rec.autos.simulators

If the start is clean, I'll stay in, even if I'm dead last and losing ground.

Trips

Curiously, I think generally I've seen it in the open rooms.

Hey!  I resembl . . . , er,  . . . RESENT that!

:^/

Advice from a guy with a slow system.  If you only race against 5 cars, YOU'LL
NEVER SEE SURTEES!!!!  There you go, I knew my crappy computer would be
valuable to help someone.

Don McCorkle
Libertarian Motorsports

- Michael

% >% Every time I brake early, someone runs into the back of me 2 seconds
% >% later... sigh...
% >
% >Move off line.  If they are truly faster, they won't be around long for
% >you to worry about.  If they aren't, chances are they will blow the turn
% >and you shouldn't see them again, once you get by. ;-)

% I really did mean 2 seconds later... some people just don't pay attention
% in the races! I can be a whole straightaway ahead of them, but as soon as
% I brake early, wham, they hit me ;)

% I'm one of those slower computer/driver people you read about in the
% tabloids, but I try to be very courteous out there (maybe I'm more
% gentlemanly cuz I'm a lady?), and I will always let the obviously faster
% car go on by me...

I must admit, that I have on occasion run over a slower driver by
mistake.  This is usually because I have followed them a bit around part
of the track and they are doing fairly well.  I can tell they are
slower, but all of a sudden, when the hit what should be a fast turn on
the course (the bend at Rouen going into the long back straight), they
let up alot.  Sometimes these things just happen.  Apparently they are
just unsure of themselves and the track and do just the opposite one
would expect.  I try real hard not to run over anybody (the faster folks
usually don't have anything to worry about <G>).

A couple of times of late at Monaco, I've learned how patience can
really pay off.  I've been stuck behind slower cars (sometimes lappers
who are color blind and see the blue flag as green "keep racing hard").
My patience of not forcing a pass presented me with a 1st, 2nd, and a
3rd on different occasions.  And this has been from having to start way
back due to first lap mayhem (ahemm).

This is still all new to all of us (even the old timers).  And even
though we are complaining abit, things aren't as bad as they were when
we first started racing GPL online.
--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

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

PRC stands for Pro Racing Club.

We are a group of clean drivers.  We still make mistakes (See Remco's
reply above),
but far less than you see on open races.

With a group of clean racers you can host your own series (for the group)
and
be satisfied you won't have crazy people join.  I hold a weekly spec race
Fridays
for the group -- check the sig for the URL and choose PRC Spec race for
more
information.

The only way into the PRC is by a recommendation by other members.
If your interested, email me -- use the email from my webpage.

Thanks,
Jason.

Mike

Well,  I did realize on thing real quick.  Once when I had a guy who was
rcing for postion with me and He was a bit quicker,  I let him by and he
showed me how to pass the guy infront of me.  Then after a few laps he
popped his motor so I gained back the postion I gave away and he gave me
some insight into getting by the guy I was behind for 3 laps.

Passing lapped cars is tough too.  Most guys don't see that blue flag, I
think,  especially if they are in a postion fight of their own.  Having to
follow lapped cars is tough but is part of racing,  I personally don't
expect any room given when trying to pass a lapped car,  They may be having
problems just keeping up, so filling their mirriors may be enough to get
by.

Dave

I've had many races where my qualifying times are around 131 at Monza,
and there are 3 or 4 ahead with times from 128-130. Lets says they all
have a startline bingle, and I find myself leading. As they slowly
catch me up, should I move over and let them past?

It's a dilemma I am often faced with, and I think it depends on the
circumstances. Generally, if I'm not actually being lapped, I feel it
is fair enough for me to hold my usual line. Where it gets tricky is
on those corners where I need all the track, eg the 1st Lesmo. There,
if I am to get a decent lap time, I have to skid from the left of the
track to the right as I enter the corner. This, however, makes it
impossible for anyone behind to pass safely. So should I, say, stick
to the inside line and therefore lose half a second but allow the cars
behind to pass on the outside if they're good enough? or just keep
driving normally and hope those behind have the patience to pick a
different spot to pass?

I usually base my decision on my perception of the speed difference.
That is, if they seem considerably quicker than me, best to let them
through as quickly as possible and try to follow them. But if they are
only marginally quicker, or if the race has only a few laps to run
(say the last quarter of the entire race), then I usually will drive
normally, or even a little defensively.

By defensively, I mean I will take the inside line down the straight
to the Parabolica (for example), so if they want to pass, they will
have to go around the outside. Also, I may slow a little more than
usual mid corner in order to get the best possible drive out of the
corner - this again makes the car behind earn their position if they
want to overtake. (Only a little slower I stress -  my overall lap
time would be the same as normal)

It is, however, not always easy to know what the "right" thing to do
is. I especially worry about how much the problems with the net and
lag etc add to the difficulties of those overtaking - ie I don't want
to keep people behind me just because to them I'm warping all over the
track so they can't get past. So I tend to err on the side of letting
people through, when perhaps in a lag free world I would have fought
it out. (I did that last week - let a car behind through -  only to
realise there was only 1 lap to go and I had just surrendered 3rd
place - and ended up less than a second behind at the finish. Clearly
(in retrospect) I had every right to NOT let the car through on that
occasion anyway!)

So I do agree about ALWAYS letting lappers through. But when you're on
the same lap, it just depends on the circumstances.

Cheers

Alan.

% I think you get shown a blue flag when ANYONE comes up behind you, not
% just someone who is lapping you. I do agree completely that if you're
% being lapped, you should, if possible, move off the racing line to let
% them through.

When GPL is working properly the blue flag works differently during
practice and race.  During practice anytime a car gets within a certain
following distance from you, a blue flag is waved to inform you that
there maybe a faster car attempting to pass you.  Common racing
etiquette says you should move offline at the next "safe" part of the
track to allow them to pass.  However, as has been mentioned in other
posts, if you are on that "hotlap" during your qualifying run, go for
it.

However, the blue flag is used differently during the race in GPL (and
it almost always works right -- the only expection is during clock
smashes or then the checkered is being displayed at the S/F line).
Again, it is only common race driver etiquette (but also a "safety"
issue) to heed the blue flag advisory as soon as it is safely possible.
If you are doing hot battle with another car, just be aware that someone
will be attempting to pass you and they are probably a whole lot faster
than you are.  

From the GPL README.TXT file:  

Blue: The blue flag means that a car is approaching you from behind and
may wish to pass.  This is an advisory flag only.  You are not required
to let the car pass.  In races, the blue flag is only displayed if the
car behind is one or more laps ahead of you.  This usually means that it
is a faster car, so pay more attention to it in races.

<snip>

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

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

   The same applies to the terrible starts that are so common. It's like
a demolition derby. By now you would think the these over zealous
drivers would realize that 2 cars can't occupy the same section of track
at the same time. Brake a little earlier till the field thins out. Why
just last night,I only qualified 14th out of 20 cars. Yet after the
usual 1st lap crash heading into the 1st turn braking points, I slowed
way down and off line. I crossed the start/finish line for lap 2 in 4th
place.

Joel Willstein

You're right, it's not easy to know, but you seem to have it figured out.
You're the kind of guy I wish all race fields were made up of.  People who
think like this should be the only ones allowed to have modems.

Don McCorkle
Libertarian Motorsports