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H@L has asked if i try and organise some races as we potentially have next wednesday for a GTR Evo race and alternate wednesday nights. Now we've yet to get it up and running but i thought i'd get it into peoples minds early. I certainly havent used Evo much at all so am wanting to use these as a means of getting us all upto speed with how Evo works differently to GTR2. The biggest seems to be pitting, as you cant seem to change things manually for your stop.

H@L had talked about running some test races on sunday later on in the season so this will be our first foray into its use.

The scale of the content is amazing even if you ignore the wtcc cars; radicals, mini's, DTM'esque WTCC Extreme cars, '87 touring cars plus we have 3 classes of GT cars which is where i think we'll begin with.

We have the followning classes: GT Pro, GT Sport, GT Club which roughly seem to be like our GT1, GT2 and GTC GTR2 classes.

I'm not sure just how equal these classes are looking at some of the cars but its a good place to start. The GT club class does have the fewest car options which is dissapointing. I'd suggest we start with the GTsport class as those GT pro's seem a bit of a step up in performance.

Just considering the standard tracks my pick of them is: Zandvortt, Istanbul, Nurburgring, Estoril, Imola, Brands hatch not to mention Donnington Nat. which we've run as an addon.

For the first race i'm thinking either a 40min or 60min race place a pit stop.

I've no problem with this as long as there's enough support for it and we prefer this over the current Cats series. I have no idea how to admin the LM2 side of things to cancel the cats championship as Tony kindly set all this up for me. I do think though that if we go ahead we should crown our champion for this series rather than just abandon it.

As for Evo, I believe the Sport or the Club classes would be a great place to start.

Not sure what you mean by that, as far as I know the pit options in Evo work just like GTR2 with some improvements. You can start making selections as soon as you enter the pit lane, and you can also make preset selections before the race so you there's no need to manually select everything during the stop.

You can do anything in the pits, just like in GTR2. You can even pre-set it so you got less to before the crew starts doing it. Do some single races with pitting. :) GT Sport is great stuff, looking forward to it. Erm, I might take Marcos. ;)

Well pitting is my biggest issue. Being as the two times i've tried going back to the pits in the touring car races i dont seem to be able to change anything and after a minute it times out and just sits there but does nothing.

For info just ran a couple of laps round Valencia'07 in a car from each. Tweaked the setup a bit, but the default is pretty driveable.

GTC - DBRS9 - 1.40.3
GTS - M3 GTR - 1.37.3
GTP - DBR9 - 1.32.7

It's been a while since I used Evo - but could the pit stopping not work on the 'Race07 side'? i.e. touring cars.. And only works with the Evo GT content?

I have all of them add-ons and pitting format is the same. I made two pre-pit strategies or how it's called and it works  fine. :)

Thanks to Picnic, and no thanks to the forum issues we had last week, we now have GTR evo installed and after the Race 07 race tonight shall be finalising what to run first.

 :thumbup1:

Great news.  :)  Though i fear a wednesday eve will still be well under-subscribed  :-\

Count me in guys

Did that code I gave Picnic work?

It did, thank you Ross for the offer.

 :-*

Cool, glad it's finally got used!

Well not really, I didn't use it. Somehow the server got a license and no one so far has admitted to it  :-\

It's not logged in as me is it? :laugh:

Not at the moment it's not. Very strange because a couple of weeks ago I'm sure the option to install Evo was not there.

Lol, well I'm glad you've got it all organised between you then! ;)

Do people want to do another Evo race on wednesday?

GT Club at Brands Hatch?

Yes. :)

Yes please. :)

So could some one sort it out please ;) :angel:

OK.

https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=9049#event2592

Testing by commitee!

http://www.nogripracing.com/details.php?filenr=24243

997 and F430 mod for GTRevo, supposedly in the GTsport class. From my testing i think it works well but could really do with some times from others to compare. Been running around Brands GP but am not sure now its a good idea as i seem to be doing the same times as the GTclub race we did before!

I'm just going to use this a place to compare times, feel free to join in. I'll add when i manage to improve. definately more time to have for me in both. Default fuel 50L

F430 1.31.2
997 1.32.0

i used this mod quite a bit a shortwhile ago and all seemed great. Racedepartment used the mod for a series of porker v fezza races at different tracks so pretty sure its well tested  :)

will post some times when i next get to have some fun  :P

you seen this spanner?

http://www.nogripracing.com/details.php?filenr=28675

some clever chap has made some files that make the fezza and 997 as realistic performance wise as possible, in line with FIA regs  8)

Err yes but we dont run to FIA regs, the game creators have kindly ceated classes for us. You voulnteering to change all the other cars to match?

Think thats only really for a Fia GT mod. No idea which one.

We could make a Championship of Fezza vs Porsche. I will gladly take the Fezza. 4 races? :)

ah okay, i had been running the FIA 08 GT mod (which includes the f430 & 997) rather than this twin car modpack but now installed the mod from your No-grip link.

1:30.3 in the 997 at Brands GP with 6 laps fuel onboard.  :)  will try the fezza later.

This 997 is much nicer to drive than the one we use in GTR2, its got its Porsche nimbleness back and feels like a lightweight racecar rather than the slightly lardey one we got used to in GTR2.Its also got a proper gear range and correct rev limit rather than the 9400revs limit infamy!  ::)

Just ran a test race with a full grid of GT2 (GTsport) at Brands GP.

Top 4 in qually were the brand new BMW GT2 cars (from the latest simbin GTpack) showing their evolutionary pace, which is as you would expect.
Then it was a Vette C6 GT2, some SEAT toledos!, i popped the 997 in 7th which was highest of the 997s or F430's, which seemed to fall nicely mid pack of performance with a smattering of them around midfield positions. The rest of the grid was a mixture of all the cars.
Pole sitting lap was a 1:28 !! i got 7th with a 1:30.3

Good thing with Evo, is we finally having a working performance ballast system, so if we want we can stick some ballast on either quick drivers or quick cars...or both! to keep the action close  :)  That should prevent people choosing the automatic quick car for a win.

guys i would be intrested in this seris ... but as our system is new and not full of different tracks and cars i will need to be pointed in the right direction to DL them ... have been DL fron nogrip and rFAC central ..

so will need a bit of help ...

Every announcement have neatly linked all necessary downloads, so it shouldn't be too hard. Welcome aboard. :)

you not done any laps in that shiny Fezza TT?  slacker!  ;D  want to know if i need to up my pace some more in the 997 to whip ya  ;)

welcome aboard David !  :)

just ran another test race at Brands GP, same as with the 997, ai @ 100%, full grid, this time using the F430.

Great car, well modelled, looks and sounds fantastic. :)  The two models look great and are a definite tonic to fill out the GT2(sport) field

I pipped my 997 pb by 2/10ths to get a 1:30.137 which got me 6th on the grid. Again the new M3 GT2's topped out the top 4, 5th- vette and then me, followed by an Ai 997 and mosler. The rest of the grid was a good mix up.
 
Setup wise, to save folks time, both cars (and most default setups) always run too low tyre pressures, so save yourselves time and put in 5-10psi each tyre straight away. Also ramp up the camber more than your used too with GTR2. My Motec-add tells me all this. I usually have to add a few clicks rear ARB too to dial out the understeer and a lot of the default setups have too stiff springs so you may want to try softening them a tad.
Hope that helps  :)

I find the 997 very similiar to the gtr2 one using a very similar setup but i do find it has a bit less grip, obviously the times are slower but i keep locking up the fronts and losing the rears on the kurbs alot.

On defaults the 430 feels really nice, but you can feel it being under damped. Feels like a proper car unlike the gtr2 430.

surprised you find the 997 similar to the GTR2 one? I thought this one a lot more nimble and you can dance it on the throttle, as it should be. I've never fully liked the GTR2 version as its got some bad flaws in the physics...ie the wandering down straights, wrong ratio gears and 'heavy-feel' etc, but being a porsche man still tweaked it to best i could for driving.  :)

Agree on the F430, its a nice bit of kit in evo. Wonder if there is a 458 available yet?..could be a good match for the M3 GT2's. But probably best to keep it simple with this mod added into the GT2 mix.
Dead easy install for anyone who hasnt tried the 997/430 mod yet. Just unzip it to a dir on your pc, then literally drop the two sub-directories into your steam install directory
ie.....  C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\yourname\race 07

let it over-write as it will not touch any of your steam or game files.  :)

Just been watching the new International GT Open, plenty of good racing with the usual arrary of fezzas 430&458, 997 porkers, aston martins, ford GT and even a Sunred ! at Imola.  8)

Idea struck me that we could try using their same idea of having a pitstop window. This would keep the action closer throughout the race rather than such varying strategies that the racing gets disjointed on track. I dont know if its something that you can endforce in Race/Evo or needs a special app? as i know RD use pitstop windows in their longer races. It tells you on screen when the pit window opens and closes and the lap range that it applies to. Works well and creates an interesting buzz when cars start diving in the pits together etc.  :)

Isn't the "open window to pit" included in Race through GT rules?

It is yes.....but surely most of use pit within 5 laps of each other anyway ???

nah ive seen people pit all sorts of times in our past endurance races. Might be different for a shorter event using stops though. Handy if the game does create the pit window though.

In all our races you can pit when ever you like allowing people the flexiblilty to run what ever strategy you want, how is limiting the pit window going to add something other than everyone running the same strategy which will be boring.

I think he's trying to avoid a dis-jointed racing experience, e.g. before pitting you have loads of drivers to battle with and after pitting you don't. He seems to figure that by making everyone pit at around about the same time, you will always have drivers to race with rather than plod around on your own like Billy-no-mates.

If it's possible maybe try it out and see what the general opinion is. maybe

Trouble with limited pit windows is if you're stuck behind someone who's marginally slower that you can't pass on track you can elect to take an early stop to use strategy to make the pass. I don't have to see a car a meter in front of me to realise I'm racing someone.

surely if they use it in the real GT races, its for the very reason i listed? ie keep the racing close.  Crumbs the grids are empty enough as it is, dont you like having other cars around you to battle/chase?

As always, just a suggestion to improve the show, you dont need to get all defensive and paranoid.

Depends on how long people take to do their pit stops ;) :angel:

I know what you want to achieve & think the aim is good, but you yourself are a prime candidate of someone that pits at a different time to "everyone else" at most events. 9 races out of 10, you'll pit 2/3's or 3/4's into the race, when 90% of the field pits at about 50% distance. What this means is, you get to lead/run in 2nd for a few laps, then when you come out the pits wondering why you've lost 6 positions & are 50 secs behind the bloke you were right next to a second ago. That leads you to feel that you've lost position on track, but actually, you were probably in about 6th before anybody started pitting, lending you their place temporarily. Again, this increases the feeling of a disjointed race for you.

As I said, I reckon (without researching) 90% of us pit within the 47% - 54% distance window, no need for a rule, no big objection to one either, because I feel it will have little impact.

As you say, there is no need. I simply stated my view  ::)

I'm sure there are many examples in RL racing where there are less restrictive practices than the one you propose there, so I must be right too  :P

no, the only reason i pitted later than most is because i wasnt aware that you were all filling the tank at race start and then just topping up! I was putting 45-50mins of fuel in, then making my stop when it got low to put the remaining 15-20mins worth of fuel in. My innocent brain hadnt thought of the gamey tactic that no real world teams would use  ;) Pity the fool me!  :P

A pit window is generally about 5-10mins long i think so guess that forces the grid to pit within 5laps tops of each other?  :-\
But if everyone stops as close as you estimate then it doesnt matter. It just seemed to work well in the RD events and didnt break up the 'on track' action as much.

and my 'defensive' comment was aimed at the ever cheerful Spanner, not you Pete  :-*

Love you too MJ :P

Nice to know its not just me though

???
Are you telling me that every single professional racing team, goes to each event thinking: "Right boys, let's not use the fuel strategy that gives us the best chance of winning"?

Rubbish. The slower the fuelling device, the more likely you are to carry extra fuel from the start.

I have actually told you numerous times on TS to start with full fuel. I've also tried to help you improve your pitting 'technique' a couple of times. My cloak & dagger tactical days ended about 2 years back :shifty: :laugh:

Could we have races with no pitstops please? I'm a simple man and want to race flat out and get beaten by someone faster. Simples. I care naught for strategy and practicing pitstops. More BTCC than F1 you say :)

Would be up for some Evo but the way, if the timing is right.

in sprint (upto 1hr) events i doubt many teams run the cars with full fuel from the start as it means the tyres degrade too quick and they would get swamped by the rest of the field and then stuck behind slower cars.
Not sure about all sprint-type events but the International GT Open used some pre-sized fuel canister that dumped a set fuel load in at the driver change pitstop about halfway in the race.
Anyway your still a gamey bar-steward  ;D

I like a pitstop in races even if it often ruins my race  :P but thats  mainly down to my own poor prep  :-[

lol.
I like both formats. Always enjoyed the days you werre running GTL when we did 1 enduro to 2 Sprint weeks. 8)

Halcyon days  :'(

Lovin UKGTL at the moment too Tony, just wish there was more events ;) & that my works rota was not pitting itself against GTL's weeks  :'(

Yeah, you'll just have to get another job  :-*

Point is, sbg, tryes degrade in Race much more quickly than in GTR2 and allow 20, maybe 30 minutes. Then you just need to change tyres or fight with the car. Now that is the prospect I will not participate in. I'm for "tyre wear off" Sprints. ;)

TT, you keep mentioning this tyre wear but ive just completed a season of 60minute races at RD using GT Pro and tyres were absolutely fine. They wore just like i'd expect them to wear over a race distance. So not sure what your doing wrong  ???  Watch any GT racing and the tyres start to go off around 30mins, hence why they make so many stops!

Trouble probably evolves out of all cars having much more understeer compared to GTR2 and setting it uses much more of my time than GTR2, I admit. :-\ But setups I made made me able to get to competitive racing here, well, at least on some races. It's probably on the limit of the car and it might be my style of driving is not very kind on the cars / tyres. Tried lost of different setups and, well, I am where I am. :(

   

I had problems with tyre wear in the BMW as well TT  :o it must be us driving like loonies ;D ;) As you say it was the only way to be competitive with the beamer.