We often see threads in here by people asking how to improve lap times. People seem to assume that if they can drive fast laps they can win races. This is not the case as all those experienced LFSers will testify.

So, I thought I'd start this thread to get everyone to share their top racecraft tips.

Here's one to start. You are racing and you are catching a slightly slower driver than you. Many racers seem to think it is obligatory to attempt a move at the first corner they come to. This often results in both cars being taken off the track. A better approach is patience. I always stay close behind for a few turns and try and pressurise. It's amazing how many times the driver will make a mistake and go off or run wide. Then you can just drive past without having to risk an overtake.

If the driver is not making any errors then maybe fein a move or two and see if that does the job. If not then you have yourself a worthy adversary and you should treat them with the respect they deserve. So, watch their lines, see where you are faster and work out where the best place to attempt the pass is.

Here's another one - at T1 in a big field there is often mayhem. Try and create space for yourself by leaving a gap to the car in front. Just before you hit the brakes touch them first to warn the driver behind. Try and stay on the inside of the turn as often when people lose it they take people running round the outside with them. At this stage in the race it's all about defensive driving. Don't worry if someone manages to make a pass on you, there is plenty of race left.

So you lot - pipe up and share your gems.

The classic repassing maneuver. If a car is outbraking you down the inside, don't panic, hold your line, and continue to brake smoothly. Wait until their rear bumper is past your front bumper, then turn in. Chances are they'll run wide of the corner from outbraking you, and you'll have the inside line from the apex of the corner to the exit, and get a faster line through the corner. 9 times out of 10 you'll end up repassing them. This works especially well at the end of the blackwood main straight, although it works for just about any bend that you actually have to brake for.

Another one is always use your ears. Granted, LFS doesn't have surround sound, and many of us don't have 5.1 speaker systems, but you can still visualize where your opponents are from the sounds of their cars, this is very useful, as it allows you to pay attention to the track ahead.

BTW, racecraft is more of an art form than a skill I'd say

Sometimes it is better not to win a place on the way into a corner, for example somebody might be in your toe down the backstraight at Blackwood and slipstream past you, there's often little point in contesting the place as you turn into the corner because it is a fast corner so you will end up further behind them. If you're willing to be patient and not try to late brake the other car you can exit the corner right on their gearbox ready to make a move further down the track.

This applies in lots of places, South City Classic for example on the last bend, it's fairly easy to move to the inside line to fend off most challenges but if the other driver hangs in there it's better to tuck in behind them and exit the corner in their draft than to try and hold it together and end up loosing more time.

In short, my tip is that when defending your position ask yourself if it is better to block now, or mount an unstoppable counter attack after the bend you're approaching.

My T1 tip is to come off the throttle long before going onto the brake.

Quote from 96 GTS :

The classic repassing maneuver. If a car is outbraking you down the inside, don't panic, hold your line, and continue to brake smoothly. Wait until their rear bumper is past your front bumper, then turn in. Chances are they'll run wide of the corner from outbraking you, and you'll have the inside line from the apex of the corner to the exit, and get a faster line through the corner. 9 times out of 10 you'll end up repassing them. This works especially well at the end of the blackwood main straight, although it works for just about any bend that you actually have to brake for.

Aah yes, the switchback - a classic maneuver and hard to pull off. Easier if the following turn is in the same direction mind.

Ok, I've been wondering about this for a while....
On bl_gp let's say we are in the xfg for pig iron.
Two drivers end up side by side and I am in the outside lane just passing the "100" marker at the end of the straight
getting ready to break and aim for the apex,
meanwhile the driver to my right has no chance of making the apex
at that speed/brake point and he follows me into the apex.
Should I
A. Make room for him thus missing the apex?
B. Should he slow down and let me go through as I am in the outside lane entering the apex?

Quote from Becky Rose :

This applies in lots of places, South City Classic for example on the last bend, it's fairly easy to move to the inside line to fend off most challenges but if the other driver hangs in there it's better to tuck in behind them and exit the corner in their draft than to try and hold it together and end up loosing more time.

.

A bit like the switchback I suppose - easier when the next turn is in the same direction.

?

Quote from Gentlefoot :

Aah yes, the switchback - a classic maneuver and hard to pull off. Easier if the following turn is in the same direction mind.

Yep, that's the reason it works so well at the end of the straight at BL1

Quote from CSU1 :

Ok, I've been wondering about this for a while....
On bl_gp let's say we are in the xfg for pig iron.
Two drivers end up side by side and I am in the outside lane just passing the "100" marker at the end of the straight
getting ready to break and aim for the apex,
meanwhile the driver to my right has no chance of making the apex
at that speed/brake point and he follows me into the apex.
Should I
A. Make room for him thus missing the apex?
B. Should he slow down and let me go through as I am in the outside lane entering the apex?

Make room for him to miss the apex, then grab the apex as soon as he slides past. This is the switchback/repass maneuver that Gentlefoot and I were referring to.

Quote from 96 GTS :

Yep, that's the reason it works so well at the end of the straight at BL1

Make room for him to miss the apex, then grab the apex as soon as he slides past. This is the switchback/repass maneuver that Gentlefoot and I were referring to.

Why should you make room it would make me have too slow down while going around the corner missing my line ! in most cases the other driver would crash into you?

When I'm behind someone I don't know well and approach a braking-zone I always go slightly beside the car in front of me.
That has two advantages. Most importantly, if something happens, like I brake later I don't hit him and can propably even make a pass. Secondly the driver in front of me loses sight of me as I'm gone from the rear mirror and will have his attention drawn away from the track during turn-in. But this maneuver makes me the one who has to take care of contact. Due to the limitations of LFS he doesn't know where I am and wether my nose is beside his rear wheel. So I have to take care and watch over us both.
Second note: Being faster doesn't allow you to make a pass. As simple as that. If you can't get yourself alongside the other car to make a legal pass you're stuck behind that road-block and no pb can help you. That's racing. That's the challenge.
And with the last comment I'd like to support the "Patience!" hint. Not every turn is useful to attempt a pass. Some are even dead dangerous. The driver in front of you tries to defend by keeping you away at every passing occasion. Your task is to do the exact opposite. Drive in a way that will allow you to enter his draft in the right moment so that you can pass him. That is very important in the cars with downforce. Leave a small distance first, recall the tracklayout, plan an attack on the next occasion, make up the gap in the turns before that occasion and then make the pass.

Vain

Useful tip for BL T1 (been said before in more general terms): If you are in the slipstream to T1, go to the outside instead of passing on the inside. Make sure you can accelerate as soon as possible, your opponent on the inside will not get as good an acceleration out of the corner. Don't do a switchback, instead glue yourself to your opponent's rear bumper, draft him in such a way that you are as far ahead as possible when coming to the first turn in sector 2. You win, switchback isn't an option if done corectly.

Switchback works best with two hairpins, one after the other with a short hairpin between.

And my tip, be aware of things happening around you, for example if you're slipstreaming someone and you pull out, make sure that there was no-one slipstreaming you. (Also very helpful at T1 to watch your front wheels)

Its been said before but plan ahead one of the best things to do to overtake. Take bl1 as example if some drafts you down the start/finsih staight and takes the inside at the hairpin depending on how fast the driver is, sometimes you can hold an outside line and when it comes to the right-left-right chincane if you can hold to the inside of the left hand part then unless the other person is very brave/stupid they normally lift. I admit its a bit risky in that you have to rely on the other person to know you are there and realise they haven't got much chance of making the chicane. Also they can get you back on the straight but ive found as they have to lift or brake you can get just far enough ahead so they cant draft you.

So really - plan ahead! Dont defend your position if in the next corner you can defend better or win the position back.

Another good part of race craft is to know when you have been beaten but also to be fair - be fair in that you shouldnt try over risky moves, set them up give your pass a fair chance and be fair the other driver dont run them out wide off the track etc.

Quote from CSU1 :

Ok, I've been wondering about this for a while....
On bl_gp let's say we are in the xfg for pig iron.
Two drivers end up side by side and I am in the outside lane just passing the "100" marker at the end of the straight
getting ready to break and aim for the apex,
meanwhile the driver to my right has no chance of making the apex
at that speed/brake point and he follows me into the apex.
Should I
A. Make room for him thus missing the apex?
B. Should he slow down and let me go through as I am in the outside lane entering the apex?

The answer is always make sure you get the inside line down to the turn at the end of the backstraight at Blackwood. That's what I do and the only drivers that manage to pass me there are aliens who can brake 20 metres later than me. Prevention is better than cure!

Ofcourse if you do end up on the outside then the switchback is probably your best bet I'd say.

In longer races (long enough for unforced pitstops), especially with the GTRs, if you're up against an equal i.e. he can't pull away and neither can you, you could try to ensure you stay in his slipstream, hence conserving fuel. You can outlast your opponent, bang in a few quick laps before pitting in and hey presto, you're in front after the pit stop.

There's some really great advice here now - thanks for the contributions so far guys and gals. Keep 'em coming!

It's been said before, but put pressure on the driver in front of you. Come really close behind them, pull to the inside in braking zones, then pull back in behind them, anything that takes their concentration away from driving and puts it on you.

The're more likely to go off for two reasons, A) they're not paying attention to the road as much, and B) They're most likely going to try to drive faster, which makes it more likely that they'll miss a braking point or an apex.

The easiest way to gain a position is to have someone give it to you

More on pitstops, this applies even to short races with forced ones. You have the minimap to help you here. Use it. Keep tabs on how far groups of cars are behind you. Ideally you want to time your pitstop so that you exit in clear air. The best way I know to do this is to before the race calculate how long the pitstop you are going to make takes, and roughly estimate on the minimap the distance and only pit make the pitstop when you know you don't have to pass all the backmarkers again because you pitted at the wrong time. It may mean that you have to pit in a few laps earlier than normally, but when you suspect you'll lose more time behind cars you're going to pass anyway, it's a good way of ensuring you can drive as fast as possible, as long as possible.

Also, If a slightly faster driver is catching you up, don't pit if you can avoid it. Do your utmost to keep the opponent behind you. It may slow him down just enough that later on in the race he's not got too far away and you might have a chance if he has a poor stint. Pit in only after you have been passed and you can't follow the opponent.

Quote from 96 GTS :

It's been said before, but put pressure on the driver in front of you. Come really close behind them, pull to the inside in braking zones, then pull back in behind them, anything that takes their concentration away from driving and puts it on you.

The're more likely to go off for two reasons, A) they're not paying attention to the road as much, and B) They're most likely going to try to drive faster, which makes it more likely that they'll miss a braking point or an apex.

The easiest way to gain a position is to have someone give it to you

I'll just quote this for effect. It really is important to apply the pressure. Fake panic braking, feining, drive as close as you possibly can (but beware of lag). Even flash your lights if you find the time. I won't say you should use the horn too, it's prutty damn annoying!

I can't say I've raced with all of you, but it seems the only people that have replied to this thread (with a few obvious exception) are the few people in LFS WITH a sense of racecraft. It's the vast majority of people who have absolutely no idea what is going on, and they are th ones you've got to be careful of.

I'll quit ehappily sit side by side, inches apart from Kev (thisnameistaken) all week long, and know that he knows to pass, be passed and race. Unfortunately is so rare I'd have thought that most people who like racing enough would have the intellect to think of these things, but clearly I want to overestimate people.

I think a lot of people get a kick from the fast cars, rather than the racing. To get that kick they need a car that's a bit too quick for them, but they can just about cope on their own. Add another person to the equation and they run out of mental ability, and crash into you.

From what I can gather Gentlefoot and Becky are good racers, and I know for a fact that Kev and NAI are too. Can't remember any others, but if Vain can do RBR I'm sure he can cope with race craft

I have raced with Vain and he is a gentleman on track, quick and well mannered in his driving


When slipstreaming someone down a straight, it may not always be best to pass them at the earliest opportunity. For example at Blackwood, depending on the car if you pass someone early on the straight they can get straight in behind you and have a go into the corner. If you go easy on the gas so as not to hit them and make your move further down the straight they have no chance to retake the place until later on in the race.

Know your track. When going into a race, especially a serious one e.g. a league race. Make sure you know how to drive it as fast as possible in clear air, but just as importantly you must know all the braking zones, corner sections etc when battling for a position. You need to know precisely when to step on the throttle when you are on the outside, or when to do a switchback and when it will result in you getting drafted on the next straight.

When going into a set of 2 turns in the same direction (BL1 sector 2, first 2 turns after the back straight for example) and you have someone on your outside keep an eye on them: if they go for the switchback, don't exit wide to keep your momentum. Instead hold the inside line, you were on the inside line first, and you have every right to stay there. The next corner is in the same direction so even if your opponent decides suddenly to change his mind and go for the outside, you're still on the inside and can either exit fast or exercise your defensive driving skills.

There is basically one thing that every driver should concentrate on (whether trying to pass, or being passed) and that is corner exit. You can pass anyone and anyone will pass you easily if you get bad corner exit as it results slow as speed on the straight. Of course slight blocking and creative driving lines should be used to force the passer to lift throttle under acceleration. In short, I try to play the situation so that the pass attempt is "frozen" as soon as possible, and not when the other one is already in you slipstream. Going side-by-side into a corner makes it quite hard to get a good corner exit

But it is just great if both drivers know where they are and what is possible. Putting pressure and being under pressure is just great with skilled drivers and always results a reat race, even if you don't actually make the pass during the race. After all, driving alone in a race is boring when there are no one to race with bumper-to-bumper

(recently had some nice and close action with ATC Dadge and cyber Misko, both fast and fair drivers )

EDIT: I'm off to train my racing skills

Quote from Hyperactive :

driving alone in a race is boring when there are no one to race with bumper-to-bumper

Which is brilliant when it's not that important where one finishes. Battling for positions with other drivers is not the fastest way to race. Granted, driving alone is boring but when it's about the positions one gets to the end faster when not constatly having to drive defensively, or be held back.

But yeah, battling is great for pick-up races and when you're the slower one and in front

Well, my main 'tactics' have already been mentionned. I'm not the fastest driver, and i KNOW i'm not. It's important to
know your skills. I will usually take a race or two to figure out who's fast, who's closer to my skills and who's just plain
dangerous (some are fast, but are very bad racers imo). Once you have an idea of the field you're up against, you can
better decide how to deal with them individually.

T1, ahhh, the infamous turn one of any race. My approach there is to stay back (unless i'm up front at the start, then
i try to stay ahead) and let people put themselves out, coming out of T1, i aim for someone and just floor it trying to
draft him and keeping up with the pack. Then it's a matter of being constant, in my case at least. As i've said, i'm not
the fastest, but i've had 'podiums' on many races against many faster racers simply because i made it without crashing
or damage and can maintain my lap times, lap after lap. Simply finishing a race can be enough sometimes.

As for passing, i will usually follow the guy ahead a bit to see where he is fast and where i am faster. Putting pressure
on him without passing is enough for many to make mistakes. Effortless passing. With a good racer, my only chance is
to keep up with him as best i can and try to use him for drafting and i'll pass only when i have a good margin of safety.
In other words, i won't go 2 cars wide just to be an a$$, i have more to gain by following him and letting him help me
pass others than by crashing both of us. I often go for that switchback move also, anyone trying to outbrake you on
the inside is vulnerable and can often be passed by braking a bit sooner and going to the inside once he passes you.
As mentionned, it depends on the next corner a lot sometimes.

The last lap is usually when i'll go for more risky passing maneuvers, ideally, you want to get out of that last turn first
since passing anytime sooner means you risk being used to draft and being passed. Some good old slow-in fast-out
can do wonders here.