iRacing Season 2 Skippy - Infineon Raceway (Long) - Feb 2

[Fred Basset]

Interesting how the new build divides opinion, I liked the skip before and now I think its brilliant. To me its  much more like driving a real car on track now.

Qually did not go as well as I hoped and I was four tenths off my pb, the race was interesting and I was following Brian, Darren and Paul H for a few laps before I dropped a couple of seconds back. Darren went off and slowed Paul so I caught up. Then Paul span and slowed me down so Darren caught me. I was quite comfortable though and in the later stages I realised Brian was slowing down but it was fun to try and catch him, until I made a mistake at the hairpin and with Mr Richards now behind me I decided to bring it home.

It was a fun race and nice to see another UKGPL old boy, Paul "Mr GEM" Thurston joining us

Regards
Gary

[Simon Gymer]

Can't say the Skippy feels any different in any of the recent builds TBH. I found it hard before and after.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

I seem to have slipped back into "almost mode" again. Was running in a strong 7th, best of the non-aliens, then Darren spun behind and I was 6th and pushing hard to try and stay ahead to the finish. Then he pitted (splash and dash?) and with nothing left to concentrate on and only a coupe of laps to go I turned in a fraction too early for the final hairpin and ended up stuck in the tyres. Car was intact but I had no choice but to reset, which dropped me behind everyone but Spanner, throwing away all that hard work.

If you're struggling with this car, raise the front and soften the rear completely. You pretty much have to hold a little throttle on under braking (I can only assume the diff just isn't modelled properly!). Everything happens so slowly in this car that unless you're being very rough with it, it rarely surprises.

If you think the IndyCar is easy to drive, you're only getting 80% of its performance out of it. In the new build I find there's very little warning when it finally does start to break away.

[Simon Gymer]

If you think the IndyCar is easy to drive, you're only getting 80% of its performance out of it. In the new build I find there's very little warning when it finally does start to break away.

Maybe, but the difference is that being 80% of the pace in the IndyCar isn't too shabby. In Skippy 80% off the pace is very shabby. Lack of driving talent can be masked more easily in the faster and grippier cars.

[picnic]

I think my main problem with the skippy is the steering is too sensitive, even doing the last haripin I need no more than 45° of steering on the G25. I'm sure the real car must have more than 90° of steering lock

[Fred Basset]

As I say its interesting, I find the car to be so adjustable on the throttle now compared to the last build and in contrast to Dave's comment I'm using the throttle much less under braking now.

Regards
Gary

[Kerr]

I don't use the throttle at all under braking

[Fred Basset]

Could you use it bit less under acceleration as well Brian

Regards
Gary

[Kerr]

Nah, the straights are my strong point.

[Paul968]

Not my best race by quite some margin Spending most of last week learning to drive the Impalla round michigan probably didn't help, and I never really got on top of the problems the track poses in a race. Practice was OK but qual was poor as I had the kids to look after. I pushed Darren for several laps until he made a mistake, and then I really should have used my brain and settled for consistent laps. Instead, I pushed as hard as possible to pressure Brian, who by then was a few secs ahead, and this was my undoing. I spun at the same place as Darren (T4R) and let a bunch of cars past. I set off in pursuit and got a couple of places back before I caught up with Mike in 4th. I was just putting the pressure on when I messed up again and spun at T1. Darren was past again, only to return the compliment not long after. Mike also decided that the racing was more fun with me around and spun before the final hairpin, setting up a nice little battle for 4th which I managed to win, and that is where it ended.

Grats to Brian for the win, to Gary for a well deserved 2nd and to Paul for finding good consistency despite the mountain of nappies and baby sick he must be submerged under atm 

I know what Chris means about the skippy, but you have to ask what racing is about? Is it driving around within the limit, or is it driving up to and sometimes just beyond it? The limit for the skippy is wide, which lets you drive right on the edge and still stay in control. You cannot do this in faster cars unless your surname rhymes with tutu, so many of us prefer to race the cars which have some margin for error but also feel 'alive'.

I get the impression that the recent updates have made setup much more important. Small changes in anti roll bars or spring perches have noticeable effects, and changing the tyre pressures can change the car completely. It is the last one that I would recommend to get started. Pump up the front tyres much more than the rears, and the car becomes quite stable. Then you can start taking the pressure out as you get used to the handling and the understeer becomes an issue.

As I see it, iRacing is easily the hardest mainstream sim, and it will always take some effort to be quick. This is what makes it so exciting though, because when you get it right it is so rewarding.   

[picnic]

As I see it, iRacing is easily the hardest mainstream sim, and it will always take some effort to be quick. This is what makes it so exciting though, because when you get it right it is so rewarding.   

You do have a point there Paul and this was very paramount when GPL demo first came out over 10 years ago. I couldn't for the life of me drive a lap but somehow was compelled to keep trying. The one difference though, I was trying to get a F1 monster around Watkins Glen 

[Paul Thurston]

I can't see how people think the Skippy is easier to drive. Ok I didn't get the practice I'd hoped for as I got a phone call before the race but that car is still a recipe for disaster; brake, steer or lift and it over steers everywhere. I'm sure I was so painfully slow in a couple of corners people were going to accuse me of brake testing them but that was not the case, I just suck 

Also what's with the spotter and fuel usage. With about 3 laps to go he tells me I only have enough fuel for 5 laps, then on the last lap after that long downhill left the engine is coughing and spluttering and it's obvious I'm running out of fuel. So as I'm causing unfair grief to Paul behind as I almost lose it through that fast right (another corner I'm slow at anyway) the spotter tells me I  only have 2 laps of fuel left, yeah right I don't have enough to be competitive round the next corner! Paul got the place on the run out of the last corner as I had no go. The only positive was I didn't get lapped.

Is that what happened?  I did suspect it might be fuel when I watched the replay afterwards.

I knew I was catching you on the run down through the sweepers and was lining up to get a run into the hairpin if you made a mistake but wasn't expecting you to twitch quite so spectacularly in the right hander.  I was flat so had no chance of going inside but somehow kept it together half on the dirt.  I think the new throttle mapping actually saved me there as I find it much more natural to hold the car on the overrun now.

When we came out of it I was a bit narked to see you were still in front but thought I'd make myself big in your mirrors anyway and just concentrated on getting the power down out of the corner, I was somewhat surprised to pull alongside though and when I went over the line in front I took both hands off the wheel for the full Henman.

All the time I was very aware of Iain just behind who'd take advantage of any slight mistake.

Infineon's never been one of my good tracks.  My aim was to get round and other than a couple of careless spins I managed that.  Top ten was a secondary aim and 9th was a bonus.  All I need now is a little pace.

What a great battle for 9th.  I haven't enjoyed a sim race like that for many a long year, since UKGPL indeed.

It's good to be back.

Where do I register my team name?  I am of course racing for Epicurie Banana, the original and still amazingly the only racing team run by a stuffed Gorilla...

Paul

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Where do I register my team name?  I am of course racing for Epicurie Banana, the original and still amazingly the only racing team run by a stuffed Gorilla...

There's a stickied thread in the announcements forum.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Shark, regarding the car jumping anomaly you reported over TS, the latest build states:

Fixed a bug in track surface collision detection that was causing cars to spin and flip.

So that explains it.

[Paul Thurston]

Where do I register my team name?  I am of course racing for Epicurie Banana, the original and still amazingly the only racing team run by a stuffed Gorilla...

There's a stickied thread in the announcements forum.

Cheers Dave.  Done.

Does it only show on future race results?