[PS4] WEDNESDAYS - Join us on Project Cars 2Finished 

As I managed to get at my PS4 just in time to enter the (first) room, I could race with you though.

Here are the results from Sakitto Sprint

Sakitto Sprint.jpg


Sorry couldn´t get the qulifying times as well.

Btw sorry, jefaais if my breaking points were too early when you were behind me, but I couldn´t practise at all because of absence.

So long see you next time
 
Round 5 from Sakitto Sprint

Round 5 Sakitto Sprint.jpg


Apologies guys for loading the wrong track at the start of the meeting - I spotted the mistake when I exited the pits!

Even though I only came 6th I was very happy with that race. I qualified 6th and was passed by Skip, but found myself in 6th as I passed someone on the line - I was being very careful not to anticipate the start and risk a false start. Skip went wide and I slipped through then Simba spun off and I was in 4th.Unfortunately I started to think "Wow this would be a good result, but unlikely with Simba and Jefaais getting closer behind". Sure enough I slid wide onto enough gravel to lose speed and let Simba and Jefaais through. I had a good gap to 7th (Skip), but the gap to 5th was opening up. I decided to relax and just enjoy the laps and managed to get into a steady, safe, but not fast rhythm then suddenly I was picking off the back markers (AI) some of whom were having their own battle. Having become detached from the lead group this added some welcome excitement to my race.

Normally I practise with the Lotus 51 by setting opponents to 15, AI level to 100 and giving them a small head start. I got home from work early and while dinner was cooking had time for some practise before the race - apologies for not accepting your invitation Skip. I tried something which I strongly recommend to @Skip7950 and @John Wells - for practise I set time to 30 minutes, AI to 40 (like the race) opponent numbers to maximum (I think 44) and then set off from the back. I took it slow and careful off the start not passing anyone, then gradually got faster passing the AI, but being careful not to take any risks - by the end I had lapped the AI (most of them twice) and had completed about 75 safe overtakes. I found this to be a very good way of learning the areas of the track on which it is safe to pass the AI and when I caught them in the race I was more relaxed and confident and made less mistakes. In previous rounds I have sometimes accidentally hit the AI in the race and qualifying.

I will be sticking with having AI as I feel that the lapping of them adds a lot to the race experience. When we first started racing on Project Cars the intention had been that the AI would be competitive with the second tier drivers like myself and John Wells, but when turned up they become too aggressive. Setting them low makes them more docile and easier to pass and adds the excitement of lapping. I have found that Project Cars is very inconsistent with AI levels so it is easy to beat them in the single seaters and high grip race cars, but much harder in the Aston Martin and saloons. I will endeavour to set the AI levels so that they are docile and easy to pass - the Round 0 test races will give an opportunity to double check this.

The championship is looking good for Flaco, but @buybon355 is a strong challenger and SimbaLora has done well in the Type 51 in the last two rounds. It will be difficult for them to catch the flying Flaco!

Another strong performance and good driving from @jefaais


Next Round 6 from Brands Hatch GP



Above a lap of Brands Hatch GP using the modern Formula Ford with 6 gears and 165bhp - the original Formula Fords had a (weak) 4 speed Renault gearbox and stock 78bhp Cortina GT engine - soon superseded by a (strong) 4 speed Hewland and blue printing of the standard engine was allowed.
 
No worries sick, I know it's not intentional. Enjoyed the battle all the same. I got caught up in the tangle at bottom bend too, as well as dropping it twice of my own accord.

Wheel was at a funny angle after the first contact and even worse after the second. All part of the fun!
 
Round 6 from Brands Hatch GP

I managed to squeeze in 15 minutes practise before work, which must have helped as I managed to qualify 4th. Unfortunately with my focus on not jump starting I got a poor start and was 7th. A couple of cars slid off on the exit to the hairpin and suddenly I was 5th. The leaders were still close and I was lapping nicely, but losing some time on the final two corners including onto the start finish straight. I think Tigerpaw came past me, but Buybon had a bobble and suddenly I was past them both and back into 4th. For a while I could see them looming ominously larger in my mirrors and knew it was only a matter of time - slightly slow into Graham Hill bend and they caught me. Unfortunately as a result of a racing incident I was spun round into the path of Buybon. A few seconds were lost rejoining the track and three positions dropping me to 7th. I put in some of my best laps and noticed that Buybon was now 3.6 seconds ahead. He must have made a mistake because suddenly the gap was less than a second. This spurred me on - I could see that he was struggling in places with his car slipping wide etc. (because of earlier damage). We had a great battle for a few laps, passing and repassing then in an attempt to get a better drive onto the start finish straight, for a passing attempt, I braked early and got a good drive - unfortunately I was too close (and / or not skilled enough) to avoid a collision when Buybons car started to follow the same line. Buybon went backwards into the wall while I went in forwards. It took me a lot longer to extract my car and I lost around 9 seconds. I was resigned to finishing a lonely 7th, but crossed the line in 6th with Flaco suffering a technical problem and dropping to 7th. John Wells came in 8th with "Streaming Expert" Rayoudenaar 11th - welcome!

Congratulations to Classic Formula Ford Champion Flaco

Round 6.jpg


Congratulations to Champion Flaco and Vice-Champion Buybon

Licenses - I have updated the licenses - these are now:
Platinum - Project Cars Championship Winner
Gold - Project Cars Race Winner
Silver - The rest

How licenses will be used - most of the time they will not have any relevance, but to add some spice to Season 3 for the Lotus 49, Platinum and Gold drivers will use the car without the wing, while Silver drivers will use the easier to control winged version. Silver drivers who win in the winged car will become Gold just for the duration of that championship and will switch to the wingless car.

Licenses may enable us to do some multi-class racing in the future - perhaps on Project Cars 2 when the number of regular racers is higher.

Next Round - Season 2, Lotus 40 Test Round 0
Lotus 40 Poster 2.jpg


Note - We are looking for clean, enthusiastic drivers to join this series and our Monday series - Novice or Pro welcome!
 
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Have you looked at the replay sick? I was surprised you didn't notice me on the inside as i had my front wing at par with your front wheel when you tried to turn in.

...says a guy who also wants the gold licence as well ;-)

Race Report has been amended to reflect racing incident.

The thread has been updated with the Season 2 Lotus 40 information so please check out the beginning of the thread and let me know your choice of livery if it is not already listed on page 1.

Note about the Lotus 40 in Project Cars - In real life this was not a good car, defeating even the skills of works drivers Jim Clark and Richie Ginther - the only version to taste real success was the private Willment entered car driven and developed by three time BSCC (BTCC) champion Frank Gardner. Below, Frank's driving impressions given in his typically modest and humorous style:


Type 40 Driving Impressions.jpg


Driving the Lotus 40 in Project Cars
In the game, on stock settings, you will have to adjust your driving style to suit this car. At first it feels like it just won't turn - try doing everything earlier - braking and turn in - and get back on the power very early in a high gear using the low rev high torque engine to overcome the initial understeer. It can be a very enjoyable car to drive, but you need to relax and go slower to get faster - turn the sound up high and wallow in the thunderous bass and if like me you are lucky enough to have a tactile transducer system, enjoy the thump in the back you get with each gear change!
 
Race Report has been amended to reflect racing incident.

Unfair imho, i have the inner line (i'm well up on you) and making the turn with ease. You have the outside, correct entry line and want to hit the apex at the exit. You have two car widths on your outside and cant take for granted i will stop entirely for you to make a normal turn, in a racing situation with a car on your inside.

I know i been involved in some incidents prior to this and always giving the position back if my fault. This has worked the other way around as well.
This time though i felt i was the one who "got clipped" (if any) as i was sure i: had the inside, was well up on you, did brake without locking up, made the turn.
 
Why were these cars, hard to drive, in real life, design problems?

Yes - Poor aerodynamic properties - particularly front and / or rear lift. Some cars had good aero in a straightline, but lift in yaw - when the body was at an angle, when entering a corner. Lack of torsional rigidity - the chassis would flex while cornering or over bumps. For some cars the steering geometry would change when the front wheels would go over bumps / bump steer. Extreme rear weight bias from using big cast iron engines - especially when they were shoe horning huge engines into tiny European cars. Finally poor tyres which were hard and narrow - they improved dramatically and rapidly in a few years.

The main problems with the Lotus 30 /40 were poor aerodynamics - specifically front lift which they overcame with spoilers and changes to the body shape. Poor chassis design - chassis flex - they tried reinforcing the chassis, but really they were polishing a t@rd because the chassis concept was just wrong.

They took this chassis concept from the Lotus Elan (which was successful on a small car with a lightweight engine):

Cutaway%20by%20factory.jpg


Reversed it for a big heavy V8 and created a very fast car which flexed unpredictably while cornering:

9919861524_29270877e2_b.jpg
 

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