[VRR][B-SPEC] 2018 Vodafone IndyCar Series season

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Eva

Eva

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The 2018 Vodafone IndyCar Series presented by VRR Network will be the third season of American open wheel racing organized by Virtual Reality Racing, and the 107th season overall, with its teams and drivers competing for the VRR IndyCar World Driver's Championship and Team's Championship. The series will feature two premier events for the first time, with the 107th Indianapolis 500 and the 76th Grand Prix du Monaco being on the 2018 calendar. The 2018 season will see the introduction of a new engine supplier in Alpine, as well as a new V8 engine formula, with the twin turbo V6 engine formula being retained only by Honda due to a lack of testing for their V8 engine. The 2018 season will be the last with the current aero kit, with a new era of cars to be announced during the season. Kunimitsu Kino****a will enter the season as the Indianapolis 500 Champion, while Andrew Draco will enter as the VRR IndyCar World Champion. Polaris Motorsports will enter the season as the Team Champion, and Honda enters the season as Engine Cup champion.
Open Test: Austin Test/Circuit of the Americas/06-07 January 2018
Closed Test: Ferrari Test/Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya/13-14 January 2018
Closed Test: Alpine Test/Circuito del Jarama/13-14 January 2018
Exhibition: 2018 Monster Shootout/Homestead-Miami Speedway/200 laps/28 January 2018
Round 01: Foster's Indy Grand Prix of Australia/Calder Park Thunderdome/208 laps/03 February 2018
Round 02: Honda Indy 300/Twin Ring Motegi/200 laps/17 February 2018
Round 03: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Florida/Streets of St. Petersburg/110 laps/11 March 2018
Round 04: Spotify Indy 250/Phoenix International Raceway/250 laps/25 March 2018
Round 05: GoPro Indy Grand Prix of California/Sonoma Raceway/100 laps/01 April 2018
Round 06: NOS Energy Indy 225/Nazareth Speedway/225 laps/15 April 2018
Round 07: Pirelli Indy Grand Prix of Texas/Circuit of the Americas/60 laps/29 April 2018
Round 08: 107th VRR Indianapolis 500/Indianapolis Motor Speedway/200 laps/13 May 2018
Round 09: TAG Heuer Grand Prix du Monaco/Circuit de Monte-Carlo/78 laps/27 May 2018
Round 10: Repsol Indy Grand Prix of Brno/Automotodrom Brno/50 laps/10 June 2018
Round 11: EnergoPetrol Indy Grand Prix of Bosnia/Sarajevo International Circuit/56 laps/24 June 2018
Round 12-13: Molson Indy Toronto Duels/Exhibition Place/90 laps/07-08 July 2018
Round 14: Lipton Indy 300/New Hampshire Motor Speedway/300 laps/22 July 2018
Round 15: Chevrolet Indy 500/Michigan International Speedway/250 laps/29 July 2018.
Round 16: Quaker State 300/Kentucky Speedway/200 laps/12 August 2018
Round 17: Cheez It Indy Grand Prix of Watkins Glen/Watkins Glen International/60 laps/19 August 2018
Round 18: Sunoco Indy 250/Iowa Speedway/250 laps/02 September 2018
Round 19: Hershey's Indy 500/Pocono Raceway/200 laps/16 September 2018
Round 20: Sargento Indy Grand Prix of Wisconsin/Road America/47 laps/30 September 2018
Round 21: Wal-Mart Indy Grand Prix of Ohio/Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course/90 laps/07 October 2018
Round 22: Pepsi Indy 300/Richmond International Raceway/200 laps/14 October 2018
Round 23: Intel Indy 500/Auto Club Speedway/250 laps/21 October 2018
Round 24: Wells Fargo Indy Grand Prix of Manhatten/New York Raceway/80 laps/04 November 2018
*-Races underlined are part of the 2018 Royal Crown.
Full Time Roster​
Total Full Time Entries=40
Alpine Entries: 10/10
Chevrolet Entries: 9/10
Ferrari Entries: 10/10
Ford Entries: 6/10
Honda Entries: 7/10

Apex Racing-Cosworth [Ford]
#97: Ronald Walker (NZL) (R)/Elf/Total/Rip Curl
Big Blue Motorsports-Chevrolet
#90: Mark Santos (USA)/Bud Light/TBD/TBD
Black Rose Racing-Ferrari
#7: Patrick Marcelli (ITA)/GoDaddy/Jack Daniel's/Coca-Cola
#8: Victor Santos (BRA)/G'zox/Lexar/Coca-Cola
#9: Michael White (USA)/Bambi/Duracell/Coca-Cola
#81: Nicole Liechti (SUI)/TE Connectivity/Stanley-Dewalt/Coca-Cola
Black Rose Racing with British Airways Racing
#23: E.C. Gadget (ENG) (R)/British Airways
Cat Devil Racing-Ferrari
#16: Nii Aryeetey (USA)/Okuma/Arby's/Wrigley's
#17: Kaylee Zappa (ITA)/GoPro/Mountain Dew/Oakley
#18: Kunimitsu Kino****a (JPN)/Sony/Okuma/Nikon
#19: Camyron Jackson (USA)/GameStop/Sony/Pepsi
Cherokee GP-Alpine
#26: Jerome Torres (PHI)/SoftBank/San Miguel/Aeon Japan
#33: Behrris Windross (USA)/Petronas/Moxie/NOS Energy
#96: Ronald Hahn (DEU) (R)/Gulf Oil (road courses)
#96: Alicja Kowalkiewicz (POL) (R)/NOS Energy (ovals)
Ecurie Ecosse-Ford
#10: Gary Slater (SCO)/Johnnie Walker/Turn 10 Studios/twitch.tv
Eiffel Tower Racing-Alpine
#27: Aaron van der Linden (CAN)/Calsonic/Red Bull/TBD
#67: Jamie Ngaire-Jardine (NZL)/Boost Mobile/Pirtek/Fujitsu
#80: Astrid Krane (NOR) (R)/Bass Pro Shops/Red Bull/Old Spice
Equipa Chama Transatlantica-Chevrolet
#30: Matheus Michelin (BRA)/Superchips
#76: Nico Costa-Monteiro (POR)/Burger King/Namco Bandai/Royal Purple
Escuderia Aguila-Honda
#24: Miguel Espinoza (ARG)/Brembo/Nike/General Electric
#48: Cristine Espinoza (ARG)/The Aroma Cafe/Nationwide/Miller Lite
Highlight Racing-Honda
#77: Rachel Koivuniemi (FIN) (R)/ACDelco/Microsoft/Wal-Mart
#78: Simona Leroux (SUI) (R)/Nuclear Clean Air-Entergy/Energizer/Oreo
Perl Speed GP-Ferrari
#55: Ryan Perlstein (USA)/Amazon/Sabaton/Novitec
Phantom Motorsports-Honda
#13: Andrew Draco (USA)/Adidas/Valvoline/In-N-Out Burger
#31: TBD (TBD)/Domino's Pizza/Pilot Travel Centers/Western Union
Rainbow Road Racing-Honda
#64: Kevin Ritter (AUS)/Mobil 1/TBD/TBD
Scuderia Rabia Furiosa-Chevrolet
#11: Alex Rivera (LUX)/Target/T-Mobile/K&N
TBD: TBD (TBD)/TBD
Starion Motorsports-Ford
#39: Jordan Fisher (USA) (R)/Fanatec/Snap-On/AT&T
#43: Ray Taylor (CAN)/Lego/National Geographic/Folger's
#79: B.K. Glover (USA)/The Y/Dublin Bottling Works/Lenovo
#86: Adrian Ragus (IRE)/Kicker Audio
Striker Motorsports-Chevrolet
#4: Diego Jaramillo (ESP)/P.Mu/P.Mu Brakes/Repsol
#5: Mohammad Ahmed (PAK)/Serene Air/Lux Soap/Walls Ice Cream
#22: Jacob Descoteau (USA)/Chick-Fil-A/Raybrig/San Pelligrino
#84: Stephanie Porter-Kelley (BIH)/Alienware/Subway/Bethesda Studios
Vodafone Racing Team Impulse-Alpine
#2: Thomas Rogers (USA)/Vodafone/Panasonic/Castrol Edge
#3: Sakura Ishibashi (JPN)/Vodafone/Samsung/Dairy Queen
#6: Tyler Parker (USA) (R)/Vodafone/TAG Heuer/Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
#12: William Manor (ENG)/Vodafone/Deutsche Post/Shell
Part Time Roster​
Escuderia Aguila-Honda
#25: Isabel Espinoza (ARG) (R)/Miller Lite
Free Agents​
Alan Herrera (MEX) $190,000
Pedro Harsk (POR) $1,000,000
Stefan Montana (USA) $1,500,000

1.1. All GTPlanet members have the ability to enter an AI driver eligible to compete in a VRR B-Spec Series. These AI drivers enable the ability for people to race when they otherwise cannot compete in an A-Spec series.
1.2. AI drivers must enable creativity in VRR. Parodying or trying to use a real life racing driver, living or deceased will see that attempt immediately nullified and will not be acknowledged.
1.2.1. Using celebrities, living or deceased, or fictional characters, currently being used or discontinued, will not be acknowledged or allowed by VRR.
1.2.2. AI drivers must have a realistic first and last name. Drivers must also originate from a realistic location. For example, SpongeBob Squarepants from Bikini Bottom IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
1.3. AI drivers must have statistics entered for them to program how they behave on the race track. GTPlanet members can control how their drivers behave on track as well as their pit crew.
1.3.1. A form available at the bottom of the original post for this series is available for anyone to enter one (1) AI driver.
1.4. AI drivers can get injured in crashes in VRR. In the instance that a driver is injured, that AI driver's owner cannot make their own replacement. Another GTPlanet member can have their AI driver called in as a substitution until the original AI driver is fit enough to return to action.
1.4.1. In the instance that an injury is deemed appropriate, VRR and the GTPlanet member in question will determine in advance of the race being broadcast what those injuries may be and the time they will miss in the season.
1.4.2. In the instance that an AI driver is deemed to have suffered fatal injuries, the GTPlanet member may be given the opportunity to register a new AI driver which will become active the following season. This may be done up to twice.
1.4.3. In the instance that the injured driver needs to be retired, the GTPlanet member controlling the driver may create a substitution.
2.1. All drivers in the series will have similar base stats for the different track types in the series. For the Road Course, Short Oval, Speedway, and Superspeedway stats, the maximum base stats will be set to 70, while the minimum will be set to 40.
2.2. Drivers will be able to automatically increase their track stats with pole positions, podiums, and race wins.
2.2.1. If a driver wins on a Superspeedway or Speedway, their minimum and maximum Superspeedway rating will increase by 1.
2.2.2. If a driver earns a pole position or a podium on a Superspeedway (1.51 miles or greater) or Speedway (1.01 to 1.50 miles), their minimum stats will increase by 1.
2.2.3. If a driver wins a race on a Road Course, their Road Course and Short Oval minimum and maximum will increase by 1.
2.2.4. If a driver earns a pole position or podium on a Road Course, their Road Course and Short Oval minimum will increase by 1.
2.2.5. If a driver wins a race on a Short Oval (under 1 mile), only their Short Oval minimum and maximum will increase by 1.
2.2.6. If a driver earns a pole position or a podium on a Short Oval, their Short Oval minimum will increase by 1.
2.2.7. Each VRR IndyCar World Driver's Champion will have 1 point added to each of their track stats for both the maximum and minimum.
2.3. All drivers with podiums, pole positions or wins from previous VRR IndyCar seasons will have those automatically included in their stats.
3.1. Much of VRR's B-Spec competitions revolve around teams of AI drivers. GTPlanet members may register teams and hire other GTPlanet members' AI drivers to race for them throughout the season.
3.2. Teams, like the drivers, must be unique and original. Using names of racing teams that exist in real life is prohibited. Using the names of racing teams that no longer exist is also prohibited.
3.2.1. In the instance that a team carries over it's name from 2016, if it does not conform with rule 2.2., they may continue to use that name as long as it remains unaltered.
3.2.2. Team names must be AUP friendly.
3.3. Teams must first decide on which engine supplier they will use from and the tire company they want to supply their racing tires.
3.4. Teams must adhere to a financial plan and stay afloat and out of large debt. (See Section 11)
3.5. Teams have the ability of having 4 full time entries and 2 part time entries in a season.
3.5.1. Part time entries can run up to two (2) AI drivers for up to 5 points paying races for each driver. That part time entry can also compete in exhibitions if they are eligible as well as tests.
3.5.2. Full time entries can be filled by a single AI driver, and can have up to two different paint schemes.
3.6. Teams will compete for a points championship, where the best driver from each race will score points for that team.
3.7. Sister teams or developmental teams will be prohibited beginning with the 2018 season. Teams can run a fifth full time car with separate branding and lesser funding instead.
4.1. All paint schemes must first and foremost be in complience with GTPlanet's Acceptable Use Policy.
4.2. GTPlanet IDs no longer need to be present on the car. This will allow for substitutions in the case of keyfabe injuries or a GTPlanet member being banned for however long.
4.3. Numbers appearing within the rear wheel guards must be present on all cars. Rookies must have these numbers colored yellow. (The location of these numbers on the template are designated ?? for easy reference.)
4.4. A primary sponsor and up to 8 associate sponsors can be present on the car. Primary sponsors are exclusive to that driver and their team, whereas secondary, tertiary, associate sponsors can be shared by any driver in the field as an associate sponsor only. Each full time driver can have up to three main sponsors (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary), one for each separate scheme, and those schemes must be submitted together at one time.
4.5. Engine logos must appear on the nose of the car and on the engine cover.
4.6. Tire manufacturer logo must appear on the nose of the car and on the sidepod facing the front wheels.
4.7. On top of the numbers in the wheel guards, car numbers must appear on the nose of the car and the rear winglets. These two number placements must be identical to each other.
4.8. The series contingency logo must appear on the nose of the car and the roll bar behind the driver's head.
4.9. If possible, team logos must appear beside the cockpit on the sidepod.
4.10. Tobacco sponsors are prohibited.
4.11 Engine manufacturers cannot be sponsors of any kind. They already have contingencies on the car. Pick something else.
4.12. Itashas, "MLG" cars, and any ludicrous designs also will be discarded.
4.13. All sponsors on the cars must be real life companies.
4.14. Driver surnames and national flags will be required to be on both sides of the cockpit either on the foam bar beside the driver's head, or on the side above the side pod.
5.1. Each full time entry has the ability to have three paint schemes, with each scheme having a main sponsor. Additionally, there are up to 8 associate sponsor slots that teams can use to build up the finances for that entry.
5.2. The main sponsor for the primary paint scheme will provide $3,000,000 at the beginning of the season.
5.2.1. The primary scheme is required to be used at 12 points races in 2018.
5.3. The main sponsor for the secondary paint scheme will provide $2,000,000 at the beginning of the season.
5.3.1. The secondary scheme is required to be used at 7-12 races.
5.4. The main sponsor for the tertiary paint scheme will provide $1,000,000 at the beginning of the season.
5.4.1. The tertiary scheme must be used at least 3 races if utilized.
5.5. Each sponsor, main or associate, will contribute money per race based on performance.
5.5.1. For each race finished, the main scheme sponsor will provide $75,000. For each race not finished, the primary scheme sponsor will provide $30,000. For each race with a failure to qualify, the primary scheme will only provide $10,000.
5.5.2. For each race finished, associate sponsors will provide $10,000. For each race not finished, associate sponsors will provide $5,000. For races failed to qualify, associate sponsors will not contribute to the team.
6.1. Each Dallara HV18 chassis will cost $350,000. Aerodynamic parts will cost an additional $100,000.
6.2. Each engine supplier will provide engine leases for a year for varying amounts in 2018 instead of charging per engine used. Rebadged engine leases will be 25% cheaper than the marquee engine.
6.2.1. Alpine have set the price of their engine lease to $1,500,000. For their rebadged Dacia engines, the lease price will be $1,125,000.
6.2.2. Chevrolet have set the price of their engine lease to $1,250,000. For their rebadged Cadillac engines, the lease price will be $937,500
6.2.3. Ferrari have set the price of their engine lease to $2,000,000. For their rebadged Alfa Romeo engines, the lease price will be $1,500,000
6.2.4. Ford have yet to determine the price of their engine lease.
6.2.5. Honda have set the price of their engine lease to $750,000. For the detuned Acura engines, the lease price will be $500,000.
6.3. Each team will be charged a $500,000 entry fee for each full time entry. Part time entries will be charged $60,000 per points event entered.
6.4. Each team will have a base operating cost of $1,500,000. Teams with more than two entries will have an increased operating cost of $2,500,000.
6.5. For each test event and race weekend, teams must pay $15,000 for each entry for fuel expenses, as well as $60,000 for each entry for tire expenses.
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2018 VRR IndyCar Template is available here.
VRR YouTube page is available here.
2018 AI Stat form is available here.
VRR Driver Information form is available here.
VRR Discord Invite is here.
 
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RESERVED FOR POINTS STANDINGS
 
RESERVED FOR CAR DISPLAYS
 
RESERVED FOR 2017 TEAM FINANCE REPORTS
 
Silly Season for 2018​
Drivers Entering:
-Ronald Walker will enter the series with debuting team Apex Racing.
-Victor Santos will be entering the series with Black Rose Racing, replacing Alan Herrera.
-Ronald Hahn will enter the series with Cherokee GP, replacing Michael White.
-Astrid Krane will drive for Eiffel Tower Racing full time in 2018, replacing Sebastian Devereux. Krane drove in Devereux's place in six events in 2017.
-Rachel Koivuniemi and Simona Leroux will be joining the series with Highlight Racing, with Koivuniemi coming from Formula Two, and Leroux coming from Formula One.

Drivers Leaving/Open:
-Alan Herrera was not resigned by Black Rose Racing following the 2017, entering the free agent market.
-Hugo Del Prete was suspended for the final two races of 2017 for a serious accident with Nicole Liechti while under caution. Subsequently, Del Prete left the series entirely.
-Steven Gnash will not be returning to the series in any capacity in 2018, after driving for Black Rose Racing for the Royal Crown events in 2017, and driving for Cat Devil Racing in 2016 where he won the Indianapolis 500.
-Jerome Torres was released from Vodafone Racing Team Impulse following the 2017 season, entering the free agent market.

Drivers Changing Teams:
-Andrew Draco left Black Rose Racing at the end of the 2017 season to join Phantom Motorsports. Michael White, who was out of a contract with Cherokee GP at the end of the season, signed a multi-year deal to drive in the vacant seat.
-Jamie Ngaire-Jardine left Striker Motorsports at the end of the year for Eiffel Tower Racing, joining Astrid Krane. Striker Motorsports signed Mohammad Ahmed to fill the seat for 2018.
-Thomas Rogers left Swift Autosport before the team folded at the end of 2017, joining Vodafone Racing Team Impulse as it expanded to four cars in 2018. The Alpine factory effort also released Jerome Torres, who was replaced by William Manor coming over from the shut down Team Kate Upton.
-With the Starion/Sovereign Motorsports merger, Adrian Ragus signed on to drive for the Ford factory effort in 2018.

Teams Entering:
-Highlight Racing will return to IndyCar racing in 2018, after having last competed under IRG sanctioning in 2013. The team will field two full time entries powered by Honda.
-Escuderia Aguila returns under similar circumstances, having last competed in 2012. It also enters with Honda power, and will have two full time entries and a part time entry in 2018.
-Crystal Cove Racing returns to IndyCar after brief hiatus. The team had tried joining in 2017, and last competed in 2015 before VRR sanctioning took over. With Ford power, the team will have two full time entries.
-Apex Racing will have a one car entry and will utilize rebadged Ford engines in its first year of competition.
-Phantom Motorsports will enter the 2018 grid with two full time entries. Utilizing Honda engines, the team is seeking factory status with the Japanese manufacturer in 2019.

Teams Leaving:
-Swift Autosport, having endured two less than successful seasons, was forced into liquidation at the end of 2017, having not procured any drivers or funds to continue in the series.
-Team Kate Upton left the series at the end of 2017, with Hugo Del Prete's departure from the series. The team's sister team became its own entity, Equipa Chama Transatlantica, and retained Matheus Michelin and Nico Costa-Monteiro as it became a Portuguese team.
-Sovereign Motorsports entered a merger with Starion Motorsports, with all three drivers securing drives for 2018. Sovereign Engineering, which is associated to Sovereign Motorsports, remains a separate entity in the FICA International Endurance Championship.
-Team Porter remerged into Black Rose Racing, with the team setting aside an entry for E.C. Gadget in association with British Airways
 
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BKGlover
I've been waiting for this to open. Now to get home and get to work on my cars.
Click to expand...

Expect a PM from me in regards to my secondary and tertiary schemes.

@RACECAR, the only change I'm requesting on the Johnnie Walker car is the switch from Audi engines to Ford. None of the sponsors or colors are changing.
 
AudiMan2011
Expect a PM from me in regards to my secondary and tertiary schemes.

@RACECAR, the only change I'm requesting on the Johnnie Walker car is the switch from Audi engines to Ford. None of the sponsors or colors are changing.
Click to expand...
Not even the amount of associate sponsors?
 
 
Oh whoops. Got confused by the A.I registration saying 70. Is it alright to start over or do I have to deal with a really 🤬 driver for 2018 :lol:?
Eva
70? You have 550 points at your disposal.
Click to expand...
 
RESHIRAM5
Oh whoops. Got confused by the A.I registration saying 70. Is it alright to start over or do I have to deal with a really 🤬 driver for 2018 :lol:?
Click to expand...
You can start over or just stick with your 2017 stats.
 
AudiMan2011
Expect a PM from me in regards to my secondary and tertiary schemes.

@RACECAR, the only change I'm requesting on the Johnnie Walker car is the switch from Audi engines to Ford. None of the sponsors or colors are changing.
Click to expand...

Got it 👍
 
Something that will be released by next week will be how the race engineers will work. Of course, once that has been covered, people can create their own as long as they are within reason.
 
Template for race engineers is up for those interested in making their own. All race engineers must be submitted for review to ensure fairness. Also, stating that the deadline for cars is November 1st, so let the work commence. 2017 races will still be coming out during that timespan.
 
The #81 will not have Nicole Liechti in it for the 2018 Monster Shootout at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Black Rose Racing have announced that instead, Evangeline Porter will be piloting the #81 with a special paint scheme while Liechti will be in Spain testing a potential 2019 chassis.
 
Another fresh face will be joining Black Rose Racing in 2018, several Brazilian outlets are reporting. Newcomer Victor Santos is set to drive the number 8 Ferrari full time beginning in 2018. Full terms of contract as well as funding for the seat are expected to be announced later this weekend in a formal announcement at Black Rose Racing's base in Cincinnati, Ohio.
 
Considering a comeback to B-Spec racing of sorts. Is this a fully-fledged B-Spec series, or an A-Spec series with a B-Spec option?
 

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