SNAIL Parity Racing Series - 86 GT/FR-S/BR-Z Night

[spooble]

Thanks, Garris. Rome was really fun. I battled with Nic for most of the race. Bumped him once from behind in the chicane, but we both came out ok. Then, I made a couple mistakes in a row and lost his draft and couldn't catch back up.

Monza wasn't as fun. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when my qualifying time was over 5 seconds off the pace. My MR2 could make up a little time through the curves, but just couldn't hang with the pack down the long straights. I totally fell out of the draft on lap 3 or 4. Then, on lap 8, I fell asleep and slid into to the barrier on the first chicane on the backstretch. Garris was steadily gaining on me, and it was shaping up to be an exciting finish, but the timer was set too low so the race ended before he caught me.

 

[chuyler1]

The MR2 was very quick in previous seasons. I won the championship when we started at 375pp and came close with the SC edition when we started at 385pp. I didn't test it this season and I imagine the CM tires make it a handful. If you haven't already, I'd suggest lowering the rear brake bias.

Rome was fun, but I dont think we needed that many laps. Geezer pulled me around the track for 2 laps which gave us a 2.5 second advantage over everyone else...but then he tapped the wall. I held off Dabney for a few more laps but then I scuffed the wall of the final turn and lost my entire gap. After that, Dabney started running much faster laps. I could catch him on the turns and stay close with drafting. The final lap I went inside on the turn before the back straight and came out pretty far ahead. Dabney drafted and went for a pass...but I blocked. I got a good run through the kink and I think he tapped the wall. That was enough to prevent him from draft passing to the finish line. I ruined Dabney's strategy but I think he would have had another chance to pass if he didn't tap the wall. His car should have been a good 2 seconds faster than mine.

Monza was boring. Geezer again pulled me around the track and I showed him a thing or two about braking points. At one point I touched the sand. Not enough to spin out of control, but enough to break out of the draft. The final laps were spent solo hoping no one would catch me.

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

Last night did give me a good idea for next season:

The first day (or two) will be just sprint night(s) to dial in handicaps. After that, the rest of the season will be set with that handicap. No need to drag on through the season with races that may not be close.

 

[spooble]

I like the idea of sprint races the first night or 2, but you can't "lock in" the pp based on that, because people will just sandbag to get a pp boost for the rest of the season. If you wanted to go back to penalty/reward being based on Series standings instead of race results, an initial sprint night with say 4 races would help eliminate the problem of the first race being weighted too heavily.

After thinking about it, though... I don't think using Series standings is the way to go. I think the goal here is consistent, door-to-door racing. Not "finish the season with points totals as close as possible". I think the current system is definitely headed in the right direction. Adding the initial sprint night(s) and further tweaking of the penalties, rewards, and cut-offs should make it even better.

The only way I can think of that would give even better results would be to tune to a certain lap time for the current track. This would eliminate the problem of cars being too fast or slow on certain tracks. For example, my MR2 being competitive on Rome, but 5 seconds off-pace on Monza. I can't think of a practical way to apply that concept, though.

Well... I said all that to say... keep up the good work, Garris.

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

The only way I can think of that would give even better results would be to tune to a certain lap time for the current track. This would eliminate the problem of cars being too fast or slow on certain tracks. For example, my MR2 being competitive on Rome, but 5 seconds off-pace on Monza. I can't think of a practical way to apply that concept, though.

This is what I'd love to do, but I too can't think of a way to do this.

 

[chuyler1]

Going with a lap time based handicap would just give bad drivers a huge advantage. Someone like me that can run 2 seconds faster at lower power will never have a shot at the win unless the track is extremely technical. Any long straight would allow lesser drivers to blow past...and after 20 some odd laps they are bound to get a rhythm going and put down faster laps than they originally practiced with.

Perhaps equal pp combined with delayed starts would work. If you win a race, you get a 15 second penalty. You must pull off the starting grid to one side and park it until the timer reads 15. Then you are free to race your heart out.

 

[chuyler1]

We racing tonight?

 

[mcsimfan]

What kinds of times were you guys running in the past races? I want to know what I need to shoot for as a look for a car in my garage that qualifies under the restrictions.

I have a very crazy schedule so it is hard for me to commit to a series becuase I never quite know if I will be available on any given night, but I would like to join you guys when I can.

 

[dabneyd]

I'll be there.

 

[dabneyd]

What kinds of times were you guys running in the past races? I want to know what I need to shoot for as a look for a car in my garage that qualifies under the restrictions.

I don't know about times; we're going to be running two different tracks tonight, but what I've found is that newer FF's are going to be the top choice.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

I forgot this was going on...if it goes well, and I'm sure it will, I'll join up again. This concept was appealing.

 

[chuyler1]

Tonight, with a higher turn-per-minute rate, should be more fun than last week.

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

Don't forget to patch up.

And yes, this season is really just testing. I already see places that I want to change things. Tonight is Madrid and Lemons Country.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Garris, your signature is hilarious.

 

[GeezerG123]

I won't be racing tonight. Internet probllems. Good Luck

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

I'm in my lounge. Let's race!

 

[pyxen]

Having power problems...freezing rain storm in ottawa tonight. Hopefully they'll clear it up in time..

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

I updated the spreadsheet.

Last evening wasn't too bad. I was supposed to have 356 PP at Madrid but I only put 353 on my car. So, I was off the pace. Fortunately, I was able to avoid taking damage (huge win for me) and make my way to the front of the pack and win. Woot.

Lemons Country was different. Again, I'm just trying to hang with the cars infront of me and not wreck. I am not really trying to pass. Huyler is so much faster than the rest of us that he waits. Pyxen and I are following him until Pyxen crashes. Huyler waits again, and I'm following him for a little while. Huyler is just pulling away though.

Dabney catches up and passes me. He was going so fast, I'm not sure where he was most of the race. I decide to try and follow him to see if we can catch up to Huyler. We come out of the high speed corner. I'm going very fast. I had a very good line and had a draft bonus. I decide not to brake though as I'm getting close to Dabney. As we get to the last corner, I'm afraid that if I brake now, he'll be faster exiting the corner and I'll lose his draft down the front straight.

I pull to his left, the outside of the corner. Again, I am not trying to pass, just figure if I can keep as much speed a possible and let him take the inside of the corner, then I can stay on him as we exit and get to bump draft with him down the front straight.

I got too much grass and my car just did a pirouette. Fortunately I didn't take out Dabney.

Now with front right damage, I fall behind. I clip the inside of the high speed corner and take front left damage. The front end is just floating and I'm doing 1:35s. I fell way back.

Still, was a good evening. I think it will be much better in February.

 

[dabneyd]

Dabney catches up and passes me. He was going so fast, I'm not sure where he was most of the race.

Stuck in traffic. That's a tough place to pass.

 

[chuyler1]

I would be ok with dropping to light damage for this series. Dabney barely touched me at Madrid and I ended up with full engine damage. We were both racing pretty hard but the contact should not have resulted in both of us getting taken out of the race. Then on the last lap it happened again and I lost 5+ seconds to Nic because I couldn't make it to the finish line.

 

[dabneyd]

I would be ok with dropping to light damage for this series. Dabney barely touched me at Madrid and I ended up with full engine damage. We were both racing pretty hard but the contact should not have resulted in both of us getting taken out of the race. Then on the last lap it happened again and I lost 5+ seconds to Nic because I couldn't make it to the finish line.

It seems like we had some network weirdness (imagine that) during the first race, but after garris left the lobby and I became host it didn't seem as noticeable, but that could have been because I was host.

 

[chuyler1]

I wasn't racing wheel to wheel with anyone the second race so it's hard to know.

 

[pyxen]

i think we should avoid the Lemons Country Club Circuit next season...its not a track that really makes wheel to wheel work, I don't think...especially for the track's creator!

 

[chuyler1]

You guys just have to learn the racing lines. It has some great turns. I might make turn 1 a little wider, but I like the high speed turn the way it is. If the track were wider there it would be too easy.

 

[pyxen]

I love the high speed turn...if you clip the inside right and just drift all the way out, you can carry some great speed!

Dunno..maybe make it wider in spots ? like that last turn before heading down the hill toward the high speed turn - I always want to take that one faster, and could if it were a little wider on the exit..

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

Last race of this series is tonight. There is some big speech tonight, though. Sorry, didn't think about that when I scheduled the race. I'm sorry, but even though I voted for him, I've never watched a SotU. Just a lot of billowing.

I'll post ideas and schedule for a February series by the end of the week. We won't have a race next week.

 

[chuyler1]

Ehh speech smeetch. I'm sure the news will have a summary.

 

[Vol Jbolaz]

Ehh speech smeetch. I'm sure the news will have a summary.

Yes. A 90 minute speech will be summed up nicely in two to five minutes tomorrow morning on NPR (or better, yet, BBC).

 

[chuyler1]

Yup...depending on where you get your news, it will be a completely different speech. Ahh politics.

 

[dabneyd]

Yes. A 90 minute speech will be summed up nicely in two to five minutes tomorrow morning on NPR (or better, yet, BBC).

If you want the real poop, watch Al Jazeera or Russia Today.