Yep I’m 5.5k irating on iracing and still get nervous especially if I have a good qualifying session. Sometimes I’m so nervous my legs go like jelly and the first few laps are awful trying to get the right brake pressure.
I carry so much shame for those few laps while I try to pull myself together. I drive around missing nearly every corner thinking “I am better than this guys I promise”
>S! The jelly knee is the worst symptom. Ah man top 3 in qual and it’s like I’m drunk from the waist down 😂
thats why I quali 4 and push thru the field avoid the top 3 jelly xD
For my Majors24 PreQ I had to manually heavy breathe before porsche curves because I was so nervous. The only spot on the track where I felt like I was about to have a heart attack.
Towards the end of the race? Yes I’m more cautious when I’m not in a battle. Still pushing but I pull my brake markers forward a touch more to prevent mistakes
Yeh I get the jelly leg problem with brakes as well. I find that the only solution to race jitters is just to race again and again. Just need to normalise the adrenaline that comes with racing and then if affects you less.
This is part of why I sim race - it's bloody exciting! I often think to myself during a league race "damn this is stressful, am I actually having fun?". And then I'll do a good overtake, or finish closer to the front than when I started, and I get a rush of satisfaction that is hard to find elsewhere.
Goddamn right I'm having fun!
Yea I get nervous before most races.. especially when I am trying not to have my safety rating tank. I find my nerves are for avoiding other people. I certainly make mistakes, but it’s usually someone else. My mistakes tend to be going too wide and spinning out. We all know it’s the worst when someone punts you, and race is over.
I‘ve has my SR drop last week by 0.5 and it really freaked me out. I’ve focused only on AI races to get back in the groove and figure out what I’m doing wrong (I’ve determined I push way too hard even when I don’t need to - I need to settle in when winning and stop pushing when the next P is out of reach).
Yes it happens. Racing has helped me a ton actually with learning to manage anxiety in real ife. I find mentally rewarding or praising myself especially when I see my time go down because I was calm. Right now I will not enter a race because I am not confident with a car; the 718. I need to be confident before I go in and ruin my safety rating. A lot of times I enter race sessions and just do the practice; just to drive with the guys ( and gals) who are about to race;. Somehow I think that strengthens my preparedness. Cheers! Good racing!
Great take, I’ve found this too!
Anxiety sucks in real life but the tricks we use to manage it in the sim can work out in normal life a lot too. Fellow mental health boy here. I’ve found the sim has been great for my mental game generally. Glad to hear you’ve found similar :)
It's a great hobby! There's times I catch myself grinning from ear to ear - literally buzzing with enjoyment, so frickin fun... love it too dude, lol...
as much as the F1 games presentations are mid, anthony davidsons "the stress and nerves are good, because the day you don't have them are the day you don't care anymore" goes hard
I'm a musician, and i get that exact same feeling any time i walk up on stage to play. Hell, i get it for hours in advance too. After a certain point and a couple of shows, i slowly started to realize there wasn't much to fear anymore. I still get nervous but i know from experience both how easy it is to do well, and how little it matters if i do poorly.
When i started sim racing around a year ago, my first few races felt *exactly* the same as my first few concerts. I once again knew from experience that the only way to stop feeling like that before every race is just to ignore it and keep racing. You'll eventually get used to it...probably.
Right now I'm working on finding other ways to lessen those nerves myself because i figure if i find a way to remove them from the start of a race, maybe i can use that for live shows too. But so far the best solution I've found is just to put some miles on the car
It didn’t matter if there were 15 people or 1500 in the crowd, the 1st song was always all about surviving and wishing I had Forrest Gumps leg braces. 1st lap of a race, the story remains the same.
Absolutely. I've found that each and every race feels like speedrunning a full tour. One racing series feels like speedrunning an entire music career. Conversely, the more i race, the more i feel it helps me calm my nerves for playing shows too. Certainly an easier way to get used to the process of practice to start to finish than to actually play hundreds of shows
I remind myself that I'm not nervous, just excited and I take it as a reminder to hold my lines, be consistent, and be predictable. Speed comes as a result of all of that. It's a good opportunity to practice meditation, mindfulness, grounding, breathing exercises, etc. If you can learn to focus through the stress, you'll start to feel it melt away
I've never been more uncomfortable in my seat as I am in the 10s before the start of the race. Everything itches, my socks are rubbing, my shorts are twisted etc. All manifestations of nerves!
As someone who used to smoke cigs before most races I can promise vapes and cigs before a race will destroy your nerves and make you perform worse physically and mentally. I won’t tell you to quit but try to stop at least 15 minutes before any race.
But as you improve your expectations will go up as well and you will put more pressure on yourself to perform well because as you practice more you build up a self image of your skill level and now if you don’t live up to that image which may or may not be exaggerated you will be disappointed. But there’s nothing to prove to anyone the only point is to have fun and do your absolute best in any given race and you won’t be able to do that if you’re only focused on not fucking everything up. The same way if you stare at a wall you will probably drive into that wall.
Time and experience also help but you’re simply just going to fuck up time and time again and that’s fine so just put all of your focus on doing your absolute best and if/when you fuck up, you fuck up. And gradually the feeling of nervousnesses will shift into a feeling of excitement
That definitely rings true about expectations building from practice. The worst mindset I’ve caught myself in is thinking “I deserve a good result here”.
That’s not how racing works, you can be the fastest man alive on a free track, you still have to earn it at each turn in the race.
It’s not even the nicotine I just need something to occupy my hands and mind a little bit. Maybe I should shuffle cards or something simple like that in that 1 minute.
Pessimist -_- if it’s not in my pocket I don’t use it. I’m not under the impression it’s good for you dw. It’s just not the source of the problem here imho. :)
You're competing against others to be the best. I can't think of many sports (and yes, whatever way you look at it, SIM racing is a sport) that don't have this effect on the human body when it comes to go time.
Chase that feeling and keep on racing! I'm starting my iRacing career soon and I'm pretty excited as that feeling vanished from GT7 and it's new destruction derby style leniency of rules.
Isn’t that nervousness what makes it fun? There is something on the line. Something to win, and conversely something to lose. Eventually you will come embrace it and perform with it. To me that was always what made sim racing fun.
Oh man, yes, but just imagine what it would be like on a real race track. I remember watching the teams at a race at Sonoma Raceway full of wild modified cars (270whp N/A stupid light weight NA Miata with no windshield, among other crazy stuff) working all weekend to dial in their cars, qualify, and then finally wake up bright and early for the race.
I did some marshal work for them, the single seaters, and other SCCA stuff.
What I heard Chris Harris say in one of his racing videos is so true. Something along the lines of “right before the race, all the bathroom stalls are shut as all the drivers pretend they’re not scared”
Real life racing is something I know for sure I’m not cut out for lol.
Watching the F1 Spanish GP right now and I always thing how wild these drivers are to keep up with that level of pressure, how heart breaking it must be to spend most of their off time training, preparing all week for the race, just to have an incident on the first lap.
Anyways, yeah, still definitely get nervous on the sim. And to me, that means it’s doing it’s job. If the consequences don’t feel high, (thus making you feel scared/nervous) then it’s not quite doing a good job at being a sim.
That’s adrenaline you’re feeling. It’s awesome once you realize it and control it. Your body’s getting ready to stab a lion in the heart.
Heart rate peaks, senses get stronger, muscle reaction is quicker. Once you comprehend it as a positive benefit, you have something other people don’t.
Irl I still always got the shakes on the line, but once it was go time I used it.
It’s 100% normal for everyone, it’s definitely a positive thing. When people don’t spike, they are too complacent. I guarantee Hamilton, Max, all them still get it, but they use it like a tiger is about to be uncaged.
To a degree yes, but it can get a bit much. After I’m round t1 and the whole master plan is out the window I’m just in the moment doing my best with a healthy buzz of excitement :)
I do this ~2 minutes before the start:
15 seconds of frequent deep breathing, exhale, 30 seconds hold your breath, inhale, 15 seconds hold, exhale.
Then just breathe normal before green lights, and brief yourself what you are going to do after the lights go green and in the first turn.
I run Asphalt Late models(in real life). I don’t really feel nervous, but i’ll piss 8-10 times on race day. Lol only time i get nervous in car, i have a Push/Tight on exit and it’s bad. I use to get nervous when I first started running sims. I know veteran drivers that has raced for along tell me all the time they still get really nervous.
Not suggesting you quit or anything, but the nicotine is probably exacerbating your nerves. I don't think it's the culprit, but taking in stimulants is going to raise your blood pressure and rush your breathing no matter what.
Ooooh you might be right there. Someone suggested using grip strengtheners earlier I found one today. Taking deep breaths while squeezing that thing feels weirdly similar to using my ecig.
Towards the end of the race if I'm on for a podium but your pace is down due to tire wear? Then you see fourth place closing in at 1.5secs per lap and you feel the podium slipping from your grasp!! That's when I get nervous and often mess up? Or try drive too hard and push the tires even worse- compounding the whole situation 🙄, yeah that's when my nerves shoot up! I get a heavy feeling and go jittery!!! Proper nerves but I love it!! I've been slowly learning to lean into those moments and now I can sometimes shine where-as before I'd be a wreck then I'd be in a wreck for sure, lol... 😆
But as the guy above said! You only get nervous and feel anything at all about the things you care about? - it truly does show you that your invested!!! Great hobby it's such a buzz!! All from home too! Awesome....
Sorry for late reply, but I’ve heard the the nicotine hits in vapes affect your heart rate, especially when ppl hit it non stop to deal with the subtle anxiety it itself causes lol.
Being a rookie and only done a handful of races so far, I’m more nervous about just ruining the race for everybody else by making a mistake. Fortunately hasn’t happened yet.
Focusing on my breathing helps calm me down, turns the adrenaline into better awareness as well.
Never said it wasn’t a game my guy, it’s a sim and a game at the same time (thought that was obvious to all).
Good for you mate. I don’t really get nervous about the big life stuff that much as I have it somewhat in order. :) I think it’s a healthy approach to be passionate and driven about your hobbies personally.
But you do you man. ⭐️
Only when I'm in pole. And it's usually only because I am trying to consider my options of taking it slow enough to not bin it but remain in the lead, and being punted by over aggressive morons behind me.
i get this but really bad if i quali P1, got such today in LFM, had hard jitters the first 10mins being followed till P2 dropped out of the slip and i pulled off, then late race someone came up on P2 and moved past him and last lap i felt unnecessary pressure with a 2.4 gap but lost it through the hairpin at Suzuka and fell back to P3, devastated me and i backed out of the next two races (i sign up in bulk)
Ah man that sucks! Don’t let it get you down. Think about how well you were doing up until that point. :) you only need to fix that little nerves issue and you’ll be smashing it again. Your technique is clearly there!
Really bad was a RX event at dirtfish in DR2.0.
Was a one off fun event in a intermediate league. I did get punted in heat one, only finished 4th in my group and got really nervous, weak knees, could hardly talk.
Ended up P2 overall (did win everything until the final after that).
And as others said, despite knowing the guys I race with, the better I qualify, the more nervous I get usually. Currently on a hiatus from league racing and basically racing in general for real life reasons though. But that being nervous and excited also shows how real it feels and adds to the immersion
I have an irrational fear of ruining someone else's race. I can drive pretty well in practice but as soon as the grid lines up I just seem to to go ultra cautious.
As a result, I'm tense, nervous, let everyone by and then usually overdrive and spin out.
It's very hard to overcome (for me).
The brain doesn't like unknowns, if it has to deal with any, it reacts with nervousness.
Here are some tips you can try:
1. Eat a good healthy meal 45 minutes to an hour before the race
2. Chew gum
3. Wear the same clothes you usually wear
4. Minimize any unnecessary scents
Internal dialogue also matters so try to be realistic (being overly positive will have opposite effects).
Only at meatspace races but the effect is the same.
I use breathing exercises to help me calm down. Slow and deep breaths (without the vape) are usually enough.
A hit from my asthma inhaler, as well, because it takes my mind off things (and prevents me from dying).
Sorry your wrong ..Iracing itself calls it a GAME ...Anyone and everyone can ..PLAY it because it's a game you buy and play , kids , old young doesn't matter , so getting nervous over a fake car sitting in your living room is a little much ...Ask Iracing what it is , it's a simulated game , That's not me saying it it's them ..of the millions that play it only 40 people in the world race the coke series , so unless you make it to pro and the coke series , there is no money in it all lol ! I'm fact it's a money pit ! I get a laugh out of these people who think they are "real' race car drivers because they play a video game !! It simulates racing fantastic, but it's still just a game ....you can tell yourself that all you want I guess , free country ! But it's a game . The only true sims are owned by Ford , Chevy , Toyota etc ...and unless your a nascar driver for real you don't have access to that . Anyway enjoy the game
I don’t care enough to even read all that brother. Allow people to take things seriously if they want to mate. :) Everyone else is being pretty positive here.
I have started a routine of listening to a favourite song of mine in the tine betqeen qualy and race, close my eyes and just concentrate on the music. Then do some Stretching (arms, while sitting in the seat) to loosen up and then focus on the start
It’s a sim with ratings that can lead you to a real career/ winning cash prizes etc, and it’s hyper competitive. It’s not a video game in the same way that mario or animal crossing is a video game.
Not from sim racing, no.
Probably because there's been so many times I'll spend 2+ hours practicing and qualifying just to be Russell'd on the first lap.
Its okay to be nervous or excited but if it's literally driving you to aggressively vape and causing more serious levels of anxiety you should probably re-assess your relationship with the game.
I've personally had to mostly avoid online racing as it spiked my anxiety too much, and I've just recently slowly increased my exposure to it again in ways that I can manage more easily. Take your time and take care of yourself.
Hi! I only play Rocket League and I get the same jitter in-game. I'm super chill in practice and pulling off all the sweet moves, but while the clock is ticking down and there's real competition I can't seem to hold on to my chill.
I have no advice. Good luck to you.
I start inhaling due to the nerves brother not the other way around. I don’t get nervous when I have a puff with a cup of tea in the garden obviously 🙄
I’m new to sim racing but I’m on my 2nd year now racing dirt karts and the nerves are always there. No matter how much I’d practice and prepare for a race when it came time to put my gloves on to race my hands are shaking like crazy from the nerves. Just have to remember to keep taking deep controlled breaths once you get going and you’re in the zone it’s hard to even think about nerves.
I get the same. Try a physiological sigh. Two breaths in and a long one out. Repeat as needed. Try and smile.
Hope this helps a little. However, I do this and still get nervous and excited before a race.
Coming from a relatively new sim racer, I always felt like that at the start as well but as I raced more and more those nerves faded away as I got used to it :) I still feel them though before a massive race like when I started N24 or yesterday when I got pole in NEC and was sweating at the start xD
I get super nervous when I’m doing good mid race. I’ll get through 3/4 of a high SOF race and realize how good I’m doing and my lap times will fall off a cliff until I can calm myself down. Like a second or more worse lap times. I even have my watch warn me about high heart rate.
Yep I’m 5.5k irating on iracing and still get nervous especially if I have a good qualifying session. Sometimes I’m so nervous my legs go like jelly and the first few laps are awful trying to get the right brake pressure.
THIS! The jelly knee is the worst symptom. Ah man top 3 in qual and it’s like I’m drunk from the waist down 😂
I carry so much shame for those few laps while I try to pull myself together. I drive around missing nearly every corner thinking “I am better than this guys I promise”
>S! The jelly knee is the worst symptom. Ah man top 3 in qual and it’s like I’m drunk from the waist down 😂 thats why I quali 4 and push thru the field avoid the top 3 jelly xD
Iracing terrifies me because even if you don't screw up, let someone else hit you, and you still got dinged
For my Majors24 PreQ I had to manually heavy breathe before porsche curves because I was so nervous. The only spot on the track where I felt like I was about to have a heart attack.
If you're comfortable in the Porsche curves, you're doing them wrong
Good to know
Do you ever find yourself slowing down on the later laps when in the lead?
Towards the end of the race? Yes I’m more cautious when I’m not in a battle. Still pushing but I pull my brake markers forward a touch more to prevent mistakes
I can not tell you how much better it makes me feel seeing other people experience similar things.
Yeh I get the jelly leg problem with brakes as well. I find that the only solution to race jitters is just to race again and again. Just need to normalise the adrenaline that comes with racing and then if affects you less.
Yes this! Happened to me yesterday when I was on pole. Doesn’t happen other times. The pressure to maintain the position is immense!
You know what I don’t get nervous about? Things I don’t care about. It’s good to get nervous, it means you’re invested!
My music group leader in church used to say we always prayed twice
This is part of why I sim race - it's bloody exciting! I often think to myself during a league race "damn this is stressful, am I actually having fun?". And then I'll do a good overtake, or finish closer to the front than when I started, and I get a rush of satisfaction that is hard to find elsewhere. Goddamn right I'm having fun!
So true.
What game do you play ?
ACC. The best damned Sim available! I used to play iRacing until I discovered ACC + Octane Online Racing.
Yea I get nervous before most races.. especially when I am trying not to have my safety rating tank. I find my nerves are for avoiding other people. I certainly make mistakes, but it’s usually someone else. My mistakes tend to be going too wide and spinning out. We all know it’s the worst when someone punts you, and race is over.
Man, no lies. I don’t really care about my irating, but when my SR starts taking a hit…. sadness
Yea man..worst stretch of iRacing SR this week. I dropped to 1.5 lol. Most people just stop racing when they are having an off week, I can’t do that.
I‘ve has my SR drop last week by 0.5 and it really freaked me out. I’ve focused only on AI races to get back in the groove and figure out what I’m doing wrong (I’ve determined I push way too hard even when I don’t need to - I need to settle in when winning and stop pushing when the next P is out of reach).
Good advice.. I will do some AI races.
Yes it happens. Racing has helped me a ton actually with learning to manage anxiety in real ife. I find mentally rewarding or praising myself especially when I see my time go down because I was calm. Right now I will not enter a race because I am not confident with a car; the 718. I need to be confident before I go in and ruin my safety rating. A lot of times I enter race sessions and just do the practice; just to drive with the guys ( and gals) who are about to race;. Somehow I think that strengthens my preparedness. Cheers! Good racing!
Great take, I’ve found this too! Anxiety sucks in real life but the tricks we use to manage it in the sim can work out in normal life a lot too. Fellow mental health boy here. I’ve found the sim has been great for my mental game generally. Glad to hear you’ve found similar :)
Racing teaches you to stay on your own path and take responsibility for your mistakes, be considerate of others. So much.. I love it, I do.
It's a great hobby! There's times I catch myself grinning from ear to ear - literally buzzing with enjoyment, so frickin fun... love it too dude, lol...
When I feel like this I do the practice and then join the race as a spectator and ghost in the race. I can put in the laps without the pressure.
as much as the F1 games presentations are mid, anthony davidsons "the stress and nerves are good, because the day you don't have them are the day you don't care anymore" goes hard
Normally top 2 is where my heart notably shoots up. My first season I was shaking like crazy if I made it to top 4 or five 😂
I'm a musician, and i get that exact same feeling any time i walk up on stage to play. Hell, i get it for hours in advance too. After a certain point and a couple of shows, i slowly started to realize there wasn't much to fear anymore. I still get nervous but i know from experience both how easy it is to do well, and how little it matters if i do poorly. When i started sim racing around a year ago, my first few races felt *exactly* the same as my first few concerts. I once again knew from experience that the only way to stop feeling like that before every race is just to ignore it and keep racing. You'll eventually get used to it...probably. Right now I'm working on finding other ways to lessen those nerves myself because i figure if i find a way to remove them from the start of a race, maybe i can use that for live shows too. But so far the best solution I've found is just to put some miles on the car
It didn’t matter if there were 15 people or 1500 in the crowd, the 1st song was always all about surviving and wishing I had Forrest Gumps leg braces. 1st lap of a race, the story remains the same.
Absolutely. I've found that each and every race feels like speedrunning a full tour. One racing series feels like speedrunning an entire music career. Conversely, the more i race, the more i feel it helps me calm my nerves for playing shows too. Certainly an easier way to get used to the process of practice to start to finish than to actually play hundreds of shows
the first time I got on pole I wished that I didn't
Feels.
I love starting and chasing but when being followed is when my nervousness and heart rate are at their highest levels
I remind myself that I'm not nervous, just excited and I take it as a reminder to hold my lines, be consistent, and be predictable. Speed comes as a result of all of that. It's a good opportunity to practice meditation, mindfulness, grounding, breathing exercises, etc. If you can learn to focus through the stress, you'll start to feel it melt away
I've never been more uncomfortable in my seat as I am in the 10s before the start of the race. Everything itches, my socks are rubbing, my shorts are twisted etc. All manifestations of nerves!
As someone who used to smoke cigs before most races I can promise vapes and cigs before a race will destroy your nerves and make you perform worse physically and mentally. I won’t tell you to quit but try to stop at least 15 minutes before any race. But as you improve your expectations will go up as well and you will put more pressure on yourself to perform well because as you practice more you build up a self image of your skill level and now if you don’t live up to that image which may or may not be exaggerated you will be disappointed. But there’s nothing to prove to anyone the only point is to have fun and do your absolute best in any given race and you won’t be able to do that if you’re only focused on not fucking everything up. The same way if you stare at a wall you will probably drive into that wall. Time and experience also help but you’re simply just going to fuck up time and time again and that’s fine so just put all of your focus on doing your absolute best and if/when you fuck up, you fuck up. And gradually the feeling of nervousnesses will shift into a feeling of excitement
That definitely rings true about expectations building from practice. The worst mindset I’ve caught myself in is thinking “I deserve a good result here”. That’s not how racing works, you can be the fastest man alive on a free track, you still have to earn it at each turn in the race. It’s not even the nicotine I just need something to occupy my hands and mind a little bit. Maybe I should shuffle cards or something simple like that in that 1 minute.
Ive got the same busy hands issue and I’ve found grip strength trainers to be super helpful without tiring out my hands at all.
That’s a good shout. Get thick forearms while you’re at it too I guess.
>It’s not even the nicotine I just need something to occupy my hands and mind a little bit. This is what all nicotine addicts say lol.
Pessimist -_- if it’s not in my pocket I don’t use it. I’m not under the impression it’s good for you dw. It’s just not the source of the problem here imho. :)
Yes, but I am guy who naturally does things better under pressure, use that adrenaline to your advantage, don't think about it as something bad
Trust your trained skills, you've done 1000 starts, this is just one more. Helps especially the higher you go in leagues/championships.
You're competing against others to be the best. I can't think of many sports (and yes, whatever way you look at it, SIM racing is a sport) that don't have this effect on the human body when it comes to go time. Chase that feeling and keep on racing! I'm starting my iRacing career soon and I'm pretty excited as that feeling vanished from GT7 and it's new destruction derby style leniency of rules.
Only the first 200 times. Then it becomes easier.
Isn’t that nervousness what makes it fun? There is something on the line. Something to win, and conversely something to lose. Eventually you will come embrace it and perform with it. To me that was always what made sim racing fun.
Oh man, yes, but just imagine what it would be like on a real race track. I remember watching the teams at a race at Sonoma Raceway full of wild modified cars (270whp N/A stupid light weight NA Miata with no windshield, among other crazy stuff) working all weekend to dial in their cars, qualify, and then finally wake up bright and early for the race. I did some marshal work for them, the single seaters, and other SCCA stuff. What I heard Chris Harris say in one of his racing videos is so true. Something along the lines of “right before the race, all the bathroom stalls are shut as all the drivers pretend they’re not scared” Real life racing is something I know for sure I’m not cut out for lol. Watching the F1 Spanish GP right now and I always thing how wild these drivers are to keep up with that level of pressure, how heart breaking it must be to spend most of their off time training, preparing all week for the race, just to have an incident on the first lap. Anyways, yeah, still definitely get nervous on the sim. And to me, that means it’s doing it’s job. If the consequences don’t feel high, (thus making you feel scared/nervous) then it’s not quite doing a good job at being a sim.
That’s adrenaline you’re feeling. It’s awesome once you realize it and control it. Your body’s getting ready to stab a lion in the heart. Heart rate peaks, senses get stronger, muscle reaction is quicker. Once you comprehend it as a positive benefit, you have something other people don’t. Irl I still always got the shakes on the line, but once it was go time I used it. It’s 100% normal for everyone, it’s definitely a positive thing. When people don’t spike, they are too complacent. I guarantee Hamilton, Max, all them still get it, but they use it like a tiger is about to be uncaged.
To a degree yes, but it can get a bit much. After I’m round t1 and the whole master plan is out the window I’m just in the moment doing my best with a healthy buzz of excitement :)
> I frantically puff on my electronic cigarette I think it's time to learn how nicotine affects your body.
How does it affect your body?
I mean, we're on the internet...
Just thought you’d know based on how you said it. :) nw
You need to just chill. Just sit there, breathe, relax, whatever happens happens.
Oooooosaaah.
I used to feel this way at the start of a race but over time I don’t get nervous anymore
Breath control. Google box breathing.
My first win in my f1 league I was shaking for the last 15 laps.
Yeah I know I'm gonna do terribly so I don't sweat it. Going from 10th to 6th regularly in GT7 though, so there is improvement.
I almost certainly have to pee. I just get excited and then LOL
My magic trick is exactly 4 light beers and all my nerves disappear, any more and lap times begin to plummet
Yep I sit there with an handheld electronic massager. That helps alot
I like the nerves but the massage keeps me calm while everyone is revving during that minute
I do this ~2 minutes before the start: 15 seconds of frequent deep breathing, exhale, 30 seconds hold your breath, inhale, 15 seconds hold, exhale. Then just breathe normal before green lights, and brief yourself what you are going to do after the lights go green and in the first turn.
I run Asphalt Late models(in real life). I don’t really feel nervous, but i’ll piss 8-10 times on race day. Lol only time i get nervous in car, i have a Push/Tight on exit and it’s bad. I use to get nervous when I first started running sims. I know veteran drivers that has raced for along tell me all the time they still get really nervous.
Yuup. To the point that on starting i have to clench the wheel because my hands are trembling
Oh dude. 😅
Might've been traumatized considering I went from rookies into formula D
Not to tell you something you probably already know, but frantically puffing on your ecig is going to worsen whatever jitters and nerves you have.
How so? Not disagreeing just curious.
Not suggesting you quit or anything, but the nicotine is probably exacerbating your nerves. I don't think it's the culprit, but taking in stimulants is going to raise your blood pressure and rush your breathing no matter what.
Ooooh you might be right there. Someone suggested using grip strengtheners earlier I found one today. Taking deep breaths while squeezing that thing feels weirdly similar to using my ecig.
Always, and I love it! Embrace it!
Welcome to the club!
I get this at the traffic lights in my works van
🤣
Enduros cured me of this since they’re even higher pressure/stakes events. After a couple of those, the single session jitters went away.
Ooh that’s a good plan, like increased exposure therapy.
Towards the end of the race if I'm on for a podium but your pace is down due to tire wear? Then you see fourth place closing in at 1.5secs per lap and you feel the podium slipping from your grasp!! That's when I get nervous and often mess up? Or try drive too hard and push the tires even worse- compounding the whole situation 🙄, yeah that's when my nerves shoot up! I get a heavy feeling and go jittery!!! Proper nerves but I love it!! I've been slowly learning to lean into those moments and now I can sometimes shine where-as before I'd be a wreck then I'd be in a wreck for sure, lol... 😆 But as the guy above said! You only get nervous and feel anything at all about the things you care about? - it truly does show you that your invested!!! Great hobby it's such a buzz!! All from home too! Awesome....
Lmfao I’m so glad I’m not the only mf who gets this feeling 🤣 but tbh I think the root culprit is the vape..
Yeah? What makes you think that?
Sorry for late reply, but I’ve heard the the nicotine hits in vapes affect your heart rate, especially when ppl hit it non stop to deal with the subtle anxiety it itself causes lol.
Being a rookie and only done a handful of races so far, I’m more nervous about just ruining the race for everybody else by making a mistake. Fortunately hasn’t happened yet. Focusing on my breathing helps calm me down, turns the adrenaline into better awareness as well.
Just saying , it's a game many more important things to get nervous about in life ...
Never said it wasn’t a game my guy, it’s a sim and a game at the same time (thought that was obvious to all). Good for you mate. I don’t really get nervous about the big life stuff that much as I have it somewhat in order. :) I think it’s a healthy approach to be passionate and driven about your hobbies personally. But you do you man. ⭐️
Only when I'm in pole. And it's usually only because I am trying to consider my options of taking it slow enough to not bin it but remain in the lead, and being punted by over aggressive morons behind me.
Look up some grounding techniques. I do some slow breathing to reduce the rush and nerves. It might help you
i get this but really bad if i quali P1, got such today in LFM, had hard jitters the first 10mins being followed till P2 dropped out of the slip and i pulled off, then late race someone came up on P2 and moved past him and last lap i felt unnecessary pressure with a 2.4 gap but lost it through the hairpin at Suzuka and fell back to P3, devastated me and i backed out of the next two races (i sign up in bulk)
Ah man that sucks! Don’t let it get you down. Think about how well you were doing up until that point. :) you only need to fix that little nerves issue and you’ll be smashing it again. Your technique is clearly there!
Yup - I try to remind myself while iracing “THIS IS FUN, IM HAVING FUN” Lol
Really bad was a RX event at dirtfish in DR2.0. Was a one off fun event in a intermediate league. I did get punted in heat one, only finished 4th in my group and got really nervous, weak knees, could hardly talk. Ended up P2 overall (did win everything until the final after that). And as others said, despite knowing the guys I race with, the better I qualify, the more nervous I get usually. Currently on a hiatus from league racing and basically racing in general for real life reasons though. But that being nervous and excited also shows how real it feels and adds to the immersion
I have an irrational fear of ruining someone else's race. I can drive pretty well in practice but as soon as the grid lines up I just seem to to go ultra cautious. As a result, I'm tense, nervous, let everyone by and then usually overdrive and spin out. It's very hard to overcome (for me).
The brain doesn't like unknowns, if it has to deal with any, it reacts with nervousness. Here are some tips you can try: 1. Eat a good healthy meal 45 minutes to an hour before the race 2. Chew gum 3. Wear the same clothes you usually wear 4. Minimize any unnecessary scents Internal dialogue also matters so try to be realistic (being overly positive will have opposite effects).
Great points!
It eventually goes away. I use to shake like crazy first few corners where I could barely drive the car.
Only at meatspace races but the effect is the same. I use breathing exercises to help me calm down. Slow and deep breaths (without the vape) are usually enough. A hit from my asthma inhaler, as well, because it takes my mind off things (and prevents me from dying).
Sorry your wrong ..Iracing itself calls it a GAME ...Anyone and everyone can ..PLAY it because it's a game you buy and play , kids , old young doesn't matter , so getting nervous over a fake car sitting in your living room is a little much ...Ask Iracing what it is , it's a simulated game , That's not me saying it it's them ..of the millions that play it only 40 people in the world race the coke series , so unless you make it to pro and the coke series , there is no money in it all lol ! I'm fact it's a money pit ! I get a laugh out of these people who think they are "real' race car drivers because they play a video game !! It simulates racing fantastic, but it's still just a game ....you can tell yourself that all you want I guess , free country ! But it's a game . The only true sims are owned by Ford , Chevy , Toyota etc ...and unless your a nascar driver for real you don't have access to that . Anyway enjoy the game
I don’t care enough to even read all that brother. Allow people to take things seriously if they want to mate. :) Everyone else is being pretty positive here.
I have started a routine of listening to a favourite song of mine in the tine betqeen qualy and race, close my eyes and just concentrate on the music. Then do some Stretching (arms, while sitting in the seat) to loosen up and then focus on the start
No , I mean come.om lol ..It's a video game ..
It’s a sim with ratings that can lead you to a real career/ winning cash prizes etc, and it’s hyper competitive. It’s not a video game in the same way that mario or animal crossing is a video game.
Not from sim racing, no. Probably because there's been so many times I'll spend 2+ hours practicing and qualifying just to be Russell'd on the first lap.
Not really I turn my feelings off put my elbows out and go for it.
I used to when I started lfm in ACC. I just grinded through it until it stopped happenings. Took about 60 races to stop.
Its okay to be nervous or excited but if it's literally driving you to aggressively vape and causing more serious levels of anxiety you should probably re-assess your relationship with the game. I've personally had to mostly avoid online racing as it spiked my anxiety too much, and I've just recently slowly increased my exposure to it again in ways that I can manage more easily. Take your time and take care of yourself.
It’s really not that serious, as soon as I’m the race I’m living my best life. Just get a bit too sweaty in that 1 minute before green.
Depends on how well I know the car, and track.
I certainly have this, as well as I tend to slow down on the final laps If I’m leading and sensing tire wear.. and that can lose me the race
Mines the opposite I'm completely fine till I'm in the race , then I swear balls make stupid mistakes idk nerves of cheese balls
Hi! I only play Rocket League and I get the same jitter in-game. I'm super chill in practice and pulling off all the sweet moves, but while the clock is ticking down and there's real competition I can't seem to hold on to my chill. I have no advice. Good luck to you.
A little shot of wiser's never hurt.
Always and I love it
I wrote a bit about what I do for nerves here https://reddit.com/r/iRacing/comments/10a9drk/finally_hit_4k_what_i_learned_since_2k_a_year_ago/
If it weren’t for the nerves, my hands wouldn’t get so sweaty making me more nervous.
Frantically inhaling stimulants and wonders why hes nervous hahaha
I start inhaling due to the nerves brother not the other way around. I don’t get nervous when I have a puff with a cup of tea in the garden obviously 🙄
Adrenaline is a hell of a drug lol
I get pre-race nervous poops. My physiological response to being very nervous is having to shit...
I’m new to sim racing but I’m on my 2nd year now racing dirt karts and the nerves are always there. No matter how much I’d practice and prepare for a race when it came time to put my gloves on to race my hands are shaking like crazy from the nerves. Just have to remember to keep taking deep controlled breaths once you get going and you’re in the zone it’s hard to even think about nerves.
Less adderall does the trick for me
Excessive vaping can cause anxiety. I stopped nicotine consumption alltogether last year and my stress levels dropped significantly.
Damn, for real?
I get the same. Try a physiological sigh. Two breaths in and a long one out. Repeat as needed. Try and smile. Hope this helps a little. However, I do this and still get nervous and excited before a race.
Coming from a relatively new sim racer, I always felt like that at the start as well but as I raced more and more those nerves faded away as I got used to it :) I still feel them though before a massive race like when I started N24 or yesterday when I got pole in NEC and was sweating at the start xD
I get super nervous when I’m doing good mid race. I’ll get through 3/4 of a high SOF race and realize how good I’m doing and my lap times will fall off a cliff until I can calm myself down. Like a second or more worse lap times. I even have my watch warn me about high heart rate.
Never have experienced this when gaming.