Season 23 is going to have a Gt Team Championship again and final details are being worked out so that we get all cars on the grid. Last season we had no Chapperaals on the grid which was a shame.
We tried some pitstop races when the Gt mod was released, but there was very little reliable lap time data to calculate accurate stop times.
Now, after 2 seasons, we have some good indicators about the relative race pace of the various cars, so we would like to test this format again. There will be a couple of races in the next weeks, the first at Silverstone next Friday.
The theory is that with pitstops and drivers of equal ability all cars would arrive at the chequered flag together regardless of which car they are driving. Of course, in practice, this does not happen because drivers make mistakes through the race and there are variance in laptimes for all sorts of reasons.
Normally with a 2F at Spa the driver could expect to vanish in the distance at the beginning of the race and be able to cruise to the finish from half distance. But if that 2F has to sit in the pits whilst a Porsche ( which is not required to make a stop) passes him and gets a long way in front, he then has to exit the pits after his stop and drive at full race pace to close down the Porsche before the end of the race.
In all races there will be at least one car that will not be required to stop. Yes, of course that will be the car with the slowest laptime, but even so when the pitstop times are calculated that car should still be in with a chance of a win or podium!!
There are a couple of issues with GPL and GT's and the pitstops.
GPL will automatically disco/retire a car that is stationary for more than about 25 secs, so how do we make a long pitstop?
At some tracks, such as Spa, the difference between the Porsche and the 2F over a 50 minute race is approx 3minutes!!
In the past we have allowed cars making a long pitstop to stop at the beginning of the pitlane and move forward by approx 10mtrs every 20 secs until their stop time is completed. But with a 180 second stop for 2 or 3 cars that would be a recipe for chaos!
There is another way. If a car is parked exactly in your pitbox it will not get retired
Your pitbox is identified by the black board with your name on it in the pitlane. You need to approach that board slowly and as close to the pit counter as possible, ensuring that you are parallel to the wall. As soon as the board vanishes you stop and you are in your pitbox and can wait as long as you need. I suggest that drivers practice this move before we race and check that they know where they need to be.
The other thing you might need is a little programme called "GPL Wait". This will automatically time your stop and avoid the need for a stopwatch.
With GPL Wait you can set the required stop length and also assign a button/key that will prime the timer as you approach the pits.
Once you have this set up the pitstop is easy.
As you approach the pitlane, press the button or key that you have assigned to control your stop.
Carefully park your car in your pitbox
Magically when the car has become stationary the screen view will change from "in car" to "chase view" and the timer will start.
When the programmed stop has been completed the view will change back to "in car" and your stop is over and you can "carefully" leave the pits and rejoin the race.
To test how well all this will work in a proper race we will run a few fun races before season 23 starts.
The first race will be Friday 1st June at Silverstone and details will be posted soon. I hope that everyone will join in this test and take a variety of cars so that the pitstop handicaps can be tested.
