AC Multiclass Abarth500/Mazda MX5@Monza, Wed 7th September 2022

[Douglas Aird]

Great fight throughout with Robert and Raul with the occasional other car involved.

Reviewing my coming together with Robert on lap 2, I think it's a racing incident but I did come across too far right avoiding Fulvio charging through the field and didn't leave you enough space. I did wait, just in case. Apologies @Alfred Wayne as it compromised our finishing position but it led to some great battles.

 

[Alfred Wayne]

I think I ended the day a place up from my quali, so luckily I'm not penalized by the new ranking system shame about the touch, but it definitely led to some great laps today I almost managed to save it, but once I was facing Raul head on touching bumper to bumper, the car was lost No harm done though. First time I've been in a little wreck in a while. Gotta put in your dues at some point

 

[eN1xes]

 

[Kek700]

I could have saved some fuel but I enjoy racing, not saving bleeding fuel.
So I thought sod it and just went as quick as I could behind Thomas.
Running out of fuel in the last lap, it would have been great fun trying to get past Thomas, unlikely, but trying would have been interesting.
I will have to abandon the Abarth, there is no fun anymore in racing with it.

 

[eN1xes]

I could have saved some fuel but I enjoy racing, not saving bleeding fuel.
So I thought sod it and just went as quick as I could behind Thomas.
Running out of fuel in the last lap, it would have been great fun trying to get past Thomas, unlikely, but trying would have been interesting.
I will have to abandon the Abarth, there is no fun anymore in racing with it.

View attachment 598627

bad happen Ernie D: in this track was relative simple to save fuel 1st,2nd and last straight u could have lift way before the corner without losing a single tenth doing that was only need to save 0.4-0.6 on the first stint for 1lap more and 2nd stint without saving

 

[Dzul]

Great fight throughout with Robert and Raul with the occasional other car involved.

Agree! What a difference with my trainwreck from last week at Zandvooort. Tonight was Monza an intense but fun race almost every single lap. Loved it!

Practice and the beginning of qualy was wobbly as I was on a "fast-track" setup with which I just could not gel. So I reverted to my usual base-setup just because it felt familiar, comfortable and predictable and I managed to nab P8 on my last qualy lap. Start was good, managed to make gains and went through lap 1 avoiding incidents until Lap 2, when I couldn't dodge Robert when he and Doug came together at Curva Grande. However... that started a really good battle, among us three, that lasted for quite a good chunk of the race... before and after our pitstops. Thank you for the space and fair racing guys! It was exciting! I also had a short scrap with Colin and we went three-wide with someone else (can't remember, sorry) through Parabolica, when we came across an orange-red Mazda in the middle of the road (Steve?)... I just reacted by stepping on the gas and aiming for the most inside part of the bend, and somehow managed to avoid a collision. Colin as well but then via the outside. We both definitely left some brown skidmarks there... wheew!

Ended up P9 but I had a ton of fun climbing back the pecking order and truly enjoyed every minute of this race, so thanks again for organising it Han and a big shoutout to Neil for checking on us at the start of the race.

Congratulations to the winners and podium finishers, looking forward to see you guys again at the following race, next week. Cheers!

 

[HF2000]

I could have saved some fuel but I enjoy racing, not saving bleeding fuel.
So I thought sod it and just went as quick as I could behind Thomas.
Running out of fuel in the last lap, it would have been great fun trying to get past Thomas, unlikely, but trying would have been interesting.
I will have to abandon the Abarth, there is no fun anymore in racing with it.

View attachment 598627

Ok, I don't want you to abandon the Abarth, Ernie. For next races I will put fuel usage at 40% and tyre wear at 10% so the Abarth can also do a 1 liter pitstop.

 

[Kek700]

I don’t mind doing a one stop and filling up with 35 litres, we need to take some of its advantages away.
So that racing against-everyone is fun, staring at the fuel level is no fun and not being able to race is something else.
One stop and 35 litres and “or” a tyre change is a variable strategy.
Just make fuel at 95% so it can properly run for 1 hour. It make no difference to me, Fulvio will still be quick. Or anyone else for that matter.

But do not change it for me, I will just go with the Mazda instead, I am quite happy to be a Rotter.

 

[Dzul]

I will just go with the Mazda instead, I am quite happy to be a Rotter.

Welcome back señor...

 

[Shed 17]

I don’t mind doing a one stop and filling up with 35 litres, we need to take some of its advantages away.
So that racing against-everyone is fun, staring at the fuel level is no fun and not being able to race is something else.
One stop and 35 litres and “or” a tyre change is a variable strategy.
Just make fuel at 95% so it can properly run for 1 hour. It make no difference to me, Fulvio will still be quick. Or anyone else for that matter.

But do not change it for me, I will just go with the Mazda instead, I am quite happy to be a Rotter.

I know I have been absent from the Wednesday multi-class races for a while but with the landscaping of the garden project nearing completion I am looking forward to getting back.
But like Ernie, I was becoming frustrated with having to watch the fuel gauge when driving the Abarth and then having to fuel save or do two stops and drop to the back of the field. I know it’s the same for all Abarth drivers and Fulvio and Han have become experts at managing it, and that you only racing the same class, but for me there is no fun in not racing as fast as you can for the whole race and having to give up a good battle with either class. When F1 had the tight fuel restrictions the drivers did not like it either.
I am normally prefer front engine/ rear wheel drive cars but the Abarth is a fun drive when you learn how to make it stop and corner, it takes a different driving technique and is a good car for this formula and something different to learn to drive.
But again, like Ernie I would be going back to the Mazda when I return so I can have a race with someone, unless the Abarth can safely do the whole race on one stop and 70 litres.

 

[HF2000]

I know I have been absent from the Wednesday multi-class races for a while but with the landscaping of the garden project nearing completion I am looking forward to getting back.
But like Ernie, I was becoming frustrated with having to watch the fuel gauge when driving the Abarth and then having to fuel save or do two stops and drop to the back of the field. I know it’s the same for all Abarth drivers and Fulvio and Han have become experts at managing it, and that you only racing the same class, but for me there is no fun in not racing as fast as you can for the whole race and having to give up a good battle with either class. When F1 had the tight fuel restrictions the drivers did not like it either.
I am normally prefer front engine/ rear wheel drive cars but the Abarth is a fun drive when you learn how to make it stop and corner, it takes a different driving technique and is a good car for this formula and something different to learn to drive.
But again, like Ernie I would be going back to the Mazda when I return so I can have a race with someone, unless the Abarth can safely do the whole race on one stop and 70 litres.

I agree with you and Ernie. For next Wednesday it will be 40% fuel usage and 10% tyre wear so that the Abarths so everyone can have the same pitstop strategy. Let's see how that works out for the race and then decide for the 95% fuel option with full tyre wear. I'll be back so I can see for myself.

 

[a_murel]

Yes!! Back on the podium!

After having no speed at all last races after being absent for months, I managed to be back on the podium last night. . After having a medium start I chased Allan who came back after spinning in front of my nose in the first chicane. Allan was on a light fuel load in the first part of his stint so we had some good fighting slipstreaming each other! After Allan went in fueling I had a lonely race and could focus on my laptimes . After my pitstop I ended just behind Alan again. Alan was pulling slowly away but suddenly he disappeared.

Great fun guys!!!

 

[Kek700]

Out of interest?
It was interesting racing Fulvio, it was quite revealing in that he just makes that extra 1 mph on all corner exits. How in it’s exactness, I would not know ?
It is very impressive watching him race, I can keep up as long as there is no gap, once there is a gap that 1 mph comes into play and he is gone.
The fastest Abarth driver makes 129 mph, as much as I try 127mph is the best I can manage. I do not know what Fulvio makes at the end of the straight, I am guessing 128 mph.
I am not sure if it is learnable or it is in the end is just innate ability. I have pondered this for ages. Mainly because it is so hidden in the sport.
If you play golf and your friend hits a straight drive 50 meters further than you.
You ending up in the rough. You just do not ponder that because it is obvious.

 

[eN1xes]

Out of interest?
It was interesting racing Fulvio, it was quite revealing in that he just makes that extra 1 mph on all corner exits. How in it’s exactness, I would not know ?
It is very impressive watching him race, I can keep up as long as there is no gap, once there is a gap that 1 mph comes into play and he is gone.
The fastest Abarth driver makes 129 mph, as much as I try 127mph is the best I can manage. I do not know what Fulvio makes at the end of the straight, I am guessing 128 mph.
I am not sure if it is learnable or it is in the end is just innate ability. I have pondered this for ages. Mainly because it is so hidden in the sport.
If you play golf and your friend hits a straight drive 50 meters further than you.
You ending up in the rough. You just do not ponder that because it is obvious.

idk Ernie 1 thing i notice for sure was ur braking point on t1 i was gaing 0.3-0.4 the rest u was very quick on lesmo prob ur exit on the 2nd lesmo was in lower gear that is a disadvantage for final speed and little help for exit .are u sure i was only 1mph away from the faster driver? i think was more cuz i know for sure they use paddles with auto-clutch i think they are atleast 4mph or more im on manual since i dont want to block my brain by using paddles in sims on manual cars on paddles with lifting and changing the gear even if i am very fast at doing that i lose for sure some speed

 

[Kek700]

Interesting Fulvio, as far as I know, often had chats with Rasmus about this.
I have a 2/10ths of a second halt of action with every paddle shift.
We have never been able to prove much, other than when some people uses a manual gear shift, they do not go easy, ramming it into gear.
I have not been able to get MoTeC data from a manual gear change driver.
So it has always been a "not sure", my gut feeling is that manual done properly { violently } is quicker.
My speed to the first corner is 127 { 204 km/hr ) the fastest is 129mph
(207 km/hr) to the nearest whole number, ( I did everything imaginable to get near 207 km with no success at all )
So guessed you were about 128 mph.
So most of the above are more assumptions than facts.

 

[eN1xes]

lifting the gas cannot be at the same level im sure by that just check the top time's every1 is in autoclutch

 

[Mikke73]

lifting the gas cannot be at the same level im sure by that just check the top time's every1 is in autoclutch

If we're talking about the fastest times on RSR LiveTiming, then every single laptime that has any wheel info, also has "Autoclutch On", but most of the top times are still driven with H-shifter.
We did a comparison of acceleration curves some time ago, and if I remember correctly AC punishes the autoclutch use so that it's not quicker to shift with it, compared to a good H-shifter+clutch user. You lose some time with autoclutch, but the lost time is compensated by easier and safer usage.

EDIT: I use paddles with autoclutch off, but I haven't compared how fast that is.

 

[eN1xes]

this dude do alot hotlaps top1 and hes using autoclutch with paddles also having the h shifter on the info doenst mean they use h-shifter

 

[eN1xes]

by saying that many players also use h-shifter but they dont go for hotlap who go for hotlap go for the best performance and as u can see paddles and autoclutch make's faster lap time's and higher top speed

 

[Mikke73]

this dude do alot hotlaps top1 and hes using autoclutch with paddles also having the h shifter on the info doenst mean they use h-shifter

Ok, I should have guessed from experience that the data on RSR can not be trusted.

EDIT: In the comments of the video he claims he's using full manual.

EDIT2: In his newer records he's definitely using clutch, I checked his Porsche 911 R @ Monza record from week ago, and you can see the clutch use in pedals app.