As some of you know, I’ve been a little obsessed with getting top 500 times lately. Well, I decided to work my way through D class and get one on every track. I have 45 of 47 and the last two are just making me shake my head. IIRC, I am at #720 (.6 seconds behind #500) on Prague Short and #680 (.8 seconds behind #500) on Silverstone International. What is really confusing me is that I have pretty good times (in the 300s last I looked) on the full versions of those courses, and in the case of Prague Short, one of my best times to date is on the reverse version of it. I seem to have hit a wall with these two and just can’t get any further with them. I have someone on my friends list that is in the top 10 on Silverstone International and I’ve been running against his ghost. I know we are running the exact same cars too, but I just can’t even come close to keeping up. The only difference between he and I (other than him just being vastly better that is), is that he uses a clutch and I don’t. He’s about 2.5 seconds faster, but a clutch can’t make that much of a difference on such a short course, can it? I know, I will use the clutch eventually…
Anyone have any pointers, advice, suggestions, anything? I’ll take whatever I can get right now…
I took a break from them and have been knocking several top 500 times out in C class. I want to go back to those two in D class at some point though.
I did the same thing that you have started to do and just work my way through the leaderboards a class at a time. Prague short reverse is a lot easier to run than regular. But my suggestion first if you’re not doing it, race your own ghost and see if that helps. After that, just remember to be smooth in and fast out. You shouldn’t even be braking when you start turning in to the turn. Get all your braking done before. Then coming out of the corners, don’t just slam on the accelerator. Nice and gradual. With Prague it’s just about being able to keep your speed up.
I grabbed a Mini setup (can’t remember whose it was), and chased your ghost.
Without watching your replay to check, on Silverstone it looks like you’re forgetting one of the cardinal rules of going fast: Slow-In, Fast-Out. There were several turns where your ghost slipped ahead of me during the turn, but then I had a whole lot more speed coming out of it - i.e. I could get back on the throttle a lot sooner.
On Prague Short, well… it’s just an ugly course. In a couple spots it looks like you’re getting a little squirrely, which will really cost you time. Smooth, smooth, smooth is the key.
If you want to share the tune you’re using (or let me know which one, if it’s not one of yours) I’ll grab that one and run some laps again to see if I can get any more out of the car than you’re getting.
(by the way, I ran my laps with your ABS-On and Manual without-clutch… posted #351 at Silverstone, #361 at Prague)
Start using clutch now, but first go to controller options and switch your handbrake and clutch button. Just hit the A button with your thumb as you are shifting normally, it’s easy and you will gain time. I am neutral about the brakes though, I prefer the freedom of no ABS but I have seen some fast times on the leaderboards with it on.
You can get top 500 on Prague short without the clutch. I’ll give you turn for turn what I do but it varies a little from class to class and car to car.
Turn 1 and 2 - You basically skip turn 1 by going full throttle into turn 2. You brake somewhere near the big curb at turn 1, give or take, so that you just creep around the turn 2 apex and throttle asap. You might take out some cones. I just learned this a few days ago.
Turn 3 - stay to the right and cut in keeping the car on the edge of grip so that you just catch the outside curb which will help you turn into the apex. You may not need to brake, possibly just let off. My focus here is to maintain momentum at first but it’s more important to catch the curb to get the angle and then throttle asap.
Turn 4 -5 -6 - You just need to go like a bat out of hell through here. Sometimes you need to let off after turning in on 4 because there is a little dip. If you you stay far enough to the right before turning in you can get through full throttle easier, depends on the car. Turn 5 is easy just stay on the gas or get back on it. Turn 6 is a crap shoot. Stay close to the left wall then cut in, wait a few milliseconds, then cut left. throttle out. It’s super tricky. I usually let off some going over the curb here. If you go too far to the right it will dirty you lap. You have to stay off from the wall a little.
Turn 7 - pretty easy turn, just brake, downshift and throttle around. You should be going hard enough that you stay out to the right coming out. If you can stay tight to the left you’re probably going too slow.
That’s how I do Prague short, hope it helps. My guess is you are losing a lot of time in 4, 5, and 6. Every time I race online even some decent drivers go way too slow through there. There is a lot of time in turns 1-2-3 as well though. I was able to take off over a second+ on the few classes I hotlapped it just from learning turn 1.
I guess I’m getting so caught up in the chase that I’m not focusing on slowing down enough for the turns. The Mini I’m using is actually gtFootw’s tune (might be some very slight modifications to it by me, but they are very minor). As you know, I have a faster one, but opted for the better handling from Foot’s. On that track, his tune is a little faster overall. Maybe that’s with me doing the driving though. My faster version is still shared from the last time we did this.
I’m having trouble with keeping the car from sliding on me through the first two turns on Prague short, I know that… I can’t remember if I’m using Foot’s or the one I modded for Prague. If I got a little squirrely, then I was probably using the altered tune.
The clutch is the biggest single advantage try swapping the clutch button to A so u can then press it at the same time you change gear ie: A/X …A/B…It will take abit of gettin used to but its pretty simple as u just press both with your thumb instead of the one…There are other ways of using the clutch aswell just go to controller settings and try different combinations…
Also on the track situation alot of the tracks you are struggling on have recently been run in a competition by most of the top drivers so it might be a little harder to reach your goal…
Using the clutch is something I will do eventually. I have problems with my hands though and getting used to it is proving very difficult for me from a dexterity standpoint. I know it seems silly, but its hard to explain.
Anyway, the competition thing explains a lot. I was wondering why some LBs were far more competitive than others.
Also, I thought I recognized your name, so I looked you up on Forzastats.com. You’re not half bad
Lou, it looks like you’re doing pretty good as-is. At some point, sure, going to manual+clutch will help, but it’s not going to be magic, and in many cases will only give you a very small time savings.
I was able to post #351 at Silverstone and #361 at Prague - both times set using Manual without clutch. So… you can too
My point is: don’t get down or frustrated, or start feeling like “well, without the clutch there’s no way to hit my goal.”
I’d say - grab that tuning setup by “DTM Catts” and get back out there and set your Top-500 time!
Trust me, I’m not going to get down or frustrated. I’ve improved tenfold in the last month so I am more than willing to be patient. Thing is, just using manual without the clutch was kind of painful for me at first. I guess its arthritis or something, but my hands just don’t like the controller at all. I’m starting to just now adjust to shifting manually and be pain free (or at least ignore it). So the clutch is something that I will add soon.
I am going to grab that tune later on today and take a few laps with it.
I don’t have much experience in d class. But I know in my head that it would all be about smooth-smooth- smooth- carrying as much momentum through turns as possible. (Not necessarily what you would do in the higher classes with more downforce and more HP- where certain times it faster to “square” off the turns)
You have way more top 500s than me. Not sure i have the time and fortitude to work through the classes as your doing and on each track. Tons of respect, to you.
Well thank you… Not sure my GF is happy about the amount of time I’ve been spending with the game lately though I had to promise no Forza playing all day Sunday. I’m going to be like a junkie going through withdraw Maybe when she goes to bed I’ll sneak a quick fix in…
