iRacing

Man of Honour
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20 Dec 2004
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Tamworth
Four races in the Skippy tonight and four top ten finishes, Zandvoort has to be one of my favourite tracks.

Might do some practice laps in the GT3 to see where I am time wise and whether it's worth risking it.
 
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Associate
Joined
4 Mar 2010
Posts
2,085
Zandvoort was fun in most cars i tried, might be because it was new to me to race on. It was my first GT3 track and the BMWs first season, couldnt drive the 911 for love nor money (i tried it on tracks i knew well) and got it swapped/refunded for the Z4 and everything just fell into place. It was a 90min race too, did about 2hr practice and jumped into a race, spent most of it just following and waiting on mistakes or clear opportunities, but it was a lot of fun. Dont think i tried it much in Race07 or w/e titles it'd been in, so only knew it from watching DTM races.

One of the skippy races i was going through the field and got onto the s/f straight with 2 ahead of me, who both shot over to cover the inside line into T1, i'd stayed to the middle of the track, about half overlap to their left, and managed to outbreak them into T1 and would have had them both around the outside if the guy on the inside was fair (i think the first guy braked early cos he wasnt familiar with the right brake point from the inside - something well worth practicing before you get put into that situation, do a few off-racing line laps in practice), he basically pushed off the inside and showed me to the gravel. Its a cracking corner for outside passes though, just enough camber to allow for you to roll it in a little later and challenge someone on the ideal line, provided they play fair, and then the next corner, if you're still side by side, see's who's got the biggest balls :D

Oulton was nice in the Skippy too, found T2 to be a real pain though but that was my first skippy track (a weird coincidence happening here) and i didnt license in until the Sunday iirc leaving little time to learn its quirks and get into a couple of races (think i did the last 3 i could make before the switch).
Most of the tracks/combos i never tried till the week started, or a few days beforehand, im not great at swapping combos, tend to forget everything bar the basics :( i think theres a couple of tracks i bought and then never even tried, and i only bought the tracks i wanted for the coming season to make the minimum. mainly cos of being short of cash and lack of reason to spend multiple hrs to get upto speed with nobody i used to race with playing iracing. Still have $100+ credit, just in a stupid position of not wanting to waste it buying a 3mo sub at the higher monthly rate, the 1yr sub and only playing for 3mo before the same thing happens, and not doing anything and wasting $100 on credit i dont use. The idea of wasting that credit is as annoying as having already spent it and it doing nothing.
 
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Associate
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
1,647
Anyone brave/daft enough to do GT3 up and down the mountain at Bathurst this week?

Think I might give it a couple of goes in the BMW.

I'll probably do it in the McLaren, I tried last season in the BMW and just couldn't get it to work for me. I've found a happy balance with the McLaren now where I don't feel it is going to bite me for no reason
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
7,041
Location
Melksham
No racing for me recently/'soon', my windows install went and died on me, shut down (with some updates) one day and a couple of days later windows won't boot, trying to enter safe mode blue screens so I'm a bit screwed, now not been bothered to re-install for a bit (no dvd drive installed which doesn't help and not/wasn't planning to update to W10 just yet)

Half tempted to give linux a go, but just know it'll be crap for gaming (which is that pc's sole purpose), or just say sod it and install W10. meh, just as I get the pc setup again in the new house as well :p
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
No racing for me recently/'soon', my windows install went and died on me, shut down (with some updates) one day and a couple of days later windows won't boot, trying to enter safe mode blue screens so I'm a bit screwed, now not been bothered to re-install for a bit (no dvd drive installed which doesn't help and not/wasn't planning to update to W10 just yet)

Half tempted to give linux a go, but just know it'll be crap for gaming (which is that pc's sole purpose), or just say sod it and install W10. meh, just as I get the pc setup again in the new house as well :p

Windows 10 is ok, as with all new versions of Windows you find you're asking yourself "why did they do that?" or "why did they hide that there?" But for gaming it's fine, I haven't had any issues with it as far as iRacing is concerned. Apart from the problems that iRacing is having all on it's own.

Just tried some practice laps of Bathurst. That's a whole level of skill required that I simply don't have. I'm four seconds away and at that pace I feel like I could loose the car at any moment.

Probably spent too much time in the Skippy and can't adjust to the speed difference. So trying to relearn the GT3 cars at Bathurst isn't the best place to start.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
7,041
Location
Melksham
The main reason I hadn't already upgraded to W10 was the likelyhood of upgrading sometime early this year, although that doesn't look like a huge issue from some reports I'm still wary that they'd refuse to re-activate. There's also the whole 'spying' thing which I'm not overly fond of, and more recently their annoying push to 'force'/nag W7 users to upgrade, but those are fairly minor really.

Still not sure when/if I'll upgrade and it's looking more likely to be SSD (which I could do now if needed) and CPU (which I don't think deactivates windows when the motherboard etc is kept the same, G3258 to 4690/4790k)

I was kinda hoping that before the end of the free upgrade period for W10 there'd be some movement from the SteamOS/linux gaming side of things, even potentially the DX11 update for iRacing also including OpenGL for a native Mac/Linux client. I like to dream :p

But this has forced my hand I guess, need to reinstall anyway and seems to make the most sense to go W10, just might try Linux briefly beforehand...
 
Associate
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
1,647
Don't worry about being a long way off the pace at Bathurst

The fast guys are REALLY fast there as there is so much time to be made up on the mountain if you are good at it (I'm not!)

I raced it last time round in GT3, actually did ok. You'll find loads of people bin it into the walls so you can do well by just running a clean race
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
The iRating system has got to be the most unfair thing on the planet.

Race 1 Car#10 Start 4th Finish 4th iRating +64
Race 2 Car#8 Start 8th Finish 7th iRating +26
Race 3 Car#18 Start 13th Finish 8th iRating +40
Race 4 Car#11 Start 7th Finish 7th iRating +24
Race 5 Car#6 Start 9th Finish 8th iRating -7
Race 6 Car#4 Start 5th Finish 4th iRating +37

So that's every race but one I've out qualified my car number as well as finishing equal or better than where I started. I also only had 3 incidents in total.

My total iRating gain was 184

Then in the 7th race I had a guy spin in front of me and although I tried to avoid him, we collided. My car was completely wrecked and undriveable, so a two and a half minute tow put me last and so far behind I withdrew and forfeit. But not before seeing him drive away totally unscathed while I waited for a tow.

As a result:

Race 7 Car#10 Start 13th Finish 17th iRating -77

So that's nearly half my iRating gains gone in one unlucky race.

Yet my best performance of being the 2nd lowest rated driver in the top split, with the highest SoF of any of those seven races, where I out qualify my rank by 5 places and finish 10 places better than my rank, nets me just 40 iRating.

Not happy :mad:
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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15,239
Location
The land of milk & beans
Yep it happens. It's an ELO system, so you give iRating to anyone who finishes in front of you and receive iRating from those behind you. The amount you get depends on the difference between your starting ratings.

It hurts more when get the point you're gaining ~20 for a win but losing ~200 for getting tagged in T1 on lap 1.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
And I get rammed by the car behind me, again.

And my car is toast, again.

Yet he drives off unscathed, again.

And hits two other cars, again.

Yet drives away unscathed, again, again.

And the website dies, again.



Yet still finishes in the top ten, again.
 
Associate
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
1,647
Not a great run at Bathurst last night in GT3, started back in 21st as I screwed up qually

Then there was a massive shunt coming onto the pit straight, tried to avoid it but still got tagged from behind. Luckily the car was still driveable but with bent steering made it tough going over the mountain

Thankfully though it's a race of attrition so I still managed to claw back to 16th

The weird thing is despite the crash I still got .45 SR gain
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
15,239
Location
The land of milk & beans
And I get rammed by the car behind me, again.

And my car is toast, again.

Yet he drives off unscathed, again.

And hits two other cars, again.

Yet drives away unscathed, again, again.

And the website dies, again.



Yet still finishes in the top ten, again.
I'd protest him. If there's a guy who's driving like a tool and causing multiple incidents in a race then I would imagine he'll get a talking to about his driving standards.

Nim gets a lot of stick, but people tend to protest for stupid things that are clearly racing incidents. For legitimate cases I've found him to be on the money. Just make sure to highlight all the incidents in the replay to make it easy for him.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
I always forget to save the replay.

I have learned to get used to it happening, because that's the nature of the game. We aren't professional drivers, latency plays a part sometimes and driving in the Skip Barber series means more inexperienced drivers.

The main thing gets to me is I get totally wrecked yet the driver who hit me had a slightly damaged front wing. My car had four wheels all pointing in different directions and a totally mangled rear wing. I couldn't even limo back to the pits under my own steam so I had to get a tow.

I know the unrealistic crash physics are made worse by latency, but surely they could code in some compensation for it?

And while I'm moaning, the weather is a joke too. I'm not convinced that air temperature and humidity would alter lap times by 3 seconds in real life.
 
Associate
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The Skip is a bit of a nightmare in a crash, it is just so delicate and as you say some tool punting you from behind often ends in a bent wheel

Sometimes they are just racing incidents but when you know it is the driver being a tool it is so frustrating!

This is where to appeal of tin tops is to me, you can survive a couple of accidental knocks most of the time, the standard of driving in RUF cup is pretty good. GT3 really is a mixed bag, if you make it through the start then generally it will be ok

I don't know if the Formula Renault will be any sturdier than the skip and assuming it will be a C class series then there might be slightly higher driving standards
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
I tend to stick to tend Skippy for a couple of reasons.

Races are hourly, they only take about 40 minutes to complete from warm up though to the end of the race. No car set ups required and the cars are small enough to allow close racing at any track. Participation is good at almost anytime of day or night.

I keep giving the Kia and the Ruf Cup a go but I struggle to get within my own 2 seconds of the best drivers benchmark.

The GT3 is very track dependant for me on whether I'd be interested in racing any particular week.

And because I like playing other games and my game time is limited then I know I can jump in the Skippy at most tracks and be up to my fastest within a few laps of practice
 
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Associate
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5 Oct 2004
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1,647
I'm very similar in that I'll always do a skip race because I can be on the pace I want to be and the frequency of the races and participation but I think that is also it's downfall in that you can attract a pool of bad drivers

The RUF Cup takes some time to get used to the car but once you do it's great, I really enjoy driving it

I agree with you on GT3, sometimes I just cannot get close on pace but I seem to be fairing a bit better this season in the McLaren. I do enjoy the GT3 races though with big grids
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,066
Location
Tamworth
I'm on the verge of quitting iRacing.

It's an absolute joke.

The only way not to get ****** every race is to punt people off.

Driving fair costs you places at best, or wrecks your race at worst.

Race one I get rammed from behind on the first lap again. No one seems to make allowances for the concertina effect on the opening lap so they smash into you, wreck your car and drive off with minimal damage.

Race two I should have finished forth. But the, I'm coming through no matter the out come, school of overtaking everyone else employs means I take the sensible approach and haemorrhage places.

Race three, even more of the same.

Except I even give room into turn one because I can see the banzai move coming, I even brake early and he still hits me in the side as I turn in. The only way to have avoided him would have been to park the car and let the entire field through.

There aren't many clear passing places at Zolder, so you have to be patient and wait for opportunities to pass cleanly. But that doesn't pay off in this game, so ramming is the only way forward.

All iRating gains from last week have gone in two races.

Just looked at other series this week.

Ruf Cup at COA, no chance.
GT3 at Zolder, that'll be even worse than the Skippy, no thanks.

I think I'll have a week off.
 
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Soldato
Joined
15 Aug 2011
Posts
4,940
I'm on the verge of quitting iRacing.

It's an absolute joke.

The only way not to get ****** every race is to punt people off.

Driving fair costs you places at best, or wrecks your race at worst.

Race one I get rammed from behind on the first lap again. No one seems to make allowances for the concertina effect on the opening lap so they smash into you, wreck your car and drive off with minimal damage.

Race two I should have finished forth. But the, I'm coming through no matter the out come, school of overtaking everyone else employs means I take the sensible approach and haemorrhage places.

Race three, even more of the same.

Except I even give room into turn one because I can see the banzai move coming, I even brake early and he still hits me in the side as I turn in. The only way to have avoided him would have been to park the car and let the entire field through.

There aren't many clear passing places at Zolder, so you have to be patient and wait for opportunities to pass cleanly. But that doesn't pay off in this game, so ramming is the only way forward.

All iRating gains from last week have gone in two races.

Just looked at other series this week.

Ruf Cup at COA, no chance.
GT3 at Zolder, that'll be even worse than the Skippy, no thanks.

I think I'll have a week off.


I honestly think there is too much of a loss, or not enough gain. Probably the loss tbh. As you said, it can take weeks to earn 4 or 5 hundred IR then some prat with no care comes and rams into you, 1st lap loss of 100ir probs. All it takes is a coupel of idiots and bam, you're back down amongst them.

GT3 at Zolder is actually quite good. Ok, I screwed up a couple of times, didn't give for the early braker and tapped him, a 4x. I lost it coming out of the final corner and the guy inside of me held me on the track and he went off. I PM'd him my apologies. After that I earned 3x in total for off tracks.
 
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