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Starting to Race - Advice Please
(8 posts, started )
#1 - rjsagel
Starting to Race - Advice Please
Hello,

I am about to start racing at a very simple level. I watched a race at FE Green (Rev). The driving was very much on the edge - a lot of skiddding , bouncing , tire and cone smashing etc. These are small cars and as I observed, the times were in the low 1.40.00's. I tried the track in practice and drove it very smoothly at no better than 1.55.00.

I am a real beginner here and do not expect much at this point but some advice here would help - as I progress, is "clean" driving the goal to keep in mind or is the fastest time at any cost the right plan?

Thanks in advance and cheers,

Ron Sagel
rjsagel
#2 - obsolum
Quote from rjsagel :I am a real beginner here and do not expect much at this point but some advice here would help - as I progress, is "clean" driving the goal to keep in mind or is the fastest time at any cost the right plan?

Definitely focus on clean and consistent driving; you will get more out of that in the long run. Practise, practise and practise some more, you will get faster bit by bit. Also try to get a good racing setup for your car either by kindly asking someone on a server or try tweaking a bit yourself.

You can download replays of World Record laps, or just record a replay of a race yourself when you're on a server and then watch the fastest driver afterwards, study his driving, braking points, steering input etc etc... Don't expect to become good fast. You can become average in a few months time if you race regularly, but only few can become really fast drivers in such a short time. For now try to keep up with the pack and finish an entire race :-)
#3 - danowat
Hmm.........depends what you class as "clean".

I think you maybe driving too "fearfully", be it fear of spinning out, crashing or whatever, basically you want to wring the nuts out of the car and track without being a menace to others on the track, you need to drive at the very edge of yourself, the car and the tracks capabilities, you just need to learn where those limits are by pushing a little more each time, brake a little later, accelerate a bit earlier, take a bit more of the corner/kurb here and there..

Maybe post a replay and we can have a look.

TBH, as long as you are clean and respectfull of other drivers, I really don't think you'll have a problem, and speed comes with practice and experiance.
#4 - Iron
Of course you should be clean at all times. With 15 seconds off the pace, I would advise you to start from the back of the grid. That way you don't have to worry about faster people behind you. You can do that by going spectating when the countdown for race restart starts, and joining again when the grid is set on the track.
Make sure you brake in time for T1, if you hit someone in the arse, it's your fault. If you go off track by accident, make sure you don't rejoin blindly into incoming traffic, use the minimap and a the look left/right buttons. It's the best to return to the track parallel with it, not at a right angle. Last, when you get a blue flag, let the driver behind you pass, don't brake in front of him, just ease off the throttle, and don't make sudden moves.
#5 - danowat
I think the term "clean" is mis-used here, "clean" to me means respecting other drivers, I suspect that Mr Sagel means clean as in drive "clean" , i.e. not using all the track, not taking kurbs etc etc
#6 - harjun
#7 - HVS5b
FE Green is one of those courses where riding kerbs and the ability to take the chicanes at practically full throttle can make or brake a lap time and/or race position. Perhaps not the best course to use for comparative puropses?

Totally agree with the consistent statement made above, thats the way to go first off Then build the speed and reduce braking distances etc.

Good luck
#8 - Jakg

Starting to Race - Advice Please
(8 posts, started )
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