UKGTL Season 12 Shelby AC Cobra Challenge - Sebring (GP) - Feb 6

[Wiltshire Tony]

All members welcome.

Grid/server capacity: 28

Practice: ~19:20 (60 mins)
Qualifying: 20:20 (20 mins)
Race: 20:40 (14 laps)

Track: 1970 Sebring (GP) Download this

Cars allowed: Shelby Cobra Pack Download this, Shelby Cobra 289/427.

This race will use the UKGTL Skin Pack 1.8.0.0.

Car restrictions: Rank 1 to 7 - 240kW or 261kW spec Cobra's
                         Rank 8 and lower - any of the above plus 320kW or 354kW spec Cobra's

Time of Day Setting: 14:00
Start: STANDING
Tyre wear: Normal
Fuel consumption: Normal

Server: simracing.org.uk SCC
Password: see above

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.
(4) Driver lists can be found on the Championship standings page

Special Notes: This race is flag started. However the flagman is out of sync with the in-game countdown and you could get a stop/go for a jumped start if you go with the flag. I would strongly suggest that the in-game countdown is switched on for this race.

[Wiltshire Tony]

No rolling starts here. If you are going to take a monster then either a) Practise starts, and/or b)start in 2nd gear

A map of the circuit here http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/NAmerica/USA/FL/sebring67-82.html

Watch out at Hairpin! The earth bank has no barrier effect and you will drive straight threw it and into Nirvana.

Pay particular attention to the car restrictions for this race please.

[BillThomas]

Watch out at Hairpin! The earth bank has no barrier effect and you will drive straight threw it and into Nirvana.

Found a number of others too Tony - some of those long earth mounds do the same, I guess we need to stay on the concrete here

Can any of you setup experts tell me how to stop the car wandering on the long straights - it's annoying keep having to be on guard for it.

[SpecialKS]

Yeah - seems to be a real tricky one.
Could not do a single compkete timed lap because of cut warnings, crashes, nirvanas etc. 

Obviously there are no updates for this track available 

but - in general - Sebring (no matter which version) will not be one of my favorite tracks -
it's just an airfield - plane and bumpy, although it has seen great races over the years.

Let's see what will happen on Monday. Still some time for a little more practice.

[Wiltshire Tony]

Watch out at Hairpin! The earth bank has no barrier effect and you will drive straight threw it and into Nirvana.

Found a number of others too Tony - some of those long earth mounds do the same, I guess we need to stay on the concrete here

Can any of you setup experts tell me how to stop the car wandering on the long straights - it's annoying keep having to be on guard for it.

All Cobra's or just one type. Please specify.

[BillThomas]

Can any of you setup experts tell me how to stop the car wandering on the long straights - it's annoying keep having to be on guard for it.

All Cobra's or just one type. Please specify.

It was the 260 I had trouble with - moved onto the 289 FIA and find it much better re wandering on straights as well as nearly 8 secs quicker.  Will go with that - happy with it.

[BillThomas]

Yeah - seems to be a real tricky one.
Could not do a single compkete timed lap because of cut warnings, crashes, nirvanas etc. 

Find 289 FIA quite nice to drive,  my braking problems have been cured by moving brake bias forward to 65/35 %.  Found needed to drive slowly, ie brake way to early to check out corners.

I try and learn track sequence and braking points and gear for entry, then repeat to myself whilst driving each lap.

4th up start/finish straight, T1 left lift at 100 marker, T2 left brake at 100 marker, T3 left brake and down to 2nd, up into 4th for first of sequence of kinks - brake and down to 2nd at 100 marker, up into 3rd on exit from last right kink - 4th, right hairpin brake down to 1st just after 200 marker, up to 4th approaching chicane - chicane brake, down  to 2nd at 100 board.  On long straights all turns at end are right, I take 1st in 3rd and the remaining 2 in 2nd.

Once I got sequence it's trying to optimise braking and change down points for best consistent lap.  Hope the above will help.  I've gone from first timed lap with minor offs of about 4:10 to 3:30 with 260 before I was confident enough to try the 289 FIA.  Took a few attempted laps to find the new braking and gears for track, down  into 3:24s.

[SpecialKS]

Thank you Bill - just practiced some laps online - much better concerning cut warnings than offline.

Could a reach a 3.12.8 so far in the 289FIA and will check your recommendations later yet.

But I still have a lot to improve.

A. Dummer did a 3.05.4 at the same time  - don't know which car.

[Ade]

3:06 in the 289FIA and 2:59 in the 427 ..... I'm looking forward to this one Ill wait and see some times tonight before i decide on my car.
But I do fancy taking  the 427 for a spin

[Hristo Itchov]

IMO this track is a very poor choice for league racing. You can gain 5-6 seconds by using all possible road width, as all trackside objects are non-solid and the grip is the same regardless. I'm down to 2:59 now...

[M Cinderby]

IMO this track is a very poor choice for league racing. You can gain 5-6 seconds by using all possible road width, as all trackside objects are non-solid and the grip is the same regardless. I'm down to 2:59 now...

Me too  I think the grass and the fence are the only boundaries on this one. You gain on the exits of the corners mainly....Its a great drift and fast to. Its going to be really hard to enforce the 2 wheels on the the track / white line rule here I think we may all be DQ. 

[Hristo Itchov]

I tried running a single race with the AI and you get cut track warnings in some places, but not everywhere. That means qualifying is going to be entirely different than the race in terms of lap times lol.

[M Cinderby]

I tried running a single race with the AI and you get cut track warnings in some places, but not everywhere. That means qualifying is going to be entirely different than the race in terms of lap times lol.

Thanks H useful info.

[Wiltshire Tony]

Thanks for the track feedback guys. I do try to test all the tracks we use but this one has definately thrown up some nasties. Pity as there's a version by the Virtual LM crew I believe. Oh well next time, next time.

[Hristo Itchov]

It's a very good track to drive on, it's just that it's difficult to keep within the white lines and there is nothing to punish you for going wide, at least in Qualifying. The grip is the same everywhere though, so I suggest that everyone just use as much as they can in Qualifying and keep within the line in the Race to avoid getting penalized, although there are places where you don't get a warning. I'm not quite sure where those are yet though, apart from the exit off the corner that leads on the first airfield straight.