As a matter of fact, i still don't know why TC option is hated this much. A lot of the professional touring car series have a traction control allowed, and my personal experience from gt5's TC is that it slows me down a bit.
Driving line adds absolutely nothing. It suggests a line, but that line definitely isn't the quickest.
Maybe we could loosen the rules a bit on those two options.
As for my race yesterday:
I got off the grid very well, saw some one before me twich on the countdown and could avoid him on the penalty quite well as a result. My tune was a bit on the understeery side, but whet i thought it matched the track quite well. That understeer sent me wide on the first corner of sector 2 (the one before the S bend leading to the back straight) touched the grass and managed to save it from a spin. Quick look in the mirrors and i noticed jamesy joined me for that one, didn't feel any contact thought. Contact did happen on the back straight braking point as he shot me off a few laps later. My point was set to the end of the fence to the left, which is a bit early for new tyres but worked well for worn tyres. I planed for a 8 lap stint, but as everyone before me pitted i decided against it and stayed out. Quick recalculation said a 14 and two 13 will be needed, so i got the 14 out of the way first and was surprised at how well the tyres held. Stint two was uneventful, I stayed on track and gained valuable time on fuel and henry in front of me. Lap 27 called for the last stop, the race was getting late and my concentration started to fade a bit. Early brake points started to pay off and i kept my laps clean. Mistakes by both fuel and henry pushed me up to 4th rank, but dowlin was out of reach at that point.
If anyone is interested in the tune I used, I'll gladly share. The only thing I was unhappy about is the transmission, as i have no clue how to tune it right. Basically i use top speed to get the gears into the max torque max power window during shifts and final drive to max out on the longest straight. So i definitely need advice there.
A lap in words as I chose my line (I'm a fan of cockpit view):
Main straight full throttle until a car length past the pit exit line, then light braking into 4th and turn in to the S bends. Full throttle as i see the rumble strip through the S bends. Next braking point into 3rd is the wall to the left, once the beginning of the paint job (blue/white striping) vanishes behind the A-Pillar. Stay inside long and get on the gas as soon as the next left bend of this second S is fully visible, which is lightly broken into, still in 3rd. Up next is the nasty downhill u-turn which i took on a inside line still in 3rd gear. Light braking started slightly before the road dips, let her roll until the sector line, then full throttle out. That kept the rear planted like a dream. Uphill to my problem corner, braking point is one of the shadows on the road into 3rd. I'm always on the inside too early, sometimes forcing me down to 2nd to correct the car angle. Throttle is stepped on really late, usually i waited until the end of the rumble strip (which i was riding beginning to end). Exit full throttle through the S bends onto the back straight. On the last lap of the stint I needed to lift on the first corner of this S. At the end of the back straight I wait for the end of the fence to the left, then brake smooth into 3rd stepping on the throttle once over the small hill, up-shift into 4th for the left bend lifting and shift to 3rd for the right bend, get the car pointing inside and then petal to the metal to the finish line.
I really like this track, and I remember I had my first victory here on the Evoras as well.
Holy **** what a wall of text from we, I'm bored as hell right now.