Racing line versus learning to drive

[The Phantom]

I did 3 months of VR iRacing in 2022 and all I wanted to drive was F1, got to B license in road, A for all others. So, I went to F1 VR 22,23,24. but now I am sick of the arcade and F1 is available in C class licence so I am back to iRacing. I don't want to use driving line... I feel it is cheating, sort of. I want to learn to drive properly and am currently downloading iRacing and am wondering how people feel about using the driving line to learn? I want start again in iRacing and try to use my natural talent which is not great, but real. So, would someone suggest I cheat using driving line or learn to drive using the 'active reset function' that allows me to replay sections of track to learn the best inputs? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Jbark51]

IMHO its bad for you. It teaches you to look down instead of the horizon. Looking farther ahead will teach you your actual brake points and looking through turns will help your apex/exits. Also it will give you better situational awareness.
As for the active reset? i don't use it either as all the corners flow together, so learning a small chunk doesn't help me.
practice, practice, practice. and good luck!
JB

[HelloHalo]

Ultimately, the choice between using the racing line and learning without it depends on your goals and what you enjoy most about racing simulations. If your aim is to simulate a more realistic driving experience and challenge yourself to master tracks through practice and analysis, then learning without the racing line might be more rewarding in the long run. However, if your priority is to quickly improve lap times and competitiveness, using the racing line initially could be a useful tool.

There's no definitive answer, as it varies from person to person. Some find using the racing line helpful as a learning aid before gradually phasing it out, while others prefer to dive straight into learning without it. Whichever path you choose, the active reset function in iRacing will certainly be a valuable tool to refine your skills and technique on the track.

[Long Niar™]

The artificial digital HUD racing line is very annoying in most if not all racing games I've played.

[Long Niar™]

I'd prefer to see skid marks on the track instead of a HUD racing line which makes the game cartoonish and thus break immersion.

[Jbark51]

just an FYI..the driving line on dirt oval is extra worthless because it doesn't follow the track use.

[WillePlay]

I got way better times turning off racing lines in all my experience at racing sim's .Even proved to myself that slower is sometimes better :-)

[Long Niar™]

Exactly.

[uL Willy-G]

Originally posted by A.Driver:

I didn't last long without Driving Line. Last week I got to Circuit de Lédenon in D class Ray FF1600. So many blind corners! I cheated, turned on Driving Line and went to C License as quick as I could.

its such a ♥♥♥♥ track. no good break markers for so many blind corners as well, i skip those weeks usually

[uL Willy-G]

Originally posted by Jbark51:

IMHO its bad for you. It teaches you to look down instead of the horizon. Looking farther ahead will teach you your actual brake points and looking through turns will help your apex/exits. Also it will give you better situational awareness.

you can do all those with the racing line just fine its not that hard, its not a religion people dont follow it religiously. if youre in a split where people are doing as you say they are than thats a skill issue

[lewiswood20585]

Originally posted by A.Driver:

I did 3 months of VR iRacing in 2022 and all I wanted to drive was F1, got to B license in road, A for all others. So, I went to F1 VR 22,23,24. but now I am sick of the arcade and F1 is available in C class licence so I am back to iRacing. I don't want to use driving line... I feel it is cheating, sort of. I want to learn to drive properly and am currently downloading iRacing and am wondering how people feel about using the driving line to learn? I want start again in iRacing and try to use my natural talent which is not great, but real. So, would someone suggest I cheat using driving line or learn to drive using the 'active reset function' that allows me to replay sections of track to learn the best inputs? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Dont use the racing line for this simple fact.

"The racing line changes for different types of car; Gt uses a V shaped line, F1 and LMP use a more traditional lines and later apex, slower cars need a more wide arch to maintain speed due to poor acceleration etc etc "

Best bet is to learn driving skills yourself.