AC Multiclass Abarth500/Mazda MX5@RedBullRing, Wed 6th July 2022

[HF2000]

Welcome to the RD Racing Club.

It's a back-to-back for the F1 so we have also two GP tracks in a row.
The RedBullRing is a relatively short, very technical circuit which should give the drivers quite a challenge, especially the Abarths with their understeer.
Although there are 3 straights, they all are too short for the Abarths to profit from their superior top speed but it can too long for the Mazda to overtake in the braking zone. But this is speculation so let's see how this will work out.

It's a multiclass and for some more excitement and action we bend the rules a bit: BLUE FLAGS CAN BE IGNORED IF THE LAPPING CAR IS FROM A DIFFERENT CLASS!

So join us for another exciting race and:

Sign up here (Password: same as last week, otherwise post in this thread and I will send you a PM with it.):

simracing.gp

Esports simracing platform for competitive multiplayer racing. For drivers, race organizers, teams, developers, sponsors.

beta.simracing.gp

It's important that you also join us during the event on Discord for additional information and instructions. Link is below.

Especially the new and inexperienced drivers are recommended to participate. There are a lot of learning opportunities but without the intensity and stress of the GT3/4 cars or the endurance multiclass cars. It's also good step up for those kind of events.

Server information:

• Practice Server: #04 (Available throughout the race week) Password: dunlop
• Race server: S.GP Password: dunlop
• 20:00 CEST, 19:00 BST (18:00 UTC) | 1.15 hour - Official Practice
• 21:20 CEST, 20:20 BST (19:20 UTC) | 20 minutes - Qualification
• 21:40 CEST, 20:40 BST (19:40 UTC) | 60 minutes - Race

Event details:

• Cars: Abarth 500 Assetto Corse/Mazda MX5 Cup
• Track: RedBullRing, Austria
• Pit stop: optional
• Tyre blankets: Yes
• Track Road temperature: 30 Celsius
• Track grip: 96% increasing to 100% after about 20 minutes.
• Track limits: No more than 2 wheels over the white/yellow line without a lift of the gas please. You will be penalized if you break this rule.
• Damage: 10%
• Fuel Consumption: 100%
• Tyre wear: 100%
• Further info on simracing.gp

Useful Links:

• RaceDepartment Discord: click here
• Sync Accounts: click here
• Recommended apps: Helicorsa + Top/Centre Flags or AC_Flags + CrewChief
• Tracks, Cars, Apps Installation Guide: click here (Handy guide to install non AC content)
• Racing Club Rules: click here
• Incident Reporting: click here

 

[Douglas Aird]

I'm in. Only raced the National on RD but I have done a number of hotlaps on the full track and I like it.

 

[Mikke73]

Definitely in, although I don't like this track at all. But I blame the cars I've had to race there, not the track itself.
I had never liked Silverstone either, but then I raced MX5 there and changed my mind. I expect the same here

 

[danny26]

I love this track. Unlike Silverstone there are a few good braking zones here, so there's some hope for Mazdas caught in Abarth trains. Then again, the straight line speed might help recover the time lost crabwalking through T9-10, so I don't think us Mazdas will find too many slam dunks!

 

[HF2000]

Practice server is up!

 

[Kek700]

Just had a go here, understeer is a real killer here for the Abarth in it’s attempt to match my Mazda time. The Mazda is so easy to drive compared to the Abarth too.
I’m at a loss at the moment to try and get any pace out of the Abarth.

 

[HF2000]

Just had a go here, understeer is a real killer here for the Abarth in it’s attempt to match my Mazda time. The Mazda is so easy to drive compared to the Abarth too.
I’m at a loss at the moment to try and get any pace out of the Abarth.

It's a multiclass, Ernie. You don't have to finish in front of the Mazda's to win. I've won Wednesday with finishing 11th!

You only have to frustrate Allan and Carsten the Mazda drivers by making it very hard to overtake you. Remember you are allowed to defend even if you get a blue flag from a Mazda! I had a lot of fun Wednesday in my first stint leading a train of 5 Mazda's for several laps and imagining they're biting their teeth off on the steering wheel! I had to pit otherwise it would have lasted several more laps.

But seriously, from what I heard on Discord and read in the thread the Mazda drivers liked it too!

The Mazda is indeed much easier to drive but I like the challenge that the Abarth offers in driving and in tactics (fuel, tyres).
I would certainly recommend beginners to switch to the Abarth when they are comfortable and pretty consistent with the MX5 to get new learning opportunities.

 

[stigs2cousin]

It's a multiclass, Ernie. You don't have to finish in front of the Mazda's to win. I've won Wednesday with finishing 11th!

You only have to frustrate Allan and Carsten the Mazda drivers by making it very hard to overtake you. Remember you are allowed to defend even if you get a blue flag from a Mazda! I had a lot of fun Wednesday in my first stint leading a train of 5 Mazda's for several laps and imagining they're biting their teeth off on the steering wheel! I had to pit otherwise it would have lasted several more laps.

But seriously, from what I heard on Discord and read in the thread the Mazda drivers liked it too!

Nor all liked it, at least one was irritated, frustrated and (very) pissed.


Carsten

 

[Kek700]

I did chuckle to myself when reading that Han, your right of course.

Let the fun begin.

 

[HF2000]

Nor all liked it, at least one was irritated, frustrated and (very) pissed.


Carsten

Well that one should take a look at the replay and see how Fulvio does his overtake on me!

 

[Kek700]

Fulvio is someone to aspire too, he is such a strong all rounder, if you look at his past history, very impressive it is too.

He is still a Rotter though.

 

[Mikke73]

I would certainly recommend beginners to switch to the Abarth when they are comfortable and pretty consistent with the MX5 to get new learning opportunities.

Abarth is much more fun to drive than the Mazda, but I've raced with it so much that I wanted to try something else. And also because I used to have a Mazda3 (BK) which I loved .
Not much common with MX5 of course, other than the excellent handling and being fun to drive.

 

[Kek700]

My take on both cars.

I think the Mazda is very easy to drive, difficult to drive as fast as our Aliens can; to me if you can absolutely nail its cornering ability , and get your exit speeds fully nailed, then you will be as quick as most. Any thing else is just small gains in corner entry and consistency.

Some of the secrets of the Mazda is manual gearbox and no traction control, for me that is a big nogo, so I just have to accept the losses it gives me. The only place I can even be reasonably competitive in this car, circuits with just creamed corners no real braking zones and no need to use traction control, which to say make things quite limiting for me.
I can only think of one circuit.

The Abarth is such a difficult car to get right, it lives on the edge of its understeer and instability, which is everywhere in the corner, entry, mid-corner and corner exit.
Using the brakes is also fraught with problems to, too much and you kill too much speed that you are trying to hang onto, too little and you will struggle to get the nose into the corner.

This is the only car where setup is very important and there is so much adjustability in this car, unlike the Mazda. With this car you can virtually ignore setups, tweek away and nothing changes, easy to see why it is such a good car for everyone.

PS.
just re-read, I don't think there is much time if any at all, so similar to the Mazda in that respect, just makes the car nicer to drive and also easier to drive.

 

[Douglas Aird]

Main aim for me is to qualify and stay ahead of the Abarths, especially Han. I'm hoping his practice time last night is close to his maximum.

Having said that I benefitted from the Fazzi train last week, getting on the back and up with some of the faster guys. Only issue was that I couldn't get past Han and Kimi plus I didn't realise early enough that I would not make it without a stop. If I had I would have taken an early stop, like Robert, and got some laps in clear air.

 

[Alfred Wayne]

Funny, I have the same goal

 

[Douglas Aird]

Funny, I have the same goal

I'm looking forward to resuming our battle as we seem to be on similar pace on a lot of tracks. Not just in the Mazda as we had a great battle in the Estonia, too.

 

[Alfred Wayne]

Yeah, I seem to see that white and blue MX5 around a bit

Spoiler for Han - Was thinking we should maybe put that on pause until we got passed Han

 

[Douglas Aird]

Yeah, I seem to see that white and blue MX5 around a bit

Spoiler for Han - Was thinking we should maybe put that on pause until we got passed Han

Agreed.

 

[Kek700]

I have tried my best here with the Abarth, I just cannot get near Mazda times.
Unfortunately the start to the first corner is so near, I cannot even rely on that straight to help me get to the front and block those rotters in Mazda .

 

[HF2000]

I have tried my best here with the Abarth, I just cannot get near Mazda times.
Unfortunately the start to the first corner is so near, I cannot even rely on that straight to help me get to the front and block those rotters in Mazda .

There will be some Mazda's behind you in your first stint, like the Mazda train with midfielders I had behind me. And after your pitstop you can probably give the frontrunning Mazda's a hard time lapping you. Remember, you can ignore blue flags from them. Let's have some fun!