UKAC Season 18 Prototype Potluck - The 260kms of Feldberg - Feb 2

[Mark J]

being a complete newb to this track i am miles off the pace unless these times are all qually runs?! Am quicker in the GT40 but will take a 908 as it feels more like a sportscar here. Based on the few sessions i've had, my chances of surviving are slim anyway 

Anyone got a good setup for the 908?

[MaxVeloce]

Mark,  you had horrible low track grip in the 908, that's worth a few seconds on its own + add to that most of the fast times are set with pretty high (but not full) grip and that's some explanation, the rest will be car setup and track knowledge...



Someone will prolly yell at me,  but I have a theory that the majority of cars in AC have the same common default setup failings - incorrect camber balance front to rear, dampers that are not working, and a floppy rear end      I'm almost sure they hired Ken Block to make them just for a giggle 

[KDiesel]

    I'm almost sure they hired Ken Block to make them just for a giggle 

Is he hired by anyone who is over 5 years old?

[MaxVeloce]

Is he hired by anyone who is over 5 years old?

I've no idea man   but he's the only person I can think of who drives to show off but sucks at actually going fast (WRC didn't do him any favors  ).


What I do know is most cars feel like they're setup to initiate a huge oversteer moment rather than take a corner quickly...

[Geoffers]

Someone will prolly yell at me,  but I have a theory that the majority of cars in AC have the same common default setup failings - incorrect camber balance front to rear, dampers that are not working, and a floppy rear end      I'm almost sure they hired Ken Block to make them just for a giggle  

I do find the cars are much more difficult to setup in AC compared to GT Legends or Raceroom, Raceroom in particular having pretty good default setups. Then again I am fairly new to AC & have not really got to grips with what works & what doesn't.

I did find quite a bit of time in the GT40 here yesterday, seems I was running far too much camber on the front, reducing it gave much better front grip.

[MaxVeloce]

I did find quite a bit of time in the GT40 here yesterday, seems I was running far too much camber on the front, reducing it gave much better front grip.

AC quite likes "camber thrust" for grip during turn in and its as important as spring / damper / aero for the balance - get that balance wrong front to rear and you're in for a bad time fighting the car, but yes of course overall camber also makes a difference as you found - you can be a few clicks off the optimal camber and not really notice but get that f/r balance wrong and oh boy.  Also the vintage tyres are not all the same, despite all these cars just having that "vintage" moniker they definitely like different amounts of camber depending on car.  Some nerd can come along and tell me car x had tyre y etc  - sorry nerds, I am one too sometimes but I cant be bothered to go look up what tyres each car had back in the day, just trying to point out the game is sometimes misleading :-)


Rambling on,  I have no idea what steering most of you guys are running, but with a Direct Drive wheel you can actually feel when you hit the (slow)dampers sweet spot on the front end, as the extra grip makes the steering noticeably heavier. Sadly from what I remember of more normal thrustmaster etc wheels it wont really be noticeable like that, but you should still be able to tell from corner speeds


/ shuts up and goes back to work...

[vva_avv]

908 please. Its long race, but her windshield wiper is smth worth seeing for 1,5 hrs.

[Stefan aka Postal]

908 here please if still possible.

[MaxVeloce]

Well now I know I'm gonna die tomorrow - just did a full tank run (12 laps) to test tyre wear and I didn't die, didn't even touch the scenery the whole way...



Also,  where is Axel Linther, I know you must be out there lurking because I regularly see you put times on the practice server (decent times too).  Why you not join the races buddy 

[Mark J]

managed to find a whopping 8 seconds lap improvement within just a few laps last night!  and was even 1 sec quicker on my following lap until i binned it, so proves my setup was hopelessly wrong somehow. Thanks to vva for sharing his, most kind. 

[Geoffers]

Hmmm, looks like everyone else has found some more time & I am still 6-7s too slow, argh. 

[MaxVeloce]

917,  because its epic   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-722akKSo4   

[Mark J]

Sorry I quit early, my head just wasn’t in it tonight after a bit of a sh**y stressy end to my day, just couldn’t focus and it meant several silly offs that just wound me up more so I parked it. 

[Stefan aka Postal]

Too bad MJ, indeed this one track needs full concentration! Pfeww

Had a good scrap with Jari and chasing Syd. Had one chance in the penultimate lap but made an error in the town Had to let Jari go, but a good scrap that was. Also too bad Lorenzo wasn't around tonight.

[Syd Drake]

I got third in q, but bogged down at the start and Stefan got by me. Jari was right on my tail and after a bad exit out of the hairpin on the long straight, on lap 2 I think, Jari got passed me. We stayed close and I returned the favor on the next lap and got by Jari in the same manner. Porsche and GT40 seemed pretty well matched, at least in our respective hands. On lap four, in the hilly section I came around the bend just in time to see Stefan coming down from the side of the track facing the wrong direction. Got by him safely and I was back in third. Jari was very close behind. Sometime the distance would grow to 2-3 seconds, and sometime he would be all over the back of my car. But I knew I was actually way ahead since I didn't have to stop for fuel. I kept my eye on Stefan as well, as he was within 10-15 seconds behind.
Finally after 14 laps Jari stopped, and the pressure was off. But it seems I needed that pressure to keep me on my toes. Cause a couple of laps later, just after Max lapped me, I had a lapse in  concentration and tapped a fence on the side of the track. I though no biggie, it was a slight touch. But somehow my suspension was all broken. I had to go almost half a lap while keeping the wheel att least at a 30 degree angle on the straights. I though podium was gone. As I set in the pits, waiting for repairs to be done (free change of tires as well), I watched to see how many cars would pass. But nobody passed the pits, and I exited some 4 seconds ahead of Stefan, who was just ahead of Jari. Stefan must have had some problem of his own, as I see he pitted on lap 14. Or was it tactical?
By this point my engine was very yellow, but I had no choice but to push, as the two guys behind were closing in. At some point they swapped places, and Jari was behind. He got very close to passing me on the hairpin corner, but I covered the inside, and was than able accelerate better on the long straight.  Then on the last lap, I just said forget the engine saving, just go all out. I got my by far the fastest lap on that last lap, and only noticed when I was on the long straight for the last time that Jari and Stefan fell several seconds back.
It was a very tense ending to the race, very happy with the podium.
Congrats to Max on the win, and Tim on staying on the lead lap