Spec GTP: Formula Mazda - Series Complete!

[SlipZtrEm]

Spec GTP: Formula Mazda
Interest Check
​

As mentioned here, I wanted to get a feel for possibly hosting a small online race series in FM6, starring a car from the latest DLC pack. I've always been a big fan of the low-powered open-wheelers, and their approachable, easy-driving nature make them an ideal base for something like this.

Car Specs:

2015 Mazda Formula Mazda (100,000 Cr)
+ Race Exhaust (+32HP, -13LBS, 2050 Cr)
+ Race Rotors / Compression (+43HP, -1LB, 4800 Cr)
+ Race Flywheel (-4LBS, 2400 Cr)
+ Race Clutch (-3LBS, 2250 Cr)
+ Race Driveline (-10LBS, 2100 Cr)
+ Race Diff (2250 Cr) [Optional]
= 113600 / 115850 Cr

249 HP / 1225 LBS / 785 PI

This is simply what I've done to mine so far, to get it to a semblance of the current 2015 specs (the car seem to be modelled on the old carb'd model). It runs beautifully, and is already a leaderboard car on twisty tracks.

I've shared my current tune (a very slight modification on the one I ran at Lime Rock). Search GTPlanet.

Liveries:

I've shared the GTP Logo and GTP Text layer groups I've made (search for GTPlanet). I've also shared the base version of the livery shown up top without the numbers, for those that might want it.

For now, I'd say anything (within reason) goes. I would like to make a standardized number plate that people can put on the sidepods (probably with GTP being a part of it), but wanted to run that by everybody first. Thoughts?

Races:

Since this is a first, I didn't want to run it very long. Somewhere between 4-6 races should be all to get things going. Tracks that are looking most likely:

• Brands Hatch
• COTA
• Daytona (Sports Car or Short)
• Laguna Seca
• Prague/Rio
• Road Atlanta
• Sonoma
• Watkins Glen

Race length will vary slightly, but I'm aiming for around 40-45min per track. Possibly do a longer 90min stint on the final, but that's not necessary. All-in, the event should take an hour per race, since we'll have some time for practice. I'll have to check how qualifying works in private rooms again...

Schedule:

This is the most important bit: What day, and when, works for everybody? I'm assuming we'd have a blend of folks sitting right around GMT, and then EST and PST. So there's an 8h difference between people like, say, @ImaRobot and @VXR.

This means we'd likely only run one race a particular day. We could squeeze in two if people prefer, but that'd need to be addressed well in advance.

Parties Interested:

I've listed the folks that mentioned as much in the original DLC thread. Speak up!

@ZDUPH
@prousonhairy - GMT-6, Available anytime
@ImaRobot - GMT-7, M-F PM, Sa AM, S All
@HighSeasHoMastr
@ClydeYellow
@Populuxe Cowboy - GMT-7, Sa
@VXR - GMT-0, Su PM

 

[ImaRobot]

All-in, the event should take an hour per race, since we'll have some time for practice. I'll have to check how qualifying works in private rooms again...

The way it used to work in FM4, from when FPM was a thing, we would get a week to post a time on the track. In game, if you go through a race, then the next grid will be in the places that you've finished. So with that said, we would just have to drive through a one lap stint in the way we want the grid formed, according to lap times from Fastest>slowest. If that works in FM6, I have no idea, however.

This is the most important bit: What day, and when, works for everybody? I'm assuming we'd have a blend of folks sitting right around GMT, and then EST and PST. So there's an 8h difference between people like, say, @ImaRobot and @VXR.

This means we'd likely only run one race a particular day. We could squeeze in two if people prefer, but that'd need to be addressed well in advance.

Friday nights, Saturday mornings, and all day Sunday is what's open for me.

Pretty excited for this!

 

[VXR]

Sunday night is the best time for me, as I mostly work from midday GMT on the Monday, so staying up to race at sensible US times is much easier.

I like the idea of the GTP number board and I'd have a slight preference for Rio over Prague.

 

[Populuxe]

I'd like to suggest Lime Rock as a good track for this little screamer. I like the number plates idea.

I'm in the Pacific Time Zone and I work generally until 6pm. Saturdays are open for me.

 

[prousonhairy]

I'm on Central time. Whatever you guys decide is fine by me. I'm single, don't have any children, so I can do what I want when I want. I'll just keep checking in on what gets decided on as far as what upgrades or tunes we can use, and what kind of car badges etc.

 

[ImaRobot]

Speaking of which, are we going to be allowed to individually tune our own vehicles?

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I'm adding in the preferred times and timezones to usernames in the first post. 👍

The way it used to work in FM4, from when FPM was a thing, we would get a week to post a time on the track. In game, if you go through a race, then the next grid will be in the places that you've finished. So with that said, we would just have to drive through a one lap stint in the way we want the grid formed, according to lap times from Fastest>slowest. If that works in FM6, I have no idea, however.

Cheers, I'll look into it later today or tomorrow.

I like the idea of the GTP number board and I'd have a slight preference for Rio over Prague.

Noted. The 70's F1's are awesome there, so hopefully the little Mazda is a comparable joy.

I'd like to suggest Lime Rock as a good track for this little screamer. I like the number plates idea.

The only reason I didn't put Lime Rock up there was that I felt it might be an unfair advantage for me, as I've been doing so many laps there. If everybody is fine with it though, I'd definitely like to see a short course like it on the schedule.

Speaking of which, are we going to be allowed to individually tune our own vehicles?

I'd say so: it's allowed in the real series, albeit limited.

What might be a nice community touch is to make sure our tunes are shared before the race, so that we can all fiddle and try out others' settings. I don't think there's an easy way to enforce limited tuning, so I'd rather just let us all experiment.

 

[ImaRobot]

I'd say so: it's allowed in the real series, albeit limited.

What might be a nice community touch is to make sure our tunes are shared before the race, so that we can all fiddle and try out others' settings. I don't think there's an easy way to enforce limited tuning, so I'd rather just let us all experiment.

Sounds good to me 👍

I don't have a problem with sharing tunes. Would be cool to see how different the set-ups would be.

 

[prousonhairy]

The sharing tunes thing is a great idea. Especially if we keep it at 775 because most of the tuners online take it up to 800.

 

[Im_Lukas]

I'm up for this, pretty much available any time GMT. Also despite Prague being one of my favourites, I'd prefer Rio over Prague as the last high speed chicane on Prague can wreck the races of everyone else if just one person gets it wrong.

 

[ImaRobot]

I'm up for this, pretty much available any time GMT. Also despite Prague being one of my favourites, I'd prefer Rio over Prague as the last high speed chicane on Prague can wreck the races of everyone else if just one person gets it wrong.

Well, so can the slight curve right before the long, narrow, downhill straight on Rio I do prefer Rio as well, though.

 

[Populuxe]

Well, so can the slight curve right before the long, narrow, downhill straight on Rio I do prefer Rio as well, though.

To be honest, I like both. And yes, the last stretch through Rio, with the multiple chicanes and left into 180 degree right can be just as race destroying.

 

[GTracer38]

I'd be interested in this series, but I'll wait and see what day/time you all decide.
AEDT here at the moment (GMT+11).

 

[HighSeasHoMastr]

What day, and when, works for everybody? I'm assuming we'd have a blend of folks sitting right around GMT, and then EST and PST. So there's an 8h difference between people like, say, @ImaRobot and @VXR.
This means we'd likely only run one race a particular day. We could squeeze in two if people prefer, but that'd need to be addressed well in advance.

So, to get it out of the way, I'm GMT -8:00 (PST).

For days, usually anytime on Sunday works for me. Other than that, it's really up in the air. Usually Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings work for me, but as it stays light later I will be working later on Mondays so that will stop being an option as the year progresses. I also have intermittent social obligations on Tue/Wed/Thur evenings which make those not the best.

Basically, Sunday anytime is the only time that guarantees my availability. Other times might work, but I'd probably miss a few races (which is totally fine).



Now, on to some other stuff:

Car Specs:

2015 Mazda Formula Mazda (100,000 Cr)
+ Race Exhaust (+32HP, -13LBS, 2050 Cr)
+ Race Rotors / Compression (+43HP, -1LB, 4800 Cr)
+ Race Flywheel (-4LBS, 2400 Cr)
+ Race Clutch (-3LBS, 2250 Cr)
+ Race Driveline (-10LBS, 2100 Cr)
+ Race Diff (2250 Cr) [Optional]
= 113600 / 115850 Cr

249 HP / 1225 LBS / 785 PI

This is simply what I've done to mine so far, to get it to a semblance of the current 2015 specs (the car seem to be modelled on the old carb'd model). It runs beautifully, and is already a leaderboard car on twisty tracks.

I've shared my current tune (a very slight modification on the one I ran at Lime Rock). Search GTPlanet.

Is there any particular reason not to just do either stock or S700? I have no problem with this build (other than that with the rotor it messes with the shift lights which is mildly irritating) but I'm just curious. If you did it stock, you could even use the "Force Stock Upgrades & Tuning" option, which would also address the question of tuning. Just a thought.

Liveries:

I've shared the GTP Logo and GTP Text layer groups I've made (search for GTPlanet). I've also shared the base version of the livery shown up top without the numbers, for those that might want it.

For now, I'd say anything (within reason) goes. I would like to make a standardized number plate that people can put on the sidepods (probably with GTP being a part of it), but wanted to run that by everybody first. Thoughts?

Seems fine to me. I've never been overly bothered with liveries. Just as an aside (which you probably knew), you can't add decals to a downloaded livery, so having a numberless one shared doesn't really get people anything other than a numberless livery; they can't add numbers to it without erasing the whole design.

Races:

Since this is a first, I didn't want to run it very long. Somewhere between 4-6 races should be all to get things going. Tracks that are looking most likely

• Brands Hatch
• COTA
• Daytona (Sports Car or Short)
• Laguna Seca
• Prague/Rio
• Road Atlanta
• Sonoma
• Watkins Glen

Race length will vary slightly, but I'm aiming for around 40-45min per track. Possibly do a longer 90min stint on the final, but that's not necessary. All-in, the event should take an hour per race, since we'll have some time for practice. I'll have to check how qualifying works in private rooms again...

I like the 4-6 ~45min race plan, it keeps it casual and quick.

Out of curiosity, how did you land on these tracks? It's not really a huge deal, just wondering.

Personally, I really don't find Daytona compelling in this car, other than that it would definitely require a low-downforce tune (if we do tuning). It's kind of a boring track in a car with this much grip/brake vs power, just like Monza. Would definitely prefer something like Spa or Silverstone in that slot. Even Yas Marina would be cool, cause then you could do a night race.

Also, rain at Brands Hatch..?

For the Rio/Prague choice, I despise Prague, so my vote goes to Rio. However, I would also like to say that I hate the full Rio and would vastly prefer Rio National. The full circuit feels super arcadey and unrealistic to me- the tram lines, the stupid cliff by the downhill section, and the general feel of the whole top section make me feel like I'm playing a game, not racing. The National circuit by comparison feels great and I really like it, and I don't feel like you really lose anything (other than unrealistic scenic crap) by using it vs the full layout; it's still very technical and the best part of the track (the downhill & chicanes) is actually a little bit faster than it is on the full layout, which makes it even more challenging.
Just my $0.02 on that.

The only reason I didn't put Lime Rock up there was that I felt it might be an unfair advantage for me, as I've been doing so many laps there. If everybody is fine with it though, I'd definitely like to see a short course like it on the schedule.

I'd be fine with it.

What might be a nice community touch is to make sure our tunes are shared before the race, so that we can all fiddle and try out others' settings. I don't think there's an easy way to enforce limited tuning, so I'd rather just let us all experiment.

I like this idea, but you can't view the settings on shared/downloaded setups. If you try to view the tune, it erases it.

We could all manually post our setups, but that adds a layer to things.




Anyways, that's what I've got for now. If anyone wants to try a few practice runs, I've got my car built and I'm ready whenever. If you see me online, shoot me a message and let's race!

 

[VXR]

Is the older carb model used by Bondurant? It might explain why the text for the DLC said it used reconditioned 13B engines?

 

[ClydeYellow]

I am in the GMT+1 (Rome) timezone. 45 minutes races sound perfect, it's just the lenght of time I can drive the car without starting to feel fatigued. I agree with @HighSeasHoMastr on Rio - although perhaps my words wouldn't have been so harsh.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

It's looking like Sunday afternoon/evening will likely be the time. A backup would be the Saturday before.

Is there any particular reason not to just do either stock or S700? I have no problem with this build (other than that with the rotor it messes with the shift lights which is mildly irritating) but I'm just curious. If you did it stock, you could even use the "Force Stock Upgrades & Tuning" option, which would also address the question of tuning. Just a thought.

The Force Stock option is a good point I'd overlooked. The main reason I've suggested the tune is to better represent the newer rotary, but if people would prefer the stock car, that'd be fine too. The stock one is of course still very fast, and punches above its PI weight, but after racing a lot online with it, I found it just a tiny bit weedy past about 120mph.

We can put it to a vote!

Seems fine to me. I've never been overly bothered with liveries. Just as an aside (which you probably knew), you can't add decals to a downloaded livery, so having a numberless one shared doesn't really get people anything other than a numberless livery; they can't add numbers to it without erasing the whole design.

Yep, was just sharing it in case people wanted the general design. 👍

I like the 4-6 ~45min race plan, it keeps it casual and quick.

Out of curiosity, how did you land on these tracks? It's not really a huge deal, just wondering.

Driving it at nearly all of the tracks for a handful of laps. With exception to the ovals of course, and I skipped Monza for the same reason you mentioned below.

Personally, I really don't find Daytona compelling in this car, other than that it would definitely require a low-downforce tune (if we do tuning). It's kind of a boring track in a car with this much grip/brake vs power, just like Monza. Would definitely prefer something like Spa or Silverstone in that slot. Even Yas Marina would be cool, cause then you could do a night race.

Also, rain at Brands Hatch..?

For the Rio/Prague choice, I despise Prague, so my vote goes to Rio. However, I would also like to say that I hate the full Rio and would vastly prefer Rio National. The full circuit feels super arcadey and unrealistic to me- the tram lines, the stupid cliff by the downhill section, and the general feel of the whole top section make me feel like I'm playing a game, not racing. The National circuit by comparison feels great and I really like it, and I don't feel like you really lose anything (other than unrealistic scenic crap) by using it vs the full layout; it's still very technical and the best part of the track (the downhill & chicanes) is actually a little bit faster than it is on the full layout, which makes it even more challenging.
Just my $0.02 on that.

I put Daytona in as a high-speed course, as I thought it'd break up the remainder of the locations. On that basis, I'd be cool with swapping in Spa. A longer track would be nice, but I definitely want to avoid the 'Ring.

Personally I can't stand Yas Marina, but bringing up the night aspect does broaden the offerings a bit. Considering it's technical nature, it could stand in for COTA.

Rain at Brands was the idea, yes.

Absolutely agreed on Rio National. Absolutely!

I'd be fine with it.

I'd probably replace Road Atlanta with Lime Rock in that case, then!

I like this idea, but you can't view the settings on shared/downloaded setups. If you try to view the tune, it erases it.

We could all manually post our setups, but that adds a layer to things.

Post/share, either/or. So long as we're all interacting, that's my main goal. 👍

I'll get a poll up tomorrow for tracks. That'll help us out. For now, I'd like to hear from people on the subject of stock vs tuned!

 

[ImaRobot]

I would like tuning to be allowed, but I understand that it can give those familiar with it an unfair advantage. That said, I'm perfectly fine if the preference is stock.

 

[ImaRobot]

I think I'm almost ready

 

[GTracer38]

Thought I better make something just in case

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Sweet!

Alright everyone, I've added a poll. You've got six votes: one to determine if you want stock or tuned, and then the other five to pick your preferred tracks. Yep, we're going to do a five race run for this first event. The poll will close in a week.

We're looking at Sunday afternoon/evening, depending on time zone. That fits with the most schedules. I'd actually like to get started next Sunday (not this upcoming one), so let's see what we can do!

 

[VXR]

I tried to make a livery to race in yesterday, but with the time off work I've had and the steroids I have, by gum am I in a slump.

I've made three replicas I absolutely love, but I think it's better to race in something original. I'll try again before the series starts.

 

[Jason Bica]

Interested... I'm available sat/sun nights. I'm -5:00 GMT (E.S.T.). Is their a comparable substitute for DLC car as I refuse to give Forza any more money until physics are corrected and more tracks added.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Interested... I'm available sat/sun nights. I'm -5:00 GMT (E.S.T.). Is their a comparable substitute for DLC car as I refuse to give Forza any more money until physics are corrected and more tracks added.

There is no comparable car, no. Only the Formula Mazda.

It looks like Laguna Seca, Sonoma, Lime Rock, and Brands are shoe-ins. The fifth could be either Rio, Road Atlanta, Spa, or the Glen. Seems we've also got a split down the middle about tuned versus stock!

 

[VXR]

I got some inspiration today, so here's my livery.

Puma Byrne Rubber Racing. No 85. Driver: Matt Byrne.

Small tribute to Bowie had to be done.

 

[ImaRobot]

I got some inspiration today, so here's my livery.

Puma Byrne Rubber Racing. No 85. Driver: Matt Byrne.


View attachment 501780 View attachment 501781 View attachment 501782

Small tribute to Bowie had to be done.

That looks fantastic!

 

[Jason Bica]

There is no comparable car, no. Only the Formula Mazda.

It looks like Laguna Seca, Sonoma, Lime Rock, and Brands are shoe-ins. The fifth could be either Rio, Road Atlanta, Spa, or the Glen. Seems we've also got a split down the middle about tuned versus stock!

Formula Ford isn't comparable? You shouldn't limit car choice to only DLC cars and alienate those like myself who don't feel Turn 10 has done enough to warrant extra money from me.

 

[HighSeasHoMastr]

Formula Ford isn't comparable? You shouldn't limit car choice to only DLC cars and alienate those like myself who don't feel Turn 10 has done enough to warrant extra money from me.

It's a spec series for the Formula Mazda mate. Means everyone has to be in the Formula Mazda. The point of spec racing is that everyone is in the exact same car, not comparable cars- the same car.
If you don't want to buy the DLC that's fine, but it means you can't use the spec car, which means you can't run this specific series.

If this one is a success, hopefully there will be more (?) series run here. I'd imagine one could be put together for non-DLC owners, but that's not this one.


On that note, I'd love to do a WEC-style multiclass someday with R865 Modern GT cars and P998 LMPs... Thoughts for the next one perhaps.

 

[GTracer38]

Idea with regards to Lime Rock; Maybe it'd be worth running the West chicane version of it?
That way, you would still get a quick flowing with one little technical section at the top of the track. Might help with passing and take some of your advantage away

Just an idea...

 

[prousonhairy]

Is there any update as to when this will take place? It's no biggy to me when it happens, I would just like a notice at least a few days ahead of time whenever a date gets decided.