SimRacing.org.uk

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RACE TWO (1970's)

Practice: ~21:05 (5 mins)
Qualifying: 21:10 (10 mins)
Race: 21:20 (16 laps)

Track: Heartland Park, St. Topeka (GP)  Download this (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3358.msg187122#post_HeartlandParkTopeka)

Cars allowed: 1970's
AMC Javelin, Pontiac Firebird, Plymouth SC Cuda, Shelby Mustang GT500
                    
Car restrictions: Three drives maximum per make. Check your car allowance here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kJnYnxQnWw8NFb81UkmGwag4_M4M6p9-xaGduhdXkbE/edit?usp=sharing)

Time of Day Setting: 14:00
Start: STANDING
Tyre wear: Normal
Fuel consumption: Normal
Pit stops: Not required

Server: simracing.org.uk Wednesday
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: Note early race start.

IMPORTANT

For the car/track pack download link send a pm to WT please.

Oh bugger, I'm an idiot. I never even noticed that race 2 is with different cars. I have nothing for these, not even fuel or gearing.
 :death: :cursing:

Yikes 2 blunders, race 1 lack of fuel, race 2 i had used GTL_Xcars to praccy with race 1 cars and forgot to turn on other cars.

Not quite sure but I fear my good old G25 died during R1. Did not notice anything but suddenly only right steering was possible.
After leaving I realized that monthly W10 update was running.
Have to check on Friday - no time tomorrow.

Anyway - any recommendations for a replacement (I used a Thrustmaster H shifter  with the G25)?

Results and replay now posted.

Well that is strange Kurt :o
After all my problems with Win10 amd GTL over the past few days, I could not believe my bad luck yesterday when I switched on the PC for some much needed practice, only to discover that my G25 was not functioning properly. After many attempts to calibrate and assign values and inputs, it became clear that there was also something not quite right with the mechanicals ( I have had problems with a few degrees of slack movement in the straight ahead position for many months ). Every input within GTL wanted to be Axis B6?? .

Maybe everything was kicked off by the same Win 10 update, but the wheel was removed from the desk and placed on the operating table.
I might not be very good with tekky computer stuff, but mechanicals and assemblies do not bother me at all. So I stripped the whole thing down to its components ( I did check a youtube video, just in case there were any secret tricks). I figured that if it was busted, I had nothing to lose by taking a look and trying to fix things, maybe at least extending its life by a few months whilst I sourced a replacement.

This might be of help Kurt or others, so this is what I did.
Obviously there were things that I could not do anything with like PCB's, but I discovered a spring that was loose beneath the plastic rack and that was allowing some play in the steering shaft. Plus the rack itself was worn around the centre section..hmmmmmm? this might need replacement, but Logitek don't like selling spares  :-\, so........ pack with grease ;)  Well Vaseline ( other petroleum jellies are available  ;)) actually, lots of it, above below and around the rack and pinion assembly.
I checked the encoder disk on the back of one of the motors, and cleaned the hair and fluff from there and all surfaces.

Careful re-assembly after cleaning ( where I could) with electrical contact cleaner followed, being careful to centralise the rack and pinion assembly.  Every accessible contact was cleaned as it went back in, and it was as I assembled the paddles on the wheel that I discovered a dodgy microswitch that was sticking. This was the B6 axis that was screwing up any attempt at assigning controls and calibrating.
Managed to free the switch ( I could have left the small plug disconnected for that switch ) and finished the assembly.

 Packing the mechanicals with Vaseline has removed all play and rattle and everything is much smoother. On the Logitek Profiler I reset everything to "default" and started again.
Last night's races were the first for a long time where the wheel felt "right" and was calibrated to be at 0 degrees when straight ahead, instead of 20 degrees off.

Very pleased with the result, although I will have to find a new microswitch if I want to use the paddles ( maybe get that for the Procar series ? ). It has, at the very least, extended the life of my wheel and was well worth doing.

Enjoyed both races, did unreasonably well after a good start in race 1, eventually was passed by faster
people in race 2, but was still good fun. Ziu seems to be getting some bashing around more than usual
last night  :o  ::)

After my much publicised problems I had not had as much time to sort out these cars as I would have liked, so I simply took the top one on each list and made them work for me as best that I could. Setups were far from perfect, especially in the 2nd race, and will need some work for the next rounds.

Race 1 was an adventure after I used the clutch pedal, instead of the brake pedal, at the uphill hairpin on lap one and wondered why I was skating across the grass! By the time I had regained the tarmac I was last  :-\ Any thoughts of glory had vanished.
 The rest of the race was difficult to see from my cockpit, my view was obscured by red mist and tyre smoke  ::)
I think I may have been responsible for leaving minor blemishes on various cars  :oops: as I made my way back up through the field, and Ziu was one car that I traded paint samples with. Apologies to anyone I might have delicately brushed against  :angel: as I barged through.
I thought that 2nd place might just have been attainable in the closing laps after I caught Matt. But although I had caught him quickly enough, he proved very reluctant to allow me past and even teased me right on the finish line by running out of fuel and holding 2nd place by 0.1 secs!!
 Grats to Geoffers who was a distant memory after my lap 1 cock-up. Not sure if I could have made a race of it with him over the full 16 laps if I had stayed on the tarmac. My tyre wear was much worse than I had planned because I was pushing so hard to regain places, and by the last laps it was down to about 30%.

Race 2 was more difficult as the car was reluctant to take power mid corner and would understeer horrendously if I applied power too soon. As a result I was provoking a slide to get the a** around and in the early laps in order to keep Geoffers and Ziu in sight and I ruined my rear tyres.
I eased off when I saw the damage that was being done and watched the two aliens rubbing door handles from a safe distance until Geoffers missed the chicane ( strange, because my HUD appeared to think that it was Ziu who had run wide and then changed its mind after a second or so??)
Ziu was going very quickly in the Scuda and maybe I could have stayed with him but the gap back to 3rd was growing too and TBH I wimped out and concentrated on getting to the flag and taking 2nd spot by about half distance. The car was hard to drive at 100% pace and I was likely to make a total horlicks of things.
Grats to Ziu who was very quick in his car and kept a safe distance from me after Race 1  ::)

Really enjoy these cars, great fun to power slide through the corners.

Had tested all the cars prior to this race & was surprised that the 60s cars were faster than the 70s ones. The Chevelle was clearly the quickest of the 60s with the Impala very quick in a straight line but a nightmare to get around the turns. The 70s cars appear closer so just picked one & tried (unsuccessfully!) to improve it.

First race in the Chevelle looked on qually times to be a straight fight between Clive & me. Got a good start & with Clive binning it at T1 drove to a comfortable victory. Congrats to Matt in 2nd & Clive with a great recovery to 3rd.  :clap: :clap:

So to race 2 which looked like being a much closer affair. As I said I just picked a car, Javelin, & set about improving its handling. However I completely messed up, having achieved laps in the mid 1.49s when I first tried it, I improved (?) it to the point I could only lap in the mid 1.50s  ::). Suspect Arnold & Mabel may have been to blame! Anyway got a decent start again & overhauled poleman Ziu to T1 & led until Ziu did a demon outbraking pass at the end of lap 2. Promptly threw away a potential good battle with Ziu by losing it at T1 on lap 3 & dropping to last place. Recovered a few places before repeating my error just as I caught Fulvio. Eventually salvaged 4th place at the flag.

Congrats to Ziu, Clive & Erling.  :clap: :clap: :clap:

Really??  I could have sworn he was the one doing the bashing...  ::)

This is not the place to discuss blame. But, IMHO he was a victim twice.

Thanks Clive - I will look into this  :thumbup1:

Result_Race2 (https://www.avonrise.co.uk/srou/kurts/Heartland_09012019_R2)

8)

Thanks Kurt  :thumbup1: