Joystick to Wheel - my own little YANGA

Well, seeing as everyone else likes to post about going negative, I thought I'd do the same. And with just 3 weeks and 5 days of driving with a wheel I've managed a -2.26 ranking. :) The transition has not been without its difficulties and I'm still a long way from the driving confidence that I had when using a joystick, but me old laptimes have been tumbling nicely. Braking is still an issue, but I'm just slightly more consistent over the past couple of weeks, though catching the car is nowhere near the certainty that it used to be from the past. Plus I could really throw the car into the corners whilst right on the edge when joystick racing and still deal with whatever would happen, all the time keeping the car on the road - 99% of the time :) - whereas I'm still tiptoeing through the corners somewhat with the wheel, because if things start to go wrong I haven't yet developed the wherewithalls to know how to best deal with it and often spin out. Mind you, I'm pretty pleased with that 8:23.58 at the ring which I just did and, hopefully with continued practice can carry on in the right direction. I certainly don't feel I've reached peak yet. Btw, all laps done whilst speedshifting as I've not yet developed the technique or consistency to do this properly yet, which is also keeping me offline for now. I know I won't last more than 5 laps at most circuits unless they are at novice level with a strong possibility of many a crash or blown engine or just taking some poor bugger off the road. Anyway, I'm there, a little earlier than I perhaps anticipated too. I could get used to this. :) One more thing, does anyone know how Wolfgang Woeger's transition from joystick to wheel has gone? I've not seen or heard anything from him anywhere since doing so, and he doesn't appear to have a gplrank either. He was always a target of mine when joystick racing and so I just can't help but carry that on now that we're both using wheels. -- Peter Ives Remove ALL_STRESS before replying If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me GPLRank Joystick -50.63 Wheel -2.26

That's YANGA�(TM) if you don't mind :-) Congratulations, Tony Whitley GPLRank -0.16 P.S. You might at least make it sound as though you had s o m e difficulty going negative... Not "being able to catch the car 99% of the time" when many of us are at about 50:50 doesn't make for exciting reading!

In article <[email hidden]>, Peter Ives <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted text (18 lines)

>Braking is still an issue, but I'm just slightly more consistent over >the past couple of weeks, though catching the car is nowhere near the >certainty that it used to be from the past. Plus I could really throw >the car into the corners whilst right on the edge when joystick racing >and still deal with whatever would happen, all the time keeping the car >on the road - 99% of the time :) - whereas I'm still tiptoeing through >the corners somewhat with the wheel, because if things start to go wrong >I haven't yet developed the wherewithalls to know how to best deal with >it and often spin out. > >Mind you, I'm pretty pleased with that 8:23.58 at the ring which I just >did and, hopefully with continued practice can carry on in the right >direction. I certainly don't feel I've reached peak yet. Btw, all laps >done whilst speedshifting as I've not yet developed the technique or >consistency to do this properly yet, which is also keeping me offline >for now. I know I won't last more than 5 laps at most circuits unless >they are at novice level with a strong possibility of many a crash or >blown engine or just taking some poor bugger off the road.

You have an 8:23 at the Ring, and you've got a -ve GPLRank, but you're still tiptoeing?!? I can't even put my feelings into words right now... Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett F1 hcp. +25.37...F2 +151.26... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <9dv43t$si3$[email hidden]>, Tony Whitley <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted text (10 lines)

>That's YANGA�(TM) if you don't mind :-) > >Congratulations, > >Tony Whitley >GPLRank -0.16 >P.S. You might at least make it sound as though you had s o m e difficulty >going negative... Not "being able to catch the car 99% of the time" when >many of us are at about 50:50 doesn't make for exciting reading! >

Yeah, but that was back in my heady days of using a joystick that I could catch the car pretty much, no matter what. Can't say the same thing with using a wheel. As I said, I'm still tiptoeing through corners by comparison to how I used to drive. For example, Parabolica with a joystick used to be a simple case of brake as late and hard as possible and then throw the car into the corner. If I got it wrong by leaving it a bit too late the car would perhaps drift a bit away from the apex, but that was about it. With my wheel it's more a case of brake earlier and hope that firstly the car doesn't suddenly spin out under braking, then carefully steer in towards the apex whilst going easy on the throttle until I'm ready to start accelerating out. If I go in too deep then there's a good chance that I'll drift so wide as to be almost on the grass in a desperate attempt to avoid spinning out. I haven't as yet developed that instinctual ability that I had with the joystick that allowed me to nearly always react appropriately at any given time. Still, it's early days. ;-) PS: apologies for using YANGA without permission. How much do I owe ya? :) -- Peter Ives Remove ALL_STRESS before replying If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me GPLRank Joystick -50.63 Wheel -2.26

In article <[email hidden]>, EldredP <[email hidden]> writes >In article <[email hidden]>, >Peter Ives ><[email hidden]> writes: ><snip> >You have an 8:23 at the Ring, and you've got a -ve GPLRank, but you're still >tiptoeing?!? I can't even put my feelings into words right now... > Only in comparison to how I used to drive when using a joystick. I was driving on the edge back then and knew it, but also knew how to cope with it. As things stand now with my wheel I doubt my approach to driving is much different to yours Eldred, with every corner feeling like a journey into the unknown. If I push it any harder then it's unlikely that I'm going to complete a lap, so I feel like I'm having to go a lot more carefully than I personally know is possible when it all starts to come together. Believe me I'm well pleased to have been able to put in such a quick lap at the Ring so soon. It was actually my third and final lap before I was going to call it quits. The previous 2 had both resulted in 3 spins each and were pretty abysmal driving affairs. However, despite the 3 spins I still had managed an 8:47 in one of the laps and so I knew, if I held it together and held my nerve that I was going to get something in the 8:20s and so it prooved. Look, I'll tell you how erratic I still am. I've even managed to drive into the hedge on the long straight at the Ring when trying to set myself up for the fast lefthand sweep. It's at times like that you think to yourself, 'Why am I bothering!!' And then it's times like that 8:23 and getting that target -ve rank so soon that I think 'Yeah, it was worth sticking at it!!' -- Peter Ives Remove ALL_STRESS before replying If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me GPLRank Joystick -50.63 Wheel -2.26

"Peter Ives" wrote... > >Tony Whitley wrote > >P.S. You might at least make it sound as though you had s o m edifficulty

Quoted text (8 lines)

> >going negative... Not "being able to catch the car 99% of the time" when > >many of us are at about 50:50 doesn't make for exciting reading! > > > > Yeah, but that was back in my heady days of using a joystick that I > could catch the car pretty much, no matter what. Can't say the same > thing with using a wheel. As I said, I'm still tiptoeing through > corners by comparison to how I used to drive.

I still tiptoe through any number of corners - including most of those at the 'Ring.

Quoted text (10 lines)

> For example, Parabolica with a joystick used to be a simple case of > brake as late and hard as possible and then throw the car into the > corner. If I got it wrong by leaving it a bit too late the car would > perhaps drift a bit away from the apex, but that was about it. With my > wheel it's more a case of brake earlier and hope that firstly the car > doesn't suddenly spin out under braking, then carefully steer in towards > the apex whilst going easy on the throttle until I'm ready to start > accelerating out. If I go in too deep then there's a good chance that > I'll drift so wide as to be almost on the grass in a desperate attempt > to avoid spinning out.

Is there any other way to go round Parabolica? I thought it was supposed to be like that :-) > I haven't as yet developed that instinctual > ability that I had with the joystick that allowed me to nearly always > react appropriately at any given time. Still, it's early days. ;-) > > PS: apologies for using YANGA without permission. How much do I owe ya? > :)I'll let you off. This time. -- Tony Whitley GPLRank -0.16 "On some laps I'd get as many as fifteen corners really right, but Moss, he gets them all right on every lap" - Von Trips after the 1961 German Grand Prix.

I still tiptoe through any number of corners - including most of those at the 'Ring. Is there any other way to go round Parabolica? I thought it was supposed to be like that :-) I'll let you off. This time. -- Tony Whitley GPLRank -0.16 "On some laps I'd get as many as fif*** corners really right, but Moss, he gets them all right on every lap" - Von Trips after the 1961 German Grand Prix.

"EldredP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (13 lines)

> In article <[email hidden]>, Peter Ives > <[email hidden]> writes: > > > >Mind you, I'm pretty pleased with that 8:23.58 at the ring which I just > >did and, hopefully with continued practice can carry on in the right > >direction. I certainly don't feel I've reached peak yet. Btw, all laps > >done whilst speedshifting as I've not yet developed the technique or > >consistency to do this properly yet, which is also keeping me offline > >for now. I know I won't last more than 5 laps at most circuits unless > >they are at novice level with a strong possibility of many a crash or > >blown engine or just taking some poor bugger off the road. > > You have an 8:23 at the Ring, and you've got a -ve GPLRank, but you're

still > tiptoeing?!? I can't even put my feelings into words right now... > > Eldred > -- I think the words you are looking for are "Oh bite me" :)

Quoted text (8 lines)

>Only in comparison to how I used to drive when using a joystick. I was >driving on the edge back then and knew it, but also knew how to cope >with it. As things stand now with my wheel I doubt my approach to >driving is much different to yours Eldred, with every corner feeling >like a journey into the unknown. If I push it any harder then it's >unlikely that I'm going to complete a lap, so I feel like I'm having to >go a lot more carefully than I personally know is possible when it all >starts to come together.

That sounds about like I feel about the driving, except I don't have the personal experience of having been faster... I'm on the edge, with no benefit. Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett F1 hcp. +25.37...F2 +151.26... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Quoted text (8 lines)

>> You have an 8:23 at the Ring, and you've got a -ve GPLRank, but you're >still >> tiptoeing?!? I can't even put my feelings into words right now... >> >> Eldred >> -- > >I think the words you are looking for are "Oh bite me" :)

Shh... I'm trying to be nice...<g> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett F1 hcp. +25.37...F2 +151.26... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

<snip>

Quoted text (7 lines)

> Believe me I'm well pleased to have been able to put in such a quick > lap at the Ring so soon. It was actually my third and final lap before > I was going to call it quits. The previous 2 had both resulted in 3 > spins each and were pretty abysmal driving affairs. However, despite > the 3 spins I still had managed an 8:47 in one of the laps and so I > knew, if I held it together and held my nerve that I was going to get > something in the 8:20s and so it prooved.

I've given up on avoiding spins and off-track excursions. Now I am concentrating on keeping the car intact while doing them. Btw, did anybody notice that after the spin (even if one is going completely off the road) the car tends to return on the track (of course just in time to be hit by another car)? > Look, I'll tell you how erratic I still am. I've even managed to drive > into the hedge on the long straight at the Ring when trying to set > myself up for the fast lefthand sweep. It's at times like that youWhy "even"? It is my favourite place to crash at the Ring. It usually happen on a good lap when I am thinking whether I should push hard in the last few corners to get few extra tenths or setlle for a safe good time. Unfortunately, somebody put heages around that straight:< > think to yourself, 'Why am I bothering!!' And then it's times like > that 8:23 and getting that target -ve rank so soon that I think 'Yeah, > it was worth sticking at it!!' Alex (alexti)

In article <[email hidden]>, EldredP <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted text (11 lines)

>>> You have an 8:23 at the Ring, and you've got a -ve GPLRank, but you're >>still >>> tiptoeing?!? I can't even put my feelings into words right now... >>> >>> Eldred >>> -- >> >>I think the words you are looking for are "Oh bite me" :) > >Shh... I'm trying to be nice...<g> >

Hey, perhaps that's the problem when you drive. You're trying to drive too nicely instead of beating those nasty tracks into submission. Mind you, I think we've been there already with this one. Just had a deja vu moment. Something about 'drive it like you bought it.' Oh well, seemed like a whimsical comment at the time. ;-) -- Peter Ives Remove ALL_STRESS before replying If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me GPLRank Joystick -50.63 Wheel -2.26