Post by Larry Walters on Sept 16, 2006 0:08:35 GMT -5
Another timeless old post...
"Idiot Dodging Skills". These aren't skills you just need for lower rated pickup races. These are skills you will use on any level of racing. The people you are racing may not be idiots. But even the best racers make mistakes from time to time. And when they do, you will be ready for it(hopefully).
The next rule is don't be the idiot. Don't be the one causing wrecks. If you are causing wrecks yourself, then you are killing your own LPI. Everyone makes mistakes, just don't make them often. Work on your car control if you are causing wrecks. It will make you a better racer, and fellow drivers will be thankful for it.
So how do you get idiot dodging skills? Practice. It's not some big secret you can just get automatically. It comes from practice, experience and car control. Don't lag to the end of the pack in hopes there are less cars around you. Qualify as best you can and get right in the middle of it. If you ride in the back you may get a little breathing room, but you are going to have to drive through every wreck in the race and when you want to get in the middle of it, you are back to square one.
Watch the other drivers around you for aggressive moves. If you see someone making aggressive moves, make a mental note about it and stay away from them. If they come up from behind you, let them by. If you don't, they will only end up wrecking you. Usually aggressive drivers end up wearing their tires out and you can pass them later easily, and then get away from them so they aren't around you.
Always leave yourself a hole in case of trouble. Look at the cars ahead of you. If they wreck, where are you going to go? If you are on the outside, you can't go to the apron, you might can squeeze by high, you might not. You might be able to speed by and be ok, you might could slow down and get by. It is important that you always leave yourself a way out. I normally like to hit the apron, but it isn't always available. Sometimes you can't leave yourself a hole, but when possible always do it. It is especially important when you see an aggressive driver in front of you. And it is mandatory when you see 2 aggressive drivers around you.
Don't make sudden unexpected moves around other drivers. Even if a wreck were to happen, and it wouldn't be your fault. Sometimes you have to make up for other peoples lack of talent. Everyone is not a WC professional. Some people are more serious than others, and you can really bug someone out making sudden moves. The wreck might not be your fault, but your still wrecked and you did contribute to it. This includes lifting and braking suddenly. Especially when exiting a turn. It will get you run over in a hurry.
Don't be a turn1 lap1 hero. There is plenty of time to make passes. Try to just hold your position. If someone in front of you is slower, then lift. Driving through the field like it is Days of Thunder falls into that unexpected moves area. You may have been able to handle it perfectly fine, but others may not expect it, or be able to handle it. Remember, you sometimes have to make up for a lack of talent.
Car control is key. Not only for turning fast laps, but also for saving spins and being able to get out of the way. This is only something you can get from experience. If you start spinning, slam on the brakes. Most of the time it will straighten your car out as long as you didn't wait too long.
Qualifying is also important. If you can qualify out front you are going to miss most of the wrecks and some of the not so skilled drivers will be behind you. You'll find that the guys with the highest LPI's and ratings out there almost always qualify in the top5 or top10. Work on your qualifying and you will see much better results.
When you are looking at a replay, don't look at a replay to see who's fault the wreck was. Who cares, you still got wrecked. Look at the replays of your wrecks and see if you can spot things you could have done different. Look and see if the guy who wrecked you showed any signs of problems before hand, or showed aggressive driving that you missed. Playing the blame game isn't going to change what happened, and if you just place all the blame on someone else you aren't going to get any better. Look to see what you could have done to change the situation in the first place.
"Idiot Dodging Skills". These aren't skills you just need for lower rated pickup races. These are skills you will use on any level of racing. The people you are racing may not be idiots. But even the best racers make mistakes from time to time. And when they do, you will be ready for it(hopefully).
The next rule is don't be the idiot. Don't be the one causing wrecks. If you are causing wrecks yourself, then you are killing your own LPI. Everyone makes mistakes, just don't make them often. Work on your car control if you are causing wrecks. It will make you a better racer, and fellow drivers will be thankful for it.
So how do you get idiot dodging skills? Practice. It's not some big secret you can just get automatically. It comes from practice, experience and car control. Don't lag to the end of the pack in hopes there are less cars around you. Qualify as best you can and get right in the middle of it. If you ride in the back you may get a little breathing room, but you are going to have to drive through every wreck in the race and when you want to get in the middle of it, you are back to square one.
Watch the other drivers around you for aggressive moves. If you see someone making aggressive moves, make a mental note about it and stay away from them. If they come up from behind you, let them by. If you don't, they will only end up wrecking you. Usually aggressive drivers end up wearing their tires out and you can pass them later easily, and then get away from them so they aren't around you.
Always leave yourself a hole in case of trouble. Look at the cars ahead of you. If they wreck, where are you going to go? If you are on the outside, you can't go to the apron, you might can squeeze by high, you might not. You might be able to speed by and be ok, you might could slow down and get by. It is important that you always leave yourself a way out. I normally like to hit the apron, but it isn't always available. Sometimes you can't leave yourself a hole, but when possible always do it. It is especially important when you see an aggressive driver in front of you. And it is mandatory when you see 2 aggressive drivers around you.
Don't make sudden unexpected moves around other drivers. Even if a wreck were to happen, and it wouldn't be your fault. Sometimes you have to make up for other peoples lack of talent. Everyone is not a WC professional. Some people are more serious than others, and you can really bug someone out making sudden moves. The wreck might not be your fault, but your still wrecked and you did contribute to it. This includes lifting and braking suddenly. Especially when exiting a turn. It will get you run over in a hurry.
Don't be a turn1 lap1 hero. There is plenty of time to make passes. Try to just hold your position. If someone in front of you is slower, then lift. Driving through the field like it is Days of Thunder falls into that unexpected moves area. You may have been able to handle it perfectly fine, but others may not expect it, or be able to handle it. Remember, you sometimes have to make up for a lack of talent.
Car control is key. Not only for turning fast laps, but also for saving spins and being able to get out of the way. This is only something you can get from experience. If you start spinning, slam on the brakes. Most of the time it will straighten your car out as long as you didn't wait too long.
Qualifying is also important. If you can qualify out front you are going to miss most of the wrecks and some of the not so skilled drivers will be behind you. You'll find that the guys with the highest LPI's and ratings out there almost always qualify in the top5 or top10. Work on your qualifying and you will see much better results.
When you are looking at a replay, don't look at a replay to see who's fault the wreck was. Who cares, you still got wrecked. Look at the replays of your wrecks and see if you can spot things you could have done different. Look and see if the guy who wrecked you showed any signs of problems before hand, or showed aggressive driving that you missed. Playing the blame game isn't going to change what happened, and if you just place all the blame on someone else you aren't going to get any better. Look to see what you could have done to change the situation in the first place.
