rec.autos.simulators

Are you crazy???  It might help with the mental aspect, i.e. concentration
and learning the tracks.  But that is it!!!!  I thought the transition would
be a cinch after kick some sim ass for four or five years.

Last summer I began racing 100cc sprint Karts on asphalt road courses.  They
have a straight line speed around 90mph and on the road course the average
is somewhere around 50mph.  I met alot of great people who have helped me a
great deal.  So this isn't some detuned thing you drive at magic mountain or
a driving school (they aren't good to put you in a car you can blow up or
wreck after all).   And as for the kid who is the next "shuey"  he and his
kart had a huge weight advantage.  Put him in with a group his age at the
local kart track and see what he does.  The world is full of coulda and
shoulda.

The differences are tremendous.  As a new Kart racer the first race is
terrifying.  After several months of practice and dreaming about it you are
on the grid for a rolling start with 15 other guys/girl who have been doing
it alot longer and are extremely faster.   So you start to race your
new/used kart (which you just spent $2000 to $5000 to purchase) are you
willing to stick your nose in.....Not that I even had to make that decision
I don't think so.

Applying power??????  Karting, the usable power band is extremely narrow,
from 9,000rpm to about 14,000rpm which is controlled by a centrifugal
clutch.  No wheel spin.   Brakes?????? they only have a single disk on the
rear axle.  Ya your gonna lock them up.  Pick a gear ratio, rejet the carb
for temp and humidity,  Both tasks take about an hour with hand tools.  How
about *** build up on the tires???  Take another 20 minutes to clean them
off.  Ya I get off line and pick some up,  but if you don't drive hard
enough to get heat in the tires you will pick it up on the racing line.
Harder than it sounds,

Visibility out of a full faced helmet is poor and you cannot hear anyone
coming up on you.  Hopefully the flag marshals are good (blue, I see it
alot).  Don't worry if the leader comes up on you and he gets held up he
will give you a tap with the chrome horn to let you know he is back there.
Try to watch the track, a exhaust, head and rpm gage so don't stick $1200
worth of motor.  Very difficult.

The physical aspect surprised me the most.  The G forces in the corners were
the hardest to get used too.  When you need air the most the corner forces
it out of your lungs.  So what do you do, hold your breath??? I have since
started a comprehensive physical training program.  Karts have no power
steering so my weight and the cart weight and steering it under braking was
hard.    Mix in an abrasion resistant driving suit, neck brace and full face
helmet  the heat was amazing.   Air temp 90 degrees, sunny, 80% humidity.
10 minutes of racing takes an hour to recover from.  My hats off to Ricky
Rudd, what a drive.

You ask why I am so worried about money, well I am an independent with no
sponsorship.  cubic dollars = speed.  If I bend or break the chassis that is
it for my season.  I will have to save for a replacement next year.

That isn't even getting into technique, driver etiquette and building a fast
kart.  Who ever coined "Rubbing is racing" never ran open wheel.  I haveseen
a few fights over wrecks.

You can't compare your virtual racing experience to a real one ever.  If you
do you already are lost.

Keep the shiny side up
Jerry

--
Jerry Gundrum

On Mon, 18 Jan 1999 19:05:28 -0600, "Jerry Gundrum"

<big snip of a great real life experience>

Exactly my point, your post pretty much summed it up. Those threads
about how a computergame/sim can prepare you for the real thing are
getting hilarious. Some folks really should take a few days off :).

--Tel

Jerry,

how many decent kart sims have you raced? ones that gave you any idea of
clutchless operation, and 3 - 4000 rpm power bands and the fury that is
close kart racing.

I raced cars and karts (still do) for many years before racing sims. It
certainly helps that way round. I flew flight sims before I flew real planes
and still use flight sims to pratice on now... to improve my real flying.

I think sims certinly do help but not to the degree to which you seem to
have thought it might. Once you get over the initial learning of the real
life situation (i.e. the "physicalness" of it), even if you don't know it I
think it will help you. One day you'll find someone trying to take you into
a  corner and going in a little hot and instead of following him in you'll
ease off a bit, get a better line and get on the power sooner and take your
place back on the exit of the corner where did you learn how to do that?

I'm not imlying for a second that sims make you a top contender but they
have something to offer.

as ever IMHO :-)

-Lindsay

The only main differences between sim racing and real life racing are the
mental and physical drains. Very much mental over physical. Simracing in
many ways is comparable to real life racing, strategies, timing, skill etc
etc, with a few more things added in, like careers and money, (and shift r
:)  ) it would make people loose their sence of immortality, and add more of
a mental aspect to sim racing. If you cannont compare a very accurate sim to
real life racings in some ways, you are doing something wrong, but also if
you think you can go from a sim to racing without any previous expereince,
your in for a big shock....

Thats not an extremely narrow power band. My old '94 125gp bike had a
powerband from 10,000-12,000. anywhere else it was virtually unusable.

1 hour? It wouldnt take that long on a bike.. to change the jets easy
15mins, change the gearing 10..

Dont know about you, but i can see fine out of mine.

Just the same thing you do in a sim, just you dont have money to worry
about.

I have been in karts, but cornering g-forces dont equal braking forces under
hard braking. Try going 240-90km/h in a few secs, and do that twice a lap
for 9 of them.

Try a 10kg set of leathers, and moving around constantly. Its only hot when
you stop, unless its incredible heat. If it takes 1hr to recover from a 10
min drive, you might want to change your "comprehensive physical training
program".

Greets,
             Luke

On Mon, 18 Jan 1999 19:05:28 -0600, "Jerry Gundrum"

Certain aspects you can, certain aspects you can't. As ever, the world
is rarely as black or white as it gets painted.

Cheers!
John

In which racing simulator did you kick "some sim ass"? Did you use a wheel and
pedals? Could you lock up during braking and spin you're rears during
acceleration?

/Christer
--
http://home4.swipnet.se/~w-41236/ (Read all about the "Global online
racing"-proposal under "For developers". Read it a couple of times, cause noone
has understood it the first time they've read it yet :o)).
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-41236/GplLadder/SOGL/ (Join one of the online GPL
ladders)

Yes, racing sims have something to offer.  My point is that sitting in front
of your computer (in an air conditioned, comfortable chair) even for a full
race is simple.  Minimal pain or exertion.

FYI I kicked sim ass in Nascar, Nascar 2, Indy car and Indy car 2, Grand
prix and Grand prix 2.  Along with many flight sims.
As far as a karting sim never, see one that wasn
too arcade like for my tastes.

Motorcycle racing sounds like a good time.  exhausting!

Didn't mean to insult anyone, but you cannot compare any sim racing with
doin it for real period.  I you try you need to get a life.

Interestingly, I flew radio controlled gas helicopters for 3 years
before taking any real helo (robinson R-22) lessons.

I hovered on the very first attempt, nearly perfectly, and the
instructor was baffled as to how anyone could do that.

I simply explained that flying a radio control helicopter is
considerably more difficult than the real thing :)

-Larry