Adrenaline

Adrenaline uses an Elo rating system to objectively measure rider skill across races. Your rating starts at 1200 and changes based on race finishes—beating higher-rated riders increases your rating more, while losing to lower-rated riders decreases it more. Ratings are tracked per discipline and appear on your racer profile.

What is the Elo Rating System?

Elo is a mathematical rating system originally designed for chess, now used across competitive sports and games. In Adrenaline, it provides an objective measure of rider skill that updates after every race based on your finishing position relative to other riders.

Key Principles

All riders start at 1200 rating
Ratings increase when you finish ahead of other riders
Ratings decrease when you finish behind other riders
The amount of change depends on the rating difference between you and your competitors
Upset wins (beating higher-rated riders) = bigger rating gains
Expected wins (beating lower-rated riders) = smaller rating gains
Ratings are tracked per discipline (Motocross, Supercross, etc.)

How Ratings Are Calculated

After Each Race

Your rating is updated based on how you finish compared to every other rider in the race:

For each pair of riders, determine who finished higher
Calculate expected outcome based on current ratings (higher-rated rider is "expected" to win)
Calculate rating change using standard Elo formula
Apply rating changes to all riders simultaneously

Example: Simple 3-Rider Race

Before Race:

Rider A: 1400 rating
Rider B: 1200 rating (you)
Rider C: 1100 rating

Race Finishes:

1st: You (Rider B)
2nd: Rider A
3rd: Rider C

After Race:

You: +24 (beat higher-rated Rider A, big gain!)
Rider A: -18 (lost to lower-rated you)
Rider C: -6 (finished last as expected)

You gained more points because beating a 1400-rated rider when you're only 1200 is an upset win.

K-Factor (Rating Volatility)

The K-factor controls how much ratings change after each race. Adrenaline uses different K-factors based on experience:

New riders (first 10 races): Higher K-factor = faster rating changes to find your "true" skill level quickly
Experienced riders (10+ races): Lower K-factor = slower, more stable rating changes

This prevents sandbagging and helps new riders reach their appropriate skill level faster.

Rating Visibility

Your rating visibility depends on your current rating value:

Ratings Above 1200: Public

If your rating is 1200 or higher, it's publicly visible on your racer profile. Anyone can see it.

Ratings Below 1200: Private

If your rating drops below 1200, it becomes private. You can see your own rating, but others cannot. This protects beginners while they're improving.

Premium Override

Premium subscribers can choose to make ratings below 1200 public if they want. This is optional and controlled from profile settings.

Why the 1200 threshold? The starting rating is 1200, so anyone below it is performing below average. Hiding these ratings protects beginners from embarrassment while they learn and improve.

Ratings Per Discipline

Ratings are tracked separately for each racing discipline:

Motocross (MX)

Outdoor racing on natural terrain tracks. Your MX rating only changes when you race MX events.

Supercross (SX)

Indoor stadium racing with technical obstacles. Your SX rating is separate from your MX rating.

Other Disciplines

If Adrenaline supports other disciplines (Enduro, GNCC, etc.), each has its own separate rating.

Why separate ratings? A rider great at outdoor MX might struggle with SX's technical turns and rhythm sections. Separate ratings more accurately reflect skill in each discipline.

What Ratings Mean

Rating Ranges & Interpretations

1600+:Elite/Pro level

1400-1600:Advanced/Expert

1200-1400:Intermediate/Competitive

1000-1200:Beginner/Developing

Below 1000:New/Learning

These are rough guidelines. Your rating reflects your performance against other riders in your region/events, not absolute skill.

Sanctioned vs. Non-Sanctioned Races

Sanctioned Races (Rating Affects)

Official competitive events affect your rating. These are races marked as "sanctioned" by event organizers. Most standard events are sanctioned.

Non-Sanctioned Races (No Rating Impact)

Practice sessions, Basic Races, and events marked "non-sanctioned" don't affect ratings. These are for training, fun, or informal competition.

Marked on Your Profile

Your race history shows which events were sanctioned (rating-affecting) and which were non-sanctioned (fun/practice). This helps explain rating changes.

How Ratings Are Used

Class seeding: Some events use ratings to seed riders into gates or assign heat positions
Skill-based classes: Events might create classes like "1200+ A Class" and "Below 1200 B Class"
Matchmaking: Future Adrenaline features may use ratings for balanced competition
Leaderboards: Compare yourself to other riders in your discipline/region
Progress tracking: Watch your rating improve over time as you develop skills
Expected outcomes: Pre-race info shows rating-based predictions for podium finishers
Sponsor appeal: Higher ratings can attract sponsor interest

Rating Changes: What Affects Them

✅ Affects Rating: Finishing Position

Where you finish relative to other riders is the ONLY factor that changes your rating. 1st place beats 2nd, 2nd beats 3rd, etc.

✅ Affects Rating: Opponent Ratings

The ratings of riders you beat/lose to determine how much your rating changes. Beating a 1500 rider = big gain. Beating a 900 rider = small gain.

❌ Does NOT Affect Rating: Lap Times

Fast lap times don't directly increase your rating. Only beating other riders matters. You could have the slowest time ever and still gain rating by finishing 1st.

❌ Does NOT Affect Rating: Margin of Victory

Winning by 30 seconds or 0.1 seconds = same rating gain. Only the final order matters, not the gaps.

❌ Does NOT Affect Rating: DNF/DNS/DQ

If you don't finish (DNF), don't start (DNS), or get disqualified (DQ), you're excluded from rating calculations for that race. No gain or loss.

Rating Decay & Inactivity

No Rating Decay

Adrenaline does not use rating decay. Your rating stays the same whether you race every week or take years off. This prevents unfair "rust penalties" when riders return from injury or breaks.

Why no decay? Skill doesn't evaporate. A rider who was 1500-rated before a break likely still has that skill when they return. If they've genuinely lost ability, race results will adjust their rating naturally.

Improving Your Rating

Best Strategies

Race frequently: More races = more opportunities to gain rating
Challenge higher-rated riders: Beating them gives bigger rating boosts
Focus on consistency: Finishing mid-pack reliably is better than 1st once and DNF five times
Compete in sanctioned events: Non-sanctioned races don't affect rating
Race in your strongest discipline: Focus on MX if that's your strength; don't worry about SX if you're not good at it
Avoid sandbagging: New rider K-factor prevents gaming the system by sitting out early races

Remember: Rating is a measure of past performance, not a goal in itself. Focus on improving your riding skills—rating increases will follow naturally.

Common Questions

Why did my rating go down even though I finished in the top half?

Elo is about expected outcomes. If you're rated 1400 and finish 5th in a field of 1200-rated riders, you underperformed expectations. Your rating drops slightly because you "should" have finished higher.

Can I reset my rating?

No. Ratings are permanent career records. If you want a "fresh start," your only option is to improve through racing—ratings naturally adjust as you perform better.

What's the highest/lowest possible rating?

Theoretically unlimited, but practically: top pro riders rarely exceed 1800, and active racers rarely drop below 800. The vast majority of riders fall between 1000-1500.

Does bike quality affect my rating?

Indirectly, yes. If a better bike helps you finish higher, your rating increases. But the rating system doesn't account for equipment—it only sees finishing positions.

Why is my rating below 1200 after only a few races?

Everyone starts at 1200. If you're new and racing against experienced riders (who have higher ratings), finishing behind them lowers your rating quickly. This is normal for beginners—keep racing and improving!

Can I see rating changes before they're applied?

Not currently. Ratings update automatically after race finalization. Future features may show projected rating changes pre-race.

Do practice sessions affect my rating?

No. Only sanctioned races affect ratings. Practice sessions, Basic Races, and non-sanctioned events are for training and don't change your rating.

What if I switch disciplines (MX to SX)?

Each discipline has a separate rating. If you've never raced SX, you start at 1200 for SX even if your MX rating is 1500. Ratings don't transfer between disciplines.

Rider Ratings (Elo System)