rec.autos.simulators

But in N2002 it all seems to be a bit more complicated. Sometimes I'm
driving behind a car and I simply won't go faster than him, the next
corner suddenly I seem to get a massive boost and I fly by him.
It's not clear to me how I can use the drafting to the fullest.

It gets even more complicated with a couple of cars in front of me.
Yesterday for example there was a car to the front-left and a car to
the front-right. I passed them in the middle and I got a major boost.
I don't see the logic, I would have expected more drafting power if I
would drive behind either one of the cars instead of driving behind
the middle of those 2 cars..

I studied the included drafting lesson, but a bit more in-depth info
would be appreciated :)

Andre

My only technical advice is to learn to drag on the brake instead of lifting
off the gas when closing on someone that you aren't going to pass. This
keeps the RPMs up in the engine and will slow you enough to tuck in under
their fin (not too close online, the collision detection is not world class
in the sim). I find that I have to drag on the brakes a fair amount when
nose to tail in  a pack trying to 'pass the laps' and wait for closer to the
end to make a move.

And when you get ready to make your move to the front (say, you're in second
place) its best to almost wait until the very last minute to go for the win.
Making a move off T2 on the last lap, almost assures that you we be repassed
in the T3-T4 area as the guy(s) fall into your draft and slingshot back by
you. IF you are in a line of 3 or 4, even this may not be true. Did they go
with you on your move or hang you out? Thats drafting racing...the best
thing you can try to learn is how to stay right behind someone, in their
tracks, for laps at the time. This is how you can catch someone if behind
and how you pull away if out front, I think its autochat #7 that says 'Stay
in line and work together.', LOL! It's true. Everything else is split second
decisions based on experience or your best guesstimate.

Thanks, that post was a good read. Indeed I let go off the gas in this
situation, I'll try the brake technique tonight :)

Very hard to find good technical info about drafting on the net btw
:-/

Andre

greets

At high speeds, the "cone" of highly disturbed air begins at the front
bumper, and expands laterally from there.  This is why (in N4 and
NR2002) you can stick about 1/2 of your front grill out to the side of
the car you are drafting and not break the draft.  When you go between
two cars, and they are close enough together, it is like you have
never left the draft at all.

I would hypothesize that the air betwenn two cars racing side-by-side
like this is also more turbulent than the air immediately behind
either one of them, and therefore provides an even greater draft.

One other general observation: I get the impression that the further
back in a train you are, the more pronounced will be the drafting
effect.

HTH,
Gerald

  -John

|   Dragging on the brake as Simracer said is the key IMO.  You should never
| lift, but drag the brake, sometimes you may need to press quite hard.
|   That's how it's done in the actual races too most of the time.
|
|   -John
|
|



| >
| > >My only technical advice is to learn to drag on the brake instead of
| lifting
| > >off the gas when closing on someone that you aren't going to pass.
| >
| > Thanks, that post was a good read. Indeed I let go off the gas in this
| > situation, I'll try the brake technique tonight :)
| >
| > Very hard to find good technical info about drafting on the net btw
| > :-/
| >
| > Andre
|
|
|

-John

brake and when drafting and staying in line it doesn't take

    John DiFool

Andre

Yup, and another roadie or two (real or imagined) would be nice. I've worn
out St Jovite in N4 just because I am almost tired of SP and WG...another
reason I keep NASCAR Legends installed, all the shorties and Riverside. Even
with inferior graphics and physics, they are fun. Even tho I am an admitted
NASCAR fan/racer, I will also admit that real racers CAN turn right too ;)

At least they updated the T4 area of SP so it'll be kinda new for a few
races in 2002. :)

Back OT, though, I don't like SS's and drafting either. While there is some
skill required to do it right, it is almost as much luck as to where you end
up when it comes time to try and move forward late in the race. The close
proximity to other racers also lends itself to some big messes, a lot like
real life. I can draft, I have managed some wins and good finishes in online
drafting/plate races, but it still doesn't mean I have to like it, hehe. The
new Coca Cola track on the other hand, was made for folks like me that
wouldn't mind big tracks if you eliminate (somewhat) the luck required by
taking the plates off. (Sound familiar? Try replaying your last taped NASCAR
plate race, post-race interviews, OR any interview with DE about plate
racing, LOL!) I don't blame NASCAR, I wouldn't want a good seat at Daytona
and Talladega and then get killed by an airborne car flying over the fence,
I just hate the resulting type of racing.

Depends on setup, sometimes the front car can actually get a 'push' if
entering in a line. If a car appraoches a lead car just at the corner
entrance then the rear car can force air under the lead car's rear and cause
it to be 'loose' by unweighting the rear some. Both conditions would cause a
leader to slow even while matting the gas pedal. These seem to be realistic
in the sim.

AND, peeking out from behind if not the lead car is the only way to cool a
warming engine if you have been behind someone in the draft a while and are
running too much tape. This is also why one gears for the draft, not for
running alone. You gear to run alone and end up drafting, your tach will
blink at you all the way around a SS.

 The 2 outside cars are bearing the brunt of the air 'resistance' and the
'middle' car can drive right through if enough room is there, almost
unaffected by wind until he breaks through and out of the 'cone'. I don't
know if the air is acutally more turbulent or if there is just less air
there since there would be 2 overlapping 'cones'.

Possibly, I find I have to ride the brakes when I am not first in line
period. More cars in line will equal more speed for sure tho, I hooked up in
a 'lead pack' line of 5 cars in a pickup race online the other evening with
about 22 guys in the event. We left several smaller packs behind as they
jostled about. We top 5 stayed in line and had built-up nearly 10 seconds on
the '2nd' pack by race's end. Had a good shootout at the end with 5th place
with 1 to go taking the win...it was a fixed setup race and no one wrecked
so it was a shining example of how lining up does work. Had the chase pack
lined up, I bet with 6 or 7 guys trying, they could have run us down.

Then I made a mistake, I tried to pass a car on the outside. I just
couldn't make the pass, but before I could get back in line an AI car
passed me on the inner side. And then it happened: a whole train of
cars passed me on the inside, I couldn't do anything.. 2 laps later
and I was back at #43 :-/

Lap 26 I made a stupid pass, touched an AI car, a second later there
was nothing left of my car. The crash also took out 12 AI cars.. I'll
practice some more before going online :)

Tapping the brake instead of letting go of the gas works great indeed.

Btw, drafting at Daytona works much better than at Coca Cola. This is
because the drafting effect simply becomes less at higher speeds?

Andre

Indeed.. Goy, Scott, any news about the conversions for N2002?

I think I can allready agree with this.. so much factors are involved
in a long distance race, especially with the drafting much luck seems
to be involved at the end of the race. But the drafting is damn fun in
a close pack. And I tried a race at Darlington yesterday, but I'll try
to master the SS's first before going to that track-from-hell again :)

Andre

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