On Sun, 11 Oct 1998 08:39:04 -0700, "FLIGHT"
>Gents,
>I'm a newbie to the racing sim genre and hope you can help me with the
>following to get me started:
>1. I have the CH pro pedal from ancient time that never got used. Is this
>sufficient for serious learning of sim racing ?
>2. Do I need a steering wheel for my sim racing ? Could you recommend one ?
>3. I want how to race my real car sometime and plan to use a good sim that
>can provide me with this kind of training. Could you recommend the best sim
>for this ? I'm one of those men that don't have much a feel for how to
>control the car when skidding and sliding happens and really want to be able
>to maneuver out of those situations safely. I also want to do the cool thing
>when you speed down the road and turn with just brakes (?), or from stop and
>go you could turn left or right by punching the tail around... I have been
>driving a long time (25years) but all are city drivings, straight, turn
>slowly, change lane, park and I've never got a feel for the "safe and cool"
>driving. Thanks for all info. available.
>Please remove spam.free. when reply my emails.
>Flight
Your CH pedals will work just fine. As far as controller goes, and if
you want to use the sim for training, of course you need a wheel. I
dont know of any racecars with joysticks. Wheel choice?? - depends on
your budget. You can spend anywhere from $40 all the way up +$15,000
for a setup. Thrustmaster (www.thrustmaster.com)has some decent low
cost solutions, all thought they are a little on the "plasticy toy
side" (please no flamers, I own 3 Thrustmaster wheels, and like
them), and can be purchased at most computer retail shops. TSW
(http://soli.inav.net?~thomas/) makes probably the best wheel (as far
as feel and quality for the money). As far as the best sim goes???
Ask five people and get five different answers. In my experience (I
have been racing SCCA events for ten years and racing computer sims
for 3 years), I personally think that Papyrus (ICR2 and NASCAR2) have
the most "realistic" car physics. However, I must state that a
computer racing sim will not make you a better real world car driver
or "teach" you how to control a car, I dont care what anybody says. A
computer sim makes you react with your eyes. In the real world, if
you wait for your eyes to clue you in that the car is sliding, your in
for a ride. In the real world, you drive with your butt, you feeeel
the car with your hands and your backside. If you want to learn to
race your real car someday, I reccomend that you hunt down your local
SCCA club and join. Try a few SOLO 2 autocross events, to see if you
like it. The BMW Club of North America reguraly puts on "driving
schools" where you can take your own car to a natural terrain raod
course, and let you out on it same with the Porsche Club. There are
many, many racing schools thruought the country, pick up any racing
magazine and look at the adds in the back. Buy a racing sim to enhance
your enjoyment of motor racing, not to teach you how to drive.
Good luck and hppy racing!!!
Wheels down, pointy end forward!!
Steve
