GTP NASCAR Sprint Cup S4 Champs: Akmuq, Hendrick, Chevrolet

[Niop]

I still want to know if Sport Softs stayed the same or changed along with the Racing tires, as they only had slightly better wear than Racing Hards pre-update (and only slightly less grip).

If we do move to Mediums on ovals, I absolutely want to keep Hards on the road courses.

Sport Softs have longer tyre life as well, but they may have less life than Racing Hards now. It's worth looking into.

 

[Müle]

Just did a quick solo test at Motegi. Sport Softs vs. Racing Mediums


Overall, 2.08's tire model is much better and more realistic than before. It just doesn't fit in with the league as it is right now.

Sport Softs wear a little bit more, mainly because you have to work the car more in 3 and 4, and it wants to slide the nose on the exit of 2. On Racing Mediums, the car feels like it's on rails, even as the tires wear. The makes the tires wear less even with the increased speeds (was running 35.0's on SS, 34.3's on RM, max aero. Tried minimum aero but was slower; 3 and 4 is where you gain all of your time here and you need as much aero as you can get).

Tires were even all around 75% after lap 20 on RM, and around lap 15 on SS. Not bothering to do a full run by myself, as I think how the cars handle in the draft will dictate where we go.

So basically:

Road Courses: Keep on Racing Hards. 1 stop vs. 2 stops has become 1 stop vs. 0 stops. A few people in the Nationwide race seriously considered trying no-stopping, but didn't want to risk anything and played it safe.

Ovals: Looks like it's between Racing Mediums and Sport Softs. At all depends on whether you want the cars to be on rails no matter what, or to be harder to drive and where setups have much more effect. Personally, I like the 2nd option.

Of course, we can still keep everything as it is, but I don't think that's gonna happen.

 

[Knelly]

If we are running SuzE next Saturday then I think we need a decision made today. I for one don't have as much practice time available to me as I used to, and if changes are required then I need as much time as possible.

My proposal is keep everything unchanged and enforce 2 mandatory pit stops with the following windows:

Window 1 : 20 - 25
Window 2 : 40 - 45

Keeps everything equal with some strategy of whether you pit early or late (for clean air etc) in each window.

Bottom line, decisions need to be made now if we are racing next week.

 

[Spurgy 777]

I think leave it as it is, there's no more strategy in having pit windows, less even, you can do exactly the same without them, you can still choose to pit early or late, and you can choose to 1 stop or 0 stop. Your way would involve almost no strategy, because you can't get much of an undercut in a couple of laps, and with barely any tyre wear, you would have to pit early because there will be virtually no performance gain at the end of a stint if you pitted late. We would all be just going around for 60 laps with virtually new tyres on.

 

[Knelly]

Happy with that. Just trying to think of solutions.

OK, so far Spurgy, Mule and Knelly all vote for unchanged.

Any more for any more?

 

[Furinkazen]

I call for unchanged as well.

 

[Spurgy 777]

Also worked out I can get up to 2nd in the championship if these 4 things happen:
1) I win and get all 3 bonus points.
2) Tom comes 3rd place or less.
3) Drop comes 4th place or less.
4) Mule comes 10th place or less.
There's a reasonable chance of that happening which is good Only one I think is quite unlikely is Mule coming 10th or less, the rest are definitely possible.

 

[Knelly]

4 for unchanged at the mo.

I'm just concentrating on SuzE at the mo, as this is our next race. I do think there may have to be changes on ovals but we can think about that later.

 

[Carbonox]

If I can beat Joe by any result and Drop, Tom and RPH by a couple of positions, I'll be making some nice moves in the championship.

But, the road courses are cursed...

 

[cgr-10]

I call unchanged too.

 

[Matty]

If anything is to be done I call completely unchanged including pit windows.

Maybe call something now for the next weekend but since that's SSRX there's no need for change there. So I say we work on something for the race after SSRX which I think is HSR.

Plenty of time to practice for it then. 👍

 

[RedPartyhat]

Where is Drop???????

 

[Carbonox]

-_- at above comment.

Drop may be an office drone, but he probably still has a life outside GTP...

 

[cgr-10]

aaaaand a family.

 

[Matty]

Aaaand it's an off week...

 

[Knelly]

Ok, as there were no objections yesterday, all those that did reply said 'unchanged', and as Drop appears to have disappeared then km going to be practicing in Hards (when I get the little chance I have) 👍

 

[RedPartyhat]

I didn't but whatever...

 

[Knelly]

You didn't reply yesterday mate

I just want to race on Sat and stop all this pussyfooting around tbh, and want to know the specs I'll be racing.

Nomination for comeback of the year .... Europe!

 

[MustangRyan]

Hard tires last too long for any kind of competition between pit strategies. All races will now take place on racing medium tires.

 

[MustangRyan]

Also, congrats to Tom for moving up from the Open Qualifying race to the Main Event race with his win at Indy a week ago. This means that there will now only be FIVE transfer spots from the Open race to the Main Event race, as the Main Event race is locked at 12 total drivers. This is good news for the NW drivers though, as it does open an extra transfer spot from the NW race to the Open race. As of now, SEVEN NW drivers will transfer out of the NW race and up to the Open race.

If Spurgy wins this weekend, as most expect, it will open another transfer spot from NW to the Open race, and remove one more transfer spot from the Open race to the Main Event race.


NW Elimination race - 15 NW drivers
Sprint Cup Open Qualifying Race - 14 drivers (7 locked in + top 7 NW transfers)
Sprint Cup Main Event Race - 12 drivers (7 locked in + top 5 Open transfers)

 

[cgr-10]

Awesome, forgot about that completely.

 

[Knelly]

Awesome, forgot about that completely.

Me too. That's 4 HMS cars locked in. If we can get two Nationwide cars in, then Hendrick take half the field

 

[MustangRyan]

Me too. That's 4 HMS cars locked in. If we can get two Nationwide cars in, then Hendrick take half the field

Speaking of which, I need team owners to post their current NW driver rosters, as I have no idea who the 15 full-time drivers are as of this moment.

 

[kenkwilinski]

When's the All-Star race? I may or may not be able to participate. And even if I do qualify to main event I don't think I can even race in it.

 

[Spurgy 777]

Hard tires last too long for any kind of competition between pit strategies. All races will now take place on racing medium tires.

Yay mediums that should mean that everyone apart from Furi will 1 stop

 

[Matty]

Speaking of which, I need team owners to post their current NW driver rosters, as I have no idea who the 15 full-time drivers are as of this moment.

Team RAB
Rich S - mustardaddict 2011 #83
D4lvy - D4lvy 2011 #83
paulmac2k9 - GTP_PaulMac - 2010 #83

There you go Drop

 

[MustangRyan]

Team RAB
Rich S - mustardaddict 2011 #83
D4lvy - D4lvy 2011 #83
paulmac2k9 - GTP_PaulMac - 2010 #83

There you go Drop

I thought PaulMac's connection was still going to prevent him from racing?

 

[Matty]

I thought PaulMac's connection was still going to prevent him from racing?

As of now he is still currently a driver as no replacement has been found. Until I get word from RPH another driver that is the final line up. 👍

EDIT: Like the change to Mediums, still longer tyre life (Good thing) with more grip. (Good for me anyway!)

 

[paulmac2k9]

Yeah I'm not continuing. I said to RPH I'd try once and if I managed to race I'd stay but I DCed as per with mics on so he knows to find someone else.

He hoped maybe it was better after 2.08 but was no better.

 

[Matty]

Yeah I'm not continuing I said to RPH I try once for and if I managed to race I'd stay but I DCed as per with mics on so he knows to find someone else.

Okay then, the scout is out!