DiRT 3 Event of the Week (23): CLOSED

[pilmat]

OK, found a small short cut that pays very well. Per AOS- recommendation above, after the narrow bridge, cut between the jeep and the rock. This gives a really straight shot into the next right hander (I can do it easily in 4th staying in the power band now).

I find the place that is the make-or-break on this stage is the Left_5-Right_6-Right_3 after the water splash (the first right after the splash is a straight shot by cutting to the right). It is critical to get the car slowed down to the correct turn in speed for the last right around the jeep (apex off it's left rear bumper, but don't touch). This series of corners is soooo easy to mess up a bit on and scrub off a lot of time.

New best: 2:04.673 - Citroen C4 WRC

D3 June21_12 by pilmat, on Flickr

 

[AOS-]

I wasn't cutting in front of the jeep, I was talking about the checkpoint flag and the boulder that comes after it. I don't know how legit your move was, as I was discouraged from cutting between a pipe and a tire 2 weeks ago.

Anyway, so the time was 2:04.179 Fiesta.

 

[pilmat]

@AOS- I got the gymkhana thing done Whew! It's really not my cup of tea... Hats off to those that are good at it (in the game and in real life), it's a skill I struggle with.

 

[Wiegert]

So I forgot to note down the exact times, but in the past hour I managed a 2:05.7xx with the Fiesta and 2:05.1xx with the Focus RS.


Right now I've just tried the Citroën C4 and almost straight away I set a 2:04.626. It wasn't perfect though, seeing as I have to get used to the short gear ratio this car has, but hopefully I can get a quicker time.

I do like how the C4 can take corners without any drama and with such assured stability, and I quite like the Focus too with it's sheer power. The Fiesta isn't bad, but I'm rarely comfortable when using it on this stage (I can't quite put my finger on it though). The Mini I hadn't really tried much on this one, but I couldn't get any decent pace out of it. I guess it comes down to my driving style.



EDIT: 2:04.556 - Citroën C4.

 

[Cowboys965]

Do you guys all race together for Circuit Racing?

Like Rally Cross/Trophy Trucks?

 

[Wiegert]

Do you guys all race together for Circuit Racing?

Like Rally Cross/Trophy Trucks?

No, these are strictly Time Trial events. Some events do include Rallycross and Trophy Truck, but those are also single player TT events.


Although we did consider having a race of some sort between the top 4 drivers each month, or something like that. Never did get round to planning those though, plus timing is a major issue.

 

[AOS-]

I do like how the C4 can take corners without any drama and with such assured stability, and I quite like the Focus too with it's sheer power. The Fiesta isn't bad, but I'm rarely comfortable when using it on this stage (I can't quite put my finger on it though). The Mini I hadn't really tried much on this one, but I couldn't get any decent pace out of it. I guess it comes down to my driving style.

Am I the only one that can't get any power from the Focus? It gets wheelspin more easier than the Mini and Fiesta that I am entirely unable to keep up with either record.

Also, if the C4 is so stable like you said, wouldn't that make it a car that understeers more than others?

EDIT: 2:04.556 - Citroën C4.

That's more like it!

Do you guys all race together for Circuit Racing?

Like Rally Cross/Trophy Trucks?

I would never, because of lag and only that.

 

[Wiegert]

Am I the only one that can't get any power from the Focus? It gets wheelspin more easier than the Mini and Fiesta that I am entirely unable to keep up with either record.

Weird. I seem to have the same problem with the Fiesta that you have with the Focus. I also prefer the Focus' gear ratios more than the Fiesta's, but it's not really a factor that slows me down. I just find the Focus easier to driver overall, plus I can really feel that it has more grunt that the Fiesta. I find it easier to control in most of the stage sections.

Also, if the C4 is so stable like you said, wouldn't that make it a car that understeers more than others?

I mean that it doesn't tend to bite your head off if you push it really hard. It does have more understeer than the Focus in my opinion, but it's far easier to control through the turns. It has a decent amount of power as well, so it can match the Focus in many respects.

Also, one thing that I noticed was that I had a habit of braking a little too early for slower turns, but I felt that the C4 had slightly weaker brakes than the other cars, so that actually helped me in a way. That's what I felt at least.

 

[AOS-]

While the Fiesta is hella loose, I can keep it under control overall. That's not to say I haven't slid out before; I do it all the time, and just end up restarting over and over when it slides too much.

 

[Wiegert]

I know how much I can slide before it starts wrecking my stage time, and that goes for all the cars, but it's normally just the angle of entry to a corner, and trying to adapt to the various gear ratios of each car. Once I run though the stage a few times in a certain car, then I can get a good idea of how I should approach it.


Also, I haven't managed to get a near-perfect run through the part with the rock banks on either side of the road (after the narrow bridge) until tonight. Getting that part right was my ultimate goal in the end, and I got a time of 2:03.607 - Citroën C4. I truly wasn't expecting to set such a quick time, but I did spend a number of hours trying to do so earlier, so I guess it paid off.

 

[AOS-]

My win streak!!!!

 

[pilmat]

Come on! 2:03.6? You are NOT allowed to go a FULL SECOND faster than me when I can do nothing about it!!!! LOL

Wow, that's fast! I'll just cling to the podium and keep my fingers crossed. I'm on my way to Mosport for real racing (Formula Fords), so we'll have another go next week. Have great weekend

 

[Wiegert]

I noticed that almost everyone with a similar time on this stage, especially times faster than my own, also used the C4.


And I really didn't expect to do any better that, say, 2:04.5xx with any of the cars. All I can say is that I cut extremely close to the apex on almost every corner. I braked slightly later for the second corner and managed to stay in a gear (3rd?) that allowed me to carry enough speed as I exited it. I even thought I'd end up hitting that large black rock on the left side of the road just before the village, and the I barely slowed down when cutting between the Jeep and the rock after the bridge. It's best to turn in early for that one though, seeing as the bump slows you down more the closer to the rock you are.

The "hairpin" after the section with the rocky banks on each side was where I could still make up some time, but it's tough to get a good run through there usually. The last couple of corner are probably my favourite on this stage, and that goes for the entire final sector as well. I did cut close to the tree and the downed power line just after it. Then I cut to the left just as the bank sinks down to road level and floored it to the finish. I think it's safe to say that I'm most comfortable with the C4, even though I favoured the Fiesta last time it was available for a DiRT3 event (last year, Dredger Duel).



Anyway, I was planning to do this event for a couple of weeks now at Aspen, and now it's up.

 

[BKGlover]

Nice start to the weekend;

Colin McRae R4- 1:43.721

Edit: Lancer Evo X- 1:43.006

 

[Wiegert]

First quick run, Lancer Evo X - 1:43.635

Second run, Impreza WRX STi SRT USA - 1:43.133


I think I can get a far better time in the Evo X, or the R4, but I set this time after practising the track for an hour or so, plus I think it's even better suited to this track than the Fiesta (well from what I can tell). I also try to avoid sliding too much on the slower turns, but I would advise sliding more on some of the corners, such as the first right turn after the descent while trying to avoid going too wide. Staying close to the snow banking on the inside can be risky, but it should obviously lead to faster times.

 

[BKGlover]

A small slide coming off the hill on both sides can put you in a good position. When going under the jump, I've found that only the R4, Evo, and Fiesta don't bog down in those esses.

 

[Wiegert]

A small slide on the right-hander after the hill on the left side helps too, although going wide there won't affect your time as much as it would on the right side.


And having tried ALL the cars already, I can say that the Impreza N12 is an absolute pig on this track. I definitely wouldn't advise using that car for this.

 

[BKGlover]

As much as I like my N12, I'd say avoid the Subarus en total unless you know them thoroughly. The R4 is a good car to learn with, the Evo was my ace, and the Fiesta, though a piece of cheese, is fast.

 

[AOS-]

This is going to take some time to get used to... ugh. I had just set some time of 1:43.909 (don't add it in) and only touched a few things. But I imagine I can take a lot of the turns much faster.... very much faster.

 

[pilmat]

Really hard to do consistent laps! Tried the R4 but didn't like it. I'll try other cars later...

Best time : 1:42.582 - Ford Fiesta Open

The WR time is 1:11 something, so obviously there is a shortcut somewhere!


Edit: Cool! That time puts me 81st all time I don't remember EVER being inside the top 100 in a video game!!

 

[RACECAR]

Subaru Impreza WRX STi SRT USA - 1'44.863

First car I tried and immediately got the feel for the track.

As much as I like my N12, I'd say avoid the Subarus en total unless you know them thoroughly.

I'd say I've taken to the Subarus kinda well, especially the WRX STI. As much as I love the other cars in open class, there's a certain feel to the WRX that I like.

Edit: 1'43.956. Might have reached that best I could get.

 

[Wiegert]

The SRT USA feels surprisingly good here though, after finding it almost completely useless during the Michigan rally stage a few weeks ago. I do like the feel of it this time, but the N12 seems to lack power an stability.


I'll go back to the R4 first later tonight I think. It was the second car I tried on this course, before I had a chance to get used to it. That, along with the Evo X, are my favourite Open class cars right now, plus I loved both of them back in DiRT2.

Cool! That time puts me 81st all time I don't remember EVER being inside the top 100 in a video game!!

I managed to get 5th spot on Li River Hillclimb on DiRT2 a couple of years ago, but I've slid down the leaderboard since then. I think most of my best times are in DiRT2 and 3, plus I managed to get 9th in the first DiRT EotW event last year (the very first challenge with the trucks on Smelter).


Last time I managed to get into the top 100 was after last week's event. I think I was 90th though.

 

[pilmat]

Went through all the cars:
Lancer Evo X - 1:42.674 - Very good balance and lots of torque, but feels a bit heavy. Jumps REALLY well.

WRX STI SRT USA - 1:42.886 - Similar balance to Lancer and good torque, just a bit heavier. Jumps well too.

Impreza WRX STI N12 - 1:44.478 - Just a tank, nice but slow...

Colin McRae R4 - 1:44.150 - I think I went into the 43.8 with it last time. It just feel "flighty"; lots of go but never seems to be in the direction you want it.

Escort Mk II - NT - 3 corners and I was outta there! Not in the same league...

Best Time: Ford Fiesta Open - 1:42.042 - It does everything really well except for jump. You need to have the takeoff well under control not to lose time on landing. It has awesome mid corner speed, and gets away with a little less torque because of this. I can do consistant 42.6 - 42.5 laps with this car, with the 42.0 when I got everything put together.


The Course
The long corners on this course make it so that you have to balance the cars really well on the throttle to keep up the minimum speeds. Also the corners at the bottom of the big down hills need a lot of respect to keep the car under control and powering through the apexes. This first being more critical as it sets you up for the important S under the jump.
The long double apex left hander at the end is best in the Fiesta as it holds a good line without bogging.

 

[Wiegert]

Colin McRae R4 - 1:42.721

This car really doesn't feel quick in most straight sections, but it does seem to do the job when it comes to setting swift times. It is a bit skittish, but it's far from being a problem on this course.

Went through all the cars:
Lancer Evo X - 1:42.674 - Very good balance and lots of torque, but feels a bit heavy. Jumps REALLY well.

Yeah, the Evo feels quicker than most other cars in this class, but compared to the R4 it's much heavier through the turns. It seems that I can't beat the R4 time with this now either, so I might try something else later.

 

[AOS-]

1:41.652 R4.

Having a heavy car is advantegous on the downhill. However I've managed to get the R4 to drive like I wanted, and decided to stick with that. I did beat this run on a few of the corners, but I was also unable to match the hella good exits on left hairpinwith the snow bank on the inside as well as the last turn.

You guys aren't braking on the turn leading up to the jump, are you? I didn't and think it might be faster since there's no time used on stopping.

I imagine I can set a beast of a time with the Fiesta, but I don't really feel like playing this event anymore now.

 

[pilmat]

I worked with the R4 for about 20 minutes to see if I could adapt to it and got it down to 1:42.287.

Then I spent the same amount of time on the Fiesta and got it a bit better too. There is still some cleaning up to do for an ultimate time, but like I said in my first post about this week's course, it's hard to be consistant.

New best time: 1:41.478 - Ford Fiesta Open

 

[AOS-]

Aaaugh, you pilmat, you!

If I have enough patience, I'm going to come after that time.

 

[pilmat]

Edit: 1'43.956. Might have reached that best I could get.

Don't forget RACECAR's time

 

[Wiegert]

Yeah, thanks for reminding me. Sometimes I just forget to go over every post and take note of the times.


If I can find some time to set a few fast laps tomorrow, then I will try to.

 

[AOS-]

Looks like I'm going to have to pause my Fiesta drawing for the time being...

it's the pikes peak fiesta too!

edit: That's it; I've had enough. I stayed up til two for this and my fingers hurt. Definitely could be. 1:40s, but I've exhaustde my patience.

1:41.309 Fiesta