One very important thing I forgot to mention is that, every single driver, even the very good ones, have at one point in their journey been the 'vortex guy'. I'll be the first to admit at one point I was 'THAT GUY', in sim and while karting, and it's not because I was malicious, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER. The key factor in moving past that is to BE INTROSPECTIVE, and always ask what you could have done differently to get a better outcome, regardless of whether you're right or wrong. Once I started thinking like that, I started finishing all my races.
I've been sim racing for over 30 years (since they became a real "thing" in 1989, even if it was nothing like today!) and I've never heard the "how to survive" thought process explained so clearly. I help a lot of newer drivers, and constantly tell them how I survive and win races is to not put my car (or the other car) in a compromised position. But there's no way I can explain it in 8 minutes any better than this. This is now required viewing for anybody I speak to on the subject. Absolutely brilliant, sir.
Wow you sir are a veteran!! Thanks for the high praise - it means a lot, and for sharing my content! What was your first sim? I think mine was Test Drive, and something called Stunts(?)... my memory is a bit fuzzy...
@@LastTenth It was Papyrus' first real sim "Indianapolis 500 - The Simulation". Then they took off with Indycar Racing, NASCAR Racing, and eventually the main developers started iRacing, so it's basically the granddaddy to everything we see in iRacing today. Back then there were no peripherals or anything fancy to play it on, so "simulation" is a bit of a loose term now. But it was the closest thing we had back then! A buddy posted this video for me to check out, and no just going through your recent ones, it's incredible content. Sharing with some folks I run with regularly.
Hey buddy, I happened to publish a video today about an incident I was involved in on iracing, and someone pointed me to this video and your channel. What a great video - Infact, I wish it was the video that I’d made 😂 Excellent work!
You're welcome! And you're absolutely right. Focus on what we can control, and manage what we can't. The most common error I've seen is having an expectation of what the other driver will do. The post-incident conversations usually start with something like "I thought he was going to..."
This is the best breakdown of how the vortex maps to decisions I've seen to date. The vortex isn't supposed to be about "you made bad decisions and you should feel bad". It's about being aware of *and accepting* elevated risk and the fact that risk has a very real possibility of coming true, so it better be worth it. Paying lip-service to this idea but expecting the risks to never materialize or being angry when they do is where a lot of newer drivers get themselves in a pattern of trouble. Every corner is a decisions how much risk you're willing to accept *THE OUTCOME* for. Well done!
I am a novice simracer and I have been watching all your videos, they are some of the best instructional videos I have seen,. Just wanted to say thanks and comment to boost your algorithm, as you deserve more subscribers.
Thanks for such encouraging words and helping get this channel out there! There's so much more I want to share but the videos take time and I am only one person. Nonetheless, I will always try to get you and all my viewers my best ideas and lessons in the best quality I can produce. So thanks for watching my videos and sticking around even though sometimes it's a bit of a wait!
Some races there's no avoiding it. I went from 15th to second just to have two cars stay out on old tires during a caution, they then spin and wreck everyone in the field in restart. I drove from 15th to second without touching anyone, someone else is just the worst ever and I lost irating for passing everyone and cleanly lol. Some wrecks are unavoidable I have him room on the restart we all warned them to not spin thier tires, we said we would t jump on them, they both still took out everyone.... Still have to drive forward on green flag lol.😊 That being said, I agree with you and great content as always.
Every sim racer need to be aware of 3 Slightly differing techniques and knowledge base; 1-Racing etiquette (unwritten rules of racing) 2-How to survive against other drivers (this video, very nicely done) 3-Knowing the rule book (and how to use racing rules to take advantage, while avoiding penalties) I will use this video in our league where we utilize every simracing game in our various chapters. Very useful instructional video, thanks for your efforts.
Great video as always! I would say that it all comes from experience and it takes practice to get comfortable on both ends of the equation. A lot of times the driver ahead doesn't close that vortex enough, inviting the car behind to attack. Sure, it would be the driver attacking fault but that doesn't mean you have to "crash on purpose as long as I'm not at fault" because your race will most likely end as well. Thanks and keep up the great videos!
There's a subtext there about identifying when someone's racecraft is immature so you can influence what they think is viable too. It's not always preventing the dive, sometimes it's intentionally inviting it when it's not in their best interest. Perception management and influence in lower skilled fields is key.
@@sassyapps I agree. That's why I think it's useful to defend, not only when a car is close, but also to entirely eliminate an option for the car behind. Just like in multiclass racing, it's in the slower-class lead car's best interest to actively choose the line for an approaching faster class to take, not passively wait and let the faster class to pick a line.
This' some invaluable information. Specially for providing additional information on how to deal with the vortex when you are the car in front. I may be able to save some more races from the dreaded T1 now as I have a better idea where to look like to be more aware of the cars around me.
Thank you! I'm always striving to be the safest driver I can be. I've had trouble overtaking safely as the attacking driver so this is much appreciated.
Just found your channel - great videos :D I still remember that one situation in LMP2 @ Suzuka T1 where i accidentally divebombed a guy from .5/.6s gap as he was braking into a corner >50m earlier than me. Funniest thing is that we both survived, and i even managed to pass him without contact
Good video & tips. Wish some of these “racing basics” videos / information would be mandatory to watch when they join IRacing / get a license promotion
I race motorcycles, we have no mirrors, and the same rules apply here. If you don't make yourself seen to the racer in front then you're getting the front wheel chopped off. Also, because we lean off to the inside, we have zero vision of the outside blind spot
That's a really good perspective, and probably very effective way to learn it. Nothing like your survival instincts kicking in to tell you not to do something lol...
Thianks for the tips, I see a lot of my own incidents explained through this lens. I do have a question though, in the event a car makes a pass "into the vortex" and the cars are overlaping on corner exit, is the attacking car required to leave space for the passed car on the outside of the track, or can they track all the way out "closing the door". I realize this can be a bit nuanced about where the cars are exactly, so any advice would be appreciated. I have been apssed a lot recently by cars late breaking on the inside and then tracking out causing me to lift or break on exit, other than defend the inside harder what should I do?
Anytime Nick! IMO, if there's overlap, then space needs to be left. As the saying goes... "All da time you have to da space". The car on the outside is always going to be at a disadvantage. Not only is that line slower, but any mistake in a corner will always make a car run wide, so the inside car has very little risk of being taken out. So in light of that, defending is good option, especially if you know they're going to go for a move. If they're smart, they'll try it a few times and fail and realize it's not worth the time lost. If not they'll eventually be challenged by drivers behind them. Alternatively, you can try for an over/under, especially if there is a long straight after. Basically just delay your turn in, and shoot for the gap that opens up as the attacker runs wide on exit. The deeper and later their attack, the earlier their apex, the bigger a gap will open up when they try to exit. Because you accelerated far earlier than them, you'll pass them easily after the corner. As you can see, what you choose can depend on the attacker and the corner. Typically, what you describe only happens if the defender is behind the attacker on the outside by the exit. If the defender can stay ahead of the attacker, there's little excuse for them to track all the way out. So one question to ask yourself would be why you couldn't keep up with the attacker even though you were ahead going into the corner. Lastly, if the attacker is a 'repeat offender' and/or the race isn't all that important, since there are no real repercussions, you can just stand your ground - you're not obliged to roll over and give them the corner. If they want to roll dice, then let them roll dice. Some bullies just need to be shown the consequences of their actions. Eventually they'll crash enough and stumble upon this video... lol.
Makes a lot of sense, I still feel a bit guilty sometimes when I move to inside (well ahead of turn) to block inside vortex or force driver behind me to outside. But my understanding is that as long as you determine your line early and stick to it, it’s totally fine. By the way, I saw you were an instructor during the entry PCA race at CTMP. I wasn’t able to make the Belle Isle one.
Don't feel guilty about it. If it helps you survive the race, it's probably not a bad move. Declaring the line early, from both parties, really helps. Incidents often happen because neither driver knows what the other driver wants to do/is doing. Anything that can communicate your intentions to the other driver will go a long way. You mean in the sim? Yes I instruct in the PCA Entry League now and then; mostly when they're short on instructors or if I have some time. I instruct more regularly for Zone 1, and even more so for 1x1 private coaching.
I remember that race. I forgot to turn crewchief refuel on and realised it when they immediately told me my pit stop was complete the moment I had stopped the car. Took me a second or two to react and I was sitting there manually adding fuel to the car, not really knowing how much to add. Funny thing is, up till then I saved a LOT of fuel indirectly because of what I was tasked to do at that race lol.
Hey, I am in this video at 7:16! I think I am doing something right taking a defensive line on an "aggressive driver" into T7 at Sebring. I think that's Thomas back there I am trying to keep out of my vortex of danger, can't remember if it worked that time or not. 😀
Hey Stephen! Lol yeah it was hard to find an aggressive driver in my replay library; everyone in the league drives so clean!! This was one of the most aggressive I could find. It took me a while to even find this! I guess I need to drive my pub races to build my b-roll library 🤣. I don’t remember exactly what happens but the trailing driver pulls out to the inside shortly after the end of the clip and there was no contact iirc.
![Following a Car Closely [HOW TO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EZVU0p7C4fw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Following a Car Closely [HOW TO]](/img/tr.png)
One very important thing I forgot to mention is that, every single driver, even the very good ones, have at one point in their journey been the 'vortex guy'. I'll be the first to admit at one point I was 'THAT GUY', in sim and while karting, and it's not because I was malicious, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
The key factor in moving past that is to BE INTROSPECTIVE, and always ask what you could have done differently to get a better outcome, regardless of whether you're right or wrong. Once I started thinking like that, I started finishing all my races.
I don’t know how you have 1.8k subs, these videos are so detailed. You deserve atleast 30k for this production quality
PREACH!! Thanks for the kind comment Dale.
Sim Drivers should be forced to watch this and answer a quiz before they're allowed on line 😁
Petition this to be one of the iRacing into videos! lol
New Iracing drivers should have to watch an unskippable 15 minute tutorial video on race ediqute.
Was going to type the exact same comment
This video should be pinned on the iracing forums, a lot of whinners would learn a lesson
How do we make that happen? 😁
This should be an official iRacing training video. Well, every sim title really.
How do we make that happen? 😁
I've been sim racing for over 30 years (since they became a real "thing" in 1989, even if it was nothing like today!) and I've never heard the "how to survive" thought process explained so clearly. I help a lot of newer drivers, and constantly tell them how I survive and win races is to not put my car (or the other car) in a compromised position. But there's no way I can explain it in 8 minutes any better than this. This is now required viewing for anybody I speak to on the subject. Absolutely brilliant, sir.
Wow you sir are a veteran!! Thanks for the high praise - it means a lot, and for sharing my content!
What was your first sim? I think mine was Test Drive, and something called Stunts(?)... my memory is a bit fuzzy...
@@LastTenth It was Papyrus' first real sim "Indianapolis 500 - The Simulation". Then they took off with Indycar Racing, NASCAR Racing, and eventually the main developers started iRacing, so it's basically the granddaddy to everything we see in iRacing today. Back then there were no peripherals or anything fancy to play it on, so "simulation" is a bit of a loose term now. But it was the closest thing we had back then! A buddy posted this video for me to check out, and no just going through your recent ones, it's incredible content. Sharing with some folks I run with regularly.
@@Terry_Crouch That's the OG racing sim, no? Mine were more like games in comparison.
Where did your buddy post the video?
Well explained
Brilliant video, 100% agree!
Great points, and great presentational style my dude
Thanks man!
Hey buddy, I happened to publish a video today about an incident I was involved in on iracing, and someone pointed me to this video and your channel.
What a great video - Infact, I wish it was the video that I’d made 😂
Excellent work!
Hi! Thanks for commenting. I went to check out your channel; your edits and transitions are so sweet!
Great video!
This shifts the responsibility of having a good race onto yourself, and helps you gain the skills for that.
Thank you for this video :)
You're welcome! And you're absolutely right. Focus on what we can control, and manage what we can't. The most common error I've seen is having an expectation of what the other driver will do. The post-incident conversations usually start with something like "I thought he was going to..."
This is the best breakdown of how the vortex maps to decisions I've seen to date. The vortex isn't supposed to be about "you made bad decisions and you should feel bad". It's about being aware of *and accepting* elevated risk and the fact that risk has a very real possibility of coming true, so it better be worth it. Paying lip-service to this idea but expecting the risks to never materialize or being angry when they do is where a lot of newer drivers get themselves in a pattern of trouble.
Every corner is a decisions how much risk you're willing to accept *THE OUTCOME* for. Well done!
Thanks @sassyapps! You've described the problematic mentality perfectly. Totally agree.🤛
Agree will everything you said whole heartedly! Nice video. Should be mandatory viewing for leagues IMO. 😊
I am a novice simracer and I have been watching all your videos, they are some of the best instructional videos I have seen,. Just wanted to say thanks and comment to boost your algorithm, as you deserve more subscribers.
Thanks for such encouraging words and helping get this channel out there!
There's so much more I want to share but the videos take time and I am only one person. Nonetheless, I will always try to get you and all my viewers my best ideas and lessons in the best quality I can produce. So thanks for watching my videos and sticking around even though sometimes it's a bit of a wait!
Some races there's no avoiding it.
I went from 15th to second just to have two cars stay out on old tires during a caution, they then spin and wreck everyone in the field in restart.
I drove from 15th to second without touching anyone, someone else is just the worst ever and I lost irating for passing everyone and cleanly lol.
Some wrecks are unavoidable
I have him room on the restart we all warned them to not spin thier tires, we said we would t jump on them, they both still took out everyone.... Still have to drive forward on green flag lol.😊
That being said, I agree with you and great content as always.
Great video! Thanks as always
Every sim racer need to be aware of 3 Slightly differing techniques and knowledge base;
1-Racing etiquette (unwritten rules of racing)
2-How to survive against other drivers (this video, very nicely done)
3-Knowing the rule book (and how to use racing rules to take advantage, while avoiding penalties)
I will use this video in our league where we utilize every simracing game in our various chapters. Very useful instructional video, thanks for your efforts.
Couldn't have put it better! And thanks for incorporating this into your league - which league is it?
Great video as always! I would say that it all comes from experience and it takes practice to get comfortable on both ends of the equation.
A lot of times the driver ahead doesn't close that vortex enough, inviting the car behind to attack. Sure, it would be the driver attacking fault but that doesn't mean you have to "crash on purpose as long as I'm not at fault" because your race will most likely end as well.
Thanks and keep up the great videos!
Yeah many drivers are too hung up on right/wrong. I think that's secondary to finish race / crash out.
There's a subtext there about identifying when someone's racecraft is immature so you can influence what they think is viable too. It's not always preventing the dive, sometimes it's intentionally inviting it when it's not in their best interest. Perception management and influence in lower skilled fields is key.
@@sassyapps I agree. That's why I think it's useful to defend, not only when a car is close, but also to entirely eliminate an option for the car behind. Just like in multiclass racing, it's in the slower-class lead car's best interest to actively choose the line for an approaching faster class to take, not passively wait and let the faster class to pick a line.
This' some invaluable information. Specially for providing additional information on how to deal with the vortex when you are the car in front.
I may be able to save some more races from the dreaded T1 now as I have a better idea where to look like to be more aware of the cars around me.
Thanks for the kind comments! L1T1 is still gonna be a pickle, hopefully this helps you a bit!
Thank you! I'm always striving to be the safest driver I can be. I've had trouble overtaking safely as the attacking driver so this is much appreciated.
You're welcome! All it really comes down to is what thinking about it from the perspective of what you can and cannot control.
Just found your channel - great videos :D
I still remember that one situation in LMP2 @ Suzuka T1 where i accidentally divebombed a guy from .5/.6s gap as he was braking into a corner >50m earlier than me.
Funniest thing is that we both survived, and i even managed to pass him without contact
Thanks Emin! Yeah we've all been there. What matters is that we're not there anymore 😄. Well, some of us at least...
Before I let another pass I see what lap time they got the previous (1-2 if they are following). If I’m slower by 2-3 seconds I just let them through.
Great video and easily explainable , just found out about your channel , spreading the word 👍
Thanks for the support! PREACH😃!
Good video & tips. Wish some of these “racing basics” videos / information would be mandatory to watch when they join IRacing / get a license promotion
Thanks Tano! You should petition to have iracing include these videos as mandatory viewing for class advancement 😁
One thing my father always told me when I was a kiddo was that if you see a wreck you'll end up in the wreck.
Should be mandatory viewing for every iRacing driver.
YES! I love that idea. 😄
I wish more people would see this video
Thanks! You should definitely share the video with them!!! 😁
I race motorcycles, we have no mirrors, and the same rules apply here. If you don't make yourself seen to the racer in front then you're getting the front wheel chopped off. Also, because we lean off to the inside, we have zero vision of the outside blind spot
That's a really good perspective, and probably very effective way to learn it. Nothing like your survival instincts kicking in to tell you not to do something lol...
@@LastTenth Yep exactly, you learn fast lol. I notice you drive at Mosport! I race there and absolutely love it!! Are you local?
@@jeffbarnard348 Yes I am, it's just an hour away from me!
Awesome mate
Thianks for the tips, I see a lot of my own incidents explained through this lens. I do have a question though, in the event a car makes a pass "into the vortex" and the cars are overlaping on corner exit, is the attacking car required to leave space for the passed car on the outside of the track, or can they track all the way out "closing the door". I realize this can be a bit nuanced about where the cars are exactly, so any advice would be appreciated. I have been apssed a lot recently by cars late breaking on the inside and then tracking out causing me to lift or break on exit, other than defend the inside harder what should I do?
Anytime Nick!
IMO, if there's overlap, then space needs to be left. As the saying goes... "All da time you have to da space".
The car on the outside is always going to be at a disadvantage. Not only is that line slower, but any mistake in a corner will always make a car run wide, so the inside car has very little risk of being taken out. So in light of that, defending is good option, especially if you know they're going to go for a move. If they're smart, they'll try it a few times and fail and realize it's not worth the time lost. If not they'll eventually be challenged by drivers behind them.
Alternatively, you can try for an over/under, especially if there is a long straight after. Basically just delay your turn in, and shoot for the gap that opens up as the attacker runs wide on exit. The deeper and later their attack, the earlier their apex, the bigger a gap will open up when they try to exit. Because you accelerated far earlier than them, you'll pass them easily after the corner.
As you can see, what you choose can depend on the attacker and the corner. Typically, what you describe only happens if the defender is behind the attacker on the outside by the exit. If the defender can stay ahead of the attacker, there's little excuse for them to track all the way out. So one question to ask yourself would be why you couldn't keep up with the attacker even though you were ahead going into the corner.
Lastly, if the attacker is a 'repeat offender' and/or the race isn't all that important, since there are no real repercussions, you can just stand your ground - you're not obliged to roll over and give them the corner. If they want to roll dice, then let them roll dice. Some bullies just need to be shown the consequences of their actions. Eventually they'll crash enough and stumble upon this video... lol.
Makes a lot of sense, I still feel a bit guilty sometimes when I move to inside (well ahead of turn) to block inside vortex or force driver behind me to outside. But my understanding is that as long as you determine your line early and stick to it, it’s totally fine. By the way, I saw you were an instructor during the entry PCA race at CTMP. I wasn’t able to make the Belle Isle one.
Don't feel guilty about it. If it helps you survive the race, it's probably not a bad move. Declaring the line early, from both parties, really helps. Incidents often happen because neither driver knows what the other driver wants to do/is doing. Anything that can communicate your intentions to the other driver will go a long way.
You mean in the sim? Yes I instruct in the PCA Entry League now and then; mostly when they're short on instructors or if I have some time. I instruct more regularly for Zone 1, and even more so for 1x1 private coaching.
@@LastTenth I should have been clearer, I raced in the CTMP entry race on 2/5 and saw you in the race.
I remember that race. I forgot to turn crewchief refuel on and realised it when they immediately told me my pit stop was complete the moment I had stopped the car. Took me a second or two to react and I was sitting there manually adding fuel to the car, not really knowing how much to add. Funny thing is, up till then I saved a LOT of fuel indirectly because of what I was tasked to do at that race lol.
Hey, I am in this video at 7:16! I think I am doing something right taking a defensive line on an "aggressive driver" into T7 at Sebring. I think that's Thomas back there I am trying to keep out of my vortex of danger, can't remember if it worked that time or not. 😀
Hey Stephen! Lol yeah it was hard to find an aggressive driver in my replay library; everyone in the league drives so clean!! This was one of the most aggressive I could find. It took me a while to even find this! I guess I need to drive my pub races to build my b-roll library 🤣.
I don’t remember exactly what happens but the trailing driver pulls out to the inside shortly after the end of the clip and there was no contact iirc.
Is it time for a vid on defensive driving?
That's a really good one! I'm adding it to my list!
it doesnt matter if you are in the right if you have to retire
To bad most people don't get this. Even after it being pointed out in a video such as this. The entrance vortex we used to call dive bombing
I'm going to keep trying though!
Watching this video triggered some PTSD from playing Gran Turismo
I haven't played that since GT5!
Unfortunately this video
Doesn't help the victims