always losing in a race...
 

hi i just started racing this year...
i have a Hot Bodies D8 with a OS V-spec w/ eb mods
every time i race i do really bad...i always body roll and losing lap times...
during practice with my uncle...i do really well and always kick his a** but when racing he always comes first and i come nearly dead last...:flaming:

can you plz help me...thank you

Sounds to me like u let nerves get to you durring the race... Just relax and have fun...

I'm not a seasoned racer, but I know this: Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Everytime I go for a kill with a vengance I tend to get the shiny side up. If I do my own thing at the pace that suits me, the other guys tend to be overtaken.

Don't worry about the other racers. Only worry about your own car. There will be races with huge turnouts & winning the chump heat will get you no where.

yea...on the drivers stand i trend to shake a lot and i hold my radio very hard.....when i do relax it helps a bit but then i go to mistakes again...i dont do jumps..cause i figure it only will help you a bit but im not racing in the worlds or anything so it wont matter...

fight as you train

yea..should try that..thanks:):):)

Old saying in Racing. Slower is faster. I finally figured that out the last couple of races this season. If you miss your spot on a jump roll through it. If your racing sombody hard just relax and let him make the first mistake and then go buy. There were over 40 truggys in my class. Final points standings havnt been posted yet but I either finished 10th or 11th overall. Thats with one race not getting any points at all because of a breakdown before the race even started. No laps no points. Youll get it. just relax and have fun........

Practice a lot and try to race yourself, not other people. Look at the time sheets to see if you are improving. Try to finish races without crashing even if you could go faster, race exactly the way you practiced.

Racing is wild.....
 

It never fails that half the racers drive like insane rabid dogs flying all around and crashing into me and everyone else. Slamming into walls, well you get the point. I try to imagine that I'm the calm in the storm like in those movies and videos when the person is walking or sitting calmly and the cars and everything else moves around them in a blur of movement and car lights, and watch out for the repeat offenders and swerve around them and if you have to slow down to avoid a pileup then do it. It's easy to start driving like everyone else so make an effort to stand back and be smooth. Jump most jumps, but if you crash alot on one or two jumps then find a smoth and fast line on the inside where the flyers will miss you....It takes time to get this down, but you will get it....Be patient.....

if your in it to win it and not a sponsored driver you need a new hobby,,,,, race for fun! not the win! winning is just a plus!!

patience also works depending how long your mains are. numerous times ive caught up to a lead car and just followed em within a car length or two, and they usually make a mistake, they start to pay attention to your car and not thiers

I always have fun racing regardless of outcome but if I didnt want to win I wouldnt race. Why do anything competitively if you dont want to win? I just dont understand the current mentality of "everybody is a winner." Competition is an absolute must in society!

As for the original post. Slow down and dont drive beyond your abilities. If you're in the novice/sportsman class, you'll get a podium finish if you keep the rubber side down. Speed isnt important. Hell, regardless of your qualifying position, start at the back of the pack. When the tone sounds, wait a couple seconds and let everyone wad it up in the first two corners while you slowly drive around them. I can just about guarantee you'll come out of the first 2 corners in the top 3 positions.

When I race I want to start in the first, second, or last positions.

Race the track, not the other drivers. Treat EVERY time you're on the track like practice. I know I still get caught up in the "race" during mains sometimes and it takes me awhile to get back into MY grove. then I'll start moving back up.

well u have the best car money can buy so thats not the issue, EB MODS engines are awsome so check that off the list...now onto the driver I know its a silly phrase but slow is fast not crashing and keeping a smooth line will 90% of the time beat the "fastest" lap guy on the track, until u are the "fastest lap guy" PLUS "smooth" , just worry about running smooth consistant lines without crashing. as said above train like u fight and fight like u train the speed will come in time...

Ryan

i feel you man,

check this thread that i started a while ago, alot of good info and many funny advices :lol:

http://www.rctech.net/forum/nitro-of...ur-nerves.html

cheers
Ali

You've gotten very good advice. Slow down a little, and don't pay attention to your position, or anybody else's position. There are a couple of pretty bad drivers at our track, and some that just want to see how high they can jump. When I come up on them I just hang back for a second and they will be out of my way. :lol: This past race I was catching first and second, I was gaining on them every lap and then the announcer noticed and started saying that I was and I started thinking about it. That got me out of my groove and I crashed a couple of times trying that much harder to catch them. It took me a lap or two to settle down but then it was too late, and I finished third. So like everyone else has said just settle down and drive the track. It's better to roll over a jump than to try and clear a hard double only to go tumbling off the track and have to wait for a marshall to get you.

:lol: that's some pretty funny stuff. The smack talking tip does work with in-experienced drivers. I was doing that saturday and got the same guy to run off the track by telling him not to choke when I was coming up on him. lol

Here's what works best for me. A good friend and I both race the same class. We always get on the drivers stand with 1 or 2 people inbetween us. During the race, we talk to each other non stop telling jokes and anything else that will make us laugh. It calms our nerves and distracts the drivers around us. I've seen a couple of people get pretty pissed, but it is what it is. We don't do it to distract them, it's just a byproduct of what works.
Last time we raced togther, my motor flamed on the start. By the time my pit guy got it fired up and back on the track, I was 1 1/2 laps behind the entire field of 12. In an 8 minute race, I pulled all the way up to 6th and finished on the same lap as the leader. I was able to do so because I gave up when my motor flamed and didn't care. I just used it as practice and had fun. We laughed the entire 8 minutes.

I agree, "Slower Is Faster!" The last time I raced in a 15 minute Main it was very intense, the first lap people were running each other over everywhere, no matter which place you were in, the guy in last place "8th" actually made it into the 3rd positon by the end of the 1st lap with over 14min. to go, so what's everyones hurry? Than you got the guys that are about to get lapped and they will not let you pass them:mad:

just be chill and make laps on the wheels and youll have good runs.
i just slow it down a peg or two, and just run a smooth steady pace
(hero laps dont win races) ;)

just think about this:

5 Min race

the competition is running 20 sec laps

your running 21~22 sec laps

your competition has two marchalled crashed for a total of 20 sec

you have a slow steady run that is marchal free

he would run around a 15/5.20.00

you would run ~ a 15/5.09.55

i agree on mudslinger s post ,"dont pay attention to your position" ,it doesnt mean your the last one ,you dont have chance anymore ,remember its a "race"

practise practise and more practise get to know your car get to know where you can push it on the track, I try and focus on my car and just a bit ahead to give me that extra second to say get lined up for a jump get the car stable before I hit any rough stuff, try and block out the other racers around you I try and be prepared early try not to rush get up on the drivers stand earlier work out the best position to stand, I never care about where I am on the track as long as I am doing good consistant laps I should be somewhere on the top when I check the race results, and I forgot just have fun:nod:
cheers

One of my buddies gave me some interesting advice recently. "Practice harder than you race."

If you crash in practice, you can only go a lap down to yourself. If you crash in a race, well... there are other monkeys out there just waiting for that to happen.

best advice yet^^


most guys simply overdrive, it's all in your trigger finger...........perhaps a EPA limit on carbthrow may be helpful, I did it my entire first season @ 80% throw, Im going into my 2nd season and I have increased throw to 90% roughly........It's hard for the mind to understand to slow down out there, BUT if you do, you will feel smoother/faster almost instantly as you are'nt wrecking/waiting to be marshalled.

Racing is VERY mental. You just have to relax.

Full wood is no good

Just race the clock, not the other racers. Also, you may notice that some of the better racers in your area are capable of holding conversations with eachother during the A-Main. That is relaxed and comfortable. I try to make sure my mind is not completely consumed by the race. Think about other things, relax and do your laps. I think if you're totally consumed, you are way more likely to make stupid mistakes.

This is excellent advice too. I had to do this for my youngest kid. He was wearing the turn marshall's out and finishing in last place. I turned his throttle epa down to 75% and he won the next heat and the main. :nod:

Race for the moment. If you roll over, that moment has past. Don't try and make up time because you get in trouble and roll over again.

Honestly, the first thing you should go for is wreck free laps. Once you can constantly do lap after lap without wrecking, then you can start picking up the speed. You have to look at it adding 10 seconds to each lap every time you need to be marshaled.

I used to be the same way. I would start shaking every time I got on the driver's stand. Unfortunately, the only thing that makes it go away is practice.

You already received lots of good advices, my only extra comment based on experience its "try to practice with another guys once in a while" ...

I know in my Club couple novice drivers who, when practice alone, they do very decent laps, and very consistent, but when they feel another car near them, they go crazy and start making mistakes ...

Its good to practice sometimes with another guys at the track, so you can start feeling the race action, and the timing you need when you are not alone at the track,

Most important, HAVE FUN, lots of it ...

good luck on your next race man !!

I find the same thing, start conversations with people on the stand, normally if its just a qualifier they'll talk back and its much easier to relax. Ive also found, rolling alot of jumps tends to slow down or mess up people behind you who are trying to make it, so ive gotten ahead like that too sometimes :D

The biggest thing that helps, i find if i drink a beer or even half a beer it helps to calm you during the race :smile:

there will always be some1 faster than you. prolly doesnt help that ur still new to this hobby and you have too much HP under the hood. causin more harm than good. choke it down (whether thru restrictors, electronics, throttle trigger stops etc) and see how u improve

believe it or noti have a deal ala days of thunder where i have a guy run set # of laps as fast as they can. then i bring em in, fuel up (or change batt) and go out and run the same # of laps 'my way'. i'm always faster. its a shock for them everytime. i even have to go back sometimes and do it myself once in a bit.

R

I race to win, i dont like coming in last but it does happen ! :)
So if i take the triple as double single all the time or the other technical parts of the track slower than normal, how will this make me better ? I know my time will be better becuase i probably wont wreck but its not going to make me better at handling the car as high speeds and being able to take those triples and land them is it ?

hello!i have the same problem!!the best thing that you have to do is to relax!

If you can make the triple 90% of the time, then do it. However if you only make it 50% of the time then double , single.
Then in warm ups, practice the triple, also watch the guys that can do it 100% of the time with how they do it with entry lines etc.
It all comes down to driving within your own skill limit and not crashing. Skill will come with practice and driving smart.

thanks for all your help :D
just one question... how do you adjust your throttle 'epa' on a Spektrum DX3R?

the biggest thing i learned, was race the track and dont race someone. the first race i realized that i won the race by 4 laps and second was 2 laps up on third. almost everyone tries to beat the other down the straight and then they go flying off the track. if someone catches you just let them by and try to follow their lines but dont push your limits. also if your faster than someone dont push the issue to pass, just sit back and wait for a good opportunity, or wait for them to wreck. i have had bad luck in my qualifiers and had to go to the B-main starting 15th and within the 15 min B-main i would be in the lead, all i do is start slow dont worry about anyone but yourself and just follow the person till the crash and they will quickly if your pushing them. and if you have a clear track push harder but dont try to pass someone in a hurry because 9 times out of 10 you will crash or both of yall will get together wrecking both.

just my 2 cents.

Look it up in the manual. It gives a good explanation.

I suggest you also read up on exponential to help you out. :)