NASCAR at Motegi Speedway: Setup Discussion

[Adrenaline]

Here we can discuss and compare setups for NASCAR's at Motegi Speedway.
The baseline for all testing is as follows:

All Aids Resticted
Boost: Off
Tire Wear: On
Grip: Real
Draft: Weak

*Note
Skid Force Recovery will make any driver about 1 full second faster, I recommend all lobby host restrict this, due to it's completely unrealistic advantage and exploitation of game mechanics.
Grip Reduction set to 'low' will result in laps being 2-5 tenths quicker than the 'real' setting.

As for the track, I enjoy it. Once the setup aspect of the competition evens out, it appears as if there can be some great racing on this track. It's not like Daytona, you can't go flat foot through the track, people aren't pushing 3 wide(yet) there's tons of room on the track, and wrecking has been non existent thus far, simply because you aren't nose to tail the entire time. The draft isn't as much of a factor, so down the straights you get a direct comparison of your exit speed, and momentum carried vs the guy on your inside/outside. You see the over-under move at least once a race. Also, once longer races are run, Lap traffic won't be an accident waiting to happen, but rather a new aspect to the race, similar to a real NASCAR race, where navigating traffic will be a large factor of who is successful in the long run. One last fun factor, is that as tires wear down, lap times also decline, meaning that tire wear is much more of a factor, and there's actually a benefit to not over driving, and it will pay dividends by the end of the race.

So, in anticipation of the bombarding threads to come of the requests for a tune, of NASCAR @ Motegi, also in an effort to help get more people interested, and help people already interested get up to speed he's some tips to get you started. Indy setups transfer rather well, whereas Daytona setups do not. Feel free to post your setups, adjustments, tweaks, and success.

my setup in the 29.9x's

Aero: 50/70

RH: 15/0
SR: 12.0/13.0
Ext: 10/10
Com: 10/10
ARB: 10/10

Cam: 1.8/1.8
Toe: -0.35/-0.35

Transmission: 1&2 at 184mph 4th gear, and for 3&4 160-165 in 3rd gear.

consistent times of 29.3's and my best is a 29.1 (28.5 in the draft).

Aero: 49/69

RH: +15/+5
SR: 19.0/16.0 or 16.5
Ext: 3/4
Com: 2/4
ARB: 5/5

Cam: 1.0/0.9
Toe: -0.11/-0.20

LSD 52/52/15

Transmission
1. 2.850
2. 1.934
3.1.177
4.1.000
F. 3.500 (stock)
top speed 211 mph ( make sure to set this first)

Not a tire wear setup, and if on controller turn the sensitivity up to 7.

Aero: 50/70

RH: 15/10
SR: 18.0/13.5
Ext: 5/6
Com: 5/6
ARB: 5/6

Camber: 0.0/0.0
Toe: -0.40/-0.60

LSD: 60/60/44

Tranny
First set top speed to 242.
1st through 3rd all the way down
4th all the way up.
Set top speed to 215.

Aero: 50/70

RH: 15/7
SR: 20.0/15.5
Ext: 9/3
Comp: 8/8
ARB: 1/2

Camber: 2.3/2.0
Toe: -0.15/-1.00

Brakes: 2/2

Trans: 218(sorry, I don't have all the specific gearing handy)

LSD: 12/15/5

Best lap: 28.879(tyre wear off)
Will make 11 laps max with RS compound.

50/70

RH 15/5
SR 19.0/16.3
Ext 2/4
Comp 3/4
ARB 6/5

Cam 1.0/0.9
Toe -0.90/-0.90

Jake's transmission setup

LSD 20/25/50
I get 7-8 laps on a set of SR tires fastest lap I've ran was a 29.6.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Thanks for your in depth description. I won't have this till tomorrow, but you can guarantee I will be working on my "magical" setup, lol. Again, thanks for your description and experiences with the track so far. And yes, after this week, I will be online more now that the Academy is done, lol. I have some very intense daily physical therepy this week then back to 3 times a week. Look forward to seeing you on the track my friend. Peace.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

I'm playing around with your setup right now Adrenaline. Not too worried about gearing at the moment. I'm hoping to be able to go flat out through 1&2, then just lift for 3&4. Thanks for posting a setup. 👍

 

[southernpride20]

Setup's Great ,Flatout Through 1 & 2, Breathe It A Bit In 3 & 4 ,Great Setup Thanks

 

[TheDabbinDave]

I've got a brand new car to break in. I'm getting a 30.7xx on a DS3 and a default tranny set at 217, I'm not good with a DS3

I can go balls out through 1&2 with a couple different corner entry points. If all goes right, I'm able to roll through 3 and pick up the throttle entering 4. The exit of 2 has a frickin SAFER barrier that makes corner exit interesting!

Thanks much!

 

[ilikepizza44]

I've been racing this all night, and have seen people run 29.7's. I have a few tips, and have my setup in the 29.9x's. Be sure you have the 892hp as this track is partially accelaration, but this biggest thing I can say is have a soft racecar. Personally, I like a loose car, so I keep all of the dampers and the roll bars at max. My spring rates are 12 in the front and 13 in the back. Keep the gears at 217, the toe at -.35 (both ends) and camber 1.8 (both ends) and the brake balance at 10 in the front and 5 in the back. Downforce at max and finally ride height jacked up in the front. 15 in the front, 0 in the back. Hope I helped somebody because its so much better when everyone is all together. See ya on the track!!


Edit: 1&2 at 184mph 4th gear, and for 3&4 160-165 in 3rd gear. Be sure to coast in and full throttle out!!! Good luck!!!

 

[WHO_DAT_62]

Ill have to try that. Pretty close to what i have. I'm running 30 flat but car does not role through 3-4 like others. Maybe this will help a little bit.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Well, got the track about and hour ago and after about 45 min. of tuning, I got down to a 29.766 solo hotlapping online, grip set to real, no aids, with fuel and tire wear set to on. Pretty sure I can get it down to 28's with more time. Tires where racing soft btw. Really gotta work on tire wear but for now, just track attack and getting a good feel for the track. Loving the additional oval tho. Peace.

 

[esoxhntr]

interesting, i will have to try the nascars again on this track. the flat out nature of daytona and indy got old quick for me and i more or less abandoned nascar/speedways. this track may make a difference.

now where is bristol at night?

 

[juicy2]

I've been racing this all night, and have seen people run 29.7's. I have a few tips, and have my setup in the 29.9x's. Be sure you have the 892hp as this track is partially accelaration, but this biggest thing I can say is have a soft racecar. Personally, I like a loose car, so I keep all of the dampers and the roll bars at max. My spring rates are 12 in the front and 13 in the back. Keep the gears at 217, the toe at -.35 (both ends) and camber 1.8 (both ends) and the brake balance at 10 in the front and 5 in the back. Downforce at max and finally ride height jacked up in the front. 15 in the front, 0 in the back. Hope I helped somebody because its so much better when everyone is all together. See ya on the track!!


Edit: 1&2 at 184mph 4th gear, and for 3&4 160-165 in 3rd gear. Be sure to coast in and full throttle out!!! Good luck!!!

since u didnt put a lsd setting i tried 5 5 20 and i gained almost a second so far with 60 60 20

but good tune i like it

high 29's so far

 

[ilikepizza44]

Back again, alright so I have my lsd at 60 60 15 now, and I'm running 29.6x's do not brake into 3&4, roll in there and downshift to 3rd at 170, take the low line and punch the gas so it evens out at 165-ish. Then from there just smoothly guide it back to the top of the track for max accelaration.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Back again, alright so I have my lsd at 60 60 15 now, and I'm running 29.6x's do not brake into 3&4, roll in there and downshift to 3rd at 170, take the low line and punch the gas so it evens out at 165-ish. Then from there just smoothly guide it back to the top of the track for max accelaration.

One step ahead of you, been running that corner that way from the beginning. Down to consistant 29.2's now and still tweaking. Will post setup later when I'm done. I'm testing online, tire wear and fuel consumption on, grip set to real.

 

[ilikepizza44]

One step ahead of you, been running that corner that way from the beginning. Down to consistant 29.2's now and still tweaking. Will post setup later when I'm done. I'm testing online, tire wear and fuel consumption on, grip set to real.

That is quick, can't wait for an update.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

That is quick, can't wait for an update.

Yea, its all about how you go thru 3 & 4. Get it wrong, you lose a ton of time but, nail it perfectly, and you got one hell of a lap. Gotta have a car that will hold the bottom easily.

@Adrenaline: I tried your setup just out of curiosity. For me, the car is very unstable down the straits, probably due to all the negative toe. . Also, seems a bit to loose in the turns for me. Try your LSD settings in the opposite direction, I guarantee you will see a positive difference.

 

[Thermite]

Thanks to Who Dat, I have a pretty great setup, and it is really similar to ilikepizza's except for the toe and LSD I think. I'll mess with it and see what happens.

 

[bs13]

Why so much negative toe (toe out) in the front and rear?

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=4734953#post4734953

Toe-in, the front of the wheels on the affected axle (rear) are closer together than the rear's of the same wheels (like a duck's feet). On the rear, this causes the car to increase traction (therefore less oversteer, more understeer), meaning more grip when accelerating. It also increases rolling resistance. Use a little toe-in on cars with too much oversteer.

Toe-out, this is the opposite of above, the front's of the wheels on the affected axle are further apart than the rears (opposite of a duck's feet LOL). On the rear this will cause the back end to step out more readily when turning in. The downside is that straight line stability is affected, because if one wheel loses grip (lock-up under braking fro instance), the other wheel will try to pull the back end out of line. Use toe-out for cars which have too much understeer.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Thats what I meant to say in my post above. Meant to say toe, not camber. I use very little toe on ovals. There is simply no need for such high settings when oval racing. It kills your speed down the straights and cause your car to wobble with such extreme settings.

 

[bs13]

My old Daytona setup had a bunch of negative toe in the rear. Once I got rid of it I gained at least 1 mph on the straights.

Before reading what I quoted above, I always assumed toe out would tighten up the car. I just wonder if others are thinking the same thing or GT5 has it backwards.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

My old Daytona setup had a bunch of negative toe in the rear. Once I got rid of it I gained at least 1 mph on the straights.

Before reading what I quoted above, I always assumed toe out would tighten up the car. I just wonder if others are thinking the same thing or GT5 has it backwards.

Extreme toe settings is also bad for tire wear. Like I said, on ovals where you only turn left and the turns are usually large sweepers, you only need a small amount. Too much, you are only causing problems for yourself.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Extreme toe settings is also bad for tire wear. Like I said, on ovals where you only turn left and the turns are usually large sweepers, you only need a small amount. Too much, you are only causing problems for yourself.

Too bad we can't adjust left and right sides of the car. But then again, that would be another element of confusion and frustration for people who can't tune effectively. Such as myself.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Too bad we can't adjust left and right sides of the car. But then again, that would be another element of confusion and frustration for people who can't tune effectively. Such as myself.

I agree totally with you. Thats the one thing I hate the most is not being able to set each wheel separately. When I do set toe for ovals, I use toe in since the front right tire is the weight bearing tire in the turns. Same with the rear but less than the front.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Using Adrenalin's setup as is, the tires are screaming in the turns. Not in heat, they aren't turning red. But, in sound. The tires sound like they are on the ragged edge of adhesion. Should it be like this? Why is it like this? I'm guessing it's because the setup is pretty stiff?

I still haven't been able to run this setup with my wheel. I'm using a DS3. My daughter is consumed with LBP and Sims Pets . Gotta love summer break!

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

When the tires start squealing, that means you have passed their max grip level. I always say, a quiet tire is a happy tire. On Adrenaline's tune, I believe that stems from the extreme toe settings and stiff front suspension. When I tune, I always use the tire indicators to see just how soft I can go with the suspension before it starts bottoming out.

 

[Adrenaline]

The toe was simply to even out tire wear across the tires. While it slows you down short term, it's worth it long term. (Based on race length) Having said that, those value were just where I ended with toe, which is not to say it ended it a good spot. I haven't had a chance to play since I posted the initial setup, but as expected far superior tunes are already in existence and I would recommend going with the settings posted by other members. This thread was an attempt to isolate all Motegi Nascar discussions in one thread, rather than see multiple show up in the next week or two. Glad to hear there's some good racing, and setups are coming around. Once I get the time, I'll sit down and try and work out a tune myself. Looking forward to hearing your guys' progress though.

 

[bs13]

Thanks for your toe explanation. I was in a room the night before last and others also had tunes with a lot of negative toe. Tire wear wasn't a concern in that room though.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

The toe was simply to even out tire wear across the tires. While it slows you down short term, it's worth it long term. (Based on race length) Having said that, those value were just where I ended with toe, which is not to say it ended it a good spot. I haven't had a chance to play since I posted the initial setup, but as expected far superior tunes are already in existence and I would recommend going with the settings posted by other members. This thread was an attempt to isolate all Motegi Nascar discussions in one thread, rather than see multiple show up in the next week or two. Glad to hear there's some good racing, and setups are coming around. Once I get the time, I'll sit down and try and work out a tune myself. Looking forward to hearing your guys' progress though.

I know where your coming from with that tune. With my comments, I was only speaking from a hot lap or short sprint race (5-6 laps) point of view. Haven't even began to work on an enduro setup yet.

 

[Master_gamer438]

I always tune like that, see how fast I can get the car, then slow it down intentionally for enduro. Such as, my 550PP CSL can run Nurburg @ a 6 36, no tire wear, or 3 laps under 6 50 on RS (Enduro). Sadly I dont have new track, as I just bought BF3 Premium (49.99)

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

I always tune like that, see how fast I can get the car, then slow it down intentionally for enduro. Such as, my 550PP CSL can run Nurburg @ a 6 36, no tire wear, or 3 laps under 6 50 on RS (Enduro). Sadly I dont have new track, as I just bought BF3 Premium (49.99)

Looks like I taught you well Herbie, lol. jk. You really need to get the track so we can practice together. We could have some real fun, get all the guys back together again and just rip it up. If there is a way I could pay for the track for you so you can have it, I will.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

Looks like I taught you well Herbie, lol. jk. You really need to get the track so we can practice together. We could have some real fun, get all the guys back together again and just rip it up. If there is a way I could pay for the track for you so you can have it, I will.

Depending on how close your friendship is, you could gift him a PSN Card or a refillable prepaid debit card because PSN cards are not entirely fairly priced. They should be refillable....but they're not

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Depending on how close your friendship is, you could gift him a PSN Card or a refillable prepaid debit card because PSN cards are not entirely fairly priced. They should be refillable....but they're not

How do I go about gifting him a card. As I see it, $5.00 is really nothing compared to the fun times to be had among friends. If I can help out a friend, I will, no problem. Thanks Dave.