Hating the Solstice

[Don Davis]

I've been trying iracing for the past week or so, and while i want to like it....i'm hating it.

Frankly i think its just the solstice. I'm used to playing GTR evo, amongst other games, and iracing in the solstice just doesnt feel right. Steering and feedback thru the wheel feels great, but i feel like i can barely touch my pedals (braking seems a bit off). I have tried some test sessions with other cars and it seemed to feel better, but with my rookie license i cannot race these cars :-/. to add to it losing control of a car is so punishing, once it starts its rather silly that the car spins and spins imo

Does it get better with other cars? Not sure if i want to stick with it at this point. I dig the fact that theres so many ppl to race online with, and the competition is fun, just not sure if its the car or my driving style thats the issue.

 

[Sebastien Bortoli]

the solstice is far from being a great car,but you won't drive it a lot,you justhave to do 3/4 races to be promoted and start to drive better cars like the mustang ! btw take some practice with the solstice cuz it's a slow car but it drives fine for me.good luck

 

[Nathan Robinson]

Yeah, it kinda sucks that this is the car they use to try and get you hooked. It's probably the reason why so many dont even bother renewing after their first month. If you stick it out though and get out of the R class, you will be rewarded. Like Sebastien said, it only takes a few incident free races to get out of that slow turd Then you get to your D liscence where i've only raced the skip barbers and they are fantastic, but i hear the mustangs are fun too. I just recently hit my C liscence and picked up the v8 supercars, amazing.

The problem with the solstice is it's very slow and if you're used to driving gtr-evo, you're definitely not used to going that slow. It's also ****ty when you spin out and get a 2x or touch a wheel off the track and get a 1x, but in the end it's worth it. When you're battling for the lead someday in a higher class car, you're going to want someone behind you that can keep it on the track.

A tip for the solstice is to try and get all your braking done in a straight line and then roll through the turn and accelerate out. Seemed to work for me. Also go on the practice servers and run some laps with some guys, then do some races and before you know it you'll be experiencing some better cars on the best tracks for any sim. When i took my skippy around road america the other night for the first time, my jaw was hanging, what a track. Anyway, hope you stick with it

 

[Dietmar]

I never 'raced' the Solstice... was lucky to join during Week 13, so did some races with the Spec Racer but not enough (or to many incidents) to get the R3.0. So i 'participated' in Solstice races where I circulated around the track, main focus no incidents!

I think most people did the same in the races I participated. Since I was R3.0 I went back to the Spec Racer which I like. Though the spinning is there as well.

 

[Kevin Watts]

The Solstice can be a bit of a pig to drive at first but once you start finding the edge of its performance it does liven up a bit but its worth sticking at it for the Skip Barber which is available later and is the closest thing to a modern day Grand Prix Legends that you're going to find.

 

[Steve Emmons]

Yep, the Solstice is the car we love to hate. I'm wondering if iRacing will be switching to the Mazda when it comes out. Think it will be in the base package...
There's always the Spec Racer, but it's a bit tail-happy. Stick with it and it will get better. The D series is where things really start rolling though. Both the Skip Barber and the Mustang are excellent.

 

[Randy Wolfgram]

I think the Solstice gets a bit of a bad rap. Yes, it's under powered and sluggish, but it can definitely grow on you. As someone who was completely new to sim racing when I joined iRacing, it's a pretty good starter to learn some general car control skills and the racing is pretty close, but for people that are used to sim racing in higher HP cars, I can understand why they don't really care for it. I think this car at Lime Rock is pretty fun. As for the spins, that's another area that I think the Solstice is a good trainer. Once you get the hang of it, they are pretty rare, although, that's generally true of any car.

 

[Mark A Warmington]

Soltice sucks... But you get to dump it pretty quickly . Once you start running the Skippy or the SRF you will all of a sudden forget all about the Soltice... And, um.. Yeah - don't expect to avoid contact with any wall or tyres etc, once you leave the track. iRacing likes to impress upon you the fact you left the grippy stuff and ventured into the slippery stuff with a nice THUD!

 

[Don Davis]

Soltice sucks... But you get to dump it pretty quickly . Once you start running the Skippy or the SRF you will all of a sudden forget all about the Soltice... And, um.. Yeah - don't expect to avoid contact with any wall or tyres etc, once you leave the track. iRacing likes to impress upon you the fact you left the grippy stuff and ventured into the slippery stuff with a nice THUD!

Yeah, i feel like i accelerate thru the grass

The SPA announcement has me wanting to stay on. Guess i'll keep going at it

 

[Don Davis]

Well, stuck at it a bit more, and picked up a couple podium finishes, and i've had only 2 incidents over my last 2 races and 2 qualy sessions. Seem to pull another .5-1 second off my laguna lap times every day, getting more comfortable. 0.28 away from that 4.0 mark. i dont see a problem hitting that tonight or tomorrow. hrmm skip or mustang, skip or mustang, skip or mustang...

 

[Sebastien Bortoli]

the mustang is really stable and easy to drive,but,(and it's only my experience)every race i've done,i've been wrecked by other cars,i honestly don't think i will stay in this serie..the skip is hard to master but really enjoyable if you like challenge,i don't how the races are cuz i've never try it in race session.

 

[Jack B]

Well, stuck at it a bit more, and picked up a couple podium finishes, and i've had only 2 incidents over my last 2 races and 2 qualy sessions. Seem to pull another .5-1 second off my laguna lap times every day, getting more comfortable. 0.28 away from that 4.0 mark. i dont see a problem hitting that tonight or tomorrow. hrmm skip or mustang, skip or mustang, skip or mustang...

The Solstice does have it's fans. The best iRacers can run amazing times with it and have very good races . Many still go back on occaision to race that series.

As for the Mustang and the Skip Barber. The Skippy has always been 1 or 2 in attendance in the D class and above series. The Mustang has bumped ahead of it but both should be excellent. I've raced about 200 races in the Skippy in the last two years and it's been my favorite car, but I'm enjoying the Mustang more.

Tough call, but you will probably enjoy either car. It's tin top vs open wheel.

 

[Don Davis]

i got both :o. Picked up next weeks tracks for both, and even the TDI. not many other games coming out right now, so i went all out.

 

[Nathan Robinson]

not the biggest fan of the TDI, probably cuz it's a diesel and downshifts weird. My favorite d class has been the skippy but for now i'm hooked on the c class v8 supercars

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I am so hooked on the Dallara IndyCar that I promptly forgot to promote again.

 

[Dietmar]

not the biggest fan of the TDI, probably cuz it's a diesel and downshifts weird. My favorite d class has been the skippy but for now i'm hooked on the c class v8 supercars

Also got the TDI, strange car I think, though I am usually a fan of touring car type of cars. But actually significantly easier to handle the the Rookie cars, though the shifting requires to get used to it.

How is the V8? That's actually my last hope , I like the Spec, but it is getting boring as they repeat the tracks a lot, there is only one track in the schedule that is not inlcuded in the base package.

 

[Dario Jagar]

V8 is very interesting but at the same time demanding to drive, very heavy, very powerfull but unfortunately not too many populated races with it, if you like almost always full grid best way to go is Skippy, Mustang (at the moment) and Star Mazda, all three very nice cars/series IMO

 

[Don Davis]

first race with the skippy tonight, what a blast. too bad my connection dropped mid race. finished 2l down. I'm having more trouble with the mustang than i originally expected, and the TDI has an odd flair to it that keeps me going back. getting rather addicted. Few more races and i should get my C licenses, and hopefully that happens b4 end of season...is it possible to hit B if my MPR in C is reached?!

 

[Scott Mitchell]

Yeah so long as you have done either the 4 tt's or races required for the class your in, and your sr is above 4, you will move up to the next class straight away.

 

[Johnny Carr]

I breezed through the Solstice driving EZ for top 5's and a quick fast track to D.I purchased both the Skip and the Stang.My 1st race in the Skip I ran clean with no incidents and a 2nd place finish.I've run 4 races since then and have been involved in a 1st lap wreck each race resulting in a long tow back to pits for repairs.

It seems people are having trouble with nerves and cold tires.(ok the last spin and wreck was all my own doing.)((over driving on cold tires))

I feel that all 5 of the cars that I've driven,Solstice,Legend,SRF,Skippy and Mustang, serve as good training vehicles for the next series.It's only when I over drive,going in too deep and/or getting back on the gas too fast,that I have problems.(abrupt pedal movements,jerky steering,not hitting the turn in point/apex/race out point correctly yaddy yadda)

Frustrating at times yet addicting.

Johnny Carr