NGT Sprint Cup - Season 1, Round 4, Brno - Aug 2nd

[popabawa]

My PB is 2:02 but I must have been on drugs when I did that

I knew I was doing something wrong! 

[PaulW]

Yeah, I'mgrabbing a wrap of speed and putting Ace Of Spades on a loop for Tuesday night then...

[Simon Gymer]

I might have a go in the 911 GT3 RS as it's a circuit that favours corner braking and rear brake balance and it's turning into a Ferrari fest at the moment which we don't really want.

[fozzmeister]

The only good thing about Brno, is if it rains (yet again) then there's a lot of space to understear off  into :-)

Fozzmeister

[Paul968]

Hmmm, strange how you all seem to hate the place but I love it! I think my base 360 setup suits the corners at Brno and Barcelona more than than the chicaney ones at Magny Cours or Enna. Now if I could just think of a way to keep Bernie out of the equation in his turbo rocket ship......  

[Simon Gymer]

Not everyone hates it Paul. I quite like Brno too, although it's a bit like the Budweiser track off that TV advert. 

[Paul968]

although it's a bit like the Budweiser track off that TV advert.

I just don't see it like that at all. In an NGT I find it quite flowing, with most of the entries into the twisty bits quite fast and flowing if you get the line right. The challenge is to keep the speed up till the last moment before getting the car setup for a good exit onto the next straight. It's certainly not go/stop/go/stop/go like Magny Cours.

PS You can't have tried very hard if you are still in the 2.05s 

[fozzmeister]

It's certainly not go/stop/go/stop/go like Magny Cours.

I  don't find Magny like that at all, there's only two big stops (hairpin and school), the others are either about diving on the brakes when the back end is still a bit wobbly, or braking as little as you dare and bashing over cubs... In feel I find it quite similar to Donnington in a lot of places, and Enna in other places.

Fozzmeister

[Paul968]

You must be driving a different Magny Cours to me then Fozz!

After the fast Estoril and the straight you are right down to walking pace at Adelaide.
Then after the fast Nurburgring chicane you again have to back right off the throttle for 180.
Another fast chicane at Imola and yet another near hairpin at Chateau D'eau.
The finally at Lycee you are also pretty slow due to the  need to keep the car settled for the last chicane.

I make that 4 pretty slow bits where you are off the power for significant periods.

Brno has several 2nd gear corners, but you chuck the car in and power through most of them because they are more 90 degree bends than the hairpins at MC, where you have to wait and wait till the car is right round the corner.

Horses for courses I suppose. I also think that its a bit less all or nothing at Brno, so you can edge up to the limit. MC always seems to be sucking you into taking just that bit more curb or getting on the power before the car will take it, and then boom - it bites you. All I really care about is that I'm a lot more competitive at Brno than MC.

Paul

[PaulW]

I'm getting into the Brno flow you describe Paul, gradually. And enjoying it a little more. It does actually flow eventually when you get used to it but I'm still a bit narked to only have a 2:06 on the board when I feel like I'm pushing pretty hard. The reason I'm not going hell for leather is that, unlike Mangy where I can get a little ragged and still keep it on the tarmac, Brno really seems to bite and all of a sudden I've spun. Guess I just don't have the limits worked out well enough yet compared to other tracks. Can't wait to get Brno over to be honest!

[Simon Gymer]

PS You can't have tried very hard if you are still in the 2.05s 

Well if by that you mean "haven't practiced NGT Brno at all" then correct. 
Probably end up doing 30 mins before hand tomorrow.

[Paul968]

Either you are very confident in your ability to learn very fast or resigned to not winning then 

[Simon Gymer]

What can I say, I'm just a winner through and through.

This 3 races a week thing is a killer. Really hard to practice for all of them. Luckily I have some base setups to start from from my Monster Rank experience, but some of them (especially the 360 ones) are not great at the moment hence the need for practice for tweaking the setups.

[fozzmeister]

After the fast Estoril and the straight you are right down to walking pace at Adelaide.

Thats the best bit! big overtaking opportunities, wide enough to (usually) avoid accidents if you arse it up a bit

Then after the fast Nurburgring chicane you again have to back right off the throttle for 180.

For me this, is power, brake as little as you dare for the chicane, watch for the bottom out (if it happens, usually for me, even in rain) get power down to help stability and don't worry about the rhs white line as you can cross it, get it settled and brake as late as possible for 180 (another great overtaking place). For me its all seat of the pants stuff which just is always pushing you to go faster and faster, and because of the depression, you can get away with most of the time.

Another fast chicane at Imola and yet another near hairpin at Chateau D'eau.

Beautiful set, careful of right curb (actually I usually understear too much to hit it), give the left one shed loads of abuse (careful not to put both wheels the wrong side of the white line), mind you don't run out of road on the right (as the curb on the left throws you up when your coming back across it, yeh was doing that in the wet too!) and brake as soon as your car is remotely settled as hard as you dare (not a lot of time), power out, careful of back end.

The finally at Lycee you are also pretty slow due to the  need to keep the car settled for the last chicane.

Yeh boring, but its still a good overtaking point, and if you arse it, plenty of run-off. The chicane is horrid tho (im setup for those little diddy curbs, so I have to be careful there). The first set of corners is pretty horrid for me too.

MC always seems to be sucking you into taking just that bit more curb or getting on the power before the car will take it, and then boom - it bites you.

Give into temptation, those chicanes are wonderful, and with some setup can take a shed loads of abuse, All the corners just beg you to push that little bit more, the banking and the runoffs, lets you take it, without too much fear.

All I really care about is that I'm a lot more competitive at Brno than MC.

Vice Versa, it took me a long time to fully appreciate Magny tho, so perhaps I can grow to love Brno too.

Fozzmeister

[[ZiP]Tyf]

Can't make this one myself, buttah...

GO PENGUINS!

LOL!

T

P.S. You can wait for it, but it's not gonna move to the left this time