PROJECT CARS 2 (PS4) - AUSTRALIAN SUPER CARS @ SENOMA (ON OFF EVENT) SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

If anyone is interested in this PLEASE post up here so we can gage interest.  You will have to be added to my friends list on the PS as this will be a privet room.  My PS4 ID is the same as my ID here at GRM

We will be hosting a one off Australian Super Cars Race for those that have Project Cars 2 and play on the PS4.  The race will be held on September 2nd 2020 Practice starts at 9:00 ish EST (I may start the room a little earlier) Practice runs until about 9:45 then a 15 min Qualifying and then strait in to a 1 Hour Race.

Currently I have been running rooms with all aids off except ABS.  This seems to greatly improve the handling of all the cars in PC2.  I can change this if it means that more people will participate.  Since we will be running the Australian supper cars I don't think they have stability control or traction control in stock form so they will not have it in the race.

THERE WILL BE NO TUNING.  This is an arrive and drive.  If it helps think of it as you are a wealthy gentleman race car driver and you will be flying in to California to participate in the race.

Speaking of California.  We will be running at Sonoma race way (the long track).  I will be setting the weather to clear and sunny and the race date will be set for the early spring so tire heat should not be an issue. Tire ware will most likely be.  (See Pit Stops Below)

PIT STOPS.  Simply put YES you will have to make them.  Maybe two of them as tire ware and fuel usage will be set to accelerated.  If you do nothing else show up in time to set up pit stop strategy.

CRASHING and DAMAGE.  It will be visual only.

The Rules and Penalty.  Track limits and the really harsh rules will be turned off.  Ratings will be turned off. HOWEVER this is an honer race where we expect you to police your self.  Cheating is only cheating your self. (We can look at replays later if we really have to but this is for fun and looking at replays for cheaters is not fun).

There are some rules that are important because we all screw up every now and then.

First off most of us have real on track experience.  We treat this as a real on track race when it comes to how we treat others and how we expect to be treated when racing.  It is just that simple.

1.  GIVE ROOM TO OTHERS.  There is nothing more fun than going two wide through multiple corners or dicing it up and multiple over under's play out between competitors. BUT to do this you can not be at 10/10ths.  Both players have to be at 9/10ths to make it work and obviously you have to give room.

Remember winning is great but in 24 hours no one is going to remember who won.  What we will remember is great battles for position on the track.  Even if it is for last place. So race hard with others but give room.

2. NO DIVE BOMBING.  Just don't do it.  HOWEVER if you miss that brake point and at best move some one over let them back around.  If you punt them get to a safe place and stop if they are really out in the weeds or reduce your pace so they can catch up and get by you.  BUT FIRST look and see if traffic is coming.  It is most important to not get in there way.  (This also goes for the person that is coming back on track) This is why if you have to go two or three corners down the track to wait is perfectly ok.  Even recommended.  Once the other person has caught up and you let them by you then wait at least three corners before attempting to pass them.  The exception to this is if the person that is punted tells you not to wait. (Maybe they came down on you or they got loose and lost it and there was really no contact.

3.  BLOCKING is not typically acceptable.  Making you car wide by staying on line is perfectly fine.  It is almost an art all its own.  But no darting back and forth on the straits to prevent someone that gets a better run out of the corner from passing you.  The sort of it is blocking is like porn we know it when we see it.  

4. HAVE FUN.  No really, this is much more about getting together and having fun and much less about where you finish.  I would much rather have a battle for last then win by half a lap.  Now if you can have a battle for first and make that last corner pass and race to the line that is the ultimate and if that happens all the better!!!

5. VOICE CHAT WLL BE ON:  We highly encourage people to use headphones and a mic.  Telling a competitor where you are etc is really important.  We also encourage the usual banter back and forth during practice and qualifying.  BUT during the race try and keep the talking to a minimum.  Also there may be some "language".  Try and keep things kid friendly.  A little bit off color is fine but some people have young children around so just be mindful of that.     

TO SUMMARIZE:

When: September 2, 2020  (that is alot of 2's)  :-)

Time:  (EDIT: We may have a 1 hour qualifying and strait in to the race)

           Practice starts 9:00 PM EST

           Qualifying:  9:45 PM EST 

           Race: 10:00 - 11:00 EST

Where: Sonoma Raceway (long track)

Cars: Australian V8 Supper Cars

Tuning / Mods:  None - Default Setups Only

Tire and Fuel Usage:  Set to High Ware / Use (You will need to pit at least once)

AI:  Not sure on this.  If the majority rules against it we will eliminate it otherwise AI will be on track set at 100/20

Prize For Winning:  Maybe I will make up some kind of trophy.  Think  things in my re cycle bin and scrap parts pile.  Add a welder and some spray paint and we have a trophy .   :-)   But really bragging rights - (And possibly picking a track or car if we do this again) 

If anyone is interested in this PLEASE post up here so we can gage interest.  You will have to be added to my friends list on the PS as this will be a privet room.  My PS4 ID is the same as my ID here at GRM

I am in.  Fun car, great sound.

In.

I am hoping TJ makes it.  I got a PM from him and he is back online.

So do we run AI or not?  If we do I am thinking 100/20 or maybe 105/20. 

I'm against AI as always, but especially in an endurance race at a place like Sonoma where passing is difficult.  The AI cars tend to run their own strategy in endurance races which doesn't align with what the rest of us are doing, and they aren't affected by tire wear so they are slow on fresh tires and fast on worn tires, causing weird pace differences that just cause more issues.  

I'm going to downgrade myself to a maybe.  I have had to work way too late the last few nights (mornings?) and am exhausted.  If I can get a nap I may be awake enough to join, but if I can't squeeze one in I'll probably be asleep before this starts.

In reply to e30Matt :

That sucks. . . 

I ended up running a complete practice race last night.  Boy do the tires get slippery towards the end of a run!!!!

So are we going to include AI?  I ran with it last night and over all they were not an issue for me. Ya I know that is not my usual statement about AI.  The start is where most bad things happen. I Think Air and TJ both hsa AI issues at the start.  I found that the AIT at the settings I have it at they are plenty fast and no more aggressive than Air. . . Errrrr Most people  ;-).  I could also move the AI out of the way if I really needed to with out much problem.  The classic bump and run.  I can not believe I am saying this but the AI as I have it set up (other than the start) is not half bad.  However if you all want to run with out them that is perfectly ok.  

Question #2.  I was thinking of just making the qualifying session long say from 9:00-10:00 and then just go in to the race.  I mean it lets you practice during qualifying yes?  Anyone object?

Great fun last night!!!!  Even the AI was reasonably behaved. Congrats to Sauce for the win.  I had a great battle with Air for most of the race. It came down to a last lap last corner pass by Air with an AI drive in the mix for him to take 3rd. Great fun!!!!  
 

DK wins the Off Road Award

TJ I think deserves the can not catch a brake award. 
 

Speedy drove an excellent race!!!  Speedy here by has been awarded the Grey Wall Award. For those that are not long time GRM sim racers another Racer who we called Grey was the master at making his car extremely wide yet was one of the cleanest racers on track. . His driving style and skill set became known as the Grey Wall. 
 

There will be a slight detour next week. Sauce and I were talking and we want to try something with the GTE 911 next week. Possibly leading to a race with the GTE 911 cars. I will post up more on a new thread covering that. If the GTE series does not pan out OR we just want to run the M1 anyway we can do the M1 race as planed the following week. 
 

Congratulations and a huge thanks to everyone who participated last night. I had allot of fun as I hope others did as well. 

If we were doing points, I would give you the spot at the end.  Since it was the last corner, I just decided to go for it (just a BIT of a dive bomb!), to make it interesting.  I broke a bit too late and I think I ended up swinging out into you.  Kept it interesting though.  

Those cars are a handful to drive (on that track at least). It was QUITE a contrast from playing with GT Sport (race cars) just before the race.

Those cars were definitely a handful on that track, but not in a bad way.  The tire wear and length of the race added a layer to it as well.  

If anyone wants to also do a GT Sport race here and there let me know, I enjoy it even though it might not be for everyone.

No worries Air that for all intensive purposes was a bump and run. Just enough of a tap so I broke traction and caused me to touched the wall coming out of the corner.  It was all you needed to pull me out of the corner and take the spot.  

It was the classic Tony Stewart move on Denny Hamlin in the same corner when he won there.      

Skip to about the 50 second mark.

Yeah, weird, pretty much the exact same thing, though I don't think I ended up swinging that wide coming out of the corner (I seem to remember good space from the wall)

So, question.  In the above clip, Stewart's hit is clearly the reason Hamlin hits the wall and looses, maybe Hamlin could have gone a bit wider to avoid the hit(?).  It looks like they give Stewart the win, but it also looks like there cause for a protest.  What's the realistic ruling?

Stuart got the win.  I watched that race live.  It was considered a racing thing.  No protest filed no penalty handed out as far as I know.  That was a great race to watch and is why I remembered it.