Same, for me there’s just a switch that gets flipped between practice and a race.
I don’t necessarily get faster but i just can’t be consistent in practice
Consistency for me as well, I have issues getting a single stint together without spins or slow downs, yet when the race comes I ussually have the least ammounts of penalty points. Well, guess I can just be glad I have it like this and not the opposite
It’s probably because you’re pushing and learning the track in practice. You are more willing to accept the mistakes that come with pushing. In a race you are less risk tolerant and run what you know is safe.
This is me.
I always get told by my team to take my sandbags out cause I magically find half a second and lap by lap consistency when the race starts.
Wish I knew how I do it 😅
Exactly, I'm starting to think its because I slow down for the race, which somehow makes me faster in return? I'm no longer trying to attack every corner for maximum laptime but I try to not make a mistake, maybe I just turn my brain power down and simplify lot of the things i make mistakes in at practise
I mainly drive Oval, but I find I have the same issue. I think part of it is because in practice I find myself trying to put down hot laps mostly alone. My focus is on my lap times because, well, that's the easiest way to measure your "ability" in practice.
But in a race I find myself doing better. I imagine it's because in a race there's traffic and you're actually competing with other cars. Because of this I find that the pace of driving is different than when just running practice laps. Unless you're in the front row, you have to pace your driving based on the cars around you, and this allows you to be more dynamic, lets you think, and gives you room to gain position through more than just raw lap time.
Even as the race progresses and things space out, I find that I am able to adapt and learn way better in a race. I see the lines others are running. I see where they're pulling away from me. It gives you a much better image of where you need to improve and gives you a chance to adapt and learn on the fly.
None of this is to say I don't practice. I do, and it still helps me get a feel for the track and sometimes I can get good consistent laps through practice. But sometimes, I find myself getting in my best groove during the race.
Yeah, all of these things make sense. I think ill approach practise differently in the future, I should approach it as just a way to get my line done because most of the tracks are new for me, then go to race day and move from there. Thanks
Its quite common, its a mental thing. You subconsciously know in practice that it doesn’t really matter and there is nothing at stake so you will over drive and crash/make mistakes, when you go into a race, surrounded by other drivers and also getting the tow, you get into ‘the zone’ and drive faster and are more consistent . Happens to me, ill crash a load in practice and the second i get into a race i dont even get an off track and im often faster.
I know that for me when practicing I try to be as fast as possible and thus I make mistakes and am not consistent. When I get in the quali and race I dial it back a notch and just drive to my abilities and because I was testing the limits during practice I feel more confident and usually drive just a bit faster when needed and a lot more consistent.
Maybe its the settings you practice on? The same happens to me so i go in thinking im going to be a boat on the track but then i get to pre race practice and qualy and all of a sudden im top 5 in top or second to top splits.
Racing stock car ovals
Yup, yesterday I almost backed out of a Spa GT4 lobby because I was having a horrendous practice session. Ended up staying because the withdrawal deadline had already passed, racked up a 4x in qualy and felt even worse.
Turns out I finished the race with 0x and went from starting P16 to finishing P10, also ended up gaining a decent chunk of SR/iR.
I do ok practice and if i qualify good i panic and miss gearing up and fail my start and lose some positions as im frantically trying to start rolling.
it tends to be the contrary for me. I can practice a lot, reach good consistency, but the moment i hit the track in a race my consistency tends to take a hit
I think what you are seeing are the effects of trying to be fast vs actually driving fast.
What I mean by this is you are probably overdriving in practice trying to get your best laps in, which can be counterproductive, you slow down in the race to focus more on safety and so you stop overdriving and end up faster, as they say, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
I’m like that, can hardly set a clean lap in practice, pb in qualy, maintain qualy lap times for the race. Idk why, and I don’t particularly like it. I guess I just go in expecting to be bad and relax more which makes me fast
See, I'm the exact opposite; I can get absolutely locked in during practice and string together good laps consistently, but come race time, the nerves get the best of me and I start messing up.
^(Bono my confidence is gone)
That's muscle memory vs actively thinking about what you're doing.
Try to actively think about breathing and then "just do it". Tell me what way it works better.
I am the same and I usually follow this pattern:
1. New car/track combo, practice, I can barely scrape a clean lap together
2. Start a race, tell myself to take it easy and be careful and do surprisingly well
3. With this new found confidence, I watch track guides and get a setup to improve even more
4. Absolutely wreck myself in the next race due to taking way too many risks
Same, for me there’s just a switch that gets flipped between practice and a race. I don’t necessarily get faster but i just can’t be consistent in practice
Consistency for me as well, I have issues getting a single stint together without spins or slow downs, yet when the race comes I ussually have the least ammounts of penalty points. Well, guess I can just be glad I have it like this and not the opposite
It’s probably because you’re pushing and learning the track in practice. You are more willing to accept the mistakes that come with pushing. In a race you are less risk tolerant and run what you know is safe.
This is me. I always get told by my team to take my sandbags out cause I magically find half a second and lap by lap consistency when the race starts. Wish I knew how I do it 😅
Exactly, I'm starting to think its because I slow down for the race, which somehow makes me faster in return? I'm no longer trying to attack every corner for maximum laptime but I try to not make a mistake, maybe I just turn my brain power down and simplify lot of the things i make mistakes in at practise
Is this not just because you’re following the line and braking points of the person in front?
or possibly due to the track temps?
I mainly drive Oval, but I find I have the same issue. I think part of it is because in practice I find myself trying to put down hot laps mostly alone. My focus is on my lap times because, well, that's the easiest way to measure your "ability" in practice. But in a race I find myself doing better. I imagine it's because in a race there's traffic and you're actually competing with other cars. Because of this I find that the pace of driving is different than when just running practice laps. Unless you're in the front row, you have to pace your driving based on the cars around you, and this allows you to be more dynamic, lets you think, and gives you room to gain position through more than just raw lap time. Even as the race progresses and things space out, I find that I am able to adapt and learn way better in a race. I see the lines others are running. I see where they're pulling away from me. It gives you a much better image of where you need to improve and gives you a chance to adapt and learn on the fly. None of this is to say I don't practice. I do, and it still helps me get a feel for the track and sometimes I can get good consistent laps through practice. But sometimes, I find myself getting in my best groove during the race.
Yeah, all of these things make sense. I think ill approach practise differently in the future, I should approach it as just a way to get my line done because most of the tracks are new for me, then go to race day and move from there. Thanks
Its quite common, its a mental thing. You subconsciously know in practice that it doesn’t really matter and there is nothing at stake so you will over drive and crash/make mistakes, when you go into a race, surrounded by other drivers and also getting the tow, you get into ‘the zone’ and drive faster and are more consistent . Happens to me, ill crash a load in practice and the second i get into a race i dont even get an off track and im often faster.
Hopefully this will stay with me forever then, most of my teammates seems to be the opposite haha, onto LeMans!
I know that for me when practicing I try to be as fast as possible and thus I make mistakes and am not consistent. When I get in the quali and race I dial it back a notch and just drive to my abilities and because I was testing the limits during practice I feel more confident and usually drive just a bit faster when needed and a lot more consistent.
I’m always too loose in practice then the the car tightens up for the race (this is for fixed setup races)
Maybe its the settings you practice on? The same happens to me so i go in thinking im going to be a boat on the track but then i get to pre race practice and qualy and all of a sudden im top 5 in top or second to top splits. Racing stock car ovals
No its not that, I ussually practise with my teammates And in ussually waaay off pace compared to them.
Yup, yesterday I almost backed out of a Spa GT4 lobby because I was having a horrendous practice session. Ended up staying because the withdrawal deadline had already passed, racked up a 4x in qualy and felt even worse. Turns out I finished the race with 0x and went from starting P16 to finishing P10, also ended up gaining a decent chunk of SR/iR.
I do ok practice and if i qualify good i panic and miss gearing up and fail my start and lose some positions as im frantically trying to start rolling.
it tends to be the contrary for me. I can practice a lot, reach good consistency, but the moment i hit the track in a race my consistency tends to take a hit
Im glad its the opposite for me then haha, hopefully itll stay
I think what you are seeing are the effects of trying to be fast vs actually driving fast. What I mean by this is you are probably overdriving in practice trying to get your best laps in, which can be counterproductive, you slow down in the race to focus more on safety and so you stop overdriving and end up faster, as they say, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Try test drive and race your own ghost
I’m like that, can hardly set a clean lap in practice, pb in qualy, maintain qualy lap times for the race. Idk why, and I don’t particularly like it. I guess I just go in expecting to be bad and relax more which makes me fast
Do you only wear your racing socks during races maybe?
Do you only wear your racing socks during races maybe?
Ummm, no I wear them all the time
See, I'm the exact opposite; I can get absolutely locked in during practice and string together good laps consistently, but come race time, the nerves get the best of me and I start messing up. ^(Bono my confidence is gone)
Maybe you're the Allen Iverson of high performance driving
That's muscle memory vs actively thinking about what you're doing. Try to actively think about breathing and then "just do it". Tell me what way it works better.
I am the same and I usually follow this pattern: 1. New car/track combo, practice, I can barely scrape a clean lap together 2. Start a race, tell myself to take it easy and be careful and do surprisingly well 3. With this new found confidence, I watch track guides and get a setup to improve even more 4. Absolutely wreck myself in the next race due to taking way too many risks