Hi everyone

I am trying to learn more of the cars and tracks in LFS as well as become a faster driver and I thought that a good way of doing this was to try and complete the main hotlap ranks.

Before trying the combos from MHR I had raced only XFG and XRG at Blackwood with my best lap times being around 103% of WR.

I am asking for more experienced racer's input on how to get the most from this. So I have several questions.

1) What order should I do the combos in. From easiest to hardest? or start with cars that force you into good habits?

2) How long should I stick with each combo?
I would like to get each combo within 103% of WR but I don't know if I will be able to.

It took me a long time to get to 103% with XFG-BL1. Then it took me about 5 hrs to get within 103%WR with XFG-FE1, about 2hrs to get 103% with UF1-AS1 and after about 6hrs with FXO - FE2 I am still unable to get below 105% of WR.

Do you think I should just switch to another combo after about 5 hrs or keep at it until I get to 103% before moving on to the next combo (this could be very long).

3) Should I learn how to handle the car on a familiar track before trying trying a new combo? Should I learn the track with a car I am familiar with before trying a new combo? Or just jump right in with new car + new track?

4) Set-ups. There is somewhere on this forum a package full of easy race set-ups for each car. This seems like it would have been perfect for me but they are out of date with the new patches. What to you recommend I do for set-ups? I do not really know how to make good ones myself.

5) How hard should I be pushing? How often do crash when doing something like this?

6) Is this even a good idea or would I be better off choosing only a few popular cars and tracks to focus on?

Thanks a lot for your input guys.

I have not much idea about hotlapping but can tell you that these "easy race set-ups" packages can not work. Even if they were up to date, each track requires bit different setup and there is no one-fits-all solution. At minimum gear ratios and downforce need adjusting.

The other questions depend on what your goals are? Get as many hotlap WRs as possible? Or win races/championships? For example to win races you do not need to be good in all cars, just the one that you drive. (So can pick your favorite GTR instead of mastering all three etc)

Why are you so worried about the 103%? Why not just do it for fun?

I'm 15th in the 'Nutter' rankings, and the only thing I've worried about is doing the best lap time I could. If I though I could maybe have gone faster, then I'd keep at it.

Then I load my lap. If I'm lucky, there were people slower than me. That made me feel great.

The fact that I'm not in top percentile probably means I don't have what it takes to be the best motor racer - but then, with my age, condition, eyesight, eye-hand coordination, mental acuity, etc., I sort of knew that anyway, but because there's usually someone slower, I can kid myself that if only I was 35 years younger, then maybe....?

My advice is to start with the Oval - both ways. Should be fairly easy to get within certain percentage of top, but it will teach you to be very smooth and very precise. This will be useful everywhere else too. But prove to yourself you can do it. Do it with every car, starting from UF1 and working up to BF1.

After that, try the short lap tracks. Something like South City. Start at SO1, and work your way up. Some of the configurations have same corners or sequence of corners, so you should get used to getting round them quickly.

Try about 12 to 15 laps, saving best of them then upload them. Compare uploaded laps with racers who've posted faster lap times using same controller, etc., as you've used.

Have they taken different lines to you, accelerated or braked in different places, using higher or lower gears than you in certain places? Using that info, try see if you can beat any of your times. If so, save and upload. If not, try different track.

Alternately. There are 940 different car/track combo's. Only 6 people have done them all. Probably the rest of us have concentrated on the shorter track configurations. Try a few of the really long ones and see how you get on.