Listening is a skill that requires active practice. To translate Phil Mills' voice into faster stage times, implement these three mental habits:
By mastering the language of pacenotes and compiling them into a structured PDF format, you remove the element of surprise from Dirt Rally 2.0. You stop reacting blindly to what you see through the windshield and start preparing for corners before they even appear over the horizon.
. They didn’t just want to play; they wanted to live it. Leo was the driver, white-knuckled and focused, while Elias was the voice in his ear.
Then he saw it. The watermark.
In Dirt Rally 2.0 , the audio from your co-driver (Phil Mills, the real-life champion co-driver for Petter Solberg) is your lifeline. However, audio alone has limitations. Sometimes the environmental noise of a roaring engine, tire squeal, or rain on the windshield can drown out a critical call. dirt rally 2.0 pacenotes pdf
Numbers describe how sharp a turn is. In DiRT Rally 2.0, the scale generally goes from 1 to 6, with lower numbers being slower and higher numbers being faster.
The primary system uses numbers 1 through 6 followed by a direction ("Left" or "Right"). Recommended Gear Fastest, nearly flat-out. Very wide radius. 5th or 6th 5 (Five) High-speed corner. Slight braking or lift may be needed. 4th or 5th 4 (Four) Medium-speed corner. Clear braking required. 3rd or 4th 3 (Three) Standard corner. Significant braking; maintains momentum. 2nd or 3rd 2 (Two) Tight corner. Sharp turn requiring low speed. 1 (One) Very tight. Slowest numbered corner before special turns. Special Corner Callouts
Even tighter than a standard hairpin. Requires a complete slowdown and precise pivot. Turn 1: A very sharp, slow corner. 1st or 2nd gear.
The goal is to hear the note for the upcoming corner while you are still negotiating the current one. Top Tips for Listening to Pacenotes Listening is a skill that requires active practice
He turned the car around and drove the stage again. This time, he didn't read the notes. He knew them by heart.
Medium-speed corners, usually requiring heavy braking or downshifting.
❌ A PDF won’t help mid-drive if you have to read it while racing. You need to internalize the system before it becomes useful.
The numbers correspond to the severity of the corner: Then he saw it
Instructs your positioning on the road to prepare for the next turn or avoid a hazard Hazards and Road Features
Warning that the car may leave the ground or become unsettled Bad Camber:
Mastering the Stages: The Ultimate Guide to DiRT Rally 2.0 Pacenotes (PDF Resource)
If you decide to print these out for a "real" co-driver experience, veteran players recommend crumpling the top corner of each page
The best PDFs mimic the specific phrasing of Phil Mills in Dirt Rally 2.0 . For example, if the PDF says "Square Right," that is a specific, 90-degree turn. If it says "Narrow gate," you know the road pinches.
Several community-driven resources exist to help you download or view these notes: