Tracks Techniques and tactics

[Groundfish]

Id like to start a discussion with the following parameters:
The topic is GT Sports tracks and the approaches one takes to driving them in different situations. I don’t want to bring specific cars into it beyond class and configure.
Let’s not get into a car thread specifically beyond saying fr gr3 or ff n200.
Ill open it up and say one big mistake I made coming into the game was not taking camber into account. Not car camber, the camber of portions of tracks.
Also we can discuss specific techniques of driving as well.
I’ll try to start the thread but my hope would be actual fast guys racers you tubers etc offer up since I’m only fair to middling.
So to open it up let’s discuss Seaside 2 turn 1 maybe technically t2 if you take the kink into account.
I noticed one of the aliens drove it very geometrically in his top 10 time. Very wide approach and exit just a gorgeous speed carrying arc.
I watched another with a quite different approach. He entered tighter and cut a tighter arc.
Both were aliens. Both equally fast. Same car used.
I think camber is very critical here and we can discuss it the other way also or any other sections of any in game tracks.
For myself, just looking to discuss these aspects. How do you approach this turn?
For myself I ended up approaching tighter
and often in game a tighter approach may be slightly slower, but at DR B I just find it easier to accomplish decently.
I think this turn is an important one in race.
I’d say if there’s sections we have trouble with also this could become a place to ask for input from others.
Really I am just curious if this sounds interesting to others. I’ve noticed a lot of posts in a lot of topics regarding how to be faster etc.
Here’s to getting faster!

 

[El_Tim]

When I remember correctly I started braking at the beginning of the curbs and then quickly began to move towards the apex. Going wider and more geometric made me miss the apex and I had to back off stepping on the gas too long. But as you mention the camber in that curve may have allowed for a wider arc. At least it was good for recovering after a missed braking point during races...

P.S.: you're right, it went more and more ot in the daily race thread

 

[Groundfish]

Yes, to me coming in wide there is difficult because of the camber. It’s pins and needles getting over the off camber part and into the little banking to apply power and have grip.
Also feel free to linkup the video from the other thread.
To clarify my opinion on that, I must say in an n100 which has no power on a flat oval driving geometrically is a must. Carrying speed is priority one in that situation and pretty much always in slow cars.

 

[Xlxy90]

Getting off or easing off the power can sometimes (especially in this circumstance if you are taking the tighter entry) help with your exit.

If I have got my line slightly wrong and end up being a bit tight on entry to turn 2, I'll aim to hit the inside tyres over the peak inside of the kerbs and just lift off the accelerator slightly to stop the car from kicking on exit. That turn requires a good amount of exit kerb as well.

 

[El_Tim]

Are there any special moves you guys do to make the car rotate more? I usually trail brake into the corner but on the exit I only try to be as gentle on the gas as possible in order not to spin out. In other games (ac and pc2) I feel the tires much more so I can be closer to the edge what allows me to steer the car with the throttle. It's not a massive drift though, just that little bit of torque vectoring that helps alligning the car and accelerating earlier.

Also feel free to linkup the video from the other thread

Ah, the video... Here it is:

It is about the optimal line through a corner. Don't expect too much entertainment as it is rather dry but I consider it precious for it once more (or for the first time) makes you think about your own cornering techniques. Has anybody of you experienced benefits from any of the mentioned methods (late apex, geometrical line and the approach in the vid)? I don't intend to make it a "my kung fu is better than your karate" thing. Just interested in your thoughts and experiences.

 

[Groundfish]

Are there any special moves you guys do to make the car rotate more? I usually trail brake into the corner but on the exit I only try to be as gentle on the gas as possible in order not to spin out. In other games (ac and pc2) I feel the tires much more so I can be closer to the edge what allows me to steer the car with the throttle. It's not a massive drift though, just that little bit of torque vectoring that helps alligning the car and accelerating earlier.

It would be best if we could talk about a specific corner and track and car. I can think of a part of Interlagos where I trail brake to the max, and another where I personally do the opposite in the fr gr3 with bop just kinda a little bit on the brakes and almost pitch it and then aggressively throttle. What I do is not the fastest way possible but to me it’s more complex than “how do I get the car to rotate?”
What car? Where?
I think it might be difficult to get good input from the top drivers if we do not ask specific questions.
Edit...I’d like to add one tip from Ross Bentley that’s really helped me with some of this and most people probably already know this, but he mentioned that most times corners as a general rule if you are doing anything steering wise past apex besides unwinding it’s likely that you are in the wrong line.
There’s a lot of corners in this game that are hard to open up. Trail braking is huge in fr gr3 cars, but it seems to me some mr gr3 cars they like throttle a lot after they get squatted under braking. Plus the degree of trail braking changes depending on corner. Sometimes just a bit sometimes it’s to apex.
Remember now I am only mid B dr and s sr.

Please feel free to jump in with comments anyone. I’m just trying to get this going and add constructive concepts. It’s not my intention to comment back to every single post and dominate the thread. There’s a lot of fast people in here. I’m just trying to get those interested in this stuff a place to discuss these things.

 

[Rexracer702]

I'm glad I found this thread, since I may be one of the people responsible for getting the daily thread off topic. You can be sure I'll have some input, and questions. Please be patient if I bring in motorcycle handling analogies since I have much more track experience on bikes IRL. I may have limited input on tracks since, other than challenges, I've really only been to the Daily tracks for the last 2 weeks. I bought the PS4 on Black Friday to get GT Sport so every day is a learning experience. Back to work now...

 

[Xlxy90]

Are there any special moves you guys do to make the car rotate more? I usually trail brake into the corner but on the exit I only try to be as gentle on the gas as possible in order not to spin out. In other games (ac and pc2) I feel the tires much more so I can be closer to the edge what allows me to steer the car with the throttle. It's not a massive drift though, just that little bit of torque vectoring that helps alligning the car and accelerating earlier.

It comes down to what wheel you are using a little bit as well. I changed from a Logitech G29 wheel to the Thrustmaster T-GT and found about 1-2 seconds per lap on most reasonable sized circuits.

The T-GT lets you feel the grip of the front and back of the car a lot more accurately and quickly compared to the G29. I found myself dancing the car through corner complexes, think Mount Panorama from Skyline corner down to Forest Elbow or the fast Esses at Maggiore GP because I know where the car is and can react a lot quicker to any lost traction.

Nothing is better than track knowledge though. Make sure you can turn off the racing line, get rid of any corner markers, cone guides and brake warning lights and just learn the track. Know when you can brake by picking a point on the track that is fixed, like some signage on the wall or a light pole. Learn what the best way through a particular corner is by trying different lines, late turn in for a long sweeper or drifting in early for a tight chicane.

Once you've done a run of 10 consecutive laps you'll have your optimum lap time pretty close to the fastest you can go around that track. Try and aim for it, it'll get quicker the more you learn the track.

 

[El_Tim]

It comes down to what wheel you are using a little bit as well. I changed from a Logitech G29 wheel to the Thrustmaster T-GT and found about 1-2 seconds per lap on most reasonable sized circuits.

The T-GT lets you feel the grip of the front and back of the car a lot more accurately and quickly compared to the G29. I found myself dancing the car through corner complexes, think Mount Panorama from Skyline corner down to Forest Elbow or the fast Esses at Maggiore GP because I know where the car is and can react a lot quicker to any lost traction.

Nothing is better than track knowledge though. Make sure you can turn off the racing line, get rid of any corner markers, cone guides and brake warning lights and just learn the track. Know when you can brake by picking a point on the track that is fixed, like some signage on the wall or a light pole. Learn what the best way through a particular corner is by trying different lines, late turn in for a long sweeper or drifting in early for a tight chicane.

Once you've done a run of 10 consecutive laps you'll have your optimum lap time pretty close to the fastest you can go around that track. Try and aim for it, it'll get quicker the more you learn the track.

T300RS here. Last time I drove with racing line markers must have been Microprose F1 Grand Prix... But you're right, knowing the track with all its bumps and slippery and grippy parts is essential

 

[Rexracer702]

It comes down to what wheel you are using a little bit as well. I changed from a Logitech G29 wheel to the Thrustmaster T-GT and found about 1-2 seconds per lap on most reasonable sized circuits.

The T-GT lets you feel the grip of the front and back of the car a lot more accurately and quickly compared to the G29. I found myself dancing the car through corner complexes, think Mount Panorama from Skyline corner down to Forest Elbow or the fast Esses at Maggiore GP because I know where the car is and can react a lot quicker to any lost traction.

Nothing is better than track knowledge though. Make sure you can turn off the racing line, get rid of any corner markers, cone guides and brake warning lights and just learn the track. Know when you can brake by picking a point on the track that is fixed, like some signage on the wall or a light pole. Learn what the best way through a particular corner is by trying different lines, late turn in for a long sweeper or drifting in early for a tight chicane.

Once you've done a run of 10 consecutive laps you'll have your optimum lap time pretty close to the fastest you can go around that track. Try and aim for it, it'll get quicker the more you learn the track.

I agree that knowing the track is key, though I would say it probably takes me more like 20 laps to get comfortable on the track, and 30 or more to work my time down to anything close to "optimal". I guess I'm getting old and my memory is going...I did the Suzuka track challenges to re-learn the track from when I knew the Pole Position version from the early "80's, and probably ran 20 more laps before my first B race in the Ferarri. Broke into the 13's with that, and between races and time trials must have run 50 laps or more to get to a 13.3. Switched to the Alfa and managed a 12 flat with an optimum of 11.1, but as you can see with those times, I wasn't real consistant and suffered during races, especially with bumping and all. I switched to the Megane, and after 2 laps to get used to it, was clocking low to mid 12's. The biggest difference, though is how forgiving it is. I can clip the dirt and not even loose much time, where the Alfa might spin and reset. And I can pass in it! Too bad I hate FWD, but I need it to work my way back up from the bottom of DR-C. One thing that happened to me in the Alfa, more times than I'd like to admit, is I clipped the outside edge of the track at turn in and sent the car sideways. As for the fun factor...I know it's not fast, but coming out of the esses, and over the top of the hill in the Alfa I got a bit aggressive with my steering and foot a couple of times and ended up drifting through 3rd and 4th for about 150 ft. Can't do that in a FWD!

 

[Groundfish]

on Suzuka in the 86 I’m fine through the esses through to spoon.
That fr gr4 is a momentum car.
It’s vulnerable on approach to 130r though for me if I don’t hit spoon well.
You have to push the car.
I switched to a more stable powerful fr and it’s a diff strategy. Solid 3/4 second slow through esses degnerbbut faster out of hairpin and on straights.
Suzuka is a great track. A lighter fr gr4 is such a diff race you have to use no tcs.
Easy to run a heavy car but slower.

 

[El_Tim]

New episode of Tidgney's driving school is out:

Seems to become some Christmas holidays full of joy and... practice.
Thanks a lot @Tidgney. It's really great work you're doing.

 

[Tidgney]

New episode of Tidgney's driving school is out:

Seems to become some Christmas holidays full of joy and... practice.
Thanks a lot @Tidgney. It's really great work you're doing.

Absolutely no worries !

 

[Groundfish]

Some thoughts on tactics for higher sr.
1. Running side by side can be fun but you lose time and make yourself vulnerable from people chasing. Usually I find it’s better if you’ve been had to accept it and slip in behind and maintain speed.
2. Fast is safe. If you make better times consistently and have 90 plus sr you will have greater chance of easily maintaining sr.
3. I see so many folks who race bumper to bumper. IMO it’s better to maintain a gap.
Bumper to bumper makes it tougher to get a run and overtake clean.
Often this may mean lifting or braking early but it actually makes it easier to get the clean overtake if your opponent makes an error.
4. Late braking is overrated. Focus on control or you’ll lose out on exit. Better to have racepace with margin for error.
The purpose of the brakes is adjusting speed to get good entry.
5. Don’t make a judgement about contact with another car until watching the replay.
Retaliation generally makes matters worse for yourself. Sr can be tough to earn why waste it on some derelict.
6. Drive cars that you have the best control over even if they may not be fastest for you. 3 2:00 laps beats a 1:55 a 1:58 and a 2:10.
7. When overtaking make sure your opponent knows you are there. As much as possible present yourself.
Trying to sneak by is not good. If you are gonna take inside at the end of a long straight it’s best to be nose to nose or ahead BEFORE the two come brakepoint.
If not then slip in behind and wait for a good chance.
8. For any given race you should be able to beat pro ai on racing hard with clean race bonus easily with your car under bop. If this seems impossible imo you will have a hard time gaining sr in sport mode.
9. Patience pays off! Most people make mistakes. By not running bumper to bumper you can relax a bit and become aware of where other cars are sloppy or where you are slow. Quite often just running clean results in free positions just wait.
10. Pass on straights wherever possible. If you get behind a jerk swerve blocking often it’s best to scare them into the braking zone. Get close and pretend you will dive then BRAKE A BIT EARLY and back out of their radar and often they will make the overtake for you by taking themselves out.
I do this a lot if someone passes me dirty.
Remember a dirty driver is expecting dirty opponents and often just pressuring causes them to falter.
11. Develop meta awareness during the race.
By this I mean being at a pace/comfort level on track that allows you to be able to notice what’s happening around you.
12. Qualify! If you put at least 10 laps in you have an idea what you can do consistently and if you spend more time you will learn things.
13. By qualifying you minimize your chances of getting into the messy packs that can happen. Better times put you ahead of more dangerous drivers. If you get stuck behind bashers accept that they are idiots and wait.
14. Take a long term mindset. If you can achieve and maintain 99 sr you will have the opportunity to have enjoyable races when you like. You will not podium every race!
15. If you’ve been had on a straight pull to one side don’t be a jerk. It’s safer to lift momentarily than going wheel to wheel to the death.
16. Remember others have put in the effort to get to the top of the sr heap. Questionable moves and mistakes will be made.
When you do when it’s safe wait and give the spot back. It’s good to build a rep. You never know when you will face that driver again.
17. Remember your mistake can cost others heavily. Driving past your ability creates headaches for others when you are out of control. It sucks to get sr downs.
18. Use driving aids! TCS is great! Use ASM if you want! They are there to help! Brake indicators and the driving line etc are there to help! Use em even if only in practice!
19. Practice in arcade mode!



I will post more tactics as they come to mind.
Always treat online racers as dirty until they prove otherwise.

Also for those more casual drivers who don’t care about sr people can feel free to post dirty tactics as well. Tactics are tactics

 

[Sven Jurgens]

Some thoughts on tactics for higher sr.
1. Running side by side can be fun but you lose time and make yourself vulnerable from people chasing. Usually I find it’s better if you’ve been had to accept it and slip in behind and maintain speed.
2. Fast is safe. If you make better times consistently and have 90 plus sr you will have greater chance of easily maintaining sr.
3. I see so many folks who race bumper to bumper. IMO it’s better to maintain a gap.
Bumper to bumper makes it tougher to get a run and overtake clean.
Often this may mean lifting or braking early but it actually makes it easier to get the clean overtake if your opponent makes an error.
4. Late braking is overrated. Focus on control or you’ll lose out on exit. Better to have racepace with margin for error.
The purpose of the brakes is adjusting speed to get good entry.
5. Don’t make a judgement about contact with another car until watching the replay.
Retaliation generally makes matters worse for yourself. Sr can be tough to earn why waste it on some derelict.
6. Drive cars that you have the best control over even if they may not be fastest for you. 3 2:00 laps beats a 1:55 a 1:58 and a 2:10.
7. When overtaking make sure your opponent knows you are there. As much as possible present yourself.
Trying to sneak by is not good. If you are gonna take inside at the end of a long straight it’s best to be nose to nose or ahead BEFORE the two come brakepoint.
If not then slip in behind and wait for a good chance.
8. For any given race you should be able to beat pro ai on racing hard with clean race bonus easily with your car under bop. If this seems impossible imo you will have a hard time gaining sr in sport mode.
9. Patience pays off! Most people make mistakes. By not running bumper to bumper you can relax a bit and become aware of where other cars are sloppy or where you are slow. Quite often just running clean results in free positions just wait.
10. Pass on straights wherever possible. If you get behind a jerk swerve blocking often it’s best to scare them into the braking zone. Get close and pretend you will dive then BRAKE A BIT EARLY and back out of their radar and often they will make the overtake for you by taking themselves out.
I do this a lot if someone passes me dirty.
Remember a dirty driver is expecting dirty opponents and often just pressuring causes them to falter.
11. Develop meta awareness during the race.
By this I mean being at a pace/comfort level on track that allows you to be able to notice what’s happening around you.
12. Qualify! If you put at least 10 laps in you have an idea what you can do consistently and if you spend more time you will learn things.
13. By qualifying you minimize your chances of getting into the messy packs that can happen. Better times put you ahead of more dangerous drivers. If you get stuck behind bashers accept that they are idiots and wait.
14. Take a long term mindset. If you can achieve and maintain 99 sr you will have the opportunity to have enjoyable races when you like. You will not podium every race!
15. If you’ve been had on a straight pull to one side don’t be a jerk. It’s safer to lift momentarily than going wheel to wheel to the death.
16. Remember others have put in the effort to get to the top of the sr heap. Questionable moves and mistakes will be made.
When you do when it’s safe wait and give the spot back. It’s good to build a rep. You never know when you will face that driver again.
17. Remember your mistake can cost others heavily. Driving past your ability creates headaches for others when you are out of control. It sucks to get sr downs.
18. Use driving aids! TCS is great! Use ASM if you want! They are there to help! Brake indicators and the driving line etc are there to help! Use em even if only in practice!
19. Practice in arcade mode!

I will post more tactics as they come to mind.
Always treat online racers as dirty until they prove otherwise.

Also for those more casual drivers who don’t care about sr people can feel free to post dirty tactics as well. Tactics are tactics

Great list, although you lost me at 12. Hogwash!

I cannot over emphasize the importance of not driving bumper to bumper.

First of all I drive in bumper cam, get to close and I can't see what's going on anymore.
Following too close you are more likely to simply follow your opponent off the road when they make a mistake, I see that happen all the time.
Following too close you have no margin when they touch a wall or the bumper of the car in front of them
Following too close you can't get a draft run on them after the corner and you'll be crawling by instead of with decent speed difference.

Keep a little distance, go slow in fast out when behind another car. They'll be braking a little later afraid you will hit them. Brake a little early, accelerate through the corner and you will have a better corner exit, ready for a pass. Best is to put your car a little bit on their inside so it looks like you are ready for a dive. This will allow you to not have to brake too early since your brake distance is not compromised by their slipstream. While the car ahead will either brake a little late to deny you a dive bomb or brake early to try to undercut your non existent dive bomb. When that happens you are alongside in the braking zone and have corner rights.


And one general tip, don't directly look at the car you are following. Always keep your eye on the road, apex, corner entry, and track the other cars with your peripheral vision. Always look where you want to go, not what to avoid like the other cars or walls. Do not copy brake points from other cars. They might make mistakes, the brake lights can come on late due to lag, their tire lief might be in a very different stage, drive your own race.

 

[Groundfish]

Sven’s last point is HUGE.
Run your own race.
Good stuff.

 

[O604]

Super obvious for some but something I was neglecting is Custom Race. Very handy.

I recently dipped my toes into the FIA races and to prepare I use Custom Races. Great for Daily Races too. I prefer preparing for races with AI over hot lapping. I used to get my Daily Reward Car hot lapping. Now it's in Custom Race.

 

[Rexracer702]

Super obvious for some but something I was neglecting is Custom Race. Very handy.

I recently dipped my toes into the FIA races and to prepare I use Custom Races. Great for Daily Races too. I prefer preparing for races with AI over hot lapping. I used to get my Daily Reward Car hot lapping. Now it's in Custom Race.

While I get your point, and will use it in the future, chasing, or running from, my ghost is how I get faster. It lets me see where I can improve, and what parts of the track are key to a good lap time. Often I'll be down on time to my ghost, maybe playing catch-up after an error, watching the gap, and I'll make up .5 seconds through a sector trying something different. Also, visually, I can see myself gaining if I'm on a better line, or get a better drive. Also, I may try a new line and take .2 seconds out of the gap, but loose .4 down the next straight, realizing that the new line may be quicker it that section, but looses out more in the next. Sometimes I can find a passing zone this way...I can get extra speed HERE to pass, but may have to defend after to make it stick.

On another note...everyone has tracks they like, and don't like. Often it has to do with your comfort level, I think. Maybe the top aliens are good at all the tracks, but I'm basically learning the tracks as they come up each week. I'm struggling with pace at Fuji, mostly in the last section, I think. Tight corners always seem to bu my downfall, both in speed, and mistakes. I never use TCS anymore, mostly because I find it to be a crutch that promotes bad driving habits, like mashing the throttle. I had to buy the GT-R that I'm racing this week, and it was my first time in a gr2. I can't count how many times I spun that car in the first few laps I ran. I'm down to a 31 flat now for Q, but my race pace is really more like 32's and 33's when I'm calm and "in the groove". That can easily fall to 34's if I get flustered and start over driving. I think the issue is my braking. I watch videos of fast guys, and they manage to brake much deeper. At Fuji, if I start braking halfway between the 150 marker and the start of the curbing on the left, going into T1, and trail brake perfectly almost to the apex, I can sometimes make it stick, but usually I brake right after the 150 because it's easier to set my speed right, and carry some speed through the corner. I've watched from in car on other drivers there, and it seems they're braking just before the curbing. I try that and I'm off the track.
Any advice?💡

 

[O604]

While I get your point, and will use it in the future, chasing, or running from, my ghost is how I get faster. It lets me see where I can improve, and what parts of the track are key to a good lap time. Often I'll be down on time to my ghost, maybe playing catch-up after an error, watching the gap, and I'll make up .5 seconds through a sector trying something different. Also, visually, I can see myself gaining if I'm on a better line, or get a better drive. Also, I may try a new line and take .2 seconds out of the gap, but loose .4 down the next straight, realizing that the new line may be quicker it that section, but looses out more in the next. Sometimes I can find a passing zone this way...I can get extra speed HERE to pass, but may have to defend after to make it stick.

Do what works. Running with my own ghost doesn't work for me. I keep thinking who's that idiot taking the wrong line.

Seriously though even one Custom Race dry run before any race makes a huge difference in confidence for me. I totally recommend it.

 

[Dogwolf77]

Are there any special moves you guys do to make the car rotate more? I usually trail brake into the corner but on the exit I only try to be as gentle on the gas as possible in order not to spin out. In other games (ac and pc2) I feel the tires much more so I can be closer to the edge what allows me to steer the car with the throttle. It's not a massive drift though, just that little bit of torque vectoring that helps alligning the car and accelerating earlier.


Ah, the video... Here it is:

It is about the optimal line through a corner. Don't expect too much entertainment as it is rather dry but I consider it precious for it once more (or for the first time) makes you think about your own cornering techniques. Has anybody of you experienced benefits from any of the mentioned methods (late apex, geometrical line and the approach in the vid)? I don't intend to make it a "my kung fu is better than your karate" thing. Just interested in your thoughts and experiences.

Absolutely priceless! Thank you for sharing this and demystifying cornering strategy. I went to their page on setups and found this. I can toss my pages of written notes away.

https://www.paradigmshiftracing.com/racing-basics/racecar-setup-flowchart

 

[Dogwolf77]

Do what works. Running with my own ghost doesn't work for me. I keep thinking who's that idiot taking the wrong line.

Seriously though even one Custom Race dry run before any race makes a huge difference in confidence for me. I totally recommend it.

That’s how I like to get ready for a race. Plus, I visit a track in VR Time Trial. This is so helpful in that in VR, you get the sense of elevation, dips, bumps, it’s incredible. Highly recommend VR.

 

[DelboyD]

Super obvious for some but something I was neglecting is Custom Race. Very handy.

I recently dipped my toes into the FIA races and to prepare I use Custom Races. Great for Daily Races too. I prefer preparing for races with AI over hot lapping. I used to get my Daily Reward Car hot lapping. Now it's in Custom Race.

I usually do a couple of custom races after setting a half decent qually time. I find it helps give me confidence in the car for when I have to go off the racing line. Sometimes you gotta know how stable the car is going to be if you need to throw it around a bit.

After the custom races, i’ll enter an online race.
If it doesn’t go well, I’ll hot lap and custom race again.

Sometimes I’ve just picked the wrong car for racing online (I did this at RBR a couple of weeks ago) . If so, I pick another one and start the process again.

 

[Groundfish]

Rexracer702,
You mentioned tcs. I was like you for the first few months. It’s obviously quite valuable to drive the car sans aids.
I think tcs is very car dependent. I run mostly gr3 4 and only gr2 on a track I know inside out.
Knowing a track seems to take me a very very very very very very long time. I feel like I have a learning disability lol.
I dunno if I am like you but I have also been learning each track since this is my first driving game of any type since ps2 ridge racer however many years ago that was.
I find tcs very ve y helpful on the cars I use for online. Cars with a lot of torque can be sketchy for myself I am saying.
I found running no tcs I was always late on throttle or not carrying speed well. I find for myself in an online race I like having that there since it’s easy to get overeager. With no tcs a bad input can cause havoc. With tcs you just lose time. What I do like on Interlagos with gr3 vette say is run tcs 2 abs weak no asm. Never tied csa since I am on wheel.
I like having tcs on but I try to never activate it. It’s really interesting the way diff cars diff systems cause diff results also. Certain cars it has advantages like kicking in a bit of power oversteer when needed and with the right inputs sure you can do it maybe better without.
I just wanted to post some thoughts on tcs of my own, most stuff you read online says never run it it makes you slow etc, but if it doesn’t activate it doesn’t affect the lap.
For myself I like the security of being able to push harder with less fear. Certain cars certain sections of tracks it’s a hindrance like the phill esses at seaside, but take the first section of gardens without and with. With it on I can jam through much more consistently in gr3.
Yes, part of that is not being in the optimal spot on track in the optimal line making the optimal input.
I welcome all thoughts on tcs. There’s no right or wrong on this. Each way has its advantages.

Cheers

 

[Dogwolf77]

Id like to start a discussion with the following parameters:
The topic is GT Sports tracks and the approaches one takes to driving them in different situations. I don’t want to bring specific cars into it beyond class and configure.
Let’s not get into a car thread specifically beyond saying fr gr3 or ff n200.
Ill open it up and say one big mistake I made coming into the game was not taking camber into account. Not car camber, the camber of portions of tracks.
Also we can discuss specific techniques of driving as well.
I’ll try to start the thread but my hope would be actual fast guys racers you tubers etc offer up since I’m only fair to middling.
So to open it up let’s discuss Seaside 2 turn 1 maybe technically t2 if you take the kink into account.
I noticed one of the aliens drove it very geometrically in his top 10 time. Very wide approach and exit just a gorgeous speed carrying arc.
I watched another with a quite different approach. He entered tighter and cut a tighter arc.
Both were aliens. Both equally fast. Same car used.
I think camber is very critical here and we can discuss it the other way also or any other sections of any in game tracks.
For myself, just looking to discuss these aspects. How do you approach this turn?
For myself I ended up approaching tighter
and often in game a tighter approach may be slightly slower, but at DR B I just find it easier to accomplish decently.
I think this turn is an important one in race.
I’d say if there’s sections we have trouble with also this could become a place to ask for input from others.
Really I am just curious if this sounds interesting to others. I’ve noticed a lot of posts in a lot of topics regarding how to be faster etc.
Here’s to getting faster!

I just want to thank you for starting this thread...at long last!

 

[Rexracer702]

Rexracer702,
You mentioned tcs. I was like you for the first few months. It’s obviously quite valuable to drive the car sans aids.
I think tcs is very car dependent. I run mostly gr3 4 and only gr2 on a track I know inside out.
Knowing a track seems to take me a very very very very very very long time. I feel like I have a learning disability lol.
I dunno if I am like you but I have also been learning each track since this is my first driving game of any type since ps2 ridge racer however many years ago that was.
I find tcs very ve y helpful on the cars I use for online. Cars with a lot of torque can be sketchy for myself I am saying.
I found running no tcs I was always late on throttle or not carrying speed well. I find for myself in an online race I like having that there since it’s easy to get overeager. With no tcs a bad input can cause havoc. With tcs you just lose time. What I do like on Interlagos with gr3 vette say is run tcs 2 abs weak no asm. Never tied csa since I am on wheel.
I like having tcs on but I try to never activate it. It’s really interesting the way diff cars diff systems cause diff results also. Certain cars it has advantages like kicking in a bit of power oversteer when needed and with the right inputs sure you can do it maybe better without.
I just wanted to post some thoughts on tcs of my own, most stuff you read online says never run it it makes you slow etc, but if it doesn’t activate it doesn’t affect the lap.
For myself I like the security of being able to push harder with less fear. Certain cars certain sections of tracks it’s a hindrance like the phill esses at seaside, but take the first section of gardens without and with. With it on I can jam through much more consistently in gr3.
Yes, part of that is not being in the optimal spot on track in the optimal line making the optimal input.
I welcome all thoughts on tcs. There’s no right or wrong on this. Each way has its advantages.

Cheers

I get what you're saying about TC. I'm also with you on learning a track. I guess my memory is just shot. A couple of the things that helped me, TC wise, was how I was using the throttle. I found myself trying to accelerate into the corner speed I wanted, usually resulting in oversteer and sliding (drifting) which can be fun, but isn't usually fast. Now I try to set corner speed on the brakes, and I coast for a second if I'm in a little hot, to let my line tighten up and get back to the apex. No TC is no problem in higher gears and with enough downforce. In lower gears I carry as much speed through the corner as I can and basically finish with the cornering G forces before getting hard on the gas. Even on the GR2 car at Fuji, I can mash the gas in second gear because I'm giving the car very little to no steering input at that point. The GR1 cars are even easier because of all the downforce, but again, in lower gears (mostly just 1st and second...sometimes 3rd) I only push the front in corners and never push acceleration until cornering G's are down.

I'm on a G29 wheel/pedals and one thing I'd love to change is the throttle curve. To maintain speed, but no acceleration at typical racing rev's in a corner (maybe 2k revs below redline) I need the gas pedal down 3/4 or more, so all the modulation is in the last 1/4 of it's travel. In reality I should have 1/2 to 2/3's travel left if steady state in a corner. Makes it hard to modulate cornering speed. If anyone has a fix, let me know!

BTW. I think I'm ready for the new daily's. I can't find any speed for the B race, and though I have an okay Q at Fuji, I'm usually 1.5 seconds or more off my Q time in a race. Heck, other than that one lap, I don't think I've had one closer than half a second with all the laps I've done. Worse part is I know exactly where I'm loosing time. My Q is a 31.0 and if I could get the first fast left right, then the next left after that, I would easily be in the 30's, maybe 29's. I just can't seem to...especially the first one. I've seen speeds just past the apex in the high teens when I do it right, but in a race I'm usually just over 100. Just can't get the braking/turn in right.

I would't be having these problems on a bike!

 

[Groundfish]

This might sound weird but again it goes back to camber for me. One thing you can do is check replay and go into walk mode with camera as if you’re gonna take a photo. You can walk areas of the track and check out aspects of the surface you might be missing in car. I haven’t seen it where the area one can walk is very limited.
On race b griffins I was making good time with an apex speed of 82-3 when I hit it correctly. In gr4 the only way to get the turn in is braking pretty late with a touch of trail off (without being slightly on the brakes you’ll understeer to where there’s no grip) and then right back on maintenance throttle until the car is fully in the bank then squeeze down all the way.
Also after the Cutting going uphill into that right left there’s a lump on the left hand side of track that is the perfect spot for the turn in as the suspension compresses. That’s all taken flat up through mcphilamy.
The blind left turn in there is tricky for me but if you hit all that correctly in gr4 you should peak at at least 128 or more before braking for the downhill esses.
Also, running manual tranny you’ll want to look at the torque hp curves to help optimize shift points. Some cars get much slower if redlined.

 

[Groundfish]

On panorama I have trouble with the cutting and also Murray’s the most.
Amazing how much time there is in hell’s corner and the cutting. The cutting is very tricky for me for some reason. I have a hard time flowing throug it right carrying enough speed on throttle early.
I probably lose .6 right there on most laps.
I’ve gotten better on hells corner but it’s absolutely key in the gr4 vette to nail that corner right.
It’s amazing how much more speed carried kinda exponentially makes things better.
If you overslow on the cutting as I often do easy to get lose on exit.
Thing is don’t slow enough and you’re toast there’s no grip if you go half a car leangth too wide.
Last time gr4 was there 16.5 was my time in the Mcclaren.
I got 2 seconds off that for gr 4 this week, and it took untold hours haha.
It’s quite challenging to get a car ‘squatted and stable’ and keep it there when it needs to be on panorama. I’m really starting to become more aware of the importance of maintaining the cars balance and stability.
IMO one can look at the top ten times, but looking at the 11.9 or something replay in the rcf in car cam gr4 it really struck me how little that has to do with an in race lap.
So loose through the esses countersteering with the speed of a rattlesnake strike. Like, I don’t value that as much as repeatable competitive laps.
It’s extremely impressive and all, but from what I see racepace is a different deal.
I dunno, it’s a very addictive thing, driving fast on a track. It’s taken me a long time to start to grasp.
I’ve always loved driving in general, grew up slidin my dads chevy pickup in the rain and learned on country two laners. Read a book by Prost at about sixteen.
Fun stuff.
So far my favorite tracks are Seaside Suzuka panorama nurb gp Alsace and brands. Streets of willow is great in n100 or 200.
I like Maggiore ok, but reverse...honestly after a few laps I was like this is gonna take me a looooong time.
I have a co worker very casual player who I race with in lobby, and it amazes me he can get around a track after a couple laps pretty decent. I’m absolute opposite, half the time I can’t remember where the turns are at first.
I dunno about next week, maybe try the c9 all week and see if I can learn Le Mans haha haha. Yeah, that’ll be easy. Utmost respect to those who know all these tracks...

 

[Rexracer702]

I've already been testing cars for the GR1 race this week. I don't have them all, but I don't see how anything will be able to beat the Nissan 92. I looked at the mazda, the 908 and the hybrid toyota so far, but the Nissan goes 234-235 mph with no draft. Hits the rev limiter at 236mph, and you imediately loose 8mph. The mazda can do 228 in the draft, but without it maybe 220. Judging by the few laps I took, the nissan is 4sec faster than the mazda on med tires. Mazda's a bit better in the corners, but the Nissan's a lot faster on top. I was impressed by the Toyota hybrid's lap time, considering the top speed. With chicanes it might be a contendor.

 

[El_Tim]

On panorama I have trouble with the cutting and also Murray’s the most.
Amazing how much time there is in hell’s corner and the cutting. The cutting is very tricky for me for some reason. I have a hard time flowing throug it right carrying enough speed on throttle early.
I probably lose .6 right there on most laps.
I’ve gotten better on hells corner but it’s absolutely key in the gr4 vette to nail that corner right.
It’s amazing how much more speed carried kinda exponentially makes things better.
If you overslow on the cutting as I often do easy to get lose on exit.
Thing is don’t slow enough and you’re toast there’s no grip if you go half a car leangth too wide.
Last time gr4 was there 16.5 was my time in the Mcclaren.
I got 2 seconds off that for gr 4 this week, and it took untold hours haha.
It’s quite challenging to get a car ‘squatted and stable’ and keep it there when it needs to be on panorama. I’m really starting to become more aware of the importance of maintaining the cars balance and stability.
IMO one can look at the top ten times, but looking at the 11.9 or something replay in the rcf in car cam gr4 it really struck me how little that has to do with an in race lap.
So loose through the esses countersteering with the speed of a rattlesnake strike. Like, I don’t value that as much as repeatable competitive laps.
It’s extremely impressive and all, but from what I see racepace is a different deal.
I dunno, it’s a very addictive thing, driving fast on a track. It’s taken me a long time to start to grasp.
I’ve always loved driving in general, grew up slidin my dads chevy pickup in the rain and learned on country two laners. Read a book by Prost at about sixteen.
Fun stuff.
So far my favorite tracks are Seaside Suzuka panorama nurb gp Alsace and brands. Streets of willow is great in n100 or 200.
I like Maggiore ok, but reverse...honestly after a few laps I was like this is gonna take me a looooong time.
I have a co worker very casual player who I race with in lobby, and it amazes me he can get around a track after a couple laps pretty decent. I’m absolute opposite, half the time I can’t remember where the turns are at first.
I dunno about next week, maybe try the c9 all week and see if I can learn Le Mans haha haha. Yeah, that’ll be easy. Utmost respect to those who know all these tracks...

I think what's so special about Bathurst is that nailing a corner is so essential for a good lap time. Of course this is true for every track, but time penalty at the mountain seems worse than anywhere else. Not getting them right always affects the following 1/3 of the complete track. Braking too early for hell corner may cost some .15 seconds, running wide on the exit and losing momentum adds some .6 seconds again. Same for the cutting as you said which already starts at the slight left hander. Being too slow kills your speed for the uphill section, going wide means losing grip and you won't find the racing line to carry as much speed as possible through the cutting and step on the gas early for the climb. I found the esses challenging but I think being a bit too slow there isn't too dramatic as long as you get the dipper right. I screw up so often in Forest Elbow because I had a strange line exiting the Dipper which then continues to the braking zone for Forest Elbow where I arrive too far on the inside not allowing me to go full throttle early. So that tiny corner indeed determines how soon you arrive at the chase. Pretty much responsibility for such a small kink in the rock...

Although (or because) it's so tough I really do like that track. Here's a video of Scott McLaughlin qualifying for Bathurst 1000 in 2017. I love how you can feel the sheer speed of the car and you see that he knows every inch of the track. Watching it always makes me want to go racing...

Happy New Year to all of you!!!!

 

[Groundfish]

El Tim,
Yeah, love that track. The uphill sections after turns and uphill turns teach so much.
Ross Bentley mentions prioritizing corners on tracks as most important is fastest turn leading into a straight next fastest etc
Hells corner is super important though because it’s uphill.
The great thing about the vette gr4 is that if you hit that turn right the silly fwd Megane cant catch, hit it wrong with one behind though...It’s curtains.
I was preying on stupidity on that track.
People always try to get inside at the chase which is fine if there’s not another car (me) coming up behind the car you are trying to pass.. I flew by quite a few folks on the way to Murray’s.
If I didn’t complete the overtake on Conrod I’d just focus on flying through the chase and getting inside at Murray’s.
My strength was getting gap before Murray’s then they were catching towards hells but mostly I could get away on mountain straight.
I have hit Murray’s right a few times but not many. Usually I overslow or slide a touch.
Gotta get the power down.
Griffins I was faster than the rcf that ran 11.9 so I was good there.
Thing is to be fast in esses and that last left onto Conrod...to really hit that area well the cars gonna be a bit loose which is sketchy. There’s tons of time if you push the speed but too risky in race imo.
Time trials there are great fun when you see that you are minus more and more
the suspense mounts for each corner.
1-2 more mph apex speed is huge.

Certain cars are better in race...
Certain cars I don’t think the controller guys can get much out of except the very best players.

With the gr4 vette battling the tt and Megane army apex speeds on the bottom of the track are key because acceleration wise you have a disadvantage. But you have a handling advantage so it can cancel that car out.