It’s crazy how well throwing it in seems to work in KK.
KK is all about hooking up in the rubber. You can do absurd things, sometimes. It’s definitely not “real” but it feels correct, in its own way. It’s a different, but similar thing.
Long time coming
S1: 13.752
S2: 18.503
S3: 05.109
I’d have thought that for this lap, I’d need to post ideal sectors, but I managed to claim the spot with a relatively weak S1.
This is again the culmination of exactly the same experience as all the other times I make a jump. It’s a done deal when it happens, and always a bit of a let down, in a sense. The let down is that by the time I land the actual new record lap, I have already moved on, skill-wise. It’s no longer representative of my potential. The lap itself is often slightly flawed (as this one is in t1).
Don’t get me wrong, I am very thrilled. It took me over a month to make a real dent in my laptime and I worked hard for this lap. I may have even shouted when I landed this.
Onwards and upwards.
Did I ever yell you about the “power lines” in KK?
Part of the power lines is how it feels. There is a perfectly on boil feeling you get when the kart is driven on the edge, but perfectly balanced, in the rubber. It’s very reminiscent of “planing” on a windsurfer, the moment when the board comes alive. You become lifted off the surface it seems, skimming along, agile and quick. On rails, but highly manoeuvrable.
Every corner in KK has some sort of power line: the rubber is generous, and, always the same. Within that rubber, there is a specific line/input combo that literally “lifts” the kart off the track and, if you let it happen, just sort of takes you.
A few caveats:
It’s up to you to recognize the beginning of being “in” the power line and make sure that you don’t kill it with an ill timed input. Also, once you are on, you can fall off. While the kart feels very agile and on rails, it’s basically surfing slip angle. Past that, you’ve fallen off.
But any ways it feels pretty cartoonish, almost like the turn goes “Boing!” and teleports you in real time to the track out. It feels absolutely right, though.
While these power lines are wonderful when you stumble upon them, I wouldn’t try to TT around hunting them down. First off, it’s hard to get on the magic carpet; angle and speed have to be just so.
Secondly, for me, it is usually accidental, the result of something a little different at turn in. To initiate this in T1 at GVKC, for example, I have to brake earlier, lighter/quicker release than normal.while turning in earlier.
In, short, it’s unreliable as heck and is usually somewhat accidental.
But, I think what the power lines represents is that point of perfect interlock between the tire and the rubber on the track, at the exact sweet spot of where the thickest rubber and the ideal line overlap. If you enter this line at the correct speed/angle, its like that planing I described. Like stepping onto a moving carpet, sorta.
Maybe that’s why the throwing it in in KK seems to work so well. The rubber is idealized and allows for strange grip. I’ve often wondered if the perfect lap in KK is nailing the power line of each turn. I wonder if a computer could just simulate what the perfect lap is for us.
Have you ever confirmed with Zach or the developers if there really is a rubbered in line in the corners?
I know you feel that, but I always thought it was just the kart loading up to it’s max, in the game physics’ idealized slip angle, not an actual line of grip in the track.
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Yes. They say the rubber is laid down for x30. KZ apparently doesn’t have its own line, uses x30 rubber.
I may be imagining all this. I don’t think so. It’s very distinctive when you catch it just right. Maybe that’s just me doing the turn correctly occasionally, lol! 
Maybe it’s something to do with FFB and shakers creating an unusual sensation as the kart loads up and begins to fly on the rubber. All sorts of wierd stuff happens under the googles.
Here’s an odd one: I was playing once and the game seemed to Fast-forward really quickly mid lap for a couple seconds. That was fun trying to keep up with the turns! I’m still not sure if it was some sort of vertigo or wether the game actually did speed up (similar to a lag spike).
It might not be the actual line. It appears that as in real life, there are multiple ways to skin the cat. This way just sort of “steers” itself assuming you “set” it correctly.
A lil’ bit faster yet
S1: 13.708
S2: 18.571
S3: 05.071
Fun lap! It looked like me and Sausagematt’s ghost were in sync here for most of the lap. I am going to guess we are identically geared, from how the back straight sounded.
I got a bit too aggressive going round the 7-8 bit, which slightly narrowed me into 9, which means my run to 10 was ever so slightly off. I felt I had to slow going into 9, which means I pushed too hard. I’m baffled by the sector times though. It appears like I am slow in S1 and fast in S3, but it felt and looks opposite.
In any case, I think I got this.
Be back soon, hopefully.
Local Pilot Makes (unusual) News:
Ms. Chambers used to race f-series (but I think is racing cars now). In any case, she made news for setting a slalom record. Did not know that was a thing, according to Guiness it is. Chloe also was a guest on Letterman’s show regarding her kart racing in 2018.
https://ekartingnews.com/2019/07/16/chloe-chambers-my-next-guest-needs-no-introduction/
As a marketing piece, very interesting. Production slalom record is, to say the least, obscure. Dunno whose idea this was, Porsche’s or Chloe’s. Either way, I find this really cool. Thinking outside the box to make a piece to promote their car and presumably driver in an accessible way. I don’t think this was made with “us” in mind. 167k views. That’s a lot of eyeballs.
@DavinRS as one of our resident marketing pros IRL, what’s your thoughts on this as a promotion/marketing idea?
@KartingIsLife spilt topic if worthy
Little late on this reply… once the tracks reopened I haven’t touched the sim once. We did race Stars in the spring. I saw you did pretty well.
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All good. It’s been the same on my end, haven’t really been on the Sim at all lately due to being so busy.
@Muskabeatz come pay a visit when you have free time. My leaderboard just got more exciting as Sausagematt is flirting with sub 37 and the amazing Zycos (no actual kart experience) has taken an interest. He is likely to post top 3 as well.
It’s awfully depressing to see just how quickly better karters get to fast. What takes me weeks takes them a session or two. Well, at least I’m able to run fast, even if I need to build a head of steam!
That’s kind of why I love racing. In a race, absolute pace is king, but you aren’t alone on track. You have to adapt.
Not unlike real racing i think equipment and setup make a huge difference. Just fiddling with all the different settings with my wheel I was able to shave off tons of time… well at first it was so I could actually turn a lap without spinning off. But for sure I think if I had a better rig I could get better faster. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
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I have found my secret weapon! (Probably not).
1000mg of acetomeniphen apparently mutes inhibition regarding risk-taking behaviour. This is surprising to me, but then again, the Tylenol is usually taken after the activity, not before.
It’s all mental…
S1: 13.652
S2: 18.513
S3: 05.113
Finally landed a lap in the .2s, which is where my optimal has been for what feels like weeks now. This was the closest I’ve come to giving up, since I was unable to make meaningful progress for so long. I’d have moments every day where I came close, but mostly could not string together all three sectors.
Every day I’d “lose” a turn and have to rediscover it. I was messing with my head, sabotaging myself. My confidence was pretty much crushed as I watched Zycos zip past me and the leader drop a new sub 37 world record. I had been wondering if this is where I run out of talent. Not that I have much of it, but it’s always been that if I spin enough laps and try hard enough, I progress. But, I was well and truly stuck.
It was very late and I decided at the last moment to give it one last go. As I went around turn 1, feeling that it was solid, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be funny, if at 3:30am, exhausted and without much hope, you did what you’ve been putting off doing for a few weeks now?”. Oddly, in that moment, I was aware that it was likely to happen, and, so it did.
Not sure what’s next. Not sure I push for the .1s. Probably will.
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It appears I have more in me…
Yup, pushing.
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Really proud of this S2
My turn into T1 had some weird double pump freakout happen that made me question where the lap was going. However, I found a nice exit and soldiered on and things got spicy. I landed S2 in 18.45, which is as fast as I could hope to go, give or take a few hundredths. This S2 felt so darn good, I had to share. The complete lap wasn’t a new record, not even close alas, as S1 was compromised slightly which cost at least a tenth.
Had my endurance race Monday. Me and my teammate won! Pretty happy with it. I drove well and made some line changes to all the turns. We didn’t have a hot kart, but the competition was a bit weaker than usual as none of the regulars were there. We got a 46mph kart (of a possible range of 44-49mph), which was good enough. My partner got a 45mph one and he managed to lead all but 1 session as well.
The footage is pretty dull since I pretty much pass everyone quickly and maintain lead throughout each heat. I am contemplating doing a greatest hits video of the 4 heats. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to sit through all that lapping.
We won $250 for our efforts. I invited one of our new racers at the last minute since I had a team spot and he did great. He’s 16 and saving up for a race kart. He just won $125! Not a bad day for all involved.
I have a couple funny multi passes that speak more to the newness of the folks racing than my skill. There’s one where the entire pack goes into 1 all together. I wisely back out and go last. 3 don’t make it out, I think and I pass all the way up to 2nd, for example.
Here’s me momentarily being an idiot:
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Not much to show, really, so I made a brief video instead.
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With periodic physics updates, the records get reset…
So…See here for Season 2!
