iRacing

barmyllama said:
I've had the Ford GT in my basket a few times but resisted.

Let us know what you think.
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I've just given it 6 laps around Spa, not much to base a full assessment, but its very nice. Feels like a heavy GT3 car, its stable, has a bit of push/understeer in a few places the Z4 didnt, and yet also seems to hook into a corner better than the Z4.
A perfect example is Pouhon, the double-apex left hander midway round. The corner before it, the FGT seems to turn in without much effort at all, i expect to need to slow down much more for it as it feels heavy and other corners act differently. Then in pt2 of Pouhon, using the same line and style through there the Z4 could hold its line better on-throttle, whereas the FGT will push if you're not taking a slightly later turn-in/apex.

The fast corner before whats left of the bus-stop chicane, turns in like a boat, im having to brake and dip to 5th currently, yet Eau Rouge feels pretty much the same as the Z4, wide entry and a little lift, ride the curb if need be and just floor it up, doesnt have the same boat feel yet both fast hi-speed corners.

I wouldnt be on pace, but i know i could go into a race now and feel comfortable finishing the race without making a mess.
Im hitting 2:24s with 6 laps under my belt from a full tank (50-60min worth i gather) when it seems comparable to GT3 times (2:19.0 Q, 2:21.5 R).
Its a little more sensitive to heavy braking, i *think* it'll downshift on command and then lock-up the brakes, where the Z4 would block till it was in range.
Otherwise, they feel very similar, i'd definitely feel comfortable racing the 2 each week, and feel confident that if i know a track in one series better than the other, i'd be able to focus on the weaker location without suffering in the other.

Looks like there is decent participation during EU evenings too, outside of that you'll only have a couple of GT's to race with. I prefer racing early AM (midnight-3am UK) but if i know there are timeslots for better participation ive no issue adjusting for it.
 
barmyllama said:
The amount of time you have to give back for corner cutting is just plain stupid.
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Tell me about it!!!

I must have lost 5 places down that back straight lifting off.
I had a big moment of oversteer and had to release the steering wheel causing me to run wide and "cut" the left hander. It wasnt even a lot, I still had 2 wheels on the asphalt. It was only the 3rd lap so we we all bunched together.

Gutted too as it was a really high SOF (3840) I ended up coming in 16th

As for the rest of my week;
I've done 6 races in the fixed Indy car oval. 3 of which were a write off, as well as two 4th places and a 2nd place

2 races in the Spec Ford. A 4th place, which I was disappointed with. Decided to qualify for the next one and won it.

I was watching you on the spa race Paul, unlucky to have that spin then get disconnected :(
 
Haha, you saw that race? That was my first attempt, i'd done about 15 laps practice (3x 5 laps or so, full, low fuel & full again) and then spent most of the evening trying to skin the damn thing :o

It was a mental race though, im quite gutted that i didnt get a replay, i could have swore i said save it but maybe i didnt. My ISP decided it was going to have some fun (did the same straight after, went to do a TT and it disconnected on lap 2!). I waited a few min and it came back, so i tabbed in and it didnt want to let me rejoin, so then i had the waiting around for it to shut down (and that might be why i didnt save it, just rushing through it all), then cos it was a new IP it wouldnt let me launch, so had to log out and back in again, the loading into the track, 2min for it to return to pits... yeah, really disappointing in the end.
I think i made a couple of small spins in that final chicane, i did the race straight after and i think i was hitting the bump just inside the first curb and losing the balance, cos it wasnt like i was trying to gun it out.
But the race itself, absolute chaos. With the HPD's screwing up and then coming through the field early on, others spinning, and just about avoiding them, and then running down the last twisting straight before the chicane, with 4 FGT's running close together, front-running HPD's coming through at an alarming rate, and just after coming onto that stretch theres a RUF crawling along and i just about managed to weave around it, and i looked in my rear mirror to see this blue RUF airborne.

The 2nd race was far far less chaotic, the grid was half the size though and the guy leading the FGT grid gave them a big head-start, so that might have helped any spinners get back on track before we'd arrived there.


To give everyone an idea of how weird the first race was, 52 car grid, 35 HPDs, and 7 Ford GT. I remember being 5th, and trying to hold a few off (in the 4 pack with the flying RUF) and then a lap or 2 later i had to let one through, not sure if i made a mistake and held it but decided just to let them by rather than make them do something silly & desperate cos im holding him up. I look at the F3 list, and im 2nd! I'd been leading for a lap or 2.
Then about 3/5ths into the race, i get disconnected and it cost me about 6-7min (wait for ISP to reconnect, close game, log out & in, load up, 2min tow, plus the half lap i lost... cant recall where i was).
I pitted out, and finished, in 3rd. :D 5 laps down. 2 down on the class winner.


I need to figure out where i was losing so much time, not sure if i just picked a meh setup (im hopeless at setups!), but i was further behind than i was expecting to be.
Im not sure if its Z4 syndrome, it being superior to the Macca & RUF made me think i was better than most of the field, when it was just an unbalanced car, and i cant blame lack of track knowledge, there wasnt much different between the Z4 2.4h Wk13 to the FGT Wk1. I finished well in the Road Warrior race, survival probably playing a big part. But the main thing is i enjoyed it. it'd be nicer if there wasnt such an onslaught of HPD's though, but maybe the rest of the tracks will have far fewer pit garages meaning smaller capacities and more splits.

oh yeah, have you tried the Indycar Road? I was tempted to try it, as Emptybox was saying it was predictable and manageable, which are things i like in a car, even if im not much of a single-seater person, and i suspect its a bit faster than i'd like. Though i did enjoy the Skippy for a while, mainly when it was my main focus and doing a few hrs practice before races, and only the slidey MX5 as a reference :D
 
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First race at Laguna.

Qualified 5th and finished 3rd in the Ruf.

Just added a few clicks of wing to my Sebring setup and it felt really good.

1:22.7 was my best with almost full race fuel, but my optimum is a 1:21.8. So if I can hook up that lap I won't be as far off as I normally am.
 
I just got back into iRacing last week, so far done 3 races in the Ford GT at Spa and managed incident free races and come away with two 3rd's and a 2nd place finish, looking forward to getting into the action at Road America :D
 
Did the 11:00pm GT3 race last night, there were only two splits and I ended up in the top one. Makes a massive difference.

A slightly qualifying time than earlier yielded only 17th, compared to 5th in a lower split.

The race was far more intense than any other race I've been in. I felt like every lap was a qualifying lap just to maintain my position. In the end I finished 10th, but that was more down to other drivers spinning off than any real speed from me. I think I had 10 inc as well, all from going beyond track limits from constantly pushing.

Intense, but fun.
 
I'm getting consistently in the top 3 now at D class for the last couple of weeks tracks, shouldn't be much longer before I move up to C.

No one I know plays this game so if anyone would like to add me I'm Matthew Stanton2 on there. I race clean, no incidents in my last 3 races and looking to move into the GT series.
 
Unless you're hosting private sessions, then racing with friends is difficult. Unless you all have the same licence and similar iRatings then you won't end up in the same race, unless it's poorly participated series and there's no splits.
 
Yeah, the difference between the top & single splits is huge, and i think sometimes it works against you because you can go from fighting for a podium or top 5, to being lucky to get in the top half finishers, and because theres rarely any opportunity to dial down the pace, you end up pushing too hard and making those mistakes, or you get caught up in other ppls mistakes etc.

I did the WSCS race at 4am, started 3rd and could see i was fast enough, almost made a place on the first lap on the 2nd straight but braked cautiously and just followed. Same thing next lap, got a great exit from T2, braked later and went down the inside fine. Exact same story on lap 3, could see my car rotating better in the corner and i could line it up to get on power before they were. Was given the outside line, was about 50% ahead, braked later and left room on the inside, but cos he braked sooner he decided to roll the car in, and T-boned me. Managed to carry on, and lead still, but on the 2 slow left handers the car was horrible, and once the wear set in, it'd just slide around on me :( ended up finishing with 16/17 inc and all because someone else screwed up.

Did the race after too, only 2 Ford GTs, think our FL was about 4sec different! he lost connection and wrecked his car infront of me. The difference of no pressure meant i drove at my own pace, gave up 2-3 for racing HPD's so i didnt interupt them if i could see they'd catch me somewhere 50/50 divebomb worthy, and ended up being a mostly clean race, 1 hit from behind from a Riley i'd overtaken, and 2 off-tracks, which as they so often are, were nonsense 'off-tracks' rather than running wide or braking too late etc.
I really wish i understood how on earth their rules work, cos Road America, exit of T3 and 2 of the last corners, you can completely leave the tarmac, and yet at Spa, you get a little eager in the first part of the chicane after Eau Rouge and its cutting, yet the 2nd part of it, you can really man-handle it, and its fine! You're either leaving the track or you're not, this irrational reasoning per-corner is BS.
 
I finally hit my C licence tonight after a real mix of races. From shunting on the first corner and people who were so aggressive they forced people off the track and got themselves disqualified to some real tight races were another bloke and myself swapped positions 6 times over the course of 20 laps, bumper to bumper a lot of the way, very intense.

I really like the most recent changes to the Cup/Roadster Mazda MX5, it's no longer on Ice and 'savable' if you step it out of line.
 
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I think you get a mixed bag, no matter what.

I was in the top split for the 7pm GT3 on Saturday and had a guy trying to overtake on the inside. Even though I'd made my move to cover the inside of turn one just after crossing the start/finish line at Laguna. I suppose I should have known he was going to hit me and moved over. But then what's the point of racing if you're just going to give up ever place because some idiot doesn't care if they hit you or not?
 
yeah, the 'i dont care if you place your car somewhere as a msg to say thats off-limits, screw you, im doing it anyway' really annoys me.
If you leave the door wide open, and they go for the opportunity, assuming its not idiotic then fair enough. When you make it clear you're defending that line and if you want to make a move then go the other way, then unless there is still decent room to ignore you AND they make a completely clean pass, then its really annoying getting punted off track because they dont respect where someone else puts their car.

I had a race at Sebring, and had someone right on my tail on the s/f straight, i positioned myself to the inside, a complete lane across, and he dived to the inside half way down, right against the wall, and i had to change my line to avoid a collision mid straight, and in the end cos it... peeved me off so much, i ended up braking earlier and tried jamming it down the inside as he turned in, the room wasnt there and i took us both out. That was my fault, but it came because he'd riled me by disregarding the fact that i'd clearly defended the inside line. I ended up pulling over and getting out of his way while he spun back around and we carried on again (he mentioned afterwards he'd never seen anyone do that before, which really doesnt surprise me, cos nobody seems to give a flying F about anyone they take out through their stupidity).

Ive only done WSCS races this week, im really not all that enthusiastic for Laguna Seca in GT3, feels like it'll be too chaotic, and im tired of losing SR through other people hitting me and being given the same punishment as the person at fault. I do enough perfectly safe 'off-track' incidents to deal with, so +4 and possibly dmg too is no fun.

I cant help but wonder WTF the schedule makers are thinking sometimes. Laguna Seca is too narrow and has nowhere for wide GT cars to race cleanly, its fine in a SRF, Skippy, MX5 or Indycar. I've just done some laps around Mosport... and frankly im offended, to pay the same amount for these nomark tracks, as Spa, Suzuka, Donny, etc is an insult. Theres absolutely no way a 45 car grid which is 1/2 HPDs divebombing if theres daylight, its going to be a nightmare.
You need decent spacious tracks, and this seems like it has lots of long corners and 1 line through them, and you'll get punted off by the rubbish HPD drivers.
Its not to say you cant have good racing at these places, im sure those at the front with less happening around them are fine, but mid-pack, with less talented drivers (me incl) and dealing with faster racers who've spun and are coming through, with drivers ahead screwing up, its far more chaotic and you get a worse race because of it.
My first 2 wins (1st being only my 2nd race!) were also my first 2 without incidents, because i was in control of my result, stick me mid-pack and i'll make mistakes pushing hard and dealing with everyone else. Some tracks are just terrible for scrappy races, while others, like Spa, are challenging, but open to close racing without feeling like a 8-lane motorway. Laguna Seca is a country road, and its great when its all clear around you, but when you have someone slower there, its like being stuck behind a tractor, its not remotely fun.
 
Mosport isn't too bad because they can pass up the hill at the back of the track. But you have to assume that's when they'll do it. As you say and I've experienced, some drivers in the fast car in mixed class just expect you to get out of their way. Or they have some God given right to pass you anywhere they like and careless about the line you have to take through a corner.

The problem iRacing has is people want to drive the tracks they've paid for, so they must feel obliged to include tracks, that wouldn't ordinarily be used in real life for a particular car.

You can't please all of the people, all of the time I suppose.
 
Spunkey said:
I hate to interrupt your rant, but the reason those tracks are used for GT racing is because... those tracks are really used for GT racing.
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Im sure they do, but it doesnt mean it makes for a decent venue for sim racing. F1 races around Monaco, but i wouldnt want to do races with people around there cos it'd be chaos.


Just done another WSCS, was going nicely and i was following 2nd for the last 6 or so laps (0.8-0.6 behind, but no opportunities and no expectation either), and towards the end we had a bit of traffic and on the kinked back-straight i managed to get right behind him as we passed a lapped FGT, pulled out to the inside for the braking, managed a switch-back just as theres a white flag on my screen. Typically, I screwed up the final corner and lost the place, and as i cross the line i see the chequered flag waving and 'thats it, the race is over'. So i coast along, pull over and post my messages, get rammed in the rear by someone clearly not giving a F, and i get a 4x for it.
I checked the replay, and the leader was about 6sec behind me at the line, so basically when the game was telling me its over, it wasnt! So not only did i not do a final lap, but i also got penalised because some idiot wanted to ram me. Didnt cost me places cos the leader was right behind, but its the annoyance that my spotter told me something which is false, the game brought up the chequered flag in the corner, and i went from a 3x to a 7x because of it. How hard is it to code a game properly? Its 1's & 0's ffs, its not like its human error, its a
Has the race actually finished?
Yes > 'say race is over'
No > 'DONT say the race is over'

Absolute morons.
 
Uggh. Whoever created Mosport needs a damn good... pat on the back :eek:

Spent the last 8hrs or so attached to iRacing, did the last 2 races at Road America (3rd/9 & 1st/2 :D), and then did some practice around Mosport, fortunately there was about 40ppl in there for the most part which was exactly what i wanted, no point driving around offline cos i want to know whether to avoid it like the plague. I ended up doing ~55min on a stint and i didnt have any issues with the traffic, i had the odd off-track but that was about it, just went about putting a run of laps together as if it was a race.
I did the race at 3:45am, 18 car grid which im sure helped (40 pits, so twice the cars may well still be an issue) and everyone was impeccable, didnt have any issues with people trying too hard or forcing a pass, although after about 10 laps i knew i wasnt going to be racing anyone, so i just drove and made sure i didnt get in the way. Sadly that seems to be a reoccurring theme, the grid is 50% HPDs, we had 4 FGT, 3 Riley and 1 poor RUF driver, versus 10 HPD. So often there isnt someone to race against so you basically sacrifice your race just to finish clean and not ruin someone elses race by making someone wait behind you needlessly.

Finished 2nd, 4x (2 off-track, and a 2x spin trying to avoid an 1x off-track!).
Im now 2514 & A 2.90. Finally back into the 2500 from the Road Warrior race, having lost about 200 iR at Sebring (almost typed Sepang!).

If i had my way, i'd make an 'endurance' series, 70/90min races, HPD, Corvette & GT3. The GT3's are faster then the Ford GT (GT2) and it seems the HPD and GT3 have really good attendance, they fit that sort of race (not like putting F1, GT3 and MX5 in 1 series) and i've seen quite a few comments that the GT3 races should be longer, rather than 30min sprints. At least next weeks GT3 is 70min @ Road Am.
 
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