AC Multiclass Abarth500/MazdaMX5@Barcelona City, Wed 11th January 2023

[Kek700]

and yes, @JamKart22 , simracing is physical and mental sports in my opinion, not just some computer game as most peoply would name it.

Funny thing stress, I could never sleep the night after the race, went on for years.
Now we do three a week, my mind has for some bizarre reason deemed it to be part of normal life, now it does not affect me.
Even after this Wednesdays Abarth race which was unusually full on for me for every lap.
Stress is something that has always played a part in my life, I can now spot it and if I am lucky do something about it.
Oh to be psychotic and not have any of life’s inconvenience, not really.

 

[Boukâh]

I even selected the lay out without two chicanes for the same reason.

And that it's in favor of the Abarth is a bonus!

Ha, I witnessed the change in lay out, the two barrier chicanes were fun, but sharp steering as wel. Now it’s more flow, long straights. Abarth straights but still some nice (unremovable!) chicanes left.

 

[Dzul]

I assume that the overlapping of the RPM counter on the real one on the car is wanted. Why? How does it give you more information (speed apart) in comparison to having the real dial?

You have sharp eyes amigo
Yes, I like to see the gear I'm in and the overlay is bigger than the dashboard dial, that's why.

 

[gearwhine]

The day before Barcelona i was practicing on the rig in a pair of slippers. When i got out i had this horrendous pain travel from my left heal to the top of my leg with a focus on my calf muscle. Was not sure if i could race on the day. The only way i was able to was by moving my seat back allowing my leg to stretch out. Point being, what we do can and does effect our bodies in many ways. I often have ankle pain etc. and it is all to do with position in the rig or what i should be or not be wearing. Who would believe we get injured in our 'sport' ,but we do. Especially as we get older

 

[Kek700]

Yes I had similar, so my rig is basically as F1 driver sit, layed back with feet high, or not GT3 style of sit up right.
It is so comfortable, some times I just use it to relax.

 

[HF2000]

The day before Barcelona i was practicing on the rig in a pair of slippers. When i got out i had this horrendous pain travel from my left heal to the top of my leg with a focus on my calf muscle. Was not sure if i could race on the day. The only way i was able to was by moving my seat back allowing my leg to stretch out. Point being, what we do can and does effect our bodies in many ways. I often have ankle pain etc. and it is all to do with position in the rig or what i should be or not be wearing. Who would believe we get injured in our 'sport' ,but we do. Especially as we get older

Yes, but I have fewer injuries now than when I played football.

 

[Medilloni]

The day before Barcelona i was practicing on the rig in a pair of slippers. When i got out i had this horrendous pain travel from my left heal to the top of my leg with a focus on my calf muscle. Was not sure if i could race on the day. The only way i was able to was by moving my seat back allowing my leg to stretch out. Point being, what we do can and does effect our bodies in many ways. I often have ankle pain etc. and it is all to do with position in the rig or what i should be or not be wearing. Who would believe we get injured in our 'sport' ,but we do. Especially as we get older

Hope that's better now Steve. I'm having a few days or so off the rig for that reason (sim making health probs worse) - 'cos I got sloppy about not using my belts.... a full harness, on a stationary rig, ffs

My lower back and knee pain used to get worse after time on the sim, due to slouching forward (hunched back, hips sliding forward, knees bent too much, leaning from side to side), so figured if I bolt myself down it'll stop that, which it did until recently when I wasn't so religious about using them. From now on it's 'clunk click every trip' race

 

[HF2000]

Hope that's better now Steve. I'm having a few days or so off the rig for that reason (sim making health probs worse) - 'cos I got sloppy about not using my belts.... a full harness, on a stationary rig, ffs

My lower back and knee pain used to get worse after time on the sim, due to slouching forward (hunched back, hips sliding forward, knees bent too much, leaning from side to side), so figured if I bolt myself down it'll stop that, which it did until recently when I wasn't so religious about using them. From now on it's 'clunk click every trip' race

No halo yet?

 

[dbx71]

An hour race can leave you wrecked. I keep telling myself to relax but I'm still all tensed up by the end.

relieved to hear i'm not the only one that feels this way after a race!

 

[Medilloni]

No halo yet?

Did I mention my HANS Device?

 

[gearwhine]

Hope that's better now Steve. I'm having a few days or so off the rig for that reason (sim making health probs worse) - 'cos I got sloppy about not using my belts.... a full harness, on a stationary rig, ffs

My lower back and knee pain used to get worse after time on the sim, due to slouching forward (hunched back, hips sliding forward, knees bent too much, leaning from side to side), so figured if I bolt myself down it'll stop that, which it did until recently when I wasn't so religious about using them. From now on it's 'clunk click every trip' race

Radical solution for what must be a painful problem Colin. But, no getting away with it, as we age we start to fall apart and have to find ways round our well earned pains. No way are we going to let it stop our hobby. My leg is still sore and I know as soon as it's better there will be another pain from somewhere, my hands are due a turn again soon. Looking forward to it of course.

 

[gearwhine]

Radical solution for what must be a painful problem Colin. But, no getting away with it, as we age we start to fall apart and have to find ways round our well earned pains. No way are we going to let it stop our hobby. My leg is still sore and I know as soon as it's better there will be another pain from somewhere, my hands are due a turn again soon. Looking forward to it of course.

Sorry John, confused you with Colin for a second . Age effecting brain also

 

[Shed 17]

cos I got sloppy about not using my belts.... a full harness, on a stationary rig, ffs

My other half still thinks I have lost the plot after I fitted belts to my rig! But they do make a difference and while my braking still needs some work, being strapped in stops me 'subamarining' in the seat and has improved the control I have in braking distances.

Could be worse though........................

 

[Allan Ramsbottom]

When i first got my rig i was 124kg, 19st 5lbs old money, ex body builder,guess how i coped trying to squeeze into a rig lol..Even now at 17st i have days with cramp aches,pains u name it,but i found angling my seat and especially my pedals really helped, it took a while but works a treat..My problem now is my V2.5 Fanatec rim,at 265mm its tiny in my hands, and pins and needles is a nightmare,but come race night i would,nt swap it for anything...

 

[RasmusP]

When i first got my rig i was 124kg, 19st 5lbs old money, ex body builder,guess how i coped trying to squeeze into a rig lol..Even now at 17st i have days with cramp aches,pains u name it,but i found angling my seat and especially my pedals really helped, it took a while but works a treat..My problem now is my V2.5 Fanatec rim,at 265mm its tiny in my hands, and pins and needles is a nightmare,but come race night i would,nt swap it for anything...

Yeah fanatec really needs to do a mclaren/bmw/formula v2.5 merge and provide a 450€ GT/Formula rim with dual clutch, magnetic shifters, thumbwheels, rotarys etc.

Make my mclaren v2 rim out of metal, update the shifter mechanism and add 2 thumbwheels and it would be absolutely perfect.

The grip geometry is just perfect, since they got the real CAD data from mclaren.
The rubber is identical too and you can see it.
Grips perfectly with bare hands and any gloves while still looking like after the first day of use.

 

[gearwhine]

I have no idea what the younger guys are thinking about all this but i think it is great the way we are all opening up about our ageing carcasses. Changed my rig only a few weeks ago from a Playseat challange that was so comfortable i could fall asleep in it after a race to a really solid Sim Lab setup. Great, probably a little quicker on track but certainly a lot slower getting out. Until i raise the seat base i am a sight to see holding the rig with one hand and swinging around to take the pressure off my knees. I swear we are damned if we do and damned if we dont. The more we use our body over the years the more it wears out, the less we use it the body stays fine but maybe not so good under the hood.

 

[maxilogan]

Yes I had similar, so my rig is basically as F1 driver sit, layed back with feet high, or not GT3 style of sit up right.
It is so comfortable, some times I just use it to relax.

Winning strategy for the Abarth drivers in next races: get Ernie to fall asleep in his rig.

 

[maxilogan]

When i first got my rig i was 19st 5lbs (...) Even now at 17st (...)

I swear I never heard about this unit of measure. I had to Google it.
Imperial system is full of surprises..

 

[maxilogan]

When i first got my rig i was 124kg, 19st 5lbs old money, ex body builder

I also wonder how you can squeeze into an MX5 and drive comfortably

 

[Dzul]

In case anybody wants to watch Le Mans Virtual (it just started), hereby a few links:

TraxionGG (YT):

Jimmer (YT):

TeamRedline (TW):