There’s a saying in rallying: that circuit racers see the same corner a thousand times, but rally racers see a thousand corners once. That’s a huge part of why, whilst most race cars will only have a seat for a driver, a rally car will have a second seat for your co-driver. This article will look deeper into what the person sat alongside you is doing, why they’re doing it, and how to make the most out of your pace notes in Assetto Corsa Rally.
What is a Co-Driver?
A co-driver, or a co-pilot in some places in the world, is typically your right-hand man (or woman) – or left-hand if your car is right-hand-drive. They’re sat alongside you, notebook in hand, telling you exactly what to expect from the next corners and any hazards you may expect to find along the way.
Over time, the co-driver’s role has evolved further and further. They count you down at the start of the stage, making sure you don’t jump the start and get a penalty. They can also inform you of damage that you may pick up, such as punctures, and in the real-world they also help the driver to fix these issues. But arguably the most important thing that they do for you in Assetto Corsa Rally is deliver the pace notes.
What are Pace Notes?
To cut a long story short, pace notes are notes that help you maintain your pace. But in reality, they’re so much more, and they’re essential to being successful in modern-day rallying.
Pace notes help you understand the road that is in front of you. Callouts will tell you what kinds of corners to expect, how long the next straight is, and any hazards that may appear on the road. These can be big hazards, such as an unexpected chicane between hay bales or a solid object sitting in your way ready to ruin your day, or small things to take note of, such as if the road gets wider or narrower or if the corner gets slower or faster as you travel through it.
These pace notes always come as part of a wider system. Assetto Corsa Rally features the common numbering system for corners, on a scale of 1-6 with some corners getting unique descriptions. This is possibly the most common system, both in terms of use by real-world drivers and by other sim rally titles. But what specifically does it mean?
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The Numbering System
A first misconception that you might have with AC Rally’s pace notes is that the numbers mean the gear that you should take the corner in. However, whilst there are some games where this might be the case, in AC Rally it could end with you either crawling through a faster corner or flying off the side of the nearest cliff.
The 1-6 system actually refers to the severity of the corner. Whilst some other corners have their own names, such as hairpins and “flat” corners, these corners typically get less tight and typically get faster as the number goes up. So, even though a “4” doesn’t necessarily mean a 4th-gear corner, it may mean a higher gear than a “3” and a lower gear than a “5”.
It’s a good idea, as a result, to get a feeling for the steering angle that you put in for each number in your pace notes. Each car requires a slightly different driving style, and will likely also have at least some variety in gear ratios. You may have to catch a slide through a “3” in a rear-wheel-drive car, wrestle the understeer out of a front-wheel-drive car, or delicately balance the two in a four-wheel-drive machine.
On top of this, Assetto Corsa Rally’s descriptive corners are each somewhat unique. A “square” corner typically refers to a 90-degree corner, but depending on the nature of the road it’s often either tighter or more open. What is usually consistent, however, is that it takes place at a junction. A “hairpin” often is closer to 180 degrees, meaning that you will find yourself changing direction as if you’re following the path of a hairpin, whilst a “tight hairpin” will require extra braking and extra effort to turn in. A “flat”, on the other hand, is self-explanatory. It’s flat-out.
All the Bells and Whistles
It’s not just the corners that get called out, though. As mentioned earlier, AC Rally’s pace notes also provide you with more information about what to expect from the road ahead – especially key details that you might not be able to pick out.
Distance indicators are the most common of these. They tell you how far along the next key note is, such as “100” for a distance of 100m. You will often find several of these in a stage, and if you’re someone who keeps track of your speed or stage progress, it can be a good way of visualising what’s coming up next.
There are then the connectives between different notes. Sometimes you can expect a corner to be followed up with another in quick succession, joined either by an “and” or an “into”. And there is a difference between the two. You can expect two corners joined by an “and” to have something of a distance between them, where they don’t necessarily flow into one another. An “into” corner will usually imply some kind of flow between the two, where you move from one corner straight into another.
On top of this, there are various descriptive notes that can be used to describe your lines through that part of the stage. The most common one, “caution”, highlights that there is something out of the ordinary ahead. Objects on the road will be described as “inside” or “outside” of the racing line, whilst “keep” instructions will tell you where the optimal line is through that part of the stage.
Other line instructions include “cut” and “don’t cut”, advising you to take a more aggressive line through the corner or alerting you to a danger on the inside of the corner that you will want to avoid, as well as “brake” or “handbrake” which will advertise that you are expected to either brake heavily or use the handbrake in advance of the following corner.
The remaining advisory callouts include “bad camber”, advertising that the road’s camber does not necessarily align with the fastest line, whether the next corner is “blind” or “hidden”, or if extra dirt or ice in the next corner will make it “slippy”. If any of these are not guaranteed, and might not actually be there when you approach the corner, the co-driver may add the call “maybe” to their notes.
Callout Distances & Personalisations
Whilst there isn’t much scope for personalisation or customisation in the current edition of Assetto Corsa Rally, arguably the most useful feature is already present. And that’s personalising the callout distances.
Some drivers like to prepare for the next corner or group of corners well in advance. Others prefer to only get the next callout as they’re quite literally on top of the corner. The default setting is somewhere in the middle, allowing you ample time to process the notes yet not enough time to forget them! If you’re new to rallying, it is worth you trying the different settings out before settling on your most comfortable setting.
Final Thoughts
Assetto Corsa Rally is quickly becoming the go-to sim rally title for casual and hardcore enthusiasts alike. As it continues to develop, adding more cars and stages on the way, there is a lot to get excited about for the future!
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