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Obviously I come from the world of track driving and have only reciently discovered sims. In fact, to come completely clean, I’m going to quote what I thought about sims when I wrote the book in 2001. From Ch. 5 “Unfortunately I don't see games being very useful in the foreseeable future. The big problem is they cannot simulate the kinematic and proprioceptive aspects which are so key. Although the graphics of some games are dazzling this may actually be counterproductive as it might create greater visual dominance. Also the games are two-dimensional, focal vision is probably more dominant which of course is the wrong direction. The idea that games develop hand eye coordination is also not really relevant as motor learning theory has found that there is little transference from one skill to another unless the skills are virtually identical. So I expect little is gained from practicing video games. One area where games might have a role is in arousal control, which we discuss in the next chapter.” Who says you can’t teach old dogs new tricks! Many thanks to VJ Mizayan for opening my eyes and to Tim and Jack Ulstad and all of you for continuing my edcutation. In any case I have now come full circle and need to reconcile why current psychology has the wrong idea. I’m hoping to get my mentor Prof. Dick Schmidt at UCLA interested in doing some university level research into why sims seem so much more effective than was predicted. In that light I would like any of you who have both sim and track experience to write me with as much detail as possible how you think the two interrelate, what your experiences have been etc.
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i have a bit of proof that a sim helped me. ok soo i knew i was going to VIR to do a time attack in a few weeks, so i played around on the Rfactor version of VIR. figured it out on the sim pretty much, sooo then when i was going out onto VIR for the first real life time, i had this wierd sensastion come over me, because i kneww what was next, i knew what kinda turn was over the hill. i knew what was around this corner. it was wierd,but the sim deffiently help me mentally map the track. Im going to Gateway Intl speed way in april, for the first time, once again i will use the sim to train my self and learn the track | ||
Relating a friends experience, he was racing a Vee out at Bathurst for the first time with a ridiculously short practice session. I invited him over the learn the track on rfactor. After an hour he was so nauseous he couldn't move after for 20 minutes (he has a balance disorder). After the race he said the sickness was well worth it. My opinions (with limited track experience) are sims are great for: 1. previewing the track
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Doug, I am glad to see that someone who is an expert in real motor racing is seeing the benefits of sim racing and is anxious to do research on the topic. I am looking forward to what you come up with. There is anedotal evidence of professional racers using sims to prepare for real races. I have not seen an actual study done. I am not a real racer, but sim racing has opened inside me a new interest in real racing as a hobby. The closest that I have been to real racing is driving a go kart at the local go kart track. The experience I got from sim racing helped me navigate on a go kart track--knowing the driving line, knowing when to brake, knowing how to turn corners. I felt that "seat of pants" sensation that is not present in sim racing. I could get hooked on that feeling! | ||
I am one of the people who claim there is a bigger link between sim and real racing than is currently being recognised. I'm someone who seems to be of similar pace in both disciplines, but my reasons go deeper than that. My sim and real racing careers paralleled a lot before I had to give up kart racing, but I recently did a track day, which was my first time in real cars that go any faster than my 1L Corsa, and I was imediatley at home and able to set a good pace. I credit this to my sim racing experience.
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