This is for the like 4 people here that might be interested. I want to start a Hexbear Racing League and hotlap leaderboard. How I imagine the leaderboard will work is like this: post your system and game, the track, the car, and the track conditions. Then post proof of the lap time. I will curate the lap times into a spreadsheet/document that we can all see, and I will update it as new laps come in.
Other racers may then challenge your hotlap time. This will force people to use cars on tracks they may not be familiar with, but that's how we get better. Also, it's helpful to see how someone else's line affects their time.
I might also set up a discord if there is enough interest in it to facilitate the need. If we can get enough people interested in it, I would like to start a regular extremely low stakes live event for us to race against each other. I think this could be a fun way to meet some new people and have a good time.
So to start things off, here is my submission: PC/Assetto Corsa 1; 4:57 on the fan made Battenbergring in the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Track conditions are dry with 100% grip. This isn't my personal best, but it's within a second of it and I didn't record that so I'm not submitting it. I need to work on my heel toe and I know I'm leaving time on the table around those hairpins and through the village.
Edited to post a link to the free download for the track https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/battenbergring.51838/
Edit: Edit: There is a post in the comments that has a ping list, comment on it if you'd like to be pinged when someone submits a new lap or challenge to an existing lap.
And to clarify, please feel free to submit your own personal best on whatever track and whatever game. Just notate your system or console, the track, track conditions, the car, and the time. I'll keep track of them and I'm sure someone will want to try to beat it. I will need some kind of proof. A vid is best since then I get free racing content from some of my favorite people.
I was gonna jokingly post a Trackmania PB here but honestly I bet somebody here would smash me immediately anyway lmao
I can not wait for someone to beat my time. I really hope it comes with a recording so I can learn how to go faster myself.
Doooooooo it. I'll do my best to match the track and car as close as I can.
I'll post one of my Gran Turismo clips tomorrow if anyone's interested, I was pretty proud of it as it got me top 10 in the global leaderboards for the event at the time, if I remember correctly. It's a pretty old clip though, I think 3 years old or more.
I might setup a second list just for the GT folks. There seems to be a few GT players. I am still super excited to see it. That's awesome that you ranked so high. You should be proud of it.
I'm interested for sure. We are racing on AC? I have gran turismo 7 and iracing also
I have iracing too. I figured ac1 had a lower bar for entry since it regularly goes on sale and has free cars and tracks. For stuff like GT7, just notate the game and we can decide if that time is exclusive to the game, or if we can allow others to challenge it in a different games.
Ok, So since a bunch of folks are interested, I think I'll setup a ping list. If you'd like pinged whenever a new lap is posted by someone and aren't on the list, please reply to this. If you are on the list and would like to be removed, also reply to this. @Torenico@hexbear.net @aaaaaaadjsf@hexbear.net @Jenniferr@hexbear.net @RussianEngineer@hexbear.net @SoloboiNanook@hexbear.net @SwitchyWitchyandBitchy@hexbear.net @DayOfDoom@hexbear.net @Grownbravy@hexbear.net @booty@hexbear.net @Kaplya@hexbear.net @FloridaBoi@hexbear.net @EllenKelly@hexbear.net
nice driving! im interested in this even though im pretty mediocre at sim racing.
tangent
im a pretty good driver IRL (dont tell the cops) but in sim racing i just suck a lot by flying off turns, understeering a bunch, and fishtailing, probably coz i cant "feel" it the same way i do irl and the paradigm is different
Thanks! I know for a fact that there is a line through the area after the village that is easily 2 seconds faster, I just suck too much to consistently hit it. So you'll fit right in. I had the same problem with sending it too hard in the sim. I still do
most timessometimes. I think you're right that it's because there is no sensation of speed and survival instinct, so it's easy to go full send into places you shouldn't full send.
Brings back some old memories for me lol. Interesting to see the foot work as well, which to me seems more like normal driving technique. When I was obsessed with racing sims years ago, there was a lot of emphasis on left foot braking, like the left foot is almost always on the brake pedal ready to apply some pressure when turning. It gets more complicated when you have a manual shifter and need to use the clutch to shift gears, in which case your right foot has to do some kind of heel-toe to apply the throttle and brake at the same time when turning corners.
Again I’m not an expert and haven’t played any racing sim for more than a decade now.
I know I need to work on my foot technique. I have limited mobility in my ankles, so pulling off a proper heel toe is really hard. But I'm working on it! I know I'm leaving so much time on the track simply because my technique sucks.
I'll see what I can do later, but you definitely didn't pull any punches with your first choice, a 60s car and a track that takes 5 minutes to lap, lmao.
A beautiful track that is deceptively difficult with razor thin margins of error in a bunch of places. I've had so many good laps ruined by touching dirt in the wrong place. The car is underpowered too, so you gotta really send it places to keep it in the powerband. There are lots of blind corners, uneven pavement, and obstacles just off the track. Fruit stands, poles, and walls are gonna be everyone's friend.
But my technique sucks and there is tons of time out there to shave. So it should be fun.
This combo really reminds me of the Grand Prix Legends days, although obviously the car is much easier to drive than a 60s F1 car.
I finally got a couple of valid laps, but my best was about a 5:35 so I won't bother recording anything yet. It seems to be really hard to lock the brakes, so you can use some serious braking force into the hairpins. Honestly I'm surprised that you right foot brake.
right foot brake
yeah I know I really need to get more comfortable with left braking. I always apply a little too much when I do, so it's not reliable yet. But it is something I've really been working on. Especially since being called out about it several times in this thread.Several of the best drivers in the league I mentioned are right foot brakers. It’s not required to be fast until you’re shaving like hundredths.
For me it's about comfort more than speed (because I'm slow), obviously you can be good either way, and some successful real life drivers like Dario Franchitti right-foot brake too.
Any luck yet? I have been working on a lap around Laguna Seca in that Lada you shared. I'll probably have a good lap to share later today. By the way, a full grid of Ladas at Laguna is some of the most fun I've ever had racing.
Yeah, sorry, I gave up and started practicing this week's iRacing combos around Monday or so
That comment probably will inspire me to try some laps in the next couple of days though.
I think its fair to include controllers. Just notate it when you share your time.
dumb question but when i have a lap to submit do i post it as a comment here or make a new post
That's not a dumb question at all. I suppose we should try to keep it contained. I actually didn't think this would be as popular as it seems it might be, so I never made a contingency plan for this. So for now, just post it as a comment here. In a few weeks I'll make a new thread for the new posts and I'll ping everyone when I do.
Hot damn lmao I'm in! I'll have time this weekend to post a lap! I'm much more of a production car drift guy in car sims but I like to race occasionally!
Hell yeah! I've been trying to learn to drift the last few weeks, but I have a long way to go.
It's super fun! Also if you haven't, def check out the Akina downhill touge servers. Just blasting down mountain roads. Line up at the start and do a triple honk with a guy next to you and shoot off, it's super fun and pretty casual.
I haven't done any racings Sims in a while but I'm interested! Just don't expect fast times from me at first.
This is all, first and foremost, about having fun. I think on my end for my times I post, I'll be using AC1 since it's cheap, and has tons of free tracks and cars. My favorite thing about racing has always been seeing how other people approach the same problem. So I look forward to your times.
Thanks! Also do you have a link to the track? It looks really fun.
Edit: I think I found it, is it this one?
Yup that's it! It's a very fun track. Not only is it beautiful, but the elevation changes and pavement are a huge challenge.
Did you have a chance to give it try yet? I love that track. I'm working on a lap around Laguna Seca right now in a Lada, I should have a lap to post later today.
Unfortunately I have not 😭 I've had no time to set up my basement for racing for bullshit job reasons. I'm hoping I can this week or weekend cause I really need to do something fun for myself.
Yes! I can't wait to see your time. That track is much harder than it looks. Have fun with the fruit stands and poles.
I've been itching for some racing these days, I'll do a couple of laps in the next few days!
There are a bunch of Formula Easter cars and Lada touring cars on RaceDepartment here, btw: https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/authors/jurik1984.100318/
Oh shit do we need a lada league night? Ladas at Laguna has a nice ring to it.
