Racing Sim Thread, Part II

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:33 pm

Gurantsu wrote:OK, off to work. Most likely I'll be in iRacing after I get home!

More than likely I'll be in late tonight after the hockey game. Remember, I'm Dan Skiver, not Paul Kelly.

Take care,
PK

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:48 pm

Well, "Adam Simpson" now shows in a driver search, so...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:17 pm

Holy sh*t: Check out today's news on the members' page of iRacing:

June 12,2009 - UK’s Brands Hatch & Oulton Park Set For iRacing

Brands Hatch, home for many years to the British Grand Prix, and Oulton Park, named by drivers as one of the world’s most challenging circuits, will join Silverstone as the second and third British motorsport facilities in the iRacing inventory.

Data collection at the two tracks will begin in July; the finished versions are expected to be available on the service early next year.

While North American tracks will continue to be added to the service, the addition of Brands and Oulton is the leading edge of an initiative to broaden the roster with circuits from Europe, Australia and Asia. More news to follow . . .

Brands and Oulton with laser-scanned precision? MEGA! I'm so all over those two tracks when they're released early next year.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:32 pm

Oulton in a Radical should really be something, shouldn't it?

Yes, Adam Simpson shows up in the driver search, and I think I've got you all on my friends list. I should reserve final judgement until I've approached a level of competence that I'm comfortable with, but early impressions formed from some solo testing are that this thing is a bit good.

Showing my short oval ignorance, at Lanier am I meant to be able to hold a lane or should I be using the whole track? I was able to turn 16.2-3 there every so often but it was down against the apron mid-corner and right up against the fence on exit, so if I'm meant to be able to stick to a lane I'm in trouble. Next, people will be telling me not to spin so much...

Straight away in the Solstice at Laguna, though, everything just felt absolutely right. No problem getting down to a consistent base around 1:55-ish while being able to feel exactly what was happening to the car at all times, and I fear I'm going to spend my entire weekend chiselling away at that.

PK, I fear your Facebook comment was dead-on: there could be an amount of cash being invested. At least the exchange rate is picking up.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:50 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Showing my short oval ignorance, at Lanier am I meant to be able to hold a lane or should I be using the whole track?

Think I've got it now. Use all the track, worry more about the exit than carrying speed mid-corner. If I carry 66 or 67 mph through the turn my times are 16.5-ish, but if I smooth it off, let it roll into the turn down to 62-63 mph or so and give myself a chance to nail the gas earlier, the 16.0s and 16.1s start coming.

Can't make my mind up whether I'm a convert or a turncoat here, but the driving alone is worth the price of admission.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:54 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Can't make my mind up whether I'm a convert or a turncoat here, but the driving alone is worth the price of admission.

Sweet. I don't which I am more excited about, Brands and Oulton, or the fact that Paul, Terry, Adam, and Grant are now on iRacing. Time to sell the 360 to make room for new video card, wheel, and more tracks and subsrciption months.

Thing is, based on the times you all are posting, you are already loads faster than me and I have been on the damn thing for a year now. Oh well, some things will never change.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:57 pm

Adam, you figured it out. Use the entire track for fast laps at Lanier, but you'll have to aim for a lane when racing a lot of times.

Don, I can't even find you on the driver search. Is your name listed under something else?

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:01 pm

TCrouch wrote:Adam, you figured it out. Use the entire track for fast laps at Lanier, but you'll have to aim for a lane when racing a lot of times.

Don, I can't even find you on the driver search. Is your name listed under something else?

Something happened to my account. I don't know if it was due to me being a beta tester and then cancelling my account and re-suscribing or what. I should be available under Don Chapman. I will add you all to my friends list within the sim. My stats are questionable too, so I am not sure what happened. However, my license, class, and ratings are all perfect and right where I left them. The good thing is the iRacing support is A++ so I am sure I will get it all sorted shortly.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:18 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Yes, iRacing is for the more serious set and so should have an infinitely lower bonehead coefficient, and that being so I should enjoy the racing, but when all is said and done it's easy for me to conclude that it isn't really for me.

I'm looking for a chisel and some stone: SIM'S FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

Welcome to the dark side, mate!

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:19 pm

16.0 and 16.1 as a damn Limey who doesn't even have many ovals on the mother turf? I hate you, dude.

Well done! You and Terry need to hook up and let Don, Grant and I fight in the back.

I am at 1:55 at Laguna in a Solstice, and I know I can whittle a bit more away. So at least I'm in the same galaxy as you there -- at least for a few hours tonight until you've reached 1:50 after downing three Red Bulls in the first of three consecutive all-nighters with iRacing.

Enjoy it, man!

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:31 pm

PK, I might have that in my obituary: "Yesterday, peacefully, Adam Simpson concluded that it wasn't really for him."

In a moment of weakness just now, I realised that my credit card is at 0% interest until October. I'll be back at the Solstice once all the other cars and tracks have downloaded...

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:50 pm

GB_Simo wrote:In a moment of weakness just now, I realised that my credit card is at 0% interest until October. I'll be back at the Solstice once all the other cars and tracks have downloaded...

Adam, you have an important PM...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:07 pm

GB_Simo wrote:In a moment of weakness just now, I realised that my credit card is at 0% interest until October. I'll be back at the Solstice once all the other cars and tracks have downloaded...

RIGHT ON, matey!

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:10 pm

Adam:

Be sure to set your G25 for 900 degrees rotation in Windows Game Controllers or the Logitech Profiler, whichever you use. I use Windows -- the Profiler is bloatware.

iRacing automatically sets the soft stops in your wheel to match the steering rotation of the actual real-life car you're driving, and the only car that reaches 900 degrees is the Solstice. So set it at 900, calibrate the steering and pedals in the Options menu EVERY TIME you change cars -- it takes about 45 seconds -- and you'll have perfect, proper steering for every car. You'll have loose, sloppy, saloon-like steering for the Solstice and brain-wave synapse-tight steering for the Star Mazda and Radical, for example.

It's so bitchin'. One of the many, many things iRacing does so right.

Take care,
PK

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:18 pm

Here is a little 3rd party utility you all might find helpful for iRacing. The Telemetry HUD plugin for iRacing

http://members.iracing.com/iforum/threa ... adID=25817

It can be a bit of a pain to get working properly, but among other things it gives the split data that iRacing has yet to officially implement. Particularly useful for hotlapping, testing, etc. More info from our friends from virtualr.net:

Stephane Turpin has been working on a useful new plugin for iRacing users, his telemetry HUD displays various useful info on screen while driving.

Infos include detailed split times and a real-time lap comparison of your best and current lap, showing you when you gain or lose time while pushing for the perfect lap.

Follow the link to the iRacing.com forums below to find the download and detailed PDF documentation.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:32 pm

3 months iRacing Subscription for $25 (50% off)

This may be old news, but I did not see it posted anywhere. Currently there is an Indycar promotion that will give a 3 month iRacing subscription for $25. http://indycarnation.indycar.com/racecontrol/

So for anyone else mildly curious about iRacing, this is actually not a bad deal to at least let you get a feel for what it is all about.

Just go to the main iRacing website, and click on the red "Activate Promo Code" link in the top right corner of the page.

http://www.iracing.com/home.html

Then enter Promo Code PR-INDY and click apply. This will give access to all the basic content:

Cars
Pontiac Solstice
Legends
SCCA Spec Racer Ford
Tracks
Lanier National Speedway
Lime Rock Park
Oxford Plains Speedway
Summit Point Raceway
South Boston Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Also, iRacing has a nice referral program, so if anyone goes nuts and decides to sign up for 6months or more subscription , don't forget your DSP brothers.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:21 pm

Brands Hatch is coming? I'll be on that faster than PK to an open bar. I love that track.

16.0 in your first try at Lanier, Adam? Geez, I was all excited when I hit 16.4... Back to the drawing board!

I'll be interested to keep up with everyones stats, it makes it a constantly running competition with us DSPers.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 1:01 am

Gurantsu wrote:Brands Hatch is coming? I'll be on that faster than PK to an open bar. I love that track.

Funny you say that, Grant. Three buddies came over tonight to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and brought an 18-pack to go with the seven Labatt Blues I had in the frig, waiting for them. Bar definitely was open as we watched the game on NBC and then the post-game coverage on the NHL Network.

Gurantsu wrote:I'll be interested to keep up with everyones stats, it makes it a constantly running competition with us DSPers.

Absolutely. Good call! Now that hockey is over (

), I'll have much more time to race.

Take care,
PK

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:38 am

Paul,

I remember you saying the Spec Racer Ford was a blast to drive. You have to let me in on the secret, because I get 12+ incidents every single time I hit the track with those. If I downshift late into a corner, I'm going to spin out every time. If I downshift earlier, I get run over by the other cars around me. I'm nothing but a rolling hazard in those.

With the Solstice I'm a little more manageable, but not much quicker. I'm only turning 1:51's and 1:52's at Laguna, whereas the guys in my races are turning 1:48's and 1:49's. But I don't cause nearly the same amount of incidents or off-track excursions.

Is there some secret-handshake-type technique that these things require? They seem so ass-end loose that I am as uncomfortable as I've ever been in any simulation; worse than GPL in a Lotus, even.

What am I missing here?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:01 pm

TCrouch wrote:Paul,

I remember you saying the Spec Racer Ford was a blast to drive. You have to let me in on the secret, because I get 12+ incidents every single time I hit the track with those. If I downshift late into a corner, I'm going to spin out every time. If I downshift earlier, I get run over by the other cars around me. I'm nothing but a rolling hazard in those.

With the Solstice I'm a little more manageable, but not much quicker. I'm only turning 1:51's and 1:52's at Laguna, whereas the guys in my races are turning 1:48's and 1:49's. But I don't cause nearly the same amount of incidents or off-track excursions.

Is there some secret-handshake-type technique that these things require? They seem so ass-end loose that I am as uncomfortable as I've ever been in any simulation; worse than GPL in a Lotus, even.

What am I missing here?

You're not missing anything. They're a b*tch to drive. They were one of the first cars I drove in iRacing, and I quickly discovered there were many cars that I liked to drive a hell of a lot more ...

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:41 pm

1:51's and 1:52's in the Solstace? Geez I need practice! Granted I haven't tried them there much yet, but I was around the 1:56 area.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:03 pm

Gurantsu wrote:1:51's and 1:52's in the Solstace? Geez I need practice! Granted I haven't tried them there much yet, but I was around the 1:56 area.

Snap. 1:53.something experimenting with PK's 900 degree steering tip the other night (which, for someone using more than 200 degrees for the first time, is a learning experience and a half), and while I see very well how 51s and 52s are possible, watching 48s and 49s all around me would make me cry a little.

I haven't tried the Spec Racer yet, or anything else since my last post - too busy watching all the real-world racing over the weekend - but the Lotus in GPL is about my favourite car in all of sim racing so they might be the next cars I try. Edited to add: Not that I'd imagine them to be anything like that, but ass-out driving works for me as long as it's controllable and not as snappy as it sounds.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:38 pm

I need to work on the road racing more. Since that's the route I want to go, I have to get my rating up.

I think it's kind of cool that there are 2 routes to follow and they are rated separately.

WPatrick · Post by **WPatrick** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:10 am

TCrouch wrote:Paul,

I remember you saying the Spec Racer Ford was a blast to drive. You have to let me in on the secret, because I get 12+ incidents every single time I hit the track with those. If I downshift late into a corner, I'm going to spin out every time. If I downshift earlier, I get run over by the other cars around me. I'm nothing but a rolling hazard in those.

With the Solstice I'm a little more manageable, but not much quicker. I'm only turning 1:51's and 1:52's at Laguna, whereas the guys in my races are turning 1:48's and 1:49's. But I don't cause nearly the same amount of incidents or off-track excursions.

Is there some secret-handshake-type technique that these things require? They seem so ass-end loose that I am as uncomfortable as I've ever been in any simulation; worse than GPL in a Lotus, even.

What am I missing here?

I finally got the feel for it after reading the iRacing forum. Many people adviced newcomers to carefully/ smoothly transition between throttle and brake. The snap loose is predictable and easier to avoid once you get used to the car. I find the Spec racer easier to drive than the Solstice now..... but I am still way off the pace in it.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:40 pm

iRacing Father's Day special:

Three months for $25, plus Daytona International Speedway (road and oval) for free.

http://www.iracing.com/fathersday.html

New accounts only.

Take care,
PK