Question Time: The Track You Didn't Appreciate Until Driving It In A Sim

[galefoce97]

For me it has to be either Bathurst or Long Beach. I remember Bathurst from a couple games growing up and hating it and Long Beach always seemed like just another boring street circuit to me. After driving the tracks on Forza, Rfactor and Race 07 they are easily 2 of my favourites in the world. I don't know what it is, maybe the narrow walls punishing you for small mistakes, but I love racing around them

 

[Jack Vos]

Vallelunga (thanks AC for loving it, (had it in rFactor but never driven it before)
(New) Misano (thanks ACC for loving it)
Portimao (Circuit Algarve) (thanks R3E for loving it)
(on Porti there is a section going downhill, awesome in VR)

 

[Dr. Death]

Spa or Race America.

 

[boomn]

Perhaps not the most popular, but I have grown to really like the Nurburgring GP circuit
Brno looks basic but is one of my favorites now
I also learned to appreciate the 'dinky' club circuits and short versions of bigger circuits when using small, slow cars. And the Red Bull Ring, which feels like a higher speed club circuit, haha
I didn't know the pre-1972 Monaco was so different and so fast through the second half! I much prefer this to the technical 'chicanery' of the modern circuit

I have also had the opposite experience with circuits
Melbourne has always been one of my favorite F1 circuits to watch, but I don't like driving it
Spa is only fun to me in really fast cars
Sonoma is great for spectating but I can't figure out my braking points!

 

[pafe]

VIR

 

[DaddeRaga]

Suzuka. I hate it before, but now it is my favourite track

 

[erba72]

Not easy at all, as I discorvered most of the tracks by sim / racing games.
Well ... I have no idea !

 

[damone13x]

Barber and Red Bull Ring .

 

[Eagle Racer]

For me, Road Atlanta. Every driver has the one track that they just know and are good at, and for me it turns out that track is Road Atlanta. I never liked watching it because I just thought it was another one of America's attempts at making a decent road course, and that they should just stick to building ovals. But then Road Atlanta was on the calendar for one of my sim racing championships and, as it turns out, I love the track and I'm very good there.

 

[paracletus]

The ones that looked fun on TV turned out great on the video games.

• Spa, Silverstone, Brands, Suzuka, Nordshlife >>
• Bahrain, China, Abu dabby >>

 

[LeSunTzu]

Funny to see Laguna Seca to illustrate this topic. The track itself is in a nice place, the view from the top of the hill is just great and it's a lot of fun to watch cars down the corkscrew. Add to that professional and nice staff all around and it's just impossible to dislike the circuit (unless you hate the wind).
Then sim-driving it is disappointing: corners are not flowing and the corkscrew is basically diving blindly. I suppose VR would dramatically improve the experience but on screen it does not make it for me.

 

[Mark Ratzenbacher]

There are hundreds i would have to name.

Most tracks i have never heard before driving them in a sim and i liked almost every single one.
Thats what simracing really brought closer to me, a deeper knowledge of motorsport through the tracks and their history.
There are many ghosted tracks today that have put a landmark in the biography of racing cars & bikes. Hard to choose only one thats outstanding.

 

[BBRacing]

For me, Monza.

Hated it until I drove it in PC, nailing a 1.22 in a F1 car is very satisfying.

As well, Brands, Donnington and Zolder

 

[Isaac Chavira]

Mid-Ohio, I always wanted to try it but when I did, I hated it. I just can't navigate it very well. I mean I'm like 10-13 seconds off pace. Turn 2 or is it 3 (no chicane) always makes me slide way, way outside and into the trap. Even with maximum rear wing.

Bathurst as mentioned above me is another track I distain and avoid at all costs. By yourself, it is hard enough. With a grid full of other cars it's just not fun at all.

Moscow Raceway is a track I did not like either but after qualifying and the race came and I learned it, it was actually quite fun.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

Funny to see Laguna Seca to illustrate this topic. The track itself is in a nice place, the view from the top of the hill is just great and it's a lot of fun to watch cars down the corkscrew. Add to that professional and nice staff all around and it's just impossible to dislike the circuit (unless you hate the wind).
Then sim-driving it is disappointing: corners are not flowing and the corkscrew is basically diving blindly. I suppose VR would dramatically improve the experience but on screen it does not make it for me.

VR is too short and too slow to be enjoyable for me. It doesn't offer enough variety and as you said the corkscrew is basically breaking the track rather than adding something to it.

 

[tr1v1um]

Speaking of surprises while driving a track in a sim and Herman Tilke, Atlanta Motorsports Park was one of the biggest surprises for me I think. I have never really heard of the track until we did a race there, and I couldn't believe the track was actually designed by Tilke when I went to find out more about it. Even though it certainly does have some of his trademark features, when you think about it.

I think Tilke get's alot of Flak due to the FIA regulations, but he built some fantastic tracks. AMP is easily one of the 10 most difficult/challening tracks that I have driven in sims, as allmost all corners are blind. It looks like a tiny little club racing circuit but that track teaches you alot and I just wish it was in more sims. Other very good Tilke tracks are Istanbul and Malaysia. Sadly those two very technical tracks are not part of the F1 calendar anymore, but they offer some very technical sections and made for some great racing in the past.

 

[ouvert]

none really but you should do Track you didnt appriciate in sim till you drive it in real I would have one I really used to dislike there

 

[robopirate]

Definitely Road Atlanta. To be honest, as a European I didn't even know it when I picked up simracing again a couple of years back. It now is one of my favourite tracks, along side the obvious Nordschleife. It's pretty much the opposite of a Tilke track and that's actually everything I want in a track.

 

[Riblo]

Bathurst... I was thinking "so ugly this almost square circuit"
Now it's one of my fav ones

 

[T04STY]

For me it has to be Paul Ricard. It's such a fun track but when you look at it...well you know what I mean.