iRacing: The race that changed my mind!

Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) Despite all my whining I've driven about five races on my night off. The first three were the usual mixed bag of distinctly average experiences... a few moments of tension at the start, then a steady trail of hotlaps with the occasional spinner or lapper to liven things up a little. The Skippy keeps you involved enough in your lapping not to make it too boring though, which is probably why it's easy to get sucked into 'just one more race' when the next one comes around. It beats doing the ironing anyway. The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few seconds, resulting in a crash. I quit and came back, but it happened again in the race despite ripping the side off my case and aiming a fan inside. I don't think that video freeze hurt anyone but myself, but it hurt my SR nastily. I quit & rebooted, then remembered I could rejoin. Tried again and this time, 3 laps down, I was able to finish without further problems. I think, in retrospect, this video freeze might have been caused by Intel's CPU temp monitoring utility which I'd had loaded to keep a record of temps during racing. It was the only unusual thing running on my PC at the time. Anyway, that was a fairly low point in the day. But another hour passed and another race lures me in. Somehow the fact that there's only one every two hours can make it harder to resist than if you had VROC-style choice of quitting one and joining another straight away. You have a cooling-off period after a race, and just enough time before the next to have a drink and forget the bad bits. Ok, so 26 drivers register and iRacing splits us nicely into two races of 13 drivers (maximum is 14). Things got off to a bad start. An Aussie (that time of day is littered with the whingeing, gold-phobic barstewards! ;-) leaves the pits just behind me, and is obviously faster... or at least less fearless than me. I pull over politely to let him past after a few turns. He follows me and I collect a x4 penalty for my manners. Fortunately warmup SR penalties don't count too heavily, and he did at least apologise. I'll live, but it already feels like another of 'those' iRaces. On the grid there's only one driver behind me, just the way I like it. The air is full of G'days & G'lucks & polite European silence. Then we're off, and the guy from behind me is having none of this, "you can't win a race at the first bend" stuff. He's 3-wide and weaving all the way down to T1. And yet everyone survives, thanks mainly to the average driver being a lot more cautious. Before long though there's an incident. I pass a car pointing the wrong way, another going sideways, another pulled to one side behaving -- it seems to me anyway -- a bit sheepishly. I pass them all cleanly, following fairly closely behind another driver. For once I'm hanging onto the guy in front, and forget about the racers I've passed. But within a lap or two my mirror is suddenly full of cars. They're closing fast, but not so fast I need to pull over yet... after all, we're just entering the twisty bit of the track where passing would be suicidal unless I make an obvious mistake. Wrong! I'm lined up nicely for the turn and before I can react, one driver's gone round the outside of me, out-braking me by about a light-year. I slow to prevent an incident, and another driver passes me on the inside, showing total fearlessness. I somehow hold it together, and try to relax again as my heart pounds. But the third driver from the group I'd passed is now in my mirror. Sod this, I pull well over and let him squirrel off after his mates. Well, that was certainly exciting, but it was the wrong kind of excitement. I'm used to a calmer, more conservative type of racing back among those who're less certain of their talent. I suppose it's a compliment of sorts though that they thought I could be taken so predictably. On with the race. Plenty of time to calm down and get into my slow, steady little groove of 1:26es. But now I'm slowly getting closer to the guy in front. We'll call him Alain because, well, because that was his name. Not an Aussie name, and certainly not an Aussie driver. Slower, steady, and lapping about 1s a lap slower than myself. Looks like I've finally -- after gawd knows how many races! -- got a fairly evenly matched opponent. And I was right. For seven *glorious* laps I followed him around Summit Point. There were sections of the track where I could get very close, but they weren't sections where passing was safe for both of us, and I'd get no satisfaction whatsoever from pushing hard and causing someone to have an off. There's no money, trophies or scantily clad women riding on this, just a few lousy iRating points. So I back off where I'm not sure about his braking, and I lean hard where he shows confidence. It is both exciting and rewarding, even though he's slowing me down by about 2s a lap now. But what does that matter? Nearly everyone else is way off in the distance. So coming into the final bend of our seventh lap together I think I've finally got the measure of my opponent. I back off just enough to give him space, yet come out of the turn just behind him. That'll give me the whole straight to slipstream him and out-brake him -- as I know I can -- into T1. But what's this? Nooooooo! You can't over-cook it... please don't lose it... not now! Sadly Alain had pushed a little too hard. Maybe he could smell my anglo-saxon gameplan from across le Channel? Maybe his cat jumped on his monitor? Or maybe he just lost it the way we all do... by simply being human. I contemplate slowing to let him catch up, but that can seem a little insulting, and besides, there's someone else coming up fast now, and we'll be racing for position. I may not be the most competeitive person on the track, but I try not to be too much of an easy target. The rest of the race was fairly uneventful, but I was basking in the warm glow of the best seven laps of racing I've had... well, since about 1999 when I nearly had a heart attack from some very exciting and very close racing in GPL at Monza... I had to quit that race because my hands were shaking from the adrenalin rush. :-) The best part was finding out afterwards that Alain had also enjoyed our encounter, describing me as a 'very fair' racer. Now to some that's probably a huge insult. Who wants to be fair, this is racing, not knitting! But to me it was a huge compliment, and I came --> .<-- this close to renewing my subscription straight away after that race. If I do so in the next week it won't be because I love iRacing and its many, many flaws. It'll be because despite those flaws, iRacing has reminded me why I still have a wheel attached to the gaming end of my desk, even though it's years since I've used it regularly. Maybe, just maybe, that is enough to justify the ongoing cost and the many frustrations iRacing in its current form has to offer. Andrew McP... boring rec.autos.simulators for well over a decade!

Andrew, I have a little utility that will do the temp monitoring for you without any installation to your system to possibly screw it up. PM me in iRacing and I'll get you a link to it. I'm not at my racing machine right now... -Larry "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (140 lines)

> Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) > > Despite all my whining I've driven about five races on my night off. The > first three were the usual mixed bag of distinctly average experiences... > a few moments of tension at the start, then a steady trail of hotlaps > with the occasional spinner or lapper to liven things up a little. The > Skippy keeps you involved enough in your lapping not to make it too > boring though, which is probably why it's easy to get sucked into 'just > one more race' when the next one comes around. > > It beats doing the ironing anyway. > > The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few > seconds, resulting in a crash. I quit and came back, but it happened > again in the race despite ripping the side off my case and aiming a fan > inside. I don't think that video freeze hurt anyone but myself, but it > hurt my SR nastily. I quit & rebooted, then remembered I could rejoin. > Tried again and this time, 3 laps down, I was able to finish without > further problems. > > I think, in retrospect, this video freeze might have been caused by > Intel's CPU temp monitoring utility which I'd had loaded to keep a record > of temps during racing. It was the only unusual thing running on my PC at > the time. > > Anyway, that was a fairly low point in the day. But another hour passed > and another race lures me in. Somehow the fact that there's only one > every two hours can make it harder to resist than if you had VROC-style > choice of quitting one and joining another straight away. You have a > cooling-off period after a race, and just enough time before the next to > have a drink and forget the bad bits. > > Ok, so 26 drivers register and iRacing splits us nicely into two races of > 13 drivers (maximum is 14). > > Things got off to a bad start. An Aussie (that time of day is littered > with the whingeing, gold-phobic barstewards! ;-) leaves the pits just > behind me, and is obviously faster... or at least less fearless than me. > I pull over politely to let him past after a few turns. He follows me and > I collect a x4 penalty for my manners. > > Fortunately warmup SR penalties don't count too heavily, and he did at > least apologise. I'll live, but it already feels like another of 'those' > iRaces. > > On the grid there's only one driver behind me, just the way I like it. > The air is full of G'days & G'lucks & polite European silence. Then we're > off, and the guy from behind me is having none of this, "you can't win a > race at the first bend" stuff. He's 3-wide and weaving all the way down > to T1. And yet everyone survives, thanks mainly to the average driver > being a lot more cautious. > > Before long though there's an incident. I pass a car pointing the wrong > way, another going sideways, another pulled to one side behaving -- it > seems to me anyway -- a bit sheepishly. I pass them all cleanly, > following fairly closely behind another driver. > > For once I'm hanging onto the guy in front, and forget about the racers > I've passed. But within a lap or two my mirror is suddenly full of cars. > They're closing fast, but not so fast I need to pull over yet... after > all, we're just entering the twisty bit of the track where passing would > be suicidal unless I make an obvious mistake. > > Wrong! I'm lined up nicely for the turn and before I can react, one > driver's gone round the outside of me, out-braking me by about a > light-year. I slow to prevent an incident, and another driver passes me > on the inside, showing total fearlessness. I somehow hold it together, > and try to relax again as my heart pounds. > > But the third driver from the group I'd passed is now in my mirror. Sod > this, I pull well over and let him squirrel off after his mates. > > Well, that was certainly exciting, but it was the wrong kind of > excitement. I'm used to a calmer, more conservative type of racing back > among those who're less certain of their talent. I suppose it's a > compliment of sorts though that they thought I could be taken so > predictably. > > On with the race. Plenty of time to calm down and get into my slow, > steady little groove of 1:26es. But now I'm slowly getting closer to the > guy in front. We'll call him Alain because, well, because that was his > name. Not an Aussie name, and certainly not an Aussie driver. Slower, > steady, and lapping about 1s a lap slower than myself. > > Looks like I've finally -- after gawd knows how many races! -- got a > fairly evenly matched opponent. And I was right. > > For seven *glorious* laps I followed him around Summit Point. There were > sections of the track where I could get very close, but they weren't > sections where passing was safe for both of us, and I'd get no > satisfaction whatsoever from pushing hard and causing someone to have an > off. There's no money, trophies or scantily clad women riding on this, > just a few lousy iRating points. So I back off where I'm not sure about > his braking, and I lean hard where he shows confidence. It is both > exciting and rewarding, even though he's slowing me down by about 2s a > lap now. > > But what does that matter? Nearly everyone else is way off in the > distance. So coming into the final bend of our seventh lap together I > think I've finally got the measure of my opponent. I back off just enough > to give him space, yet come out of the turn just behind him. That'll give > me the whole straight to slipstream him and out-brake him -- as I know I > can -- into T1. > > But what's this? Nooooooo! You can't over-cook it... please don't lose > it... not now! > > Sadly Alain had pushed a little too hard. Maybe he could smell my > anglo-saxon gameplan from across le Channel? Maybe his cat jumped on his > monitor? Or maybe he just lost it the way we all do... by simply being > human. > > I contemplate slowing to let him catch up, but that can seem a little > insulting, and besides, there's someone else coming up fast now, and > we'll be racing for position. I may not be the most competeitive person > on the track, but I try not to be too much of an easy target. > > The rest of the race was fairly uneventful, but I was basking in the warm > glow of the best seven laps of racing I've had... well, since about 1999 > when I nearly had a heart attack from some very exciting and very close > racing in GPL at Monza... I had to quit that race because my hands were > shaking from the adrenalin rush. :-) > > The best part was finding out afterwards that Alain had also enjoyed our > encounter, describing me as a 'very fair' racer. > > Now to some that's probably a huge insult. Who wants to be fair, this is > racing, not knitting! But to me it was a huge compliment, and I came --> > .<-- this close to renewing my subscription straight away after that > race. > > If I do so in the next week it won't be because I love iRacing and its > many, many flaws. It'll be because despite those flaws, iRacing has > reminded me why I still have a wheel attached to the gaming end of my > desk, even though it's years since I've used it regularly. > > Maybe, just maybe, that is enough to justify the ongoing cost and the > many frustrations iRacing in its current form has to offer. > > Andrew McP... boring rec.autos.simulators for well over a decade!

Andrew, I love Iracing, I signed up for a year, I was on the bunch of 1st invitees... Ok, I loved it, (*LOVED*) past tense well sorta, I still like it. Right now it is like that last soon to "ex" relations hip kind of feeling, or Love and hate relationship. But so much like you I feel more that I have good races and more bad. BUT I'm finding certain nights, the races go with several racers seem to have the mindset, lets race, hard but clean and understand the CONCEPTS of RACING which in real life means without being killed, hopefully. That part is hard to impart into a sim... But some nights there are those Terrorists I call them, the ones just fast enough <for a lap or 2> to cause a crap load of angst when you race them, bullying into turn one then off the track mid corner.... But right now my 2nd biggest thing is the people that must be shutting off mirrors, and not glancing at the F3 Screen, not even once in a while, and shut off the voice communications. I'm talking about Oval racing, were I'm am not usually the lapper, but I see this as well in roads... Being a pay to race service, I find it hard to not get pretty opinionated about the following: lappers that wont make an effort to hold a line, and to let themselves be lapped. You mention the "pull over" mentality, and I applaud it, but it does bring to My mind how I think that guy felt, that followed you when you "pulled over" to stop/slow out of the way, and "plowed into you"... Here's how I have seen or done it. I'm following you or say someone like you, lets say, since I am sure I haven't actually raced you yet... I'm coming up on you and decide I can move over, and pass you soon, if I do this and this... So, I think about it, then just as I set off to do it, you pull over and stop/slow down. Whoa! To me, just keep yer line, and pace, and we can get along fine. I suspect others think so as well. Now that was just my thoughts, hoping that it might enlighten you on the "overtaking car's" thoughts in that situation, sometimes. Well if I haven't made you mad... here is what has me so mad some nights that I wish I could get my money back (lol).. PS: and yeah in real life when dipwads do this type of crap, unless they are independently wealthy or drive for like some nascar team, they get time to reflect on their actions while spending the rest of the night rebuilding the car, if not the next week, or heaven forbid after they exit the hospital. This week, one night, I had 3 races that I ran ahead of 2nd place by over 2 seconds, in legends (both advanced and rookie versions) and in each, I got wrecked by some azzclown that was given 3 laps (since I had time between 2nd I tried to wait...) 2 times I get wiped out people who cant just do 2 things.... 1 slow up so they can control his/her own destiny, and stay in the lane they are in. Be predictable, that is being courteous. trust me losing 1 to .5 seconds for one lap is less miserable (on 15-17 second lap sized tracks even) than being wrecked. 2, when the clown spins, they seem to think EVERYONE else needs to stop, while that car gets to violently turn itself around, ACROSS all 3 lanes of traffic plus the aprons, in front of the lead pack or even just fellow competitors 2A, OR THE WORST OFFENDERS, they spin but refuse to HOLD the brakes tight, giving them that spin plus moving target (like a misdirection play). No, we get the spinout that you have to dodge, PLUS they back the car across all lanes of traffic. HEY NOW, It isn't that they got knocked out by the impact, nor has the game simulated brake failure, !!!!nope it is BLATANT DipSh*tty-ness!!!! I can usually handle dodging a single car spin, at least not be "pissed as all get out" at that person, if I don't manage to miss them and get taken out of a race, even while leading, that IS, when the car that spun does the right thing! they SIT FR#KING STILL as possible. IMHO I'm one of those people that hate "restrictions" on things but Gawd Darn it. there are night that im seriously considering evangelizing that there needs to be a day of training or something for too many, followed by some test, oral or written.... before they are allowed to race... Ah, nice to vent a little.... Plowboy "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (140 lines)

> Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) > > Despite all my whining I've driven about five races on my night off. The > first three were the usual mixed bag of distinctly average experiences... > a few moments of tension at the start, then a steady trail of hotlaps > with the occasional spinner or lapper to liven things up a little. The > Skippy keeps you involved enough in your lapping not to make it too > boring though, which is probably why it's easy to get sucked into 'just > one more race' when the next one comes around. > > It beats doing the ironing anyway. > > The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few > seconds, resulting in a crash. I quit and came back, but it happened > again in the race despite ripping the side off my case and aiming a fan > inside. I don't think that video freeze hurt anyone but myself, but it > hurt my SR nastily. I quit & rebooted, then remembered I could rejoin. > Tried again and this time, 3 laps down, I was able to finish without > further problems. > > I think, in retrospect, this video freeze might have been caused by > Intel's CPU temp monitoring utility which I'd had loaded to keep a record > of temps during racing. It was the only unusual thing running on my PC at > the time. > > Anyway, that was a fairly low point in the day. But another hour passed > and another race lures me in. Somehow the fact that there's only one > every two hours can make it harder to resist than if you had VROC-style > choice of quitting one and joining another straight away. You have a > cooling-off period after a race, and just enough time before the next to > have a drink and forget the bad bits. > > Ok, so 26 drivers register and iRacing splits us nicely into two races of > 13 drivers (maximum is 14). > > Things got off to a bad start. An Aussie (that time of day is littered > with the whingeing, gold-phobic barstewards! ;-) leaves the pits just > behind me, and is obviously faster... or at least less fearless than me. > I pull over politely to let him past after a few turns. He follows me and > I collect a x4 penalty for my manners. > > Fortunately warmup SR penalties don't count too heavily, and he did at > least apologise. I'll live, but it already feels like another of 'those' > iRaces. > > On the grid there's only one driver behind me, just the way I like it. > The air is full of G'days & G'lucks & polite European silence. Then we're > off, and the guy from behind me is having none of this, "you can't win a > race at the first bend" stuff. He's 3-wide and weaving all the way down > to T1. And yet everyone survives, thanks mainly to the average driver > being a lot more cautious. > > Before long though there's an incident. I pass a car pointing the wrong > way, another going sideways, another pulled to one side behaving -- it > seems to me anyway -- a bit sheepishly. I pass them all cleanly, > following fairly closely behind another driver. > > For once I'm hanging onto the guy in front, and forget about the racers > I've passed. But within a lap or two my mirror is suddenly full of cars. > They're closing fast, but not so fast I need to pull over yet... after > all, we're just entering the twisty bit of the track where passing would > be suicidal unless I make an obvious mistake. > > Wrong! I'm lined up nicely for the turn and before I can react, one > driver's gone round the outside of me, out-braking me by about a > light-year. I slow to prevent an incident, and another driver passes me > on the inside, showing total fearlessness. I somehow hold it together, > and try to relax again as my heart pounds. > > But the third driver from the group I'd passed is now in my mirror. Sod > this, I pull well over and let him squirrel off after his mates. > > Well, that was certainly exciting, but it was the wrong kind of > excitement. I'm used to a calmer, more conservative type of racing back > among those who're less certain of their talent. I suppose it's a > compliment of sorts though that they thought I could be taken so > predictably. > > On with the race. Plenty of time to calm down and get into my slow, > steady little groove of 1:26es. But now I'm slowly getting closer to the > guy in front. We'll call him Alain because, well, because that was his > name. Not an Aussie name, and certainly not an Aussie driver. Slower, > steady, and lapping about 1s a lap slower than myself. > > Looks like I've finally -- after gawd knows how many races! -- got a > fairly evenly matched opponent. And I was right. > > For seven *glorious* laps I followed him around Summit Point. There were > sections of the track where I could get very close, but they weren't > sections where passing was safe for both of us, and I'd get no > satisfaction whatsoever from pushing hard and causing someone to have an > off. There's no money, trophies or scantily clad women riding on this, > just a few lousy iRating points. So I back off where I'm not sure about > his braking, and I lean hard where he shows confidence. It is both > exciting and rewarding, even though he's slowing me down by about 2s a > lap now. > > But what does that matter? Nearly everyone else is way off in the > distance. So coming into the final bend of our seventh lap together I > think I've finally got the measure of my opponent. I back off just enough > to give him space, yet come out of the turn just behind him. That'll give > me the whole straight to slipstream him and out-brake him -- as I know I > can -- into T1. > > But what's this? Nooooooo! You can't over-cook it... please don't lose > it... not now! > > Sadly Alain had pushed a little too hard. Maybe he could smell my > anglo-saxon gameplan from across le Channel? Maybe his cat jumped on his > monitor? Or maybe he just lost it the way we all do... by simply being > human. > > I contemplate slowing to let him catch up, but that can seem a little > insulting, and besides, there's someone else coming up fast now, and > we'll be racing for position. I may not be the most competeitive person > on the track, but I try not to be too much of an easy target. > > The rest of the race was fairly uneventful, but I was basking in the warm > glow of the best seven laps of racing I've had... well, since about 1999 > when I nearly had a heart attack from some very exciting and very close > racing in GPL at Monza... I had to quit that race because my hands were > shaking from the adrenalin rush. :-) > > The best part was finding out afterwards that Alain had also enjoyed our > encounter, describing me as a 'very fair' racer. > > Now to some that's probably a huge insult. Who wants to be fair, this is > racing, not knitting! But to me it was a huge compliment, and I came --> > .<-- this close to renewing my subscription straight away after that > race. > > If I do so in the next week it won't be because I love iRacing and its > many, many flaws. It'll be because despite those flaws, iRacing has > reminded me why I still have a wheel attached to the gaming end of my > desk, even though it's years since I've used it regularly. > > Maybe, just maybe, that is enough to justify the ongoing cost and the > many frustrations iRacing in its current form has to offer. > > Andrew McP... boring rec.autos.simulators for well over a decade!

I've only had two real issues in RC's, one of which you mention. It doesn't happen often, but it IS frustrating when it does. For me Road America was the worst for this. 1. Passing slower cars. I don't hold up fast drivers. I let them by. I hold my line on the left (for right-handers) so they can move inside and pass, just like it should be. But there are some fast drivers that don't know how to pass at all. They should expect the slower driver to stay left (in this example), because it's the proper thing to do, and they should move to the right lane and do the pass. What I'm seeing is some of the fast guys driving deep into the same line as the slower driver, braking way later (part of the skill thing), and ramming the slower driver in the rear. It just doesn't make sense. To me this is bullying and it really pisses me off. You don't have to bully me to pass me. If you are faster, I AM going to let you by. If it's the last 1/2 lap and it's for position, I may make you work a bit harder. If I'm a lap down to the car behind, it doesn't matter so I still let them by easily. I make myself an easy pass, you don't need to force the issue :) 2. The track re-entry thing. It is the still-on-track drivers responsibility to be alert and deal with this as best possible. It is the off-track drivers responsiblity to re-enter the track without placing the on-track cars in harms way. No more to be said here. I got a healthy dose of both, (two of each) in my RA race and I was not amused. Luckily I have only seen this happen once (this badly) so far. I think I ended up in a server full of aliens and I was way out of my league on this one. That does not change the basic facts about courteous passing/re-entry. -Larry "PlowBoy," <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:u3Ark.4806$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (230 lines)

> Andrew, > > I love Iracing, I signed up for a year, I was on the bunch of 1st > invitees... Ok, I loved it, (*LOVED*) past tense well sorta, I still like > it. Right now it is like that last soon to "ex" relations hip kind of > feeling, or Love and hate relationship. But so much like you I feel more > that I have good races and more bad. BUT I'm finding certain nights, the > races go with several racers seem to have the mindset, lets race, hard but > clean and understand the CONCEPTS of RACING which in real life means > without being killed, hopefully. That part is hard to impart into a > sim... > > But some nights there are those Terrorists I call them, the ones just fast > enough <for a lap or 2> to cause a crap load of angst when you race them, > bullying into turn one then off the track mid corner.... But right now my > 2nd biggest thing is the people that must be shutting off mirrors, and not > glancing at the F3 Screen, not even once in a while, and shut off the > voice communications. I'm talking about Oval racing, were I'm am not > usually the lapper, but I see this as well in roads... Being a pay to > race service, I find it hard to not get pretty opinionated about the > following: > > lappers that wont make an effort to hold a line, and to let themselves be > lapped. > > You mention the "pull over" mentality, and I applaud it, but it does bring > to My mind how I think that guy felt, that followed you when you "pulled > over" to stop/slow out of the way, and "plowed into you"... Here's how > I have seen or done it. I'm following you or say someone like you, lets > say, since I am sure I haven't actually raced you yet... I'm coming up on > you and decide I can move over, and pass you soon, if I do this and > this... So, I think about it, then just as I set off to do it, you pull > over and stop/slow down. Whoa! To me, just keep yer line, and pace, and > we can get along fine. I suspect others think so as well. > > Now that was just my thoughts, hoping that it might enlighten you on the > "overtaking car's" thoughts in that situation, sometimes. > > Well if I haven't made you mad... here is what has me so mad some nights > that I wish I could get my money back (lol).. PS: and yeah in real life > when dipwads do this type of crap, unless they are independently wealthy > or drive for like some nascar team, they get time to reflect on their > actions while spending the rest of the night rebuilding the car, if not > the next week, or heaven forbid after they exit the hospital. > > This week, one night, I had 3 races that I ran ahead of 2nd place by over > 2 seconds, in legends (both advanced and rookie versions) and in each, I > got wrecked by some azzclown that was given 3 laps (since I had time > between 2nd I tried to wait...) 2 times I get wiped out people who cant > just do 2 things.... > > 1 slow up so they can control his/her own destiny, and stay in the lane > they are in. Be predictable, that is being courteous. trust me losing 1 > to .5 seconds for one lap is less miserable (on 15-17 second lap sized > tracks even) than being wrecked. > > 2, when the clown spins, they seem to think EVERYONE else needs to stop, > while that car gets to violently turn itself around, ACROSS all 3 lanes of > traffic plus the aprons, in front of the lead pack or even just fellow > competitors > > 2A, OR THE WORST OFFENDERS, they spin but refuse to HOLD the brakes tight, > giving them that spin plus moving target (like a misdirection play). No, > we get the spinout that you have to dodge, PLUS they back the car across > all lanes of traffic. HEY NOW, It isn't that they got knocked out by the > impact, nor has the game simulated brake failure, !!!!nope it is BLATANT > DipSh*tty-ness!!!! > > I can usually handle dodging a single car spin, at least not be "pissed as > all get out" at that person, if I don't manage to miss them and get taken > out of a race, even while leading, that IS, when the car that spun does > the right thing! they SIT FR#KING STILL as possible. > > IMHO I'm one of those people that hate "restrictions" on things but Gawd > Darn it. there are night that im seriously considering evangelizing that > there needs to be a day of training or something for too many, followed by > some test, oral or written.... before they are allowed to race... > > Ah, nice to vent a little.... > > Plowboy > > > > > > "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... >> Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) >> >> Despite all my whining I've driven about five races on my night off. The >> first three were the usual mixed bag of distinctly average experiences... >> a few moments of tension at the start, then a steady trail of hotlaps >> with the occasional spinner or lapper to liven things up a little. The >> Skippy keeps you involved enough in your lapping not to make it too >> boring though, which is probably why it's easy to get sucked into 'just >> one more race' when the next one comes around. >> >> It beats doing the ironing anyway. >> >> The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few >> seconds, resulting in a crash. I quit and came back, but it happened >> again in the race despite ripping the side off my case and aiming a fan >> inside. I don't think that video freeze hurt anyone but myself, but it >> hurt my SR nastily. I quit & rebooted, then remembered I could rejoin. >> Tried again and this time, 3 laps down, I was able to finish without >> further problems. >> >> I think, in retrospect, this video freeze might have been caused by >> Intel's CPU temp monitoring utility which I'd had loaded to keep a record >> of temps during racing. It was the only unusual thing running on my PC at >> the time. >> >> Anyway, that was a fairly low point in the day. But another hour passed >> and another race lures me in. Somehow the fact that there's only one >> every two hours can make it harder to resist than if you had VROC-style >> choice of quitting one and joining another straight away. You have a >> cooling-off period after a race, and just enough time before the next to >> have a drink and forget the bad bits. >> >> Ok, so 26 drivers register and iRacing splits us nicely into two races of >> 13 drivers (maximum is 14). >> >> Things got off to a bad start. An Aussie (that time of day is littered >> with the whingeing, gold-phobic barstewards! ;-) leaves the pits just >> behind me, and is obviously faster... or at least less fearless than me. >> I pull over politely to let him past after a few turns. He follows me and >> I collect a x4 penalty for my manners. >> >> Fortunately warmup SR penalties don't count too heavily, and he did at >> least apologise. I'll live, but it already feels like another of 'those' >> iRaces. >> >> On the grid there's only one driver behind me, just the way I like it. >> The air is full of G'days & G'lucks & polite European silence. Then we're >> off, and the guy from behind me is having none of this, "you can't win a >> race at the first bend" stuff. He's 3-wide and weaving all the way down >> to T1. And yet everyone survives, thanks mainly to the average driver >> being a lot more cautious. >> >> Before long though there's an incident. I pass a car pointing the wrong >> way, another going sideways, another pulled to one side behaving -- it >> seems to me anyway -- a bit sheepishly. I pass them all cleanly, >> following fairly closely behind another driver. >> >> For once I'm hanging onto the guy in front, and forget about the racers >> I've passed. But within a lap or two my mirror is suddenly full of cars. >> They're closing fast, but not so fast I need to pull over yet... after >> all, we're just entering the twisty bit of the track where passing would >> be suicidal unless I make an obvious mistake. >> >> Wrong! I'm lined up nicely for the turn and before I can react, one >> driver's gone round the outside of me, out-braking me by about a >> light-year. I slow to prevent an incident, and another driver passes me >> on the inside, showing total fearlessness. I somehow hold it together, >> and try to relax again as my heart pounds. >> >> But the third driver from the group I'd passed is now in my mirror. Sod >> this, I pull well over and let him squirrel off after his mates. >> >> Well, that was certainly exciting, but it was the wrong kind of >> excitement. I'm used to a calmer, more conservative type of racing back >> among those who're less certain of their talent. I suppose it's a >> compliment of sorts though that they thought I could be taken so >> predictably. >> >> On with the race. Plenty of time to calm down and get into my slow, >> steady little groove of 1:26es. But now I'm slowly getting closer to the >> guy in front. We'll call him Alain because, well, because that was his >> name. Not an Aussie name, and certainly not an Aussie driver. Slower, >> steady, and lapping about 1s a lap slower than myself. >> >> Looks like I've finally -- after gawd knows how many races! -- got a >> fairly evenly matched opponent. And I was right. >> >> For seven *glorious* laps I followed him around Summit Point. There were >> sections of the track where I could get very close, but they weren't >> sections where passing was safe for both of us, and I'd get no >> satisfaction whatsoever from pushing hard and causing someone to have an >> off. There's no money, trophies or scantily clad women riding on this, >> just a few lousy iRating points. So I back off where I'm not sure about >> his braking, and I lean hard where he shows confidence. It is both >> exciting and rewarding, even though he's slowing me down by about 2s a >> lap now. >> >> But what does that matter? Nearly everyone else is way off in the >> distance. So coming into the final bend of our seventh lap together I >> think I've finally got the measure of my opponent. I back off just enough >> to give him space, yet come out of the turn just behind him. That'll give >> me the whole straight to slipstream him and out-brake him -- as I know I >> can -- into T1. >> >> But what's this? Nooooooo! You can't over-cook it... please don't lose >> it... not now! >> >> Sadly Alain had pushed a little too hard. Maybe he could smell my >> anglo-saxon gameplan from across le Channel? Maybe his cat jumped on his >> monitor? Or maybe he just lost it the way we all do... by simply being >> human. >> >> I contemplate slowing to let him catch up, but that can seem a little >> insulting, and besides, there's someone else coming up fast now, and >> we'll be racing for position. I may not be the most competeitive person >> on the track, but I try not to be too much of an easy target. >> >> The rest of the race was fairly uneventful, but I was basking in the warm >> glow of the best seven laps of racing I've had... well, since about 1999 >> when I nearly had a heart attack from some very exciting and very close >> racing in GPL at Monza... I had to quit that race because my hands were >> shaking from the adrenalin rush. :-) >> >> The best part was finding out afterwards that Alain had also enjoyed our >> encounter, describing me as a 'very fair' racer. >> >> Now to some that's probably a huge insult. Who wants to be fair, this is >> racing, not knitting! But to me it was a huge compliment, and I came --> >> .<-- this close to renewing my subscription straight away after that >> race. >> >> If I do so in the next week it won't be because I love iRacing and its >> many, many flaws. It'll be because despite those flaws, iRacing has >> reminded me why I still have a wheel attached to the gaming end of my >> desk, even though it's years since I've used it regularly. >> >> Maybe, just maybe, that is enough to justify the ongoing cost and the >> many frustrations iRacing in its current form has to offer. >> >> Andrew McP... boring rec.autos.simulators for well over a decade! > >

"PlowBoy," <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:u3Ark.4806$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (84 lines)

> Andrew, > > I love Iracing, I signed up for a year, I was on the bunch of 1st > invitees... Ok, I loved it, (*LOVED*) past tense well sorta, I still like > it. Right now it is like that last soon to "ex" relations hip kind of > feeling, or Love and hate relationship. But so much like you I feel more > that I have good races and more bad. BUT I'm finding certain nights, the > races go with several racers seem to have the mindset, lets race, hard but > clean and understand the CONCEPTS of RACING which in real life means > without being killed, hopefully. That part is hard to impart into a > sim... > > But some nights there are those Terrorists I call them, the ones just fast > enough <for a lap or 2> to cause a crap load of angst when you race them, > bullying into turn one then off the track mid corner.... But right now my > 2nd biggest thing is the people that must be shutting off mirrors, and not > glancing at the F3 Screen, not even once in a while, and shut off the > voice communications. I'm talking about Oval racing, were I'm am not > usually the lapper, but I see this as well in roads... Being a pay to > race service, I find it hard to not get pretty opinionated about the > following: > > lappers that wont make an effort to hold a line, and to let themselves be > lapped. > > You mention the "pull over" mentality, and I applaud it, but it does bring > to My mind how I think that guy felt, that followed you when you "pulled > over" to stop/slow out of the way, and "plowed into you"... Here's how > I have seen or done it. I'm following you or say someone like you, lets > say, since I am sure I haven't actually raced you yet... I'm coming up on > you and decide I can move over, and pass you soon, if I do this and > this... So, I think about it, then just as I set off to do it, you pull > over and stop/slow down. Whoa! To me, just keep yer line, and pace, and > we can get along fine. I suspect others think so as well. > > Now that was just my thoughts, hoping that it might enlighten you on the > "overtaking car's" thoughts in that situation, sometimes. > > Well if I haven't made you mad... here is what has me so mad some nights > that I wish I could get my money back (lol).. PS: and yeah in real life > when dipwads do this type of crap, unless they are independently wealthy > or drive for like some nascar team, they get time to reflect on their > actions while spending the rest of the night rebuilding the car, if not > the next week, or heaven forbid after they exit the hospital. > > This week, one night, I had 3 races that I ran ahead of 2nd place by over > 2 seconds, in legends (both advanced and rookie versions) and in each, I > got wrecked by some azzclown that was given 3 laps (since I had time > between 2nd I tried to wait...) 2 times I get wiped out people who cant > just do 2 things.... > > 1 slow up so they can control his/her own destiny, and stay in the lane > they are in. Be predictable, that is being courteous. trust me losing 1 > to .5 seconds for one lap is less miserable (on 15-17 second lap sized > tracks even) than being wrecked. > > 2, when the clown spins, they seem to think EVERYONE else needs to stop, > while that car gets to violently turn itself around, ACROSS all 3 lanes of > traffic plus the aprons, in front of the lead pack or even just fellow > competitors > > 2A, OR THE WORST OFFENDERS, they spin but refuse to HOLD the brakes tight, > giving them that spin plus moving target (like a misdirection play). No, > we get the spinout that you have to dodge, PLUS they back the car across > all lanes of traffic. HEY NOW, It isn't that they got knocked out by the > impact, nor has the game simulated brake failure, !!!!nope it is BLATANT > DipSh*tty-ness!!!! > > I can usually handle dodging a single car spin, at least not be "pissed as > all get out" at that person, if I don't manage to miss them and get taken > out of a race, even while leading, that IS, when the car that spun does > the right thing! they SIT FR#KING STILL as possible. > > IMHO I'm one of those people that hate "restrictions" on things but Gawd > Darn it. there are night that im seriously considering evangelizing that > there needs to be a day of training or something for too many, followed by > some test, oral or written.... before they are allowed to race... > > Ah, nice to vent a little.... > > Plowboy > > >

When I first started I had a few incidents where I slowed and changed line and got hit from behind. Nowadays I just hold my line unless I have enough time to move over before the fast driver is anywhere near me. My current problem is bends, especially after a straight. Say its a right hander, I normally move over to the right of the track and slow down with plenty of time before the incoming drivers get near me. Unfortunately it is sometimes too much time and I get to the bend before they do, but on the inside. They normally hair in at light speed, dab their brakes then turn in, only to find me there. The resultant maneuvering normally causes them to spin off or go off the track. - At least this is what I think is happening. I not entirely sure whether its all my fault as most of the time the lead two cars get by me with no problem. It's normally the third that gets into problems. Obviously, it is not my intention to do this and if there is a safer way of letting the faster drivers by in this situation, I'd like to know it. I guess there is a reason why my car sports a big red stripe on the back :) RobP

[email hidden] (Andrew MacPherson) wrote in news:[email hidden]: > Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like iRacing?

[email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like > iRacing? Some people go for long walks to digest their thoughts, or drink to celebrate their happiness. I tent to write my thoughts down for complete strangers to be bored to death by. I can only apologise when I get a 'little' carried away. It's easy enough to ignore my posts though. :-) Andrew McP

[email hidden] (Larry) wrote: > I have a little utility that will do the temp monitoring for you > without any installation to your system to possibly screw it up. It's ok Larry. I usually use something called 'Speedfan' which has never caused me a problem. I just used the Intel tool this time because it had a big, easily readable display. I shouldn't be glancing at the second screen anyway. It's not a good habit. :-) Andrew McP

[email hidden] (PlowBoy) wrote: > So, I think about it, then just as I set off to do it, you pull > over and stop/slow down. Whoa! I can assure you that when I pull off the racing line it's never a last minute or sudden thing... I always do it well ahead of someone filling my mirrors. I agree it would be unfair to do that if a driver is close. Perhaps I should re-think my strategy though. > Ah, nice to vent a little.... iRacing is the Jekyll & Hyde of sim racing. An angel one minute, a monster the next. ;-) Andrew McP

LOL Me laughing! :) 0-0-0-0-0-0 "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (14 lines)

> [email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > >> You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like >> iRacing? > > Some people go for long walks to digest their thoughts, or drink to > celebrate their happiness. I tent to write my thoughts down for complete > strangers to be bored to death by. > > I can only apologise when I get a 'little' carried away. It's easy enough > to ignore my posts though. :-) > > Andrew McP >

> I can assure you that when I pull off the racing line it's never a last > minute or sudden thing... I always do it well ahead of someone filling my > mirrors. I agree it would be unfair to do that if a driver is close. I don't "rent" iRacing, but some of these posts have made me curious. Is the view in iRacing restrictive enough that you can't see far enough ahead to avoid slower moving cars? I know than in NR2003 I use hood view, for this very reason, even though it's not realistic. Only a few of use have the money or the space for a tripple wides screen setup for a proper in car view with adequate peripheral vision to see far enough ahead in a corner. I drive a motorcycle in real life, and one of the issues was getting used to looking a 1/4 turn ahead when on circular freeway on or off ramps (for safety reasons to scan for potential problems ahead), while maintaining an proper distance from the curbs, since lane position on a motorcycle is an indirect combination of lean angle and distance traveled, and by looking ahead, your using peripheral vision to see your lean angle.

> The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few > seconds, resulting in a crash. I leave the sides off on my computer (it's a mid-sized tower). It turns out to be quieter because the fans run at slower speed. Also, I'm using an Intel Core 2 X6800 (not overclocked), and the specs state that the in case temperature needs to be below 40C, which is a temperature that the room the computer is in never exceeds.

(jeffareid) wrote: > I don't "rent" iRacing, but some of these posts have made me > curious. Is the view in iRacing restrictive enough that you > can't see far enough ahead to avoid slower moving cars? The view ahead is very good indeed into the distance. There's no 'cut off' and no excuse for not seeing exactly where people are on the track. Anticipating where they;re going next may be a different matter. :-) The view backwards in the Skippy's excellent too. A combination of the 'artificial' mirror at the top of the screen (optional), wing mirrors, and the F3 list of real-time relative driver positions give you pretty good spacial awareness. While I'm here I'm going to repeat what I've said before... despite its annoying limitations and the purgatory that is the Solstice, I think every road racer (I can't really talk about ovals) should invest a month and the $50 it'll cost (altogether) to get into a Skippy. This morning I've reinstalled N2003 and have been very impressed by it running with everything maxxed out. If I dump iRacing for a while, that'll scratch the oval itch very nicely. But I've just been quickly through GTL, rFactor, GTR2, and LFS(z), then back to a test in the Skippy, and *nothing* gives me the same sense of car control as I get in the Skippy... Apart from the neutered first gear (no wheel spin possible) it really does seem to be the son-of-GPL. Of course this might be the best reason for *not* trying iRacing. :-) I did also try GPL again after sorting out some sound problems I had which stopped me trying it. But the 36fps now seems too flickery for comfort. How easily spoiled we become in our old age! :-) Andrew McP PS I don't think I've mentioned before, but I *hate* the 'iRacing' name... it's far too Apple wannabee. I also hate calling the Skip Barber 2000 the 'Skippy'. It's a bad habit and I've adopted this shorthand like just about everyone else on iRacing. I will try to use SB2K instead from now on. That way I can stop humming Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo every time I type it.

[email hidden] (jeffareid) wrote: > I leave the sides off on my computer (it's a mid-sized tower). It > turns out to be quieter because the fans run at slower speed. I'm pretty sure my problems weren't heat-related in this instance. But I do often run without the case side on during hot weather. My games machine is built for speed rather than peace & quiet though (despite having no need to overclock the E6600 since I stop flying flight sims so often), so it's noisy with the side on, and even noisier with it off. Although a 2 box solution can be a pain at times, having this quiet PC for main use suits me very well. Andrew McP

> While I'm here I'm going to repeat what I've said before... despite its > annoying limitations and the purgatory that is the Solstice, I think > every road racer (I can't really talk about ovals) should invest a month > and the $50 it'll cost (altogether) to get into a Skippy. Two issues for me. I stopped being into realism once I realized that no PC based simulator is going to truly capture that final 5% or so of how a real car will respond when at or past the limits, which varies in the real world depending on the car and tires involved. There are just too many very complicated dnamic factors involved to be able to calculate them all even with the huge amount of cpu power in todays' PC's, and for me, these games will just end up "getting close but not quite there". The other main issue is that I like to keep my all my games and replays, occasionally going back and replaying them (I recenlty redid NFS Undergrond 2's career mode, and ran a few laps with GPL at Kyalami with the Lotus), which is something I could never do with a rental game. Someday I might try iRacing, but in it's current state, flaws like the Mazda getting normal downforce while sliding sideways tells me that there's a lot more than just tweaking of parameters required to "fix" issues like this. I bought an LFS S1 license when it came out, because I owned a Caterham SV at the time and was expecting the LX6 in LFS to have the same cool go kart like feel, but the LFS S1 version didn't come close and the car was very unforgiving, and in general significantly different in how it handled than the real thing (there is a large parking lot nearby formerly used for Pro Solo Autocrossing and I could get in a lot of laps or better still time on the small and large figure 8 tracks used to teach driving at the limits). I was very dissappointed, and the major physics issues weren't fixed until about a year ago with version "V" of S2, and it still doesn't come close to the real thing.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:01:09 GMT, Maat wrote: > [email hidden] (Andrew MacPherson) wrote in > news:[email hidden]: > >> Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) > > You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like iRacing? I for one enjoy Andy's reports. If you don't, killfile him and be done with it. Thanks! --

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:40 +0100 (BST), Andrew MacPherson wrote:

Quoted text (12 lines)

> [email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > >> You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like >> iRacing? > > Some people go for long walks to digest their thoughts, or drink to > celebrate their happiness. I tent to write my thoughts down for complete > strangers to be bored to death by. > > I can only apologise when I get a 'little' carried away. It's easy enough > to ignore my posts though. :-) >

Keep'em coming, Andy, it's always good to read from somebody who still takes the time to sit and down put some structure into his writing more than the usual OMGWTFLOLZ!!11Eleventy drivel. Now get off my lawn. ;-) Cheers, Uwe --

[email hidden] (Andrew MacPherson) wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted text (10 lines)

> Some people go for long walks to digest their thoughts, or drink to > celebrate their happiness. I tent to write my thoughts down for complete > strangers to be bored to death by. > > I can only apologise when I get a 'little' carried away. It's easy enough > to ignore my posts though. :-) > > Andrew McP > >

OK. But IMO a good writer says as much as they can in as few words as they can. That's why IMO Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishmwent is a much better book than The Brothers Karamazov. Reading The Brothers Karamazov is like reading a long winded soap opera, sort of like your post was. ;)

[email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > But IMO a good writer says as much as they can in as few words as > they can. I agree. Thankfully I have never claimed to be a good writer. Like my racing, it is more enthusiastic than accomplished. ;-) Andrew McP

[email hidden] (jeffareid) wrote: > Someday I might try iRacing, but in it's current state, flaws like > the Mazda getting normal downforce while sliding sideways tells me > that there's a lot more than just tweaking of parameters required > to "fix" issues like this. I can't argue with that, or your other points. Reflecting on a week of highs (ok, high) & lows online, I still think I'll probably quit iRacing next week. But I'm glad I tried it, and I think it is -- in the same way that GPL was -- well ahead of the competition in terms of physics and the 'feel' of the car underneath you. The combination of aural and force feedback, and the responsiveness of the cars (well, the SB2K anyway) is well worth experiencing. However there are, indeed, many flaws, and I think they're definitely pushing their luck by opening the doors to the general simming public at this stage. I suspect this is only happening because of poor take-up on the invites (%-age wise) leading to a smaller racing pool than required to drive the service at other than peak times. There's too much wheat online, and not enough chaff like me. :-) Though until they adopt a mass market, two-tier structure I think that will always be the case. Weekend racers like myself will struggle to find motivation I wish the project well though, and I suspect I'll find it very hard to replace on my HD. Andrew McP

"Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (14 lines)

> [email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > >> You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like >> iRacing? > > Some people go for long walks to digest their thoughts, or drink to > celebrate their happiness. I tent to write my thoughts down for complete > strangers to be bored to death by. > > I can only apologise when I get a 'little' carried away. It's easy enough > to ignore my posts though. :-) > > Andrew McP >

I'll go on record that I enjoy your writings which , really, are hardly a novel. A short story at most . Complete with beginning , middle and hopefully a happy end. Anyway our various musings about I Racing seem to the main food for the group these days. Let not the critics cry you down :) Dave

"Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (10 lines)

> > Andrew McP > > PS I don't think I've mentioned before, but I *hate* the 'iRacing' name... > it's far too Apple wannabee. I also hate calling the Skip Barber 2000 the > 'Skippy'. It's a bad habit and I've adopted this shorthand like just > about everyone else on iRacing. I will try to use SB2K instead from now > on. That way I can stop humming Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo > every time I type it. >

I concur as to the Skippy shorthand. It does bring images of teletubbieish racecars skipping hand in hand through flowery meadows,; in other words, too damn cute for any adult male to say out loud. I find myself resisting the sugary tide be using Skip as my shorthand of choice. While not ideal at least it gets rid of the cutsey ending and, since an English acquiaintance informs me that skip can be a dumpster in the foggy isle, it brings a certain working mans aroma to the name. Dave

Andrew MacPherson wrote:

Quoted text (29 lines)

> [email hidden] (jeffareid) wrote: > >> Someday I might try iRacing, but in it's current state, flaws like >> the Mazda getting normal downforce while sliding sideways tells me >> that there's a lot more than just tweaking of parameters required >> to "fix" issues like this. > > I can't argue with that, or your other points. > > Reflecting on a week of highs (ok, high) & lows online, I still think > I'll probably quit iRacing next week. But I'm glad I tried it, and I > think it is -- in the same way that GPL was -- well ahead of the > competition in terms of physics and the 'feel' of the car underneath you. > The combination of aural and force feedback, and the responsiveness of > the cars (well, the SB2K anyway) is well worth experiencing. > > However there are, indeed, many flaws, and I think they're definitely > pushing their luck by opening the doors to the general simming public at > this stage. I suspect this is only happening because of poor take-up on > the invites (%-age wise) leading to a smaller racing pool than required > to drive the service at other than peak times. There's too much wheat > online, and not enough chaff like me. :-) Though until they adopt a mass > market, two-tier structure I think that will always be the case. Weekend > racers like myself will struggle to find motivation > > I wish the project well though, and I suspect I'll find it very hard to > replace on my HD. > > Andrew McP

Always enjoyed your posts. Remember, after you uninstall iRacing, check your startup programs. I found iRacing still loading at windows start up.

[email hidden] (DavErb) wrote: > Anyway our various musings about I Racing seem to the > main food for the group these days. It's definitely the only thing really worth talking about at the moment. I just wish they'd release a single car (the Legends, not the Solstice!) and track demo for open practise. Then everyone could get an idea what we're talking about. Andrew McP

[email hidden] (DavErb) wrote: > since an English acquiaintance informs me that skip can be a > dumpster in the foggy isle, it brings a certain working mans > aroma to the name. I don't think it's fair to allocate 'Skip' to the Skippy. It's certainly far more of a kangaroo than a lump on inanimate metal for dumping trash in. The Solstice on the other hand... ;-) Andrew McP

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:phCrk.105684$nD.77944@pd7urf1no... > [email hidden] (Andrew MacPherson) wrote in > news:[email hidden]: > >> Well, maybe. This is *me* we're talking about. ;-) > > You had to write a novel just to tell us that you kinda like iRacing? News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post actually made interesting reading.

"DavErb" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]: >Complete with beginning , > middle and hopefully a happy end. Ah, another Disney fan, I see. Unfortunately, Disney is not reality.

"David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in news:_Resk.154007 $[email hidden]: > News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post > actually made interesting reading. > > True that, it is for opinions. IMO, you are a cunt.

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:swhsk.111125$nD.57252@pd7urf1no...

Quoted text (8 lines)

> "DavErb" <[email hidden]> wrote in > news:[email hidden]: > >>Complete with beginning , >> middle and hopefully a happy end. > > Ah, another Disney fan, I see. Unfortunately, Disney is not reality. >

ah, a fan of the non sequitur I see. It too does not constitute reality Dave

"Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (12 lines)

> [email hidden] (DavErb) wrote: > >> Anyway our various musings about I Racing seem to the >> main food for the group these days. > > It's definitely the only thing really worth talking about at the moment. > I just wish they'd release a single car (the Legends, not the Solstice!) > and track demo for open practise. Then everyone could get an idea what > we're talking about. > > Andrew McP >

I also enjoy your writings Andrew ! My suspicion is that those complaining would be "buy"-products of the TV generation with attention spans lasting less than 10 seconds. For example; Americans are now "praising" O'bama as the new "savior of change" and yet 10 seconds of thinking would make them realize that O'bama's a BLOOD relative (cousin) to Bush and Cheney and Kerry...... More of the same equals "change" LOL Keep writing... I'm still a READER, I stay away from the "truthless tv" and I still have the ability to concentrate for over a minute. Your posts have a lot of information and are also (dare I say) FUN to read. 0-0-0-0-0-0

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Pxhsk.212978$gc5.88921@pd7urf2no...

Quoted text (9 lines)

> "David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in news:_Resk.154007 > $[email hidden]: > >> News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post >> actually made interesting reading. >> >> > > True that, it is for opinions. IMO, you are a cunt.

You're not alone in that opinion !!! But I think you give 'it' too much credit.... even a c--t has some usefulness.

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Pxhsk.212978$gc5.88921@pd7urf2no...

Quoted text (9 lines)

> "David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in news:_Resk.154007 > $[email hidden]: > >> News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post >> actually made interesting reading. >> >> > > True that, it is for opinions. IMO, you are a cunt.

Yeah, well, you're a cunt for reading something you had little or no interest in. The title was pretty clear. Oh, no, have to go. My master is burping the worm again!

"DavErb" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:qel8o5-au1.ln1 @news.kos.net: > ah, a fan of the non sequitur I see. It too does not constitute reality > > Dave It's not my fault if you are too dim to follow the logic of my post. Let me help you out. Disney = happy ending always, without fail

"David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in news:87ksk.12677$[email hidden]: > Yeah, well, you're a cunt for reading something you had little or no > interest in. The title was pretty clear. But I was interested until I realized the post was 100 pages long so skipped to the ending and all it said was that he kind of liked iRacing.

[email hidden] (Maat) wrote: > But I was interested until I realized the post was 100 pages long > so skipped to the ending and all it said was that he kind of liked > iRacing. Life is not about the destination, it is about the journey. Andrew McP... going nowhere slowly

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1Zmsk.35428$hx.32762@pd7urf3no...

Quoted text (8 lines)

> "David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in > news:87ksk.12677$[email hidden]: > >> Yeah, well, you're a cunt for reading something you had little or no >> interest in. The title was pretty clear. > > But I was interested until I realized the post was 100 pages long so > skipped to the ending and all it said was that he kind of liked iRacing.

Poor didums, having to read something you didn't enjoy. Yours sneeringly Dave's left bollock.

> Andrew McP... going nowhere slowly Should be "racing aimlessly", "getting nowhwere fast".

Ain't that the damned truth LOL I suspect you read my VIR post/thread :) -Larry "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > [email hidden] (PlowBoy) wrote: > iRacing is the Jekyll & Hyde of sim racing. An angel one minute, a > monster the next. ;-) > > Andrew McP

I'd like to dig into that a bit more (Really, I'm not poking a stick at you here :)). What do you base that on. I am too a bit confused about a few things Mazda, and your info may help me figure it out. -Larry "jeffareid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:QcUrk.4289$[email hidden]... > Someday I might try iRacing, but in it's current state, flaws like the > Mazda getting normal downforce while sliding sideways tells me that > there's > a lot more than just tweaking of parameters required to "fix" issues like > this.

If your fans are slower/quieter with the case side off, you may not have your cooling balanced properly and may have a pressure lock developing in your system. This can cause overheating due to poor air-flow, no matter how much air you push in there. Your fans need to be balanced. What comes in needs to get out. If you have a lot more coming in than going out, your airflow becomes, um, constipated :) It's one of those things folks don't usually think about, and when they throw another intake fan at the problem they end up making it worse instead of better. -Larry "jeffareid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3fQrk.6922$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (11 lines)

>> The fourth race was a farce. My video locked up twice in warmup for a few >> seconds, resulting in a crash. > > I leave the sides off on my computer (it's a mid-sized tower). It turns > out to > be quieter because the fans run at slower speed. Also, I'm using an Intel > Core 2 X6800 (not overclocked), and the specs state that the in case > temperature > needs to be below 40C, which is a temperature that the room the computer > is in > never exceeds.

If you want quiet AND massive airflow, get yourself an Antec Nine-Hundred. It's all 120 and 200mm fans. Even on high speed, they are very quiet. I am a Lian-Li fan, and I think the Nine-Hundred has kicked Lian-Li's ass for now. -Larry "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (16 lines)

> [email hidden] (jeffareid) wrote: > >> I leave the sides off on my computer (it's a mid-sized tower). It >> turns out to be quieter because the fans run at slower speed. > > I'm pretty sure my problems weren't heat-related in this instance. But I > do often run without the case side on during hot weather. My games > machine is built for speed rather than peace & quiet though (despite > having no need to overclock the E6600 since I stop flying flight sims so > often), so it's noisy with the side on, and even noisier with it off. > > Although a 2 box solution can be a pain at times, having this quiet PC > for main use suits me very well. > > Andrew McP >

Easy now. Don't get your Vas Deferens in a twist :) -Larry "David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in message news:_Resk.154007$[email hidden]... > News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post > actually made interesting reading.

"Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xLBsk.19926$[email hidden]... > Easy now. Don't get your Vas Deferens in a twist :) All to easy with all the fist action that happens around here, I can tell you.

Quoted text (9 lines)

> > -Larry > > "David Fisher's Left Testicle" <dfg.myass@aol> wrote in message > news:_Resk.154007$[email hidden]... > >> News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking twat! The OP's post >> actually made interesting reading. >

All to easy with all the***action that happens around here, I can tell you.

Quoted text (8 lines)

> -Larry >> News groups are for posting opinions, you fecking ***! The OP's post >> actually made interesting reading.

Read this thread, from RSC, specifically post #22. http://forum.racesimcentral.com/showthread.php?t=325994 > What do you base that on. I am too a bit confused about a few things Mazda, and your info may help me figure it out. >> Someday I might try iRacing, but in it's current state, flaws like the >> Mazda getting normal downforce while sliding sideways tells me that there's a lot more than just tweaking of >> parameters required to "fix" >> issues like this.

> I am a Lian-Li fan, and I think the Nine-Hundred has kicked Lian-Li's ass for now. I also have a Lian Li case, but I have 4 hard drives just behind the bottom two intake fans which is probably the issue, and why I leave my case open.

A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. The faster drivers always claim that the slower should give way, because they, due to their superior speed, have a god-given right of way. This is untrue in RL racing, and it is untrue in Sim racing. Everyone with a car on a track on equal terms has a right to be there, and a faster driver becoming stuck behind a slow driver is the faster drivers problem. When that is said, the slower driver should never try to block the faster driver unless fighting for position. You're allowed to block when you're fighting for position, but blocking takes time, and will cause accidents, so you'll have to make up your mind if blocking gets you that podium finish or not. Most of the time it doesn't, IMO. The best racing results when you leave room for the passing driver, so that both drivers can race very hard without risking being pushed off track. When I approach slower drivers, I just *hate* it when they move over when I approach them. I may even hate that more than the slower driver being mindless of what happens behind him, because moving over upsets everyones rythms, and it's accident prone. The correct way of letting by a faster driver at the end of a straight is holding your line, all the way to the outside, braking a bit early so that you don't run off, and just wait for the faster driver to pass on the inside. This is the way it is done in RL, and this is the way it should be done in sim racing. ---A--- On 22.08.2008 17:31, * Rob P wrote:

Quoted text (27 lines)

> > > > When I first started I had a few incidents where I slowed and changed > line and got hit from behind. Nowadays I just hold my line unless I have > enough time to move over before the fast driver is anywhere near me. > > My current problem is bends, especially after a straight. Say its a > right hander, I normally move over to the right of the track and slow > down with plenty of time before the incoming drivers get near me. > Unfortunately it is sometimes too much time and I get to the bend before > they do, but on the inside. > > They normally hair in at light speed, dab their brakes then turn in, > only to find me there. The resultant maneuvering normally causes them to > spin off or go off the track. - At least this is what I think is happening. > > I not entirely sure whether its all my fault as most of the time the > lead two cars get by me with no problem. It's normally the third that > gets into problems. > > Obviously, it is not my intention to do this and if there is a safer way > of letting the faster drivers by in this situation, I'd like to know it. > > I guess there is a reason why my car sports a big red stripe on the back :) > > RobP

While I agree with the part about the slower driver no altering his driving line I don't agree about the ouside pass. A faster driver will plan and execute a safe pass using the information gathered while following the driver in front of him. What messes this up is the slower driver changeing his/her behavior at the last minute. Inside, outside, is of no consequence in sims, just as in RL racing. I currently RL race more than I sim race (almost never during the summer) so maybe in sims you should act differently? >On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:30:05 +0200, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: >A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. >---A---

"Maat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:swhsk.111125$nD.57252@pd7urf1no...

Quoted text (7 lines)

> "DavErb" <[email hidden]> wrote in > news:[email hidden]: > >>Complete with beginning , >> middle and hopefully a happy end. > > Ah, another Disney fan, I see. Unfortunately, Disney is not reality.

He said 'hopefully' not 'definitely'!

"Asgeir Nesoen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:g90eue$f3j$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (34 lines)

> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the inside, > and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents all the > time, and this will make everyone frustrated. > > The faster drivers always claim that the slower should give way, because > they, due to their superior speed, have a god-given right of way. > > This is untrue in RL racing, and it is untrue in Sim racing. Everyone with > a car on a track on equal terms has a right to be there, and a faster > driver becoming stuck behind a slow driver is the faster drivers problem. > > When that is said, the slower driver should never try to block the faster > driver unless fighting for position. You're allowed to block when you're > fighting for position, but blocking takes time, and will cause accidents, > so you'll have to make up your mind if blocking gets you that podium > finish or not. Most of the time it doesn't, IMO. The best racing results > when you leave room for the passing driver, so that both drivers can race > very hard without risking being pushed off track. > > When I approach slower drivers, I just *hate* it when they move over when > I approach them. I may even hate that more than the slower driver being > mindless of what happens behind him, because moving over upsets everyones > rythms, and it's accident prone. > > The correct way of letting by a faster driver at the end of a straight is > holding your line, all the way to the outside, braking a bit early so that > you don't run off, and just wait for the faster driver to pass on the > inside. This is the way it is done in RL, and this is the way it should be > done in sim racing. > > ---A--- > > On 22.08.2008 17:31, * Rob P wrote: >>

This seems like good advice. On the current track of Laguna I don't get lapped, I guess I'm just fast enough to stop this. At Lime Rock I will put this into practice. On the straight I will hold my line, but brake a little earlier so that I can take the whole bend on the outside line (the left). I will need to practice this first as I don't know what the camber does there at the mo and I wouldn't want to upset the car and send it off the track. I wish iRacing would publish a newbie guide of race craft with info such as this. Otherwise we all develop our own means of dealing with fast cars, which as you rightly point out isn't optimal. RobP

No one expects anyone to pass on the outside at a RC. Does it happen? Sure. But the odds against it going well are FAR worse than a normal, expected inside pass. The odds just are not with you. Generally speaking, of course. -Larry "GaryR" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted text (16 lines)

> While I agree with the part about the slower driver no altering his > driving line I don't agree about the ouside pass. A faster driver will > plan and execute a safe pass using the information gathered while > following the driver in front of him. What messes this up is the > slower driver changeing his/her behavior at the last minute. Inside, > outside, is of no consequence in sims, just as in RL racing. I > currently RL race more than I sim race (almost never during the > summer) so maybe in sims you should act differently? > >>On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:30:05 +0200, Asgeir Nesoen >><[email hidden]> wrote: >>A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >>inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >>all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. >>---A--- >

I actually have no issues whatsoever about getting lapped. Really, it doesn't bug me in the least. As long as the guy lapping me is paying attention and doesn't punt/bully me out of the way. When it comes to RC's right now, for me, I'm racing myself and the track. Everything else is just a required distraction :) Road racing is new to me. With the exception of a few Cup RC's in Rascar, I never ran them. Not until about 4 years ago when I came aboard iRacing. I've considerably behind everyone else in this regard. At least I don't HATE them any more :) -Larry "Rob P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:5LVsk.50567$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (13 lines)

> This seems like good advice. On the current track of Laguna I don't get > lapped, I guess I'm just fast enough to stop this. At Lime Rock I will put > this into practice. On the straight I will hold my line, but brake a > little earlier so that I can take the whole bend on the outside line (the > left). I will need to practice this first as I don't know what the camber > does there at the mo and I wouldn't want to upset the car and send it off > the track. > > I wish iRacing would publish a newbie guide of race craft with info such > as this. Otherwise we all develop our own means of dealing with fast cars, > which as you rightly point out isn't optimal. > > RobP

The braking early bit is only approprioate when the lapper moves to your inside before approaching the braking zone; this way he'll pass you well before turn-in, and you'll make the turn with full control, nice line, and therefore you'll get the maximum exit speed despite being overtaking previously... If he stays on your line as you approach the braking zone, you should NOT brake early, as this will surely set up things nicely for a possibly race-ruining event... The main thing is to get the lapper past you as quickly as possible without upsetting his or your line. If you let him by during braking, you'll be ready for the turn just like on any lap, and he'll make his turn-in without worrying about what takes place on the outside. ---A--- On 26.08.2008 17:58, * Rob P wrote:

Quoted text (52 lines)

> "Asgeir Nesoen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:g90eue$f3j$[email hidden]... >> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >> inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >> all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. >> >> The faster drivers always claim that the slower should give way, >> because they, due to their superior speed, have a god-given right of way. >> >> This is untrue in RL racing, and it is untrue in Sim racing. Everyone >> with a car on a track on equal terms has a right to be there, and a >> faster driver becoming stuck behind a slow driver is the faster >> drivers problem. >> >> When that is said, the slower driver should never try to block the >> faster driver unless fighting for position. You're allowed to block >> when you're fighting for position, but blocking takes time, and will >> cause accidents, so you'll have to make up your mind if blocking gets >> you that podium finish or not. Most of the time it doesn't, IMO. The >> best racing results when you leave room for the passing driver, so >> that both drivers can race very hard without risking being pushed off >> track. >> >> When I approach slower drivers, I just *hate* it when they move over >> when I approach them. I may even hate that more than the slower driver >> being mindless of what happens behind him, because moving over upsets >> everyones rythms, and it's accident prone. >> >> The correct way of letting by a faster driver at the end of a straight >> is holding your line, all the way to the outside, braking a bit early >> so that you don't run off, and just wait for the faster driver to pass >> on the inside. This is the way it is done in RL, and this is the way >> it should be done in sim racing. >> >> ---A--- >> >> On 22.08.2008 17:31, * Rob P wrote: >>> > > This seems like good advice. On the current track of Laguna I don't get > lapped, I guess I'm just fast enough to stop this. At Lime Rock I will > put this into practice. On the straight I will hold my line, but brake a > little earlier so that I can take the whole bend on the outside line > (the left). I will need to practice this first as I don't know what the > camber does there at the mo and I wouldn't want to upset the car and > send it off the track. > > I wish iRacing would publish a newbie guide of race craft with info such > as this. Otherwise we all develop our own means of dealing with fast > cars, which as you rightly point out isn't optimal. > > RobP

On Aug 26, 4:30 am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: > A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the > inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents > all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. That's ridiculous. Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI -- Pat Dotson

I agree. They got the track down well but they must have scanned it when it was smooth, as this is what it was like two weeks ago.. http://www.vimeo.com/1551363 GR

Quoted text (9 lines)

>On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:59:24 -0700 (PDT), [email hidden] wrote: >On Aug 26, 4:30�am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: >> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >> inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >> all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. > >That's ridiculous. Look here: > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI

I never said outside passing cannot be done, I just said that passes should be performed on the inside, as a general rule. In addition the inside/outside pass was discussed here in context of being lapped. You should try to pass a backmarker when he tries to get you around him on the outside. If there is at all doubts about inside or outside pass when passing a backmarker, accidents will occur. All the time. If a racer consistently tries to pass on the outside, he'll see plenty of accidents, that is what I meant. Safe outside passing takes place from time to time, but safe inside passing takes place *all* the time... ---A--- On 28.08.2008 15:59, * [email hidden] wrote:

Quoted text (11 lines)

> On Aug 26, 4:30 am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: >> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >> inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >> all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. > > That's ridiculous. Look here: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI > > -- > Pat Dotson

You can stick that in the software you're working on - IF pass outside attempted THEN GOTO JAIL, do not pass start/finish line, do not collect winners pearse. ELSE continue STOP END "Asgeir Nesoen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:g98bpj$a7g$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (29 lines)

>I never said outside passing cannot be done, I just said that passes should >be performed on the inside, as a general rule. > > In addition the inside/outside pass was discussed here in context of being > lapped. You should try to pass a backmarker when he tries to get you > around him on the outside. If there is at all doubts about inside or > outside pass when passing a backmarker, accidents will occur. All the > time. > > If a racer consistently tries to pass on the outside, he'll see plenty of > accidents, that is what I meant. > > Safe outside passing takes place from time to time, but safe inside > passing takes place *all* the time... > > ---A--- > > On 28.08.2008 15:59, * [email hidden] wrote: >> On Aug 26, 4:30 am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: >>> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >>> inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >>> all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. >> >> That's ridiculous. Look here: >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI >> >> -- >> Pat Dotson

In GENERAL terms, passing on the inside IS historically safer, and generally the more-expected method of passing. This doesn't mean that outside passing doesn't work, but it isn't going to be expected by the majority. Just look at the mess that F1 drivers get themselves into when they try it :) -Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... On Aug 26, 4:30 am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: > A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the > inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents > all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. That's ridiculous. Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI -- Pat Dotson

If the lead driver is blocking the inside line then, especially in real life due to dust, etc, he needs to brake earlier. Even without the dust factor, the geometry of the situation demands this as well, especially if he is considerate enough (yes, a BIG if) to make sure he will not end up on the outside line due to braking too late. Point is, if the lead car makes his intentions to block the inside clear then an attempted pass on the outside is completely legitimate and actually common sense. And really, the main point here is not situation, but the discipline of the drivers in play. Remember Montoya pulling that move off on, of all people, Michael Schumacher? "Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:eRStk.1529$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (21 lines)

> In GENERAL terms, passing on the inside IS historically safer, and > generally the more-expected method of passing. This doesn't mean that > outside passing doesn't work, but it isn't going to be expected by the > majority. Just look at the mess that F1 drivers get themselves into when > they try it :) > > -Larry > > <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > On Aug 26, 4:30 am, Asgeir Nesoen <[email hidden]> wrote: >> A pass, for position or lapping, should always be performed on the >> inside, and never on the outside. Outside passing will cause accidents >> all the time, and this will make everyone frustrated. > > That's ridiculous. Look here: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3yP7JeAZI > > -- > Pat Dotson