I race superkarts in real life. I race LFS in the evenings, when I am not stripping the kart or putting children to bed. I have raced all over Britain on the long circuits, (Silverstone, Brands Hatch etc), within iches of other races at up to 150 mph. I (almost) never crash on the track, and I have won championships.
In LFS I crash frequently, and then someone insults me.
It seems that I have frequently been criticised recently in LFS races for wiping people out, when they are trying MAD manouevres.
For instance, overtaking through a chicane, (but not down the inside of the first corner, down the inside of the second). Going around the outside of someone through the first part of a chicane, and hoping to get down the inside of the second part of the chicane does not work. It never has and it never will, unless the car you are overtaking has only three wheels, and is meant to have four. If you try this in real life, you must be a nutter with a deathwish.
I am sorry, I am not looking in my mirrors for nutters with a deathwish. They try mad manoeuvres and then blame me. For instance having their nose level with my rear wheel when I turn in, but not lifting off. For instance, when I am being lapped, and I am keeping to the outside of the track and braking a little early, to give the leader a chance to get by down the inside, trying to pass me on the outside on the grass!
There is a general rule in racing, which is that the corner is only yours if you are level with the driver you are trying to overtake. This is not a 'made up' rule, it is common sense - if you aren't level, HE CAN'T SEE YOU. Remember that in a real car/kart, he is probably pulling three 'g's, changing gear, coping with a handling problem, wishing his neck didn't hurt so much and hoping that 'that' noise is not another expensive engine problem. He is not looking in his mirrors which vibrate so badly he can't see in them anyway, for your do-or-die attempt to retake 23rd place. In LFS he is probably talking on the phone, listening to some music and pouring a glass of wine as he tries to learn this new track.
Why are standards so bad? Because mostly the racers don't have to pay for crashed cars, and they can't get hurt, and they don't have to face anyone afterwards? Because nobody cares? Because there are lots of nine year olds who think that finishing fourth is too dull? I don't know.
So I am timid, and therefore slow, right? Sometimes. However, I nearly always finish, and I do OK through the first corner melee, and rarely take anyone else off through my own fault. I often start 10th, and finish the first lap 4th. This could be useful for the quicker drivers, so how can this be done?
I would suggest a few tips. Please comment on them, or add your own. Just don't call me names anymore, when you crash into me in some insane manoeuvre:
1) When following a slower car, pull aside as you enter the braking zone. He might be going slower because he brakes earlier.
2) Try to be slow in, quick out of corners. That way you overtake down the straights. Overtaking on the straights is good. Being alongside in a flat-out chicane is bad, unless you really know and trust the other driver, and you probably don't.
3) To finish first, you must first finish. The first two corners on cold tyres are taken much slower than normal. Even if the track is empty. More so when it's full of spinning idiots.
4) If there are yellow flags, assume that there just could be an accident around the corner.
5) If you see an accident, slow down a bit. The driver will probably move. Passing him at 135mph with 2 inches to spare might be risky. It's your race you will lose.
6) Try to be right on the inside going into the first corner. Go a little slower if necessary. Cars spin outwards, therefore you can get by down the inside.
7) Remember net lag! You and the driver along side are reacting about a second apart. You only look like you are racing together.
8) Give him more room than you would on the road. He probably needs it.
If you want to see how a real "I might die if I get this wrong" driver is, see Youtube and search for "Isle of man in a superkart". How many of you would have followed for several laps like he did, looking for the right moment to get by? Of course you wouldn't, you would have rammed him, and then blamed him afterwards for not looking in his mirrors, right?
Setu.
All of the above 'him's probably apply equally to 'her's. It's just impossible to tell on the internet.
P.S. I thought of one extra suggestion. It's a bit wordy, but worth reading, maybe. It took me a while to realise this one in real life, and may never occur to people in sims. It's about when you are at the end of a long straight, and you can see the guy just behind you, and you hit the brakes in a long "6th gear down to 2nd gear" type of braking zone. If he pulls out and tries to outbrake you - you must leave him room.
This is why. If you have got similar cars, and you've got a good setup and you've got your braking perfect, it should be impossible to brake significantly later than you just have, and still manage to stop in time for the corner. If your braking is perfectly on the threshold, then if you brake any harder you will lock up, and if you brake less, you will not slow down enough. However, you know he did brake later than you, and if he had the slipstream he braked from a higher speed. Therefore, you know he can't make the apex. Don't turn in as normal, maybe even ease off the brakes slightly, go deeper before turning in, give him a bit of room and he will probably shoot past in front of you with all four wheels locked. Then you can take a later apex, get more power down and repass him on the exit. Of course there always a few people who have the infuriating ability to still make the corner, and overtake you, but if they are that good, let them go, follow and learn.
In LFS I crash frequently, and then someone insults me.
It seems that I have frequently been criticised recently in LFS races for wiping people out, when they are trying MAD manouevres.
For instance, overtaking through a chicane, (but not down the inside of the first corner, down the inside of the second). Going around the outside of someone through the first part of a chicane, and hoping to get down the inside of the second part of the chicane does not work. It never has and it never will, unless the car you are overtaking has only three wheels, and is meant to have four. If you try this in real life, you must be a nutter with a deathwish.
I am sorry, I am not looking in my mirrors for nutters with a deathwish. They try mad manoeuvres and then blame me. For instance having their nose level with my rear wheel when I turn in, but not lifting off. For instance, when I am being lapped, and I am keeping to the outside of the track and braking a little early, to give the leader a chance to get by down the inside, trying to pass me on the outside on the grass!
There is a general rule in racing, which is that the corner is only yours if you are level with the driver you are trying to overtake. This is not a 'made up' rule, it is common sense - if you aren't level, HE CAN'T SEE YOU. Remember that in a real car/kart, he is probably pulling three 'g's, changing gear, coping with a handling problem, wishing his neck didn't hurt so much and hoping that 'that' noise is not another expensive engine problem. He is not looking in his mirrors which vibrate so badly he can't see in them anyway, for your do-or-die attempt to retake 23rd place. In LFS he is probably talking on the phone, listening to some music and pouring a glass of wine as he tries to learn this new track.
Why are standards so bad? Because mostly the racers don't have to pay for crashed cars, and they can't get hurt, and they don't have to face anyone afterwards? Because nobody cares? Because there are lots of nine year olds who think that finishing fourth is too dull? I don't know.
So I am timid, and therefore slow, right? Sometimes. However, I nearly always finish, and I do OK through the first corner melee, and rarely take anyone else off through my own fault. I often start 10th, and finish the first lap 4th. This could be useful for the quicker drivers, so how can this be done?
I would suggest a few tips. Please comment on them, or add your own. Just don't call me names anymore, when you crash into me in some insane manoeuvre:
1) When following a slower car, pull aside as you enter the braking zone. He might be going slower because he brakes earlier.
2) Try to be slow in, quick out of corners. That way you overtake down the straights. Overtaking on the straights is good. Being alongside in a flat-out chicane is bad, unless you really know and trust the other driver, and you probably don't.
3) To finish first, you must first finish. The first two corners on cold tyres are taken much slower than normal. Even if the track is empty. More so when it's full of spinning idiots.
4) If there are yellow flags, assume that there just could be an accident around the corner.
5) If you see an accident, slow down a bit. The driver will probably move. Passing him at 135mph with 2 inches to spare might be risky. It's your race you will lose.
6) Try to be right on the inside going into the first corner. Go a little slower if necessary. Cars spin outwards, therefore you can get by down the inside.
7) Remember net lag! You and the driver along side are reacting about a second apart. You only look like you are racing together.
8) Give him more room than you would on the road. He probably needs it.
If you want to see how a real "I might die if I get this wrong" driver is, see Youtube and search for "Isle of man in a superkart". How many of you would have followed for several laps like he did, looking for the right moment to get by? Of course you wouldn't, you would have rammed him, and then blamed him afterwards for not looking in his mirrors, right?
Setu.
All of the above 'him's probably apply equally to 'her's. It's just impossible to tell on the internet.
P.S. I thought of one extra suggestion. It's a bit wordy, but worth reading, maybe. It took me a while to realise this one in real life, and may never occur to people in sims. It's about when you are at the end of a long straight, and you can see the guy just behind you, and you hit the brakes in a long "6th gear down to 2nd gear" type of braking zone. If he pulls out and tries to outbrake you - you must leave him room.
This is why. If you have got similar cars, and you've got a good setup and you've got your braking perfect, it should be impossible to brake significantly later than you just have, and still manage to stop in time for the corner. If your braking is perfectly on the threshold, then if you brake any harder you will lock up, and if you brake less, you will not slow down enough. However, you know he did brake later than you, and if he had the slipstream he braked from a higher speed. Therefore, you know he can't make the apex. Don't turn in as normal, maybe even ease off the brakes slightly, go deeper before turning in, give him a bit of room and he will probably shoot past in front of you with all four wheels locked. Then you can take a later apex, get more power down and repass him on the exit. Of course there always a few people who have the infuriating ability to still make the corner, and overtake you, but if they are that good, let them go, follow and learn.