rec.autos.simulators

by **Disgruntled Go** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 01:17:18

I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group
who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-)

Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know
it's asked all the time... but i'm bored)

DG

by **Maxx** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 04:35:26

DG,

I raced for about 4-5 years in the early 90s, maionly Saloons at Club
Level. Did a couple of Formula Vauxhall Junior Racers and a couple
of exhibition "races" in Formula Vauhall Lotus. Plus a few odd's and
sod's.

I was UK Vauxhall Astra Champion in 1994 and was 3rd in the Jim
Russell 1990 World Scholarship but neither of those would carry
any great notoriety.

I have had my picture in Autosport though, twice in fact, probably
the summer of 93, plus there were short reviews of most of the
races I ran in in Autosport Clulb section between 1990 and 1995.

I also instructed for 2-3 years with Jim Russell school and have
taight a few guys that are still runnng, (apols for spellings) : Jan
Maggneson, Peter Dumbrekt, James Thompson. If I'd hung
around a while I may have even got to show Jensen Button a
thing or two (he was a student at JR, late 90s).

Theres also a number of current Club Racers and Rally Drivers
who I remember.

GPL is certainly the closest to real-life, in truth much of the
driving sensation is missing but the tensions of GPL racing
feels very much like the real thing (well OK, I havent had
the Racing Driver Runs yet [the gents gets very busy before a
race)).

With FF I can feel like I'm driving a car rather than playing a
game which is not true of any other sim/game.

I think GPL would help a driver attending a Racing School
providing he went with the right attitude, but as for GPL or
any other sim racers being competitive off the blocks then I
feel not.

Maxx

>I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group
>who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-)

>Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know
>it's asked all the time... but i'm bored)

>DG

by **ymenar** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 12:30:23

> I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group
> who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-)

Many, many. Most of the people here have raced in something, actually. Of
course that's a vague term, it goes from local short track to SOLO to
professional open wheel racing to rally driving to drag racing, etc...

I raced only once, in a low-class private touring car series. Finished
poorly, also ;-)

Everything except GPL,N4,RC2k,MBTR and a severely modified F1CS doesn't come
close to reality.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.ymenard.com/
-- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how
hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Tom Adi** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 12:44:02

I race a Legends car in Michigan. 2001 will be my third season of racing.
In 2000 I was the INEX Semi Pro Champion for the state of Michigan. My
website is www.pinetreeracing.com

I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothing like
in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will come around
on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on the gas
too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seems the
track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it
doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road course to
see if it's like GPL.

Hope that answers your questions.

Tom Adis
www.pinetreeracing.com

by **Jag** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 14:56:37

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis"

What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat?
--
Jagg

by **ymenar** » Tue, 20 Feb 2001 17:33:27

> What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat?

Normal. Nothing spectacular. It does it job fairly. 1 title has surpassed
it by a mile on about every aspect of NASCAR (N4), while every other title
on the market is below NHeat in terms of quality (althought N3 was a very
well crafted game under the old game engine). Beat the heat is a good
arcade feature.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.ymenard.com/
-- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how
hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Jag** » Wed, 21 Feb 2001 03:21:06

thus spoke:

I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very
good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile. They feel
similar to me, but the car in Heat is more responsive to my steering
inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in
N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth.
--
Jagg

by **Tom Adi** » Wed, 21 Feb 2001 04:43:46

> On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis"

> >I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothing
like
> >in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will come
around
> >on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on the
gas
> >too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seems
the
> >track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it
> >doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road course
to
> >see if it's like GPL.

> >Hope that answers your questions.

> What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat?

Sorry, haven't played Heat so I can't compare.

I was thinking about the original question some more after posting. One
thing Sims do not do for me is the actual "feeling" of the whole race deal.
Nothing compares to my race day ritual of loading the car, driving to the
track, getting the car ready, hot laps, etc. I really enjoy that time I
spend at the track where I'm sitting in the staging line just before the
race. Sims are great for the driving experience but the don't compare to
the real life racing thing.

Tom Adis
www.pinetreeracing.com

by **ymenar** » Wed, 21 Feb 2001 06:31:07

> I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very
> good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile.

It's by a mile, easily. The Papyrus game engine models things that no other
game engine can even think of modeling.

Absolutely.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.ymenard.com/
-- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how
hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Jag** » Wed, 21 Feb 2001 09:18:36

thus spoke:

I guess I haven't played it enough to notice yet. I have noticed the
N4 cars get air easier though.

I've never driven at those speeds so I will have to try it someday.
:-)
--
Jagg

by **Mike Donnelly J** » Sat, 24 Feb 2001 12:15:15

> I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very
> good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile. They feel
> similar to me, but the car in Heat is more responsive to my steering
> inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in
> N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth.

According to most drivers, they tend to be very bumpy. Then again, you have to
look at the speeds they're going and the suspension they use. For a street car,
they're probably as smooth as silk.

by **Jagg** » Sat, 24 Feb 2001 13:32:31

On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 03:15:15 GMT, Mike Donnelly Jr

>According to most drivers, they tend to be very bumpy. Then again, you have to
>look at the speeds they're going and the suspension they use. For a street car,
>they're probably as smooth as silk.

Yea, I could see a very small bump being accentuated greatly when you
ae driving at those speeds.

by **Race15** » Sun, 25 Feb 2001 07:28:24

Had the opportunity to ride with IRL driver Scott Sharp in a 2000 Dodge
Intrepid street car at the new ChicagoLand Motor Speedway in Joliet Illinois
last October. The car was "as smooth as silk" on this track at speeds above
130 mph. He did say that this particular track had the smoothest lain asphalt
he had ever drove upon, NASCAR driver John Andretti, driving an identical car,
agreed.
They were both quick to point out that this was "not" the norm. Most tracks
are extremely bumpy due to the problems that arise when laying either asphalt
or concrete at the degrees of banking that many tracks require.
Mike

by **Mike Donnelly J** » Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:18:06

Of course, give it 3-5 years and it won't be quite as smooth with all the wear and
tear it will have by then.

> Had the opportunity to ride with IRL driver Scott Sharp in a 2000 Dodge
> Intrepid street car at the new ChicagoLand Motor Speedway in Joliet Illinois
> last October. The car was "as smooth as silk" on this track at speeds above
> 130 mph. He did say that this particular track had the smoothest lain asphalt
> he had ever drove upon, NASCAR driver John Andretti, driving an identical car,
> agreed.
> They were both quick to point out that this was "not" the norm. Most tracks
> are extremely bumpy due to the problems that arise when laying either asphalt
> or concrete at the degrees of banking that many tracks require.
> Mike

by **hobbi** » Fri, 16 Mar 2001 06:51:43

>inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in
>N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth.

I can't speak for any other track on the circuit but Watkins Glen
(road course). I got to ride my Katana 600 around there last summer
at speed and couldn't believe how smooth it was! It was so smooth
that it looked like glass, and took me awhile to get the hang of
letting it all hang out on what "appeared" to be a very slippery (but
in reality like GLUE) track! :)

Then again, I was on two wheels, versus four.....FWIW <shrug>

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rec.autos.simulators

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