SimRacing.org.uk

UKGPL Season 18 - Inter-League Race - Donington Park

This circuit is a first for UKGPL, in all our years of racing we have never competed here despite it being a very popular UK venue.  Perhaps it is somewhat fitting for a league steeped in the nostalgia of the sixties cars that we wait until Donington is about to be dug up before we decide to use it.  

This time our guests are the Online Autoracing Organization, or oAo for short.  We won last time at Kyalami with a clean sweep of the podium so oAo will be hoping to do better this time.  We will be using the 67 cars for this race.  Each league is to field nine cars, and there are no chassis handicaps, drivers will be racing to complete the distance and score points for their team.  We will be using all the chassis with an extra Cooper and an extra BRM to make the teams up to nine each.  Let's have an extra special UKGPL welcome for oAo.

Please be in VROC UKGPL chatroom by 20:55 UK London time (20:55GMT), (You will need to set up a channel called #ukgpl if you haven't already done so)
Chat and Race passwords: see above (#post_event_password)

Server : 6.UKGPL (updated 8/11)
IP address  80.5.200.198

Race date = 08-11-2009
Time = 21:00 UK London time (21:00GMT)
Track = Donington Park (Short National Track) - down load from here (http://srmz.net/index.php?showtopic=1287)
Variant = 67
Damage Model = PRO
Qually time = 35 minutes.
Race length = 45 laps (complete 41 laps to score points as a finisher)

UKGPL Chassis assignments: (Captain to advise)

Brabham BT24 - TBD
BRM P83 - TBD
BRM P83 - TBD
Cooper T81B - TBD
Cooper T81B - TBD
Eagle T1G - TBD
Ferrari 312 - TBD
Honda RA300 - TBD
Lotus 49 - TBD

If you'd like to represent UKGPL in this race please post on the thread and advise what chassis you'd prefer.  Driver lists and points scored can be found on the championship standings page (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=226&theme=6)

Please Note: The logistics involved in organizing an Inter League race are more complicated than for a regular league race.  Particularly when different time zones are involved.  Consequently the details above are liable to change.  Please will all drivers check this thread regularly to make sure they don't miss any important updates.

BRM P115, svp.  :)

cooper please .

john

Ferrari, Cooper or Honda plx;]

I should be available for this one, so whatever chassis is left...but as usual, prolly not the BRM or the Lotus.

If I'm in the team for this one I could do with an early chassis nomination, cos I need to practice this circuit.  :-\

Brabham BT24 - TBD
BRM P115 - Doni Yourth
BRM P115 - TBD
Cooper T81B - John Roberts
Cooper T81B - TBD
Eagle T1G - Clive Gardner (evilclive)
Ferrari 312 - Kruger Enge
Honda RA300 - Hristo Itchov
Lotus 49 - Jethro Walters

I've learnt to tame the Lotus of late, so I'm willing to bash this one about. :)

This leaves a BRM, Cooper, and the Brabham available. Kruger seems to like the Ferrari's for some reason. ;D

I can deal with a Ferrari but they're not my favourite :) Brabham is always my preferred weapon but Ferrari should be better in Donington so I'll stick with it.

That's good to know, would you prefer the Brabham instead then? :)

Yes please :)

OK, it's yours for this one. :)

The listing is:

Brabham BT24 - Kruger Enge
BRM P115 - Doni Yourth
BRM P115 - TBD
Cooper T81B - John Roberts
Cooper T81B - TBD
Eagle T1G - Clive Gardner (evilclive)
Ferrari 312 - TBD
Honda RA300 - Hristo Itchov
Lotus 49 - Jethro Walters

One BRM, one Cooper and the Ferrari are still calling. Can I count on FMG, Mike and anybody else mad enough for this one? Fulvio could go well in the Fez. :D

the oAo team first look is this:

Brabham BT24 - Bo Bruce
BRM P83 - Jon Steiner
BRM P83 - Burt August
Cooper T81B - Scott Nowak
Cooper T81B - Sadik Dobra
Eagle T1G - Michi Kovacs
Ferrari 312 - Roy van Drunen
Honda RA300 - Chris Darkes
Lotus 49 - Drew Lidkea

the reign of UKGPL over oAo comes to an end at Donnington-09!

OK, I need a call to arms! Can Hristo, Kruger, evil and Doni confirm their participation? Who else can we count on for the remaining cars, which are the BRM, Cooper and Ferrari?

Unless I'm spirited away by a clutch of nubile young wood nymphs, yes, I'm most definitely a starter.

Doni @ Doni.   ;D

Should be OK for this one and Eagle is ok unless someone else would prefer that to the Cooper or Fez
( I'm easy with either of these chassis).

Confirmed

I'll be sending PMs to prospective racers tonight. :)

i sent an email to Phil - i think -  anyhow, i see UK requires a meeting in iGor before the race.. oAo meets in Vroc and in all previous challenge events we met in Vroc as well. i know several oAo'ers can't use iGor - can this be revised please?

also-
i'm sure everyone is aware of there is a patch that makes the 'sticks' at the chicane invisible.  in our past events here, the simple rule of keeping 2 tires on the tarmac is what is used to keep it simple.

does UKgpl approach this the same way?

I'm in as usual - suprise me with a car  ;D

Just re aquainting myself with the Eagle..it's a bit different to the Honda  ::). Glad I have a week to sort the setup and get the feel of this car again.
Anyone got any ideas about good/competitive lap times around here?

I remember 1:07-1:08 or something. Nevarn's records into 09s with the Cooper seem to suggest that too.

You fancy a Ferrari Tim? :)

Aslong as it's more reliable than the 246  ;D

In the comparitively short time I drove the thing, back in the day, I didn't blow an engine. ;)

I have good Ferrari setups for this one if anyone wants them. They're from the last time I raced the car on the track a few seasons ago in oAo. The fezza was just about as fast as the loti.

I was surprised at how short a lap length Donington is!..I always thought of it as a 1:30 ish type of circuit. So I foresee a congested race ahead  ::)

at least Bernie (the dwarf ) Eccleston hasn't sullied it yet with his grubby little hands  >:(

The original Donington offering featured bollards/posts which were merely a visual tso.  You can drive right thru them as if they weren't there.

Two updates are available which give those posts collision detection which requires users to give them a healthy respect and forget about shaving the corners.

One update yields a post which is rock-solid.  Hit these and you'll lose a corner quick as can be.  A second update offers a post of a gentler nature which will impede or even spin the car but not trash it.  I've tested each this morning.  Both available over at the MZ.

I'd like to see the 'soft' post used for this event with oAo.  Opinions?

Edit: BTW, I note that 'VROC' is specified in the lead post.  I hope that's not the case.  'iGOR', please!!!

You could dedicate this race to Tom Wheatcroft who sadly passed away today  :(

I'm happy for those bollards to remain invisible Doni. :)

I've driven this track in anger tonight in the Lotus. This thing is gonna be a handful on Sunday night!

On the subject of drivers, I notice we still have a Cooper and a BRM to fill. I'll be collaring Clive Loynes to see if he's interested, and other drivers too.

Provisional final drivers list:

Brabham BT24 - Kruger Enge
BRM P115 - Doni Yourth
BRM P115 - CAN ANYBODY DRIVE THIS THING?
Cooper T81B - John Roberts
Cooper T81B - Mike Beattie
Eagle T1G - Clive Gardner (evilclive)
Ferrari 312 - Tim Muttram
Honda RA300 - Hristo Itchov
Lotus 49 - Jethro Walters

Sorry but I can't do this event and I'm very doubtful with regards to any others.

If it helps, we did a test run last night as the second race of the BREASTS evening and Steve Bird and Bernie demonstrated that they know their way around. ::)

Go on then - Send it to me please H  :)

I doubt I'll be able to drive it 'as is' mind  ;D

Jethro

I'll take the Cooper seat, Donnington isn't my fav venue, but if the team needs me I'll be there

I have to put a huge question mark over this race as my wife is most certainly going to deliver within the next three days :helpsmilie: + my mother-in-law  :taz:  will occupy the room where the PC is in (and she likes to get pissed and go to bed early :sleep1:) so, if I show up, I'll drive whatever is available. Otherwise, consider Brabham as free.

Cheers

Kruger  :scared:

Congrats (?) Kruger! ;D

Can I ask participation of anybody for the BRM and possibly Brabham please? Anybody willing to sacrifice their sanity for one night only?

Did a 1.09 in the Cooper, for a first sort of test drive. 

Certainly the chicane cutting is going to be an issue, whether people do it intentionally or not. As one place where you could try out-braking an opponent, all he has to do is run through the second apex and he'll pass you back, and he has a valid excuse that he had to go wide to avoid a collision.

You can also cut into most of the other apexes without impunity.

Always a great source of controversy in GTL and GTR on this track, as well as the reason the ADC dropped this track long ago.

As these races aren't moderated, it's a recipe for a deal of unrest.

Yea right  ::)


Steve was good, in a brabby I believe 

My own attempts at keeping the fezzer on track were more akin to the Fred Dibnah country dancing school  ::)

 

Congratulations Kruger  .. there are some things that come before GPL ::)  not many, but the birth of your child does come somewhere on that list I believe. :yes: :thumbup2:

Maybe we can get this moderated for a change? When we raced it in oAo there was no problem, Bo warned everyone about cutting and keeping 2 wheels on the track (including kerbs), then looked at the replay after the race. As far as I remember nobody was seen cutting.

If you just say the race is going to be moderated, less people are going to try and cut deliberately. :)

Thank you for the mention gents, but I don't think 1:12's will be making anyone shake in their driving gloves around these parts.

Grats Kruger, here's hoping everything goes OK for mum and baby Enge   :balloon: :balloon: :balloon: 

Finishing is far more important than finishing first in these races Steve!

Besides, you were still improving.

Steve, I was doing 1:12s in the Lotus. That's how hard it is to drive round here!

I don't mind acting as reserve if you don't get enough faster drivers in.

 For what its worth Steve,

After a few laps with absolutely no directional stability, I am just getting the Eagle moving around here and 1:10'-11's have only just dipped into 1:09's at the moment so 1:12's and a finish wont be that far off and would be sure to pull some points in.

Geez that Eagle is different to the Waza!!! :-\ It actually has things called torque and power...totally alien concepts :o

It handles quite nicely aswell I recon  ;D

I'm actually looking forward to the Fezza for much the same reason  :ninja:

The Honda has power, it just has an extra 200lb to haul around with it.

Its also a gas guzzeler, you need to haul a petrol tanker around with it as well  ;D

So Steve and Bernie, would you like to risk life and limb for your country and partake in devilish dealings around Donington Park?

I'll do it if you get no one else faster, wouldn't want to take a seat of someone more likely to get better points.

I was using the Brabham in the BREASTS race, but not bothered what car really.  Even the BRM as it's the CH Team car, if you want faster chassis for the aliens and androids (alien wannabe's ;)) amongst us.

Would appreciate some practice time on the server if and when it's available.

I'll ask Tim if he can put his up tonight. :)

Any idea as to which chassis yet?

Practice in the BRM, but make sure you have a Brabham setup handy. ;)

Oooer Mrs.
I've left it looping, will need it later for some other practice but not till 10... Also not set the loose grid yet.

We'll be using UKGPL.6 for this race but I've tidied up some of my wiring (as suggested by Mike Beattie (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6997.msg123081#msg123081)) and I seem to be getting a little less jitter.  So I've set UKGPL.4 up in praccy mode, be interested to see if connections are better.

Just tried and I cannot connect to UKGPL.4, I get a "timed out" message every time Phil,  :-\

Also just noticed the switch to VROC for the race and not IGOR . Just thought I would flag this up in case anyone else out  there is as blind as I am. ::)

Just let me in first try.

why are we using vroc? we stopped using that this season .

john

We stopped using it for Graduates because #6 was only set up for iGOR. Since we might not be using 6, that may change.

no , we stopped using vroc for any ukgpl race to stop confusion and because the old server that only did vroc had been retired .

john

The oAo league only use VROC so that's why we decided to use it.  Although we are practically 100% IGOR these days most of us will still have VROC installed unless we've got a new PC or done a complete rebuild in the last 6 months.

If anybody has a real problem they will still be able to chat via IGOR and join via IP in GPL.

No probs with the server Phil, as you probably knew all along ::).
I had forgotten to run "End it all" before trying to connect, there must be one programme running on my box here, that does not like me joining GPL races.
Could it be something that the wife installed  :-\.

Based on last season's runs in the Graduates and INT events, I expect nothing but trouble in VROC today @ Donington.  It'll take me half the race to adapt to the steering glitch.  No miracles from me today!  :)

Join from IP if you can, would that help? :)

Doni, have you tried running GEM+ and then clicking the great big "VROC" button at the bottom with the correct settings and seeing if that solves the FFB issue?

No joy with that, Jethro.  Nor with previous attempts to join via the IP.

Not to worry...  I put up with the steering glitch thru all of S17 so I can stomach it again today.  :)

Maybe in future it would be better to keep the race in iGor and oAo join via IP, if it is going to cause problems?

\

I have the same gremlins Jethro and have had no joy in trying to solve iover the past 12months. The only option for me is to join any VROC races via IP.
IGOR is faultless but joining VROC conventionally really screws up my FF settings and the calibration on my wheel. I might as well be trying to drive with a keyboard.
So I will be following Doni down the IP route.

We were one short so I joined to make up a full team.  Had problems with my wheel till I realised I'd knock the mains lead out.  Eventually joined and quallied last :(.  Got about 6 laps in and PC locked up :taz:  Hope the rest of the team faired better!

Catastrophic computer lockup. Not happy as I was running behind evilclive and the 2 oAo cars miles ahead would likely have won if they kept it on the track. I'd managed not to hit anything with a VERY careful lap 1, and settled down behind Hristo, Chris Darkes, evilclive and FMG. After about 10 laps, evil disposed of Chris through a careful move into the chicane. Then when Chris span, I did my best to keep evil honest and keep the other cars behind myself. I managed that, but when he had a "moment" at T1 with Chris not far behind, it let him through with me keeping Chris at bay. Lapping cars were tricky, there's only one clean place to do so unless the cars in question get out of it a LOT, and there was one particularly stubborn person who was making evil's life very difficult in that Eagle. Approaching him at McLeans, the computer lockup happened. I was so gutted, as I was definitely in a frame of mind to finish that race.

One of the pistons expired. I could've taken it easier, but the fact that oAo had 2 drivers at the front meant I had to do my best to pass them and win.

Had a close fight with Chris after the start, then was trying to put pressure on and attack Roy, but he had too strong acceleration out of corners. Just when Drew went off and granted me 2nd place, the engine lost power and started smoking.

There were too many laps to go and it was pointless cruising until the end as I would've been endangering other drivers and also fall down too many laps behind to score points.

-=Hristo=-

only slightly Phil  :-\

Quali was just about OK, but could not get a clear lap with all the traffic, just one of those things I guess on such a short circuit.
 at the start I was caught behind Hristo and oAo's Honda going side by side for the 1st half lap and had Jethro and Mike all over my rear end.
Once Hristo had fought his way through things speeded up a bit but I still had the novel experience of following a Honda in a faster car  :o.
Eventually he made a mistake going onto the straight and I was able to get alongside into the Esses and take 4th spot..then I came across the oAo Lotus recovering from an off, which meant that Hristo must be up to 2nd :o)

I settled behind the Lotus ,  only to pass Hristo a few laps later as he crawled his smoking Honda into the pits!!!! That made me 3rd and the leading UKGPL member!!  such responsibility :-\

I was forced to go wide at Redgates a lap later when the Lotus appeared to brake early and that brought Jethro and his Lotus into play.
I followed J for a few laps but I knew I could go faster and ahen he went wide I slipped through and set off after the leaders. There were so many backmarkers that it was like Piccadilly in the rush hour at times and I confess to being caught out by their slower pace a couple of times which put me on the green stuff and wasted all my hard work.
Then I really messed up, when having got past JR I put a wheel on the grass and did a 360 ending up crawling in the wrong gear towards a corner just as JR unlapped himself. There was contact and one of my wheels vanished.
 Sorry John if that put you out as well, but when the car had straightened itself up I knew that there were cars around me but I could not see them, so I just kept the same line hoping all would pass me by. :-\

well it took my wheel off and I was out also but never mind , makes a change that somebody takes me out and says sorry ! ;)

these things happen .

john

oAo won because they had 5 finishers to our 4

Got second after all the hares threw themselves off. Got squeezed by "team-mate" Jethro throught the first turn and then ended up doing a rear guard action to hold up the oAo mid fielders. Eventually spun and  was behind Chris Darkes and Nowaks, got past the Eagle, but by that stage Chris and the Honda were 9 secs up the road.

Towards the end I was lapping the tail enders, and had an oAo guy behind me who was 8th with Donnie in 7th up ahead. Slowed the pace to try and give Donnie a run home to the line, but he was dicing with Bruce and unfortunately spun.

One day UKGPL will learn that the team with the most finishers wins, not the guys who fill the podium !!

Grats to the oAo, then, for edging the UK brigade if only just.  Quite fun dashing about Donington and a race that went well for the most part despite having the VROC steering glitch to contend with.  Actually, it wasn't that noticeable this time but most definitely there.

Pretty intense stuff.  44 of 45 laps dicing with Bo either just in front of or just behind him.  Pity he short-braked me into a spin on L38.  I checked that lap in GPLRA and compared it to the four previous clean laps.  No question that he got out of the throttle way early for McLeans and gave me only one option to avoid him.  Rather a distasteful end to a roaring-good dice.  :(

That's small potatoes, tho, compared to this:

Friends.  Some grievous news...

Effective immediately, I’ve retired from all sim racing.  This is a bitter pill indeed and one that I’m shocked, frankly, to have to announce.

Some of you have known for quite some time that I’ve suffered from eye complaints.  Indeed, since 2006, I’ve been under the gun with Graves’ Disease.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000358.htm

Owing to financial burdens, I stopped taking my medications in August, 2008, and that was the case for quite some months.  In March of this year, I started to develop double-vision, aka, diplopia, and needed quick intervention to halt its progress.  This has been accomplished and, in fact, the phenomenon is somewhat reduced now.  However...

After running 44 of 45 highly intense laps of Donington in a UKGPL event today, I went downstairs to see how dinner...brats on a bun; mmm...was progressing.  The main floor was all smokey.  Not blurry...smokey.  I asked the Boss, Donna, if she’d over-done the buns.  She hadn’t started them as yet.  I assumed, then, that the brats themselves were responsible for all the smoke and thru on the hood fan over the stove to clear the kitchen.  The wife said there wasn’t any to clear in the first place.  We went downstairs to the basement to fetch some items and it was as smokey as the Dickens down there.  Donna assured me that there was no smoke to be seen by her.  I then covered each eye.  Both about the same with possibly the left eye displaying a bit more affect.  THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL.

In an instant, the clear and proper action for me to take was obvious.  So long, GPL.  Adieu, GTL.  Bye, bye, GTR2 and PNG.  Au revoir, rF.  The eye strain is too much and I can’t risk further damage if that’s what’s going on.  Certainly, such concentration as I had to exhibit today at Donington was extreme but I can’t in all good conscious risk more of the same.

I’ll still be quite active in sim racing but not on a participatory scale.  I’ll be watching for new releases of tracks and MODS and will lay down some laps in those new offerings.  No question of that.  I’ll also be monitoring the grid layout situation for the ADC GPL events and offering my revised configs if I see a need.  Re the America’s Division of the ADC GTL events, a new Director should be sought ASAP.  In fact, if anything, GTL is harder on my eyeballs than GPL so the sooner this chair is filled, the better.

There is a bright side to all this.  I’ve long neglected completion of my Calabogie track project for GPL.  This now can take a top priority.  I do not believe that track editing for GPL will be anywhere near as taxing as driving it for extended periods.  I’ll look at completing my Nelson Ledges circuit as well.  I have other plans re GPL tracks which I can address as well.  All manner of stuff, in fact.

It’s a good hour now since the end of that UKGPL race and my vision is improved tho still slightly cloudy.  I’m not fooled a bit, tho.  C’est la guerre...

To all my very good friends at the ADC, the NAGPL and the UKGPL, thanks a million for all the laffs.  It’s been a treat.

Doni

Just logged in to say the replay is up (http://www.jamesonline.net/ukgpl/2009.11.08_donnington_Ileague/ (http://www.jamesonline.net/ukgpl/2009.11.08_donnington_Ileague/)) and saw your note Doni.
Very sad to hear you are retiring from racing but you are doing the right thing, look after yourself. Glad to hear we might see you around and can't wait to see your tracks.
Got my fingers crossed that everything works out on the health side.
... Tim (Vos)

Very sorry to hear, Doni, I always like reading your well thought out posts around here and also the respectful way in which you always behave on the track.

Hope your situation improves eventually and that you can do at least some bit of racing now and then.

See you around,

-=Hristo=-

I can't offer enough sympathy Doni and it'll be sad to see you go. It was a pleasure racing against you over the past season. Hope to see you stick around the forums on occasion  :).

Several items from me..  1st and foremost a most enjoyable competition (again) regardless of the outcome, i find this inter-league stuff intoxicating, and if we could only get more commitment from both league members it would be something to make regular. as it is, the difficulty in rounding up 9 drivers is the hardest part for me. happily this time, i did get 10 drivers, and only 1 had to bow out so we were covered. 

Big Thanks to UKGPL for setting up and organizing it again.

Next - Doni... with regard to brake checking you. i apologize - but honestly if i knew how to do it on purpose, i wouldn't do it. i'm not that sort of driver!  that you would think that of me is distressing, seeing as how much i've admired you and your abilities,and was so happy with our duel. i never EVER would do such a thing to you or anyone else to steal a position, let alone 5th (at the time)   - but i sincerely apologize for the fact that it happened none-the-less.

Last - the Vroc/iGor question.  I don't know why there are such divided issues on the choice, but many of oAo'er in the past have preferred Vroc. And since its the one no one complains about, its the one we use. In the past UKGPL has been gracious enough to revert back to Vroc just for us, and for that i am thankful... however that it affected so many of you and quite possibly the results takes much of the joy from the results. 
should we hold a 4th such competition in the future, i will extend the invitations to oAo'ers that can join via iGor - of course that offers the distinct possibilities that we'll have to pass if there aren't enough of us to do so.

Wishing you all the very best continued success at UKGPL and condolences to Doni regard his eyesight  :(

Just read Doni's post  :-\

Truly sorry to hear about your probs my friend, but undoubtedly you are doing the right thing. I must admit to not having picked up on your "condition" before and was dismayed to hear that you had such problems.

Along with everyone else at UKGPL, I trust that your retirement from active competition will allow things to ease and that your eyesight does not suffer further.

Please be sure to keep in touch via the forums, where your wit and keen observations are always a highlight and we will look forward to your track projects as they come to completion.

Echo the sympathy for Doni , I'm sure you are doing the right thing no matter how much it hurts to give up gpl .

 :)

 

Tough call Doni, but the right one. Good you found it soon though, as the earlier you catch eye problems, the sooner they can be cured, the sooner they cause less damage.

Agred with the above - I have hugely enjoyed racing with you over the past year Doni, and will miss being able to do so in the future  :(

That said, you are doing the right thing. Your sight is far more important than a computer game.
Hopefully you might make the odd appearence, but we'll all understand if you have to stay off the black stuff.

Hope you've caught it in time to reverse any damage  :)

Firstly - Donnie! Gutted! You have been around for my full time in GPL, when I started at ADC you were one of the first I raced with.  Well I say raced....more like followed at a long distance.  That hasn't changed really, your still too damn quick!  I really do hope you stay around the Sim Racing scene as your input and development is essential to the community, although I recommend trying Flight Sim, it's easier on the eyes  :D  Best regards and hope to catch you around these parts on a regular basis. P.S. Can I have all your setups ;)  ;D

Secondly - The race.  Initially it was quite intimidating racing a bunch of guys who I hadn't been on track with before but, for a debut with the 'inters' it went OK.  I wasn't on a great pace but thankfully I wasn't quite last on track and more importantly in this type of event, finished! I've always like Donington, in any sim and indeed in real life too.  It's a fantastic track.  I just hope it can survive the failure to get F1.  I wish they never bothered trying, the track is great as it is and has long been a motorcycling circuit at all levels so hopefully it wont have too much of an affect on that.  The BRM was quite fun, and seemed to handle better with a heavy fuel load.  All good fun.

Thanks for the chance to race, and although don't anticipate being a regular participant, pleased to have taken part.

Cheers.

Grats to oAo for their revenge win. I'm glad that the Interleague racing is enjoyed as much by other leagues as it is here in UKGPL.

Maybe in an ideal world it would be possible to organise a true league for the teams with points going towards a seasons championship? But, it would need someone with more time on their hands than anyone I know and the patience of a saint to liaise, cajole and organise the various interested parties into any sort of schedule that would be workable. ::)

When I quit the server after my contact with John I thought it was all over, with oAo in the first 3 places and a couple of mid rank runners. To see that there were a few more dnf's and that only 9 finished does not actually make me feel any better, given that i was responsible for 2 UKGPL cars dropping out  :-\

Having said that, I was amazed to be so close to the front of the field anyway. During my short bouts of practice during the week it took me a long while to get used to the Eagle again after such a long time.
All private practice ( and qually) was done on race fuel in an attempt to "dial in" on the Eagle handling, but I could not reproduce my PB of a high 1:08, which still would not have got me on the front row!! ::)

Given that the VROC gremlins were still trying there best to disrupt my controls, my pace was not too bad. A couple of times there was a 1 second delay in the steering response which caused me to run wide and allow Jethro and Chris to regain the ground I had worked so hard for.
As the race progressed the Eagle felt more comfortable, despite the best efforts of the gremlinsd, and I was hustling along quite happily until the "incident" with John.

Passing backmarkers was a tad frustrating as there was really only a couple of places where that could be accomplished safely, but as the same applied to all cars it was not an unfair handicap and the speed of the Eagle allowed passing on the straights easily.

I did notice almost every lap that there was a glitch in the graphics/frame rate at T1, was this just me or was it a server/track issue?? I was getting concerned because I know that some people have experienced the dreaded mass disco at Donington in the past and that would have spoiled the fun.

Very sorry to hear you're having to give up competing Doni :(.  An intense race like last night can be very demanding on the eyes and concentration so I'm not surprised you found it tough.  Hopefully you'll gain as much enjoyment from your other GPL activities as you've had from league racing.  Good luck with your Calabogie track development.

Very pleased you enjoyed the race Bo :jumpjoy:

I've imported the results and it's now official, oAo won by 71 points to UKGPL's 55.  Well done to Bo and oAo, congratulations on a fine win.  That's 3 races now and the results table (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=226&theme=6) isn't looking too good for UKGPL, hopefully we'll have better luck at the next round ::)

Err........ Phil I have to say the Teams Points Scoring table looks a tad disingenuous :)  They get to score once and we get a running total !!!   ;D   Proves my point, you don't have to win to lead the Championship  ;)

Yes, I do realise its a standard template.

Oh BTW re the results Drew crashed out he didn't get a Disco, with 5 laps to go, just for the sake of History and future generations !!

Yes the total is irrelevant but it does show the individual results for each race. 

Having said that what if we had a proper Inter League Championship where all the leagues competed in the same number of events (instead of us being in 10 and the other leagues in one each)?  The Inter league results table would work perfectly wouldn't it ;D.  I've already been discussing such a possibility with Luca Varani of GPFun, he is quite keen to extend the Inter Leagues into a full "big race of leagues" as he calls it.  I think it would work quite well but I have a couple of reservations:

1.  I don't have time to organize it so someone else would have to do it.  The UKGPL Inter Leagues have been hard enough to coordinate.  I don't think it will be a problem though I suspect there will be someone keen enough to take it on.  As a league admin for UKGPL I would expect to be involved in the organization (as would the league admins from all the other participating leagues), I just don't have the time to be the main man.
2.  We don't have enough good servers so each league would have to provide their own.

I'd be happy to import the race results though, our Inter League table should be able to host the results no problem :thumbup2:  At least in the initial stages.  If it really took off someone might decide to create a dedicated web site?

Updated that.  It's easy to correct the table if people post the real reason for not finishing, I just don't have time to trawl through the replay looking for it.

Even though I don't currently compete I think that's a brilliant idea. Could run it like the world cup, ie knock outs until 2 go through to the finals?
Afraid I would be pushing it to find the time to administer. The drawback with a knock out basis is we could end up running something we aren't involved in during the latter stages - of course we'd make it through to the final though  ;)

Rather than a knockout event, which would only retain the interest of those teams still participating,  I think a true league based competition might work like this........

All teams that wished to take part would have to indicate their interest up front and nominate their "home" circuit. ( maybe initially limited to original Papyrus tracks, but I see no reason why it could not be any circuit from the track database).
No two teams could have the same "home" circuit, so it would be on a first registered basis getting the choice, this requires a central common database which also comes into play later...

I'm guessing that we might allow a maximum of 8 teams entered ( although if succesful it might appeal to more and spread across the globe?)in which case we could introduce more divisions?
Each team would have to race every other team twice ...home and away, and scoring points as at present towards a league table.

Here is the ( maybe !) clever bit, the main organiser (UKGPL?) would only set the opening date and the closing dates of the "season" which,  assuming there were 8 teams would mean 16 races to be accommodated. It would be up to the individual teams to organise their race schedules at any times to suit themselves within that season, meaning that each team would have to arrange their own fixture list and submit the dates to a common database purely to give everyone an overview of activity.
 That way the organising of venues and servers and dates would be evenly spread across all teams. Failure to succesfully arrange and complete a fixture would mean that those teams simply got a "no-score" at the end of the season.
If after a first season, which might take 6-8 months to complete,  more leagues applied to join the fun I would suggest we limit the number of teams to a max of 8 per div and start a new division dividing the number of teams equally.
Othere  simple rules would have to be  drawn up and maybe a moderators panel..one from each team....which would allow a panel of 6 independant mods to rule on any issues in a race??

 I hope this makes sense???

Yep I was thinking along the same lines but when you start to work out the numbers it gets a bit scary.  8 teams mean there will be 7 home races and 7 away races.  So each team will do 14 rounds.  So the number of races in total to import into the results table will be (14 * 8 )/2  (because there will be 2 teams in each race).  This makes a total of 56 races.  That is too much for one person to organize so each league would have to be responsible for organizing their own fixtures and simply providing the results in the form of a GPLRA Export and GPL HTML Export to be imported into the results system.  Moderating the races would be at the discretion of the individual league admins.

Yep if we go for it we should make it the 2010 GPL World Series.  The races to be completed between say March and November of 2010 at the discretion of the league admins.

Yes but I think the main organizer should start a thread on SpeedGeezers or RSC that all the participating league admins can join.  That way it wouldn't be based on a forum owned by one of the individual leagues.

Or set up something like this so they can do most of it themselves http://www.teampages.com/?_kk=free%20sports%20website&_kt=1fa1b26a-a225-45f3-a036-bc5fd48e6ae1&gclid=COnMi6KygZ4CFVtn4wodAxTqpg (http://www.teampages.com/?_kk=free%20sports%20website&_kt=1fa1b26a-a225-45f3-a036-bc5fd48e6ae1&gclid=COnMi6KygZ4CFVtn4wodAxTqpg)
I wouldn't have time to run the admin but would be happy to set up the initial forum...

Guys,

Float the idea by all means, but it changes the aspect of the Inter Leagues for all the other Clubs from fun, occasional events to a very serious competition that requires oodles of time.

Dam you Beattie !!!!  you pre-empted my next post ::) which I had "up my sleeve".````````

I had floated my "master plan" to see what response it got and to guage reaction as to whether it was viable. But at the back of my mind was the very thought you have raised. If we make it a truly competitive league, do we lose the "fun" aspect??

At the moment every league we race comments on how enjoyable these contests are, maybe because they are held in the right spirit...having some mildly competitive fun.
I would be concerned that we would end up with a "World Cup" atmosphere with teams of aliens dominating the upper positions and many more "incidents" requiring moderation, if there was more at stake.

On the other hand, if instigating a true league generates more interest, would it attract more drivers into GPL and add to its appeal?
As Phil and Tim have pointed out the logistics in organising events is far too much for any one person ( unless they are a masochist!!) and I was talking about 8 teams as a max. I had started out thinking about 10 or 12 and quickly realised the error of my ways!!!

So, is there a middle way???


But, does any form of points scoring league change the "fun" aspect???....I suspect that it will  :(

TBH, although making it a serious competition league sounds interesting, it's already quite a serious challenge and takes a lot of effort in each event, at least for me. I'm trying to cut down on racing right now and if this is transformed to something more occupying I'll consider skipping it altogether.

Hi, fellas.  A week without sim racing.  UGH!!!   :'(  No joy in that, I can tell you!

TYVM for all the best wishes.  I saw my endochronologist...thyroid guy...yesterday and am now being taken off medication.  Seems that it's done all it can for me.  The list of side affects of the meds are as bad if not worse than the ****ing condition in the first place!  LOL!  I wonder if one of them is cloudy vision after a hot run in GPL?

I'd like to formally apologize to Bo Bruce for slagging him back in my earlier post.  I'd had a simply marvelous duel with him for 30-odd laps.  It was really keen with never more than 3 seconds between us even in traffic situations.  I spun trying to miss him in what I judged to be a 'soft' entry to McLeans just as I was turning up the wick in the dying laps but in hindsight, it was nothing like a 'short brake' attempt to get me off the road and as I have plenty of real-life Formula Ford experience with that sort of thing, I should have known better at the time.  NP, Bo.  TY for a great and thrilling run!  :)

I continue to limit my computer activities with great restriction and am satisfied to just do the odd lap in GPL as I edit Calabogie.  Perhaps as the medication wears off...it will take weeks of reduced dosage before I'm finally clear of all the meds..., I'll be able to reassess things.  Won't be anytime soon, I'm sure, but there's always hope.  Fingers X'd!  :)

Doni

Glad to here the meds are working Doni , having taken more than my fair share over the last 10 years i know all about side effects , a neccesary evil though mate ,so just keep soldiering  on and do what the nurses tell you , you know it makes sense  ;)

Well, side effects alone helped you win two UKGPL titles!

Hristo,  you mean slide effects,  surely  ;D