VROC: Virtual Racers' Online Connection

Racing the Trainers

It's easy to set up GPL so you can race the Trainers with the AI offline or online with other players

What are these "F2 Only" and "F3 Only" races?
The Trainers in GPL 1.1, VROC 2, and WinVROC
Where do I get setups for the Trainers?
What's the VROC Formula 2 Club?

What are these "F2 Only" and "F3 Only" races?

Often you'll see races that say "F2 Only" or "F3 Only" in the Comment on VROC. These races are for the Advanced Trainer (aka "F2") or Basic Trainer ("F3"). These offer not only excellent opportunities for learning, but some of the best racing on the Internet as well.

Racing GPL's Trainers is a superb way to hone both your car control skills and your tactical skills. The Trainers are great for learning because the cars are more controllable, and everything happens a little more slowly. Rather than using everything you've got just to stay on the track, you have more time to think about subtleties of line, braking points, and so forth, and also time to think about about racing tactics. They are tremendous fun, too.

Alison says. "In the last few days, I've run about 45 laps at Monaco in the Basic Trainer and then hosted a bunch of F2 races (for the Advanced Trainer) on VROC. I learned a great deal about the circuit in the Basic Trainer because I had more time to sense the little camber changes, see the braking points, find out just where the right line was, etc. Stuff I never had time to do in the GP car.

"Racing in the Advanced Trainer gave me the chance to apply what I'd learned to a faster car, and build on it. I really burned the line into my brain. In the last couple of races, I was actually taking the chicane flat out!

"Then I went into the GP car, and in three laps I knocked about 2 seconds off my previous best, getting into the 1:29's for the first time. It felt fantastic! Now I can run fairly consistently in the 29's, and ripped off a 1:28.7 just this morning.

"I am having a great time in the F2 races. The racing is closer, accidents are fewer, and the speed differential between the fastest and the slowest drivers is much less than in the GP cars.

"Dave Kaemmer told me months ago that he thought the Advanced Trainers were the most fun cars in GPL and I think he's right. I wish I'd gotten the hint sooner!"

There are tips on how you can race the Trainers with the AI offline in Eagle Woman's GPL FAQ. See paragraph 5.3 of the Driving section for instructions on how to create F2 and F3 drivers, which makes this easy. These instructions are equally applicable for racing online.

Note that having a separate driver for each class also allows GPL to keep lap records for you for each class.

Be sure you also read the VROC Driving Tips page for some excellent advice on race tactics. These tips are especially useful when racing online.

The Trainers in GPL 1.1, VROC 2, and WinVROC

With GPL 1.1, JavaVROC 2 and WinVROC, you have another alternative for racing the Trainers online. It's no longer necessary to set up a seperate driver.

When you host a race on WinVROC or JavaVROC 2, you can choose the class of car you wish to race, and you can also limit your clients to any of the class(es) you choose. If your clients join through JavaVROC 2 or WinVROC, they may specify the class they wish to race, but GPL will only allow them to join if they choose from among the class(es) you specify.

When you join a race on WinVROC or VROC 2, make sure you choose one of the class(es) allowed by the host.

Where do I get setups for the Trainers?

See Steve Smith's F2 Superguide. He has a large collection with some excellent setups. There are also some F2 setups in Alison's setup collections at her Eagle Woman's Grand Prix Legends site. Also check the Links page on the VROC Formula 2 Club eGroup.