DiRT 3 Event of the Week (23): CLOSED

[AOS-]

In that case, I should be able to get under 1:21. Surprisingly enough, the one car I can out corner the SX4 in at the first turn is the Z4 simply because I don't need to be on the brakes as often. The big wide U-turn can be taken at a fairly high speed, but it requirea that one entry speed and the specific angle of slide. With it, you can travel through the turn at higher speed on the inside of the turn.

 

[RACECAR]

RMR PM580 -1:24.160


Just tryed this with the Fiesta and Escu-erm SX4 and I couldn't do crap with them. I then try the PM580 and holy balls, this thing grips. Most of the track I had to lift with the other two but in this car, I could just power on through most of the corners.

 

[Wiegert]

The RMR has tons more grip, but I can't get a good feel for that car on this particular stage. It's like how I can't do crap with the SX4 on other stages (that don't have snow at least), but feel completely at home driving the RMR.

And I realised that I'm better with the SX4 than I was when I last used it on a snow stage, which was during the previous EotW last year.

The big wide U-turn can be taken at a fairly high speed, but it requires that one entry speed and the specific angle of slide. With it, you can travel through the turn at higher speed on the inside of the turn.

Indeed. I managed to get the entry speed and angle just right on one run, but rolled the car on the next right turn after clipping the inside bank. I got a good enough run through there when I set my best time though.

I think I'll only be using the SX4 to beat the fastest time I set, and I really do think I can improve my time in the Z4, so I'll try that as well.

 

[AOS-]

While the Z4 can give the SX4 a tough time with certain turns, the Z4 lacks acceleration to keep up with the latter.

The Fiesta if it didn't slide so damn much would be able to keep up with the SX4.

 

[bongwasser]

Gave all cars a shot excpect the Camaro SSX & Mustang GT:

1:23:081 - SX4

I tried to beat that time quite a few times, but I could not pull it off. Think I'm gonna stay with this time and wait for the new event tmr.

With a perfect lap I could get down to 1:22:6xx I guess, but I'm always ruining the lap at some point. The first right into the village is not easy to take with the SX4 for me either, but it's on fire when you are through the section.

The last corner before the midlong straight on the way to the finish line has destroyed a lot of good laps...I do not know how many times I turned my car upside down there, although it is such an easy turn.

I did a decent job on the other sections of the track, but the corner to the village and the last corner to the left which is a bit narrow I could not take perfectly on my best lap.

Looking forward to the next event now

 

[Wiegert]

Gave all cars a shot except the Camaro SSX & Mustang GT:

I'm curious, but are the Camaro and Mustang TB cars any good? it's something I've always wondered.

 

[bongwasser]

I drove the Camaro once and did not like it very much...was a bit oversteery.

The Mustang was the first TB I tested and I think I was not really good at the game in general the time I've tried it, maybe it's a sleeper in the TB races ^^

I was almost starting to get used to the Camaro SSX in order to get the 5 wins with car pack trophy, but then I noticed I could just beat other players at gymkhana and invasion with the Scion tc to get it done.
So I have not really been driving those cars and can't judge them, but I'm sure I like the other cars better. I enjoy cars you really have to turn to get a corner and not the ones which will drift right through the corners if you are going just a nudge too fast. Never liked the Camaro nor the Mustang in any racing game so far...I honestly do not believe Dirt3 will change that

Is the Mustang a DLC car tho? I thougt it's just the Camaro

My best lap was with the Monster Sport SX4 btw Not the Z4 Coupe. Just for the record

 

[Wiegert]

The Camaro SSX was in the Power and Glory car pack, whereas the Mustang was available in the Mud and Guts pack. Looking at the fastest online times for Trailblazers, I'm not surprised that you say they aren't great.


And I just updated the OP. Thanks for pointing that last thing out.

 

[BKGlover]

The Camaro is crap. Really, to win with it you either have to be really good, REALLY lucky, or get REALLY REALLY raw online drivers.

The Mustang is better, but it like to slide as well. Not as bad as the Fiesta, though, and in Kenya it is a good car. Steer clear of Michigan though.

 

[Wiegert]

Just testing out the Z4 to try and see how close to my overall fastest time I can get.

So far I've got 1:22.464, and I'll leave it at that.



Now for the SX4. After just 3 attempts (first 2 were DNFs), I got a time of 1:21.292.

Nailed the first half of the stage, but I lost some time on the right-hander before the railway crossing. Getting into the 1:20s is possible, it but would take a while I think.

 

[AOS-]

My friend. That 0.1 second difference... is 100% beef. I'm coming at this tomorrow morning.

 

[Wiegert]

The time difference did get my attention, yeah.

I'm still going to try and fit a few more runs in now, but don't expect anything faster than what I've already set.



EDIT: Scratch that, 1:21.127 - SX4

Damn, so close to that sub-1:21 time, yet I doubt I'll have time to reach it.

 

[AOS-]

I want to go play right now but I fear the nuisance of a mother who hasn't grown up who will yell at me for staying up so late.

I'm not exactly that young either, so it baffles me as much as the next person why I still have a parent like her.

 

[Wiegert]

4AM here, but I never have such a problem when staying up that late. Being downstairs helps though.


And I'll leave it there tonight. I'm getting more accident-prone as I get tired and I doubt I'm going to have time to improve before the deadline tomorrow, which is annoying when I'm so close to getting the time I set out to achieve earlier. I suppose it's down to you to beat 1:21.

 

[AOS-]

30 mins: 1:20.677 SX4. I improved several turns enough that it made up for a few slower turns.

 

[Wiegert]

Dammit! And by half a second as well.

I don't have time on Friday afternoons to set a time before the deadline. I still want to try and get 1:20.xxx though sometime.



The event has changed by the way.

 

[bongwasser]

New event, first time:

2:28:630 - Lancia Delta S4

 

[AOS-]

2:23.570 RS200

There's a lot of things you should know and I will illustrate as many of time as I can through screenshots.

 

[Wiegert]

2:28:630 - Lancia Delta S4

Read the OP, no DLC cars allowed.

So that means no Peugeot 205 T16 or Lancia Delta S4 this week.

 

[bongwasser]

Oh, I'm sorry...I must have overlooked that particular condition.

Gonna try again with the MG or Ford tmr.

 

[AOS-]

There's a lot of things you should know and I will illustrate as many of time as I can through screenshots.

Note: These all apply to the RS200, but not all notes here may apply for the other 2 cars.
Technical note: you may not see every image and be left with that blue question mark icon. "Right click it > View in new tab" or Refreshing the page will solve that. I only now realized why this forum will stop loading your images at times, and I like that Jordan did this.

1st turn: The edge of the road is beaten up. Try not to cross the line marked on the road.

2nd turn: It's safe to ride onto the grass. As a matter of fact, you should cut into the grass to reduce the amount of distance traveled.

Left bend after bridge: Safe to drive on grass. It will slow you down enough to have a negative impact if you're driving in there too long.

Sharp dip: Not a huge difference if you dipped the inside tires just a tad. If you can make the turn in a wide bend without using the dip, all the better. If you choose to use it, keep the wheel straight until you've landed.

Setting up for the left-hand corner: Safe to ride the grass to get a better line.

Making that turn: Don't cut. There is a small bank that's difficult to notice. Hitting this puts your car in the air throwing it to the outside of the turning potentially killing spectators. You can touch the dirt past the marked line, just not the grass.

That right bend with a dip: you can put your inside wheels just on the slope if you like, probably is slightly better.

Setting up for the right-hander: The image makes it look like I'm braking really early, but remember you're traveling fast. Brake early. For the RS200, getting it into 3rd gear is perfect for the turn and braking at this point is what I've found suitable for me. It's not too late that I have to jerk the wheel, nor do I need to brake hard.

Finding the sweet spot: This may differ among vehicles, but contrary to what I used to believe, I found that I could travel 10km/h (6mph) faster if I stay on the dirt rather than dipping the inside tires into the grass. Your inside tires need to be off the grass, but sitting on the pebbly side of the road as seen in the image. I believe that this lets the inside tires have significantly less traction than the outside tires making it possible to carve through that turn quickly. Pulling this

The Following Quick Left: You can cut in here as much as you like up to where you can see the furthest extruding tree. However, I found out that putting the outside tires in here will slow you down. I feel the best line to take is one where the inside tires just begin to dip into the grass. You only need to turn a little for this, enough for you to not falling into the ruts on the right side of the road that you won't see until you drove passed the tree.

Approaching the Wide Left: First and fore most, keep the wheel straight when jumping, even if you feel like you're going to wipe out because you're getting too close to the sides. I once said that you can land with the wheel turned so long as you have quick enough reactions to counter steer. Well I was wrong, so don't do it.

Maintaining speed throughout the turn: your entry speed and angle will affect your overall speed partially, but at the same time, you have to feel out how much your car can turn until it starts to lose power due to the LSD kicking in more. Don't let go of the accelerator; you don't need to. If it helps you stick to the inside better, you can put your inside tires on the edge of the road like a railing.

Approaching the right-hand to left-hand: No need to brake. Let off the gas and stick close to the inside. Don't touch the grass. The bump will throw your car off course.

Transitioning from the previous turn to the next: Again, you don't need to brake. Resist the urge to cut through the grass. The bump can throw your car off. Stay on the dirt as much as you can and try not jerk the wheel making the car slide. Before you do get into the turn, pump the accelerator once or twice to maintain speed. If you do both these turns well, you can be traveling out of the turn at over 110km/h (68mph).

Swerving around the Telephone Pole: I thought it would be faster to just cut through this in a straight line. Turns out, it isn't. Best way would be to stay on the dirt the whole time; don't drive into the ditch on the right, and don't drive up the hill on the left. You don't need to brake nor let off the gas.

Approaching the Lake: It looks like you can carve through the short turn by dipping your wheels in the ditch. Don't. You don't need to do it.

Making the turn around the edge: Don't be afraid; there's no need to slow down to make this turn. Nor do you need to stick to the inside entirely.

You'll notice that the road slopes down and then up again. Your car should have gained more grip on the dirt and so when you're turning, you'll notice the car will turn more responsively without the tail slipping. This is actually an easy turn to make and you need not steer a lot. Steering a tad too much will get you excessive oversteer making the rear slide out.

Keeping close to the inside: since the car will be going the same speed through the turn at this point, stay close to the inside to reduce the distance traveled. Just don't ride the ruts.

Setting up the next few turns: I wouldn't cut into the grass as the bumpy edge isn't worth the risk of ruining your earlier efforts. Stay on the dirt, no need to brake, maybe let off the gas for a bit.

Tackling the next two right turns: Shouldn't need to brake if you let go of gas earlier. Move to the outside when exiting the first right bend so you can cut into the inside of the next right more easily without having to deal with the rut.

Setting up for the big cut: make sure you stay on the left side. Stay steady, and don't ride into the rut.

The Big Cut: You NEED to do this if you want to set a good time. What you will do is cut through the grass beside the stack of logs and the hay. Problem is that the logs are hidden behind the bushes. Look at the provided image closely. What you will aim for is the darker bush. Plow that plant over; just don't drive any further out.

See how close I got?

Getting around the hay: No trick to it, just be wary your car might be bouncing from the bump earlier or from the bump in this spot. Don't panic and let go of the gas when the car's still bouncing if you feel the need to.

Quick Maneuvers: The next section starts heading downhill, but there are deep ruts you should avoid driving into. Get control of the car and stay on the right for the next bit.

The left rut before the bridge: Avoid that, duh. Come around this and stay on the left for the sharp right-hander after the bridge. Brake early when approaching the bridge or else you'll be stuck in the corner for a while. A sharp stab on the brake pedal just before stepping onto the bridge should be enough. Begin turning while you're on the bridge to cut down on extra distance traveled.

Leaving that previous turn: A sequence of small sections follows. The one turn before the final checkpoint can be safely cut into through the grass.

Following up on that, you can also cut into the right turn here as well.

Wide Right Hump: I haven't exactly implemented this into my run. I noticed that I wouldn't be able to drive along the bank if I cut through the grass earlier. I did try driving in there once, but I either ended up throwing myself too far out for the next turn with all that centrifugal force built up, or I let the bank direct me into a tree. I imagine if anything, dipping the inside wheels on the edge will be better than nothing, but I haven't tested that to confirm if it is faster.

Short right-bend: The one that comes right after the turn with the optional bank curve earlier. You can cut through the grass safely.

Haystacks: I'd avoid cutting through here as the bump from the other road will cause your car to bounce.

Left-hand after bridge: you can cut onto the grass safely.

Right bend leading up to the 2-part hairpin: Nothing special, don't need to brake or cut.

Part 1 of 2-part hairpin: There's 2 small turns pieced together, but as luck would have it (or not), the gap between the two is wide enough that it's almost not like a hairpin at all. What you do here will be determined by how you want to tackle the second part. In other words, whatever line you choose to take the second turn will dictate what you need to do here to set it up.

Part 2 of 2-part hairpin: What I rather treat it as is one whole hairpin with a lot of different lines I can take. where I draw my limits is decided with how well the car can handle, brake, drift, as well as the lines I can take while getting close to the two telephone poles I will drive past. I don't worry too much about the first as I will think about is how I can set up a line near the end where it is as straight as it can be while getting around the last pole. As for cutting, the grass beside the 2 phone poles are safe to drive on.

On the final stretch, you will make a right around a bank of boulders as seen above. On the small left just after it, you can cut onto the grass to shave some more time off.


With this, you can now set a time under 2:24. hope someone will find this useful; I spent 2 hours on this post.

 

[Wiegert]

2:27.123 - RS200


I'm going to keep this brief because I absolutely hate certain parts of this stage and I can't add much to what AOS has suggested already.

I tried the Quattro first as I normally do during Group B events, but it was really poor on this stage. I barely managed a 1:28 after countless attempts and it took almost as long just to finish the stage (even with the advice given). What gets me is that cutting the corners didn't shave much time off compared to just taking the corner normally for me, plus cutting usually resulted in crashing.

And even with those shots that AOS posted, I don't have a good idea of how fast I should be going in a few places, plus I can't seem to cut "The Big Cut" much at all because of the angle at which I exit the corner before it. Slowing down to much wrecked my time on a few runs as well. Knocking off 4 seconds is beyond me I feel, I can't see any areas on the stage where I can wipe off such a large chunk of time.

With this, you can now set a time under 2:24. hope someone will find this useful; I spent 2 hours on this post.[/color]

Your time was 2:23.570, right?

 

[AOS-]

...Yep.

I'm starting to believe that my driving style compared to yours is more aggressive and responsive to road conditions. That is, I will dive into corners, cut, anticipate bumps, slides, oversteering and will respond to it immediately. I say this because I've grown quite an attachment to the highly responsive Ford vehicles in the game; Fiestas and RS200s, whereas I know how much you prefer driving something nimble and stable like the R4 and 6RT.

Maybe you don't need to cut too many times with your driving style, but maybe you're not used to cutting through bumpy paths like I am. Did you by any chance steer even the slightest too much when dipping your wheels off the road? Because you don't really have to steer all that much because of the immense oversteer you get. When I'm using the side of the road to help me turn, I'm barely steering, usually just flicking the analog stick for short inputs.

While I believe the RS200 is the best for this course, I did set a time of 2:26 in the Metro before it, but its run hadn't taken full advantage of the options I know about now.

Don't kill yourself over it though; I wasted my entire morning for that time.

 

[Wiegert]

I see myself as being overly aggressive virtually all the time in racing games, although I aim to be smooth as well in DiRT3. Sometimes it pays off, but there are times where I should adjust my style if I want to get decent times. I think in this instance I'm still a little bit too cautious on the latter section.

I haven't tried the Metro here yet, but I know for a fact that I can drive the RS200 faster than the Quattro on this stage. It feels much easier with the RS200 too, which is similar to how I found the SX4 easier to drive quickly than the RMR in last week's event.

 

[AOS-]

Man, everyone knows the SX4 kills the Modern Trailblazer roster. It's just too good at what it does that its weaknesses don't balance it out.


For this event, being overly cautious is natural because knowing the ruts will punish you hard makes you all paranoid about not screwing up. It also doesn't help these cars are super responsive, but I guess it's something you can adapt to eventually once you get comfortable in the car's handling and adjusting your steering inputs to be more precise.

 

[RACECAR]

Just tried out every car for this combination:

Ford RS200 - 2'32.087
MG Metro - 2'28.695
Audi Quattro Rallye - 2'26.426
Peugeot 205 T16 Evo2 - 2'26.607
Lancia Delta S4 - 2'26.585

Had a blast with all of these, equally as frustrating trying not to strike every object in sight and enjoyable when I actually manage a clean run. The Audi by far is a huge surprise because it feels so slow.

 

[BKGlover]

(sigh)Alright here we go:

RS200 - 2:31.883 (🤬 this tail-happy piece.)
6R4 - No Time (Slow, shakey, AND loose.)
quattro - 2:29.409 (I did have a hold a one point, then my crap side returned.)

Looks like I'll be reassuming my post as GTP's S.A.D.

 

[AOS-]

(sigh)Alright here we go:

RS200 - 2:31.883 (🤬 this tail-happy piece.)
6R4 - No Time (Slow, shakey, AND loose.)
quattro - 2:29.409 (I did have a hold a one point, then my crap side returned.)

You have to go easy on the steering and throttle control first before you start pushing the limits. I used to go hard at a lot of turns too. You'd be surprised how taking the course at a slower pace can benefit you, because you're less likely to force the car into power-killing slides. Once you get the hang of not sliding and the hang of getting out of one, you'll begin to see faster ways to tackle corners in the game.

 

[TuneR-]

How i haven't looked in here before? First time went to look in dirt section of gtplanet and saw this, so quickly i fired up dirt3 and gave it a shot 👍. Anyway here's my time:

RS200 - 2.23.128

I think that i can't improve from that or maybe 0.1-0.2sek

 

[AOS-]

Hopefully you didn't also "quickly" read over the rules.