SimRacing.org.uk

Season 27 Professionals Trophy - Round 3 – Monaco

Welcome back from holidays. The Pro’s are off to Monaco known for the high life, casinos & possibly the most iconic race track in the world. A very challenging tight twisty circuit, few opportunities for passing but plenty of chances to hit the scenery. You’ve heard this before but please take care on lap 1.

The full time drivers can start to practice as soon as the server is available.  Reserve drivers can also join as soon as the server becomes available but must leave the server with 35 minutes of qualifying left, for a total of 5 minutes; this will allow any remaining full timers to join.  If there is enough space on the grid, the reserve drivers will be able to rejoin when there are 30 mins of qualifying left. 

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

Race List = IGOR
Server = UKGPL_8
IP address = TBA
Race date = Tuesday 02-09-2014
Time = 21:00 UK time (21:00 GMT)
Track = Papyrus original – but lots of updates available.
Race length = 33 laps
Variant = 1965
Damage Model = Pro
Qualifying time = minimum of 30 minutes

Password see above (#post_event_password)
Replay will be here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season27/Pros/)

Driver lists can be found on the championship standings page
The red zone will be fully moderated for lap 1 only. For this race, the red zone will be until the exit of Mirabeau.
 Other moderation will be on reported incidents only.

This place is second on my "i hate this track" list, first on that is the Nurburgring. This is like the Nurburgring but less than 2 miles and I still cannot get the hang of it in any car in any mod in any league....

Drove a PR in quali, but already had a lapse out of the tunnel and rammed it in the hay bales. It was a miracle I could continue, and everybody avoiding me, but also a few wrecked a turn later. Banged wheels with Ronnie who left me little room  ;) Car was obviously damaged and the engine went few laps later.

Race looked interesting early on, shame by my mistake...

Mods, bit of a problem; Myself, Dean and, I think, nHance all started the race on the hill down to the chicane!!! I know there's been talk of spacing on grids recently, but half a lap is a bit much.....not entirely sure why I/we didn't start as soon as we saw where we were.

The race ruined before it started, I managed to get a jump on those behind me by starting when I saw the other cars moving in Prib.

However, I seemed to lose concentration for a while, and only woke up when I saw Dean in my mirrors. I then saw I was lapping in the 132s when I had started going much faster just at the end of praccy - prib was showing I could do 12950 if I hooked up all my sectors. I immediately went 1.3 secs/lap faster and Dean and I had a good race for 10/12 laps. We seemed to have different strengths and there were sectors where I shot off, and other where he just reeled me in like a little fishy. It all ended in tears at Mirabeau. I'm afraid that I saw it as an impatient lunge Dean. You didn't get any overlap until almost at the Apex, and you were never going to stop. I lost a wheel in the barriers and you continued....

Trying desperately to drive for a finish but disco with 15 to go but by that time I had been lapped by everyone except Arf & Dean who set off at the start from between tunnel & harbour chicane along with me & Clutch. I followed the one in front ( ARF )  but don't know what prompted him to start anyway. Not my favourite track & I was poor so one to forget. Please don't anyone suggest a re run because of the start ::)

Norm H

Yes, shame on me  :notworthy: I had forgotten to remove the track65.ini, when I copied the folder from my old HDD.
Mea culpa!  :ban:

It was 900m behind by a faulty edit...

You were that far behind I wondered if there'd been a shunt! I saw the barrier on the entry to the Rascasse corner, and had to guess when people were moving as could not see the flag!

What a race!  :o

Couldn't beat Uli in Q.. had four tenths left on the table, but couldn't hook it all up. In the practice we had last week, I felt good about front-running, but didn't know how it would go following cars. Got a good start and pulled alongside Uli, on the outside into T1. Almost skipped a gear, which dropped me back to a gap for 2nd, with fast starting Evil and Tristan soon to be on my tail.

End of lap 2 - I get a good exit from the last corner, pulling alongside Uli into T1. Now, I've got the pace in 65s, but passing with them is another thing entirely. I was too cautious, and spun inside; I think it would have been tight there anyway. But this let Clive and Tris through. So, off on their tail I set.. for most of the race, it was nose-to-tail, like Vettel-Button-Alonso in 2011. After saving some fuel early on (which in the end was pointless), eventually I got a run on Tris into T1 near mid-distance.

Looking at the replay now, he gave me the corner once I had my nose on the inside - but again, I was too cautious, clipping the inside kerb, which sent me into his path and a big pile-up. We could continue, but this damaged my car for about 1 second per lap in top line speed.... regardless, I still set a 29.1 near the end, when chasing down Uli, like Button in 2011! Before this, Clive had spun out of Portier, and I then did the same at Gazometres, then clipping him by accident as I tried to spin the rear end back around ASAP.

Tris was unlucky to run out of fuel, which I thought Uli might be saving too, but he actually had some upshift problems. Clive's fast lap must surely have been set near the end, when he pushed me to get to raw PB pace, while carrying damage, just to keep him behind...

What to say.... the race couldn't have been any closer! (Well, it could have for the unlucky four starting at the chicane! ;D Talk about unlucky! 900m behind instead of 90m? A draconian way to punish those more than +2.5 secs off pole :P Likely to be revoked with a poll... or is it..  :laugh:)

If this had been any other track, there'd be a protest lodged against the entire result.


Watch the replay, and see how patient I had been for the 10 previous laps (until we were past that 50% thing). The only times you gapped me were when I had to almost stop to avoid you (and then catch back up).

I knew that pass wasn't going to work almost as soon as I started it. Tried to hug the inside to minimize the collision that was inevitable once you turned in on me (even though it was quite clear, if you'd have happened to glance in your mirrors, that I was making a move on the inside). As for you being unable to continue, I'm not happy about it, but the GPL gods smiled in my direction for once.

And Tris: I know you're not used to being a mobile chicane, but when you are, STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF CARS STILL ON THE LEAD LAP. There was no chance for me to even slow down, coming over the rise at full chat and seeing you blocking the chicane. I have no idea how we both survived that.

After downloading and viewing the server replay cap, I noted the grid FUBAR mentioned above.

I'm calling for a re-run of this race with the justification being it completely sullies the result.  Chime in, fellas, if you agree.

I know there's been talk of spacing on grids recently, but half a lap is a bit much . Nice one ARF made me smile :). Good job you thought to look at Prib 'cos I didn't. I was sat there thinking are we half a lap behind OR half a lap in front. Just think on that - WOW then there really would have been calls for a re run ;D. Still the next track looks different - on we go.

Norm H   

I'm a huge fan of the extra spacing on the grid. But, although due to an honest error, it does seem that people were severely disadvantaged. A re-run does seem appropriate.

However if the result stands then once again grats to Uli, Iestyn and Clive; sounds like a great race up front.

Also, apologies to Robert if I squeezed you. I did not sense any contact myself but have not seen a replay yet. I thought had a good run on you down the inside and held the tightest line I could. Regardless sorry.

See you all next time. But which track folder name please for Pacific Raceways?

"paci67" this is Ginetto's revised version and makes the old pacirace obsolete.

A thought on the very extraordinary grid position of those below 12th - GPL does detect movement before the flag but is based on grid positioning, not how far round you are. So if you'd gone when the green flag had not dropped a black flag (DQ) would have been given by GPL.

There's about half a wheel turn (3 feet-ish) allowance, so if you jump forward a tiny bit then stop you're OK (I did this yesterday).


Can be cleared by stopping exactly in your pit stall (and that's worth practicing offline). I think you have two laps to serve the penalty after seeing the "STOP" message on your pitboard (don't quote me :P ). The up-to-30-seconds it makes you wait will scupper any chance of a decent result in this league, but the few points you do manage may be valuable at the end of the season.

Cheers Axl.

Maybe a "STOP" shout in the chat could have helped to make a restart...

From the pace of us at the back both in qually and the race, it didn't affect the result, so I have no issues letting it stand as is, as long as it's looked after for next time.

Who first mentioned re run - Oh it was me :). It's what passes for humour round these parts. Let there be no doubt I was joking ;D. I am against a re run what happened, happened. We have to accept that computers  do odd things & errors occur sometimes. To me this is no worse than losing out through a normal unexplained disco. I have only ever known a GPL re run once when a circuit persistently disco'd everyone. The re run was at a papy track after the season ended. I've been racing GPL since season 16. Promise no more sarcasm - well till the next time ::)

Norm H

Even a day later it's still a great feeling to have won the Monaco race - for me still a highlight of every season.  ;D

Because of this victory was so close, despite my shift problems makes him even more satisfying - THX and GRATS to you Clive and Iestyn!
The base was of course my pole. As any racer knows in Monaco this is very important and I finally managed it for the first time - yay!  ::)
After I won the start against Iestyn in his unbelievable fast Cooper (GRATS), I had "only" to drive faultless - so I took care as possible - simply touch nowhere! This was not as easy as it looked. Clive made enormous pressure, perfectly! - that was ​​great racing, respect! I also would like to be able doing that ...
He touched me lightly about three times, one time we drove side by side - real close racing, nothing bad happened was ok  ;D but passing is almost impossible here ... SRY  
Clive and Iestyn, like a lot other drivers (see and enjoy the reply!) also had very much luck with their barrier contacts and their collisions - THX to GPL - their cars remained intact too - sometimes unbelievable  ::) - without that it would certainly become much more difficult for me to hold the lead.
Fortunately, I had much luck too, especially with my engine, when I did up-shifting, sometimes my switch clamped, so my engine over turned several times.  :-\

GREAT season start this time: three races, three different winners, three different second place, ....
ALL seven car types are in (THX to Iestyn and Ronnie) and in Monaco even almost full grid!!!
Let's go on, let's have a beautiful season!

Grats Uli, Clive and Iestyn.
For me this is still a horror track and my aim was to survive as long as possible.
I had made a stupid mistake to raise the front tyre pressure just before the race and had a hot FL when I was pushing hard.

IMO the possibility of such close racing has to do with the server BW settings of sending every 2 frames instead of 3.
This reduces the spikes of the crashbox enormous and you can see the result in much bigger replay files.

Sorry again for my mistake with the track.ini, I had forgotten to delete the mod specific track65.ini wich was faulty at the thousand step.

I really noticed that Cookie.. mid-race I was having to tell myself the 65s still have the 67 collision boxes! Many times I was grimacing with how close I got to Uli or Tris, expecting a lag contact to take hold. Thus, when Clive came to pass my spun car, I thought he could get by, as I spun my rear-end back out of the way.

What are the best BW settings? Does it only have to be on the server? I can take bigger replay files for better racing!

The server overwrites the client settings, so a client can't do anything about it.

With these settings the server >< client traffic is 50% more and so are the rpy files ;)

Mod report published.

Wasn't there a comment recently about "if a car disappears from your mirrors it is reasonable to expect they are making a passing attempt and it might be a good idea to leave some space"?