Standing Starts - How?

[Chris Tarboton]

Hi Guys

What is the best way to do a standing start? I have tried it with no TC, hit 1st gear, release and quickly re apply throttle, which gets the revs bogged down to low. I have tried to do the first step as above, then when I would release the throttle, I hit TC low, which works better for me but the AI still storm past me.

What ways work the best for you?

 

[UMC 22]

For a touring car, at lights on I hold the clutch, get in gear, and hold the revs just below the limiter. Lights out, I dump the clutch and increase revs to about 75% to get moving, after which I regulate it to try and control wheelspin. I have no idea whether this is anything like a 'realistic' way of doing things, but it works for me against both AI and humans. I doubt it would work as well for the GTs, though I haven't really tried.

Oh, and my wheel (DFGT) doesn't have a clutch pedal, so I use the left 'paddle' button at 25% sensitivity. No assists, auto-clutch.

 

[Dave Flower]

I have no clutch pedal and so use auto clutch - I NEVER use assists as I find they make you drive differently and it WILL totally mess you up when you get in a server online where assists other than auto clutch and (sometimes) auto gears assists are not allowed.

I am not the fastest off the line so bear that in mind. To me its a case of practicing starts for the individual car/track as all cars have a different power curve and different surfaces have different grip levels - you practice laps why not practice starts too? Its a case of dumping the clutch with the right revs - too much and you'll bog down with wheelspin, too little and you'll just bog down - as Ross says its a case of balancing the revs for the best start - I wouldn't get into switching TC on and off - as I said it makes you drive very differently, is not available in most servers, and IMHO its actually slower in the long term... Note also that in the Minis you can select First and increase revs without jump starting, do this in a WTCC and you'll roll and get a penalty (depending on flag settings) - try different methods in different cars - you can even try selecting first and holding the car on the brake before planting it when the lights go out - it might work for you with some cars (ie lots of immediate low down grunt) in others youll just bog down and get a slow start.. Anyway sorry for the wall of text but I hope its of some use!!

 

[Chris Tarboton]

Thanks guys, will keep practising it and trying out your methods. Appreciated.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

I always do it like this:
- Push the clutch (I use autoclutch but I set clutch to a button on my wheel, just for starts).
- Put it in 1st, you might have to use brake if the grid is downhill/uphill, I have rolled in the Minis too before btw.
- Rev up to the torque peak of the car. (f.e. 6500 in the Lada)
- Release the clutch, and try to balance gas pedal.

 

[Robin Cook]

I always do it like this:
- Push the clutch (I use autoclutch but I set clutch to a button on my wheel, just for starts).
- Put it in 1st, you might have to use brake if the grid is downhill/uphill, I have rolled in the Minis too before btw.
- Rev up to the torque peak of the car. (f.e. 6500 in the Lada)
- Release the clutch, and try to balance gas pedal.

+1 Always get great starts. its the rest of the race that lets me down

 

[Günthar Rowe]

The way to do a get start in S2000 is drive a BMW, this car is worth as many as 6 places just for the starts ...
In the FWD, gas pedal modulation is the key staying around the 7-7.5k mark...

 

[Emil Sällberg]

In FWD S2000 cars I usually go for revving to about 5500 RPM, maybe slightly more, and just dumping the clutch when the lights go off. The key to the perfect start that I've found is to find the point where you can keep full throttle on during the whole start, with some wheel spin, but only so that it stays at the same revs until the speed of the wheels have caught up, not moving either up or down and not having to modulate the throttle at all. I suppose it could be explained as using the tires as a clutch instead of the clutch itself.

 

[Ethan Bass]

I've tried sitting the revs around 6500RPM in my 07 Alfa with the clutch fully depressed, in first, holding onto the handbrake.

Once the lights go, and the green flag drops, I release the clutch and handbrake immedietly and floor it. But I do get alot of wheelspin, but my starts are no longer diabolical. I used to be past by several people, now its normally just the one FWD guys (A RWD guy will obviously kill me at the start ).

I guess it'll just be a case of practice now to see how much throttle I can apply after the initially flooring it to get it off the line, in order to minimse wheel spin.

 

[Simon Gardner]

I've been making good starts recently I just floor the throttle lifting only slightly and use the clutch to control the wheelspin when the lights go out and usually gain a couple of places

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

I hold the clutch and shift into 1st, then balance the revs at the very limit of the range. When the lights go out, I dump the clutch and it's all throttle modulation from there. I try to keep the revs at a single point once they settle, until the car gains traction.

 

[Mike Bell]

i just rev to the max and then change gear when the lights go out

on a good start ill make 10+ places [even though im always at the back it should work just as well further up]

 

[Chris Tarboton]

i just rev to the max and then change gear when the lights go out

on a good start ill make 10+ places [even though im always at the back it should work just as well further up]

​

In what car? That just does not work for me and invariably I will lose a handful of places with this technique.

 

[Willie Watt]

As I drive in cockpit without the OSD for revs etc, I use only the incar motec display. Here's how I do it, works just as well for the RWD's as FWD's.

I've been developing this technique for a while. As everyone knows, to few reva sna you need to dip the clutch and get going again invariably leading to that frustration wheelspin and a slow get away or too high revs and you're immediataley backing off the power to get traction, again a slow start.

Clutch In
Rev until the last but 1 shift light is just on
Dump the clutch
you shouln't get much wheel spin but you will get a little until grip quickly comes and you're off (easy to modulate the throttle on the balance of traction than when it's completely gone on a full wheelspin.

Then all you need to do is worry about getting punted up the rear, sqeezed against the wall or running up the back of an early braker, losing all of the places that you've gained. Good luck.

 

[Mike Bell]

whatever car i may be driving - volvo c30/lacetti/308/407 - basically anything fwd works

 

[Sebastian Ganly]

Clutch In
Rev until the last but 1 shift light is just on
Dump the clutch
you shouln't get much wheel spin but you will get a little until grip quickly comes and you're off (easy to modulate the throttle on the balance of traction than when it's completely gone on a full wheelspin.

This is what I do, and it works pretty well. But it also depends on the setup of the car.