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Setup theory for Mini Ovals
(6 posts, started )
#1 - Racon
Setup theory for Mini Ovals
So, I have a very limited understanding of setups. I know a few basics and a couple of handy tricks, but I dare say that there's embarrassingly large gaps in there too. I can create some good sets, but usually more by luck than judgement and they tend to be love-it-or-hate-it setups Smile

I'm struggling with the theory for mini-ovals, especially making the outside front tyre last longer. I'm specifically talking about XRR@25% 15 degree max downforce on the track currently up on PiranMOTOMiniOval (from the Cybermob Oval series - join if you're free on Sat eve! Nod ), but all theory is good theory as far as I'm concerned.

I've been working on the theory that a loose/oversteery car will reduce the grinding effect you get from understeer, ie, if the setup is giving the front all the authority, you won't need to force the turn with tyre scraping on the way in, and can steer with the throttle on the way out. I was hoping to reduce front downforce with the added looseness too, anything to give the outside front tyre a break but that seems to reduce pace and do nothing for tyre heat. Shrug

I'm still working on the camber and pressure to get the 3 sections as even as possible to spread the load, obviously, but that centre one is a bugger - to get the three level you need a pressure that leads to the inner temp getting out of hand. I expect I'll have to live without the centre section helping much. The camber is tricky because it depends on the groove you're running. Choices, choices.

So far, not much luck. I can get down to a 15.6ish if I just never lift, but that's 3 laps and you're done even on R4s. LOL, I'll save that for qually. I can keep a just-over-16 secs pace up for most of a 20 lap stint, but lap 22 is a blowout. We have a 75 lap race and I'd prefer not to pit 3 times during it (1 is mandatory, 2 is probably unavoidable). The main problem is that to get near 25 laps with this set, I have to back all the way down to over 17 secs per lap pace. Ouch. Pitting costs 30 seconds here. Back-of-envelope says 16/lap +3 stops is a couple of laps faster than 17/lap +2 stops.

Any thoughts anyone? (other than "you suck at ovals/setups, Jam" - I already have that one in my collection, thanks Thumbs up)
can you give the setup and the track (layout ? ) ?
I would be interested to have a look at this before stating anything Wink
#3 - Racon
indeed it is a kind of headache, so I took a bit different approach :
- the length is quite short, so there is no particular wear of the tires to take into account, only heat => optimizing camber to have something homogenous is then not required, it is better to overheat a bit the inside part of the tire.
- R2 or R3 are clearly a bit difficult to keep on a correct temperature after 15 laps, so I have chosen R4 in the end (even mixing was not giving good result as cooking the rear tire is not a good idea neither)
- I give a look to the two setups you shared and they are quite stable Thumbs up , and so they tend to be not that good with the front tires Shrug

I have attached a replay of me doing 40 laps (~half race) with the setup. After the front tire is going a bit hot indeed I am forced to loose ~1s per lap. But you can expect doing sub 16s for around 15 laps and then release a bit the thing around 16s for 10 more laps, and then target 16,5s-17s for the rest of the run.
Attached files
Florian Deville_AU1X_XRR_FINI.spr - 356.2 KB - 291 views
XRR_Popn_test_Flo.set - 132 B - 738 views
#5 - Racon
Thanks fella, much appreciated, very nice set. Fun to drive too, quite a few more ways to drive it than my one. The race was cancelled *rolls eyes* but I drove it on my server a couple of times anyway Smile

I got 38 before I had to pit, but I wasn't very good at holding myself back as it was about half a second quicker right from the start Thumbs up I had a fair few tries turn into qually runs and a restart before I managed to get the long runs in. I'd been driving too tall a gear by the looks of it too, that wouldn't have helped Smile
For the gear/rpm to use, on a track with long straights (car reaching almost its top speed) I am for using max power delivered by the engine at the end of the straights.
In this particular configuration (mini oval), top speed is not so interesting, so I was looking at a good compromise beetween maximum power when cornering to be able to maintain the wished speed, and no gear change (if you upshift and downshift once per straight/corner, this means 4 changes per lap, so 300 gear changes during the race to compare to ... none => none is better Big grin
And simply by speaking about data, corners are taken at 170kmph, and top speed is less than 190kmph ... so accelerations are only for 20kmph, the few hp difference by being a bit high rpm at the end is not really a problem.

Setup theory for Mini Ovals
(6 posts, started )
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