Racing without thinking

safc_fan89 · 17 Aug 2006, 20:04 (Ref:1685386)

Bizarre question for the day...

Does anyone find that after doing several laps of a race, you then start driving without thinking? This morning I was doing a race on F1 06 and I was thinking of something completely different and not concentrating fully on driving. Yet I was lapping at my fastest speed yet on the Malaysia track on that game. I seem to do that a lot, especially on GT4. Once I get into a rhythm I end up completing a race without putting any effort into it, yet still winning by a mile.

Sounds odd really, but does that happen to anyone else?

nickyf1 · 17 Aug 2006, 20:06 (Ref:1685387)

Yeah! that happens to me sometimes, I start thinking, and not concentrating, but end up braking and cornering perfectly, And then I finaly wake up and I think to myself, was I still driving?

Rockmunky · 17 Aug 2006, 20:25 (Ref:1685411)

Yeah all the time, and then i look at the screen and think "woah!! where did those 6 laps go?"

It's great fun

safc_fan89 · 17 Aug 2006, 20:31 (Ref:1685417)

With me it's more a case of 20 laps. On Formula One I was surprised when I found I had completed the race. I was sure I had about 20 laps to go. I was a little confused when I heard Murray yell 'It's a win for..!'

Rockmunky · 17 Aug 2006, 20:44 (Ref:1685438)

Using it as an example but yeah, i know exactly what you mean. As nicky said, i must corner perfectly each time for me to keep going round.

Knowlesy · 17 Aug 2006, 22:17 (Ref:1685524)

You do tend to get into a "zone" where everything is effortles and your driving(gaming) is perfect, yet you aren't really thinking about it.

It's a cool sensation! I have noticed it a lot when I am doing full distance GP3 races and it helps with consistency of lap times!

beau1 · 17 Aug 2006, 22:33 (Ref:1685536)

Hmmm, yeah i have found this to happen to me to. I also sometimes end up going into a sort of trance not thinking about anything, sort of focused on what part of the screen but everything still goes okey on the race track.

**Spudgun** · 17 Aug 2006, 23:12 (Ref:1685558)

Something like that happened to me in a GTR online race once. 5 consecutive laps within a tenth. I couldn't recreate that if I tried!

Chatters · 18 Aug 2006, 07:55 (Ref:1685744)

It happens all the time- the official term is called "sleep driving"

.

I've done it at Monaco- that's a feat and a half isn't it? In other races I've started passing cars without realising it, and becoming alert again and thinking "whoa, wasn't I in 15th?"

nihil · 18 Aug 2006, 09:59 (Ref:1685834)

Happens in real life - though I don't think its sleep driving! Senna talks about it in his autobiography - can't remember the exact quote, but its quite poetic. He decribes it as driving from somewhere in his unconscious mind, and it scared him.

I've experienced something similar on my bike - its as if accelerating, braking, and turning happen before you've even thought about it. The 'effort' of riding, the expenditure, becomes insignificant. Its getting something for nothing, but its not sleep - just a different kind of awareness. And there isn't a smiley big enough to describe the kind of grin you carry afterwards...

Not sure why it scared Senna so much... I guess its something to do with 'duende'. Senna had it in spades, and when that kind of power grips you, I guess it opens a completely different book...

Ryo28 · 18 Aug 2006, 15:50 (Ref:1686093)

It happens to me quite a lot, especially when I used to live at home and my consoles were in the living room, when someone else came in I could have a conversation with them and carry on driving, and then get the "where did those 5 laps go?" feeling that the rest of you have described!

luke · 18 Aug 2006, 18:27 (Ref:1686211)

It is very odd. On LFS online, I was kind of drunk, and half talking to my friends and looking at them when I was talking to them so zero concentration, yet I was setting personal bests!
Its weird because when I concentrate well I usually muck up.
Its a hard line to draw.

safc_fan89 · 18 Aug 2006, 19:11 (Ref:1686237)

Sometimes drifting off into random thought is best because long races get boring.

nickyf1 · 18 Aug 2006, 20:37 (Ref:1686287)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nihil

Senna talks about it in his autobiography - can't remember the exact quote, but its quite poetic. He decribes it as driving from somewhere in his unconscious mind, and it scared him.

I would be scared in real life, thinking that you were'nt in complete control for a few seconds or minuets.

nihil · 18 Aug 2006, 21:39 (Ref:1686330)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickyf1

I would be scared in real life, thinking that you were'nt in complete control for a few seconds or minuets.

I think the scary thing is not knowing what was in control. Senna was obviously in total control of the car - you couldn't sleep through an F1 lap

...but when a part of your mind takes over, a part that you're not familiar with in everyday living, then you realise you don't know yourself very well. That's scary when your life depends on your confidence in your abilities.

mjolnir · 19 Aug 2006, 00:03 (Ref:1686391)

am sure i read about an experiment recently... don't think it was motorsports per se, but involved sportsmen... the experiment came to the conclusion that if you concerntrated on what you were doing (eg, which line to take, how do you hit the ball, etc), you'd be better off doing what comes naturally (ie, not thinking about it too much)

Raglanparade · 19 Aug 2006, 01:32 (Ref:1686410)

I used to do those long races in GT1 and GT2... used to do it all the time.

Erki · 19 Aug 2006, 05:39 (Ref:1686445)

Sometimes I get it. Even on streets...on a long bridge with no pedestrian crossing or anything. I usually look forwrd quite a long distance and it kinda makes sleepy.

No don't worry, I'm a good driver.

In racing games, it sometimes happens to me but rarely. The reason is simple. I just push push and PUSH. I want every next lap to be the fastest lap of the race and bette yet, the lap record... No wonder I rarely do long distance races. However, I've tried races about half an hour long and have completed them without crashing...whoa.

Chatters · 19 Aug 2006, 08:58 (Ref:1686500)

I did around Nurburgring in GT4- Personal best time!

safc_fan89 · 19 Aug 2006, 09:36 (Ref:1686534)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjolnir

am sure i read about an experiment recently... don't think it was motorsports per se, but involved sportsmen... the experiment came to the conclusion that if you concerntrated on what you were doing (eg, which line to take, how do you hit the ball, etc), you'd be better off doing what comes naturally (ie, not thinking about it too much)

If you are fully concentrating, you try too hard and make mistakes. If you relax the 'car' comes to you and you set personal bests. Sometimes I end up beating my PBs when doing a 2-player game, and while trying to give the person I am racing some tips on how to keep up with me!

Hazza · 22 Aug 2006, 10:55 (Ref:1688622)

On the opposite side of the coin, I read that Colin Edwards can't remember a few of the laps of the season winning race of 02 at Imola, he was in such a state of concentration that everything else was blocked out....

freaky eh?

Knowlesy · 22 Aug 2006, 19:46 (Ref:1689024)

As opposed to us spectators who were so tense and excitable that every last moment is remembered.

Damn, I need to find those races on DVD somewhere!

luke · 22 Aug 2006, 21:37 (Ref:1689129)

I think in terms of doing a perfect lap you can when concentrating. Just not consistently.

On GP4 today. It was the soaking wet, around Spa-Francorchamps I went about with my own good set up. In the last 35 seconds of the hour of qualifying, I captured pole postion by 013 of a second from Barrichello and I was Alesi in the Jordan.

Then guess what? The bloody game froze on the loading screen for the race and I had to restart my computer!

Chatters · 23 Aug 2006, 07:26 (Ref:1689324)

I sort of race without thinking, but I know I'm racing, I'm watching the screen, but my brain isn't registering it...

ensign14 · 23 Aug 2006, 08:00 (Ref:1689353)

Quote:

Originally Posted by safc_fan89

I was a little confused when I heard Murray yell 'It's a win for..!'

That's cos you're a Sunderland fan.

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