Any car and any track.

Lucky, my current insurance runs out on the 27th.

Sunday = no good for me I am afraid

^ Boo.

I'll let other people vote on car/track (ftr, last time we used Ferrari 512 at Watkins Glen, I liked the track but found the cars a bit naff as they were so edgey under braking and boringly easy out of the corners, perhaps just a set issue), but what are the plans for the day outside of the event. Are we going to meet up at The Hut again? And afterwards? Pub? Bar? Club? Rave? Sod off home?

Bob the Ferrari was meant to be 'easy' and is the reason why we went with it. There are plenty of other cars they have that are much more tricky IIRC. Still I had fun preventing the car from going backwards into the corner, and I doubt many people will have much experience with GPL to use many of the other cars without having a crash fest without at least a little prior practice.

Is it possible for me to be put on the list please? I had fun last time, and it's good seeing people.

Quote :

At the other end is racing mini's at a tight circuit...

Sounds interesting... Wonder which sim they're using for that?

Anyway, I think he's right about the practice thing and its a good reason to stay away from suggesting LFS. I don't have any time to practice at the moment and won't really be interested in competing against nineteen other people who will spend every night til the 25th slugging car 'X' round configuration 'Y', burning the whole thing into muscle memory.

I'm tempted to suggest Snetterton just for the minor comedy value of seeing Tristan journey all the the way to Southampton to race at a local circuit (albeit time shifted back to a sixties configuration), but actually 65 cars at Snetterton might be great fun...

That's not a big deal because I can't practice either, and even if I could it'd be with a joypad rather than a wheel - and even if my wheel was working, it'd be totally different running one that has more than a 90 degree rotation

I think it'd be better to wait until the day so that nobody can get any unfair practice in. Maybe take secret votes on tracks by PM to narrow down the options, then we just choose between those on the day.

As for cars, I'm pretty easy. I suck at almost everything anyway so it won't make that much difference I do prefer slightly lower powered ones, around the LFS TBO/LRF classes rather than high-performance supercars. And no open-wheelers.

Obviously I'm writing this post as if I'm able to make it, but it'll all be down to my next test result

Thanks so far. Building up a mental picture of what I'm going to ask for. I don't want something too easy (floor it and wait until the next braking zone - DULL). No open wheelers as I know they are a bit of a specific taste.

Tracks - something that has a new nice corners, but it still able to provide racing and overtaking - Snetteron is too flat and straighty, Cadwell/Nurburgring are too narrow. Watkins Glen (should that have an apostrophe?) is probably ideal, but as you've used it before, and I haven't, I'm not inclined to penalise myself (I SAID PENALISE).

Okay - written an email to him.

Asked for a nice track that is bendy, hilly but still very raceable (or words to that effect).

I've asked for a car that isn't a single seater, isn't too underpowered or overpowered, too easy or too hard (no fun if everyone keeps spinning off, but no fun if it's no challenge), but I have requested that it be rear wheel drive. No shopping carts for me!

Not sure about the event style. Something to be said for shorter bursts of fun in a heat format, but people might not enjoy being knocked out of the running and getting less seat time (assuming it's that sort of heats event). I'd be cross if I got knocked out after the first round, so I'm sure most of you would too. But a 2hr 'endurance' race is a long time to keep still and concentrate, yet it gives everyone a lot of seat time (even if they finish last), and gives driver x (let's call him Bob) who crashed in the first corner a chance to catch up by the end of the race.

Keep discussing - very helpful.

And keep confirming if you can or can't come. Sorry you can't make it Dan. I knew I'd disappoint someone with a firm date.


Edit: Afterwards I'll stay around for a bit. But then I've got to go home that night as I've got work in the morning. And I've got to go back to London on Tuesday to see Blue October playing... Hectic few days, and my poor, ill cared for little car won't know what's hit it. Might have to replace the wiper motor soon, as I think it's going to die soon.

The SR boys should make it Tristan. We will probably drive up the Saturday and go for a few beers if anyone is interested

If you're planning on doing heats, you'd need to make it so that the losers can do something else while they wait, and that is going to confuse matters. I know I'd be one that was knocked out early (lap 1 gets my vote ) and I wouldn't want to just sit around.

But what's wrong with just a normal race over a set distance or number of laps? Everyone is on from the start and runs til the end, same experience for all.

A solid endurance event might be a bit of a pain for the people who have just driven a few solid hours to get to the event too. Could it be split into a couple of shorter races?

Or maybe some kind of mutli-class league system where you're technically all in the race using the same car but you're only really competing against the people in your group?
Of course you'd need to then work out how to split everyone up in the first place to get fairly even playing fields

Tbh I would think that a 1 hour endurance and then a knockout series, lasting say.. 1 hour or so. So it's a compromise.

As for track/car combo, surprise us Tristan.

I quite like the idea of two 1 hour races. I think even if you only have an hour as heats you'd still annoy people if they got knocked out on lap 1, so I'm personally tempted to avoid at all costs. But I'm willing to change my mind if lots of people say differently.

Yeah, I agree that if someone (probably me :razz gets knocked out of the heats on the round one, I'd be pretty pissed that I'd come miles and miles just do to 1 race.

Two 1 hour races (with a pub lunch inbetween?) would be pretty good imo.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Sorry you can't make it Dan. I knew I'd disappoint someone with a firm date.

I could probably make it, due to the fact that I am now on a 4 day week, hence I don't work mondays, so that solves the problem of getting up at 5am, however, it also means I am losing 20% of my wages, which creates all sorts of other problems

I'd have liked to have made it, and if it were closer, I probably would have, but I just can't jusitify it.

Quote from tristancliffe :

I'd be cross if I got knocked out after the first round, so I'm sure most of you would too. But a 2hr 'endurance' race is a long time to keep still and concentrate,

The heats worked well last time out... You don't miss out as a slower driver, since the faster ten race each other and the slower ten race each other. So, as a mid pack racer you actually get the chance to win something....

What about a mini champtionship, 5 min quali 15 min race points: 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... 3 races on 1 track and 3 on another. Same as heats, only nobody gets knocked out? Or is the point that it has 10 seats and 20 bums?

I like Becky's idea, you could run a heat A/B then to crown a champion rotate the bottom 4-5 from heat A to B and vice versa.

I like larger races because, like Tristan said, it would help prevent people overdriving early on. But I think it would get a bit tedious I think if we had a long race to wait through because at max only 10 people can race at a time, unless he's doubled his rigs since we went down. That was two years ago though wasn't it Bob?

I should add if we've only got 3 hours at the venue, and more than 10 of us arrive, there'll only be half of us racing at once, so there won't be time for 2x 1 hour races each. TBH I think 45 mins would be enough and that might still be a little too tight for time, depending on what else they've got booked that day.

Regarding practise, I did practise a little beforehand last time, and even by the end of the session on the day, I was still 2 seconds a lap slower than what I could do at home (and with the same set, no less!). As soon as I got home, times were back what they should be have been. I just suck driving with worn out Momos, especially when the FFB was set up all wrong (100% spring and damper force with LFS = bad, mmmkay).

Edit: Chris, yeah, it was nearly 2 years ago, and I can't see how they have the space to double the number of booths. In fact having a break while watching the others race is (or was) part of their selling talk.

1 vote for grand prix style event (multiple heats) or mini league. Keeps it fast furious & interesting.

25th is fine by me & i'm still scoping for a lift with any people driving down from the midlands or the north.

Is it gona be GPL or LFS? Also how many spaces available?

Quote from Bob Smith :

I should add if we've only got 3 hours at the venue, and more than 10 of us arrive, there'll only be half of us racing at once, so there won't be time for 2x 1 hour races each. TBH I think 45 mins would be enough and that might still be a little too tight for time, depending on what else they've got booked that day..

I think by the time it's all said and done, by the time you get driver swaps in and everyone is situated after the rotation you will be lucky to push 4-5 total 30 minute races.

Quote from Bob Smith :

Regarding practise, I did practise a little beforehand last time, and even by the end of the session on the day, I was still 2 seconds a lap slower than what I could do at home (and with the same set, no less!). As soon as I got home, times were back what they should be have been. I just suck driving with worn out Momos, especially when the FFB was set up all wrong (100% spring and damper force with LFS = bad, mmmkay).

I didn't practice GPL (Don't have it) and I lost the fasest lap by .01 seconds.

LFS I did a bit of practice, but not too much. I 'could' get very near my times from home ( I think it helped that I had the exact same wheel/pedal combo he does, Momo Wheel, with BRDspee7 pedals w/ a spring kit to get the brakes feeling more like real life) But it was a challenge, I think mostly because I had been driving on the road for 2+ hours just beforehand, and I was in new surroundings.

Quote from Bob Smith :

Edit: Chris, yeah, it was nearly 2 years ago, and I can't see how they have the space to double the number of booths. In fact having a break while watching the others race is (or was) part of their selling talk.

No, it was pretty tight when we were there. 1 thing that I didn't really like last time was the inability to talk to anyone from the other heat while at the venue. Another reason for mixing up the heats =)

Antt I am coming from Oxford way if there is a slot for me, maybe I could give you a lift, I donno about sitting in a car for two hours with someone I don't know though.

Tristan, I can do the 25th (fingers crossed), so am looking forward to it.

I would have put a vote in for Cadwell, but like you say it's too narrow and is hard to properly race on. Perhaps somewhere like Donington would be good - wide track with some tough corners. Tin-tops would be great.

Can I put a vote in for races no longer than 30 mins. Other than that, I don't mind on the format, as long as everyone gets roughly the same chair time.

EDIT: Long shot I know, but if they had the Race of Champions track and we did that, I think that would be pretty cool.. however it would work.

Quote from Minimaxman :

Tristan, I can do the 25th (fingers crossed), so am looking forward to it.

I would have put a vote in for Cadwell, but like you say it's too narrow and is hard to properly race on. Perhaps somewhere like Donington would be good - wide track with some tough corners. Tin-tops would be great.

Can I put a vote in for races no longer than 30 mins. Other than that, I don't mind on the format, as long as everyone gets roughly the same chair time.

EDIT: Long shot I know, but if they had the Race of Champions track and we did that, I think that would be pretty cool.. however it would work.

The ROC course is a great idea in a way, but you then lose the wheel to wheel stuff.

I suggested Donington as an idea of what track I'd like (I'm leaving the final decision up to David there, so I will not know which car/track before any of you (well, no more than 5 minutes before any of you do!).

Taking these all on board. Will try and organise my who is coming list tonight (might need a new thread, so apologies if you think a second thread is spamming), and will PM those who haven't replied in a while...

Edit: I also suggested Spa as an example. It's probably too well known from other sims to be fun (we've all done it before hundreds of times on a screen), but it's wide, isn't easy on your own, and made even more entertaining by being three wide everywhere. Who knows what we'll get.

I can make the 25th.

I don't think the choice of track is too much of an issue. On the simulators everything feels very different to driving the same combo on a PC. It would be good to choose a track that is reasonably well known, so that there is less time needed to learn which way the track goes.

The projected screen and the rather weird FOV (well, different to what I'm used to) make it difficult to just jump into a car and drive it the same.

I can meet up in the Hut beforehand. I wont be eating there though if we start at 1pm, since they were exceedingly slow to get our food ready last time.

Quote from tristancliffe :

19. bozo (plus two spectating children that he'll probably use as weapons of distraction)

Just spotted this. My plan A has been foiled

Quote from tristancliffe :

I suggested Donington as an idea of what track I'd like

Good suggestion! However, all of the tracks displayed on their site are GPL tracks. Don't know if anyone is ahead of me on this one, but knowing the prejudices of this forum, I thought I might as well say this.... I think its probably true that saying "no" to open wheelers is going to leave you with using Simbin products at the Race Centre.

I'm happy to leave everything in the hands of the owner though. He's an amiable geezer and made us feel really welcome last time round.