Best gear to be in for racing and qualifying

[Alan E.]

What is the best gear to be in for Qualifying/Racing

[NavySonicShell]

100% dependent on the track, and who you ask.

 

Most of the time I am in second whenever i can be, and shift into first for the turns. A lot of people have problems with me doing that though, because they uphold that as soon as you get into second, you almost always want to stay in second. It all depends on what you are comfortable with.

[DDT]

Its faster to stay in second if you know how to slide the truck around the turn and keep the speed and RPMs high enough so you dont stall the truck

[Voth]

I use 1st gear only for arenas and stadiums I start in 1st and shift up to 2nd when I hit the first jump. As for freestyle, it depends on what type of driver you are. I like to stay in 2nd for the long straights, but switch to first for pretty much everything else. It's easier to save it and take hard hits without the truck shutting off.

[Outlawed]

once you can shift into second, stay in it. almost 99% of the tracks raced on do not need you to shift down, you have to be careful though because if you are on the brakes too hard and try to use the rear steer the truck will stall. 

I personally freestyle in second, even for my forced realism runs, just gotta develop a feel for what the truck will do.

[obsessionracing]

I usually stay in first at all times except on a few tracks. For example, world finals. I start in first and as soon as I hit the limit of first gear I shift into second and keep it there until just before the turn. 

[Connor Richardson]

For Chicago style, I stay in second. So-Cal, I go around first turn in first, then shift into second going into the straightaway, stay in second going around the second turn, and shift back into first for the last turn.

[Antonio Rubal]

Usually for Arenas I stay in second, So-Cal Style leaving the table top is when I shift into second for chicago style I use 2nd gear after hitting the first jump..... It took me a while to get used to second gear since I was a first gear person for a while

[Tom P.]

If you watch some of the SSRS livestreams during racing, you can learn a lot about the different driving styles that can make you fast. And there are different styles depending on what you use to race (Controller, Wheel, Keys etc.) I use keyboard, which not too many people use anymore, but it doesnt mean you cant keep up with the other guys. Shifting back down into 2nd after going into 1st is a risk and I never do it. For Chicago style, I and most people shift into 2nd after hitting the first jump in midair. When you land you will gain instant speed and will enter in the first turn. The turning in Chicago style depends on the stadium its in. You must calculate on your own how much speed you will need going into the turn, during the turn, and exiting. I usually feather the throttle entering the turn, and depending on how close I am to the turning cars, I will floor it when I am exiting.

 

In SoCal, I shift down when going down the ramp right after the starting line, and I never shift back. If you do watch any SSRS livestream during SoCal events, you will see the drivers usually carry a good amount of speed going into each turn, and the exit maintaining that speed too. One of the keys to doing that is of course, not shifting down into 1st. The next major key to turning  is feathering the throttle and using the brakes as little as possible. I try to slide into the turn by almost "gliding" (not pressing anything on the gas) then feathering the rest of the way then flooring it to the finish. Hope this sort of makes sense. haha