Odd Racing Superstitions & Habits

[Parnelli Bone]

Hello y'all. So I'm doing the Gran Turismo All Stars for the first time. Yea, I'm like 4 years behind the rest of the world, what can I say? Anyways, it's been altogether fun , frustrating , time-consuming , and satisfying at various moments. I lost a couple races, which means I get to do the entire series over again. Which I don't mind...it's an awesome set of races.

Anyways, my point for this thread.

I'm in the bottom of the 10th race at Nurburgring. Just finished qualifying. My hands are sweating, and I thought before I do the actual race, I should go wash them. Then I thought.... NO YOU CAN'T, IT'LL SCREW UP YOUR MOJO! YOU HAVE TO SIT HERE AND GET IT RIGHT PARNELLI.

Yikes.

...in other words, it occurred to me that if I get up and wash my hands, my mind will zone off just a tad, and I'll lose my edge. The 'Ring takes lots of concentration, after all.

....but it's an OCD moment for sure. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, in case you're not familiar...almost a superstition that if you DO or DON'T do something, you'll achieve a certain result. 💡 And it made me think "how many times have I been so obsessed wtih this silly game that it influences other things?" Like I can't even get up to wash my damn hands?? Take a pee? Go get some fresh air on a nice day???

I open the thread for others to comment...

 

[Lucas]

Wow. You surely like to create threads, huh Parnelli? I have noticed that, some times, if I want to use my computer, I will finish whatever race or objective I have set for that day, even if it takes me two minutes to two hours. Other times, I have realized that if I take just a five minute break from the game, once I return, my skills will have deteriorated for no reason whatsoever A very bad thing if I'm tuning a car.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Yup, I do like making threads...that's true. Honestly, you should see some of the ideas I have for threads that don't make it to the forums!!

Anyways, like my gf says sometimes, I am my own best shrink. I just ran the 'Ring flawlessly...except for one minor clip into the grass....the lefty called "Eiskurva" I think. I won by like -.495 seconds with both the Toyota GT-one and BMW V12 LMPs clamoring behind like a couple angry skunks!! WOOO!

Perhaps making this silly thread helped me think thru my anxiety, because I usually screw up massively somewhere at these kinds of speeds!

 

[sanpanico]

Ha! I'm with you, man! I make it a point to wash hands, go to the bathroom and take care of both types of bizness, make sure I'm appropriately attired with shorts and a properly fitting t-shirt ('cause at those particularly stressful race times, a snug or too loose shirt is irritating as hell), I plug in the earphones (because I can't stand outside noise interference), then I go to town.

Oh yeah, and I have yet to begin that series as well. As mentioned, I'm still not even 50% through the game yet after 4 years.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Ha! I'm with you, man! I make it a point to wash hands, go to the bathroom and take care of both types of bizness, make sure I'm appropriately attired with shorts and a properly fitting t-shirt ('cause at those particularly stressful race times, a snug or too loose shirt is irritating as hell), I plug in the earphones (because I can't stand outside noise interference), then I go to town.

Oh yeah, and I have yet to begin that series as well. As mentioned, I'm still not even 50% through the game yet after 4 years.

It's a damn good series of races. Everybody complaining that GT4 is too easy or whatever obviously never made it this far into the game. The Toyota & BMW LMPs ran a tight game with one another, too, usually right behind or right ahead of me...it's not like GT3 where the Mazda 787B dominated everything, and everyone else falls way behind.

Anyways, I just thought of another one. As I was racing, I noticed I left a nearby desk lamp on. GRRRRRR. I usually race with most of the lights in my room turned off!!! But I was already racing!!! This is NOT a race in which I wanted to pause the game...but the light started bugging me...and what if it starts messing with my coordination???

....see what I mean. Maybe I'm a nutcase!

 

[Lucas]

By the way, how come you are "only" 42 but you have a girlfriend? Why aren't you married?

 

[Parnelli Bone]

OH man...don't go there! Lucky for me, she don't wanna get married. Neither of us do, really, although the thought has crossed my mind. I dunno....it's weird. I mean, LOTS of people my age don't get married anymore...thank goodness I didn't grow up during my parent's generation, in which it seems everyone HAD to get married by 30. Then again, you're from Argentina. Big Catholic/religious things still go on down there that makes people wanna get married early? Or is that just a stereotype?

Anyways, just wanted to share some highlights of that last race. Forgive me if I get the names wrong...couldn't make the text for the Nurburgring map any bigger on my comp...



The above pic shows me at the short straight area called Lauda-Linkskinek. Enjoying my 3 second lead while it lasted.



This is during the 2nd lap. as you can see, the competition is heating up as we rush down Pflanzgarten III...



The TSO20 actually passes me just before (or maybe it's after) Kleine Karussel. But thanks to a great draft down that loooong straight, I got ahead.




...and the tight finish. The Beemer finally managed to struggle past the Toyota (which held on to 2nd for the entire race except the very end!)

...notice my celebratory E-brake lockup puff of smoke! I didn't wanna go for a full spin and possibly screw up and lose the race!

 

[sanpanico]

I'm presuming this was A-spec'd. 200 pointer? Do you use a wheel or DSC?

 

[viperin]

Hmm, nice work with the Viper.
It is interesting talking about superstitions as it is Friday the 13th right now in Oz

Does not bother me though, as I was born on one ( unlucky for some I guess !! ).

Besides, I do not believe all that superstitious stuff, well at least not since my black Cat got run over by a fully laden Salt truck

Seriously though, I find that if I am struggling with something difficult in the game, walking away and having a break and doing something else works wonders.
I find when I start up again, I usually ace whatever it was that was bugging me.

btw I got married when I was 32, after being together for 3 years.
It was my idea too.

Later.

 

[SaberFire]

One of my superstitions is if the car is handling too well, it's going to bloody well crash when you least expect it.

 

[I-ROC]

I only brake with my right foot. I'm horrible when I don't.

 

[TheBook]

For me, everything has to be perfect... the steering wheel and pedals have to be perfectly far away and at a perfect angle, and I have to be sitting just right in my chair. If I don't, I'm horrible. (Don't ask why...)

 

[Austin343]

I'm the same way, even though I don't use a wheel. I have to be the right distance from the TV and have the controller in the right place, which means that when my cat jumps onto my lap and forces me to readjust my controller position, I don't do well at all.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

I'm presuming this was A-spec'd. 200 pointer? Do you use a wheel or DSC?

Dual-shock. I don't have a wheel. And I'm not sure how many A-spec points, I never pay attention to them, honestly.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Hmm, nice work with the Viper.
It is interesting talking about superstitions as it is Friday the 13th right now in Oz

I totally forgot about Friday the 13th is tomorrow.

Seriously though, I find that if I am struggling with something difficult in the game, walking away and having a break and doing something else works wonders.
I find when I start up again, I usually ace whatever it was that was bugging me.

This works for me with license tests & missions (which are fixed and predictable so long as you learn what the requirements are). Doesn't always work for me with actual races, tho.

btw I got married when I was 32, after being together for 3 years.
It was my idea too.

Later.

I've been on the fence about it a couple times. Me and Jen have actually talked about it. Jeez, who knows, maybe it'll happen someday. It's weird. Stuff to be discussed in the Relationship thread I guess.

One of my superstitions is if the car is handling too well, it's going to bloody well crash when you least expect it.

OH ya....that's a biggie. If everything is going fine, it's like there's an imp on my shoulder telling me "now you're gonna screw up. DON'T screw up." and so on.....

 

[88c-v Racer]

For me, everything has to be perfect... the steering wheel and pedals have to be perfectly far away and at a perfect angle, and I have to be sitting just right in my chair. If I don't, I'm horrible. (Don't ask why...)

same for me, sometimes i go out to qualify for the endurance races and I'll stop and pause the game to adjust the pedals 3 or 4 times.

some superstitions i know from racing in the real world is
- don't paint your car green
- don't use #13 on your car
- no peanuts in the pits

i never understood the no peanuts though.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Don't use the number 13? You mean like this?

No green? Like this?

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Yea, what about all those famous British cars painted "Racing Green"? I never heard that one before. Perhaps it's related to having your car the same color as a green flag?

 

[88c-v Racer]

that #13 is a Smokey Yunick built car. people said the #13 was bad luck, but he put it on the car anyway as kind of a joke or something

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Yunick

as for the green, the way i understand it is the car has to be plain green, no other colors. my car was mostly blue and yellow but it had some green on it (no bad luck for me).

 

[Rotary Junkie]

I know who Smokey was. >_>

 

[88c-v Racer]

I know who Smokey was. >_>

i figured someone might not know and would want to.

 

[Jonn 79]

I usually make sure i have a drink next to me for casual sipping on straights.

Go to the toilet for 1 and/or 2.

Clean my dual shock for sweat gunk.

Then give my glasses a quick wipe.

THEN give myself a squeeze (self hug) while whispering, "it's okay, you'll win, you've the stage 4 turbo on this sucker!"

Followed by me clicking start race.

 

[Maas]

Give yourself a squeeze, haha!

My problem is when I suddenly realize its the last lap of a very difficult race.
Cause then my mind goes crazy, like "dont u screw up now u useless piece of crap." but its like the good cop bad cop thing cuz next thing I think is " you're doing great, keep it up... What was I thinkin just then? I'm not gonna crash!"
Then, as U would expect, I plant my front into the wall at 200 mph and I lose the race.

 

[Nicksfix]

Speaking of Smokey - I love what the sign says behind him :

 

[Parnelli Bone]

THEN give myself a squeeze (self hug) while whispering, "it's okay, you'll win, you've the stage 4 turbo on this sucker!"

uh...what kind of squeeze are we talking about? Hopefully not the kind that requires one hand!

 

[Maas]

Well I dont think so, the hug you are describing is usually the reward!

 

[PF]

Well I dont think so, the hug you are describing is usually the reward!

Jeez, I'm still chuckling over that one.

Doing clean laps of the 'ring for license tests is probably my main one; if I lok at the time it somehow makes me nervous and wil immeditely hit the grass, even though I could guess my current time to within a few seconds by my location on the track. And the split times don't bother me either. Last time I did the test my mate walked in and said 'wow, 8 minutes in...' and wthin ten seconds I was on the grass, it's something about the time.

 

[Hyst]

I tend to buy cars in threes - a white test car, a black test car, and a red race car, and I always take the TCS off (or put it as low as I can with my limited skill with a dualshock) in honor of the only person I would legitimately call my 'hero', Gilles Villeneuve.

 

[Vince247]

In the last couple of months, I haven't done anything to the progress in gt4. I have been around 50% for ages! :-p
The reason is that I don't really believe that I can get to 100%, so I just end up doing other things I like, tuning etc...

Can you call this a superstition?

 

[Jonn 79]

I'm glad my self hug/squeeze has delighted many alike. Yes it is a HUG not of the 5 knuckle shuffle variation.