Question Time: The Track You Didn't Appreciate Until Driving It In A Sim

[rubaru]

You are the first person i heard who like Herman Tike tracks. Most say they prevent overtaking and good racing.

No I'm sure he's not the first. I would actually say Istanbul is one of my favorites. But I agree, Tilke has some ugly ones.

 

[Sim Strata]

Every Oval. You think it must be easy to drive in circles....oh how wrong could I have been!!

 

[Cristian Haba]

I'm a bit old school so most of the new tracks are quite bland. BUT....

Back in yesteryear in the wee ol' days of RACE 07 and the glorious BMW 320si E90, there was a wee track called Macau. Couldn't understand how some of the aliens were doing the lap times they were, or why anyone would want to race on such a bland city street circuit... until I drove it. Easily one of the most unforgiving, challenging and hair raising racing tracks out there. After a thousand or so laps in RACE 07 I got the hang of it. Havent raced it since, but it's one that sticks out.

Memories....

 

[Radek Pawlaczek]

Paul Ricard, Hungaroring, Bahrain, Road America and ovals, especially Superspeedways

 

[Rory Wetherington]

Strange as it may sound but I pick Baku. Sure it might not be the raciest of circuits and and when I first drove it I thought it was crap, however after putting in some time and learning the layout it's just a fun challenge.

 

[Toonces]

VIR. I found the layout unassuming at first and didn't really know what to make of its 'mini-Nurburgring' moniker.

Now that I have actually driven it in a proper sim (Automobilista), I do...

The thing that strikes me the most about it is just how little leeway it gives you with your lines (Climbing Esses), shifting points (Turns 3-4-5-6) and even your throttle and brake applications (Hog Pen & Oak Tree, respectively). Get most of these just slightly wrong and you have not only messed up your laptime, but have flown or slid off the track as well.

I rank it as the 4th most difficult circuit in the world after the Nordschleife, Bathurst and Macau.

I actually raced VIR in the Sixties (SCCA Nationals) and thought it more resembled Spa (the old Spa) than the Ring (which I had been around as a passenger in an Abarth Carrera). I agree with your ranking.

 

[ATSSHD]

Bathurst. It's simply breathtaking.

 

[el_mattpro]

C.O.T.A
Sebring
Watking Glen
Solitude 1964 (in AssettoCorsa)

 

[Case_]

Speaking of surprises while driving a track in a sim and Herman Tilke, Atlanta Motorsports Park was one of the biggest surprises for me I think. I have never really heard of the track until we did a race there, and I couldn't believe the track was actually designed by Tilke when I went to find out more about it. Even though it certainly does have some of his trademark features, when you think about it.

 

[michelforest]

Suzuka. I never thought it was so demanding until I tried to nail a good lap on it. (I'm still trying! )

Sonoma (full layout) and Mid-Ohio are also much harder than I thought.

 

[Juliusz Baczynski]

Fuji Speedway for sure, too many long slow corners

 

[rms4455]

None of them really, sim racing was my first exposure to racing (I used to just like cars, but knew nothing about racing) and so I've always driven a track before watching a race at it.

 

[Shovas]

Silverstone. I know it has massive heritage and nostalgia but it always seemed like a flat, boring, uninspired track to me, so I never really got into it. For contrast, the tracks I find inspired and fun to drive are like the Nords, Mosport, and Bathurst.

That is until I found a need to deep dive into GTR2 FFB tuning and I started picking tracks to focus on to run lap after lap doing fine adjustments to FFB. Doing that I started to really appreciate Hockenheim, Imola, and similar tracks. Then I decided to try out Silverstone and, at first I didn't like it, but lap after lap I began to appreciate its turns and angles, its slight rises and falls, it's dips-into-turns, and its technical turns that at first turned me off but, having a need to do lap after lap at high speed, I began to appreciate their design and flow and the skill and focus needed to take those corners fast.

My advice: When you're bored sometime, force yourself to drive 20 laps on a track you think you don't like. I bet by the end of it you'll at worst begin to start appreciating the layout and, maybe, you'll even start to like the track.

Bonus Track: Sebring. Also assumed this was a boring, uninspired flat track...but actually driving it is great.

 

[MosportMike]

Mosport (Canadian Motorsports Park) Home track but never raced in RL competition. Fast, flowing, off camber, blind corners. A real man, big balls race track that is only one of a few in the world that hasn't been castrated. The new version for Assetto Corsa isn't laser scanned like iRacing's version, but it is very accurate and up to date. iRacing's version is before renos.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

Probably modern Imola.

My dislike for Silverstone has only increased by playing it in a sim.

 

[Arturo Pereira]

Nurburgring Nordschleife

 

[Fat-Alfie]

I loved Spa more before I tried it in AC. It's one track I really want to love, but just don't

 

[Gers]

I have a love/hate relationship with Brands Hatch ... Sim games had made Brands Hatch Indy feel very bland, however having driven it irl now, as well as spectated the BTCC and British Superbikes, I have to admit to it being a very challenging race, and by that I mean superb overtaking, circuit (suited to Fwd's and motorbikes I feel) ... On the other hand, sim racing gave me a whole new respect for Brands Hatch GP, which I'd always thought looked bland on the circuit map, however once I experienced all it's elevation changes and off camber corners I found it to be a a superb flowing circuit to compete on.

 

[MPortnoy]

I don't get to really appreciate any track until I drive it in a sim, since I'm not lucky enough to be able to drive them in real life.
All of them are different and for the most part I get to appreciate all of them (except very narrow ones and ovals). You'll never see me driving the same track 2 days in a row.

 

[Paradyski]

Monza