iRacing is just AC with rating :)

xnorb · Feb 15, 2016

So after practicing maybe 1 hour MX5 @ Lime Rock this weekend i just had one run at a race.
Ended up in split 3.
Qualifying? 1x in lap 1, 1x + 2x in lap 2 - no logged time.
Starting 9th of 11, ending up 10th after T1.

20 laps later?

3rd without having actively overtaken a single car

Sure, i'm racing the Mazda series, it's lots of rookies in there, but still that's not what you expect from "serious super realistic" iRacing

GMcA_74 · Feb 15, 2016

congrats?

burrito · Feb 15, 2016

I really really really think you need to get out of rookie before you make that assumption.

rancer890 · Feb 16, 2016

If you're trying to persuade me that iRacing sucks and AC is godlike, you need to try a bit harder.

It's rookie series for a reason. Well done for staying on the track for 20 laps. And it's the Chicane version, where even a seasoned vet like myself would struggle at. Come again when you race Skippy.

James Nance · Feb 16, 2016

Yeah id get out of rookies, your not getting anything out of that. Point is, people expect top racing in each series, but its not exactly true. Its the license structure that represents what your likely gonna get into, not the car or track. I'm not saying you cant get good racing in lower license categories, I mean there are some good natural people out there. You can get a bunch of Pro's in the MX5 and you will see what real racing is.

xnorb · Feb 16, 2016

Well, i'm stuck in there for the moment.
Every other series will cost me about 100 dollars to buy in.
Maybe i'll get there, but i didn't plan to invest anything than
subscription costs in iRacing for 2016.

@rancer890, not trying to sell you AC as anything.
I just get the same results in AC when i survive the first lap

(Maybe i should have added that story to the initial post *g*)

Matt Malone suggested in one of his videos to join the
Advanced Mazda series, but for that i'd have to raise my
safety rating to a 4.0 (or advance to C class) and would have
to spend about 120$ on content. Same for joining Skip Barber.

burrito · Feb 16, 2016

That's simply not true.

My friend has only bought the star mazda car ( no tracks at all) and will be b class by the time of promotions.

xnorb · Feb 16, 2016

burrito said:
That's simply not true.

My friend has only bought the star mazda car ( no tracks at all) and will be b class by the time of promotions.

If he could share how he achieved this act of sorcery, i'd be very glad.

burrito · Feb 16, 2016

MX-5 Rookie - D class
Cadillac - D class to C class (via 4.0 SR)
Star Mazda - C class to B class via promotion date.
(He has Spa (Apologies I was under the impression spa came free as he inferred he bought no tracks) which, even then is still only 1 track. £10 or $15)

He intends to race enough races at Spa (4 races) to get a SR high enough for a promotion at the start of Season 2.

So B class for $25 + subscription. A little cheaper than many people are trying to suggest.

xnorb · Feb 16, 2016

Cadillac Cup:

You could skip 4 weeks running non-rookie content, so that would be 5*15$ minus the buy 3 or mre bonus. (10%?)

You simply can't get anywhere without purchasing content past the Mazda Rookie Cup.

Here are my career options:

burrito · Feb 16, 2016

No, as already explained. My friend ran some SRF at free tracks (multiple races at the same tracks), got to around 3.7 SR then did multiple races at summit point raceway with the Cadillac to get past 4.0 SR and an automatic promotion.

It's fine if you don't believe me, I won't reply after this as it's too OT. But it happened, I know him well, he is a student and doesn't have too much money so he is (trying) to get to PRO while spending as little money as possible.

Fritz Anker · Feb 16, 2016

I think the difference he's trying to get at, is yes he can level up his license with mostly included content - but to race a series takes a bit more investment. He'd be eligible but wouldn't be able to really take part unless the tracks are purchased. ...or most of them.

If you don't want to do it, take Matt's suggestion or go into SRF. It doesn't take too long to get SR at 4.0 (TT, start from pits, drive clean). The competition will be MUCH better and the communities are very helpful too. You'd probably have to buy some extra tracks to complete the season though but they do try to stick with included content.

Otherwise, the Rookie class ain't that bad. There's fun there, I have fond memories of it actually and not just because it was the only place I could win...

rancer890 · Feb 16, 2016

I'm a bit confused TBH. Of course you will have to spend money to move up to the D-class series. It's more about being a bit strategic with what cars and tracks you want to buy when you start. Say there's a free track you want to race (Charlotte road or Okayama) one week, and there's a track you could buy the next week (let's say Spa or Watkins Glen). It's better to buy in packs of 3 for discount so if you ever decide to buy content that would be the way to go.

You could race the rookie series, and if you have the track for lets say Adv Mazda or Grand Touring Cup, you can race there with the paid track. Check if some series go to the same track in the season. Some tracks are more popular than others.

Eckhart von Glan · Feb 16, 2016

yep, actually trying to outfox the system is part of the fun in the first year (four seasons) on the service.
i suppose a year of buying no extra content will just mean one gets a little tired of always using the same cars / tracks. don't compare the iRacing prices to other video games, compare them to a hobby like tennis or surfing or soccer, where one joins a club and pays a fee or invests in equipment big time just to get going.
compared to the hours spent on the hobby, for me iRacing is cheaper than my beloved tennis, only my main hobby (running the marathon) is probably the cheapest one one can do: pair of good shoes, disposable time and the sky is the limit. beats them all, lol.

Fritz Anker · Feb 16, 2016

...like 13.1 is halfway across the marathon, it always *seems* cheap. $150/shoes every 500 miles can get pricey.

Then there's that shiny new Garmin, nutrition, race fees...

No matter what you want to do, they get your money. I'm honestly starting to believe sim racing is my cheapest hobby!

xnorb · Feb 17, 2016

I think i finally understand what burrito was going at

But that means spending half the year in practice mode, not racing anybody else.
I prefer racing other people even if it means that i'm not working towards my MPR.
(Whatever exactly that means *g*)

Will definitely check out some D series races when free content is hosted, but as iRacing isn't my only sim and my time is quite limited, i think that will keep me entertained long enough. Especially because the free content is pretty much completely unknown to me and offers lots of things to learn.
It's not like i'm a pro racer and i couldn't learn lots of things in the Mazda Cup

William Levesque · Feb 17, 2016

iRacing often has specials for credits (100 credits for 75$, bulk discounts, discounts after you bought "x" amount of content, etc). Of course it'll still be fairly expensive, but you can limit the "damage".

And yeah, Rookie MX-5 is terrible. As you should expect. Sometimes the top split has pretty good drivers tho.

burrito · Feb 17, 2016

xnorb said:
I think i finally understand what burrito was going at
But that means spending half the year in practice mode, not racing anybody else.
I prefer racing other people even if it means that i'm not working towards my MPR.
(Whatever exactly that means *g*)

Will definitely check out some D series races when free content is hosted, but as iRacing isn't my only sim and my time is quite limited, i think that will keep me entertained long enough. Especially because the free content is pretty much completely unknown to me and offers lots of things to learn.
It's not like i'm a pro racer and i couldn't learn lots of things in the Mazda Cup

Great

Glad I could somewhat help. However, yes it's not very fun and requires a lot of patience.

As @William Levesque says there can actually be some good races in the rookie mx5. I've had a few but it is luck of the draw sadly.

William Levesque · Feb 17, 2016

Well, it has to be a "proper" top split. More chances of that happening on the weekends during prime time hours. It was more current during the Mazda Partnership season.

xnorb · Feb 17, 2016

I have seen pretty clean racing in the Rookie class.
Might have been very lucky, but seems like people really behave.
Was taken out just once by a guy coming out of slipstream towards T1.