ScottyM

iTrader: (27)

Did the off-road version never take off? Or, is the physics of it too difficult to pull off correctly?

My Experience with video games is that they are either too easy, or they are so difficult I loose interest in them. I will agree that any wheel time will be better then none at all.

But, one of the biggest things I like about racing is hanging with the homies..

token

Video Games is not in no way comparable to track time. The best advice I can give is go get some cones and build a makeshift track on that land. The most important thing to do is follow your lines. You dont have to have 40 ft jumps. Make the best out of the land next door, create some kind of layout. I would say more technical than fast.

clebo3

iTrader: (3)

I believe there is some merit to video games helping. You are outside the vehicle and reacting to what you are seeing happen. Comparing it to actual car racing would not be the same as to the fact you would be reacting to what you are feeling, not what you are seeing. Dirt 2 and now Dirt 3 are some good games to try out.

Miniracer23

I owe most of my throttle control to Dirt 2 RallyCross racing. lol. But nothing compares to running you own car. Like someone else said, get some cones, and make a small course in the land next to you. That way you can work on breaking points and control while viewing your car from a vantage point, like you would at the track.

EastCoasterVa

You need to identify the areas you are having problems with and fix them one at a time. Jumping, coming into a turn, middle of turn, coming out of a turn, straight (speed) sections...

RC racing is a mental game. You need to be as calm as possible while racing. Practice breathing techniques. If you wreck do not power your way back in. Relax and get back into YOUR race.

Race your race. You are racing YOUR line as fast as YOU can. Do not race other people. As a matter of fact ignore the other cars on the track unless you are about to crash into them. Know the track you race at. Pick a line around the track and try to stick to that line.

Watch the fast guys at the track. What are they doing that you are not? Why are they so fast? It's not the car. One of our local fast guys looks slow because he is so smooth.

I can't stress relaxing enough. I make sure to have my stuff ready to go. Do not work on your stuff at the last minute right before your race. You will probably miss something and be frustrated while racing.

johnny t

iTrader: (10)

don't know what happened to their offroad version, like you (maybe?) was looking forward to that though. the odd thing is that I have not played with live rc in over a year. since I am at the track almost every weekend. I did think it helped tremendously when I made my return to RC a couple years ago from a ten year hiatus when races were 5minutes and so just being able to mentally prepare for 20minute and longer race time with VRC gave me a quicker study into 1/8th nitro. In fact I setup the car in the simulator to be all loose and hard to drive, so my throttle finger had to work.

And yes, does not substitute real live track time for sure. VRC Improve your off road driving? IDK. will it keep the rust off you existing skills during a hiatus? I think very much. Is it the best option if you have no access to a track? yes. And with the simulators consent whispered track times in you ear you can really learn how slow is fast. and how and when over driving a car costs laptimes. something cones in a parking lot won't help with.

The formula 1 guys practice in simulators all week leading up to their real race, is its good enough for them....my old friend who races imsa lites found big improvements in his results after taking up a driving simulator in his house to practice with. my other buddy who is mutiple formula vee national champion lives by his racing sim. So I would not say racing video games are without merit.

Trugsta

iTrader: (10)

That Is fantastic advice.
Once you are alot more confident in your driving try some setup changes But always only one aspect at a time like shocks I do one set up change and go back out and see if it makes the car any better or worse drive.
But deffenetly Get more confidence in your driving and confidence comes with practice..
Hang in there you'll be fine..

Nogas

iTrader: (7)

I race Dirt 2 and 3 online (racing against other people is more intense than just racing the computer) and i think it helps with race concentration / mentality and reflexes.

Practicing your driving skills on a marked out bit of dirt will help too but actual track time is always going to be the best way to improve.

pl_unc86

iTrader: (17)

Best thing about practice imo is that you are able to focus 100% on your car and really identify what you are doing wrong. It's a lot harder to figure out what your doing wrong in the heat of things when racing sometimes.

I agree with all that has been said though, pick one thing at a time and focus on that. I went out to practice today...my goal was to pick a line and drive under enough control to not lose my car considering there is no one to flip you back over. I think this helps a ton because you tend to drive a lot smarter (which is faster) when you don't have anyone to flip you back over lol.

Nogas

iTrader: (7)

Absolutely agree, start off your practise sessions slowly just concentrating on getting round the track on 4 wheels cleanly and you will slowly get quicker and quicker with out even thinking about it.

It might sound funny but i find that i drive my best when i enter a semi zoned out stage. Usually half to 3/4 way through a long main, i guess i get quicker because i'm more relaxed but it is a strange feeling

curacing2

Some excellent advice there for ya Dreaux, lucky your driving a Mugen because they are pretty forgiving on the track.
It is easy to feel rusty if you havn't driven for a couple of weeks, like the guys said start off with steady laps to build your confidence then start upping the pace.

Have you had anyone video any of your racing for you?
Its good to analyze your driving that way, shot it from various angles of the track and also shoot some of the fast guys for a comparision, you will see and hear how they get around so quickly.

Semple

iTrader: (3)

Another shout out for VRC. I went from D and C mains to A-mains last year thanks to, in part, VRC. I was always able to hit fast laps, as I know racing lines from previous experience in karting. The benefit of VRC that I found was that it teaches you how to be consistently fast while viewing your car from a drivers stand/rostrum perspective.

Onroad racing will always teach you better technical driving, worry about practicing jumps at the track. Downside, downside, downside.

I also got faster when I finally realized that you actually HAVE to be pretty anal about your car if you want to be consistently fast and keep it in one piece. This means cleaning it, rebuilding diffs and shocks, dressing your brakes, maintaining clutch. For me, this is a bare minimum of before every race. For 3 day races I like to perform these tasks after each track day.

RCnitroRC

XBOX Call of Duty Black OPS! Play online it helps with reaction time and your smaller finer movements.

Schnurf

Hi, do you have any tips to keep the mental during a long main?

merdith6

iTrader: (3)

I like the video game idea...

When I first got a 1/8th scale buggy there were very few races for them. Most everyone still raced 1/10 scale. So here is what i did..

Work on ur car, it never hurts to keep ur mind in it by working on ur buggy..

Next, drive that car, go out in the field and run it as often as you like. Go back inside and clean it up, rebuild it when needed and the next day or two go run it again. Yes the track is the best place, but nothing compares to getting in the zone like the other post said...It's like the world is buzzing all around you and you are calm. Like those videos that are sped up with the light streams and you are calm and move slowly. It really helpswhen the other guys are yelling and frustrated, you, are calm and cutting off the laps...


You can pile up a little dirt to make a mall jump. Yo will be suprised how far a buggy can jump from a small jump. You just need one. you an change it a little as time goe on, but not enough to make a track or draw anyones attention to what is happening to their dirt you know...

Drive that buggy smooth, and fast, and put a cone or two out in the field, an old tire, or something like that and use it for a turn, gear it up a tooth, race gearing is lower, for a field you need usually one tooth bigger on the bell, on the Mugen I use the 14t on big tracks, use that one. and practice hitting that small jump and especially the turn. I like to do big ovals and hit that turn right on the inside as close to the come or tire as you can. Practice braking into the turn and punching it out of the turn.....You will be amazed at how much fun it is, and then when you go racing you will be sooo much sharper even if you are still having trouble with that double, its ok you will get better, once a month is not bad, when I was in school it was a few years till I got to race again, but i kept working on my car and tunig it. You will earn al ot if you want to. Do give up and stay focused. Learn ur engine, learn the car, and when you can look around on ebay and get a roller or a nice engine for cheap buy it.. Be ready for the next race, even if it's 3 months from now,...


I hope this helps buddy. Just from talking with you the last week you got what it takes. I'm rooting for you and i hope to talk with you more.....

Now go practice and dont forget to clean ur car and work on it....that's a big part of it......