U2SC Driving School

Welcome to the U2SC Driving School. The aim is provide new players with help, advice, and goals to aid them in improving their driving and racing skills. If you are interested in either learning or helping new players, please feel free to join the Driver's School group

Some quick Q+A

Why all the structure? Can't I just go out and practice?

Sure you can, and I'm not saying that isn't one of the best ways to improve. However, this does two things. First of all, it creates a community of people willing to help each other and provides targets to achieve milestones with their driving. The other thing it does is ensures new members of the club are aware there are people there to give help if they wish.

Why did you choose such a poor car? I mean come on, I want to drive a race car!

I'm fairly sure you didn't pass your driving test in a Ferrari. The car isn't tuned to perfection so that you have to learn to control the car.

So after this will I be awesome at this track? Are you doing every track?

Nope. This isn't a guide how to run a certain track with a certain car quickly. It's aimed at improving your driving skill and spacial awareness in racing situations.

OOO goody, so there's going to be racing?

You can't learn how to race through reading, so yes. But it won't be a race like the series race, it will be designed to force racing situations.

So where's the car?
Club garage, you wont miss it as it's clearly marked

I have a question about this program that you haven't answered. If I ask you will you answer?

Yes I will.





So that's enough chit chat for now, onto the lessons. Please take these step by step and do not rush, they will only get harder as you go if you do not practice.

Lesson 1 - Driving the Racing Line

The Car:

2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S
Class C
Front engine, Front Drive
133 HP
125 lb-ft Torque
1,828 lbs, 57% Front
1.6L Engine
0-60 8.015s
0-100 19.542s
Top Speed 134 mph
60-0 98.4ft
100-0 275.6ft

This car was chosen due to is stability and ease to drive, but will punish trying to drive 'incorrectly'. Swinging from full left lock to full right lock in one move will induce oversteer and hitting the gas too early will produce torque understeer.

The track
Mugello Full


This track was chosen due to it's simplicity and because it's fun to drive well, as well as its real life significance in motor sport.

Goal 1 - Run 10 Consecutive clean laps

Using the racing line will shave far much more time off your lap than trying to plow every turn. If apex's and such are new to you, don't turn on the assists. Check out this website. It will be better in the long run if you learn this stuff for your self.

Secondly, read this thread. Most players issue is trying too hard. Staying on track is the most important step in driving.

Drive round, take your time. Don't worry about the clock, just stay on the track. With this car, if your break at the 100 mark coming to each bend you should have no problems stopping. Your not trying to achieve anything here apart from run clean laps and follow the line. If your getting the hang of it, then try breaking later, but not before.

Remember:
Brake in a straight line looking at the corner entry.
Enter the corner, look for the apex.
When you come close to the apex, get back on the power gradually and look for the exit of the corner.
As you begin to exit, look down the road and towards the next corner.

Always look at least one step ahead!

Goal 2 - Run five consecutive laps under 2 minutes 20

On my first flying lap in this car on this track I ran a 2.17, and it was a far from perfect lap . There is no reason why any one in this club is not capable of this goal. Take your time, remember what you have learn't from the previous step. Just brake a little later each lap and carry a tiny bit more speed through the corners. Don't try to do it all at once, do it little by little. Stay on the track!

If you would like a rough guide, check out the replay on my store front. Use this as a guide only, and not try to replicate it. That is how I drive, not you. Not to mention the mistakes I've already admitted to.

Lesson 2 - Race Driving

By now you should be well in tune with the car and the circuit. If you're not, go and get some more practice until you have good control of the car, you're going to need it for this next section. Any one can run a car around a track with no other cars, but it takes real concentration and spacial awareness to race. Just remember - keep control of the car, and take small steps at a time.

Aggressive Driving

At this point most people will do one of two things here.

1) Forget everything they have just learned and try to get round every corner flat out again.
2) Become nervous about hitting other players to a point where they don't want to try to make a move.

This is understandable, it is down to lack of racing experience. What you want to be doing is maintain control of your car, watch the driver in front and plan your attack.

Lou has a good thread on passing here, but I'm going to add some steps below, and put some videos on my store front when I can. Remember when trying to pass it is YOUR responsibility to keep it clean, and that being behind you will have much better visibility than they do.

Passing under braking

1) Gain some ground. If you can't get close and stay close, you can't make the pass stick. Don't try to out break some one from two seconds behind. It WILL end badly.

2) Watch the guy in front. Learn which corners are his weakest, there will be some where to gain more time on him than others.

3) Plan your attack. Choose a suitable corner. A good choice is a tight corner from a long straight, in other words a corner with a large braking zone before hand. Avoid narrow, high speed corners as these are likely to cause collisions. (Images coming soon)

4) Pounce. Follow them close coming up to the corner, use his slip stream for a slight speed boost as you pull out from behind and aim for the inside of the car in front. This is the step that all that car control practice has worked up to. If something starts to go wrong, such as a locked wheel under braking, don't panic. Relax, keep the car under control.

5) If it goes wrong and you run wide through the exit and lose the position, don't sweat. Don't make any stupid mistakes to take it back. It's not your place, you haven't earned it just yet.

6) Try again, and make it stick. Clear your head of the mistakes from last time. Focus on the task, and stay calm. If you're wheel to wheel through the corner, remember to give a cars width room on the exit. Get a good drive out of the corner, and keep the position.

7) Remember after passing some one it's likely they will try to come back at you immediately. Keep your focus and hold on to your place (see below).

Passing under acceleration

The technique for this may seem simpler than the previous method, but in reality it happens a lot less often due to the fact that you require a faster car and a much better drive out of a corner, but it can be done. If the car in front is defending his position well, consider this move.

1) As you come up to a corner, make it look like you will try to pass under braking. This may force the lead car to take a different, slower line to block you. When you see them move over towards the corner to shut you out, move back left onto the 'racing line'.

2) Since they took a defensive line, they will now have less drive out of the corner. Since you moved back to the racing line, you will have more.

3) Watch the car in front as you hit the gas, judge the space as they come wide out of the corner. If you've done this correctly, there wont be a great deal they can do to defend at this point.

Of course, if you keep the driver in front, chances are at some point they will make a mistake. This may be a major mistake or a minor one, but either way you need to keep up you awareness and concentration. What you don't want to do is run the same mistake, or miss an opportunity to get by.

Remember not to fall into the habit of following the car in front, RUN YOUR OWN RACE. If you follow the lead car, you will never get past.

Defensive Driving

This is an area difficult for some new players to understand, including myself, seeing as how you are trying to be fair and avoid collisions. It also puts more pressure on yourself as you will have to be very aware of your surroundings to avoid contact. Personally, I really struggle using the mirrors in game, they are far to small and difficult to use (a TV screen is only so big). If you use a 3rd person view (behind the car) this may not be as much of an issue for you, but it you move the right analogue you can look around your car. With practice you can flick it for about half a second and see all that you need to, but it will probably take a little longer at first.

Remember that driving defensively is a major racing skill, the emphasis being on the word skill. This will probably take longer to learn than passing as it requires an even higher level of judgement. You are entitled to stick to your racing line and deviate from it to make life difficult, but swerving is not allowed. If someone could provide a detailed write up of these rules in another thread for me I would be very grateful.

Defending "Passes Under Braking"

1) If you are being followed closely, chances are the trailing car will try to pass you under breaking at some point. If you aim for an earlier apex, you can shut the door on their space. Just remember the exit of the corner too, or else they might get you on the way out.

2) Keep your car under control.

3) Make sure you are aware where the other cars are on the track coming up to every corner.

4) If you see the trailing car is coming into the corner far too quickly, do not attempt to block it. The other guy will either run wide or get a terrible exit, and you can re take the position on the exit. (For those that care, this is known as 'The Cut-Back')

Lesson 3 - The Race

Now that you've spent (hopefully) a lot longer reading and practising solo than I have typing, you're probably ready to practice in real racing situations. Whenever I am planning to host one of these races, I will post in the club race section and include a link here.

Racing will follow the following format:

Race 1 - 4 Lap qualifying (ghosts)
Race 2 - 6 Lap Race, Reverse Grid (Lobby Points)
Race 3 - 6 Lap Race, Reverse Grid (Lobby Points)

Each player will be awarded the following points in each race:

1st - 20
2nd - 16
3rd - 13
4th - 10
5th - 7
6th - 5
7th - 3
8th - 2
9th - 1

Points will be calculated after all three races, and the winner will be the one with the most total points.

Car Restrictions:

The U2SC Learner Car MUST be used. This includes the tuning set up, but not the paints. I will make the tune available on my store front, free of charge, closer to the time.






I'm going to keep adding to this when I have time. Practice driving well, and by the time I get round to putting up the race driving section and setting up some practice races you will have no doubt made progress. I will also be padding it out with more detail when I get chance, I've spent enough time for now typing up this as it is


If anyone would like to contribute in anyway, please PM me. Right now I could use some images/videos for the Race Driving section, and rules on passing and blocking.

Nice idea hotdog! I might do a few laps in the car and save the replay so people who want to do this can check it out or something.

Go for it, I've put one up already but more is better, shows different driving styles.

Just did a few laps in the car to show how I went about learning the track and the car! Replay is up on my storefront

Still pretty quiet, guess I'll have to do some advertising

Sorry man... Been busy... give me a few days, and let me catch up!

This is hot, even being a semi-good driver, i still learn things from other peoples perspectives. Good job. Nice read.

Nice car Hotdog, I also ran a 2:17.391 on my flying lap. Do I get my license now?

Thanks

I'm afraid not, this is more of a driver insurance scheme

ThrowMeAHotdog wrote:Thanks

I'm afraid not, this is more of a driver insurance scheme

I knew this was too good to be true!!! I'm calling the better business bureau...!!

I never stated that you received anything at the end, so good luck with that

I'm going going to make the tune available on my SF soon so that I can host races when I get chance

Was the car removed? I can't seem to find it

Senseless Atom wrote:Was the car removed? I can't seem to find it

Probably. This thread is from about a year ago. There are always a few good cars shared by Lou that you can find in the garage. His and Frank's are the best tuned cars you can find in there, so it should be easier to hit the apexes on each turn in them.