UKGTR Season 8 Pre-season 9 - Valencia (GP) - Jan 11

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

An extension of Season 8.9 to test the new GTC cars against the existing cars and each other.

Practice 1:	20:00	(10 mins)
Qual 2:	20:10	(25 mins)
Race:	20:35	(80 mins)	note: no warmup!

Cars allowed: Any GTC from the v2.8.9.2 pack (download from here)
Weather: changeable, based on real-world conditions at the start of the event.
Track: Valencia GP
In-Game Race Start Time: 14:00
Pit Stops: No mandatory pit stops.

Server: UKGTR 8.9
Password: see above

Notes:

• Please make sure you are fully aware of the UKGTR Rules - especially the speed limiter starting procedure and the rules about in-game chat messages.
• You will not be able to join the server without v2.8.9.2 of the UKGTR car pack (see download link above).
  You will not see skins correctly without the optional, matching GTC skins pack.
• Drivers are reminded that they must select ISDN as their bandwidth, otherwise the stability of everyone's connection will be reduced.
• Please use the Driver Details page to ensure that the league management software has your correct GTR2 'Driving Name' (not necessarily the same as your lobby name).

[spanner]

Well i'll start off then, just done a few laps around here mainly to test the sounds(cheers MJ) and with a race setup i'm around a 37.5 so far. Now where near even the GT3 times! Though looking back to one of my first few races here it beats my best race time of 39.7. I'm improving!

[Mark J]

1:35.8 qually spec for me so far but still working on my setup. Could do with some other laptimes posted to see if i am on target or not 

Seems i am on similar pace to Spanner in race spec, 1:36s & 1:37s.

[purdie]

1:35.8 qually spec for me so far but still working on my setup. Could do with some other laptimes posted to see if i am on target or not 

Seems i am on similar pace to Spanner in race spec, 1:36s & 1:37s.

pretty much the same for me in the 997 

[Mark J]

pretty much the same for me in the 997 

P'ah...call yourself a racing driver !   

although of course, looked from another angle, could just mean me and Spanner should be racing drivers 

[spanner]

LOL nice idea Mark. Sounds Just like an Iracing/GT5 competition,We could have been in dubai..... err was i dreaming

I think going without a fuel stop might be pushing it and have too much of an impact around here with all the corners. Might be nice to try though, tyres would never make it for me!


I can still picture all those Porkas at the Autosport show, luuverly

[Legzy]

I wonder if a kind person could help me? I'm happy with my car setup for the whole track except, I'm having problems controlling the car while slowing on the bend for the last corner (leading onto the home straight). It seems to be a bit bumpy & unless I break in a perfect straight line, my back end wants to overtake the front. As I said, it's cool for the rest of the track & if anything, too safe already.

Do I have any options other then shifting brake balance forward & diff coast up please?

[Joss]

Legsy, this usually comes with a bit of trial and error and experience, but the way I normally keep a car stable on dodgey corner entries is to use a bit of throttle as well as brake. It can be a bit strange at first but if you feel the car sliding sideways, coming off the brake a bit can help straighten things out. The last corner is tough and it's best to start braking towards the middle of the track and drift out to the right before coming off the brake and turning into the apex on the left.

You could also try softening the rear suspension a little or adding more rear wing if you need the confidence, although this will likely slow you round the rest of the lap. The back will go light on that corner entry even on a well set up car though.

Hope that helps.

I'm also unlikely to be in this race. Got a few friends to ring and chilling out 

[psuedo]

What a nightmare!!

Quallied 4th with a pb....thats the only thing that went right. 

first lap I went for 3rd and got past Legzy under braking into 10....only for the rear to lose traction (cold tyres and temps offline  ) and did a 360. sorry for any probs caused to those behind.
I then had to wait for the whole field to pass before rejoining. Well, I thought the whole field had passed but as soon as I got back to the tarmac, Picnic came round the corner and had nowhere else to go but up my tailpipe.   sorry Picnic....never saw or heard you coming
I tried a lap but the back end was everywhere, so pitted for repairs but wasnt prepared to wait 50+ seconds  :'(.
Came back out but too close to the front runners and pulled off to once again let the field through....then lost heart, will power, Umphhhh. so quit out.

It can only get better from here.

[Simon Gymer]

Tried the Exige as no one else wants to. Well the good news is that it's reasonably quick. Even on 6 wing it couldn't quite keep with the Z4s but it made a reasonable attempt at it and in terms of straight line speed not sure it needs much extra. The problem with the Exige is the same as the Elise only worse. It has horrendous snap at any time. After spinning every lap in qually for 20 minutes I changed the diffs to 0% power and 100% coast and that allowed me to get round a lap. I discovered that I was mid-pack with just a couple of flying laps under my belt. Made some more minor tweaks for the race, but I forgot to change the engine vent. Didn't realise until a few laps in when my engine started going in the red. There is stayed for my entire race and engine damage was ZERO. After I worked out it wasn't hurting the engine I simply revved as normal after short shifting for a while. I guess the engine file or car file for the Exige needs looking at to rectify that?

I managed about 30 minutes in the race without spinning, but my tyres were in the red the whole time and the car was really not easy to hang on to. Eventually it got the better of me and that was it. It just kept snapping from that moment on and I couldn't go a lap or two without spinning. Decided to stop for tyres as soon as 40 minutes came up and put on mediums at the back to try and keep the temps down. Was dead last and lap down by then of course, but I thought I'd see what the tyres did for me. Well they were good as I dipped into the 1:36s for the first time, but only a few laps later car started to snap uncontrollably again and when it happened twice in a row I just couldn't be bothered any more.

The Exige has pace, but it's undriveable with it's almost random snappyness, so I won't be touching it again. *spit*.

[Legzy]

first lap I went for 3rd and got past Legzy under braking

I wish! I don't do the dizzy heights of 3rd You probably meant Lazlow 

The Exige has pace, but it's undriveable with it's almost random snappyness, so I won't be touching it again. *spit*.

I found that at Oschersleben with the Exige & commented about how many times it span me. (The Spyker is also a handful like that)


Had a good race tonight, had a change of cars again, this time I thought I'd have a go with the Z4. Nice.
Drove well the whole race, ran a little wide a couple of times when people were up my rear, letting them through  but otherwise no incidents (except only one spin at the final turn... cheers FreQ).
Think I was running about 10th with 3 laps to go, when I ran out of fuel for the 1st time ever 

Disappointed with myself for that, but what happened to the pit crew warning me on the radio?  I'll be sacking the lot of them 1st thing Monday.

Congrats to podium & cheers to everyone I traded places with, good driving guys.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Crazy race - started third from last, knew I was going to need lots of fuel, but at least my tyre wear was okay. Pace didn't seem too bad in the race, although everything was flying past me on the main straight. Lots of good fights with Porsches et al.

With the low tyre wear I decided to stay out and see just how far 100 litres would go - the answer was about 60 minutes, but the car got progressively worse on worn mediums and I got caught out in the tricky braking for the final corner a couple of times.

As everyone else pitted I gradually worked my way up the order and ran as high as 4th, but eventually I had to pit; took on as little fuel as I thought I could get away with and softs and came out to find I'd dropped back to about 14th. Legzy's Z4M ahead wasn't really pulling away so I knuckled down to try and catch him and slowly the gap came down. Was sad when he flashed me by and retired - fuel? Slowed down and let MJ past to see if Legzy would catch up again but he escaped to the pits and I set off again - only to find half the Porsches in the race were splashing and dashing (or just parking!) and climbed to a totally undeserved 8th!

I still think I haven't figured out how to drive the Aston - especially how early to shift and how to set the gear ratios up. It's not going to win any sprints but it might become more viable in endurance, even with its terrible fuel consumption.

[H@L9000]

Great Race

I love the ViperCC now that you can actually drive it. It is so much fun I have spent hardly any time in the other cars yet.

I had API all over me for the first 40 mins of the race, such hard work to stay consistant great driving from API, very mistake free so he was always rite behind me, then he seemed to loose allot of time some where around the pit stops. What happened?

I was not going to hang around to find out as I would need a long pit stop.

I almost did not make it to the end as I almost ran out of fuel (again) and my engine health was in the low 70s for the last 40 mins of the race,  

Luckily it turned out that I was not much slower when shifting sooner. The Viper can not handle a 80 min race with the revs on max, LOL. Even if you up shift before the red. But luckily the short shifting saved fuel as well. I would have run out other wise.

Well done TT and MJ, see you next time.

[lazlow]

I am annoyed that I mucked up my pitstop again (didn't take on enough fuel) dropping me from 3rd to 7th!!!
Apart from that I had a steady race.

[spanner]

A couple of stupid mistakes ruined that for me which meant i was chasing my tail all race, that was the hardest 80 mins driving i have ever done!
Managed my fastest ever lap in qual but that still was only good enough for 10th! Ahh, those pesky Z4's
I think i touched Lazlow which let a couple of people through but i knew i could keep with them, but on the next lap i just caught the curb badly on that right-hander after the first time split, over corrected and spun int othe gravel After realising 1st gear was a bit too long i by the time i got out i was last which then started a fight back. I'm sorry to you guys if it was too aggressive, and i think we touched JPV?  I'd just got past Dave then Legzy when I pitted and got caught for speeding (wish there was an actual line to aim for) which then meant they held me for about 15 secs next time which dropped me back last again. So i try again but theres a large gap ahead but i still push till the end, which meant i caught JPS who was actually a lap ahead but needed to get past,sorry about that but you were holding me up! Then, i the last few laps it seemed the guys ahead were finally pitting which meant i had busy few laps where i caught jpv again and thought i could catch the next one but never made it in time after a mistake by me.

I think with mainly Z4's and porsche's on the grip i'll try the aston next time, i've nothing to prove in the porsche Its one of the few cars it seems i can drive.