My 1st iRacing Race!

[@christinaruddell]

Hey! Does anyone have tips to help me improve?

[@Fensteraufkipp]

I can help you with anything related to iracing or driving im a professional esports driver and love to coach/help new players!🛞

[@RoadRashHD]

Yes, Focus on practicing. Learn car control. And once you are up to speed. And matching the fast guys with in about 3 seconds. Then go race and get out of rookies. Best thing you can do. Is try and do 5 clean laps with zero incident point, no off tracks or spins. And gradually get up to speed. Get the ol' man to help give you some pointers to stay clean on track

[@ThomasHnzHansen]

First and foremost. You should get your basics right. Braking, turning, acceleration etc. Sadly I see so many newbies in iRacing get tips from people that doesn't really have a clue how to help. "Brake later for this corner" could probably make you faster for that particular corner on that track, but it does not teach you why you should brake later for that corner or why it might make you faster for that entire lap. Get my point? :) - If you want help, then get someone who can really, really help you with the basics.

[@davedeja]

Don't put a bunch of pressure on yourself to be competitive right out of the box. Don't be consumed by thinking about SR and IR. At first, just focus on completing race and not collecting too many incident points. In one day my IR went from over 1200 to under 600 because I had a string of races where I got caught up in so many crashes that were happeneing around me that were not my fault. Now I'm struggling to get it back, mainly because I just don't care for so many of the races that are happening lately. One thing I noticed was you corner turn in was a little abrupt at times. Be smooth on turn in especially under braking. Also, in a turn, don't jump off of the brake pedal, try to release it more like you would roll on the throttle. Jumpng off will take the weight of the front tires and your car will plow (push) through the corner. Just be patient and you'll be fine. A thick skin helps. AI races can be a valuable tool that can teaach you alot, as well as solo practice sessions for mastering track layouts and car characterisitics.

[@spacewizard1620]

Check out Suellio Almedia's sim racing coaching content - his book The Motor Racing Book at the very least. He'll teach you everything you need on car handling with a strong sim racing focus. I wish I had his book when I first started - would've saved me a TON of practice time and headaches on track.

[@MiserableRacer]

Everyone was a beginner once. Just keep at it. Rookie grind is hard but just keep out of trouble and go from there. Good luck

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you. 😊

[@AdrianJSClark]

Super brave to put your first race on KZbin. My first couple of iRacing races were followed by almost a year of being too scared to drive online with other people, let alone put it here. I regret that now because I love it! You drove a good race with the right attitude, I think. Lots of other people have written tips, so the only thing I'll say is keep having fun!

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks Adrian! Yeah I thought it would be fun to look back on! Hopefully see you on track some time 😊

[@ugccrawl6850]

​@@christinaruddell looking forward to seeing where you are a year from now. Good luck in your journey.

[@oFelix20]

@AdrianJSClark Hey! Just came here to say I relate really well to your comment, I have bought about 3 different iracing subscriptions in 3 different black Friday events (1 per year) where I would race 1-2 weeks and be very anxious for ruining someone else's race thinking that I would never improve. This year I am trying to be a little more consistent and trying to justify the price paid hahaha Would be nice to see you on a lobby one day!

[@AdrianJSClark]

@@oFelix20 Nice going! I got hooked a couple of years ago. Once you're racing regularly it gets easier to be out there in a race for sure. These days you will mostly find me in the Mercedes-AMG W13 "Grand Prix Tour" series that follows the real-life F1 calendar. I live-stream most of my races too.

[@Djstewbles]

I love shit like this. I’m new to iRacing and sharing the struggle is.. well.. refreshing. Nice job. Make more content.

[@christinaruddell]

More videos to come soon. Just on holidays at the moment 🏝️

[@1976Cordoba]

1 - Press F3 to get the 'relative' standings on screen - absolutely essential for understanding when you have a good gap to rejoin. 2 - Try to be easy on steering under braking. The car wants to do one or the other usually and too much steering will bring the back around. 3 - it's pixels on a screen, thus it's easy to get things wrong. That's fine, just carry on and don't let hot heads affect your enjoyment. Good luck & have fun. 😀👍🏁

[@pixelhotdish]

As someone else who just started with iRacing, I also appreciate the tips :D

[@Badj9]

@@pixelhotdish F3 for relatives to have an idea of where people are around you and honestly that's it. Everything else is useless and distracting, especially at your level.

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks so much. Great advice!

[@TatohOne]

Track knowledge, car/tire limit knowledge, learning to use an entire track to carry speed, knowledge of what gear for each corner. just takes practice and time learning. But most importantly is to have fun. You can learn so much just by watching someone else who’s way faster. You did great! Can’t wait to watch the journey. BTW… Its single middle aged men who said screw it on dating, so we play racing and flight sims😂

[@reviewforthetube6485]

So one big issue that will help you a ton! You are accidently keeping down on the throttle at times and lightly pushing when you are turning in its making you lose grip. Just remember while turning in go let off gas all the way then lightly go on the throttle after the apex that alone id going to helo you a ton. You are rpessing the gas when not meaning to by being to lazy with your throttle foot. It was something i also did at first! Was such a big difference finding grip just remembeing all the way off and on with both the brake and throttle. When turning in let off the brake slower its trsil braking it helos turn the nose of the car in. Thede 2 tricks alone will make you not spin as much. Whats happening with you letting off the throttle to slow and or accidnrly keeping some down whime turning in is you are not keeping maximum grip thats all. Hold the wheel lighter also so you can feel the information and snap of the wheel when you do lose grip. Tbh you were driving much better in the actual race itself. Please remember to hsve fun and dont get to upset. Dont let the stress of getting better ruin the enjoyment. It is fun you shouldnt be the best that fast it takes time so dont out to much prsssure on yourself. Really the no1 issue right now when starting out is track knowledge. What you should be doing is not playing online and just practicing the tracks and undrrstsnd the braking points its incredible the difference when you understand the track. Also remember to theow the csr intp the corners you are understeering alot because of the fesr of spinning. Again you really werent doing bad you were staying with that red car pretty well.

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you for the detailed feedback! Hopefully you'll see that some of these things are sorted in my latest video 🙈

[@killrockstartv]

Love watching people battle out of the rookies and progress! Very glad I found these videos Keep it Up!

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you!

[@waffles777]

I just bought iRacing this morning, and took the plunge. Huge respect for recording your first race and putting it out in the open. I'm half considering doing the same. Thankfully the iRacing community is hugely supportive. Keep up the great work.

[@Fogad237]

The crazy thing is that in 1 year we'll be all there amazed by your progress. Keep pushing!

[@christinaruddell]

I hope so!

[@davidmiller-w6l]

thanks for sharing this I'm sooo jealous! your going to get there and have fun too!

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you! Don't let expensive equipment etc put you off getting going if it's something you want to do. 🏎️

[@theGaryRuddell]

Well done on your first upload! You will be out of the rookies before you know it and smashing the Nürburgring in an LMP-2!

[@christinaruddell]

Hopefully! These MX5s stress me out 😝

[@Jack96993]

​@@christinaruddell The MX5 is considered a momentum track car and great to learn the racing line of most race tracks I used it to learn the Nurburgring Ring racing line Anything more powerful like the BMW M4 GT3 you will more than likely go off track a bunch of times

[@Voncid]

Well done, you made it to the end. Now before your next official race go to the Test drive select the car and track and drive the track till you feel comfortable with the track. means drive laps without incidents. In your next race start from the back or pits and work your way to the front. (practice, practice, practice). Also, go to iracing documents go over set ups and tips for your car. Have Fun!

[@RidgwayRacing]

My first race was 13 years ago & watching yours gave me a wonderful nostalgic feeling. I couldn't even do a road race for weeks, maybe months after starting iRacing. I raced legends & street stocks (ovals), which, if you haven't, I highly recommend. Tracks are simple, but surviving requires spacial awareness. I believe this is the best way to learn to race with others. Its close quarters and there'salways a wreck to avoid. For anyone starting sim racing, this may be the most efficient way to get your racecraft up. The survival skills gained from oval racing are so beneficial for road racing. On road tracks, the amount of room to avoid incidents is tremendous, whereas ovals, the runoff area is a concrete wall! Great video & good luck sim racing!

[@christinaruddell]

Never even thought of that! Thank you. Will defo give it a go!

[@ozrick_major]

Unfortunately that incident with Alexi was on you. You didn’t leave racing room on the exit. We were all beginners once though. Keep practicing and keep learning 👍

[@Fezz710]

Welcome to Sim Racing and thank you for sharing your journey with us. Very much looking forward to following your progression. As an old school sim racer myself you've inspired me to get back in to it after somewhat of a break post some frustrating experiences! So my only advice is to have fun and enjoy yourself. You will get frustrated and annoyed no doubt. But push on. The community you build here will be right behind you :)

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you! It’s frustrating, for sure! Hope to see you out there sometime. ☺️

[@EdEMitchell]

Ok, I'm onboard to watch your journey into iRacing, Good luck out there. I decided to give iRacing a proper crack this weekend too, although I have done a bit of other sim driving. Let see how this goes.

[@christinaruddell]

Have fun and I’ll hopefully catch you on track 🚗

[@patslee1394]

thanks for an entertaining video, 1st time I've seen iRacing. looked fun

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah it’s intense! ACC is good too

[@ChrisTian-co4oc]

It can be great fun, but don't approach it this way first.

[@HazewinDog]

@@ChrisTian-co4oc I do approach simracing as 'fun' first. It's why I don't get angry when I get taken out or lose positions. I'm not a very competitive person generally, but when I do get competitive, it can take away from the fun. But that's okay - it's more fun to battle at the back than to drive away at the front anyway!

[@NathansWorkshop]

I really appreciate the narration. I spend a lot of time trying to talk myself down during qualy and races so I don't spin. It's all nerves! lol. Keep at it!

[@jrd3807]

Well done, this channel will blow up if you keep this kind of content coming ;)

[@christinaruddell]

That's the plan! ☺️

[@Fogad237]

I totally agree.

[@mattvangrootel5873]

Good on you! Great video and good to see beginers posting good honest content. We've all been there and your doing great.

[@christinaruddell]

I appreciate that! ☺️

[@playstationracer67]

Great to see someone jumping in at the deep end and putting their first races online. Not for the faint hearted and great work.

[@SoggyGravy]

This is probably the most relatable iracing video I've ever watched.

[@help_im_lost]

I also recently got my sim setup and realized so quickly driving a car is NOT the same as racing a car

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah! I used to own a Maxza MX5 too but this was so different 😧

[@stevet7974]

Awesome! Watched all the video. Subscribed!

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks Steve!!! Amazed you watched it all 👀

[@Cmdr_Sam]

You did great for your first race! Welcome to sim racing addiction :D Just keep on it and you will see a lot of improvements, few tips 1. Find breaking points that work for you 2. Avoid braking and turning, thats the main reason you were spinning 3. Install Crew Chief, it will help in your situational awareness. Also the motivational messages from chief helps a lot :D 4. Just enjoy the process

[@blublublabla4545]

Welcome to Iracing. Great start. It takes years and years of practice to become really good at racing. But it's an incredible jorney with lots of ups(ies) and downs but if you can have fun doing that it will be a lot easier. Try and always be as smooth as possible with your feet and hands. Use all the track and work on your racing line. Thats the one that determines your possible speed through a corner. When you get to the point where you are fighting for laptimes, focus on your braking. Thats the key to it all. Will keep an eye out for your next race for sure.

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you!

[@EugeneManoek]

Congrats on your first video. Also great that you have the wheel sound turned up higher than the rest. This helps you learn where the limit of grip is and that you are hitting the rumble strips and apexes. This helps you "use all the of track" and get faster. Get to know where the edge of the track is by getting to know where on the dash the white line is when you go off track. Do this in practice, again helping to use all of the track. Yeah, as you said, learn trail braking. I watched your braking curve and it looks like mounds, they should be more like a Triangle with hard enough braking at the beginning to transfer weight to the front for grip to turn in, then lift slowly as you turn to apex keeping just enough pressure to keep grip on the front wheels. Too much will spin though, even keeping too much pressure for too long will. Also remember slow in fast out of corners. Enjoy!!

[@christinaruddell]

Mounds and triangles! I like that! Thank you 😃

[@CoolenergeRJJ]

It was many years ago when I was in the miata rookie class. I would take all the in screen things off and concentrate on the racing lines around the track. Vir is a very technical track, I started at lime rock. Less turns, easier turns, let's you learn how to control that car, and when you can lean on it more. Goodluck. It will be tough at first, but it's a ton of fun.

[@kronzomg]

You’re good at the whole on camera thing, keep it up!

[@Squantoon]

Very entertaining video and I am looking forward to the next one. Dont get discouraged!

[@christinaruddell]

More to come!

[@ibbopaul]

You did great for your first race.

[@Danny-fc2je]

Keep at it, I just started and got out of rookies in 2 days. The Mazdas are a trip that’s for sure!

[@christinaruddell]

Awesome! Yeah I find the GT3s way easier to drive for some reason 😂

[@Danny-fc2je]

Which GT3 did you go with?

[@ChrisTian-co4oc]

@@christinaruddell Yes, because the dampers of the Mazda are really soft. But in GT3 the challenge is to be competitive.

[@Sc2pro92]

Great video for beginner setup and learning! I’m nearly two years into sim racing after being an automotive fan for years and I’m just now building the confidence to potentially start a Channel on my journey! Love the integrated data and live reactions ✊🏻

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks! Yeah get started - it's always fun to see the journey!

[@k.Storelvmo]

Heck yeah! good luck on your journey! This will be a complete blast! i promise you!

[@christinaruddell]

Fingers crossed!

[@mikeyharris]

Loved your video. Ive just got back into iracing after 3 years and id only just got my D licence in sports car, so Im very much at the back. Really looking forward to seeing your progress! 😊

[@christinaruddell]

Great to hear! Welcome back. ☺️

[@Jaiykk]

The setup and the overlays really is jumping into the deep-end! I don't drive in iracing (I dislike their payment model tbh) so can't help there, but in terms of new people to racing. I have seen much worse, I thought you did well! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the journey :)

[@mitchvaughan1360]

Great first race be very proud of yourself and doworry a out mistakes that how you learn and get better 🙂

[@paizaoleigo]

good lucky in the journey

[@JustAnAverageSimRacer]

Congrats on the first video and welcome to sim racing! if you haven't yet, a good Discord to get involved with is good thing also to race and practice with different individuals who can throw tips and time your way! (hint one in my channel to get started with, a good few Mazda runners in there)

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks! Any good recommendations on servers to join?

[@MarcoAntonio_72]

Christina, you did great! To me the MX-5 is one of those cars that tries to kill you whenever it can! You'll find that cars with mechanical grip are trickier than aero cars. Tips would be try to get all your braking done in a straight line and use engine brake for trail braking. Do a test on Centripetal Circuit, as you will able to fine tune your braking and turning. Also, look at using CrewChief, which is a better spotter/informational communicator. Blue Flag (yellow slash) means a faster/leader car is approaching and you should let them by - as you are using RaceLabs, bring up the "Relative" overlay which will give you an idea of where cars are...red cars are leaders...white the one your completing with...blue are lapped cars...in reference to you

[@christinaruddell]

That’s some amazing advice. Thank you! And you’re not the first to mention Crew Chief. I’ve got it, just not got round to setting it up. I best get on it!

[@MarcoAntonio_72]

@@christinaruddell - are ya doing Lime Rock Park this week? I love that track, driver it irl

[@OldManiRacing-fj4lg]

it's a long learning curve, but good on you for having a go. Enjoy the journey and never give up.

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks Old Man! I’ll keep going 🚗

[@DanCrossRacing]

Great first effort and welcome to iRacing! You'll be addicted before you know it! I have a few recommendations, though: make sure you have the audio on for the iRacing spotter or download the Crew Chief - these will give you audio prompts to let you know when there's a car alongside you that you need to leave space for. Which is unfortuantely the reason you got turned around by Alexi - he was still alongside on the exit of T4 and you went all the way to the edge of the track and pit manoeuvred yourself on his bonnet. In my humble opinion you have far too many overlays on your screen for where you are at the moment. Clear most of it off and swap out the 'Tyre Info' box for the 'Relative' box (F2 on your keyboard). Two reasons: The relative will give you a good idea of how close other cars are to you, and it is by far the most important info you can have during a race. Also, the Tyre info doesn't update unless you've stopped in the pits and your 'pit crew' get to take the measurements. Don't be afraid to use 1st gear! It's scary at first because every time you do, the rear end comes around. The trick is to quickly 'blip' the throttle while braking and as you click down to 1st. This spikes the revs up and prevents the rear differential from locking up and taking the grip away. It's tricky to learn, but once you've got it, you'll find yourself doing it even when you didn't mean to! Blue flags in iRacing are the 'Endurance' flags - they have the yellow stripe through them which makes them purely inforrmational. You do not need to take any action except to be aware that a car is approaching that you are not racing. Simply remain predictable and let them do the work to pass you safely. You *do not* need to jump out of their way. Some people will get upset and expect you to get out of the way, but it is *their* job to pass you safely. It is your job to be predictable. Finally, don't try to rush out of Rookies, this car and series is by far the best for learning good technique, racecraft and habits. Even when you do promote out to D Class, I'd recommend running an entire 12-13 weeks in this series to squeeze as much learning as you can out of it before moving on. I *still* regularly come back to this series as it is, by far, one of the most fun, most well populated series on the service. Apologies for the wall of text, but your husband sent me this way and I thought I'd like to help!

[@christinaruddell]

This is some amazing feedback. Thank you! Yes… having watched the race back I realise it was my fault that I didn’t leave him enough space. I need to do more races with others on the track and get used to looking out for other people! AI cars are a lot more predictable. 😂 And completely right about the info on screen. I realised too late that the ‘relative’ box was off screen for the viewers. 🙈 Will fix it for next time! I’ll try and put all your tips into practice, and please keep them coming! I need all the help I can get!

[@HazewinDog]

@@christinaruddell It's probably hard to keep track of everything that's going on for now. I find in rookies it's best to assume you're a ghost to others haha. Not only do rookies not see you, but they're also the least predictable. Extra challenge that is just what you need when you're still working on car control! (not really haha). Btw, ideally you would practice car control more first, in a singleplayer session. I imagine races are more interesting, but singleplayer practice will really help you get to grips with the car and help you learn how to learn tracks as well. Your slow and steady approach is great for learning. Driving beyond your capabilities hampers learning, so always practice at your comfort level and pick up the pace as you learn. That's the most important tip I have for you right now, and one that will always apply. Only once you can lap a car/track combo consistently (say within at most 1s each lap), then you can start to push slightly beyond your comfort zone and see if you're leaving things on the table. Additionally you might try out different lines in some corners. Watching an onboard of faster drivers (in an online session or on KZbin) can also help show you where you're losing time. Lastly, and this is mostly for after you've already done everything else, it can actually be beneficial to watch your own onboards. Sometimes it's easier to see what you're doing wrong as a viewer! Best of luck (:

[@prsmaracing]

Great going for your first iRacing race. I've just started sim racing, dropped about 300 points in my first couple of days but the last few days I've managed to get myself out of rookies in the formula series. Working on sports car series next. I got DQ'd from my first race for too many incidents so you did better than me 🤣 I think just keep that same mindset, don't try and go for speed now, focus on sticking on track and staying safe, the speed will come once you get more comfortable and confident. Maybe we'll meet on track soon, a race to get out of sports car rookie class! Keep it up! 👊

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks so much. ☺️ well done! Hopefully see you out there.

[@zeekot4064]

This was actually entertaining “ I’m still not last, happy days” got me lol

[@CharlesK441]

Great stuff. Reminds me of Annie Rabbets start into documenting her journey. Good luck 👍🏾

[@christinaruddell]

Wow, thank you!

[@NJGaming82]

Great content and excellent editing. I am getting into iRacing myself although I won't scare the world with my hideous face just yet but I like your idea of sharing the journey. You have a great attitude firm but fair racing if only more had your morals! Great content well done might see you on the track some time.

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you! Hopefully see you out there some time.

[@rmpadilha]

Minhas primeiras corridas no iRacing também foram bem complicadas. Depois de muito treino e estudos comecei a andar mais dentro da pista que no gramado. A luta é diária, não tem outro jeito! Boa sorte, Cristina 😂😂😂

[@VGT1]

this is a very interesting video for me to watch as i was thinking of getting a 1 month of iracing in the coming weeks. keep it up and good luck!!

[@christinaruddell]

Glad you enjoyed it. 1 month felt too easy for me to bail on if I didn't like it, so I got a 2 year one

[@mikeyharris]

Also forgot to say, it's great to see females in sim racing (and motorsport in general), despite all of the ridiculous misogynistic comments. I took my 6 year old daughter go karting for the first time yesterday, which she loved, and she absolutely loves watching 'girls' racing on KZbin 😊

[@VGT1]

@@mikeyharris That's adorable 🥺 and ya its very great :p

[@ClickerSnapper01]

Way to go Christina Hope you're racing career goes a long way Nice video

[@christinaruddell]

I hope so too!

[@smithp573]

There’s no substitute for seat time ie practice, practice, practice. And as you progress up the ladder you’ll eventually (probably) realise that while it’s not the “best” car in iRacing, the MX5 delivers without a doubt some of the best racing on the service. Great video by the way.

[@Argy_V]

That was fun to watch, you got a good sense of humour. New to iracing too, ovals mostly. It will be an interesting journey!

[@christinaruddell]

Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully I’ll get onto a dirt oval soon. That looks wild 🤪

[@Argy_V]

@@christinaruddell hope to see you on track then!

[@pavelsoukup7749]

Much round and you Will be better and better ❤

[@HazewinDog]

Ahh it's both refreshing and painful to see a true beginner for once! I'll try to drop in with some tips sometimes throughout your journey if I can! For now I have the basics for you: Step 1. Practice car control more; in a singleplayer session. I imagine races are more interesting, but singleplayer practice will really help you get to grips with the car and help you learn how to learn tracks as well. Your slow and steady approach is great for learning. Driving beyond your capabilities hampers learning, so always practice at your comfort level and pick up the pace as you learn. That's the most important tip I have for you right now, and one that will always apply. Step 2. Only once you can lap a car/track combo consistently (say within at most 1s each lap), then you can start to push slightly beyond your comfort zone and see if you're leaving things on the table. Additionally you might try out different lines in some corners. Watching an onboard of faster drivers (in an online session or on KZbin) can also help show you where you're losing time. Lastly, and this is mostly for after you've already done everything else, it can actually be beneficial to watch your own onboards. Sometimes it's easier to see what you're doing wrong as a viewer! As for racing others, I would recommend only partaking in that after you've completed Step 1 for the given car+track combo. Best of luck (: Lastly, I have a question for you, if you don't mind.. How do I get my girlfriend into simracing? She's moving in with me soon and she has enjoyed driving a red Ferrari around public roads in the sim two or three times, but it takes a few months for her to be interested in having another go. We don't have many shared hobbies, so I would love to add one!

[@nunopinheiro75]

Cristina one tip from me, if you feel like you're going to lose the car, hit the brake and gas at the same time hard, it will be easier to control the car from spinning, but you have to be quick ;)

[@christinaruddell]

That's an interesting tip! I'm scratching my head trying to figure out if this is a trick to make me do a donut or not lol

[@baldmar5083]

To get out of rookie, don’t worry about results, just keep it clean and try to avoid incidents and off tracks. You’ll gain safety rating and advance to the next class.

[@christinaruddell]

Solid advice. I just need to stick to that!

[@nickstone3606]

for your first race well done, tip practice practice practice

[@simracingdad2501]

Hi Christina, how was/is the holiday? Hope you had fun? Nice video of your first race. Looks like you are a natural KZbinr 😊 I also just started iRacing this week. I did compete in ACC and Raceroom so I had a little advantage over some other rookies. The first mistake I made is that I went for the podium. WRONG!! This way I go a lot of incident point and did not get a lot of safety rating. Here are my tips to get out of rookies: 1 - Have fun 😄 2 - Do not qualify. Start from the back. The biggest danger (apart from yourself) are drivers behind you. 3 - Do not battle with other drivers. You just have to finish with as less incident points as possible. 4 - Do not lift or break in corners. Do that in a straight line before the corner. Otherwise you will spin. 5 - Have fun 😄 I hope this was helpful and maybe I see you on track sometime 👍

[@christinaruddell]

Very good advice. Thank you. ☺️ also… no issue with the not qualifying tip. 😂

[@simracingdad2501]

@@christinaruddell 🤣

[@VirtualRyders]

I have a great tip for you that helps me out the most, especially with new tracks/cars. There is an option called "Active Reset" where you can set a spot during your lap that you can teleport back over again just by pushing a button. This is the best way I can practice a turn, over and over again without doing another lap or if you crash, you can just teleport back and not have to re-warm your tires n stuff. Helps a ton when figuring out the Nürburgring as I just go through sections at a time and to memorize the track easier and you can just go full blast and see what the limits of the car is. I think it only works in Test Drive.

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah I’ve used Active Reset a few times! It’s awesome. Definitely going to spend more time with it!

[@tobyrichards]

You've achieved completing your first race! I know that might sound obvious but bear with me a moment. You've decided to pit yourself against others, learned a track, learned what not to do i.e. how not to rejoin the track. You've learned how qualifying works and the importance of keeping it clean. Sometimes a little less speed helps in the long run by keeping you out of trouble where others don't and crash, spin, etc. You'll pick up those places and build safety rating allowing you to progress out of the Rookie class. You'll have ups and downs, that's to be expected (you most likely know that anyway) and I suggest not worrying about picking up iRating, that will come with practise and experience as you have cleaner races. Practise braking for a corner and corners themselves. Use most of the track, don't leave anything on the table. I find practising for an hour or so with other people on the track very helpful, you begin to understand their behaviour which helps you understand what to expect in the race, and you can watch faster peoples racing lines by watching the replays from in their cars. Apologies if you know all this, it's difficult to gauge what to suggest but i hope you find this useful along with everyone else's comments of course :-). I really must get back into racing myself....

[@christinaruddell]

You’re right. Some great tips, and very kind. ☺️ and yes, I do need to practise more with real people on track!

[@Clearo]

A great first attempt all things considered. Two things I noticed from watching 1) braking while turning is what causes most of your slip and slide moments. Certain cars, the Mazda being one of them, really do not like to turn while on the brakes even with ABS 2) Overslowing in corners. While this is a very safe way to get around it is disrupting any kind of flow and the flow is what you really want. Activate that zen mode and let the muscle memory take over Try to find your own braking and turning references on track to hone your instinct for learning tracks then consult track guides to see if you're right. You'll learn tracks quite quickly after a bit

[@tozkal96]

here are a few tips to help you on your journey. brake in a straight line. when we break the wheight of the car goes on to the front tires giving them more grip and also taking grip from the rear. this makes the car unstable and easy to spin if you have any amount of steering imput. get on the gas later. the same apply on corners, when we are in a corner and are not done with rotating the car (turning the amount we want) and whe get on the gas too early, the weight shifts to the rear wheels and away from the front. this makes the car wash outward in the corner making it harder to rotate the car and can lead to spinning out. to combat this point the car as straight as possible in the exit and don't give it any throttle untill you have turned the car as much as you want to have done to make the exit. and if you need to turn and keep throttle like if the corner is really long for example, you can as a general rule have a degree of steering take away a percent of throttle. for example if we go straight the wheel is at 0 degrees and we can have 100% throttle, if we have 20 degrees of steering then its 80% throttle, 90 degrees is 10% and after 90 we probably don't need to be on throttle.

[@MotocrossRacingOnline]

awesome rig, good luck! Don't stress to much about learning everything to quickly, just practice and do races and you'll improve

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks so much. Yeah the rig was fun to build. Looking forward to getting hang of things!

[@DTfang]

One thing that helped me a lot was getting the proper FOV set. There is also an option to remove the steering wheel if it is tooo distracting. Great work and looking forward to more.

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah I did all the calculations for the triple monitors. I think it’s ok. I only put the steering wheel on for this one race so you guys could see it 😊

[@prabhuxbhpian2413]

Think you went balls out on the setup🎉….wow🎉🎉🎉

[@christinaruddell]

Haha yeah I was a bit crazy ordering this stuff!

[@lawrencemulligan7898]

Great first race. Well done. There are a few things. You are mostly engine braking by staying in a low gear and not using the brakes. Use as much accelerator as you can and brake between 70% and 80% on the more significant corners, you will get a feel for it over time. When learning the track, look for permanent markers on the road and rely on them to indicate when to brake. Great work and you got my Sub

[@christinaruddell]

Aww. Thank you so much! I’m trying to work on my braking! ☺️

[@eliteangler]

Slow is steady... and steady is fast... slow into the corner... fast out... I bet you have read that advice a thousand times... 🤣🤣 Great video!!

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks for the tips!

[@nihontiger]

The first few races, especially in rookies, can be tough. It's more just about keeping things clean and finishing, and yes, there will be mistakes. Keep trying to learn from every race and practice session and you'll be lapping quicker in no time. The MX-5 (and other cars) takes a few laps to get the tires up to temperature, so taking it easy while the tires are cold will be beneficial. Especially because people will overdrive at all levels and spin themselves out before the tires have enough grip for them to be aggressive. Most important, have fun! That's always the biggest thing because none of this matters if you're not enjoying yourself in the sim.

[@christinaruddell]

Great tip! I have noticed the grip changing massively over the race!

[@garryhemmington9033]

Subbed, cuz i reckon your simracing journey is going to be very entertaining to watch. Love the way you talk to yourself when things go a little awry. Tips?, number 1 would be to stay on the black stuff 😂 I'll give you another after your next vid 😮

[@christinaruddell]

😂 thanks! If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s talking to myself. 🤣

[@vicar19]

Well done for taking the step in to the world of lapping. Subscribed 👍

[@jps072]

Good for you.. Just have fun with it. It aint easy at first but its just like riding a bike. Good Luck mate

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks 👍 I appreciate the support 😊

[@redshot_8897]

Shout out to this lady, she’s just super chill and funny as heck. Great video keep the good work..🔥👍🏾

[@frp_freddy]

sweet , just saw this after posting my first race. Keep at it.

[@christinaruddell]

Welcome to the world of iRacing! 👋🏻

[@MsFrankGS]

va bene come prima gara.... complimenti !

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you

[@alexkatsanos8475]

Gary sent me here. Congrats on your new channel!

[@christinaruddell]

Haha he’s a wild one! Thanks for checking it out 😊 do you race?

[@MeowtualRealityGamecat]

Just practice and you get better in time, you did really well as it is, I didn’t even finish my first race

[@christinaruddell]

☺️

[@Craig32Curtis]

For your first ever iRace you've got some impressive HUDs, you must've done your research before starting! Be good to see you branch out into different sims like AC, by all means you're welcome to join our group (VRRC) and learn more skills, we welcome all levels and stream all our races with commentary - we currently have only one girl so she needs some backup! Great first attempt at iRacing though!

[@christinaruddell]

I’ve got loads running on the edges of my left and right monitor too! It’s just the RaceLabs app. It’s really nice! I’ll check out VRRC 😊

[@Craig32Curtis]

​​@@christinaruddellWe also enter a couple of teams in the iRacing endurance events, they're so much fun you won't believe!

[@vendicatore79]

Starting at VIR for the first race. You are brave :)

[@christinaruddell]

Is that a hard one!? I mean, it did seem tricky!

[@nveeser]

One recommendation I got early … turn down engine noise and turn up the tires. Good indicator for how close to oversteer you are, especially with the mx5.

[@kariburton4078]

Here’s a suggestion that really helped me. Try to brake in a straight line. I noticed several times you are braking and turning at the same time. Car will do one or the other but NOT both. Also on your braking try a hard application followed by a feather of the pedal. Hard brake sets the front end and the trailbraking will keep it planted in the turns. Good luck.

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you!

[@kariburton4078]

@@christinaruddell let me know if that helps you.

[@TarzanGTI]

I’d recommend reading Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley. Great book I re-read multiple times every now and then that helps with sim racing and IRL stuff. Best advice is just focus on smoothness of inputs starting out. It may feel slower mid corner but your restraint will reward you. A lot of people don’t like the Miatas starting out in iRacing but I actually love them cause it really rewards smoothness and is super rewarding to drive once you tame it.

[@kenlawless7247]

Christina you're not bad actually for first race. Lots of practice is better than tips at this point. That's the fun part anyway.

[@simaddiction]

Everyone was a beginner at one time. Don't get discouraged. Let your love of racing and passion for competition drive your content.

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you

[@PhoenixMotorsportUK]

First tip. Dont be an a rush to get out of rookies. Once you can survive a rookies race up at the front half of the field you will find the next levels a little easier as the driving standards are (usually) higher. 2nd tip - if you spin hold the brakes until its safe to rejoin proeprly. Its easier for other drivers to avoid a stationary car on the track than it is a moving one. Aprt from that stick with it and have fun - its worth it

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks! I know… 🙈 it’s easier said than done when you want to get back on track, but so frustrating to encounter.

[@rachelripstra1839]

Those Miata's can get loose pretty easy under breaking. If you can keep it stable, break in a straight line, etc, then it's a great car to practice trail braking in. That said, if you're finding you're still spinning on turns, you can shift the break bias up and make it understeer more for a while.

[@christinaruddell]

Great advice. Thank you! I am working on my braking… might try some trail braking soon. 😬

[@Jack96993]

I've been doing iRacing or should I say iceRacing 😅 But I've been on the VIR track in my 1989 Porsche 944TS track car I would suggest turning on the racing line and use it as a reference It will help you become consistent with the racing line Go easy on the first lap as you're on cold tires Smooth is fast Listen to the tire noise ( I have mine at full volume) Use as much track as possible ie I use most of the right side of the rumble strip at the beginning of the uphill S's so I don't have to keep turning the wheel ( mini straight) and mess with the balance of the car Also check out Jim Pace at VIR and he does an excellent job of explaining the full coarse racing line at VIR good luck and practice practice practice 😅

[@DanielCrinson]

welcome to our wonderful world of sim racing. stick with it whilst you're trying to get out of rookies, doesn't matter which sim you play it's always the same survive then the fun competitive stuff starts. What kind of races are you looking forward to doing? single seaters, endurance, ovals?

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks! I’d love to do some endurance stuff once I get my consistency up. GT3 probably interests me the most. Might have to get the Nurburgring DLC!

[@DanielCrinson]

@@christinaruddell yup endurance is good fun and GT3 is always popular especially at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the IMSA stuff also looks very good. for me, getting involved with a community or team kept me interested so I wasn't always racing against strangers, so something else there for you to consider. Enjoy!

[@JuTakii]

We will watch your career with great interest

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you! Cool profile pic!

[@combatwombat71]

Simucube and an RTX4090 tells me you're fairly serious about this 🙂 As already mentioned - the relatives box is a must-have to see where you are in relation to drivers behind etc. Ditch that MX5 and jump into the Formula Vees - much more fun!

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah I’ve got a relative on the left monitor. I’ll be sure to put it in the main monitor next time 😊 Thanks for your tips!

[@kris81k]

Hi good luck . Meny greting from Poland 🇵🇱

[@christinaruddell]

Hello 👋

[@rj_simracing]

This was me 6 months ago. Still as bad now 😂😂 enjoy the journey though. Once you get into the different classes though the cars become grippier. I still love going back to the MX5 for a bit of fun. Just enjoy the journey and maybe see you on track sometime 💯

[@stephenhealy1681]

"Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." Don't be afraid to practice with the drive line on before races. Helps you learn the track faster and recognize the breaking points sooner. Once you are comfortable, turn it off and start pushing for lap time improvements.

[@christinaruddell]

I think I'll give that a go! Slow is smooth; smooth is fast! You a sniper? ;)

[@martinbryant3515]

Good luck on your journey. It will be a mixture of 80-20 in Frustration-Reward but that will flip around with time and practice. My 2 best tips I can give you. 1) KZbin track guides. Best way to learn tracks by far. 2) Suelio Almeidas channel. Best online racecraft teacher

[@christinaruddell]

Thanks for the tips! Yeah I found some nice track guides on the Traxxion KZbin channel. Need to take some notes!

[@TommyMitchellw4tzm]

So for your first race you went to VIR, a narrow winding track with heaps of blind corners. That takes huge brass lady balls.

[@christinaruddell]

Hahaha… huge balls.. or naivety… 🤔😂

[@TC-sim-racing]

Hey, maybee i see you in the future, begin of next week i got my gaming pc en drive for the first time iracing like you, i am exiting, intressting too look how you do it 🙂

[@christinaruddell]

Have fun! Best of luck with learning it!

[@daveruddell76]

Hi Christina, From one Ruddell to another...stick with it, practise practise practise

[@discopooh]

You did well. Not the easiest track to start off with.

[@jbirdaspec]

VIR as your first iRacing experience is ruff go.

[@stori4874]

You do this really good at the end, your learning curve ist really high, with more practice you will go much faster. Look for driving skills on youtube ther are much out there. But practice is the best 2 be better !!

[@christinaruddell]

Thank you, I will!

[@jps072]

For streaming and recording videos get a couple of key lights if you havent already. Amazon do an extensive range but the general rule of thumb like anything is £££ I use a cheap greenscreen and cheap-ish lights and it works fine. Your Audio is good.

[@christinaruddell]

Yeah I think I’ll move the Aputure Lightdome from upstairs!