Sportsmanship is NOT to play around

No. We're there to have fun first.

I do what you describe from time to time. Why would I do it? Because I want to get better predicting what someone will do, I want to learn how to react correctly to their braking points, I can trust that the guys I race with in my league will often brake in the same area but other people may go 20m or 50m earlier. It's about getting better following someone and then figuring out where to attack. It's not a slight against the person it's just another part of the "training" one might want to do online.

I like it when someone does it to me, it puts more pressure on me when I know they are right behind my car, all in my mirrors, I know they are faster and then I need to learn how to get better. I love it.

Relax, have some fun and don't worry about what someone else is doing.

 

So, understand please, that for the person in the other car, this might not be fun.

In my opinion, you are misusing races to practise something. In fact you are taking the racing-spirit (which might be the fun which people like me are up to) out of the race for everybody.

 

Well, I know I practice all the things I want to be good at. I play a lot of high-level tennis. I still practice the basics. I still try to replicate high-intensity situations.

I have a feeling this is just personal preference, so I'm not trying to convince anyone that my way or feeling are right for everyone. Was just trying to make a suggestion that might be one way to help remedy a situation that was highlighted. Most importantly, everyone should get to enjoy ACC in they way(s) they like best.

 

I agree with you that everybody should enjoy. For the rest , I disagree.
Just imagine, you meet you friends for playing soccer and it turns out that today you don't intend to shoot any goals. You just play around with the ball and even in front of the empty goal, you don't shoot because you want to keep the ball. Do you think, your friends would enjoy the game?

from my side, we can agree to disagree here. Everything said from my side.

 

Like Rudski i do that time to time, thou not in ACC as i don't drive it much nowadays. Driving within a cars length behind somebody slower is a great practice and after i started tailgating slower people my rate of crashing in actual battles started dropping down fast. (@scalefox you should actually try it too!)
Plus in general it helps to keep the head focused at all times, as often when running alone in the race there is no incentive to not make mistakes and i naturally become lazy and drive ugly. Having a car in front keeps me focused for longer stints. And in general it's just fun to drive together.

The most basic race spirit is to get faster, and being the fastest is only the end result. IMHO in any sport the moment you stop thinking about improving you loose.
So while yes, races are for racing, when we don't have a achievable target in sight (somebody of equal pace in reach before race end) and there are no stakes in the race itself, it will be an instinct of a fast driver to challenge himself with something, and unfortunately for you, following slower cars does fit that.
Of course when i see that the car in front seems aggravated i tend to overtake and then maybe keep him company by letting him catch up on straights. Thou I guess that would piss some people off too... sorry i guess.

It's not like we are taking a ball away from you, in racing everybody has his own ball. Plus it really depends on the stakes, when there are none, one soccer dude being silly is a material for a good laugh, and if you get salty about it, you get to be the point of the laugh too. And pub racing is near none stakes game, we all come together with wide range of skills to drive, chill and enjoy racecars.

ps: IMHO it's a case of misplaced expectations. You might not like it but online, anonymous communities work differently from real life. So even if your disagreement about sportsmanship is sound on paper, there is no practical way of it working.

 

In a small field it may be more fun to try pass all from the back then let then all past and try again. After all starting in 1st and just taking off lap after lap is not really racing.

If you dont like people following closely then you arent much into the racing, sure if they hit you its not good but thats because the guy is not good at racing and maybe even the guy ahead gets a bit flustered with cars close in the mirror making errors that helped contribute to the contact.

For both of these guys getting more such practice will be a benefit. I know some may get upset or offended by cars following closely but the only way to avoid that is avoid races.

The easiest people to pass in a real race are those that panic when a car is following, they make a basic error and give the spot away. If your such a person then having people run close behind is good race practice for other race battles.

 

Both sides have a point here...where is the "competizione", if you are sticking behind another car all the time, instead of just overtaking it, when possible to gain position on track, but also, if you have not the ability to withstand the pressure, lift off line and let the faster one pass, but you will not win races this way. If someone just don't want to overtake until the last laps or so, it's their own fault, when you open the box with all the racecraft, you have learned in the final laps of the race, cover up the inside consistently and surprise this behaviour with some nice deny for a overtake. Just penalize it, when the checkered flag is in sight!

Racing doesn't decide, who is faster, racing decides who is best in a direct competition with everyone on track. To decide, who is faster, do some hotlap challenges for Aliens

The faster guys don't want to pass, but want to annoy you? Don't let them, stay calm, make them feel some excitement until the end, surprise them. If they divebomb you in ACC in the final laps, they will not gain SA nevertheless.^^