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Season 25 Friday Trophy - Rounds 33 & 34 - Blue mountain

Almost the final circuit for the Friday Challenge and it is probably a new one for most drivers. This is a fantasy track with plenty of challenging sections. Blind crests, adverse cambers and elevation changes that will challenge your setup and nerves  ;D.
although it is a fantasy track the scenery is very good and generally it all looks convincing and realistic.

As always the Heavies have the advantage of the "better" cars although patience and precision through the technical bits will probably be the deciding factor in this race.
There are several drivers who can still take the championship so still lots to play for in the Friday Fun Series.

This round is for the F2s and 69x's.


                                Heavies                                     Lights
Cars for F2            Brab BT23 and Lotus 48,               Cooper and Ferrari
Cars for 69X          Lotus 49b and Matra MS80        Mclaren M9A and BRM P126/139


"Please ensure you are aware of the new in-series penalties for this season. Details are here (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=10879.0). Drivers incurring a penalty will receive a PM informing them of this."

Race list	iGOR
Server	TBA
IP address	TBA
Date	29-11-2013
Race time	Race 1 starts at 21:05 UK time
Qualifying time	minimum 15 minutes, starting no later than 20:45 UK time
Track	Blue Mountain (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Tracks/Bluemountain/)
Mod	F2 and 69x
Damage model	INT (Each driver is allowed a single Shift-R with no stop and go required)
Race length	15 laps (F2) and 18 laps ( 69x)
Red Zone	from the START line to the exit of the end of the first lap
Replay	Available here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season25/Friday/)

Full(ish) moderation of lap 1 red zone.

Great track!

I dunno about the other mods yet but 69x on this track is a blast!  :o there will be carnage but its fun.  ;D

Edit: "Race length 12 laps (GT) and 15 laps ( Can Am) "  

Oops copy and paste exposed again  ::).... F2  15 laps    and     69x   18 laps

It should be OK for F2 but I don't think there will be many cars at the finish for other mods (69X,GT and Canam)  :-\

Resets are allowed, but backflips are frowned upon. ;D

The Porsche 910 sports car may be a popular option next week.

I only have time for the first race today. See you on track, WC

Hit 19FPS towards the end of qually, sound went choppy & PC locked up for a while.
Recovered just too late to re-join. grrr.

Better see what a 69 goes like round here then...

I  managed to start the race but got disco's after a couple of laps  :-\

No Earth Wind and Fire for me. Tough break Clive.

Cheese was about right for the p/w - 'cheese'd off.  ::)

Screen freeze with 5 secs of qually to go. By the time I got back, race was supposedly running. Although qually couldn't have completed and the start happen within 80 seconds. :(

Had a 69X freeze just pushing the green button for the start...

Looks like a suspect track which is a pity - good fun

Fun while it lasted. I had the dreaded screen freeze in the F2 Qually and during the 69x race. I didn't have time for the second race today, so no problem.
I apologize for my driving tonight. I practiced enough to have a drivable set-up, but I had not really gained any consistency. (Yesterday was a holiday here in the states). I hope that I did not get in the way out there.
Good race and see you next time, WC

<rant>
Not happy!

After the F2 issues, had to perform a reboot, then there was some software update that wanted a reboot too.

Then just had time for a quick run around offline with 69x.  That lasted half a lap until lock-up, although the selected setup was not working for me (or I was not working for the selected setup).

Another reboot & just time to grab a more appropriate setup & get online to get a couple of laps in.  Happy with a 1:16.66, prib-suggested 1:15.12  & my last lap had been blue every sector,  until I nearly got the the s/f line & screen froze/revs kept climbing...

Already mutating & then unable to join.  Grr.
</rant>


Was not worth getting the racing socks on.  Time for an early pint.  Cheers gentlemen!

Dave.

I had exactly the same freeze Dave - looks like a track issue in the final kink there...

Just found this at SRMZ...

Maybe another track next week!?

You Sir are a true gent on track.  

Thanks again to everyone who raced tonight, great fun both races for me. With Gareth and Clive going walkabout in race one I grabbed a win. In race two a couple of blown engines saw me struggle to the line with a smoking engine. Commiserations to those who had freeze problems. It would be a shame not to see how we can get the GT's and CanAm's round here but whatever is decided is fine by me.

In view of the multiple discos and screen freezes drivers experienced at Blue Mountain I propose that we will run the GT's and Can Ams on a different track next Friday.

I think that Blue Mountain was an absolute "FUN" track to race on, but it is not good if too many members are having freezes and discos.

I will try and find a track that offers the same challenge tomorrow and post here and on the official race announcement.

f2 was a non starter, screen freeze with 54 sec on the clock, missed the start, shame i had managed pole :(, grats to ronnie for that
one
69x fortunaly went ok, got pole, made a mistake and gave evil the lead for him to give it back on the next lap, then i lost it again, this time down to 3rd, almost immiedaitly ronnie pulled over with eingine and clives went pop infornt of me. Then had to hold it to gether till the end, fortunatly the car held as did my concentraion, thanks to ronnie and dean (that was my fault) for letting me by easy.

Shame this track has to go as i like.

Thanks guys nice race

I had lots of screen freezes in offline 69x practice as well.  Interesting track but my setups just weren't working.  Reminds me of Jops.

I thought we had an official list of "dodgy" tracks somewhere??? Can anyone point me at the source?

I have a couple of tracks in the running for next Friday....I am trying to find tracks that are similar to Blue Mountain, so at least any setup work that you have done might still be usable.

Buenos Aries 1954      ( I need to check this one)
Brands 67                 ( we know is safe )
Fiorano 72                    ( made by Ginetto, so I hope it is solid)
Laguna Seca  Historic   ( the one with the extra bends after T1 hairpin)
Mid Ohio 71                 ( need to check this one too)
Lime Rock                   ( we have used in the past..NOT the mountain circuit as that has known probs)

There are a couple of others lurking at the back of my mind but I am sure one of these would be a good substitute.

If we cannot verify the quality of some of the above tracks, I will probably go with Brands 67 as a "safe" option. Everyone knows it and it has the elevation changes like Blue Mountain.

Yes,
go with Brands 67 as a "safe" option. Everyone knows it and it has the elevation changes like Blue Mountain.

Oh NoOOoOoooO, I think we should test the track with GT's and Canam's with a discrete number of participants because it could be not the track that creates problems. I didn't had a single problem with BM but...I was hosting and nobody of drivers participating to my session said there was a problem, or at least if someone had problems I don't know anything. BM is a nice and difficult track and I prefer tracks that are not flat.

If you must choose another track I could suggest you St Jovite Mont Tremblant, Solitudering, Sepang, Snetterton Heat, Oulton Park, Road America and best of the best Nurburgring.

Baires is nice but...during the GPFUn Championships often we have had problems with it.
Lime Rock is also a nice track but...very short.
If you like up and down maybe St Joovite is the best one but also Solitude and Interlagos are great tracks.

Not all realize it, but Edmonton and ST.Jovite were both used in 1971, for the Can-Am championship. 8)

I am most familiar with the real life versions of Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio and Lime Rock. Each of which has limited overtaking zones (Not that I will be overtaking anyone  :D). Anywho, I am looking forward to the next race in any case. Thanks, WC

EDIT: Ah, I just saw the race announcement for next week, and we are racing at Brands67.  ;D

First of all sorry for the problems with the Blue Mountain circuit last night, I should have done more research about the reliability of this track.

I sympathise with anyone who has spent a lot of time practising on Blue Mountain for the GT's and Can Ams, I thought it would be an excellent circuit for those cars. When I tried it offline it was perfect and I was anticipating some great racing for all of the car sets that we use.
But, it would seem that this track does have a problem as it has been blacklisted in various leagues. It is a track that really needs an expert to sort out because I am sure it would be immensely popular if it was reliable.

The problem with "unsafe" circuits is that it is quite possible to sometimes have great races that are totally unaffected ( Goodwood is a perfect example!), but we cannot use a track where there is a 50/50 chance that half of the grid is frozen out of the race. That is just not fair on those who miss out. If only 1 or 2 drivers gets a disco you can say that it was NOT the track, but when 5 or 6 all experience the same problem it is pretty clear where the problem lies.

I think that I have to make a decision on which track we will use today ( Saturday), and that track must be one that all drivers will know, so that everyone who wants to race has a time to prepare for next Friday. So I have chosen Brands 67 because it is proven and safe, plus everyone knows the circuit.

.
I hope that we can run a similar series in 2014 and IF we do I will try and find some more "different" tracks that do not cause us problems.

I was not blessed with the best of races, as BM had it's up's and downs.  The Brabham was working well, but reached it's high point early in lap 1.  I brushed the Armco at the first left, bounced right into Raoni, rebounded left over some helmets, and decided the weather was nice enough to continue - leaving some work for our much beloved Moderator.  Thereafter, it was freeze time, before much racing could be done.  Meanwhile Raoni, who had been unceremoniously bumped back to last place, stormed back to 2nd.  That's at least as impressive as Ronnie's win! ;)

69's were challenged by this tracks pinch points, and I noticed various debris during practice.  Racetime, I pondered over a clean pass on David R. for a lap or 2, before including myself in the debris, at a pinch.  Thereafter, I simply clung on for the ride!  Great fun but lethal work, and it seems 2 resets were needed, from this anonymous driver, to survive to the finish - not something I've considered needing 'til now.  My mistake, and I expect to be vigorously DQ'ed. :'(

Every lap is a challenge at this track.  A shame it comes with a problem, and is destined for that list.

Yep a very challenging track, and the danger to involve the others in incidents is always present but...sorry guys would you consider this past race valid for the championship even if others have had problems not attributable to themselves ? I think maybe it could be the case to repeat the race at brands.

No thanks  :nono:

Me too.  :)  :nono:

Was 100 % sure to get a disco here, like in all other races and trainings I did before. But for some strange, but in the end very good, reason I had none in the Qualifying nor in the race itself. So all in all and at the end I am quite happy with the mountains in blue.  :D

So long
Andreas
 

Uhm...I don't make neither F2 nor 69 but... the rule is races on the same tracks for both (F2 + 69) and (GT + CanAm) and has already been made an exception to the rule reducing the CanAm Spa race to half its lenght so for me there should be nothig strange to repeat the race on the right track.

Sergio, I'm more charitable than Gareth and Andreas. I'm willing to meet you half way. The F2 race result at Blue Mountain stands and we repeat the 69x race at Brands  ;D Now I can't be fairer than that  :laugh:

Ha..... im sure you would love that ronnie, I suggust we re-run the f2 race (but keep the qually places) and keep the 69x result lol :D

Strictly speaking of rules, the races should be repeated on the correct circuit, but if anything else goes well for you, ...then you just have to agree !

 The Friday Series was originally conceived as a "FUN" event that would run every Friday.  ;D

But of course, the moment we introduced points for places, the fun element reduced a little and the competitive side increased.  ::)
This balance has swung more and more towards the competitive side as the season has progressed, I wonder why??   ;)  This may not be entirely a bad thing as it certainly concentrates people's focus on what is happening. However it is still the fun side that I am keen to keep alive, which is why I switched the track for this Friday's races.

To have fun, you need to be able to race.
To race, you need someone to race against.
To race against someone, you need everyone to be on the server for the duration of the race.

..........so it was a simple decision for me to switch the track. :angel: