DIRT 5 may be the more accessible side of the DIRT franchise, but that doesn't mean it is easy to master.
With its wide array of events, surfaces, and locations it tests every part of your driving skill.
One of the biggest tests of all is the Ice Breaker events. These take place purely on the frozen waters in the coldest climates, and can drive you crazy if you aren't well practiced.
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Thankfully, we have partnered with Codemasters and the amazing ConnerSpeed6 to bring you the best tips and tricks to becoming an ice racing expert.
Take the training wheels off
DIRT 5 has a lot of driver aids that can make racing off-road easier for those that aren’t used to it.
However, these can become a hindrance on ice after a while. If your improvements have hit a wall on Ice Breaker then it is time to start cutting out the assists.
Selecting manual transmission will let you keep the car in the optimum gear for these slippy conditions and keep you in the power band for your car.
ABS off will let you reduce your braking distance as long as you don’t lock up, while turning off traction control and stability management will help you get the car rotated and around the corners.
“The car is smart enough to correct itself when it starts sliding, but we don’t want that especially on ice!” Says Conner in his latest video that addresses everything you need to become an Ice Breaker master.
Unique lines
The AI will follow one particular line on ice, and you do not want to follow them!
Not only will it keep you out of a potential train, but it will also let you find the apexes and the shortest route around the corner.
The lines you want to use in Ice Breaker are different to what you would normally take, but by following Conner’s advice you can get in and out of corners quickly.
You can use the e-brake to slow down and start the car rotating in DIRT 5, but don’t mash it down!
Once the back end starts going around it is hard to catch and correct, so you only want to nudge the back end out. Corner exits are critical, so you need to make sure the car gets pointed early so that the traction can catch and push you out of the corner as quickly as possible.
It’s a tricky balance to strike between enough sliding to get the car rotated and keeping the rear in control, but with a little practice and those assists off you will be able to feel the balance more and keep the car pointed in the right direction.
Know your car
Ice is merciless to rear wheel drive cars. They will slide and lose traction at a moment's notice, which means you will have to feather the throttle a lot to keep control of the car.
However, as Conner demonstrates, the all-wheel drive cars are capable of handling a lot of throttle input and you can really keep the power down with them.
This is an important thing to check that a lot of drivers will overlook, so make sure to know what machinery you have to work with, as that will let you know how best to handle it before you start losing time on the ice.
Want more DIRT 5 tips? Look out for the next part in our series, where ConnerSpeed6 takes us through a racing masterclass in DIRT 5.
You can support ConnerSpeed6 by subscribing to his YouTube channel or on Patreon.
If you haven’t got it already, you can buy DIRT 5 NOW at all good retailers on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC.
If you haven’t upgraded to next-gen consoles yet then don’t worry, DIRT 5 is available on Xbox One and PS4, and comes with a free upgrade to next-gen should you pick up the console soon. Just remember discless consoles will require digital entitlement to upgrade.
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