rec.autos.simulators

The method I use for learning a road course is driving around it in
2nd gear and learning each turn one at a time.. Getting the  Turn
In/Apex/Track Out points right.. then getting the gearing correct.

One turn at a time is the best method for me... putter around in 2nd
then approach a turn at moderate speeds,,, then drop to 2nd putter
around,, hit that same turn again at moderate speeds.. Once I get this
turn down,, then I pick another,, then another.. Once complete I  put
the puzzle together,, then start tweaking  the Turn In/Apex/Track Out
points,, then  work on speed.. Getting out of the turns fast... etc..

I'm sure like most,, I find the helocam helpful during replays to make
sure I'm hitting the turns right and using all the track when exiting
and entering a turn...

Hey try this,, run the GT Mod V3.0 for a week then come back to Cup
cars,, you won't complain  about grip anymore more,, lol

PS: SCGT is a blast I remember running that sim a ton back in the
day.. thsoe cars are much more nimble then Cup cars... for it always
takes a while to adjust to the differences..

My jaw just dropped.  Right now I'm in the process of learning the new
layout in conjunction with still fighting with the new tire model on
the road courses(I'm proud to have my times at the Glen down to 1:18
and 1:24 at SP) but, geeze.  I don't think I could do laps like that
after 10,000 practice sessions.

Jason

thanks for the kind words.

The pure lap speed really isn't such a big thing, it comes mainly from
practice and experience. The real challenge is winning races, and there,
pure laptimes alone aren't worth that much :-)

Achim

the key is not power power power
but judicous application of brake and accel

MOst important is the setup too
get it wrong and there is nothing you can do

Glen.....then its either
error.....slightly out of
much gas.....you are
lesson" in N2K2.....but don't
have the line down.  Use
as the default....and
place will frustrate you
figured out and then its a
this is my "home race
there about 4 days a week.
part of the backcourse

TP

Maybe not absolutes....but here's food for thought Tom.

I watched the race today (of course), and enjoyed watching the in-car
footwork of Mark Martin at one point during the telecast. I watched as
he came off T11 and mashed the gas, all the way to the lift point
entering T1 (except for gear blips).

So I went and downloaded Achim's replay of the 93mph lap here. I
noticed he's able to do the same thing. I watched his replay very
closely, and he almost never feathered the throttle. It was either on
the gas 100%, or on the brake.

If I try and duplicate this feat, my car is breaking the rear tires
loose, even after using moderate acceleration, and if I stay in the
gas, the car is sideways crossing the s/f line in 4th gear and losing
traction.

Now I've tried to get the point across that you're not talking to
someone who doesn't know how to drive a road course, or an
inexperienced user of NR2002 in general. Drivers in my league will
tell you that I'm one of the best at getting around the road courses,
and for that matter, have no problems at WG in NR2002.

I've tried the defaults, I've tried Achime's, and I've tried various
other open setups here ar Sears. None will provide the traction that
will come remotely close to mimicking what we saw on the race today.

There are others who feel the same as I do about the grip levels here.
And since I have no problems with WG, I find it hard to believe that
this is a hardware issue. But there has to be a logical answer.

Is it a general consensus that faster computers provide higher levels
of grip in NR2002? I'd really like to solve this, because I'm
seriously frustrated.

                  Tim Wortman
      North American Simulation Series
               www.nasscar.com

I wouldn't know, but I can keep it mashed on a good lap there too and I'm
not even nearly on par with Achim as far as ability (at Sears and elsewhere)
goes. I use an Athlon XP2000+.

One needs to hit the right exit point and keep a good line, but it's
do-able. Lot harder with the defaults than with my own setup though.

Jan.
=---

Well, Sears just magnifies the difference between the skill levels more.  I can
run at other tracks(even online) and at *least* be able to stay out of the
way...

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...

Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Oh, and Sears sucks in NR2002, no matter what Achim says :-)

Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy

"The Pits"    http://www.theuspits.com/

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels"
--Groucho Marx--

You must mean "you suck" at Sears in N2K2?

So do I.............but I don't blame the track or the sim.

Tom

What was once a really great track is in my opinion not suited for these
Nascar floats, and quite frankly I can't see the current layout being
very good in any car, but I'll leave that up to those that know the
track better than I do, and if you say it's a lot of fun in real life,
I'll take your word for it, but for NR2002.....no thx, I'd rather race
at Monaco :-)

Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy

"The Pits"    http://www.theuspits.com/

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels"
--Groucho Marx--

Yes...."frustrating" is a word often used with drivers who work at Sears
every day (like most of the Russell School instructors).

The tack is actually getting better with all the new work being done by SMI.
I think after the entire surface is re-paved over this winter.....it will
really come to life.  And perhaps in N2003(?), Papy will do it correctly and
we'll have a good one for NASCAR racing too.  I think if you watched any of
the Sears WC race yesterday......you can see that even the top of the world
pros can be taken completely apart by Sears Point Raceway....the "favorites"
in WC were barely even running.....none were contending....at the race's
end.

Parker Johnstone is considered maybe the best driver ever at Sears Point.
He worked as an instructor there....spanning both the Bob Bondurant years
and Russell years.  He has literally thousands of hours on the track and
many sportscar, TransAm, GTP and even Indycar testing hours there.  He's
mostly retired from racing now....but does do some coaching...and some TV
commentating now and then.  I am paraphrasing something Parker said one time
while TV commentating for a TransAm race at Sears:  "I have thousands of
hours at this track in nearly every kind of race car ever made......and I've
never done a perfect lap here.  I think its impossible.  I'm at the end of
my racing career now......and if I could go back and do it all over
again....I would only change one thing:  I'd not waste my time trying
desperately to concur this track!  I firmly believe it can't be done."

I think that pretty much says it all.......regarding Sears Point.

Tom

I would be willing to bet that he wasn't hitting that pedal until the car
was straight, true and pointed exactly where he wanted it so there would be
no need for steering input during the hard accelleration.

Any sort of steering input, or instability in the car, when you mash the gas
unloads the weight from the rear tires, and thus they spin.

That's my theory, and I"m sticking with it :)

-Larry

-Larry

                  Tim Wortman
      North American Simulation Series
               www.nasscar.com