Welcome to organized online racing

In this article I will go through the ins and outs of virtual racing to help you better understand and enjoy what TURN has to offer; weather it be a chat or some friendly advice between like-minded racers in the forums, to the thrills and spills of racing in one of the upcoming official or community race series. The staff at TURN have a wealth of experience as we are a collective from different organizations within the sim racing community.  So if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the forums I’m sure one of us should be able to point you in the right direction.

Even the most experienced drivers out there remember their first few races; trying to take in all the advice getting thrown at them, maybe not quite known what’s going on. Don’t worry, every driver has been there at some point. If you are a newcomer to organized sim racing, this article (and perhaps more like it) are here to explain a few things that may otherwise go unsaid so hopefully you won’t get the daunting feeling of “Am I doing this right?”

     Getting Started – Find A Series

I’ll start this off with finding a race series and other drivers that suits your interests and pace. From bone stock road car to finely tuned endurance, you will find it in the forums (that is, until our community series section launches). I would advise you to read the whole post just to make sure it’s what you are looking for and your availability allows for you to race on these days at those times. Keep in mind that to keep things running smoothly, drivers are normally asked to show up 15-30 minutes before the race is scheduled to start in the event there are connection issues…and know that sometimes others run late, which can push the estimated finishing finishing time later than you may have initially planned for, so account for this when you’re selecting your series and evaluating your availability. If all is fine get yourself signed up and get to know the people who are participating in the series. Time allowing, having a friendly chat with the organizer is always a good idea. You may be surprised how many driving enthusiasts want to talk cars and racing, so don’t be nervous about making contact.

     Practice and Hone

In some races there will be hosted practice sessions were you will jump on practice with your competition. In others, there may not be any hosted sessions prior to qualifying or the race. In that case the participants are welcome to set up and host their own practice sessions on the build up to qualifying and the race day. Practice sessions are a great way to see what you’re up against and get a feel for what the main race will be like, without the consequences of contact in a race.

     Qualify

If the series you have entered has qualifying, the info will be made available by the organizer, but find out well in advance. Generally, it will be the day before the race, or even on the same day. For endurance events it may be slightly different, with multiple sessions throughout a week dedicated to qualifying. Prolonged qualifying periods help accommodate many schedules and are generally a hour or so long. Some qualifying will be called open qualifying, where drivers qualify by themselves during a specific period of time prior to the race, and times are validated by submitted proof such as a recording or screen capture. Qualifying is an important part of organized racing, as it will determine where you place on the grid. If you are not sure about the proper procedure make sure to ask the series organizers or other well informed participants. It is always better to ask and be sure, rather than risk missing out on an opportunity to place yourself among other participants of your skill range.

     Race

The big day, race day! Depending on the number of participants, drivers may outnumber the slots available by the game. In these instances, multiple lobbies are ran simultaneously, generally based on your performance in qualifying or the season so far. Most race lobby invites go out about 15 to 30 minutes before the race is due to start so make sure you are online, ready, and that your profile is not hidden or showing offline. Once you are in the lobby listen to the hosts commands and keep talking to a minimum to avoid confusion unless you have a genuine question regarding the race. Make sure you have the correct tune on and assists are set to what you are happy with. There’s nothing worse than starting a race, then realizing you have the wrong tune or wrong assists toggled as you’re reversing your car out of the wall past the gravel trap of turn 1.

Race starts will be different depending on the organizer preference and series. Some series will use the first lap of the race simply to get cars into position to align with qualifying (or other pre-race grid ordering). There are two different kinds of rolling starts. The more common approach is that the driver at the front of the grid will lead a formation lap until an approved start zone, then they have the authority to start the race for all drivers by saying “Green Green Green”. The other type of rolling start is a track position rolling start, where the drivers are free to start their race once they’ve passed a specific spot on track. This type of rolling start is generally only used when its perceived that a traditional rolling start would inevitably result in a massive wreck. Standing starts are also a common way to start races. In a standing start you will take your place on the grid after the formation lap and pole driver will pick a time to start. If you failed to qualify you will start at the back of the pack or in the pit lane. Be careful on the formation lap. Organizers and hosts often have rules that state if you are the cause of an incident during the formation lap, you are forced to start from pit lane.

     Pit Stops

In some races you will need to make a pit stop. Some series even have specific rules about which laps the pit lane is officially open. When you do decide to repair that steering issue you’ve been hobbling around with, or put some fresh rubber on those rims, be sure to call out right when you enter pit lane. This actually helps cut down on unnecessary chatter of other drivers asking who has and hasn’t pit. Also be sure to announce your exit from pit lane. You’ll have cold tires and you will be moving along at a much slower speed than the cars still out on track. Be courteous and respectful of drivers that are approaching as you leave the pits. The rule of thumb is that a driver leaving the pit lane does not have claim to the racing line until the turn after pit exit.

     Crashes and Incidents

Crashes and incidents are bound to happen when racing against other people of different styles and paces. If you compromise someone else’s race, pull out of the racing line, lift off and give them their position back even if it means losing a few yourself. Don’t be quick to accuse and get upset at someone else if they caused an incident. No one (that wants to keep racing at TURN) intends to wreck into you and ruin their own race. The risks are just too high that they may come off worse if they attempt to force contact. To be clear to all, rude and abusive behavior on or off the track will NOT be tolerated here at TURN.

You can finish pretty much every race you enter, if you stay positive and focus on what you can learn from staying on track, rather than retiring. If you manage to finish ahead of others, remember other people may still be racing so show some decorum. Refrain from breaking into full conversation with the other drivers the moment your race ends. For endurance races the finish is normally a set time were the hosts will take note of your distances, so keep quiet until you are asked for your distance or until the hosts give the all clear. Now the race is finished! Go check out the forums to share your experience. Good or bad, its really all part of motorsport and helps fuel the fires for others if they hear your race story. Capture those key moments in your race and then show the community your videos and pictures. TURN might even showcase your work if you put the effort into it!

       Finally, Have Fun And Stay Clean

Above all enjoy yourself. A win is always a great feeling, but so is coming last and knowing you have formed a friendship with, competed against, and learned from some of the best racers available.

Any questions? Feel free to ask them below, or post them in the forums and enjoy your new home here at TURN.