SimRacing.org.uk

Season 19 Amateurs Trophy - Round 5 - Schottenring

This is a new track for UKGPL, it is remeniscent of Nurburgring or Spa lots of fast corners with one or two that can trip you up if you are not careful.  There is a lot to remember so you will need to put some praccy in for this one if you don't want to end up in the trees.

Reserve drivers should not join until there are only 30 mins of qualifying left and all drivers should not go out on track until there are 30 minutes of qualifying left as this helps all drivers join the server successfully.

Please restrict chat to pit messages only including at the end of the race until ALL drivers still racing have crossed the line.

Don't forget to use the updated 65 mod for this race.

Please be in the IGOR UKGPL chatroom by 8:55 p.m.
(You will need to set up a channel called #ukgpl if you haven't already done so)
IGOR and Race passwords: see above (#post_event_password)

Server = UKGPL_T7_2
IP address = 62.149.202.168
Race Date = 01-06-2010
Time = 21:00
Track = Schottenring
Variant = 65F1
Damage Model = Pro
Qually Time = 30 minutes.
Race Length = 50 minutes (9 Laps)
Password: see above (#post_event_password)

Driver lists can be found on the championship standings page (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=247&theme=6)

We have split the cars into groups based on average performance and split the drivers into groups based on average ability. The chassis numbers for Amateurs are as follows:

AMATEUR CHASSIS GROUPS
1 - Lotus, Ferrari
2 - BRM, Honda
3 - BT11
4 - Cooper
5 - BT7

Each driver has been given a seeding number and must pick a chassis with either an equal number or higher number but not a lower number. For example, if a driver is given a seeding of 2, he must pick one of the cars in group 2 (BRM or Honda) but if he would prefer to drive either the BT11, Cooper or BT7 he may do so. This means that a driver given a seeding of 1 can pick any chassis he prefers.

**NOTE**
Whichever chassis a driver begins his first race with is the chassis he must use for the remainder of the season unless a change has been agreed with the moderator.

The following drivers have made their chassis choice:

FULL TIME

Driver	Chassis
Phil	Ferrari 512
EvilClive	Brabham BT11
Bernie	Lotus 33
John Roberts	Brabham BT11
FullMetal	Brabham BT11
b_1_rd	Lotus 33
policardi	Brabham BT11
al heller	BRM P261
Nicky	Brabham BT11
clutch	Lotus 33
kinghiro	BRM P261
g jonsson	Brabham BT11
Jimmy Rye	BRM P261
turkeymachine	Cooper
natan	BRM P261

RESERVES

Driver	Seeding
Hristo	Brabham BT7

The following drivers are still to make their chassis choice:

RESERVES

Driver	Seeding
Bartosz	1
Asbjeurn	1
Ruud	1

Please use the updated 65 mod for this race which is available here:
Jamesonline.net/UKGPL (http://www.jamesonline.net/ukgpl/1965mod_PATCH_v2.0.2_Setup.zip)

This is an amazing and brutally fast track, but it also has a great flow from corner to corner and it takes a lot of practice to master. I remember some great races in oAo at this track a couple of years ago. Definitely a driver's track.

I thought that this date was left blank in the official race calendar because it was close to a Bank Holiday and there would be no race!! lol  should have known there was going to be a sting!! )

It is 10p.m. on Monday night and I have just done my first ever laps ( well I hesitate to call them laps ::) ) around this circuit.

As Hristo says, it is a "brutal" circuit, with blind crests leading into corners at high speeds, as long as Spa and as twisty as Nurburgring...but much faster.

For anyone who has never driven this circuit before, to learn this track during qually before the race is impossible. To really get it fixed in your mind is going to take a couple of hours...at least. think Nurby.

My first impressions are that we definitely SHOULD race here, I just wonder if there will be any finishers, given that the circuit was not even on the programme until 7 p.m this evening. Could we not re-schedule this race to the end of the season and give everyone the chance to get to grips with it? or at least swap it with the next race on the calendar?

Speaking for myself...I am 50/50 as to even starting, unless I can find an extra hour or so tomorrow evening before the race to at least get good enough not to be a hazard.

Good point, Evil, and even if I've driven it, it was so long ago and in 67s as well, so any of that experience is not going to help a lot for this race. Not to mention I won't be racing anyway because my internet disappears tomorrow for indefinite time.

+1 for a re-run later in the season.

Bah - us lesserbeings need all the help we can get. 

-1 from me anyway as it was listed in the S19 Ams registration before the season started https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7571.0

 (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7571.0)

Al is right the circuit has always been on the calendar ;) 

It will be the first time we have raced at this circuit so it hasn't been imported into SRou before, that's why it appears blank in the championship table.  It is just the way SRou works, that's why I put the race schedule in the registration thread so everyone knew what tracks we were racing on before we started.

I support Al, and maybe you should rename the  HikiWazaRacing to something like ChickenMenRacing  :eek:

Göran

PS. I guess I will crash as a penalty for this.

I stuck it into the system yesterday as soon as I realised you were racing somewhere not in the database. ;)

OK, I understand now why the race calendar was left blank for this date.

I appreciate that the race was mentioned pre-season in the listings, but wrongly assumed , as it had not appeared in the "official" race calendar, that it had been dropped, or was considered not suitable for other reasons.  :-

If I can get some track time this evening then I will make a decision after quali as to whether I will be a mobile chicane or not, as I don't want to risk spoiling anyone's race with a dumb accident in the wrong place....and there are plenty of opportunities for that around this circuit.

BTW has anyone else spotted the countdown markers on one bend that warn of a right hander...that is in fact a LEFT hander!!! Almost worthy of the WAZAS. 8)

If you mean the fast left right esses, I assume the marker is warning about the right hander you will crash on if you get the left hander wrong LOL

I've set a very loose grid for this track.  There is a tricky "S" bend after the start so I've spread the grid out rather not risk a L1 T1 shunt (like the last round at Nurby).  Only problem is the drivers at the back (13 onwards) won't be able to see the flag so watch the cars in front instead.

This is news to me , I also assumed this was a holiday w/e cos of the "blank" never heard of this track before and doubt I will have time to learn it well enough to race tonight

me thinks a  liittle bit more advanced warning for next time please

This one is one of the all time great GPL Tracks.

Like others, i've only driven it a few times and know about the first 70%. towards the end of the lap i remember the corners fly at you at a great speed and you really have to know what yopur doing - and i can't remember the order as yet!! I'll turn in some solid practice laps tonight before qualifying to learn the last 30%.

To be fair, this one has been stated in the Calender in the registration thread for months, so there's no excuse not to have learnt it - and i count myself as one who hasn't done fully yet. (Shame, as my Mountside Racing Team mate NHance is a master round here, and he's stuck in the Novices where they're doing Westwood i think).

I think the best tactic will be to let past those who seem to know the way, and then dig out your A to Z and try to follow them...  ;)

I fully appreciate that this circuit was in the original registration thread, but I always understood that this was the "proposed" list of circuits to be used.

Once the race Calendar is posted for the season, I only look at that for my race details as the "official" list, which showed tomorrow's date as empty. :-\

I don't have any problem with running tonight's race, but am a little doubtful if I will start.
If I do start, I will trundle around and try to keep out of the way hoping to pick up a few points through others misfortune, should I manage to survive.

I've seen your definition of "trundling around" before Clive! :alien:

I'm no expert on this track, but I certainly didn't find it that tricky to learn (well... to remember where the hazards are at least).

 

Yea right ! If you had nothing better to do, then trolling through the pages of registration you might have stumbled on this info and even remember the date  ???

Why bother having a race calander if you dont post the races up ???

If I was psychic I might have thought to look in the registration page , I thought that was provisional anyway .

No way for me to learn this track , but I maybe will drive just for the nuisance value , so look out for the Lotus road block

 ::)

My "trundling" refers to the slow progress of a car with either 3 wheels or damaged suspension..or probably both!!! :-\

I knew it was coming, just have had no time to practise it!

Oh well, I'll give it a go anyway.  I have done a handful of laps a long time ago so I will hopefully remember which way to turn next.

 :D today Schottenring dosent came as a surprise to me ...
but still damned real work is a time bandit , so havent done more then 5 laps here yet.. ;)

You hardly have to troll round to see what races are coming up. Infact you put a post on the registation thread yourself, so you must have seen the race list for the season ahead, and noted Schottenring as being an unusual choice? The fact that there is a gap in the Championship table where a National Flag should be should also set alarm bells ringing, prompting further investigation?.. perhaps in the registation thread where the season race list was?  ;)

Anyway, i'm joining the Evil Clive 'Trundle' around and hoping for the best as i'm still a bit sketchy on the final 30% of the track. I expect most people will be long gone before i get there.  :)

In fact its not a track I have done before! I though it was but now I'm stuffed!  Guess I'll be at the back, at least until T1! Then probably an early bath.

1st track ive seen where you need pace notes  ;D

Watch out for the roadkill chaps  :o

Arrrrgggghhh.  Put in about 9 good laps in qually without a mistake (well OK hit one tree on a straight bit because I lost concentration :()  Managed a PB by some 20 seconds so looking good.  Made a clean start (but nearly went for it when someone made a jump start) then got behind Natan ( I think) when I started to think " that car is warping a lot" when I drove off the track and into some bales loosing a wheel.  Should have been looking where I was going not at someone else!!!!

Couldnt even manage 1 clean qually lap so a very cautious drive got me P4 after the early bathers left for home .

Lap 2 or 3? crashed landed intothe pub car park took me an age to get served and either bent the steering or had one to many , whatever the car was all over the road , drove home nice and easy . Lucky to not get pulled and breathalised .

Apart from that,  not much of a race,  need some driving lessons here for sure to get up to any kind of speed  ::)

Stop making excuses , face it , the organisation is crap , only an idjit would look for the race list in registration  ;D

Well, second place here, and that'll do me.

Qualified 7th i think. Started another hot lap and could have gone loads faster and finished up about 4th i think, but crashed out and didn't bother with another lap. I thought this would be a race where grid slot wasn't the be all and end all. I certainly couldn't match the times of the top 3.

Set off in the race and anyone who wanted to pass me could. I knew most of the track and knew that literally every corner had no run off area and barriers or trees that could snap a wheel off etc so there would be many retirements, so i wasn't in any major rush.

Soon enough, people were retiring left right and centre, and i just kept on plugging away. When i passed Al on his roof, that put me up to 2nd and i knew there was no way of catching Tim. (I could barely catch Al, but my pace had improved so that i could just about hold him on a clean lap).

During the last 3 laps i finally learnt this track all the way round and could push harder and actually started to enjoy it. I've always wanted to learn this one but never got round to it, so now i was being forced to do so.

Well done to all 4 finishers for getting to the end of one of the most 'dangerous' GPL tracks to attempt on Pro Level.

This track is now in my GPL all time Top 10. Take the time to learn it and its a real cracker!  :)

Dead chuffed  ;D
Despite being deffinatly among the group who knew the race was coming I still didn't put in as much practice as I'd have liked, but luckily I did just enough.
In qualifying I put in a safe lap then started pushing, the result was that I couldn't beat my time from the 2nd lap as I would throw away my gains with silly mistakes, spins, and trips into the hedgerows...
For the race I decided that I would only push for long enough to drop my persuit and would then drive smoothly and not try to push. This worked wonders as I did my first 3 laps within .4 of a second of each other  :o
Then when Al vanished, leaving the new P2 car approx 2 miles behind my mind started wondering - very scary here! - so I had no choice other than to push abit in order to keep my concentration.
First this resulted in a 5.26 and then in a highly suprising 5:24 on the penultimate lap!
In my final lap I pushed a little too hard and had 2 (thankfully fairly gentle) brushes with the fences, which slowed me by some 4 seconds.
Very big well done to the finishers, you deserved it going on the number who reached the end!
Commiserations to those who fell by the wayside..

Despite my lack of practice and knowledge of this circuit, I have to agree that it is a gem and should become a regular on the race calendar..not sure about 67's which could be a real challenge around here. ::)

I managed about 6 or 7 half laps in private practice before the race. Each attempted lap got me a little further around the circuit as I began to remember markers etc. I was still doubtful of starting the race as quali began as I had not completed a single lap under 6 mins.

My first out lap in quali turned into a PB..lol, mainly because I was cautious and did not have an off. Pushed a little harder on the next lap and paid the price with a wheel off. But, I was gaining confidence, remembering which way the next bend went and what lay beyond it. With about 10 mins left I had just about got the last 20% of the lap into my small ram module that passes as a brain.
My last quali lap gifted me a 5:33!! on race fuel, which was absurd given that it was the first lap that I had even remotely attacked with any confidence.
So despite all my whinging I decided to at least start the race and trundle round and continue to learn the circuit.

The front 3 looked like they were going to steam away, but I was hoping to at least follow one of them and get to the finish. Nicky stormed past at the start and nicked 4th spot from me and Tim became a small dot running away into the distance. Al, Goran and Nick were providing me with an excellent group to follow  ;D and for the first half a lap everything was cool, as I felt I knew what bend was next and was braking comfortably etc.
Then Goran had a moment entering the fast section and bounced out of the haybales in front of Nicky....Nicky avoided the road block , but because I had taken a "safe" and cautious tighter line Goran's car landed on my bonnet and spun me out to the side of the road.
I could still see 4 wheels and the engine was running with the world the right way up so ..why can't I move??. A switch to F10 showed a tree securely locked between my wheels and the bodywork and despite endless to and froing I could not break free.
Actually it was a disappointment to go out like that but not anyone's fault, just a racing incident.
The 4 finishers confirmed my worst fears about this circuit, but maybe I should have followed the Clutch system and looked for a large space of open tarmac to drive on, rather than follow the leading bunch??
Grats to Tim who had this race nailed and to all the finishers .

Grats Tim, at least one Black Night car to the finish.

Sorry Clive, I got my penalty for the post before the race but I did not intend to take you with me.

Being one that knew about the race and did some practice, not enough though, I am very disappointed about the outcome. I had a problem in quali getting a free lap but finally I did and that led to a 3rd on the grid and a PB. So off we went and it all seemed fine and then came the turn were it all ended.

I don`t really know why I went wide, no replay so far, I knew where I was and prepared for the turn as usually but obviously too fast. I have not quite gotten over it yet. I liked the track and felt pretty confident. Anybody has any self-confidence to offer? After this and the Nurburg race mine is a bit low at the moment. Now there is only Sachenring left of the longer tracks this season.

Anyway I will keep 3rd in the campionship, got to hold on to something, and that`s really pretty amazing after all so I try to remember that and look forward.

Göran
   

Don't worry about the 2 non-finishes too much Goran. Remember that you drop your 2 worst finishes at the end of the season  :)

If anything you should be feeling pretty damn good about yourself! It's your first season in Am's and despite crashing out twice you're still holding 3rd overall in the championship - that's something to be damn proud of in my book  :euro:

Just remember that in racing s*** happens - all you can do is hope it happens to the competition more often than it does to you  ;D

"Just remember that in racing s*** happens - all you can do is hope it happens to the competition more often than it does to you "


I keep hoping that will be the case Tim. ::)  ;)

I'm glad that everyones feelings aren't totally negative towards this track now we've attempted a race here.
Though the race could be viewed as a disaster due to the number of finishers, you could easily have just as many retirements on a smaller, more crowded circuit.

For me, this one has plenty of risk / reward corners, meaning that over the course of a lap you can make, or lose lots of time, depending on how much you want to push in the race.

I think if more people learnt the track (and i was in the group that didn't fully know it) then the racing here would be improved. There was certainly enough to keep you occupied when you weren't in traffic, whereas at other circuits in can become boring plodding round on your own through a load of mickey mouse corners.

This was one of the first tracks i downloaded for GPL when i first got it a couple of years ago as i love the longer, more dangerous tracks and i'm glad that i've been forced to learn it. Its been something i've been trying to motivate myself to do for a while.

I think the Amateurs should be pushed into taking on the odd 'difficult to learn' track each season for the challenge of it. I'd rather that than yawning my way round Watkins Glen.  ;) I think that has been reflected this year with the addition of Nurburgring, Scottenring and Sachsenring to the schedule. Its almost like - think your good? Try these.

Very underrated longer circuit.  :)

I know exactly how you feel Goran - very likely to be my best chance of a decent result in Ams this season & I blew it :'(. Spent last night repeating the mantra "it's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game..." then woke up this morning & thought "No it's not AAAAAAAAARRRRGH"  

I really like the long GPL tracks anyway but this one is particularly satisfying (I would also welcome a repeat visit). Had learnt the track reasonably well & qualified in a season-best 2nd. Couldn't match Tim at the start but after Goran & Clive disappeared I found myself in a very comfortable 2nd place with a pretty big gap back to Clutch. Now if I had even half a brain, I would have concentrated on maintaining the gap to Clutch, but oh no, I decided to try push a bit harder & see if I could put any kind of pressure on Tim. Haven't seen the replay yet so I'm still really not sure how I managed to go off - but the most frustrating thing was it wasn't in one of the usual 'danger' areas but in one of the really straightforward bits where I'd never had any problems before. I think I ran a tad wide & clipped something solid which took off the wheel & rolled me over.  

Pleased to see Tim won - nothing against my old Novs mate Clutch but if Tim had retired I'd have been in a sulk for years ;) Big congrats to all those who got to the finish.

Totally agree Clutch. Really like the track selections this season (in all the divisions) & would certainly welcome the addition of more new circuits.

I tried to learn this one, but decided not to race as I was so slow. I thought about entering anyway and just trawling around some 30secs off the lead as I knew there wouldn't be many finishers. But that aint my idea of fun.

Am hoping that a mid 1:26 might be good for the midfield at Mosport. See you all there.

Jim

 ;)
To my surprise I could work out an handy save setup in the short time I got .

My strategy was as simple as my setup :
keep on cruising around for 9 laps watching the stranded cars to the left and right

coz I couldn’t see the green flagman proper I did an early start , so I pitted at the end of lap 1 and did wait till the sign says go . ( nearly quit at that point coz nothing happened over minutes , but then suddenly the go order appears .. )

couple of laps later the situation was as I expected to be ; off about 3 quarters of the drivers field got lost and so I made up my way to the finish .

well , funny car driving so , and an undeserved 3rd place ,lol .

congratulations goes to Tim , Clutch and Bernie .

Results uploaded.  Very pleased most people seemed to enjoy the race despite the lack of practice.  Personally I really like the long challenging tracks, it gives me something to concentrate on when I'm trundling round at the back ::).  Thanks must go to John Roberts for proposing such a brilliant track.

Just an amendment Phil - Bernie didn't disco. He was a finisher  :)
1 lap down but deffinatly crossed the line  :thumbup1:

Corrected the import, thanks Tim.

So, Targa next season?

 ;D but as an 24 hour race , off course   8) 8)

Is the replay for this race available? Not that I really want to relive my inglorious exit though I'm still rather puzzled how I managed to screw up where I did

Just uploaded replay to the usual place.

thanks Phil  :)

First off congratulations on a stellar drive by Hristo and sorry to Al for our coming together early on. To be fair to me Al, I saw you and was going to let you thru on the back straight that lap. Where you attempted the pass was the last place I expected, but sorry again. As for problems with back markers I thought the Privateers (myself included) did a very good job letting me/faster drivers thru. As for Hristos comments on slower drivers I sympathise but trend to agree with Phils comments earlier about when there are only enough drivers for one grid/server. One of the reasons I love 67 cars is the skill needed to bring them home in one piece. Being fast in these cars is important but just as important is endurance, therefore mixed abilites add to the excitement for me at least. Congratulations to Hristo again. This is a great series one grid or two, long may it last!

Wrong thread Ronnie, I think you meant this race (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7943.msg140801#msg140801)

Apologies for the delay in posting... here are the Amateurs stats after round 5:

Perfect consistency score at Schottenring would have been 90. FMG's win moves him to the top of the consistency table while Clutch takes the lead in the climber stats.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AwMtMND4F-o/TA0OIKq3k-I/AAAAAAAAAJI/VCzUTECWyjc/s1600/Ams05.png)

FMG also leads the Finishing-Meister table with an impressive 100% finishing record

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AwMtMND4F-o/TA0O5UColLI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/Agkp4NCdSqE/s1600/Ams05+finish.png)

Mod report published