What ive learned so far . . .

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Flooderqb19
Is that rookie license is hell. I've done a couple races in the mx5 cup. In the last race I was much faster than a few cars around me and was set up to cleanly pass them when they turned/ crashed into me. One hit me from behind when I passed. Another I was passing on the outside going into turn two and he moved outside when I was 1/2 a car length in front.

So my safety rating has fallen to 2.18, thanks to others crashing into me. ( along with couple of excursions through the grass or slightly going too far over a curb)
 
It's been said many times, but the goal of a rookie is to get out of rookie, not to win races. :)

Assume that everyone else is a drunken moron with a hardon for smashing things, and you'll get out of rookie pretty fast. At which point things get a lot better. ;)

Good luck!
 
In Rookie, assume nobody can see you. They probably don't. Especially if you're passing on the outside. Its usually best to just keep pressure on them and hope they make a mistake. Lime Rock Park really only has one good passing zone, braking for T1. If you can get a better run off turn 7 and get on the inside of them on the straight, you can force a pass making them take the outside line. Just be able to adjust your line for the worse entry and not allow him to cross over and take the position back.

Also, study the driver ahead of you for a few laps and make sure he can control his car before you try to make a move. Otherwise he might take both of you out.
 
Is that rookie license is hell. I've done a couple races in the mx5 cup. In the last race I was much faster than a few cars around me and was set up to cleanly pass them when they turned/ crashed into me. One hit me from behind when I passed. Another I was passing on the outside going into turn two and he moved outside when I was 1/2 a car length in front.

So my safety rating has fallen to 2.18, thanks to others crashing into me. ( along with couple of excursions through the grass or slightly going too far over a curb)

I don't think anyone's safety rating went up before it first went down, so I wouldn't sweat it


look at i this way ..... when you start the goal isn't to race the other cars - its to avoid them like they're trying to wreck you LOL - They're Not - but its just hard to tell when they have no awareness or control of their car

drive like the other cars are a moving obstacle - I checked out some videos on Defensive driving / collision avoidance on youtube..... lol

if you can get through a few races without incident you'll be on your way to driving against better drivers - it won't ever be 100% but once you know what the goal is (Survival) you won't waste your time racing people who can't be trusted to race ......... i was getting top 5 in just about every rookie race once I started avoiding those fools, hell start from the pits or DON'T qualify if that helps ... its amazing how far finishing all your races gets you ... fast or not.

but once you do get fast a little later on and your in the top 3-4 cars most of the time you'll find the guys who you can race - they're generally at the front (after lap 1 of course) lol
 
Don't overtake every car you can, because its rookie series and they don't know how to let someone pass.
 
After about 6 month I can say this, I hope it helps:

-If you're so fast, get a good qualy time and start from the pole. If you make a good start, you don't need to worry about the others!

-Earn at least 2000 irating. In upper splits the drivers are much better.

-Don't try to win all the races. If you have a good position, do not risk, stay there if you can't overtake safely
 
I'm really getting frustrated with some of the people racing in the rookie Mazda cup.

I was in second place and passing a lapped car on the straight going into turn one, and he slams into my back right bumper.

It's like they think we're in a demolition derby or something. So after getting my SR to start rising, I'm pretty sure this one will kill it again.
 
Always make sure to qualify and start from the front - number 1 way to avoid 90% of the idiots.
When lapping cars or passing erratic or aggressive drivers - don't. At rookie level 90% of the time they will make a mistake if you keep in their mirrors long enough and make it easy for you. Most people don't seem to be able to withstand 20/25 laps of pressure - usually by 10 laps a lot of people have quit after spinning out anyway.
 
I'm my last race I started in 5th, got up to second going into turn 1 on lap 2. The lead car went wide in turn 1 so I inherited the lead. Stayed in the lead until turn 1 of lap 8.

The second place car was faster than me going down the main straight, so I stayed outside and didn't even move to defend. The second place car (who had the inside line) decided to move out on me in the braking zone, sending me into the wall and damaging my suspension.

End result was 5th place, 2 laps down. The jerk that hit me won 1 lap ahead of 2nd, and 2+ over everyone else.
 
Simple fix, don't give up the inside line. Defend it all the way to the wall and make them take the outside, once they do you're not allowed to swerve back the other way, but you can 'guide' them back to the outside of the track so you don't completely ruin your entrance and you should be able to maintain the lead. Especially into T1 at Lime Rock, unless you brake super early like a grandma they should have to fall back in line mid corner as trying to pass on the outside of that corner generally ends up in off roading.
 
Maybe I was lucky, but I didn't have that many problems with the rookie class.. I had maybe 2 races that had a few idiots but other than that, not much to worry about.. I actually feel I have to watch people more now (Class - C) than I did then. But it does feel like a key factor, to keep an eye on everybody else, just as much, as what you're about to do with your own car. And If you're following somebody who seems a little "unstable" behind the wheel, just be patient and wait for them to make a mistake that slows them down significantly... or they wreck. :)
 
Rookie does teach you a lot about positioning your car so that it's very difficult for the other guy to wreck you. Always take the inside line, in case they overcook the corner and slide out into you. Make your moves early and make them definitive. Make sure the other guy understands exactly where you want him to go.

Don't get demoralised. This is what all drivers go through when they start. The only way to learn this stuff really is by doing. And you're doing it right, when you have an incident, even if the cause was the other guy being a dick, you're looking at what you could have done so that he couldn't have made that move.

Keep at it, and before long you'll be racing in such a way that even the rookies can't take you out. And then your natural speed will take you out of their reach.
 
I finally finished in second place in a race this morning! I started 3rd on the grid where i stayed through lap five. I made a mistake in the second to last corner of the lap and dropped to fifth.

I stayed in fifth for a few laps while 3rd and 4th battled each other, which resulted in 4th place wrecking. a few laps later 1st and 2nd must have wrecked while battling for position, because I inherited 2nd.

From there I simply worked on staying on the track and running steady laps around 1:02.

For a while i had a battle with the 4th place car (formerly p1) who was a lap down. I kept him behind me for several laps, he eventually gave it a really hard go on the outside of turn 1 so i broke a bit more than i normally would and let him pass.

After that it was a couple more laps and then the Checkered flag. My first finish in the top 3.
 
Congratulations!

Sounds like a good race, you let others make their own mistakes to get you into second, and avoided the battle you didn't need to fight with the p4 car. Nice!
 
Thanks. It may be the most satisfying 2nd place I've ever had. Still, I would have loved to have won the race.
 
Well, it seems that I've made it into some higher splits in the Mazda cup, but these ones seem to be full of rammers. In the last race I did I think I got hit in the back 3-4 times. The fourth time was in the back right wheel in turn 6, which caused me to have to enter the pits. Finished p7 -1L.

My SR had no change for this race, but it gave me 9 incidences.
 
I Won a race! Finally. Led from early in lap 1 and Built my lead to about 35-40 secs and maintained it through the race. Pretty straightforward other than a couple back markers slowing me down for a few laps.
 
I Won a race! Finally. Led from early in lap 1 and Built my lead to about 35-40 secs and maintained it through the race. Pretty straightforward other than a couple back markers slowing me down for a few laps.

CONGRATULATIONS! :tup
 
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