rec.autos.simulators

The same thing applies to being lapped as attempting to lap.  Patience!
Take the time to access the driver's skills and method of attacking the
course.  For instance, while being shown the blue flag, observe the car
approaching, if they are constantly darting back and forth from mirror
to mirror, be extremely cautious as you have an impatient hotshoe on
your tail.  In this case it is best to not make any attempts to slow or
move off line, as the driver behind you isn't really in control of his
car or his emotions.  Try not to hog the road (i.e., don't ride down the
middle of the road).  Patiently wait for the hotshoe to show his hand,
and then when they attempt to pass ease off the throttle just enough to
let them by while holding your line.

In another example where you have a faster car approaching and you sense
they are holding their line patiently awaiting the chance to pass... As
long as the driver behind is not on your tail but slightly off to
oneside, the best place to provide a passing point is going into (or out
of a turn).  Brake a little bit early as you approach the turn while
holding your line and attempt to go wide (if the car behind is on your
inside), give plenty of room in the apex, allowing the faster car the
preferred line.  If all works well, you should be able to accelerate out
of the turn without having too much lost time.  Again, this usually only
works when you have a patient driver attempting to lap you.  

I tend to allow the impatient drivers the opportunity to pass on the
straights (as I can't trust them to make a proper pass in a turn).
While on the other hand, if the faster car exhibits patience and cannot
pass me on their own on the straight, I attempt to allow them their
opportunity in the turns.

One thing to keep in mind as a faster car attempting to lap a
backmarker.  They will not necessarily see a blue flag until you are
within a certain distance and only if there happens to be a marshall
available to wave a flag.  Be patient and allow them time to realize
that they are indeed being pursued by a car that is about to lap them.
Also keep in mind that they are about to be lapped because their driving
skills are more than likely not as honed as yours.  Did I say
"patience"?  Most (not all) drivers about to be lapped are more nervous
about your presence and not wanting to get in the way that they are more
prone to mistakes if you attempt to banzai them.  Patience is the key to
passing backmarkers, take your time to access their skills and things
should work out okay.

Now for the soapbox....  I don't understand the few backmarkers that are
extremely slow in the turns (braking early and hard and hogging the
line), but then think they should be able to drag race the faster car
down the straight, preventing a clean pass and thus repeating this
procedure at the next turn.  If, as a backmarker, you feel that you need
to hog the line attempting a turn, that's fine, as we would rather see
you not wreck and take us both out.  But, for heaven's sake, let the car
pass you upon exiting the turn and before the next turn comes up.
Remember that the lapping car didn't come up on you because they felt
your were lonely way back in the field and just needed someone (anyone)
to race with.  :-)

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I too was doing an int long race at the Glen a few nights ago. some geek in
a Honda realised that I was much faster through the esses and tried to slow
me while by brake testing me. After the crunch we proceeded to t4 where he
(now following) decided not to bother using brakes at all. The resultant
crash lost me a very hard earned third place (with about 5 laps of the 33 to
run).

I decided to retire and challenge him about his tactics. For my efforts I
got a load of 'flame' abuse. Something that I have not seen on VROC before.
When are these people going to learn that GPL is not
Doom or other shoot em up games requiring this mentality.

BTW I was lapping this guy for the third time.

Mark

now if we could just get all the online GPL'rs to read this,,, AND
practice it.

thanks Michael, as always you're right on target.
Bo Bruce

Dave

Agreed.

Also agreed.

Again, what's with the attitude?  Who said anything about "my rules"?  I was
just asking for suggestions and clarifications.   Was your daddy too strict
when you were a baby?  Are you a member of a Patriot organization tired of
being told what to do by the government?  What gives?

Dave Ewing

I generally find it best to make a very positive move offline exiting
onto a straight, then back off enough to let them power past.

Cheers!
John

    It was not my intention to ***.  That was why I placed those ";-)" faces
there.  I just typed faster then my brain.  Either way, You do have to remember
that there are race series that have there rules and then there are "pick up"
races where there are no set rules.  If you were to have rewritten your first
statement I would have understood that you were just trying to get some info on
passing procedures and hope that others would learn from or at least be more
aware of those procedures.  It is a good thing to help those that don't know how
to be passed as well as those that don't know how to pass.  More then once I've
come up on drivers that don't know either of those.  I just get out of the way
of the "faster driver", and for the slower cars I just sit back and wait till
they make up their mind what they are going to do "safely'.

    If I'm passing I look at it as... each and every inch I travel down the
track I think of more and more ways the slower driver *will* react and try to
make a disition as to when I should pass, If at all.

    If I'm being passed I do the same as the above and come up with as many
sinareos as possible to make up my final disition.

    --
=========================================
Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing?
MikeBa on the TEN network.
Member of R.O.R. 1999
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~marknjess/noflame.html
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--Dave