◆ SNAIL [Spec] Racing - Currently Recruiting for GT7 - JOIN TODAY!!Open

[Skills]

You have a lap time for this?

Not exactly. About the same as the Audi.

 

[Dragonwhisky]

Not exactly. About the same as the Audi.

Oh, I'm willing to bet that Subie is several seconds faster around the Glen than that TT.

 

[Oshawa-Joe]

Ran 5 laps on a controller for a 2:00.6xx
With the WRX at Watkins Glen.

I'm offering that as a mid division time for an 8 lap race.

 

[Alen175]

Check out our very own @vovik05 putting SNAIL in the news!!

Spoiler: More Snails in the news!

Don't miss GTPlanet's feature of our very own @CoachMK21!


Congrats to @Neovre for making his debut at Le Mans
(where he scored an incredible P5 finish!)




Congrats to all the SNAILs who competed in the
2015 GT Academy USA Finals!!

2015 USA Finalists

Back Row: @LoCoArMeN, @vovik05, @Ryan Lynch, @Ricky Wilson, @TRL_Importlife, @Tyler Utley, @gtr3123
Front Row: @ConnorWolf, @Crystalline_T
Not Shown (qualified for, but unable to attend finals):@GTP_Compton3, @Matt Sierras, @msgt-sd
* - advanced to Silverstone finals!!

And good luck to the SNAILs who are competing in the 2016 GT Academy Mexico Finals!!

2016 Mexico Finalists

@Enzo_Goiko (second from left), @Ness (second from right), and @pakicote (far right)

Welcome to SNAIL
From our humble beginnings, SNAIL (aka Sunday Night American Interactive League) is now the largest console-based sim racing league in the world. Our mission is to provide our members with clean, intense, and competitive racing - regardless of skill level! We believe that providing full grids of evenly-matched competitions is the most realistic way to race, improve skill, and refine racecraft! Our league night is Sunday at 9:30pm Eastern / 6:30pm Pacific, but we also have a a wide variety of other events held on other nights of the week. If this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, please keep reading to learn more about us and how to join.

What Makes Us Different
SNAIL is the only sim racing league in the world that's able to combine five key features into one consolidated package. First of all, we provide you with evenly-matched competition to drivers of all skill levels. In fact, the intense level of competition that we produce has established SNAIL as the "go to" place to prepare for GT Academy. And if you want to keep track of your improvement along the way, you'll be glad to know that we keep the most comprehensive race data available on GTPlanet. We also feature an interactive process that allows all of our members to have a say in which cars and tracks we race. And last but not least, we're the only league that awards our members with valuable prizes just for racing with us!

Evenly-Matched Competition
Have you ever watched a professional race where drivers with completely different skill levels were competing on the same track? Of course not! That wouldn't be fun to watch, let alone fun to participate in. Unfortunately, that disparity of pace is something you'll often find in organized online racing. When this happens, you'll be lucky to have just a few drivers that you're truly competitive with. Everyone else will usually either be faster or slower than you. We prevent that from happening in SNAIL by dividing our drivers into separate divisions based on speed and skill. This results in full grids of evenly-matched competition and creates the closest and most intense sim racing experience around!

Prepare for GT Academy
If you'd like to compete in GT Academy, there's no better place than SNAIL to hone your skills to the elite levels necessary to make it to the finals. You need to be the best of the best to make it to Silverstone, and that's exactly what the drivers in our top division are. Half of last year's and half of this year's Silverstone Finalists have raced in SNAIL. And since our race format (which features multiple sprint races) is almost identical to the format used at the GT Academy national finals, they were able to use their SNAIL experience to help them advance to Silverstone. Click here if you want to advice from last year's eventual champion and click here if you want advice from last year's runner-up.

Valuable Prizes
Have you ever wished you could win free stuff just for having fun? If so, then you might want to know that our members win valuable real-world prizes just for racing with us! These prize are based on participation and not on race results. Some examples of prizes our members have won include GranStand sim racing products like this, this and this, ButtKicker products like a Gamer2 and a Wireless ButtKicker Kit. You can also join Team SNAIL and earn even more prizes, such as shirts (e.g. S.N.A.I.L. shirt, F1 shirt, GT Academy shirt), video capture devices (e.g. Hauppauge PVR), sim racing equipment (e.g. Playseat Evolution), and even gift cards (e.g. Amazon and PSN).

Spec Racing
SNAIL has always been a one-make series, but when we decided to prohibit tuning in all of our races, we became the first "spec" racing league on GTPlanet. Spec racing ensures that success is determined primarily by driving skill and not by differences in power, gearing, suspension, weight, or aerodynamics. Because variables in the car are eliminated, spec racing is the truest measure of driver skill! It also produces intense battles for position because all of the cars are equally strong or weak in the same areas of the track. Plus, you'll never spend hours tuning cars or wondering if someone is truly faster than you or if they just have a better tune.

Race Format
Our league night lasts for two hours and is split into three rounds. Each round consists of two races that last 10 to 12 minutes on a predetermined car and track combo. At the beginning of each round, a brief qualifying session determines the order of the starting grid. The first race is set to 'Fastest First' to reward the best qualifiers and the second race is set to 'Reverse Grid' in order to promote on-track action. Points are awarded based on our "perfect" points system. After a round is completed, we move on to the next round and repeat the same process with the next car and track combination. Once all three rounds are complete, we tally up the points and then let our interactive format kick in.

Interactive Participation
Our unique format allows everyone to have a say on which cars and tracks we race. It's also used to strike a balance between familiarity and variety of our car and track combos. In other words, the progression of cars and tracks that we race is slow enough for us to learn them well, but fast enough that they don't get "old". At the end of every league night, everyone votes on which car and track combo they enjoyed the least. The combo that receives the most "elimination votes" is dropped from the next week's lineup entirely. The combo that receives the second most votes is also dropped, but only partially. This is where our prizes come into play:

Prizes
A prize is awarded to the divisions winners with the three highest scores*. The division winner with the highest score gets Prize A. The division winner with the second highest score gets Prize B. The division winner with the third highest score gets Prize C: (NOTE: We now have a new process for breaking ties in the elimination vote)
Prize A: The right to select the new car and track combo to replace the combo that was voted off
Prize B: The right to replace either the car or the track of the combo that received the second most votes
Prize C: The right to "freeze" either the car or the track of the combo that received the second most votes

Promotion and Relegation
Although we split our drivers into separate divisions based on performance and skill level, we realize that our drivers are constantly improving and deserve a chance to climb the ladder of success. That's why we promote and relegate drivers before every season based on the results and data compiled during the previous season. This is also done to ensure that our races are as competitive as possible for all of our league members, top to bottom. Regardless of which division you're in, you will almost always be fighting to gain or defend a position on the track. Simply put, no other Gran Turismo league in the world can offer this much competitive racing to so many different skill levels.

Comprehensive Race Data
It's not always accurate to promote and relegate drivers based on championship points alone. That's why the massive amounts of data we track are invaluable to our league. You'd be hard-pressed to find a sim racing league anywhere in the world that tracks driver data and race results more comprehensively than we do. In fact, our SNAIL Data document contains so much information that we have to archive old data to avoid exceeding the GoogleDoc's maximum capacity! You can use this data to track the points championship for each season and compare yourself to other drivers in categories such as fast laps, total race pace, total points, average points per race, and power rankings.

Rules
We expect all drivers to follow our OLR Rules and pursue good racecraft at all times. If you're not sure what good racecraft is, watch this video. It can be summed up in one simple 'Golden Rule' of motorsports: It is the responsibility of the overtaking driver, meaning the car that is attempting to execute the pass, to make sure that the pass is made cleanly and incident free. If you don't agree with this rule or don't think it applies to you, this is not the league for you. If you ever feel like a driver is not following the rules, please wait until league night is over, then file a Racing Incident Report. Our Stewards will review the incident and issue the appropriate penalties.

Settings
Lobby Settings
Tire Settings:

Spoiler: GT6 Information

Based on Dealership PP (not the PP after an oil change)
below 349 PP -> Comfort Mediums
350-399 PP ---> Comfort Softs
400-449 PP ---> Sports Hards
450-499 PP ---> Sports Mediums
500-549 PP ---> Sports Softs
550-599 PP ---> Racing Hards
600 PP & up --> Racing Mediums

How To Join Us
Step 1: Post a reply (by clicking the 'Reply' button at the bottom of this post) stating, "I have read the first post and would like to join," and tell us how you heard about SNAIL. (Do not start a conversation with anyone, just post your request on this thread).
Step 2: Watch the thread for a reply to your post and follow the instructions provided.
Step 3: Purchase the three cars listed in the lineup for our next races.
Step 4: Wait to be assigned to a division and then join that division's lounge on Sunday night.
If you are not sure which division you are assigned to, please check the Offical Driver List

For a list of helpful links and FAQ's, please click here.

I have read the first post and would like to join. I am new to GT7 and I wanted to join a league so I decided to go to gtplanet. You were the first league I noticed on this page and it looks really fun and friendly for newcomers.

 

[Skills]

I have read the first post and would like to join. I am new to GT7 and I wanted to join a league so I decided to go to gtplanet. You were the first league I noticed on this page and it looks really fun and friendly for newcomers.

You made the right choice!
@nmcp1 will tell you the next steps!

 

[nmcp1]

I have read the first post and would like to join. I am new to GT7 and I wanted to join a league so I decided to go to gtplanet. You were the first league I noticed on this page and it looks really fun and friendly for newcomers.

@Alen175

Here's your official SNAIL Welcome Post!​

Thanks for your interest!
Here's what you need to know (and do) in order to join SNAIL Racing League:

We run a clean league by enforcing a strict penalty system based on the SNAIL OLR (which is a modified version of the GTP OLR). We also expect all of our drivers to know and follow The Good Racecraft Guide. Please become versed in both if you aren't already. Once that is complete, please follow the steps below to complete your entry into the league:

1. You start a conversation and add zer05ive, JLBowler, nmcp1, SAMHAIN85, llNovall & Akzl298
as participants.

The conversation title should be "Request To Join".

2. SNAIL Administrators will respond with specific instructions on what you need to accomplish to join the SNAIL [Spec] Racing.

3. Place the following links (URLs) in the favorites (or bookmarks) in your web browser for quick reference. Please make every effort to read and understand the following links. Over the years a great deal of time and effort has gone into creating this league and we would like nothing more than to have you but we ask that you take the time and effort to do your homework. 99.9% of any question you may have about SNAIL can be found in the posts below.

• Original Post
• Drivers List
• SNAIL OLR Policies and Guidelines

4. You drive fast and clean on Sunday 👍

Again, the original post has everything you need to know about what to expect on Sunday night and what you will need to have completed in order to be competitive. If you have any questions, please feel free to post your question on the thread.

During the week we run a number of different events, we encourage all SNAILs to join as many as possible.
Welcome to SNAIL

 

[Skills]

I have read the first post and would like to join. I am new to GT7 and I wanted to join a league so I decided to go to gtplanet. You were the first league I noticed on this page and it looks really fun and friendly for newcomers.

Please friend me.
Skills_19657 psn

 

[DublDee]

Practice Lobby up! Running shorter races, everyone welcome to join
*Edit lobby closed

 

[Akzl298]

Gran Turismo 7
Sunday, June 9th, 2024 Lineup
June 2024 Season League Night #1
​

1. Ford Shelby GT350R '16 on SS Tires @ 24 Heures du Mans Race Track - S01 Dawn - (3 Laps)​

2. Subaru WRX Gr.B Road Car on SS Tires @ Watkins Glen International Long Course - S04 Evening - (8 Laps)​

3. Ford Mustang Gr.4 on RH Tires @ Alsace Village - S09 Early Morning - (7 Laps)​

 

[A_Higher_Place]

A couple of ponies and a phonie. I like it!

 

[Worst_Driver]

​

Gran Turismo 7
Sunday, June 9th, 2024 Lineup
June 2024 Season League Night #1
​

1. Ford Shelby GT350R '16 on SS Tires @ 24 Heures du Mans Race Track - S01 Dawn - (3 Laps)​

2. Subaru WRX Gr.B Road Car on SS Tires @ Watkins Glen International Long Course - S04 Evening - (8 Laps)​

3. Ford Mustang Gr.4 on RH Tires @ Alsace Village - S09 Early Morning - (7 Laps)​

View attachment 1362768​

Good thing we aren’t running a cars and coffee event. There would be lots of casualties.

 

[TexHill]

​

Gran Turismo 7
Sunday, June 9th, 2024 Lineup
June 2024 Season League Night #1
​

1. Ford Shelby GT350R '16 on SS Tires @ 24 Heures du Mans Race Track - S01 Dawn - (3 Laps)​

2. Subaru WRX Gr.B Road Car on SS Tires @ Watkins Glen International Long Course - S04 Evening - (8 Laps)​

3. Ford Mustang Gr.4 on RH Tires @ Alsace Village - S09 Early Morning - (7 Laps)​

View attachment 1362768​

It seems crazy to me that given the differences in horsepower, the GT350R is on sport soft tires, and the Gr4 is on racing hard tires. Should be the other way around to me.

 

[A_Higher_Place]

It seems crazy to me that given the differences in horsepower, the GT350R is on sport soft tires, and the Gr4 is on racing hard tires. Should be the other way around to me.

Race cars and road cars both handle extremely differently on racing tyres. You'll find road cars far more twitchy and difficult to handle if you crank up their tyre compound.

I've never gone the other way though. Has anyone tried a Gr.4 car on any sports tyre?

 

[Marcus Garvey]

GR4, with the Pirelli's that most of those types of cars run, should be on SH if comparing to real life. Same with the old Continental Sports Car Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge, etc. They run tyres considerably harder than a Hoosier, which is basically a SM at best.

Outside of wings and things, open wheelers, whacky concepts, etc; SS and beyond is getting into magic faerie dust land.

Edit: A recap,

CH: OE Performance Summer or Ultra High Performance All Season Tyres like the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, Conti Extreme Contact DWS
<Then there is a pretty big jump>
CM: Low-Mid Level Extreme Performance Summer Tyres like the stock 86cup spec racing tyre and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
CS: Top Tier super200tw Extreme Performance Summer category tyres designed specifically for track use like the A052 and RE71RS
SH: DOT Radial Competition Only Race Tyres like the Yokohama A055 and corn-fed baddie Hoosier R7
SM: Full Bias ply racing slicks
SS: Magical Faerie Dust tyres
RH and Above: lolwut

 

[TexHill]

Willow Springs is for sale boys! Wanna pool our money together and see if we can buy it?

Iconic Willow Springs International Raceway Is For Sale

 

[Xradkins]

Willow Springs is for sale boys! Wanna pool our money together and see if we can buy it?

Iconic Willow Springs International Raceway Is For Sale

Now I really have to take the weekend road trip. I have always wanted to actually see this land and dream of owning a part of history.

 

[A_Higher_Place]

GR4, with the Pirelli's that most of those types of cars run, should be on SH if comparing to real life. Same with the old Continental Sports Car Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge, etc. They run tyres considerably harder than a Hoosier, which is basically a SM at best.

Outside of wings and things, open wheelers, whacky concepts, etc; SS and beyond is getting into magic faerie dust land.

Edit: A recap,

CH: OE Performance Summer or Ultra High Performance All Season Tyres like the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, Conti Extreme Contact DWS
<Then there is a pretty big jump>
CM: Low-Mid Level Extreme Performance Summer Tyres like the stock 86cup spec racing tyre and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
CS: Top Tier super200tw Extreme Performance Summer category tyres designed specifically for track use like the A052 and RE71RS
SH: DOT Radial Competition Only Race Tyres like the Yokohama A055 and corn-fed baddie Hoosier R7
SM: Full Bias ply racing slicks
SS: Magical Faerie Dust tyres
RH and Above: lolwut

So, we should be running the likes of GT3 cars on SM tyres? lolwutindeed.

 

[Marcus Garvey]

If you want it to be as close to real life, yeah. GT3 cars have traction control, ABS(save for the RSR due to homologation choices) which, like the Audi TT example, completely change the car's behaviour.

I posted the data back in May, anyone is free to retest it. The real lap records are there, grab a BRZ and have at it.

 

[TexHill]

If you want it to be as close to real life, yeah. GT3 cars have traction control, ABS(save for the RSR due to homologation choices) which, like the Audi TT example, completely change the car's behaviour.

I posted the data back in May, anyone is free to retest it. The real lap records are there, grab a BRZ and have at it.

So what is Polyphony basing their modelling on for RH and above, and why the deviation from real world when their mantra is fidelity to the real world cars?

 

[Worst_Driver]

If you want it to be as close to real life, yeah. GT3 cars have traction control, ABS(save for the RSR due to homologation choices) which, like the Audi TT example, completely change the car's behaviour.

I posted the data back in May, anyone is free to retest it. The real lap records are there, grab a BRZ and have at it.

Makes sense. GT7 GT3 cars on RH-RM are easy to drive without any traction control or stability control. Try doing the same in Assetto Corsa Competitione, you will spin out at the first corner.

 

[Buffalo_DRD]

I'll get the Car Show going this week.

I picked Normandy this week for my Car Show to remember D-Day. It was hard to find a pic where I can fit my three cars that wasn't Mont Saint-Michel as I've used that scape last month when we had the Alpine (which I still miss...) and the Peugeot.

I've been away for the last few weekends and I haven't had much time in the seat but hopefully I'll find the time in the next 48 hours to get some practice time in.

See you Sunday.

 

[Dragonwhisky]

So what is Polyphony basing their modelling on for RH and above, and why the deviation from real world when their mantra is fidelity to the real world cars?

Money. The harder the game is to play the less people will buy it.

 

[Marcus Garvey]

PD has to build a game that appeals to everyone. And serious simmers are a very small part of that market.

They used to be a little more clear about their labels, but the short of it is the game is designed to be everything to everyone, from casual arcade racers on a dualshock to srs bzns simmers on $10k rigs. Anyone remember 'simulation tyres' from previous GT's? These were below even the comfort hard.

Simulation​

• Tyres which are as close as possible to in characteristics to real tyres. Although it is extremely difficult to drive using the game controller, you can experience a simulation of real driving which does not feel like a game. These tyres require quicker braking, careful steering, and delicate work with the accelerator. These tyres are specific to surfaced roads.

Without with years of experience and honed skills and dedicated sim rigs would look for a more realistic experience, rather than play with the same configurations and settings that the game prescribes for day 1 folks on a controller. But, most racing, leagues included, are designed to attract the broadest range of entries. Even the sport mode events are designed to cater to everyone with the same rules and regulations. The only acknowledgement to the distance from reality is the hilarious wear multipliers they install to manufacture strategy.

In summary, the game has to be playable for the lowest common denominator.

I implore folks to take a drive and do some testing on their own. Feel free to read over this post, and take the BRZ for a ride and see. I had an idea of what I might find based upon my and Bryan's previous testing, but I was somewhat surprised at the results myself.

Edit: I started typing this before 2pm and then got stuck on calls, and in the meantime Dragon distilled the above down into one sentence. And Worst's experience matches most folks' feedback.

 

[Dragonwhisky]

Gran Turismo has almost always been the Walmart of driving simulations with the target demographic of 8-80, blind, crippled or crazy. OK, maybe not the blind part but, ya'll get the idea. Although, with some of the comments I've seen about the sport daily races, I'm not certain there aren't some blind folks playing GT.

 

[Worst_Driver]

@Marcus Garvey always brining the cold hard facts. Great insight as usual. And I agree, GT is a game at its core moreso than the hardcore PC only sims. Hence why those game have a very niche appeal and mostly suck as games (UI is terrible, graphics are meh, mostly sandbox and league oriented and there's very little to no single player mode)

I couldn't pass the opportunity to make the classic Mustang hitting crowds joke with two Mustangs in the line up...well I tried

 

[Oshawa-Joe]

Gran Turismo has almost always been the Walmart of driving simulations with the target demographic of 8-80, blind, crippled or crazy. OK, maybe not the blind part but, ya'll get the idea. Although, with some of the comments I've seen about the sport daily races, I'm not certain there aren't some blind folks playing GT.

I've had glaucoma for 19 years. Does that count?

 

[Dragonwhisky]

I've had glaucoma for 19 years. Does that count?

Looks to me yer hittin' 4 for 4 on that demographic group!

 

[Oshawa-Joe]

Looks to me yer hittin' 3 for 3 on that demographic group!

4 for 4...game was made for me.

 

[Skills]

GR4, with the Pirelli's that most of those types of cars run, should be on SH if comparing to real life. Same with the old Continental Sports Car Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge, etc. They run tyres considerably harder than a Hoosier, which is basically a SM at best.

Outside of wings and things, open wheelers, whacky concepts, etc; SS and beyond is getting into magic faerie dust land.

Edit: A recap,

CH: OE Performance Summer or Ultra High Performance All Season Tyres like the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, Conti Extreme Contact DWS
<Then there is a pretty big jump>
CM: Low-Mid Level Extreme Performance Summer Tyres like the stock 86cup spec racing tyre and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
CS: Top Tier super200tw Extreme Performance Summer category tyres designed specifically for track use like the A052 and RE71RS
SH: DOT Radial Competition Only Race Tyres like the Yokohama A055 and corn-fed baddie Hoosier R7
SM: Full Bias ply racing slicks
SS: Magical Faerie Dust tyres
RH and Above: lolwut

It feels like the sports tires cut through water better than slicks.
Is that not the case since the SM is a slick?

 

[Dragonwhisky]

It feels like the sports tires cut through water better than slicks.
Is that not the case since the SM is a slick?

There are grooves on about half the tread of all sport tires. Outside has grooves, inside half is "slick".

edit; Well, according to the pics at the tuning shop, I am in error there. The sport tires have 2 deep grooves near the middle and the rest of the contact patch has a kind of IM wet tread type pattern.