iRacing day one.

[2re]

After nearly a 3 year absence from sim racing I was as it turned out, briefly back in the racing seat.
Well the old office chair that is, but hey its got a built in handbrake to keep it still ;-)

I got the G25 back from my nephew last month. Without the power adapter of coerce
iRacing had been high on my wish list for a long time but I wanted to wait until the content had matured a little more towards road racing. Oh and more importantly, my first born baby came/comes first.

On Saturday I got the new power adapter. Riped of the paper wrapping and called a friend with the other hand.
Loaded up LFS and had a blast chasing one another for a few hours. I've been prepping him up to sign up to iRacing with me. But think I've scared him a little with the seriousness of the sim.
And he's probably worried about being too slow, well he should as he's past 50 now and uses two sets of glasses ;-) I know he will love it, as he enjoys taking part in the race as much as I do winning them

Well I said I would buy iRacing later that night and invite him to a test drive.
I took out my credit card but before I paid I noticed the code box. Checked my backup mail and found a special invitation code from iRacing from before it was launched, it still worked and saved me a few bucks

As people say. Download and install was easy as pie but all the info from the web page seamed a little overwhelming at first glance. As an old GPL racer I will probably never loose my love for single seater's.
I've watched lots of clips with the Skippy on YouTube and thought it was part of the package, wrong.
Silly decision really as its most likely THE best car to learn to drive in. Well forked out a few more bucks and was eager to take it for a spin.

It turned out to be horrible. Well I couldn't tell for sure if the car was OK or not, because the wheel was not giving a good FF feeling and I had huge dead zone to master. The wheel calibration process went wrong all the time. Spent most of the night trying to make it work. Gave up frustrated and wrote support letter to iRacing.
Next day I searched and tested G25 settings, It didn't perform so well in other games too. The Logitech profiler software had been running in the background with custom profiles for each game. I turned it OFF and made a permanent profile in Windows control panel. Got back to Lime Rock and suddenly everything was great. After a few laps me and Skippy where the best of friends.

I was eager to get into a race as I felt confident with the handling and I also knew Lime quite well. But I was not eligible to drive the Skippy in races it seamed, well at first glance. The only race open to me was Laguna driving the Solstice. 30min to start. Took it for a test ride but spent to much time in the options menu to get a feel for the car and track, selected forfeit. To my surprise a little later, I think I'm listed as a starter in the race, even though I didn't even get to the warm up?

Found a new race and went practicing again.
Never liked Laguna, T1 5 and 6 are easy to loose control in, not forgetting the blind exit at the corkscrew and the following long sweeper. I know the track layout but only raced there a few times and never been close to master it. Good news it changed in a flash as I quickly noticed the excellent apex and road markers. That in combination with the locked gear ratio made it easy to get into a steady rhythm quickly improving lap times, but I was slow, around 1.55 at first.

Race 1. First in iRacing.
Told my self to focus on driving safe and staying on track. On the second lap I got hit by a car that came flying back onto the track after a bad exit on T6. At first I thought, its not so bad. Then I noticed I had to hold the wheel 45 degrees to the right to go straight. Limped back to pit and went back out when it was repaired, took a while ;-) finished last but exited and happy with the experience.

The Solstice proved it self to be easy and fun to drive, so he's my pal too ;-)
A tiny flick, lift of and slide into the turn with full throttle, well by the end of the day it felt like that ;-)

Race 2. My first WIN
A little more confident in car and track but my hart was beating hard and knuckles locked tight around the wheel.
Started 6 on grid and got up to second on lap 2. On lap six I took the lead and hold it to the end.
My fastest lap was 01.50.645
This was everything i hoped it would be and something I've missed since my GPL league days.
Not because I won the race, its the feeling of being on the track fighting, trying hard to stay in control, of emotions and car and not f..... up.

Race 3. Another race another trophy
Started 8th on the grid but advanced to second on the first lap. Swapped places with leader Ben Adams a few times in the middle of the race but lost control in lap 7 and T. Yasuoka went flying by.
Snatched the second place back on the last lap

Wow.. I was totally exhausted by the intensity and the level of concentration, witch I'm not used to anymore.
But I wanted MORE.

Race 4.
Started at 11th on the grid but exploited the usual first round chaos and hopefully made a few smart moves too. Got up to 4th on the second lap and it looked like it could be another podium finish
Then suddenly a huge BANG sounded of next to me and everything electric went black.
The "good as original" power adapter didn't physically explode but it sounded like it had.
I had to go out to the fusebox and turn the power back on. To my relief my PC booted up again.
But my G25 is dead, or at least the crappy power supply is. I hope the G25 is OK too

If it only it had hold up until the race was over, instead it struck me like lightning and left me screaming for MOORE.

And the eBay seller has not responded yet

F...

 

[Andrew Macpherson]

Oh ok - that confirms what I thought: if you do a pitstop it doesn't fix the damage (much) but if you get a tow you automatically get a brand new car. That's only in the lower license levels though. I believe the quickest way to do it, if your car is still drivable, is to drive to the pits but stop before your stall and hold the reset (or esc) button. Then you have to wait about 30s.

 

[2re]

I forgot to say I didn't press ESC after going back on track to soon with the car still damaged.
I used the Tow key from just outside pit exit. Would have liked to remain in the car while it was towed around track tough, lol.

 

[2re]

Got my D-license tonight. SR 3.53
Lot's of new races to choose from, and more to pay :tongue:

Tried the spec racer tonight, quite a handful and easy to overturn.
Tested with the G25 set to 360¤ but the FF was awful. Its good at 900¤ but that leaves no restriction on the wheel. It really made me wish I could set a Lock to Lock on the physical wheel for each car.

 

[James Yates]

Got my D-license tonight. SR 3.53
Lot's of new races to choose from, and more to pay :tongue:

Tried the spec racer tonight, quite a handful and easy to overturn.
Tested with the G25 set to 360¤ but the FF was awful. Its good at 900¤ but that leaves no restriction on the wheel. It really made me wish I could set a Lock to Lock on the physical wheel for each car.

Set it to 900 and then iRacing will set it up for each car. I'd assume you're missing the lock stops while on that? Only time you should notice that is trying to turn around, if you're steering that much while driving normally you're ruining the tyres.

 

[2re]

Thanks for the tip James. I have it set to 900 as recommended, FF feels good. But not with 360 - 540 etc.
Yes overturning burns rubber more quickly, I don't have any problems with it but recovering for a spin can be a handful.

 

[James Yates]

Its probably a matter of getting used to it with time. Once you do it'll probably feel more natural.

 

[William Nowell]

I think James is right, I never really used 900 degrees of steering until iracing. It took me a little while to get use to it and now recovery is a lot eaiser. Try lower your FF in the game, I run mine in between 6-10 depending on the car. There was a thread over on iracing about it, with it lower I can feel right when the car starts to slip and correct before it is too late. It did take some practice but I think it was the best thing I have done since starting iracing.

 

[James Yates]

I think James is right, I never really used 900 degrees of steering until iracing. It took me a little while to get use to it and now recovery is a lot eaiser. Try lower your FF in the game, I run mine in between 6-10 depending on the car. There was a thread over on iracing about it, with it lower I can feel right when the car starts to slip and correct before it is too late. It did take some practice but I think it was the best thing I have done since starting iracing.

I run 4 in a few cars, DP and the IndyCar I think. Usually run around 7 although I run 9 in the Solstice because of the power steering. On a G25/27 you don't want to be any higher than 8 or 9 on anything other than the Solstice.

 

[2re]

I have had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for many years now, from my work, not sim racing
So I always go as low as I can on the FF. 4-8 seams OK in the Solstice the spec racer was hard on the FF even at a low setting.

A design problem with all the 900 Logitech wheels is that its only 100% linear when its set to 900.
Anything less and you have to compensate by increasing the "Max FF strength" in the control panel.
100% is Max strength on the FF motor.. You don't get more power by going to 110% etc.
Its just to compensate for a non-linear curve witch leads to the problem with little or no FF around center, 45 degree left-right. Depending on how low you set the wheel rotation.

I read and posted about this problem many years ago on the Wingman Team forum, as I had bought the first 900 wheel Logitech made. The Driving Force Pro. Initially made just for Playstation but with driver support from the Wingman team it worked OK on PC too.
Its the same problem today with the G25, Don't know if it applies to the G27 but I'm quite sure it does.

So if you want to use anything less than 900..
Set the Logitech FF settings as recommended by iRacing. But try values of 110% up to 150%
I'll try the 900 setting for a while and see if I can get used to it, damn it ;-)

iRacing story continued:
I felt like Elvis for a few days in the Solstice after winning a few rookie races at Laguna with record breaking times of 1.49.5 As I went up a level in the ratings I suddenly found myself at the back of the grid again, shiit.. Many of these guys are running 1.47.xx like clock work.

My last race last night was won by Keith Sharp. He stayed after the race and gave me a full briefing, in writing, on how to run a fast lap. That was very nice and friendly.
Thanks a bunch Keith Sharp.

I had already noticed that my new Alien friend and others, was braking waay deeper into the corners than me and perhaps you. He's got the G25 too so I asked if he used any brake mods? Answer was yes, and I'm pretty sure most, if not all the other Aliens do too.

So tonight I've been busy adding my own version of the NIXIM brake mod.
Chopped up a silicone ball that I use for the CTS illness. Wrapped it in Gaffa tape and stuffed it in between the brake spring. Haven't tested it on track yet but the DIY operation was a success ;-)

I also took apart my G25 shifter and applied some mods to it.
Driving Richard Burns Rally with stick shift had effectively messed up 1st 3rd 5th gear.
I was sure it was beyond repairs and needed a new pot but I read somewhere that tightening up the springs etc, could help. So I did and now its better than new.
http://www.chilicoke.com/mods/shifterresistance.htm

Brake testing is next on my list.

 

[William Nowell]

I remember reading someing about that brake mod, let me know how your testing goes and I think I may give it a try. Just think the higher your irating goes the faster the competition gets.

 

[William Nowell]

Also if you can get your 4 d class racings in this week and keep your sr above 3 then you will get your C license at the start of the new season Nov. 1st. If not you will have to wait until the end of next season in Jan, unless you fast track.

 

[2re]

Thanks William..
I have a 3.53 SR now. If I understand you correct I should try to get a Safety rating in D of +4.0 this week.
And Its best to use a D car.. Like the Skippy right? Or can I do it with the Rookie Solstice?

First brake test was very good, definitely a better response, meaning less lockups and shorter stop time.
But its a new drill and needs to be practiced a lot, as usual.
I forgot that you also need to set a dead zone on the brake pedal.
I've set Logitech profiler to run at startup with game specific settings.

I applied a similar mod to my old Thrustmaster wheel when I raced GPL.
I know its useful specially on "cheap" pedals like the G25.
If you want to have any chance keeping up with the Aliens, you got to have a brake mod, at least a simple 30min mod like the NIXIM. Keith Sharp said he used a brake mod by Leo Bodnar http://www.leobodnar.com/products/DFPG25conn/ I don't know if he had any other mods.
My guess is that we should be able to drop at least a second very quickly on tracks like Laguna, we'll see

 

[Ivar Kalamees]

You have probably already done 4 races with Skippy ( D class car ) So the only thing you will need now, is to get your safety rating over 4.0 OR wait till 1st November, when you will get licence upgraded by only having +3.0 safety rating.

You can race Solstice. If you have already done 4 races with a D class car, it doesn't matter how you'll get the safety rating together.
I hope thats clear.

 

[William Nowell]

Ivar is correct, on Nov 1st when promotions go out, the only thing Iracing will check for is that you have meet your MPR(the 4 race in whatever class) and that you irating is or above 3.0. This is the case for all iracing standard promotions, you can look at the calendar to see when the standard promotions happen. I think it is at the beginning and end of every season, so this can be a long wait(3 months) if you get caught in between. The alternative to this is to fast track, meaning getting your sr above 4.0 and meet the MPR. As you race more you will see that sr can be very hard to get, but very easy to lose, be it your fault or not you still lose sr. I have been above 3.9 many times only to have a bad race and lose out. I am a B in road and D in oval and meet the MPR for both to get bumped up next week, but I have only been able to fast track once. I feel that I am a pretty clean racer, but it is very easy to get caught up behind or in front of someone who loses it and takes you with them.

 

[2re]

Thanks Ivar and William.
Looks like it will work out anyway then as with a little luck I might get to 4.0 tonight
I'm more than happy with the options I have for racing now so it doesn't matter if I get the C license or not, but its fun having a goal for the night.

Brake mod working fine, but I think I will upgrade it with better material for better feel.
I haven't tested it on Laguna in the Solstice yet, so I can't say if I'm faster, probably not as I must practice new braking points and lines.
Its easier to stop without locking up and that's important, saving rubber. But to shave time on my laps I need to practice trail braking.

Got in a the Spec race at Summit Short last night and I must say that I'm starting to like it quite much, both car and track was great fun.

 

[2re]

Jumped to 4.42. after a good race at WG finished 4th in a strong filed. Last two laps was a intense as the guy behind me pushed for the 4th place. He me made contact with me twice but it said x0 After 20+ laps with no errors that's tough. So now I just need to keep my nose clean for 3 more races in the Skippy, well I think so.

Brake mod is not making me faster yet, just helps to keep the tires cool. Practice makes perfect ;-)

 

[William Nowell]

Sounds like your killing it 2re nice job. I like the spec ford as well, like I said earlier you can run a whole season in it just by buying a few tracks.

 

[2re]

Thanks William. I'm having a ball over here
Going up a level I just try to focus on staying on track.
In the last race on WG I dropped to the back of the field on the first lap. There was to many trying to win the race on lap one.
After that intense first lap I started to climb as the others where battling and making mistakes.
I'd like to drive more aggressively but for now I think the open practice sessions are the best event for maximum attack mode.

My best Skippy time at WG is 1.27.005 So I'm going to test some custom setups now and see if it can shave a little time.

 

[Abdul Al-Amry]

2re thats a very good time and you still havent found the limit yet!! My Optimal is 1:26.2 so far. I like the flow of Skip Barber at WG.

 

[2re]

Thanks Abdul.

News update. Class-C Virtual Racing license achieved :banana:

Not that hard actually, 1 good race and 3 timelap runs.
I would have preferred to race but there's so few. Looks like they want me to buy some more stuff hehe.
Well I'm good for now thank you.

I can run 1.27.xx rounds like clockwork, just a few is on the brink of 1.26.xx
I need to see some fast laps and perhaps learn new lines? Also tested a GH setup for Lime Rock.
Can't say I noticed much difference, well it had a small tendency to oversteer more on lift.
I remember his GPL setups was always like that too, well waay more savage than this.
Not that familiar with the split time reading but I think my optimal, as you said Abdul, is about 1.26.6

Class C SR 2.99 Got to get it over 3+ before I give it a rest.