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“Right 3 into Left 2” means a moderately fast right-hand corner followed almost immediately by a tighter left. The direction tells you where to steer, the number estimates severity, and words such as into, tightens, crest and don’t cut tell you how the road changes or where the danger is. Read the call early enough to brake and position the car, but close enough to the corner that the information is still memorable.
The exact scale and vocabulary vary by game. EA SPORTS WRC and the DiRT Rally series use related systems, but a number or named hairpin should never be assumed to mean precisely the same thing in every title. Learn the active game’s glossary before transferring habits from another one.
What pace notes are—and what they are not
A pace note is a compact forecast of the road. The co-driver describes the next corner, its severity, the distance to it and any hazard or required car placement. EA’s official guide describes the job as painting “a picture in your mind of the road ahead” so the driver can act before seeing the feature.
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The call is not a speed limit. A “4” does not guarantee one speed in every car, weather condition or stage. It is a relative warning about shape and severity. A powerful four-wheel-drive car on a dry surface may take the same corner differently from a front-wheel-drive car on wet gravel. Use the number to choose braking and entry commitment, then adjust for grip, visibility and what the previous corner has done to the car.
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Audio is intended to be the primary channel. The DiRT Rally manual notes that the co-driver calls corners and hazards while matching icons appear on screen. Treat icons as confirmation; waiting for a visual symbol can make your reaction late.
The numbered turn scale
In the six-to-one system documented by EA and the DiRT Rally manual, 6 is the fastest and least severe numbered turn, while 1 is the tightest normal numbered turn. A hairpin is tighter than a 1. The number predicts how much you must slow and how sharply you must rotate the car, not an exact road speed.
| Call | Relative meaning | Typical response |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Very fast, shallow bend | Usually a lift or a small brake input; keep the car balanced. |
| 5 | Fast bend | Small speed adjustment and smooth steering. |
| 4 | Medium-fast corner | Brake or lift before turn-in, then maintain a controlled line. |
| 3 | Moderate corner | Clear braking phase and deliberate turn-in. |
| 2 | Tight corner | Brake firmly, rotate the car and expect lower exit speed. |
| 1 | Tightest normal numbered corner | Heavy braking and careful throttle; traction on exit matters. |
| Hairpin | Tighter than a 1; often close to a U-turn | Prepare for very low speed, substantial rotation and possible handbrake use where the game and surface make it appropriate. |
Some games change numbering, insert named turns or use different hairpin labels. The DiRT Rally 2.0 transcription reference records title-specific differences, so verify the in-game convention rather than importing a memorized scale.
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Read a call as a sequence of information layers. The spoken order can vary slightly by title, but these are the pieces you need to identify.
Direction: left or right
“Left” and “right” identify the steering direction. Say the direction in your head as you prepare your hands and car position. If the call is part of a rapid sequence, keep the next direction active in memory while finishing the current corner.
Severity: the number or named turn
The number gives relative tightness. A named hairpin indicates a corner beyond the normal numbered range. Severity also affects your exit plan: a 2 or hairpin usually requires more patience on throttle than a 5 or 6.
Connectors: “into” and “and”
Into means the following turn comes close enough that the first corner’s exit is also the second corner’s entry. For example, “3 Right into 2 Left” is not two independent corners with a long straight between them. Brake and position for the second turn while completing the first.
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And can link nearby features in DiRT Rally calls. Treat it as a cue to keep listening and avoid relaxing after the first direction.
Distance: approximate metres
Numbers such as 50, 80 or 100 generally indicate approximate metres to the next feature. They are planning distances, not precision measurements. Surface, speed and the game’s timing can make the same distance pass more quickly or slowly. A 50-metre gap after a fast 6 may require immediate preparation; 50 metres after a slow hairpin gives you more time in real seconds.
Shape changes: “tightens” and “opens”
Tightens means the corner becomes more severe after turn-in. “Right 4 tightens 3” starts like a faster 4 but becomes a 3, so do not commit to the initial speed as though the bend stays open.
Opens means the bend relaxes toward the exit. You can usually increase steering release and throttle as the road widens, provided the surface and following call allow it.
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Words such as crest, bump and jump describe a change in elevation that can unload the car or hide the road. Narrows warns that available width decreases. Don’t cut means keep wheels away from the inside because of a ditch, rock, post, wall or other hazard. Keep-in and keep-out specify the side of the road to hold. Rocks, ditches and surface-change calls identify hazards or grip transitions that may not be obvious at speed.
Give hazard words more weight than a routine number. A seemingly fast 5 with “don’t cut” or “jump” can demand more caution than an uncomplicated 3.
Worked examples
“3 Right into 2 Left”
Brake for a moderate right, turn in without using all of the road on exit, and stay ready for the tighter left immediately afterward. The “into” connector means the second corner controls your overall pace. A perfect exit from the right is less important than arriving correctly for the left.
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“Right 4 tightens 3”
Enter as a fast-to-medium right, but leave braking margin for the corner’s tighter second phase. Keep the car stable rather than accelerating hard at turn-in. If you hear this call late, use a conservative entry because the unseen tightening is the dangerous part.
“Left 5, 80, crest, right 4 don’t cut”
Take the fast left, use the approximate 80-metre gap to settle the car, then expect a crest that may reduce visibility or grip. Prepare for the right 4 and stay off its inside edge because “don’t cut” identifies a specific line hazard.
“Hairpin right, 50, left 6”
Prioritize rotation and traction through the hairpin, then use the short distance to straighten the car and prepare for the fast left. Do not assume the 50 metres is a full acceleration zone; the hairpin exit and surface determine how quickly you can build speed.
When should the co-driver call?
The useful window is early enough for the driver to brake and position, but not so early that the information is forgotten before the corner. Timing depends on speed, visibility, the severity of the upcoming turn and how much the current corner occupies the driver’s attention.
- Fast, visible corners can be called earlier because the car covers distance quickly.
- Tight corners need enough lead time for braking, especially when hidden behind a crest or bend.
- A linked “into” call should include the next turn before the driver exits the first one.
- Hazards such as “jump,” “narrows” and “don’t cut” should be emphasized and never buried under casual chatter.
- Do not add commentary between the call and the braking point unless it prevents an immediate mistake.
Keep the established order—direction, severity, connector, distance, hazard—so the driver learns where to expect each piece. Consistency is more valuable than theatrical delivery. If a call arrives late, the safe recovery is to reduce speed and use a wider margin, not to force the advertised line.
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Using timing and simplification settings
EA SPORTS WRC provides two settings that are particularly useful while learning:
- Open Options & Extras > Game Preferences.
- Set pace notes to Simplified Pace Notes if the full vocabulary is overwhelming. The simplified system condenses calls into Easy, Medium and Sharp.
- Adjust co-driver timing earlier or later if the information consistently arrives before you can remember it or after the braking point.
- Run the same stage again after one change. Keep the setting that lets you react without looking away from the road.
Start with an earlier timing setting when you are missing braking information, then move toward normal timing as recognition improves. Simplification is a training aid, not a replacement for learning modifiers; return to detailed calls once Easy, Medium and Sharp no longer tell you enough about linked corners and hazards.
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How two people can co-drive a rally game
A driver-and-caller setup works with local voice communication, a voice chat application or a simple speaker-and-headset arrangement. One person controls the car; the other reads the game’s calls or a prepared transcription. The DiRT Rally pace-note repository specifically supports this style of co-op play and recommends slowing replay playback when transcribing.
Set up the session
- Choose one short stage and one predictable car. Avoid changing car, weather and route at the same time.
- Decide on vocabulary before starting. Confirm whether the title uses the six-to-one scale, named hairpins, “and,” distance numbers and line warnings.
- Give the caller a clear audio feed. The driver should hear the call without masking engine, tyre or impact sounds.
- Agree on a brief correction phrase such as “caution” or “brake” for an imminent danger. Do not create a long emergency sentence that delays the warning.
- Start with a slow run or replay. Pause whenever a call was early, late or misunderstood, and identify the exact word that caused the problem.
Build a shared rhythm
The caller should look ahead to the next actionable instruction while finishing the current one. The driver should acknowledge only when necessary; constant replies make it harder to hear the next call. After each run, discuss one timing adjustment and one vocabulary issue rather than changing everything at once.
A practice workflow that improves recognition
- Learn the title’s dictionary. Confirm the number scale, hairpin names, distance convention and hazard terms from the game’s own guide or manual.
- Choose a reference stage. Use a short route with varied corners but predictable conditions.
- Drive below race pace. The goal is to match words to actions, not to set a time.
- Drill modifiers separately. Repeat sections containing into, tightens, opens, crest, jump, narrows and don’t cut.
- Use audio first. Let the driver react to speech and use on-screen icons only to verify understanding.
- Replay mistakes. Slow the replay when a call arrived too late, then identify where braking should have started.
- Increase speed gradually. Move up only when the driver can respond to severity and hazard calls without looking away from the road.
- Vary one condition. After the basic rhythm is reliable, change car or surface and notice how the same severity number changes the required speed.
The official WRC glossary describes reconnaissance, or recce, as repeated low-speed passes used to create and adjust pace notes before an event. You can apply the same logic in a game: observe the route slowly, record only information that changes a decision, then refine the wording after a test run.
Creating your own notes
If a title allows custom notes or you are transcribing a stage, write for action rather than description. A useful line tells the driver what to do before the visual feature arrives.
- Record direction and severity first.
- Add a connector when the next corner affects the current exit.
- Use a distance only when it changes preparation or braking.
- Mark hazards and line restrictions in unmistakable words.
- Keep one vocabulary across the entire stage; do not alternate between “tight” and “sharp” for the same meaning.
After a slow reconnaissance pass, test every note at moderate speed. Delete observations that never change steering, braking, throttle or car placement. Add a warning where the driver repeatedly reacts late. Notes should become shorter and more predictable as they improve.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changes between rally games?
Related titles can sound similar while encoding different information. Compare these five areas before using another game’s guide or a community transcription.
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|---|---|---|
| Severity scale | A 4 or 6 may represent a different corner range in another title. | EA and the DiRT Rally manual document a six-to-one scale; the DiRT Rally 2.0 reference records title-specific changes. |
| Hairpin and named-turn labels | Named turns may replace numbers or use different severity wording. | Hairpins are tighter than a normal 1 in the documented six-to-one convention, but labels are not universal. |
| Connectors and distances | “Into,” “and” and metre calls determine whether you link corners or expect a gap. | DiRT Rally documentation uses “and” to link nearby features; distance calls such as 50, 80 and 100 indicate approximate metres. |
| Hazard and placement vocabulary | The same road feature may be described with different words or levels of detail. | Terms include crest, bump, jump, narrows, don’t cut, keep-in, keep-out, rocks and ditches. |
| Timing and simplification controls | Adjustable timing changes when information reaches the driver. | EA SPORTS WRC documents earlier/later co-driver timing and Easy, Medium, Sharp simplified calls. |
Do not compare lap times to judge whether two note systems are equivalent. First translate their vocabulary, then test how the calls affect braking and positioning on the same type of corner.
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Common problems and fixes
The call arrives after braking has started
Move co-driver timing earlier if the game offers that control. If it does not, drive more conservatively and ask the caller to announce the severity and hazard first, leaving distance or secondary detail until the car is stable.
The driver forgets the second corner
Make the connector explicit: say “into” as part of the first call, not as an afterthought. Reduce speed in linked sequences until the second direction can be held in working memory.
Every number feels the same
Practice two contrasting corners, such as a 6 and a 2, on the same stage. Focus on the braking and steering difference rather than the spoken label. Then add a 4 and 3 to build intermediate recognition.
The car leaves the road after a crest or jump
Reduce entry speed, keep the steering settled over the elevation change and wait for the road to reveal itself before applying full throttle. A crest or jump is a visibility and load warning, not merely scenery.
“Don’t cut” is ignored
Repeat the phrase with emphasis and treat it as a hard line constraint. If the game displays icons, use them to identify the hazard after the run, but do not rely on the icon appearing before you commit to the corner.
The caller talks too much
Remove color commentary and duplicate warnings. Keep the fixed call structure and reserve urgent interruptions for an immediate mistake or hazard. Short, repeatable phrasing is easier to process under stress.
Controls and equipment
EA states that a steering wheel is not required for EA SPORTS WRC; a gamepad or keyboard can also be used. A wheel and pedal set can add immersion and finer control, but it does not replace accurate calls, suitable timing or practice. Choose the control method that lets the driver make smooth corrections without losing sight of the road.
For a two-person setup, prioritize clear voice audio, a comfortable microphone and an arrangement in which the caller can see the same stage information without distracting the driver. If the driver uses headphones, keep the co-driver voice prominent enough to be understood over engine and surface sounds.
The practical rule to remember
Translate every call into one immediate driving decision: where to steer, how much to slow, what follows next and which part of the road to avoid. Learn the game’s exact vocabulary, call early enough for a real response, and use linked-corner and hazard words to plan beyond the turn directly in front of the car. Consistent communication beats dramatic speed; build pace only after the driver and caller can make the same decision from the same words.
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