[Freezer]

Whilst I am not critical at all of the process, as an observation with Guy in the Z4 we were very close last week, but for this week Marty (on RSR) is 1.3 quicker so far and we are in the same car as we have always been and I have never been able to catch him.
Food for thought...

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Whilst I am not critical at all of the process, as an observation with Guy in the Z4 we were very close last week, but for this week Marty (on RSR) is 1.3 quicker so far and we are in the same car as we have always been and I have never been able to catch him.
Food for thought...

I don't get what you are trying to say?  Wouldn't you have been about the same off Marty last week as well considering I was at least a second slower than Marty in the Z4?

[Freezer]

Whilst I am not critical at all of the process, as an observation with Guy in the Z4 we were very close last week, but for this week Marty (on RSR) is 1.3 quicker so far and we are in the same car as we have always been and I have never been able to catch him.
Food for thought...

I don't get what you are trying to say?  Wouldn't you have been about the same off Marty last week as well considering I was at least a second slower than Marty in the Z4?

Point is with you in the Z4 it made us a lot closer.  But with Marty who is always in the same car as me but considerably quicker the effect of closing up the field is not so . . . but thats just from where I sit in he scheme of things!

[marty]

Whilst I am not critical at all of the process, as an observation with Guy in the Z4 we were very close last week, but for this week Marty (on RSR) is 1.3 quicker so far and we are in the same car as we have always been and I have never been able to catch him.
Food for thought...

I don't get what you are trying to say?  Wouldn't you have been about the same off Marty last week as well considering I was at least a second slower than Marty in the Z4?

Point is with you in the Z4 it made us a lot closer.  But with Marty who is always in the same car as me but considerably quicker the effect of closing up the field is not so . . . but thats just from where I sit in he scheme of things!

I think thats kind of what Im trying to say, but then me in the z4 would be about .5 slower then you freezer where I think If you got a car that was 1 second quicker would be a better solution. I remember Dick putting in one of the quickest laps early in practice on race nite last round which was only about .6 slower then my best of the nite. He also did that on lower grip levels but then I think he may have forgot how to drive or was pacing himself AKA sandbagging.  So If dick could come closer to my times in the 240r s3 then both you in the elise sc and Guy in the z4. Then freezer in a beamer would be very close to my times and Guy in an Elise would be closer too even if slightly ahead of me but not 1 second slower as was last round.

Put me in the z4 and I will be 1.5 seconds slower then Schmittez who is faster then me this round atm and I dont know how much more pace is in that elise, freezer would still be over 1 second slower then him in an Elise sc and Dick would be quicker then all of us possibly, assuming he isnt pacing himself too much.  There is also the issue of lap consistancy so average race pace over outright fastest time but I think Wally's method of average fastest lap per driver over the 3 races seems to be quite a good way of finding benchmark times.

[insomniac]

I would've thought it should be based off the fastest  person, not the slowest or median or whatever... but then you can see I've put a lot of thought into it lol maybe based off a few races, not only the last one would greatly improve things also? Since I got discod last race and unfortunately am stuck in the same car as Marty which I shouldn't be in, since he's consistently faster than me everywhere. Castle Hill I was about a second if not more slower, and here at Silverstone I'm nearly 2s off the pace. Hell let's just base everyone around Marty haha

[Bacchulum]

I'm sure we could come up with a 3 page long equation to sort out the 0.5-1 sec differences.
But I'll screw all that up as I can change pace by .75 sec between races in the same car!!!
And I consider myself 'consistent'.

They've said ballast is coming, so I wouldn't lose sleep over any of this.

[Wally]

Exactly Bacchulum. There are so many variables.

But what I will do for next round is base the calculations on the WR times achievable this round at Silverstone as well as the times for the next round at Imola, instead of just using WR averages. That will filter out even more car strengths and weaknesses at a particular track.

[Bird]

Use the time that most people do in each car for the track (where the peak is in the laptimes)!
...or not...

[Wally]

Use the time that most people do in each car for the track (where the peak is in the laptimes)!
...or not...

Yeah, I have looked at doing that, but some car/track combos don't really have enough data, and there sometimes isn't a well defined peak. The WR's still give you a relative performance for the cars on a given track.

[marty]

Looks better for the next round Wally, not so many in the Elises and good to see the guys like Rob who did well this round not get too badly handicapped as their pace still wasnt all that far ahead of what was doable in an Elise.

[Wally]

Yep, don't forget you don't get penalised just for winning - it's just about your lap times. Rob was a bit slower in race 1, which brought his average back to the pack.

[Gratulin]

I don't think I have done enough races this season to enable the 'Wally formula' to settle in for me. My comment below should be tempered by the fact that I have not really come to grips with the Lotus even though it is really fun to drive and by the fact that I have completed less races than most.

1. I have dropped from running mid-field to back of the field. This is down to a number of factors I think but mainly my lack of driving time. I am finding it difficult changing cars each race. Someone made the comment that the laptimes really improved in Race 3 last night.

2. I am missing the guidance of the faster/better drivers in the lines to take and the setup of a specific car/track combo. I could find no setup for the Lotus SC S2 since none of the good drivers were using that car. I really miss Guybrush's setups!! I now have the BMW to learn for next week...

3. The faster guys in slow cars are lethal. They really are wringing every last second out of those cars so driving behind them or in front of them is unpredictable.

4. As a back-marker / mid-fielder I am not really looking for close "pack" racing. My skills are not good enough to enjoy that. Last season I enjoyed the occasional contest with other racers in the same car even if it was for 15th position but also enjoyed some more relaxed racing behind or in front of other cars clocking similar laptimes.

5. Handicapping should about -

A) bringing the fast guys back to the other front runners - not back to the midfield. This is for the benefit of all the front runners to improve their level of enjoyment of the racing.
B) keeping the majority of the midfield on the same car and letting the different skill levels come into play. The differences aren't that great.
C) bring the back markers up to the back of the midfield so that there is no lapping by the lead cars. Even after I have spun or been hit and end up last I still enjoy circulating for the rest of the race if the tail-end of the pack is in sight. Once I am looking at the lead cars bearing down on me I prefer to stop. I know that lapped cars are a part of racing but mostly in longer races where there are a lot of lapped cars so it is part of the experience for everyone. Being the lone lapped car is no fun believe me.

Enough! Hope everyone doesn't take my comments the wrong way but I felt it worth posting them.

[Bird]

Thanks, Gratulin.   It's very interesting to read your opinions!  I find it a bit contradictory in one way only; you are in online racing, but you prefer to be "left alone" somewhat.   The rest I can completely see your point on; re-learning cars and lack of setups can be a bit of an issue.

I think once we have ballast, we can fine tune things better, and run same-makes with tighter fields. 
Keep in mind, though, that in mixed car races you'll probably not get the same car as Guybrush, since he will always be in something relatively slow.
But you can try creating setups, who knows, you might have a knack for it and create really good once after a while.  It takes a lot of time, though. (not just learning, creating each setup, too)

P.s. If you need specific advice on racing lines or setup, just ask.   There's a few people here who can help.  Altho the best thing is to try it, practice it.

P.p.s. sorry for being "lethal", hehe, I'd not have thought us being as such.

[Gratulin]

Bird, I still remember being passed 3 times by you in the Cobra at Salzburg and there were only 5 laps in race and you weren't lapping me

[Bird]

Ah but that's just for fun, isn't it!

And let's be honest, that cobra is a menace at higher speeds...