Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Sign up for the sixth running of the annual RaceDepartment Grand Prix Championship (RDGPC) closes this Sunday 17th September, limited number of places remain...
Utilising the outstanding Automobilista racing simulation from Reiza Studios and the spectacular Dallara F309 Formula Three car, we are looking to host not one but two series running concurrently as both main and support categories for RDGPC Season 6, in what looks set to be our most ambitious and well thought out open wheel series to date.
At present we have 40 drivers confirmed to be taking part in the new double series championship, 24 in our top split RDGPC category and a provisional 16 looking to take to the circuit in the RDGPC Support Series. In order to make a viable championship for the second split we require a minimum of 18 and maximum 30 entries, so get yourself signed up on the thread HERE to be in with a shout come qualifying day on Saturday 30th September!
The RDGPC
The grid for the main RDGPC championship is now complete, with 24 of the best Automobista single seater drivers about to take part in what we expect to be a spectacular and highly dramatic open wheel series. Running for 90 minutes of hard fought racing, this new league is sure to be a test of concentration and performance in a car capable of running three wide for the majority of a lap!
Thank you to those who have committed to the league and we wish you the best of luck in the qualifying round at Spielberg as you fight for your chance to enter the top split of RDGPC Season 6!
Running the same F309 Dallara Formula Three car as the main championship, the RDGPC Support Series will run slightly ahead of the main event with practice beginning at 17:00 GMT. The rules remain the same as the main series apart from the race format, where drivers will be treated to two 30 minute race events with a reversed top ten for the second race. The competition looks likely to be as closely fought and tightly packed throughout both splits, and with the added excitement of double race events and reversed top ten grids for our support series drivers, anyone could be in with a shout of taking the title at season end!
At present we still have a few places remaining to fill before our sign up deadline this Sunday, with 40 drivers so far confirmed to be taking part in our qualifying event at Spielberg on the 30th September. Sign up to now to take part!! The quickest 24 drivers will be entered into the main RDGPC top split category, with the remaining 30 competitors taking part in our second split RDGPC support series.
As mentioned earlier in the article we require a minimum of 18 drivers to run our second split championship, so if you are on the fence about taking part then head over to our SIGN UP THREAD and put your name down for some close and clean open wheel racing!
The Qualifying Race
Due to our two league schedule structure for RDGPC Season 6, we will be running a qualification race on Saturday 30th September to decide the driving line up for both server splits of our new league. The fastest 24 registered drivers will be classified for the main RDGPC series in server one, whilst the remaining 30 drivers will form the grid for our very first RDGPC Support Series championship.
The confirmed grids for RDGPC Season 6 and the RDGPC Support Series will be announced on October 7th 2017.
How Do I Get involved?
Easy! All we ask is you have a valid and current Premium Membership and you get your name down for a spot before our deadline closes this Sunday 17th September. Visit our Sign Up Thread and get your name down for a place on the grid. If you don't already have a team sorted for the new season or are a team looking to recruit drivers, you can log your details on the Team and Driver Matchmaking Thread and let the offers roll in!
The Calendar
Making use of the highly detailed race tracks available in Automobilista, RDGPC Season 6 will take in some of the finest and most appropriate venues hand picked to encourage close and clean racing in the mighty little Formula Three Dallara.
Running from November 2017 to January 2018, RDGPC will take in Grand Prix venues, Brazilian masterpieces, one of the finest circuits in the UK and everyone's favourite former Australian Grand track, all compacted into short and sharp action packed race events in both single (RDGPC) and double race formats (RDGPC Support Series).
Before the action kicks off for real we will hold a qualification race (see above) on Saturday 30th September at Spielberg, where the places are decided for who will contest each split come lights out on Saturday 4th November.
Once server splits have been decided, the teams and drivers will get one final opportunity to check out their rides and assess the competition before the season proper begins, with a short test race at Interlargos scheduled for Saturday 21st October prior to round one commencing on the 4th November at Hockenheim in Germany.
Any driver absent from Pre-Season will be removed and replaced with a reserve drivers. If we only have one grid, the reserve driver will be the fastest of those who did not qualify, and if we have more than one absence, it goes down the list.
If we have two grids, then the same will be done for the bottom split. However, if a driver from the top split is absent, then the fastest of those from the second grid will be moved into the top split, and the fastest of the reserves will be put into the bottom grid.
Will the races be broadcast live?
Of course! We will be bringing our 'A' game to this series will full and professional broadcasting of both the RDGPC and RDGPC Support series across our popular YouTube channel and live here on the main website. We will be producing written race reviews after each event and showing highlight reels from some of the best moments of the season throughout the year.
Want 15 minutes of fame within our awesome community? Fancy pitting your wits against some of the best open wheel drivers in AMS? RDGPC and the RDGPC Support Series has all the answers! Sign up, sign on, get racing and have some fun!
