AC GT3 @ Spa - Sunday 3rd January 2021

[Chris Down]

Thanks everyone for coming out this week! Great to see so many new faces, as well as the usual mix of regulars. Next week we're at Brands Hatch -- an undulating circuit with plenty of unique features which make it the perfect place to shake off the Christmas and New Year rust. Come join us for 60 minutes of racing action!

EU - GT3 @ Brands Hatch - Sunday 10th January 2021

by Chris Down on Flickr: link Brands Hatch is an amazing circuit for high speed, close quarters racing. With plenty of elevation changes, unique features, and flowing corners, Brands is the perfect place to shake off the Christmas rust with your pals and make make it an event to remember. Come...

www.racedepartment.com

 

[random2k4]

My question again.
Does someone has a full replay of the race and can share it?

 

[Chris Down]

My question again.
Does someone has a full replay of the race and can share it?

Sadly I changed computer and my replay settings were wrong, so unlike usual, I don't.

 

[GeekyDeaks]

My question again.
Does someone has a full replay of the race and can share it?

I uploaded my copy here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KaXdn1tte60EP4TIGG7QF6NqBIrM2MgE/view?usp=sharing

 

[GeekyDeaks]

Scrappy 2:21.3 during qualy. Default setup, with gear ratio slightly shortened, but had about 5 laps of fuel.

One thing that is not clear in the vid is that the accelerator bar appears to be stopping one pixel from the top. I had to recalibrate everything after steam did an update, so I'm going to double check I did it correctly in a bit.

Feel free to rip me to shreds; I can take it

 

[SOLO59]

Had a rage quit for the first time in a little while.

Failed to qualify with the mid pack due to too many mistakes and stated near the back on P23. So I was already a bit frustrated with myself. I was over a second off my pace from practice in the morning.

Early lap one, I got side swiped on the the straight after turn one.

A bit later, I tried squeezing 3 wide in the middle nut clearly no room for that and I hit another driver. I apologized and waited.

A bit after that, I caught up to a really slow porsche. Breathing down his neck leading up to the up hill at rouge. That's a fast fast turn, but he was so slow, I slowed down a lot but still hit him from behind and we spun. After that third incident, I didn't have the patience to continue. I'm not Gonna lie, tbh I prefer to race against those at my pace (mid-high mid field). If a driver appears out of no wear breathing down my neck, then at the very next opportunity, I just let em by. Why ruin others race playing defense againts someone who I can tell is clearly quicker than me. You don't have to move for anyone if there's no blue flag, but I prefer to show courtesy to a faster driver behind me who either messed up qualy or fell back down the pack making their way back up from an incident. Then drive my own race hoping to catch others at similar pace to me. But that's just me though.

Well, the usual my weekend of work next week, so catch y'all the weekend after

 

[Chris Down]

Scrappy 2:21.3 during qualy. Default setup, with gear ratio slightly shortened, but had about 5 laps of fuel.

One thing that is not clear in the vid is that the accelerator bar appears to be stopping one pixel from the top. I had to recalibrate everything after steam did an update, so I'm going to double check I did it correctly in a bit.

Feel free to rip me to shreds; I can take it

Your general driving style is great -- as smooth as needed, but no more -- I think the next steps are really just about familiarity and confidence with the track/car Some suggestions:

1. You're braking too late, particularly in sector 1. La Source is kind of on the edge, but the entry of Les Combes would definitely benefit from braking earlier, carrying more speed, and having a better line for the following corners.
2. You can apex a lot more on Speaker's, you're definitely losing some time there.
3. You're not using the road fully in Pouhon, that's an easy 3-4 tenths alone. You can carry a lot more speed into there.
4. You enter too early into the final corner of the Stavelot complex, that's going to cost you dear up the straight. With the right line, it should be more or less flat.
5. You're using way too little of the road into the chicane, and it costs you a lot. Stay on the left on the run up and sweep it in.
6. The chicane feels hesitant with the throttle application -- I'd practice it a bit more.

With these improved I think you should get a second or two back

 

[UHF79]

I think worth bearing in mind that with such a long lap anyway, 2:21.300 sounds like its a long way off the pace but 4-5 seconds is not a lot over a lap, just small improvements everywhere. I found the most time I made up at Spa was getting a good exit from the slow turns so my speed up the straights was good, you can literally see the time coming down as you do, just by being a few mph quicker. 4-5 seconds off a 1:30.000 would be bad, but on a 2:21.300 not so much

 

[Sheashant L]

Got a feeling that was me. Was in two minds to let you past sooner as although it's technically for position I was slower with you following no doubt and clearly we weren't racing each other. Sorry if it messed your race up.

@doof205 You were in the absolute right to drive the way you did and to hold your position! As you mentioned, we were of course battling for position and please do not feel that you held me up. If I was in your position I would also drive normal to hold my line as much as possible. It was actually fun trying to fight cleanly. See you on track soon

 

[UHF79]

Mod edit (cdown): please report incidents as a PM to staff, not in public -- although I understand that wasn't your intention

 

[RasmusP]

.which just made me think of something else. I was discussing the fact I had noticed my corner speed was a little down with @Neilski a few weeks ago and he kindly offered to review a replay and give me a few pointers. I thought it would be best to put together a replay of a race we both took part in, but it got me thinking that maybe we could do something after a race with this group. i.e. anyone who wants feedback, posts a vid/replay of a lap from the race/qualy for analysis whilst it's fresh in everyones mind. I figure a vid from the cockpit would be easier to review. Any thoughts?

I run acti motec records in the background of all my sessions. Pretty small files so why not

If you want to compare anything with me, let's do it via motec. It's a lot faster and clearer when overlaying two laps with the data.

Replay can help when you really don't know how to take a corner. When the data alone isn't enough and you're like "yeah ok you're doing this and that with the inputs but where the heck are you on track"

 

[Partick Eaton]

Thanks for the race everyone. This first lap was awful, once the field spread out there was room to make mistakes and not take anyone with you.

I really enjoyed the last few laps with Stephano!, Great driving, I could not make the pass.

Thanks for hosting Chris, see you all next week.

 

[GeekyDeaks]

If you want to compare anything with me, let's do it via motec. It's a lot faster and clearer when overlaying two laps with the data.

I'll take you up on that offer! I'll run ACTI on my next sessions, but would you be able to share you Sunday run with me? I'm going to try and do a bit of practice this week with the pointers Chris has kindly shared

 

[doof205]

I'll take you up on that offer! I'll run ACTI on my next sessions, but would you be able to share you Sunday run with me? I'm going to try and do a bit of practice this week with the pointers Chris has kindly shared

I'm going to have to up my game I see.

 

[RasmusP]

I'll take you up on that offer! I'll run ACTI on my next sessions, but would you be able to share you Sunday run with me? I'm going to try and do a bit of practice this week with the pointers Chris has kindly shared

The spa Sunday or the following brands hatch Sunday?
I'll just send you both

Until then and for brands hatch:
https://www.racedepartment.com/thre...ad-of-setup-talk-at-rd-example-thread.168826/

Sadly.. I couldn't bring myself to continue that thread as I basically stopped driving for a few months back then...
Still thinking about my unfinished job there. Damnit brain....

 

[GeekyDeaks]

I'm going to have to up my game I see.

I don't think you have much to worry about... I'm the guy that normally changes gear with my feet and steers the opposite way to go round a bend, so when I stop concentrating it tends to go a bit awry

 

[Neilski]

Your general driving style is great -- as smooth as needed, but no more -- I think the next steps are really just about familiarity and confidence with the track/car Some suggestions:

1. You're braking too late, particularly in sector 1. La Source is kind of on the edge, but the entry of Les Combes would definitely benefit from braking earlier, carrying more speed, and having a better line for the following corners.
2. You can apex a lot more on Speaker's, you're definitely losing some time there.
3. You're not using the road fully in Pouhon, that's an easy 3-4 tenths alone. You can carry a lot more speed into there.
4. You enter too early into the final corner of the Stavelot complex, that's going to cost you dear up the straight. With the right line, it should be more or less flat.
5. You're using way too little of the road into the chicane, and it costs you a lot. Stay on the left on the run up and sweep it in.
6. The chicane feels hesitant with the throttle application -- I'd practice it a bit more.

With these improved I think you should get a second or two back

Some good advice there @GeekyDeaks and I don't reckon I can improve on the GT3 master's comments
It's really not such a bad lap though! As @UHF79 says, 4 or 5 seconds on a lap that long is not a massive gap. For sure there are a few apexes to hug a little closer and a few kerbs that I think wouldn't unduly upset the car if you rode them but I am not a very regular GT3 driver so you may have good reason to avoid them.
Chris mentioned Les Combes - I've found by watching my delta that the second half of that (the final right hander) is a massive gain/loss for me, depending on how much speed I carry (like 3 tenths or more). I reckon your turn in there was too late - if I'm remembering correctly, with a better line you should able to be flat from well before the apex, which really accumulates on the delta as you head towards the heavy braking for the next corner.
And yeah, you are dead right about the throttle issue - hard to gauge the impact but that could be worth a second all by itself (If you watch closely, it occasionally flickers to fully green.)

 

[RasmusP]

One thing that is not clear in the vid is that the accelerator bar appears to be stopping one pixel from the top.

Oh btw this is a bug for replays and when watching others afaik! Throttle one Pixel from top and brakes being digital: 0 or 100!

 

[Neilski]

Oh btw this is a bug for replays and when watching others afaik! Throttle one Pixel from top and brakes being digital: 0 or 100!

I thought that too for a moment but actually I think this is one is real...
Edit: but maybe I need to recheck my own replays

 

[RasmusP]

I thought that too for a moment but actually I think this is one is real...
Edit: but maybe I need to recheck my own replays

I'm his video, the "full throttle lamp" above the throttle bar is lit. So yeah, not the one-pixel-bug in this one!
The flickering on the throttle might be an issue, good spot!

My reply was more throwing in info about that bug hehe. Nothing specific about his video!