Reaction time is how long after the green light your car leaves the starting line. It is the first number on the timeslip. The launch itself is covered in How to Race. This page is about reading the result and getting a legal light.
What the number means
- 0.000 to 0.017 is a perfect light in this game. 0.017 seconds is the edge of that window.
- A small positive number, such as 0.050, is a legal light. You left after green. Lower is better, as long as it stays at zero or above.
- A negative number is a red light. You left before green. The total on the timeslip is blank, so the quicker car still loses that run.
Leaving a little late still counts. Leaving early does not.
How to leave on green
- At the start, hold the pedal and bring the tachometer on the left into the green zone. Slide side to side until the arrow in front of the car is straight and green.
- Watch the Christmas Tree. The lights go from yellow to green.
- Release as the light turns green. Anticipating the last yellow is how the time gets smaller. Releasing before green is a red light.
- After the race, read the reaction time on the timeslip before you look at anything else.
- If it is negative, the next practice run is about waiting for green, not about leaving sooner.
- If it is legal but large, start releasing a little earlier on the next run. Stay at or above 0.000.
The car still has to cover the track. A perfect light plus a slow car can lose to a later light and a quicker car. That tradeoff is in Why a Faster Car Matters.
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