Real Racers?

I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-) Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know it's asked all the time... but i'm bored) DG

DG, I raced for about 4-5 years in the early 90s, maionly Saloons at Club Level. Did a couple of Formula Vauxhall Junior Racers and a couple of exhibition "races" in Formula Vauhall Lotus. Plus a few odd's and sod's. I was UK Vauxhall Astra Champion in 1994 and was 3rd in the Jim Russell 1990 World Scholarship but neither of those would carry any great notoriety. I have had my picture in Autosport though, twice in fact, probably the summer of 93, plus there were short reviews of most of the races I ran in in Autosport Clulb section between 1990 and 1995. I also instructed for 2-3 years with Jim Russell school and have taight a few guys that are still runnng, (apols for spellings) : Jan Maggneson, Peter Dumbrekt, James Thompson. If I'd hung around a while I may have even got to show Jensen Button a thing or two (he was a student at JR, late 90s). Theres also a number of current Club Racers and Rally Drivers who I remember. GPL is certainly the closest to real-life, in truth much of the driving sensation is missing but the tensions of GPL racing feels very much like the real thing (well OK, I havent had the Racing Driver Runs yet [the gents gets very busy before a race)). With FF I can feel like I'm driving a car rather than playing a game which is not true of any other sim/game. I think GPL would help a driver attending a Racing School providing he went with the right attitude, but as for GPL or any other sim racers being competitive off the blocks then I feel not. Maxx On Sun, 18 Feb 2001 16:17:18 GMT, [email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) wrote:

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>I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group >who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-) > >Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know >it's asked all the time... but i'm bored) > >DG

>"Disgruntled Goat" <[email hidden]> wrote > I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group > who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-) Many, many. Most of the people here have raced in something, actually. Of course that's a vague term, it goes from local short track to SOLO to professional open wheel racing to rally driving to drag racing, etc... I raced only once, in a low-class private touring car series. Finished poorly, also ;-) > Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know > it's asked all the time... but i'm bored) Everything except GPL,N4,RC2k,MBTR and a severely modified F1CS doesn't come close to reality. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

Disgruntled Goat <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I was interested, are there any people reading/posting to this group > who race in real life? At what level? Anyone we might know? ;-) > I race a Legends car in Michigan. 2001 will be my third season of racing. In 2000 I was the INEX Semi Pro Champion for the state of Michigan. My website is www.pinetreeracing.com > Further to that, how do sims compare to the real thing (yes, I know > it's asked all the time... but i'm bored) I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothing like in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will come around on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on the gas too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seems the track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road course to see if it's like GPL. Hope that answers your questions. Tom Adis www.pinetreeracing.com

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis" <[email hidden]> thus spoke:

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>I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothing like >in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will come around >on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on the gas >too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seems the >track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it >doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road course to >see if it's like GPL. > >Hope that answers your questions.

What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat? -- Jagg

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis" What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat? -- Jagg

>"Jagg" <[email hidden]> wrote > What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat? Normal. Nothing spectacular. It does it job fairly. 1 title has surpassed it by a mile on about every aspect of NASCAR (N4), while every other title on the market is below NHeat in terms of quality (althought N3 was a very well crafted game under the old game engine). Beat the heat is a good arcade feature. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 08:33:27 GMT, "ymenard" <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >Normal. Nothing spectacular. It does it job fairly. 1 title has surpassed >it by a mile on about every aspect of NASCAR (N4), while every other title >on the market is below NHeat in terms of quality (althought N3 was a very >well crafted game under the old game engine). Beat the heat is a good >arcade feature. I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile. They feel similar to me, but the car in Heat is more responsive to my steering inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth. -- Jagg

Jagg <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis" > <[email hidden]> thus spoke: > > > >I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothinglike > >in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will comearound > >on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on thegas > >too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seemsthe > >track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it > >doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road courseto > >see if it's like GPL. > > > >Hope that answers your questions. > > What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat? Sorry, haven't played Heat so I can't compare. I was thinking about the original question some more after posting. One thing Sims do not do for me is the actual "feeling" of the whole race deal. Nothing compares to my race day ritual of loading the car, driving to the track, getting the car ready, hot laps, etc. I really enjoy that time I spend at the track where I'm sitting in the staging line just before the race. Sims are great for the driving experience but the don't compare to the real life racing thing. Tom Adis www.pinetreeracing.com

>"Jagg" <[email hidden]> wrote > I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very > good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile. It's by a mile, easily. The Papyrus game engine models things that no other game engine can even think of modeling. >. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in > N4? Absolutely. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 21:31:07 GMT, "ymenard" <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >It's by a mile, easily. The Papyrus game engine models things that no other >game engine can even think of modeling. I guess I haven't played it enough to notice yet. I have noticed the N4 cars get air easier though. >>. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in >> N4? > >Absolutely. I've never driven at those speeds so I will have to try it someday. :-) -- Jagg

thus spoke: I guess I haven't played it enough to notice yet. I have noticed the N4 cars get air easier though. I've never driven at those speeds so I will have to try it someday. :-) -- Jagg

Jagg wrote: > I don't play Beat The Heat, but the driving model in NH feels very > good to me. I wouldn't say N4 surpassed it by a mile. They feel > similar to me, but the car in Heat is more responsive to my steering > inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in > N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth. According to most drivers, they tend to be very bumpy. Then again, you have to look at the speeds they're going and the suspension they use. For a street car, they're probably as smooth as silk.

On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 03:15:15 GMT, Mike Donnelly Jr <[email hidden]> wrote: >According to most drivers, they tend to be very bumpy. Then again, you have to >look at the speeds they're going and the suspension they use. For a street car, >they're probably as smooth as silk. Yea, I could see a very small bump being accentuated greatly when you ae driving at those speeds.

Had the opportunity to ride with IRL driver Scott Sharp in a 2000 Dodge Intrepid street car at the new ChicagoLand Motor Speedway in Joliet Illinois last October. The car was "as smooth as silk" on this track at speeds above 130 mph. He did say that this particular track had the smoothest lain asphalt he had ever drove upon, NASCAR driver John Andretti, driving an identical car, agreed. They were both quick to point out that this was "not" the norm. Most tracks are extremely bumpy due to the problems that arise when laying either asphalt or concrete at the degrees of banking that many tracks require. Mike

Of course, give it 3-5 years and it won't be quite as smooth with all the wear and tear it will have by then. Race1530 wrote:

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> Had the opportunity to ride with IRL driver Scott Sharp in a 2000 Dodge > Intrepid street car at the new ChicagoLand Motor Speedway in Joliet Illinois > last October. The car was "as smooth as silk" on this track at speeds above > 130 mph. He did say that this particular track had the smoothest lain asphalt > he had ever drove upon, NASCAR driver John Andretti, driving an identical car, > agreed. > They were both quick to point out that this was "not" the norm. Most tracks > are extremely bumpy due to the problems that arise when laying either asphalt > or concrete at the degrees of banking that many tracks require. > Mike

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 18:21:06 GMT, [email hidden] (Jagg) wrote: >inputs. Do cars at Nascar tracks really bounce as much as they do in >N4? I would have thought the tracks would be pretty smooth. I can't speak for any other track on the circuit but Watkins Glen (road course). I got to ride my Katana 600 around there last summer at speed and couldn't believe how smooth it was! It was so smooth that it looked like glass, and took me awhile to get the hang of letting it all hang out on what "appeared" to be a very slippery (but in reality like GLUE) track! :) Then again, I was on two wheels, versus four.....FWIW <shrug> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

The other thing that's missing about the whole race experience is the money! I don't miss that part at all. New car, new sheetmetal, new tires, fuel, towing to the track . . . sheesh. With the stock market where it is, I'm glad I got out of it, but I sure was glad to be in it while I was. http://my.voyager.net/dchamberlain -the Diamondcutter On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 19:43:46 GMT, "Tom Adis" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> >Jagg <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 03:44:02 GMT, "Tom Adis" >> <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >> >> >> >I used N3 to help me build my concentration. The physics were nothing >like >> >in real life. N4 is almost spot on. The way the rear end will come >around >> >on you is perfect. Same with the push you develop when getting on the >gas >> >too soon. My only gripe with the driving model in N4 is that it seems >the >> >track surface doesn't affect the handling at all. When you hit a bump it >> >doesn't really seem to affect the handling. Haven't tried a road course >to >> >see if it's like GPL. >> > >> >Hope that answers your questions. >> >> What do you think of the physics model in Nascar Heat? > >Sorry, haven't played Heat so I can't compare. > >I was thinking about the original question some more after posting. One >thing Sims do not do for me is the actual "feeling" of the whole race deal. >Nothing compares to my race day ritual of loading the car, driving to the >track, getting the car ready, hot laps, etc. I really enjoy that time I >spend at the track where I'm sitting in the staging line just before the >race. Sims are great for the driving experience but the don't compare to >the real life racing thing. > >Tom Adis >www.pinetreeracing.com > >

Diamondcutter N3, DTR user No. 32 Swiss Hutless/Yamaha 100 kart No. 45 Howe/Chevrolet late model _____________________ Complaints? Can't hear you over these engines! ______________________