Feature: The Rules of Auto Racing, Wrecking, and Talking

Back To Page 1

Use the Right Comms for the Right Circumstances

Seems obvious, but the comms rules for a light practice or a casual race are way different than for the real race in a serious competition.

Fun runs are meant to be just that, fun. Crack a few jokes. Ask what's up with the other racers. Moan and groan about your lack of skill on a given day. Be happy. Lots of talk, both voice comms and on screen chat text. People trade setups and talk about everything under the sun and the moon. No problem with that, and everyone pretty much understands. Me, I tend not to say a whole lot, because it takes every ounce of concentration in my body to keep the car on the track. I know it's fun, but if you're constantly wrecking, or even worse running into other cars, the fun just kind of drains out of it.

Practice in a serious race is a little different. People will still talk, but it's probably about setups, how their cars are handling in certain parts of the track, fuel loads, etc., but now THEY ARE RACE DRIVEN. Not about the weather, about racing. The amount of comms traffic drops significantly.

Then the qualifying session and most likely, chat drops off even more, or goes totally mute. Only a critical piece of information that needs to be shared is accepted to be spoken during qualifying of a serious race. People are trying to get their best time and improve their starting position by concentrating.

Finally, the serious race, and although there is some voice comms and chat, it is very tightly focused on the race. If you need to tell someone you're passing, then you do it. But not if your kid just dropped your pepperoni pizza slice on your foot.

Again, this situation happens in the serious race events. In the fun events, talk all you like until your jaw drops off.

Another tip. No voice activated TeamSpeak please. I learned that the hard way, last year. We were doing Staff races at the time, which were always light and easy, but I became aware that when I switched from a key activate to voice activate, it was causing problems out there.

It's Okay if People Don't Respond to You

As I said, sometimes I just have my hands full with what's going on in front of me and I cannot respond to a voice comm, or a text message. It's not that I'm rude, I'm just preoccupied. So, I'll get a text message, "Hey, it's 20mm! Nice to see ya" or some such. And I don't respond. First, I cannot text message, and drive, at all. At the same time that is. I can hardly talk and drive at the same time, since it means pressing a key and saying something. Like the old "rub your tummy and pat your head" deal. I can't do it. I don't know how people can type messages and drive a race car at the same time. No matter, I can't respond. But when I can, I do, with an explanation that is short but pithy. Heh, I love that word. Pithy. Almost sounds obscene. Again, it's not a matter of disrespect, just I can only do so many things at once. Usually only once. One of our very competitive weekly racing attendees on the SimHQ server named "Vikz" is a master. He could type out entire chapters of Shakespeare and never miss a shift or a turn. I'm so envious.

Go To Page 3

Click here to go to top of this page.

Copyright 2006, SimHQ.com. All Rights Reserved. Contact the webmaster.