Yes, we know that we are writing a lot about 24-hour races lately, but there is a lot to discuss between the 24h of Le Mans and the 24h of Daytona. In this case, I want to talk about what is most important to me in 24-hour races, strategy. Or perhaps, the lack of strategy in them.
After the 24 hours of Daytona in iRacing, the first where the tire change goes simultaneously with the refueling, I noticed that there is no longer anything involving any attempt at strategy in the races. They stagnate after a couple of hours, where the chaos of the first laps is settled and everyone starts to catch a steady pace. And after that point, everything is left in a “let’s keep running and wait for someone to die” to see if we can scrape some position.
Some will say, isn’t that the point of the races, to be faster than others? Yes, indeed, but endurance races in iRacing, like their counterparts in the real world, are a test not only of speed and skill, but also of strategy. For these races to be even more challenging and realistic, it is important to implement new strategic factors such as tire limits, brake degradation, and safety cars.
Tire limits, which restrict the number of tire sets a team can use during a race, add an extra layer of strategy to the simulator. Teams will have to decide when to make pit stops, whether to conserve tires for later in the race or push to the maximum at the beginning. This also adds an element of risk management, as teams may have to force to the end of the race with worn tires, which can cost them valuable time.
The degradation of brakes is another important factor to consider in endurance races. As the race progresses, the brake pads wear down, reducing their effectiveness and forcing teams to make pit stops to change them. This adds an extra layer of strategy, as teams will have to decide when to make pit stops to change the brake pads and with what intensity to push the car to avoid excessive wear.
Safety cars, which are deployed to slow down the pace in case of accident or other incident, are also an important aspect of endurance races. They can have a significant impact on the race, as teams may have to make pit stops or change their strategy on the fly.
All these factors could add depth and realism to the iRacing endurance racing experience, making it a more challenging and fun simulator for players. It also allows players to experience the same level of strategy that real endurance racing teams have to employ to win the race.
In conclusion, the implementation of new strategic factors such as tire limits, brake degradation, and safety cars in endurance races in iRacing would make the simulator more realistic and challenging, providing a more enjoyable experience for players. It would also allow simracers to experience the same level of strategy that real endurance racing teams have to employ to win the race.
See you on the track!
No need more Strategic Elements. Need more clean and safety community to can finish one.
IR is total carnage from top level to rookie.
Some leagues have a system in place where after a set number of incidents happen on track a yellow will be thrown and they do a full on double wave by to let people get laps back.
Would be a big project for iracing to implement but it would be awesome. Because I totally agree it gets stagnant after several hours then it’s just a grind along the schadenfreude if someone has an issue.