SimRacing.org.uk

Grid/server capacity: 20

Track: Virginia International Raceway Download this (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3358.msg109873#post_vir)


Cars allowed: Mercury Cougar TA from the 1960's carset Download this (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3358.msg54518#post_american_v8) , Chevrolet Camaro Z28 from the 1970's carset Download this (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3358.msg54518#post_american_v8) , '66 Shelby Mustang TA, 340 Plymouth Barracuda and the 1968 Pontiac Firebird all from this carset Download this (http://www.mediafire.com/download/pe41p6divqam78y/Old_Geezers_add-on_car_pack.zip)

Drivers are reminded that they are limited to only two drives in each car. Check your status HERE (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oiWs6vgMrzQkMd9qHQrp-AwCEgSUcm3GfFkiFe0S97o/edit?usp=sharing)

Practice: ~19:20 (60 mins)
Qualifying: 20:20 (20 mins)
Race: 20:40 (22 laps)

Time of Day Setting: 14:00
Start: STANDING
Tyre wear: Normal
Fuel consumption: Normal

Server: simracing.org.uk Monday
Password: see above (#post_event_password)

Notes:
(1) It's best if all drivers can make sure they are connected before the Qualifying session as drivers on track during qualifying will not see cars that join after they are on track until they go back to the garage.
(2) Please make sure you are fully aware of the SimRacing.org.uk Rules.
(3) The AI control should be turned off so that you have control of the car at all times, including pitting. Your player file should therefore read
Autopit="0"
Force Autopit Off="1" // Forces autopit always off
No AI Control="1" // AI never has control over car
If you still finding pitting problematic, experience tells us that its less to do with positioning and more to do with approach speed. A slow approach to pit crew chief has proved most reliable.

Special Notes: None

OK guys next up is Virginia Int. Raceway.  Are you ready to twist and turn?  This to me is a strange track for the USA. 
This is the way I think it was designed.  The boss came into the track design crew's office late one Friday afternoon.  Said to the two guys we got to have this designed by the time you go home.  Plopps down the topographic map and walks out.  They are not in a good mood and wanted to get out of there, so made it with several blind turns and elevation drop off's into turns.  That'll teach em to wait until the last minute.  Another guy walks up behind them and says, Hey why don't you put some twist and turns in this area, they do.  A fourth guy walks up and says lets go have a beer.  Looks over the track and says how about at the end of that long back straight were the elevation drops off we put a blind turn and some twisties before heading to the start finish line.  They all chuckle and do so.  Roll up the track map with the topographic map and toss it on the boss's desk.  He looks it over and glances at his watch and decides to get it into the evening mail.  They build it that way never knowing that it was designed by a group of guys that just wanted to get out of the office and drink a couple of beers!!!!!!
VIR is a old track built in 1957 and raced on untill 1974 when it was shut down and turned into a cow pasture.  Then in 1999 a group got together and rebuilt it much like the old one except wider and a few run-off"s on the tight corners.  Re-opened in 2000 and still going strong with SCCA, IMSA and other big races.  Here is a link to the 1966 Trans Am event.  Qualy was done in the rain and a Mustang turned a 2:37 I think.  http://www.virhistory.com/vir/66-transam/

See you all at the track
Bob M.

Great stuff Bob. There's a VW in one of those pics. Is it Herbie?

Might be!  This was the 4th Trans Am race ever and I'm sure they would take any entry just to fill the field.  If you read some of the material you will find that they invited a few NASCAR drivers for publicity also.  They didn't fare too well however.  Back in those days NASCAR was turn left only.
Pound those curbs guys!!!!

Bob M.

I like the Renault 8, seems an odd car to race at a fast track, actually an odd thing to race anywhere!

Great pictures, Bob - thanks for posting.
Love that Herbie #7 and would have liked to watch it racing against a Mustang  8)

2:12 my bestest in race trim

About where I'm at with fuel also Tony in the Merc......IMSA race at VIR now if you guys can get it on that side of the pond.   http://www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/imsa/weathertech   Track seems very simular with ours except in reality it has more elevation change. Track is in rolling hill area

Other races over here at VIR later today and Sunday. Check out http://tvracer.com/   All times Eastern USA times...Busy track this weekend, plus us on Monday.  See you all there.

Bob M.

Links worked for me Bob  :thumbup1:

Looks like it's subscription time again folk's, so if you enjoy your sim-racing here please help us to continue by making a small (or large  :angel: ) donation please.

Don't know if I'll be racing tonight as we've our No: 2 grandson and his dog staying with us, it depends on what time he leaves and whether I'm able to get in enough practice.

I'm walked out so another walk on the beach this morning will knacker me completely! :o :sleep1:

Not very complementary about his lady companion  ;)

Hope you can make it Bill, but do not overdo it

Spent half an hour on the server this afternoon, and realised that this was a track that I had run before, and with American muscle cars......maybe in PnG, or very early in my GTL days.

More importantly, I was glad to see Matt and Tony in there too, which kind of sets my mind at ease about joining the race tonight. I guess I am paranoid about still having internet issues ::).

Hi. :)
After several weeks without being able to participate due to my night  job,
today I will participate in the race. :D
If there is a Spanish to participate and want to connect to TS notify. ;)
Regards guys.

Results and replay now posted.

Hi. :)
Grats podium :D
Nice race full of battles. :laugh:
Error in the first round  :-[comeback attempt but the circuit was difficult to overtake. see you at the next race.
Thank you for these good moments. :laugh:
Regards guys ;)

Never been competitive on this track  ??? And - frankly spoken - I expected another track  ::). So - away over the weekend - without a single lap of practice, the result was predictable. At least I could improve to just under 2:14, but that was still far from competition.

Results to be posted tonight.

CU next week.

Just couldn't get more speed from my Mustang so was well of the pace of just about everyone. On one lap I took a kerb to hard and was bounced into the scenery and over a fence. Took me minutes to find an escape route back on to the track by which time almost every man and his dog had lapped me. Not a race to remember but well done to the winner and pods.
I'm not here for the next one in this series so have fun. Looking like a close battle for the top two places tho.

Tough track, very easy to make a mistake here.

Qually didn't go well, every time I was on a good lap I caught someone up near the end of the lap, frustrating but no one to blame, we are all out there trying to get the best qually position.

Held my 3rd grid position at the start & trailed Ziu & Clive for a couple of laps until Clive got rather squirrelly at the end of the esses & I nipped past. Then at the Roller Coaster Ziu had a grassy moment but just recovered enough to hold on to the lead. Next lap the Barracuda speed told & I took Ziu on the back straight, he stayed close for a couple more laps but must have had 2 or 3 offs because I was soon around 20s ahead. With a big lead I just concentrated on driving fast but safe & just had one slight off at Oak Tree.

Congrats to Ziu & Navin  :clap: :clap:, cya all at Grenzlandring (where?), new circuit for me.

Practise turning left

Results (https://googledrive.com/host/0BzUpS2smyYQ_d0RJVjlqVHd4c28?ltmpl/index.html)

 8)

Good fun race for me.  Not real good results but OK.  Erling and I dogged each other the whole race it seems.  Swapped positions a couple of times.  Our cars were each better than the other at different parts of the track.  Merc was faster on the drag out of the corners than the Pontiac, but he could outbrake me and better in the corners.  With about 3 or 4 to go Franky joined us in the Plymouth and passed me easily but Erling fought him off.  My tires were as tired as I was at the end.  Can't imagine how the drivers felt fighting the real life cars for 3+ hours on that track.  Macho men!  Grats to the podium.......See you all next week.

Bob M.

Thanks Kurt  :thumbup1:

After some surprisingly good results in the previous races, yesterday was a sobering wake up call, when I found myself 3.5 secs off the pace  ::)

Car ahead of me hesitated off the block, causing me to go off the throttle and bog down. Thus John & Roger slipped past.  Believe John had an off, as did Franky, so reclaimed two places that way.  After a couple of laps, Roger had a wobbly moment coming on to the straight, losing just enough momentum for me to pass him.  He tried a comeback at the following brake zone, but overshot completely on the grass. Bob then trailed me closely for the next number of laps, until I ran wide and had to concede my position.

Chased him for the next many laps, while keeping a vary eye on the mirrors, as John was sneaking closer. As Bob mentions, we each seemed to hold the advantage in different parts of the track.  Around midrace, his driving became more ragged - possibly tyre wear starting to kick in. When he next ran wide in the slow section after T1, I could reclaim 6th.  It held to the end, although Franky got uncomfortably close on the final two laps.  Also caught a rejoining Matt at the start of the penultimate lap, but regrettably he made no more mistakes, so passing him was out of the question  ;)

Grats to the podium; am quite in awe of the laptimes achieved by the front runners. Have some Ati-inspired setup tweaks I have used with success on most cars, that I simply forgot to apply to the Firebird.  Might have made me a little faster, but no way 3.5 secs faster  :o

Cheers,
Erling

Well, not sure what to make of that one. I seemed to be able to lap in the low 2:10's with the occasional hi 2:09 leading up to the race but come race day a mid 2:10 was the best I could manage. Having said that had I been on top of my game I would only have possibly advanced up the grid 1 place such was the strength of the front guys here. So 8th on the grid it was.. The lights turned green and Erling seemed to get bogged down behind someone and I dived through making up a place by T1. Followed a train of cars round the 1st lap and caught sight of Franky admiring the scenery so was up to 6th by the end of lap 1 and daring to believe I may have got my mojo back. But pride before a fall and all that I put a wheel on the grass on Lap 2 at the 1st left hander and promptly lost places to rog, Erling, Bob and Tony so suddenly found myself in 10th and wondering where it all went wrong. Tony went wide at the final turn and I sneaked back through to 9th by the end of the lap and set off after the others. Tony kept me very honest for the next few laps before I was able to extend a small gap but not making any inroads into the next person up the track which seemed to be either Bob or Erling depending on where I was at the time. Saw Rog go off at T1 and was through to 8th. Shortly afterwards Franky appeared in the distance having passed Tony and he slowly got bigger in my mirrors until I was thinking less about the battle in front and more about how the hell I was going to hang onto 8th. A few very close laps with Franky definitely faster than me but I wasn't giving in without putting up some resistance. Then a moment at the end of the back straight and he was through. I hung onto his bumper for the rest of the lap and he went a little wide at the final turn and I grabbed the place back again and the battle started all over again. A lap or so later I got T1 all wrong and Franky held a tighter line and pulled level. I knew I would have the inside at the next left hander if only I could stop him cutting across my nose. The result was inevitable looking at the replay and we touched, Franky went into a slide but recovered quickly and I went straight into the tyres. That was effectively my race over and I had a lonely last 8 laps or so. I did try to recover the gap in the vain hope that when Franky joined the Bob and Erling show there might be tears but the harder I tried the further adrift I got finishing well down in the end. I still find these tanks rewarding and frustrating in equal measure. I was running on the rims at the end and the Cuda was handling like a cow on rollerskates.

Congrats to the Podium and all finishers. See you at Grenzlandring.

TTFN
John.