iRacing Season 2 IndyCar - Road America (Full) - Mar 23

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Thank Pops, I managed a 1:51.7 earlier offline and then improved on that by a couple of tenths tonight, before doing a low fuel run and scoring a 1:50.9 followed by a 1:50.8, easily my PB (though it's probably my only run on new tyres and low fuel). All on the setup I posted on the Team Shark site, with tiny tweaks to the rear wing (0.1 less, I think - but I recommend you leave it alone).

Some general hints on the IndyCar:

• With warm tyres you should be using maximum braking for all the high speed stops, The car has massive downforce and you don't need to start modulating the brakes until quite late.
• The perfect turn in is with almost no trail braking - you should be almost off the brakes before turn in. In the slower corners, turn in smoothly but smartly and remove any residual brake as you do so.
• As soon as the car is stable in the turn, add balanced throttle - no more. You only need 10-20% pedal input. Again, do it smoothly but quickly. This will help stabilise the car no end.
• Finally, resist the urge to open the throttle any more until the turn is almost complete and you've got a lot (perhaps half) the steering lock off. Then in most corners you can nail the throttle - again, do it fast but smooth.
  I saw a video of Danica Patrick's feet working an IndyCar's pedals and was amazed how fast she went from balanced throttle to full beans, but it works.
  If the car is threatening to spin (or actually spinning!) on corner exit, you're almost certainly getting back on the throttle too early - if you haven't removed most of the steering input the car will spin no matter how slowly you apply the throttle.

Some track tips:

• Turns 3 and 4 (the two left handers after the second straight) can be taken in 1st, but I use 2nd as it's much less likely to get me in trouble.
• Turn 5, the right hander, I have to lift for. I'm convinced that it can be taken flat, but I've never managed it.
• Turn 6, the left hander before the Snap-On bridge, is not an important corner. If you're struggling here, just take it easy. You only sacrifice the short run up to the Carousel.
• In the Carousel (after the Snap-On bridge), I balance the car in 4th until the barriers thin out near the end of the inside of the turn. Then I nail it.
• In the Kink, stay off the curbs!

[popabawa]

Good gravy, no idea what was going on tonight, I couldn't string more than a couple of laps together without binning it

I will be better tomorrow. Oh yes.

[Ken Murray]

Thanks for the tips Dave, although I didn't read them till after practicing! Pretty much backs up my own thoughts. I don't know if it's just because of swapping cars all the time but I can't remember being able to stamp on the brake like this without locking. I was actually bursting tyres at Infinion by locking up so much. Thanks for the setup on the server too. Dipped in to the 51's but I ran dry a couple of times when I thought a 50 might be on (I took some fuel out btw).

[mr_oily]

Lovely set of tips there Dave  . Many thanks, and for the shared setup. It's difficult enough getting up to speed in the Dallara without doubting whether it's the setup too - yours seemed nice and stable from the off.

Could also have done with reading your post before practice as it took me a couple of hours to work most of that lot out for myself - good to see it written down that I must stop trail braking. All that GTL creeps in occasionally and it's really not the way to go in the Dallara....entry of T3 is a bugger for it.

After I'd finished abusing my fellow practicing people (sorry TT/ SBG/ Spanner etc!) in a range of ways i knuckled down to some reasonable flying laps. Man I love this car lol. I say it every time it rolls out but I find it so rewarding to be doing that kind of speed and keeping it pointing in the right direction. Plus it just looks and sounds the business. T

Anyway enough gushing, no doubt tonight will be another short lived affair but at least there's a bit of pace in them there hills, best was a 50.1 I think and there were a few tenths still to be had in the third sector if I could've finished the job. 

Looking forward to tonight, slightly concerned about tyre wear though as I've not attempted any long heavy fuel runs!

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Could also have done with reading your post before practice as it took me a couple of hours to work most of that lot out for myself

It was only Robert asking me to watch his first flying lap that prompted me to write it. I spent a lot longer than normal in practice yesterday and really forced myself to pay attention to what the car was doing, and what worked and what didn't.

Anyway enough gushing, no doubt tonight will be another short lived affair but at least there's a bit of pace in them there hills, best was a 50.1 I think and there were a few tenths still to be had in the third sector if I could've finished the job. 

I think that was a 51.1. I barely crept into the high 50s, but tonight the aliens will be in the 49s methinks!

[mr_oily]

Wishful thinking again, yes you're quite right - was a 51.1 .

Yep no doubt 49's are doable but I think high 50's will be my lot - would really just like to finish this one!

[purdie]

Thats really helpful thanks Dave, easy to forget the basics when jumping from car-to-car in iRacing. I always start driving it with trail-braking when it has been a while and often causes more spins and over-driving 

interesting on the throttle usage too 

[popabawa]

Server is up

[spanner]

I'll jump on for practise but wont race. The only benefit round here has been identifying why i struggle. Towards the end of last night, having read your post i was starting to use the brakes fully early on but trying to gauge when to come off is difficult. I seems to turning in too early at times which combined with not braking enough means i'm still turning while trying to get back on the throttle making it very difficult.

My main problem seems to be throttle application, i guess much like the skippy. With low grip its easy to get the back out in the skip and the Indycar has too much power which again makes it too easy to spin the rears. I come off the brakes and then try to apply some throttle but as i'm using the standard pedals find it difficult to do it well. Looking at the pedal response in iR it seems its hardle linear and the pedal spring is quite soft. If only there was similiar adjustment like the brake force 'sensitivity' for the acccel pedal. Is there a way of doing something similiar externally to the games? Being able to set deadzones and sensitvity independantly would be ideal.

[Brendan]

Really sorry, Oily. 

You braked sooner than I expected and I had no choice but to go up the inside.  I tried to leave you room but obviously there wasn't enough.  Hope there wasn't too much damage and that you could carry on. 

My car was bent after that, but driveable.  That was until I met a spinner on the exit of the final turn on lap 2 and I was caught in two minds to go right or left.  I went left....... into the tyres. 

That's it for me in the Dallara, for this season at least.  I've tried to talk myself into enjoying it but I derive very little pleasure from it, and if it's not fun , it's pretty much pointless IMO.  I can't get into a comfortable groove and this obviously creates difficulty in races, and I really don't want to be a hazard to others.

Grats to all finishers.

[Simon Gymer]

Absolutely love that car. It's like a proper car and I'm tempted to give up the Skippies as they so rubbish in comparison. If you feel comfortable with a car you can push it harder and that's why I'm more competitive. Anyway, zero incidents in qually or the race so pleased with that side of it, although it helps that I did this track/car combo recently-ish in the public series.

Had a reasonably low downforce setup which was also fairly loose with great turn in. Tried the high downforce ones of Brian and co but felt like I was having to go that much quicker through the corners to make up the time that I wasn't comfortable and was still slower. Will post my setup on the Team Shark site if anyone wants to give it a go.

Anyway, got off to a good start, but Darren was in close attendance and I was having to push every lap to stay ahead. He pitted a few laps earlier than both Gizmo and I so I was less pressured coming into the pits. Hadn't practiced the pit entry and Gizmo gained the entire gap I had on him (I think it was about 3 seconds as I'd lost 1 spending too much time looking at the F screens) as I apparently broke too early for the speed limiter line. Got out just ahead of him and came out side-by-side with mr_oily who was very kind and let me have the corner.

Gizmo was then in close attendance for the second half of the race whilst Darren started to catch us both with him having lost 4 seconds in the pit stops. Was a bit under pressure and too much talking on TeamSpeak meant my lap times weren't as good. Then with 3 to go I just went for it got the concentration back and got my two fastest laps giving me a comfortable gap to Gizmo for a Team Shark 1-2-3 finish with Brian miles up the road taking the win.

More IndyCar please, less Skippy. Basically DP or Vette to replace the Skippy please as it's a stupid shopping trolley.

[Kerr]

Enjoyed that one. I'm really getting into the groove with the Dallara these days.

Qualified in pole with Dan and  Paul Richards just behind.

I made my mind on the pace lap I was going to go as soon as the pace car moved over. It turned out to be the right decision as Dan and Paul were caught napping a little.

On a heavy fuel I managed to post low 51s and 50s in the first few laps. That bought me a little gap where I could relax a little.

Come the pit stops I decided to go 1 lap over half distance after seeing that everyone else behind pitted,  I was in no danger of coming back out into traffic.

Dan ran much later and I was curious to how much faster he would be in the second part of the race with fresh tyres on a lighter car. Sadly he made a balls of hit pit entry to receive a black flag and had to serve a stop and go penalty. Did you do a drive through first?

After that I could just pace myself and bring it home in one piece.

I was watching the gaps to the cars behind. It looked like Dave and Simon were having a battle.


A clean sweep of the podium is a great result for the team.

[Brendan]

More IndyCar please, less Skippy. Basically DP or Vette to replace the Skippy please as it's a stupid shopping trolley.

Who said anything about replacing the Skippy? 

[mr_oily]

Brendan I hope that's not on my account mate - I was way too cautious on the first lap this time out, not your fault at all - if I'd have seen you I'd have given you room. One day I'll get the balance right! Car wasn't too bad either so don't worry, a few degrees out on the steering but well driveable so all good.

Thoroughly enjoyed driving the Dallara again but was just instantly off the pace with my race head on - lost any trace of attack mode and was just trying to keep it pointing in the right direction for the distance.

Grats podium and finishers, quite happy to be among you for a change!

Dan I'm still chuckling....  

[Dan Minton]

Great race for me untill i drove over pit exit line...thought i had only just gone over but after looking at replay i went over by a cars width!     God knows why i never noticed that yellow line during all the practice i had done. ..Dumbass.

Did a drive through and then realised i needed to do a stop and go so pitted for a 3rd time.  By this time i was pretty fired up to say the least or more like a bomb about to explode and just drove the wheels of the thing trying to catch James (setting the fastest lap in the proceess) which i did but i hit him in the last corner ... Sorry bout that mate.

Grats to Brian, Simon and Dave.

And thanks for the set up Brian ...it was ballistic!!