Skill Building Assistance Request.

Here we are just halfway through the R3 World Tour Series and I'm starting to see where my strengths and weaknesses are. I'm no where near as fast as Brizzo and Co. up in the fast lobby but I think I do okay in the "bottom" half.

When I prep for a race I spend some time getting familiar with the track around Thursday or Friday just running solo laps in Test Run to get a feel for the car. Any adjustments are made at that time and trust me when I say that this series will result in a specific tune for each track we've run on.

After that I hit the leaderboards to see where I sit and to pull the ghosts of where I think I'll need to be for qualifying. For Mugello I was chasing Midnight around, for Silverstone I was chasing someone on my friends list, I'm sure I'll find someone else to chase around Motegi this week. I don't try to set a top leaderboard time. I simply set a pace I want to run, that is attainable for me, and do my best to run with that ghost for 25 minutes. I'm building consistency, not a flying lap. Its not uncommon for me to do that two or three times on Friday night.

After those sessions I don't drive anything else until the race. I don't mess with lower class cars, I don't mess with front wheel drive or all wheel drive, I don't even run a different track. If I want to play Forza I find something on the Events List that the Mosler and whatever track can do together. It's also a way to make a little extra coin and get used to the car in traffic. Well, traffic that won't give me yards of crap for bumping them off the track.

Here's my issue, and I don't think I'm alone here.

I have a hard time passing and performing under pressure (stop the jokes)

Issues I need to work on:
Maintaining an error free race pace with a faster car approaching from behind.
Determining how hard to push when I start making up distance on the car ahead.
Setting up and performing a clean pass.

If anyone would like to join a small lobby to work on this I would like to get better. Here's what I think would work:
1) Pacing - I'll stick with the Mosler since I know that car inside and out at this point.
A chase car will run a faster car, R2 or R1 I don't care and then I will try to maintain a race pace with the chase driver running however he likes. Set up a pass, or just pressure me for a few laps I don't care.

2) Chasing - I'll run the Mosler and someone will either either the same car or a slightly faster one.
I'll do my damnedest to catch you, all you'd have to do is play slingshot. Don't get too far ahead but don't just stop so I can catch up. Cat and Mouse sort of.

3) Passing - I'll stick with the damn Mosler (see the trend) The other driver will pick a decent speed and run the preferred racing line. I'll follow and try to find a clean place to pass, set up the pass, and get by clean. If I can't do it I'll slow down and let you back by. If I can do it I'll probably just pull over and try again at a different point in the track.

I'm struggling with those things. I see it in the results and I don't want race day to be practice time. I felt horrible when I tapped Riwaly on Saturday and ended up in last place on lap 1 giving him the spot back. I know for a fact that I threw away 2 spots on Catalunya when I buckled under the pressure HotRodHillBilly was putting on me and let him and another car passed as I hit the dirt. Hockenhiem was a total disaster for several reasons and I need to get better in a setting outside of a race.

My gamertag is Fit4aking if you see me online and would be willing to help just send a message I'll even stop playing Skyrim to work on this. (And that's saying something cause that game is EPIC). Feel free to reply here or on LIVE.

FR sent. I need to work on the same skill set and it's always fun to learn with someone.

You might want to consider honing your skills in a lower class car (B, A, or S) before you move up to the R classes. I raced F-B almost exclusively in FM3 (and I still suck).

Have you looked into the Spec, Stock Hatch, or Classics Series at VM?

I haven't been seeking out too many other series. I already run a Wednesday night C-class spec series and the R3 World Tour. With testing, tuning, practice, and real life that is about as much as I want to commit to at the moment. Once I get closer to the end of the R3 series I'll look for something else to do during the week but that's a little ways out. Maybe I'll check out VM and see what's shakin over there but I do like the clan here and I'd like to see what's coming up in the near future for the overall points series.

If you, or anyone else, wants to practice lower levels that's fine too. My strong class is C but I have cars built out and race ready in almost every class. For practice it wouldn't matter if everyone was in production vehicle I was just trying to minimize the learning curve of unfamiliar cars.

I'm planning on doing some test and tune tonight on Motegi for the R3 World Tour race. If anyone is interested in joining up for a few short stints, likely 10-15 lap sessions with a pit practice, I'll host a room. Nothing competitive or super serious just testing and practice.

I would but I've got a NASCAR race tonight at Sunset. Should be on tomorrow morning and early evening.

I will look for you when I am on. If your there I will join in.