RocketPunch

I made a video of the practice session at the Anderstorp South Circuit. Enjoy!

Download 640x480 (56mb): http://www.tacticalsites.com/~rocket...torp-south.wmv

or

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04L3yNmqFKc

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Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast!

Mirfee

Rocket! That's awesome, man! Great choice in music too. Had the feel of the race. Great camera work, great editing. Verrrry sweet.

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Turbo

That is sweet man. Make sure you link it so the rest of TG can see it out in the open forums.

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Mirfee

We should start a TGRL media thread in pics & screenshots. And link to it from the simulation forum. Promo materials like Turbo's sigs, and Rocket's video (mine too, but Rocket's is more entertaining than my 'sportscenter' recap ) would raise a lot more awareness to TGRL.

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xTYBALTx

That race was sweet! Need to spread some rep before I can hit you again.

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

Vulcan

That track is good fun, try to push it to hard and you pay lol.

Good vid rocket!

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xTYBALTx

Did I ram you, Rocket?

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

Mirfee

It doesn't look like you rammed him badly, but there was definite contact. Just a difference in braking distance. Thankfully it didn't cause a spin or crash, and Rocket didn't seem to lose the position because of it. I vote it was just racing.

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RocketPunch

No, actually I think I hit you, not the other way around. That was a left turn and you got the inside line, I try to turn not knowing you are on my left. There is a huge difference between "ram" and just "contact".

If we were to crash out after that contact, I would probably be at fault as you already had that corner.

It is fun fighting for positions and some contact will occure. That is why it is so much more exciting watching saloon races vs open wheel, as in open wheel racing you really can touch anyone, but with saloon racing people will nudge and lean fighting for positions.

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Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast!

xTYBALTx

Okay cool, I didn't think that I had but couldn't tell from the video. That was an awesome little race! I can't believe I muffed that left hand turn on the final lap! >:[

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

Turbo

I found out the hard way that you have to be careful following those GT40's around the corner if you have a little car. If they get loose and have to get out of the throttle at all one tap on the rear will send them around. I got Mirfee during a practice lap and felt bad about it but I learned my lesson. Now the trick is remember that in the heat of the moment. The last thing I want to do is send someone around during a race.

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RocketPunch

LOL. If you didn't made that little mistake at the turn just before the 180 right hander, I won't be able to catch you.

Pressure is fun! lol

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Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast!

Mirfee

I wasn't upset by it in the least. I was getting a feel for the car anyway. I've since found a decent general setup that I can tweak depending on track.

But the GT40 still rides on a razor's edge when it comes to stability. Though it's super easy to unintentionally power oversteer that car, there's more margin for error there than I used to believe. At least there's a tiny window of slip angle that I have a hope of pulling it out, and sometimes even drift to my advantage. But if I dip *any* tire into dirt or grass at speed or under power, I am on a whole new ride, and strictly as a passenger. The 2nd RH turn at Anderstorp (the one early in the video where I tail right out of my early lead) is a perfect example. Another is the exit of the second chicane at Monza GP (rough dirt outside the exit curb) - if I touch the gas with any wheel in that spot, even pointed straight ahead, I'm spinning across the pavement into the right side guard rail. And on Nurburgring with the long high speed downhill 'straight' with the right hand kink... drop a wheel in the grass on the left side and I'm done.

The GT40 is blistering fast. The fastest in the GTC65 class. And it handles much better than its similarly powerful musclecar cousins. But it has a definite achilles heel that snaps faster than human reaction (well, mine). Anyone driving a GT40 has to allow more braking distance than a lighter car, and he has to be judicious with the gas. Most cars come unglued, for better or worse, when you floor it, so the saying of 'squeezing' the gas is quite apt... most especially when your in a car with pavement churning torque like this. Make sure it's pointed straight and settled before pouring it on. And in a corner battle, he's going to have his hands full if trying to muscle through. Probably better to allow the more nimble car to take the position and then just seize it right back on sheer horsepower when there's room to hammer it.

And to get back to Turbo's original point, anyone fighting against a GT40 while in a more agile car needs to anticipate much earlier braking from the GT. If you can outbrake the GT, do it alongside, not behind. You'll just end up eating his bumper.

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Turbo

I need to test the GT40 out. I have a pretty good Lotus setup that seems to work on most tracks but I would like to drive some of the more powerful cars. I still think the smaller cars will win out on most of the tracks. Only time will tell.

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Mirfee

I've driven both, and while I originally was skeptical about the Lotus Elan, I came to appreciate it far more once learning about setups. It's my favorite of the light cars as it actually has terrific power to go with the superb handling (only once tuned right... it's twitchy as hell in stock setup).

But after talking with Rocket on Sat. night, I realized that my driving style doesn't make the most use of its advantages. I lack the skills so far to balance a car on the edge of its control at the absolutely fastest possible speed. It's why my laptimes have been so significantly behind those of Rocket and Turbo. Just lack of finesse on my part, due no doubt to far less sim racing experience.

The counterpoint to that realization is that I found I'm most suited (so far) for the heavier, muscular cars. The ones you have to baby through the turns, and then unleash hell when it straightens out.

With the lighter cars, I tend to drive as if I were in a big, powerful car. Slowing too much and then trying to make up the time when it's safe to go flat out. But inevitably, the slower speed in the turns builds a gap between myself and a driver who can hold more speed through the same turn (because I just haven't found the control yet to do so). In the straights, they're no faster than me, but they're farther ahead and I have no hope of catching up.

In a GT40 or the like, I can make back the lost maneuvering time with sheer power in the long runs. In the end, it balances out and I'm staying in the fight (presuming I don't frack up and lose time recovering from a spin/crash/etc, something I'm still prone to do ).

Bear in mind, this comes after the last few evenings of open track runs (actual dedicated practice and events might toss this theory out the window. Time will tell). I was surprised to find myself keeping pace, more or less, with our 2 fastest drivers to date. That gave me some encouragement. If I can keep the car on the pavement, pointed the right way, I believe I have a chance in a beefy car vs. someone in a nimble flyer.

I sure hope you hate the GT40, Turbo. It's my only hope of racing with you and Rocket, rather than watching your runs in the replay.

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