Doh. I have a yearlong sub to VRS I forgot about. Thanks, TJ.
https://iracingsetupsync.nickthissen.nl/
I use this program a lot. But then I also end up just going back to base and playing with sway bars lol.
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Thotts on the sprint car…
It is kind of strange how niche the sprint car appears to be. There appear to be some iracing events for it (I can see one series) but other than that, crickets.
You’d think that given how pervasive sprint oval racing is IRL, there would be more interest. However, outside of dirt oval, I rarely see any dirt track sprint stuff being discussed or shown off on various forums.
I guess this is for two reasons. The first being if you are gonna sim, you will probably want to sim a dream car as opposed to an “obtainable” car.
Put it this way, I will occasionally see a sprint car being trailered down the highway. I have yet to see an F1 car on the way to NJMP, however. So, logically one is inclined to buy and try dream cars. Sprint cars aren’t traditionally “good looking” cars.
The other reason probably is how this thing drives. It’s really, really challenging. I feel pretty competent in my karts and the USF. However, in the sprint car, all the stuff I know and understand still applies, but the execution is waaaay more critical. Simply put, the thing “bites”, and will punish you severely for minimal missteps (relatively). Put the throttle down too hard, too early, you are done. Zing.
I suppose most folks will try this in sim and after a few attempted laps, will move on to something less frustrating.
I think you have to WANT to experience the difficulty. You have to seek it out, intentionally and with eyes wide open.
The reason I am struggling through this is because I want to understand how to truly manage grip, to be able to quietly and efficiently run in the rubber, tires whispering.
Anyways, day 3 down. Improvements had. Smoother sailing.
I did hook up the mic and do some babbling as I streamed last night. Like @IRQVET, I too projected a bit of “I suck” which I must not do. It’s hard, tho, because at this point, I actually am no good at this and somewhat embarrassed when I plow into the wall.
I can just hear @speedcraft in my head…
“So, Dom… what’s interesting is that the car was giving you a clear signal that you were going to lose the rear. Yet you deliberately ignored that and went ahead with mashing the throttle. Do you need an intervention?”
Oddly though, with the mic on and talking, you kind of find a groove. It’s not a fast groove but I could see it happening. Maybe Jimmy isn’t a freak of talking/driving talent, maybe it’s learnable.
Good fun is being had, despite the naseau that starts to happen after a few hundred very short, quick, and dangerous laps.
I don’t expect to see anybody I know out there, when I start racing these. I expect to find a small but rabid group of whackadoos that race sprint because there is nothing else like it and because it’s Hard.
Hopefully they will forgive me my learning curve. I may try to jump in some open practices this weekend and a ghost race or ten.
This should be fun.
Here’s my first attempted jibber-jabber stream. I don’t have much to say that is profound and mostly am squealing in fear or delight. Towards the end of the session, I made progress.
I am gonna need a paint and a name for my car. I’m thinking “Mercurial Molly” and a black dominant paint job.
For those new to iRacing, there’s an addon called “Trading Paints” that you should install. It not only allows you to choose other people’s designs but, more importantly, allows your computer to “see” everyone else’s paints. Since so many folks use trading paints, it’s a must-have. There’s fun stuff on there, too.
Btw it turns out that VRS has very little sprint car stuff and none that I can see for paved oval short track.
With an add-On sub, you can get access to another companies oval setups etc, but again, no paved short track big engine stuff.
This is weirdly niche and no-one seems to want it. 🥲
Yeah I didn’t think VRS would have stuff for sprint cars.
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Why not disable damage when testing?
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I looked at that car a while ago (along with the dirt Midget, and I think maybe a pavement Midget), and was shocked that there was so little interest.
Ha, well sucking is the first stop on the train to awesome for EVERYONE (including “talented” people); that’s just reality and how it works. 
However, shifting from destructive to constructive selftalk is a very small, but very important adjustment that moves the ‘target’ from YOU to a result, or decision, or action. Or better yet, turns a mistake into a path for troubleshooting and exploration
For example, “I suck” could more productively become “That turn sucked”, or “Come on, we can do better than that!”, or “Why did we ignore the signals the car was sending that could have saved us.”
BTW, I use plurals because it’s crowded inside the helmet (or VR), there are many roles being played by multiple parts (or levels of consciousness). Getting them to work together (instead of blaming each other - or just deciding “you suck”) is key.
I saw this yesterday and thought, “this girl knows, what’s what”!:
“I’m so proud that I was able to let myself ski like that, It’s a real mental game to let yourself do what you are capable of.” Jakara Anthony - 2022 Olympic Women’s Moguls Gold Medalist.
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That did not occur to me. But also it keeps me honest.
Also, when you crash in a sprint car it usually ends up pointing at a wall, backwards, upside down. Possibly on fire.
It’s just easier to tow and go again. Come crew for me. I need someone to push start me with their tow truck and spot for me (and tell me when I am awful). 
As always your wisdom is appreciated.
Thank you, Sensei!
Come back tomorrow, Daniel.
This is where we all find ourselves, I think.
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On that note… cam across this video and it’s relevant and somewhat profound in its simple message.
This man appears to be learning at a relatively advanced age, how to skate. And, similar to what I do here, he puts it out there for others to share his progression story.
Expectations and desire are funny things and I think I like his philosophy.
Progression is everything, imho, if the objective is to “git gud”. Everything that’s worth doing is built from the ground up, one rung at a time. Leaping forwards is typically counter-productive. Build the foundations first, etc.
In short, no shifter karts as your first kart. You also won’t win your first race. Or your second. Or… you may never win a race.
But winning a race, much like landing a switch 360 flip down a triple-set, is accomplished most quickly by mastering the actions that comprise the whole.
Not that I’ve ever landed a triple set (much less a kick flip) but this is relatable to what we do.
Embrace the sucking part. It’s where you learn all the important stuff.
It’s always amazed me knowing that skaters are some of the most determined people out there but carry the reputation of being lazy stoner losers. It’s crazy to sit at a skate park watching someone just completely beat themselves up over a trick, but the emotion the entire place has when it’s finally landed is hard to match.
Take a look at John Cardiel.
There were some guys like Cardiel and Jamie Thomas that took an absolute shellacking as they redefined boundaries and possibilities:
Cardiel was super intimidating. I did not know him but he was pals with Phelps. He was so gnarly in an already very gnarly crowd.
The lone kick flip I have ever landed was in front of Cardiel in Jakes office. To this day Phelps owes me the million bucks he bet me that I couldn’t kick flip.
Well Jake, you challenged me in front of Cardiel. You think I’m not gonna send it?
Cardiel slept with his eyes open. He was impressive.
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This is your own personal anecdote?
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Yeah. I worked in skating 1993-2000.
Wow! That’s pretty awesome!
I have many stories. It was an interesting and weird time.
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I am not sure if this goes in the Sim thread or the F1 thread…
McLaren Roblox
I bought a track, named the car, and found a paint
Bio: A half mile, paved oval opened in 1953, Five Flags Speedway takes its name from its proximity to Pensacola, Florida, known as the “City of Five Flags.” The race track is one of the fastest short tracks in America, thanks to its 15 degree banking and its wide turns that give the track a nearly circular configuration.
Rosebud dressed up for a night out at the disco:
The track is amazingly fun. I like the two turn oval a lot. It’s insanely fast and hugely grippy.
This is my next track purchase because it has a funny name:
There is a website that has the old signage/logos from the tracks in iRacing.