked Fun!
Perhaps we should run a few Practise Pack Racing sessions around Dega?????

George

 

[Joe Hubbard]

Well the problem with Talladega I think and I'm almost 95% certain here. Is that people want to push push push, when what they really need to do is back off about 5-10 feet and just use the draft to keep up. In the state that Talladega is in the only person that should be worried about pushing is the guy right behind the leader. People simply just dont get what to do if you want four or more cars pushing. I was in a practice when a conversation came up that I was "sucked" into...lol... The main points were "sorry I just couldn't see anything", or "sorry I didn't see you there", and the list goes on and on. People focus soooooooo much on the bumper right in front of them and don't even know where they are on the track. Therefore when turn three comes the car in front turns and the guy right behind them doesn't know where he is so he just keeps going straight right up to the middle lane. Myself and another guy were trying to help people out by telling them where to look when they are following. Such as if you are pushing a guy don't look at him, look into the top left corner of your screen and find a spot that you know, and to be able to see the line in front of him. However the same thing would keep happening... lol... Don't even get me started on the "snake" coming up the back straight... hehehehe Its really sad that people can't hold the car in a single direction at that point either.

 

[Carl Abrams II]

I dunno George. I kind of get what you're saying, but after racing Dega in other games, I feel this one just fails. It was cool the first few races, but once you sit in a couple, the flaws just punch me in the face.

People not holding their line is kind of irritating, and I think Joe nailed it. You can't hold the bottom when the track turns because you can't see where you're going. The worse part is, they can't see because they're bump drafting and bump drafting Does Not Work! The front car goes faster only from the lack of drag caused by having another car jammed up their trumpet. The closer you get, the faster you go. If 1st is going 188 and 2nd comes up at 190 and taps him, 2nd place drops to 188 and 1st stays at 188. There's no transfer of inertia, and that is what kills Dega. That's what kills the fun for me.

The only way to gain position (barring wrecks, spins or pit) is to have perfect luck and get a run on the high side when someone else checks up just a bit on the low. Then you MIGHT be able to pile your rig into the space he left, and that's IF people were helping you on the high line to begin with and IF you wanna desert your buddies up there. If bumping worked, you could get a high line going, you could grab your balls and go for it, have 5 people bumping the hell out of each other and make a mad run up top. But without the bump, you have two lines than can only go equally fast. The bottom line's a bit shorter, the top line allows a tick more speed from not scrubbing, and in the end it equals the same lap times.

Last 2 races were nearly perfectly clean, and 100% unremarkable. Dega was always one of my favorite tracks to race. The only fun in this Dega is dodging wrecks.

 

[George Pilkington]

Yes Carl I see exactly what you mean. Your right of course.
I think antisipation helps alot in holding your lines tho, then you can hold the line.
The fun for me is the hangin in the pack. wicked.
But I see your point.
Dont stop the pack being alot of fun tho eh?
: )
George

 

[Jan Roman]

Today I've been angry for the first time because of iRacing. Stupid drivers ruined my entire race, the first one with a solid number of drivers in the field and many drivers of my level.

I qualified with the worst time, but it granted me a start in the middle of the field. It was amazing and for the first time ever I felt like I'm part fo the race. The first crash came at the end of the first lap at the final chicane in Spa. 4x contact, but I was able to recover and went on. The second backmarker hit me at the end of third lap, final chicane again (and I don't brake too early). Another 4x contact, damaged suspenison, ended 180° on the road. I'm not very experienced in these things, so I was waiting for a while until drivers pass, then I decided to get a tow. 50 secs tow, and another 30 seconds pit stop (I forgot to turn services off). So I ended at the end of the pack, nothing I could do. I managed to finish the race with no more incidents at all, because I was driving slowly and carefully (2-3 seconds slower), so I managed to get +0.05 SR anyway. But it could be... let's say 12th place, 3 inc, +0,25 SR.

Look at the replay please, did I do anything wrong?

http://leteckaposta.cz/624063803

EDIT:

Second race was amazing, 6 inc because there was a lot of pressure until the end.
Third race, bumped and spinned twice (luckily, in a matter of five seconds, so just one 4x). Finished 20/21 (had to tow safely).
Fourth race, disaster. Bump from the back in T1 at Spa during the first lap (oh yes, 50 meters behind the start line). Had to tow, 3 minutes. Unbelieveable.

http://leteckaposta.cz/783783903

This is really a problem. If there werent these drivers, I'd be a king of the safety. Usually I don't do over two or three offtracks during a race, depends on situation.

CONCLUSION: I won't qualify anymore until I hit at least class B. I'm celarly faster than the other guys, so I'll pass them safely instead of getting bumped a couple of times every race.

ANOTHER EDIT: Got hit form behind twice in qualification (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). 8 inc points, perfectly clear as far as my driving is concerned. Am I doing something wrong or are people SO AMAZINGLY STUPID to not know every driver has different braking points? Not to mention I got torpedoed once, there's no excuse for that. I've lost SR for the first time in my life (-0.03).

 

[Andy Smith]

Got this game a few days ago and I've just got my first win.

25 lap Nvidia cup in the MX5. Chuffed to bits that I kept my nerve with my sweaty hands shaking like crazy as I led from the second lap all the way to the line.

Had a little wobble on lap 23 when chasing a back marker right rear touched the grass as I broke on the last corner manage to keep it in line going off slighty on the inside but survived to collect a win and promotion from the rookies in one go.

 

[Eric Estes]

Grats Andy!

 

[Joe Hubbard]

Very nice Andy, congratz... The first win always rocks!

Jan you will find that there are people in iRacing who really don't seem to understand how the whole "racing" thing seem to work... lol... Since I started iRacing back in Dec. of 2010 I have been hit more times from the rear by someone who didn't even seem to hit the brakes than I can count...lol... I have found that just letting it go is the best thing to do because there isn't anything you can do about it or the other drivers. I have had some races that everyone on track was very clean, and others that were a total nightmare. The nightmare races are like driving 100mph through a minefield with no pattern. hahaha...

Last night I couldn't sleep and I got in the 1:00am Class A Talladega race. I almost started from the pits but didn't since I was starting 4th on the grid. So, we start and it seemed ok at first then the snake appeared and the "look at me I can take up all three lanes without trying" came out. There were two or three in that race at the front of the pack no less that I would bet $500 right now were using a PS3 control to race with on top of a bottle of whiskey. The front pack of about 8-10 cars broke away from the rest of the pack and I finally said lookout I'm going to the outside and dropping back so don't hit me. I did that and sure enough not 2 laps later it all started.

I have found that if you really pay attention during a race you can almost 95% of the time pick out who the drivers to watch are going to be. What I mean by that is watch them for the wrecks and make sure you are in a position to counter it and get out of the way safely. It doesn't always work that way, as sometimes there just isn't anything you can do.

 

[Jan Roman]

Yes, when I look back I usually smile because I took it too seriously. But when it happens, I'd need a licence to kill. I'd be a B class driver already if there weren't so many backmarkers. I'm having about 8-10 inc per race, about 2 of them resulting from MY mistakes and I recieve about +0.05 SR. Normally, I'd recieve at least +0.20 per race, but these amateurs make it impossible. I'm quite good at predicting and avoiding crashes, but nothing can be done about being torpedoed from behind. I'm looking into the mirror all the time, I know they're there... when I'm driving behind someone and we're approaching a braking point, I usually choose another line! It's perfectly simple. When I choose another line, there are two scenarios. The driver I'm following will brake at the same point and nothing changes, I can follow and try it again. When he brakes earlier than me, I can pass him in the turn and I don't have to worry about bumping into his back bumper.

That's how I see it and I can even comprehend how is it possible to be such a kamikadze. I'm a complete beginner, driving MOMO Racing force, autoclutch and autoblip, I'm slow as hell, but at least I'm safe and careful for crying out loud. Even if it meant I end up last, I don't want to ruin somebody else's race. (And I understand accidents happen time to time, but this shouldn't be the case).

 

[Andy Smith]

Cheers, just opened up Spec racer its squirly as hell. Lift off oversteer like I didn't know was possible.

It can be frustrating but I find if you watch the replay after the race it usually shows someone just loses it or makes a mistake which is a tad easier to get over. The last time I got tagged a re-watched and sure enough the guy was sideways and locked up and could not do much about it.

We have to remember at rookie level will all make plenty of mistakes.

 

[Joe Hubbard]

Andy, the HUGE and I mean HUGE thing with the Spec-racer is never let your foot off the gas totally... I always keep about 1/4 throtle on it, otherwise I spin it... lol...


Now for some good news... lol... I let myself get a bit frustrated with the trucks and Class A at Talladega so I was out for blood in a sense but only with myself to prove that track no matter who else was driving in the race could be tamed...

I ran the Class A @ Talladega three times today:

Race 1. Started 4th finished 4th - x0 inc's
Race 2. Started 4th finished 3rd - x4 inc's due to a guy coming down on me in the trioval, no wreck
Race 3. Started 5th finished 1st - x0 inc's finished under yellow coming out on lap 68

My first Talladega win in any class... WOOooooHOOooooooo

 

[George Pilkington]

Nice one Joe!

 

[Andy Smith]

Nice one Joe, I'm gonna run the spec race a few times today will try the throttle suggestion.

 

[Kris Vickers]

Nice one Joe, I'm gonna run the spec race a few times today will try the throttle suggestion.

You can also dial out some oversteer by tinkering with the rebound settings

 

[Robin Smith]

Well im looking forward to the 31st and getting out of Rookie status and into D class Road. Looking to buy the Skippy and a couple of the tracks for the first skippy season and see how I progress. I want to love oval racing as I like watching Nascar, but for the life of me I cannot maintain a legend car around a tiny oval for more than 10-15 laps without then mucking up and spinning, i just fins it so frustrating to drive

 

[Kris Vickers]

Yeh Robin, the legends car can be a handful.

With cars like that, i have a fail-safe of having a massively forward brake bias, so if i feel the back end is sliding too far to save, i apply copious amounts of anchor

That usually saves the day for me.

 

[Larry Stovall]

I want to love oval racing as I like watching Nascar, but for the life of me I cannot maintain a legend car around a tiny oval for more than 10-15 laps without then mucking up and spinning, i just fins it so frustrating to drive

Wait till you can get into a Street Stock car. It's a whole 'nother thing entirely. I felt the same way about the Legends and was noting a distaste for short ovals developing until I hopped into the SS. After that, happiness ensued.

 

[Joe Hubbard]

I have to agree here, the Legends car is its own breed for sure. Once you get out of them into the Street Stock, Late Model, ect. you'll find the ovals to be a lot of fun. Now the legends on the road courses is another animal all together, it's what I call the ultimate upper body workout... haha

 

[Kris Vickers]

Now the legends on the road courses is another animal all together, it's what I call the ultimate upper body workout... haha

Amen to that!

But yeh, the Street Stocks are great fun to drive, once you learn to drive the crappy understeering default setups

 

[Nico Van Elk]

First race in the SRF today, and to my surprise I actually gained IR. New car on new track I wasn't expecting this.

Oh and ordered a set of Clubsport pedals, is that progress?