How I’ve been reading the qualifying load out.

[Ian Fairbanks]

At the screen that shows your qualifying position, I’ve been analyzing it and have been fairly accurate. Basically, the top three drivers are good. Good enough that, if you aren’t one of them, your chances of catching them are slim (unless your qual time is within .02x” or less).
From there is becomes a clean race between 4th-6th. But 7th-10th is easily the worst of the crowd. Some of These are folks that, I’m guessing, aspire to be good, or think they are good and absolutely MUST WIN AT ALL COSTS. 11th-99th tend to be the guys out for a clean race bonus and streak. Or, the troll that gets bumped or didn’t bother qualifying.

What’s your experience been?

 

[TenderLoins]

I usually qualify in the 7-10 group. In general I think your descriptions are pretty accurate.

I usually qualify there because my ratings are B/S. I’m clean and consistent but not the fastest hot lapper.

When starting in this group I definitely notice things get much better after the race spreads out. But that first lap or two I just concentrate on not getting screwed by the pass at all cost guys. They usually out brake themselves or wipe each other out.

 

[mirial]

At the screen that shows your qualifying position, I’ve been analyzing it and have been fairly accurate. Basically, the top three drivers are good. Good enough that, if you aren’t one of them, your chances of catching them are slim (unless your qual time is within .02x” or less).
From there is becomes a clean race between 4th-6th. But 7th-10th is easily the worst of the crowd. Some of These are folks that, I’m guessing, aspire to be good, or think they are good and absolutely MUST WIN AT ALL COSTS. 11th-99th tend to be the guys out for a clean race bonus and streak. Or, the troll that gets bumped or didn’t bother qualifying.

What’s your experience been?

Same trend here in Europe and just human nature I guess. The top five always have something in reserve, places 6-10 are by far the worst and after that the ambition starts to dwindle. Although I've had quite a few solid clean races in the upper mid pack where I'm guessing most, if not all are over aged thirty.

 

[pedrocor]

Depends also the kind of cars you're racing.

With the road race, one make cars it's not so "cliche", specially with lower tiers on DR.

Some drivers can put a great qualifying lap, but on 20 tries, don't have the consistency on the race, others quite the opposite, find their pace on the qualifying or put only a couple laps and find their way through the race. Other times it's mayhem from first to last.

 

[BLiTZ]

I'm D S and end up usually 7th or 8th which is a pain as you're usually acting as the brakes for 9th+ If you can survive the first few corners and hang onto the coat tails of 6th then it can make for some pretty fun racing. I also find It allows me to follow the faster car and learn new lines and brake points.

There's also the benefit of picking up the places from the 3rd-5th guys who fluked a good lap yet can't race for beans and spin off after a few laps (usually the guy in a European MR car that's been twitchy for a good few laps).

Now the other side is when you don't keep the 9th+ folks at bay and get knocked back to 11th+ and end up with the rolling road block of 'don't pass us or we'll ram you' ahead and 'Casper the wall riding ghost' behind.

 

[JacksHerer]

I would like the race to not let you enter if you haven't set a qualifying time. Also it seems the qualifying time can be done in a different car to the one you use in the race, this should be stopped too.

 

[pedrocor]

I would like the race to not let you enter if you haven't set a qualifying time. Also it seems the qualifying time can be done in a different car to the one you use in the race, this should be stopped too.

If that was so, about 2/3 of the players would be kept out of racing from Monday to Wednesday, this week, due to problems with servers or whatsoever. Setting no time, or a setting a time 20 seconds slower, there is no much difference to me.
Setting times with some car and race with another makes no sense at all (but obviously some people do it regularly, qualifying in a faster but less consistent car and race a car with more consistent handling), shouldn't be possible at all, I agree.

 

[stevenhiggster]

'Casper the wall riding ghost'.

 

[Sean Renon]

At the screen that shows your qualifying position, I’ve been analyzing it and have been fairly accurate. Basically, the top three drivers are good. Good enough that, if you aren’t one of them, your chances of catching them are slim (unless your qual time is within .02x” or less).
From there is becomes a clean race between 4th-6th. But 7th-10th is easily the worst of the crowd. Some of These are folks that, I’m guessing, aspire to be good, or think they are good and absolutely MUST WIN AT ALL COSTS. 11th-99th tend to be the guys out for a clean race bonus and streak. Or, the troll that gets bumped or didn’t bother qualifying.

What’s your experience been?

I've been doing FIA races for the most part - but this generally holds true. I've won both races where I qualified P1 and for the most part wasn't challenged at all in those races.
For the times when I've qualified top 3, it's been for the most part clean - except for Interlagos where I got punted back on turn 1 by a hothead flying up the track from P5 (I qualified P2, was P19 by the time my spin stopped).
If I qualify middle of the pack ish, I'm generally happy if I can hold my spot because so much insanity goes on in the middle - people not satisfied with qualifying 8th and think they have top 5 pace, it can create a lot of chaos.

 

[Tillbeast]

I would like to see a 3 consecutive lap time average determine grid position for dailies. It would screw me over but it would separate the better drivers.

 

[elderflower]

I would like the race to not let you enter if you haven't set a qualifying time. Also it seems the qualifying time can be done in a different car to the one you use in the race, this should be stopped too.

Dailies need to be longer and setup like the FIA races - qualifying starts for all players who have entered and switching cars will be prohibited. This will solve both your issues. Then in the FIA races I would like to see options for tuned cars and 45-60 mins races!

 

[Bass Addict]

What’s your experience been?

I did earn the clean race achievement, level 3, by not qualifying and staying at the back...I did pass people but near the end, I decided to stay far, far away from the other drivers. I learned a lot and I really need to practice passing and improve my awareness while in a group of cars...especially at the first turn!

I was a DR: B SR: S when I started the goal of 15 consecutive clean races and finished at DR: D SR: S...now I practice off line for 30 minutes and get a feel for what I can do and head to the back of the bus to practice over taking other cars cleanly as well as driving in a crowd. My hope is to be a much, much better driver by the time I get back to B. My record is starting 12th and finishing 4th with a blue S at the end of the race...

 

[Ian Fairbanks]

I did earn the clean race achievement, level 3, by not qualifying and staying at the back...I did pass people but near the end, I decided to stay far, far away from the other drivers. I learned a lot and I really need to practice passing and improve my awareness while in a group of cars...especially at the first turn!

I was a DR: B SR: S when I started the goal of 15 consecutive clean races and finished at DR: D SR: S...now I practice off line for 30 minutes and get a feel for what I can do and head to the back of the bus to practice over taking other cars cleanly as well as driving in a crowd. My hope is to be a much, much better driver by the time I get back to B. My record is starting 12th and finishing 4th with a blue S at the end of the race...

I’ve found if people ahead are bunched up, just let off, give them a few car lengths, and within seconds you’ll gain two or three positions just because you were cautious. Consistency is the key to moving ahead. Too many fragile racers out there treating a race packed track like a hot lap session.

 

[JayRS200]

I’ve found if people ahead are bunched up, just let off, give them a few car lengths, and within seconds you’ll gain two or three positions just because you were cautious. Consistency is the key to moving ahead. Too many fragile racers out there treating a race packed track like a hot lap session.

It basically is a hot lap session with how short the races are.

 

[KingFrog]

I find it funny people criticize PD for having " rabbits" when there are always 3 rabbits in every real race. I notice 4-10 are easily recuperated if you are in the top 3.. kinda like pylons.