Road Atlanta - Virtual vs Reality

[imported_Webmaster]

Perhaps this has been discussed before but I just found it while watching IT videos on Google.
Pretty cool article / video.... Racing Sim Champion vs Gunnar Jeannette @ Rd Atl. & online

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...&q=road+atlanta (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4261577868516679739&q=road+atlanta)

[zracre]

Kinda neat but they dont show a whole lap with real vs. sim

[Z3_GoCar]

I should do something like that, only at Laguna-Seca and with my PS-2.

For comparison sake my best PS-2 time was 1:43.2 in a Z-4 with the race suspension and a customizable transmission set for the first 5 speeds (actually gears 2-5) set to the same ratios as in the Z3, and the equvalent tires to soft DOT-R's. While my best actual time was a 1:47.414, my best lap on video was 1:50.200 on RA-1's. Finally some observations about the differences.

1) In the simulation I was hitting 5th gear going up the hill but was probably slower in turn 5, in reality I was faster in turn 5 and hitting the gas before the apex but never got out of 4th gear going up the hill.

2) Without the sensation of g-forces and tire feedback that you get in real life, it's hard to tell what's happening in the simulated race. I learned this all the better last weekend when I used ear plugs for the first time and couldn't get feedback on when I was locking up/flat spotting my front tire. When I ditched the ear-plugs I could hear the chirp-chirp indicating the edge and backed off.

Still I felt much more comfortable at Laguna-Seca with only a half-day of practice under my belt I ran laps faster than a friend of mine who's got many more laps there in his M-roadster.

James

[CaptainWho]

If you keep your eyes open, you might catch this on Speed. I saw the show nearly a year ago. IIRC, it's a half-hour (maybe one hour) show that's specifically trying to figure out if the modern sims (I think they used Forza on XBox) are realistic enough to be useful as practice. Again IIRC, Gunnar's fastest lap on the sim was less than half a second slower than his actual fastest lap in a real car that was similar (nearly identical?) to the sim car they were using.

Gunnar made an interesting comment about working up lap speeds in the sim versus for real, and it's something I'd noticed before, too. Basically, in real life, you start slower and gradually get more speed. In the sims, though, you tent to start fast and slow down until you can keep the car on the line.

[gran racing]

There was also an article about Forza and Road Atlanta in Popular Science about a 1 1/2 ago. They had some pretty cool stuff about the game and the pro drivers who tested it versus the same cars on the actual track. I'm sure if you do some searches on Forza that among other info. can be found.

[RSTPerformance]

If you notice this screen shot, this is what I hate... Video Games never seem to capture the real thing, especially the terain changes. Take a close look at this... Real life is a bit more tough than the video game IMO. This screen shot is from thier video just as you crest the hill to come to start finish.

Raymond

[CaptainWho]

Take a close look at this ... Raymond
[/b]

WOW! I hadn't noticed that before. The sim almost makes it look like you don't have to turn until you get to the bottom of the hill and almost into T12!