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I used to kart obsessively when I was younger (I had a four figure annual subscription to a track), and I was brutally competitive. I didn't really care how ol

I used to kart obsessively when I was younger (I had a four figure annual subscription to a track), and I was brutally competitive. I didn't really care how old a person was, or their gender, if someone posed even the slightest challenge to me, I would literally get obsessed with beating them. If a session ended when I was in second, I would spend the entire break day dreaming in my head about the up-coming race and where I would position myself to overtake, think about which turns I'm faster in so I know how much far away from them to be so I'm in the right position to overtake *. This is not the result of idolizing Senna, or even really ever caring about him at all. There's something about the anonymous nature of racing that can really heighten the aggressiveness inherent in competition. I'm normally a super chill person, but a few competitive laps kind of turns me into a monster (I don't get like this in SCCA events, where you are on the track solo). * Passing is more difficult when skill levels go up. Generally there is one, maybe two turns where it's possible to pass a good driver on a course. And following a slower driver too closely through a turn can cause you to sap speed because you either have to brake or move off of the optimal drive line to accommodate them.

mhh__ 6y ago
I really hope to be able to race cars at some point in the future, because I completely understand that feeling even from simracing (No karting because pandemic).
- MrMan 6y ago
  I have done both and I truly feel Sim racing is better. Orders of magnitudes cheaper and safer. The only thing I miss is the smells and the red state friendship bonding in the paddock. I don't miss the close relationship with my mechanic and the wrecks
  - filoleg 6y ago
    I've only done karting, not sim racing, so I have a question for you. Do you get the same feeling from simracing as what the grandparent comment describes? Asking because I can 100% relate to what they are talking about in terms of competitiveness and the rush during the actual race, and then daydreaming about just repetitively perfecting those laps on your own alone. All while being absolutely calm and relaxed in real life outside of that. With that in mind, I am curious if simracing will satisfy that same rush. I know that it won't be fully 1-to-1, especially because I won't be investing into a pneumatic sim chair that simulates actual physical aspects of racing. But I don't think that's what makes the rush feel real for me. Hence why I feel lost as to whether I should actually invest into a simracing setup or just save myself money and time by not bothering (in case it doesn't give that same feeling).
    - mhh__ 6y ago
      Simracing for me isn't really about immersion but rather the knowledge that I'm actually racing other people taking it seriously. It's the same as DCS for me - I like learning the systems and tactics because I will not ever be able to fly a jet because of my eyes.
      - dharmab 6y ago
        Even playing novice series on low graphics in iRacing is preferable to the latest Gran Turismo or Forza. The field of human drivers racing seriously makes a totally different experience. The experience of strategically following another driver for multiple laps until they make just enough of a stress-induced error to let you pass is unique to the sim community.
        filoleg 6y ago
        Based on yours and the parent's reply, I am sold. I don't care about immersion as much as I care about that feel of rush and competition, and it seems like that part specifically is addressed quite well with simracing. And I agree w/r to Forza. I played it, i liked the game, but it was clearly an arcade racer, not what I am looking for here. It didn't give me any sort of feelings I was looking for, but it was a pretty fun game on its own. On that note, thanks for help to both of you, I will start researching simracing setups now.
        dharmab 6y ago
        Pretty much any Logitech wheel will do to start- upgrade later. This video series was the single most helpful thing for me to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsKm8irA7U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsKm8irA7U
  - raverbashing 6y ago
    And way less motion sickness
LatteLazy 6y ago
There is something about cars, maybe it's the fact you can't look each other in the eye, it makes minor mistakes into major incidents physiologically. It's why people road rage but they don't get bothered if someone bumps them on the pavement...

mhh__ 6y ago

I really hope to be able to race cars at some point in the future, because I completely understand that feeling even from simracing (No karting because pandemic).

MrMan 6y ago
I have done both and I truly feel Sim racing is better. Orders of magnitudes cheaper and safer. The only thing I miss is the smells and the red state friendship bonding in the paddock. I don't miss the close relationship with my mechanic and the wrecks
- filoleg 6y ago
  I've only done karting, not sim racing, so I have a question for you. Do you get the same feeling from simracing as what the grandparent comment describes? Asking because I can 100% relate to what they are talking about in terms of competitiveness and the rush during the actual race, and then daydreaming about just repetitively perfecting those laps on your own alone. All while being absolutely calm and relaxed in real life outside of that. With that in mind, I am curious if simracing will satisfy that same rush. I know that it won't be fully 1-to-1, especially because I won't be investing into a pneumatic sim chair that simulates actual physical aspects of racing. But I don't think that's what makes the rush feel real for me. Hence why I feel lost as to whether I should actually invest into a simracing setup or just save myself money and time by not bothering (in case it doesn't give that same feeling).
  - mhh__ 6y ago
    Simracing for me isn't really about immersion but rather the knowledge that I'm actually racing other people taking it seriously. It's the same as DCS for me - I like learning the systems and tactics because I will not ever be able to fly a jet because of my eyes.
    - dharmab 6y ago
      Even playing novice series on low graphics in iRacing is preferable to the latest Gran Turismo or Forza. The field of human drivers racing seriously makes a totally different experience. The experience of strategically following another driver for multiple laps until they make just enough of a stress-induced error to let you pass is unique to the sim community.
      - filoleg 6y ago
        Based on yours and the parent's reply, I am sold. I don't care about immersion as much as I care about that feel of rush and competition, and it seems like that part specifically is addressed quite well with simracing. And I agree w/r to Forza. I played it, i liked the game, but it was clearly an arcade racer, not what I am looking for here. It didn't give me any sort of feelings I was looking for, but it was a pretty fun game on its own. On that note, thanks for help to both of you, I will start researching simracing setups now.
        dharmab 6y ago
        Pretty much any Logitech wheel will do to start- upgrade later. This video series was the single most helpful thing for me to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsKm8irA7U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsKm8irA7U
- raverbashing 6y ago
  And way less motion sickness

LatteLazy 6y ago

There is something about cars, maybe it's the fact you can't look each other in the eye, it makes minor mistakes into major incidents physiologically. It's why people road rage but they don't get bothered if someone bumps them on the pavement...