Re: The Official Non Sequitur Thread, "And now for something COMPLETELY different..."

[Forgetful]

I've turned Driversports.kinja.com in to a group blog so I can give people posting privileges there.

[clacksman]

 I'm just not sure if my writing is worth publishing.

Sure it is, remember we're talking about jalopnuts here not '50s-era Life magazine.

iRacing pro series coverage (also coverage of popular leagues for other sims)
Nismo Athlete/Simers Gone Pro coverage
Equipment reviews
Highlight quality leagues
Sim-Picture of the Day

Not sure about 'highlighting leagues', but what you do is troll the commentariat for content.  Weekly pics to start, and when you pick one it's "todays pic hat tip to so-and-so racing at (link)".  Also any news regurgitation can be ended with "so who's got anything from this company already or is planning to buy this or how's the beta etc?".  Better is to collate wheel comparisons into an infographic that gets updated ... annually or quarterly I guess.  Any actual racing driver mentioning playing something is good for a post.  Deals found on the interwebs are good for a post.  News press release regurgitation is ... kinda what blogs are.

[clacksman]

Also lol Prodrive

https://www.facebook.com/110767835619865/photos/a.112527868777195.13048.110767835619865/852142814815693/?type=1&theater

[clacksman]

SO Willow Springs is owned by a hilarious old coot.

... break Willow’s current lap record: 1 minute, 6.05 seconds, set in 1987 by Michael Andretti in a Kraco March ­Cosworth Indy car.

As another desert sunset fades to twilight, Huth says: “I want to see somebody get around this son of a bitch in under a minute. That’s really what I’d like.”

http://www.caranddriver.com/columns/aaron-robinson-gambling-whiskey-and-willow-springs-raceway-column

[Forgetful]

Not photoshopped either http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/i-see-someones-your-rageface-speedometers-and-raise-yo-1583520060/+chiltonessentials

[group44]

Thought you just reposted clacksman's sig for a minute.

[clacksman]

pfft, there's no way I'd have a Smart car related anything.

[clacksman]

Hey.

Shouldn't Ginger Ale be red?

Or, at least the pink of typical cream soda?

[group44]

Hey.

Shouldn't Ginger Ale be red?

Or, at least the pink of typical cream soda?

Hmm, odd question. Guess I always considered it to be more of a golden/tan. Was it perhaps ginger beer?

[clacksman]

Hey.

Shouldn't Ginger Ale be red?

Or, at least the pink of typical cream soda?

Hmm, odd question. Guess I always considered it to be more of a golden/tan. Was it perhaps ginger beer?

Well ginger ale is typically a golden/tan, which is why I have absolutely no belief that it was made with real gingers.

 

[timneyb]

How I corner:

Brake, blip the throttle while I paddle shift down to release the dragging, flickering throttle (10-50%). Look at instruments to check throttle is released. If not, blip again. Hope the track is still there when I look up. Apply throttle as close to appropriate as possible. Watch throttle bounce around somewhere between 10 and 75 %. Check if brakes are still locked 5-10% on, if so tap the side of the brake pedal. Go full throttle through the exit, as appropriate. Watch the delay between doing so and getting actual 100% reading. Tap brakes again if still locked. Repeat at next corner.

I guess I need that new wheel now.

[group44]

Alternately you could drown everything in Lectra-Motive like I do (and need to again  ). Got me back full functionality twice now when things got sticky. Still have dreams of creating dust boots to help keep out the crud, but my last attempt with felt showed me it is not an easy nut to crack.

Of course a new wheel would open up new possibilities....

[Forgetful]

Well, all that intense GT Academy competition kind of rekindled my desire to race, so I setup the rig for iRacing again, bought the Rufs, Z4, COTA and Fontana, and got back to some racing.

Ran a couple of races in the Slowstice and did well, so started working on the RUF C-spec (Cup). Raced it a bunch of times at Okyama already in the Ruf Cup (one make series, 25 min races) and am already fairly competitive. Had a couple of races that started rough and ended quickly, but the last couple races have gone well and I won the last race I ran last night.

Started 2nd, followed the leader closely until on lap 3 he went too wide in T4 and got loose. I cut to the inside and thought I would get up beside him as he settled the rear, but he put too much power down and his car kicked sideways and he cut across the track right in front of me. I lifted, but it was too late and I planted him on the right side of the rear and he spun around backwards. I had to brake to not run him through a second time which allowed the next three cars to pass me. I got by the spun car and took up the chase. I reeled in the third place driver and passed him in to T8, but on the next lap he got a run down the inside on the back straight. I defended around the outside and beat him through the hairpin the long way around. The next lap I was ready for it and defended the inside in to the same corner. Soon after that the new leader spun and hit a wall, so I was 2nd and catching the new leader. I reeled him in slowly and passed him clean. As soon as I was by him the third place car attacked him, giving me a gap to work with. I brought it home and won a well fought race.

[group44]

Call me envious. I've been hankerin on getting back in the rig myself. Sounds like you're making a good go of it as well. Really makes it worth while when you can get yourself in the middle of a lead battle like you did. Might be film worthy, eh?

Last thing i did on iR was buy the Ruf(s) to play around  Just curious what you think of the Z4 overall. Does it appear to play nice with other makes as intended? Even if it doesn't, it still looks like a winner from what little I've seen.

And of course I gotta ask how COTA is to run on. Saw a vid of a SRF (SCCA maybe) from there a while back. Made for some real interesting watching as drivers appeared to be able to be to run some unique lines and run door to door in several different sections of track. Was kinda hoping that would translate well in to the sim.

[Forgetful]

The Rufs are good once you get a setup under them and set a proper brake bias. Apparently there was a change to the way braking was calculated and the old baselines are worthless.

The Z4 runs in the GT3 series with the MP4 and the Ruf-Track (GT3) in a single class series. It's the class of the field and most people are driving it. Easily a half a second faster on most tracks, and the easiest of the three to drive.

Haven't raced on COTA yet.

[group44]

Little surprised the Z4 is the quicker of the two. Conversely, it doesn't surprise me that it's easier to drive. Not that the Ruf was real unruly when I fiddled with it, but hey, it's still a 911 

[Forgetful]

Little surprised the Z4 is the quicker of the two. Conversely, it doesn't surprise me that it's easier to drive. Not that the Ruf was real unruly when I fiddled with it, but hey, it's still a 911 

The Racing Beetle does all of the typical Racing Beetle things. The nose bounces along, it's good under braking, and it puts the power down well. I think it suffers from a little mid-corner stability, as does the Macca, whereas the Z4 is rock solid through all three phases of the corner.

The C-Spec is fun because no ABS or TCA and less tire with the same weight and HP. The Track model is basically the Cup model on easy mode.

I did find if funny that the AWD and RWD street cars had the exact same curb weight. That's some voodoo black magic right there.

[group44]

Thank you Lord March.

[Forgetful]

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/i-went-autocrossing-sunday-1640471942

Finally settled in here in Alberta and managed to attend the final autocross event of the season. I even did pretty well.

[Wallhugger60]

Love that little "YES" at the end of the vid lol. Good job Mr. Waroup. That old red car is a Plymouth I believe, and a car of particular interest. I can't for the life think of the model, but those came pretty stout and they were rare even in the 60's. I don't think I've seen one in 30 years. Now you've got the bug lol, yer gonna need to move somewhere warmer so you can do it for more than 3 months out of the year 

[Forgetful]

Surely there's some rallying and ice racing going on around here in the winter.  Autocross starts up again in May. 5 months ain't too bad.

It was a great time and with a solid performance under my belt I feel a lot better about my chances if I make it back to GT Academy.

[group44]

And it has begun  Color me impressed, first crack at cone killing and you bring it home on the podium... Nicely done. So I assume you must have arrived at the event early enough to do a track walk. To me that was one of the most intriguing parts of my little forray into auto crossing. Watching the drivers trying to envision their line, pacing off cones and chatting amongst themselves was pure car guy entertainment.
Oh, and I believe that is an early Dodge Polara. Always liked the look of those 'reverse' C pillars.

[Forgetful]

We did a track walk with one of the organizers, a vintage gentleman who brought the 7, which he ripped around in to lay out the track in the first place. He gave us a a thorough talk on the middle section of the course, the large sweeping esses. His walkthrough was almost as good as Danny Sullivan's. 

I later took a ride around in Civic SI, and he mustn't have been paying attention because he didn't smooth the corners out and carry speed, instead he turned hard right at the cones, even downshifting for the second one. He rode with me afterwards and saw the difference.

[RackAttack]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JERTOJ4ebKs

[group44]

Well that run certainly got my attention, especially at Flugplatz . Love the low tech G force meter too.

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