Low Fuel Motorsport (LFM) is a free service that compliments Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) by adding ranked multiplayer similar to the system iRacing uses. Furthermore, it helps you find cleaner races since drivers are matched together based on skill. This means that you will start at a low skill level, racing initially against rookie drivers, and based on your results and driving standards, you can then progress to higher and higher licence categories.
Safety rating and Elo
LFM uses a similar system to iRacing, with your Safety Rating (SR) being directly linked to your driving standards and your Elo based on race results. iRacing calls it iRating, but it's actually an Elo-based system that originates from the ranking system used in chess. Simply put, you will lose and gain ELO based on your race results, and you will lose or gain SR based on how many mistakes you make while racing.
Running your car off-track, spinning, or crashing into another car will reduce SR, but driving clean laps will improve your SR.
Similarly, finishing ahead of drivers with a higher Elo than you will give you a bump in Elo but finishing down the order and behind drivers with lower Elo than you will result in a drop in total Elo. Again, this system encourages drivers to race cleanly, but incidents are always possible, so it's vital to practice before a race and to be more cautious when attempting overtakes.
The licence test
Just like iRacing, LFM has several licence classes, but unlike iRacing, LFM requires you to pass a test before receiving a Rookie licence. This test requires you to drive seven clean laps less than 107% of the LFM lap record at a specific track on the official LFM servers.
ACC uses a safety rating system called SA, and LFM requires you to have a minimum rating of SA 80 before you are allowed to take the licence test. If your SA is below this, we suggest you run twenty-minute races against the AI on a skill level that will enable you to follow them closely and relatively easily. Keep this gap more or less under 0.5 seconds during the race, and you can gain two or three SA points per race.
The test is a simple matter of running seven clean laps, but other drivers on the track may get in your way, or you could make an error. Say, for example, you completed three clean laps and got an invalidation on Lap 4; you will need to start from scratch toward your seven laps.
We suggest you use the Aggressive setup for your car of choice with enough fuel for ten or more laps and practice offline. Once you've reached a point where you can beat the specified time, you can join the official LFM test server and complete the test. Once you've done the required laps, you can quit the server, and once the session has ended, you can go to your LFM profile page or check your notifications for your new Rookie licence.
Final thoughts
Low Fuel Motorsport is a community-driven service for Asetto Corsa Competizione that allows sim racers to enjoy better quality racing for no extra cost. We think this should have been part of ACC in the first place but having LFM as an option shows that the sim racing community can become a powerful force when needed.
