AC Caterham 420 R Race @ Zandvoort - Weds 29th July 2020

[Locoblade]

Great racing again chaps, I was on the verge of binning this off yesterday as I still don't really like the car's handling unlike a lot of you, but glad I didn't and glad I got home from work in time to join.

Spookily similar events to Monday overall, qualifying 6th (like Monday), a lonely first race (like Monday) after the first couple of laps dicing with Matt (nice overtake into the chicane!). Started on pole in the second race and led the first lap (like Monday), then made a small mistake (like Monday) onto the front straight letting @Neilski through who apparently didn't like staring at his surname printed on the back of my car for too long? Then unlike Monday's second minor mistake this time I completely binned it at the top of the hill when I was too busy watching what @pretend racer was doing on the inside and ran a couple of feet wide onto the grass at the point I needed to be braking, ending up in the kitty litter. From there though had a really enjoyable race with @Interslice, @stribbeck and I think @HF2000 just behind us, it was a shame the latter two tangled at the first corner to break up the party mid race

 

[GeekyDeaks]

is it worth it scott to use the clutch when your only using paddle shifters?
id love to try manuel shifter but i think i have enough trouble getting round the track as it is

Other more accomplished racers might have a different opinion, but my gut instinct is no

If I understand correctly, the main benefit is when downshifting and to take advantage of that I'm pretty sure you'll need to heel/toe it because you'll be wanting it during braking. Personally I'd just stick with practicing lines and smooth inputs and just suck up the small time loss when you downshift on exit.

I did manage to semi-master blipping the throttle whilst braking and downshifting in the Skoda 130 without a clutch, but that took some practice and I never got around to it in the Caterham

 

[Medilloni]

That was excellent. 10/10 combo. Never thought much of this track before but these cars really brought out the good in it. Some great racing. Sorry to @Medilloni for cut back into you in the first race. Was trying to cut back on the car that passed me. Done similar to @Han fazzi in the second... Wasn't expecting you to be following the other car up the inside. Not sure what the rules of the road are there. Possible dive bomb/tailgating grey area territory?

Apologies here too Brian, I saw you'd gone wide and so I took the apex, but didn't expect you to cut back so much... then realised you had a car on your outside but by then I couldn't get the nose any further in. I hung back for you 'cos I wasn't sure, and hope it didn't spoil your race too much.

 

[Neilski]

who apparently didn't like staring at his surname printed on the back of my car for too long

LOL, no I was totally enjoying that but the best bit was that for a while in that race it wasn't me making the mistakes (after soo many in race 1). Glad you didn't bin it off and enjoyed it!

As for blipping... I gave up a long time ago and just went with auto blip. Switching between different cars was giving me a pain in the rear - some of them had it built in and some didn't. I'd get used to a car that had it built in, and then switch to a car that didn't (e.g. MX-5 Cup, I think?) and spin the damn thing at the first chicane! And blipping all of the time (even in cars where the ECU does it for you) seemed to cause some issues when my timing mismatched with the car and the revs didn't match so well...

One thing I'd mention: with my trusty G27 and paddles, I have recently found that I seem to lose much less ground to other people at the start (or even gain ground) if I engage first gear with the clutch down and then drop the clutch at the green light. I had always previously waited in neutral and just pulled the upshift paddle and let the game shift for me on green. Not sure why this is quicker, but it doesn't seem to be placebo level
NB: I never use the clutch again after that, as I have no space for the shifter on my desk.

 

[Spilskinanka]

It's a tricky car to drive for sure, but I had fun after limited practice. See you all on Sunday

 

[Interslice]

Apologies here too Brian, I saw you'd gone wide and so I took the apex, but didn't expect you to cut back so much... then realised you had a car on your outside but by then I couldn't get the nose any further in. I hung back for you 'cos I wasn't sure, and hope it didn't spoil your race too much.

No worries john, it was an odd move. I'd love more screen or VR for these situations. I could easily have avoided you. You wern't on the helicorsa radar because of mad angles we were at.

 

[Locoblade]

LOL, no I was totally enjoying that but the best bit was that for a while in that race it wasn't me making the mistakes (after soo many in race 1). Glad you didn't bin it off and enjoyed it!

As for blipping... I gave up a long time ago and just went with auto blip. Switching between different cars was giving me a pain in the rear - some of them had it built in and some didn't. I'd get used to a car that had it built in, and then switch to a car that didn't (e.g. MX-5 Cup, I think?) and spin the damn thing at the first chicane! And blipping all of the time (even in cars where the ECU does it for you) seemed to cause some issues when my timing mismatched with the car and the revs didn't match so well...

One thing I'd mention: with my trusty G27 and paddles, I have recently found that I seem to lose much less ground to other people at the start (or even gain ground) if I engage first gear with the clutch down and then drop the clutch at the green light. I had always previously waited in neutral and just pulled the upshift paddle and let the game shift for me on green. Not sure why this is quicker, but it doesn't seem to be placebo level
NB: I never use the clutch again after that, as I have no space for the shifter on my desk.

Yep exactly as I do with my trusty G25, use the clutch off the line selecting first gear after 3 red lights (why doesn't the game let you select before?!) then rely on auto blip thereafter for actual shifting.

I did start to get the hang of proper heel and toe when I was practicing with the MX5 in iRacing but like you when you're jumping from car to car it takes too long to learn a particular cars proper gearshift technique on top of everything else, especially with the tiny toy like H pattern shifter on the G25.

 

[HF2000]

Yep exactly as I do with my trusty G25, use the clutch off the line selecting first gear after 3 red lights (why doesn't the game let you select before?!) then rely on auto blip thereafter for actual shifting.

I did start to get the hang of proper heel and toe when I was practicing with the MX5 in iRacing but like you when you're jumping from car to car it takes too long to learn a particular cars proper gearshift technique on top of everything else, especially with the tiny toy like H pattern shifter on the G25.

Yes I do that also with my G27 (though it can go wrong as you all noticed in race 1) but be aware: there are cars where this doesn't work and the car starts moving when you engage the throttle, leaving you with a false start and a drive through penalty. So always try this in practice.

 

[Medilloni]

Massive thanks to all of you for turning up tonight guys, it is a fairly new mod and definitely takes some learning though I hope you enjoyed it! Congrats to the podium guys in both races... fantastic lap times!

Had a shameful moment when @Interslice Brian and I came together, after watching the replay I should have been more cautious, sorry for that buddy

Otherwise... one of the best, most enjoyable couple of races for me, simply great and fair racing, plus so many of you guys sharing setups, advice and helping others - just great, and makes it all a pleasure imo.

@Kek700 Ernie, the last lap of the last race, I though we had one more lap to go when we crossed the line, I need to pay more attention

Gird 'yer loins chaps, it's that time of month, GTE/GT2 up next

 

[Kek700]

Both races, between a rock and a hard place, those in front slowly disappearing, those behind slowly catching, for some odd reason lost 0.5sec between practice in the week and the race. All I had for fun was making the enevitabe more difficult for the overtakes.
Congrats to the podium and John for the event.

 

[HF2000]

Well you all saw my brilliant start in race 1 so let's not talk about that any further. So for me it was in both races catching up and trying to overtaken which isn't easy on this track. Normally the Tarzan corner is the best place to do that if there's space on the inside but it was risky because on exit you got easily oversteer there. I did most of my overtakes in the Renaultcorner after taking a more inside line in Marlboro. But I made several mistakes in both races that threw me back again. So on the positive side I had quite some nice battles like the one with @Spilskinanka that lasted a few laps and for once I outqualified @Kek700 .

Congrats to the podium (1.53!?) and thanks @Medilloni for organising.

 

[stribbeck]

Great racing again chaps, I was on the verge of binning this off yesterday as I still don't really like the car's handling unlike a lot of you, but glad I didn't and glad I got home from work in time to join.

Spookily similar events to Monday overall, qualifying 6th (like Monday), a lonely first race (like Monday) after the first couple of laps dicing with Matt (nice overtake into the chicane!). Started on pole in the second race and led the first lap (like Monday), then made a small mistake (like Monday) onto the front straight letting @Neilski through who apparently didn't like staring at his surname printed on the back of my car for too long? Then unlike Monday's second minor mistake this time I completely binned it at the top of the hill when I was too busy watching what @pretend racer was doing on the inside and ran a couple of feet wide onto the grass at the point I needed to be braking, ending up in the kitty litter. From there though had a really enjoyable race with @Interslice, @stribbeck and I think @HF2000 just behind us, it was a shame the latter two tangled at the first corner to break up the party mid race

Enjoyed both them races nice close racing loads of fun, yeah me and @HF2000 were just behind unfortunately we had a little tap and round I went, thanks for waiting @HF2000 much appreciated.
First race was right behind @Interslice for a while finally got past and spun it straight away on the first bend haha was a lovely battle really enjoyed it.
Think the second race was trying my best to catch @GeekyDeaks couldn't manage it tho.

Thanks for organising the event @Medilloni some of the closest racing I have had on RD yet

 

[Kek700]

Found my 0.5 sec, what that was all about, not a clue.

 

[Medilloni]

.

Found my 0.5 sec, what that was all about, not a clue.

Did you take off the 10kg ballast I gave you last night Ernie?

 

[Kek700]

You Rotter John.

 

[dg222]

its a newbie thing when im in with other cars i,m too concerned about ruining somone elses race then you loose concentration and next thing you pointing at the armco lol

Exactly that!
The tension is so high one doesn't even drive their normal lines anymore...
Funny to see how that works and apparently most people know the feeling

 

[HF2000]

Exactly that!
The tension is so high one doesn't even drive their normal lines anymore...
Funny to see how that works and apparently most people know the feeling

And that gets much better when you getting faster and you don't get blue flags anymore. But after 1 1/2 year of RD simracing I still get sweatty hands when there's a car close behind so I guess the tension stays but less often.

 

[Locoblade]

Yep definitely had lots of that when I started a few months back and still do to a lesser extent now. The other thing I'm still trying to overcome is when around other cars I find myself focusing on the back end of car in front rather than the track which means I end up making mistakes whilst driving to their lines and braking points etc

 

[Kek700]

Funny you say that watched “even” Chris do exactly that last week.