15-03-2008, 12:23 PM
Novidades no site iRacing: FIRST
"One of the biggest issues in internet racing as it exists today is reckless driving," said Henry. "Because none of the natural deterrents to over-driving a racecar exist in the virtual world, we knew we needed a system that would greatly reward safe driving."
The answer, Henry explained, is the FIRST licensing program. The system automatically keeps track of a driver's safety record through every lap of every official session. At the end of a 12-week season, assuming that the driver has achieved a minimum standard for safe driving, he or she will graduate to the next higher level of license, gaining access to additional race series with higher-performing cars, a broader array of tracks and better-skilled competitors. Henry was quick to point out that for an experienced simracer, progression beyond rookie status could happen with as little as a few days of clean driving. Additionally, any member can drive any car on any track in testing, but, as in other forms of motorsport, drivers must demonstrate their ability before being given the chance to get on the track with other racers.
Another major consideration for FIRST, according to Henry, was how to facilitate close competition across a wide range of skill levels. Henry explained how the service, with members ranging from raw rookies to 10-year veterans, will address that critical factor.
"We've established a measure of racing proficiency, which we call the iRating," he said. "The system automatically calculates and continuously maintains an iRating for each driver. Using the iRatings we can both group drivers by skill level for individual races and assign them to divisions where they compete for season-long championships. This will mean that no matter how large our membership grows, every driver should have a reasonable chance to compete for race wins and seasonal championships."
Finally, the establishment of geographically-based clubs will introduce a team component to the mix. "We've structured the clubs to provide another element of competition and to help build the community aspect of the iRacing experience," said Henry. "By providing members lots of different ways to contribute to their club's success, everyone can get involved, regardless of their skill level or particular area of interest."
"One of the biggest issues in internet racing as it exists today is reckless driving," said Henry. "Because none of the natural deterrents to over-driving a racecar exist in the virtual world, we knew we needed a system that would greatly reward safe driving."
The answer, Henry explained, is the FIRST licensing program. The system automatically keeps track of a driver's safety record through every lap of every official session. At the end of a 12-week season, assuming that the driver has achieved a minimum standard for safe driving, he or she will graduate to the next higher level of license, gaining access to additional race series with higher-performing cars, a broader array of tracks and better-skilled competitors. Henry was quick to point out that for an experienced simracer, progression beyond rookie status could happen with as little as a few days of clean driving. Additionally, any member can drive any car on any track in testing, but, as in other forms of motorsport, drivers must demonstrate their ability before being given the chance to get on the track with other racers.
Another major consideration for FIRST, according to Henry, was how to facilitate close competition across a wide range of skill levels. Henry explained how the service, with members ranging from raw rookies to 10-year veterans, will address that critical factor.
"We've established a measure of racing proficiency, which we call the iRating," he said. "The system automatically calculates and continuously maintains an iRating for each driver. Using the iRatings we can both group drivers by skill level for individual races and assign them to divisions where they compete for season-long championships. This will mean that no matter how large our membership grows, every driver should have a reasonable chance to compete for race wins and seasonal championships."
Finally, the establishment of geographically-based clubs will introduce a team component to the mix. "We've structured the clubs to provide another element of competition and to help build the community aspect of the iRacing experience," said Henry. "By providing members lots of different ways to contribute to their club's success, everyone can get involved, regardless of their skill level or particular area of interest."
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I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant....
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I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant....
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