Gamemotorsa reference on racing games and sim racing

An independent reference on racing games and sim racing. Not affiliated with the former site on this domain, or with developers and publishers; we do not sell games, keys or accounts.

Glossary

Racing terms

Racing games and sim racing speak a language of their own, largely borrowed from real motorsport. This glossary will help you make sense of guides, patch notes and conversations in online lobbies.

Once you know what a mistake is called, it's easier to find and fix.

— Editor's note

How this section works: terms are explained in plain words and grouped by topic. Meanings may vary slightly from game to game, but the idea stays the same.

Track and driving

Apex
The inside point of a corner that the car comes closest to. A well-chosen apex lets you straighten the wheel and get on the throttle sooner.
Racing line
The path the car takes through a section of track. The racing line usually runs from the outside edge through the apex and back out to the outside.
Braking point
The spot before a corner where you start slowing down. Experienced racers tie it to clear markers beside the track.
Trail braking
A technique where you release the brake gradually while already turning into the corner. The loaded front axle helps the car turn more precisely.
Corner sequence
Several corners in a row that are taken as a single whole. A mistake in the first one usually carries over into all the rest.
Kerb
The raised strip along the edge of the track. Some you can ride over with confidence; others bounce the car and send it into a slide.
Slipstream
The zone of reduced air resistance behind another car. Running in it lets you build up speed for an overtake on a straight.

Car and setup

Understeer
The front wheels lose grip, and the car keeps going straighter than the steering is turned.
Oversteer
The rear axle loses grip: the car turns more than intended and may spin.
Downforce
The force with which airflow presses the car onto the track. It adds grip in fast corners but increases drag on the straights.
Tyre pressure
A setting that affects the shape of the contact patch, tyre warm-up and wear. It's changed in small steps.
Gear ratios
The ratios in the gearbox. Short ones speed up acceleration; long ones let you reach a higher top speed.
Camber
The tilt of a wheel relative to vertical. It changes how the tyre sits on the tarmac in a corner and on a straight.
Force feedback
The forces the wheel passes to your hands: resistance, vibration, lightness when grip is lost. It tells you what the car is doing.

Game and online

Assists
Driver aids: ABS, traction control, stability control, automatic braking, racing line guide.
Deadzone
The part of a stick's or pedal's travel that the game ignores. It's there to filter out small accidental movements.
Telemetry
Data about a run: speed, pedal inputs, steering angle, tyre temperatures. It helps you compare laps and find mistakes.
Safety rating
A measure of how clean you are in online races. It drops for contact and corner cutting and rises for clean races.
Lobby
The waiting room before an online race, where participants gather and race settings are chosen.
Ghost
A semi-transparent car replaying your own or someone else's lap. It's handy for comparing lines and finding time.
  • Mechanics

    Racing line, braking points, weight transfer, understeer and oversteer, tyres and step-by-step car setup.

  • Guides

    Step-by-step guides: wheel calibration, career mode, qualifying, wet tracks, crash-free online races. Plus our article catalogue.

  • Questions

    Short answers about getting started in racing games, control settings and online racing rules.

  • Reviews

    What to look for in a racing game and how to tell fact from the author's taste in someone else's review.

What we rely on

  • Motorsport driving school training materials on driving technique
  • User manuals and developer help pages for racing games

We describe the general principles of racing games. Menus, modes and online racing rules in a particular game may differ and change with updates — check the developer's help pages.