An Idea for an Experiment
May 26th, 2011 / 3 Comments » / by Trevor
Before I get started, yes the interview and episode 24 is coming just not as quickly as I’d hoped. Hang in there…
I was thinking the other day about the difference between road racing and oval racing as I begin my journey into learning how to be an adequate road racer. A common theory I’ve heard is that winning in road racing is more about the driver where oval racing is more about the equipment/setup. Now don’t take that the wrong way, and keep in mind that I am primarily an oval racer and oval racing fan. But when a driver heads out on a road course, hitting each apex and corner out perfectly is what wins the race. Passing isn’t as much of an aspect, it is how you hit each lap and how consistently you can manage it.
Oval racing on the other hand has far less corners per lap and for the most part all the corners on a course are the same. Again I realize that each corner has a slightly different feel and even going from seemingly identical tracks like Texas and Atlanta can feel different. The point is once you get the car set to handle those 2/4 corners on a track, learn how to hit them properly and work through traffic, you’re in good shape. On a road course you’re setup isn’t going to make that hairpin be just as simple as that long sweeping double apex turn. Only you can do that.
With that being said, you will see the major teams dominating in NASCAR partially because they have the financial backing to provide the best equipment and best team members possible. In sim racing we all have the same “car” so there is no difference there. We all have different wheel/pedal setups which may have an impact, but I believe that as long as you have a reasonable set and you drive from a position that is comfortable for you then you have what you need. The main differences between sim drivers are skill level, amount of time spent practicing, and race setups.
A bit of background to bring me back to the point of this article. In the past, making the Pro Series in iRacing consisted of a calculation of your Safety Rating and iRating in a 30/70 split. This in theory allowed the most talented and safest drivers to be considered the best of the best without direct competition between them. The system has been evolved this year so that the top 12 drivers in the A Class oval car (Impala A) series in the first 3 seasons of the year who do not already have a Pro license to earn their license and race in the Pro series at the end of the year in season 4 for a chance to make the DWC. While it remains to be seen how this will play out in its inaugural year, I think it is a great idea.
So, what is my point? What is this experiment that I’ve mentioned. I’m getting there, but one last point. I also believe that the thought is, and I’m probably amongst those who think so, that only the people with unlimited time to race and practice can make it.
So my question is, what if you took an average racer with a reasonable, yet limited, amount of time to spend and backed them with a talented team to provide setups, advice, and coaching? What if that driver dedicated all of one season to driving, practicing, learning, and racing the Impala A with that team? Could the resources of a team be enough to bring a mediocre driver to the point where they would qualify for a Pro license?
What if that person as of right now couldn’t control the Impala A to save their life…
I’m interested to hear what you think. And please keep in mind that I in no way mean to disrespect the drivers who have reached that level and what they personally had to do to make it. This is just something I was curious about as I get a better understanding of the mindset of the people that make this sport such a great one.
