Not getting better

[Lewis Fergusson]

I've had my wheel since December now and been pretty much solidly playing since April and i'm not really getting any better at the game, mid-field in public servers and at the back in RD events.
Thing is as well, apart from the obvious mistakes I can't really tell what i'm doing wrong when nothing appears to be going wrong. If I post a lap around a few tracks would someone tell me if I am doing anything really badly?

[Jarrod Crossley]

Are you getting the best from your setups?
If your tyre temps are quite level try altering some of the down force or rear toe to squeeze a little extra speed. Note as soon as you start altering things like rear wing or rear toe you will have to start retuning your setups.

[James Yates]

Originally Posted by Lewis Fergusson

I've had my wheel since December now and been pretty much solidly playing since April and i'm not really getting any better at the game, mid-field in public servers and at the back in RD events.
Thing is as well, apart from the obvious mistakes I can't really tell what i'm doing wrong when nothing appears to be going wrong. If I post a lap around a few tracks would someone tell me if I am doing anything really badly?

Post a few video's, or, if you go on the RD Spa Track Day server then im sure whoever else is on can have a watch and give you some tips. If you say you will be on at a certain time, ill try and come on and have a watch

[Pierre Lundberg]

Originally Posted by Jarrod Crossley

Are you getting the best from your setups?
If your tyre temps are quite level try altering some of the down force or rear toe to squeeze a little extra speed. Note as soon as you start altering things like rear wing or rear toe you will have to start retuning your setups.

Im kinda in a similar situation. Im able to run pretty consistent laps, but not near as fast as the top players in the Swedish Sim Racing League, or on your public servers... Right now im driving the Anderstorp track to learn it, and have run about 50-80 laps in both TA and practice. In TA Im a lot quicker with Atti's setup then in Practice, even though i drive the same. 1.41 in Practice and 1,38 in TA on Anderstorp. :O And yes i know TA doesnt "stress" the tires etc, but how come i can drive fast without proper temp. in the tires?
I think my problem is i dont know what kind of drivingstyle i like, or is fast with. Iv been racing since December when i first got my G25.
Any input would be nice
Cheers!

[Jarrod Crossley]

There will always be a differance in times between Time Attack and actual racing/ Practice.

Time Attack is good for getting used to a track or finding those few seconds that can be found by attacking a corner differantly than you normaly would, and Not have to worry about things like tyre wear or fule loads.

But once you have honed your lines and think your at the stage where driving a track is like falling asleep then its time to look at your setups within a practice or a race situation.

This is were you'll find that tyre wear and fule load pay a big diffeance in times and squezzing back those extra seconds that you lost compared to TA is were it counts.

[Bram Hengeveld]

I dont want to offend anybody here, but i have done thousands of laps last year and without practicing like a maniac i cannot reach group 1 from our leagues either. Some people just have more talent then others. With a lot of practice you can be fast for sure, but unless you have been eating kryptonite during your childhood we will not become aliens

Its a common misconception that setups make you quicker, which they don't. A good personal setup can give you that last half a second if you can really really drive consistent laps (which not many of us can) but it wont speed you up like some tend to believe. What it can do is that it give you the "right feeling" when driving your car, and that is what counts

[Gareth Hickling]

I was going to add, Ive been sim racing for a few years now, Whatever I try im just not one of the fast guys. Still its no matter to me, We have just as much fun at the back of the grid!

[Attila Domján]

If you post a replay from a lap you want to be looked at i could help to have a look at it.

[Pierre Lundberg]

Originally Posted by Jarrod Crossley

There will always be a differance in times between Time Attack and actual racing/ Practice.

Time Attack is good for getting used to a track or finding those few seconds that can be found by attacking a corner differantly than you normaly would, and Not have to worry about things like tyre wear or fule loads.

But once you have honed your lines and think your at the stage where driving a track is like falling asleep then its time to look at your setups within a practice or a race situation.

This is were you'll find that tyre wear and fule load pay a big diffeance in times and squezzing back those extra seconds that you lost compared to TA is were it counts.

Maybe its different for everyone, but you tell me i should learn the track in TA, driving proper lines etc, and then go over to race/practice and make myself a setup? Maybe i should just tweak Atti's Seat setup a little more to the way i drive...

Originally Posted by Gareth Hickling

I was going to add, Ive been sim racing for a few years now, Whatever I try im just not one of the fast guys. Still its no matter to me, We have just as much fun at the back of the grid!

Well indeed you have fun no matter where you are at the grid, but finishing 3rd or better is a dream of mine You always wanna go faster

Originally Posted by Attila Domján

If you post a replay from a lap you want to be looked at i could help to have a look at it.

Me or Lewis?

[Gareth Hickling]

Originally Posted by Bioxid

Well indeed you have fun no matter where you are at the grid, but finishing 3rd or better is a dream of mine You always wanna go faster

Thats why we love sim racing! More speed! Faster, Faster!

Im glad I only do this in a sim, It would cost me thousands of pounds in repair bills in real life.

[Attila Domján]

Originally Posted by Bioxid

Me or Lewis?

my offer was not person specific

[Pierre Lundberg]

Originally Posted by Gareth Hickling

Thats why we love sim racing! More speed! Faster, Faster!

Im glad I only do this in a sim, It would cost me thousands of pounds in repair bills in real life.

I think my parents are too after my father watched me crash on Monza one time He should only know how many more times iv had contact with other than the road

Originally Posted by Attila Domján

my offer was not person specific

Hehe, fast answers and great people. I love this forum

Edit: Here you go guys
The Attachement is with the default setup, just some minor tweaking of the 6th gear. 1.40.xxx i think

FileShack
This one is with your setup Atti, 1.39.xxx
(file was to large to attach)
Cheers

[Carlos Moutinho]

Originally Posted by Gareth Hickling

I was going to add, Ive been sim racing for a few years now, Whatever I try im just not one of the fast guys. Still its no matter to me, We have just as much fun at the back of the grid!

Same here

[Christopher Aponte]

i see if i can help also a bit
just post the replay ;)

[Lewis Fergusson]

Ill go knock a few laps in around Spa in a minute and come back and post the replays.

[Lewis Fergusson]

RapidShare: Easy Filehosting
I ran wide once, and lifted unnecessarily once as well. Oh and braked way early into bus stop only because i'd ****ed it up earlier on.

[Simon Trendell]

Pick a track & car and set the fastest lap you can. Then forget about it do some club events & come back to it a month later. I've done this for the first few months (Jan ~ Mar) and I actually improved by a second. Granted that combo was the E90 & Porto which I LOVE! But now I've slowed as the extra bits are hard to get as I've hit where I can sort of lap.
Everyone has a talent wall, some are just a bit smaller than others.

[Eckblad]

Hi guys.
Besides from running thousands of laps on selected tracks to get better are there any short cuts to become faster - and I am not talking about cheating.
If you compare the makes can you point out one single car and honestly say that it has some kind of advantage over the others.?
Just a quick question from a backmarker who is short of talent and time.
For the record I have tried all the cars on a selected track in an offline race weekend. Could not really feel any difference so for the last couple of months I have been driving the Honda solely.
Cheers Eckblad

[Jacco Cornelissen]

I always load a ghost from a very fast player and try to catch him
It always cost me at least 30 laps to get close or stay a few meters behind him
But it can be fast enough for group 2.

[Pierre Lundberg]

Here's another replay from the SPA event Wasnt 100% comfortable with the track, seemed very slippery in some places.
Thank you for your time!
Ps. Will most probably be on Spa again tomorrow

[Andrew Evans]

lewis.... i watched you lap a couple round spa earlier on... i'm nothing like a fast guy (yet!)... but in my opinion the root of your probs is that yer over-driving....

i'd basically say you need to slow down and smooth out.... cause you seem to miss a lot of apexes... generally you go into corners too fast and then over-compensate at the next one and approach too slowly... in that situation you then apply too much power in the corner and understeer off...

what i'd do is start running some time attacks - not competitively on the boards, but against yourself.... use your own ghost to improve your lines and approaches to corners and you'll soon start to see where one thing works and another doesn't...

i'd try and stick with the same car for a bit - pick something more touring like and not anything animal like the f3000 - and just get a feel for it - gradually building up your speed...

hope this helps in some way or other....

(e)

[Attila Domján]

I downloaded both laps around Spa, gonna have a look at them soon.

[Attila Domján]

Okido, i watched both replays, for both you guys my advice would be to learn the track and racing lines, braking points etc much more precisely, all the times are lost on not proper racing lines and not using the track possibilities on full width of the tarmac (or when it is off to the green no doubt there is a time loss of course) Generally precision driving is rewarded with fast laptimes.

Also both cars seemed to be a little too much oversteering to me, when the car gets sideways it means loss of time. Try to stiffen the front anti roll bar, and/or soften the rear to get rid of this effect.

I did not had a lap with WTCC around Spa so made one now to show what i mean with using the track fully and trying to drive precisely around, it is a 2:31.2, still it is not perfect but i think it shows the point i am trying to say. 2:30 is definetely possible with WTCC cars.

Cheers: Atti

[Pierre Lundberg]

Thanks Atti, i watched your replay and your right, i dont use all the track. I'v now got the oversteering problem over with and set a time at 2.34.551. Pretty happy with it but the setups need some more tuning. Especially on gears, should i make them longer to make more topspeed? I also put FF on which i think stops me from turning the wheel too fast. Result: Smoother driving i think
Now, my next problem. I was going to let you guys have a look at my best time, but i cant find the Hotlap... Is this because i made a better time in a F3000 car yesterday?
Thanks