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Hey Everyone, I have been watching this section for a really long time and truth be told, this might be my favorite stuff to read. But I have to say, all I can hear are crickets chirping in here, for quite some time now. Forums in general have been pretty quiet since we all got hooked on Facebook, Instagram or whatever else might be at the tips of our fingers with just a swipe today. This section in particular hasn't seen much activity in some years, and I think it is one of the more "fun" places to do some reading. I am hopeful that maybe there are still quite a few of you who come in here and might want to see something new. So short story long, I'm interested in chirping too, if anybody wants to listen. It is no joke that the World feels a bit upside down at the moment. It's like a scene from "I am Legend" if you are still lucky enough to be driving to work these days, except the potholes are deeper. Nobody has any idea when we will all get back to our version of "normal". But who needs normal anyways? So here I am. My absolute favorite thing about this club is our people, and there are so many different worlds coming together it blows my mind. Every single event brings such a variety of vehicles, driving styles, and attitudes. It would be next to impossible to showcase every single member, but I think it would be an intriguing challenge to try to touch on as many familiar faces/grilles as I can. I believe this also helps in the long run with people just getting to know each other. In my experience, after you attend a few events, you start to recognize the cars, and especially if you are out on the track with them, you end up talking and getting to know them a little bit. This could possibly become a slightly less adrenaline filled version of that same excitement. This is just an idea in my head of course, but please let me know if there is any interest in something along these lines. Dason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs

I was also looking forward to testing a few new upgrades on the GTI this spring. I installed new KONI Sports adjustable shocks and was looking forward to tuning them at the track, as well have some wider stickier rubber coming from Speedfactor and maybe JBRacing. Plus I read Going Faster!: Mastering the Art of Race Driving so I'm sure that would have knocked off a second or two! I was starting to have some fun driving on the dry roads the last couple of days but that's on hold now too! The 928 poked its tail out today then went back into isolation. Brad

Here is the latest with stories from the winter and updates on the upcoming season. Let us know if you have additional stories, updates or corrections. Thanks Aficionado 2020-2.pdf

I guess everyone is more or less in the same boat here...trying to figure out how to gain that extra second while sitting at home! After our last race day I started to do some maintenance and repair work on the RX-8 (yes, brand-new quarter panel and fenders and shiny new paint!). During that process I decided to get rid of my barely functioning A/C compressor. But since I was only 0.5 PIPs away from sliding into GT4, I now have to move into that class. So getting rid of that monstrosity of air pump in the other side of the engine compartment was the next natural step. With my exhaust getting so hot that you can barely keep your hands on the shifter bezel, I don't think I have a problem getting my cat to working temperature... But now I have quite a bit of wiggle room for more improvements while still staying in GT4. I have to decide where I want to allocate my efforts: trying to save some weight (to compensate for the driver's inability to stay away from good food?), or suspension improvements? Thankfully I have no problems with my brakes - except of the calipers coming loose, but safety wiring will take care of that. I will go with more negative camber front and rear to combat the extreme wear on the outer edges of my tires, and if finances allow me I will step up in tire width. One way or another, I need to find an extra second per lap to get the same amount of points in GT4 as I received in T1. I, too, have thought a lot about the proper gearing. As opposed to Matt, I actually use my shift lever quite a bit. I try to keep my engine above 5800 rpm! Well, not quite, but below 4500 there is not much happening, and if i let the rpm drop below 4000, a mother pushing her baby stroller can outrun me! Therefore I shift a lot. I would love to get a bit taller gearing as I hit my rev limiter in 2nd gear between turn 3 and 4, as well as 4 and 5, but staying in 3rd gear doesn't give me much acceleration between the corners. However, halfway down the front straight I shift into 4th, and then I barely gain any speed anymore. So what is the solution? Going with slightly taller tires and hope that pulling 3rd gear a bit longer on the straight is compensating for the loss of acceleration? Or going with dramatically shorter gearing, so that all 2nd gear corners become 3rd gear territory, and fourth gear actually still pulls? I think the latter would be the way to go; unfortunately changing gears or even finding ring and pinion gears for an RX-8 is not as easy as for a Camaro. Decisions, decisions...

Fantastic idea Dason. To Matt Corrie. Back in the day I was dealing with a similar problem for a different reason and changed my diff to put my revs where I could use them in 5 and in 7/8. My car had a power band from about 5000 to 8500 but was pretty sluggish below 5. You can make a spreadsheet with all your different gear ratios and tire sizes included. In my case I knew what speed I needed to get down to to make corner 5 so I picked a final drive ratio that would put me just over 5000 in second coming out of 5. I was losing a couple of car lengths with the stock ratio and this eliminated that problem. Not enough for a pass on that back straight but since it worked the same in 7/8 I could set up passes on the front straight coming out of 8 or 9 or whatever it was. Yes, it was a rotary. Scott

In case anyone is unaware, Porsche released a 1.5hr documentary following factory-backed teams at Le Mans and the 24h of the Nürburgring in 2019. It is directed by the same director as the Netflix Formula 1 "docuseries" Drive to Survive and gives a fairly good glimpse of the highs and lows experienced during the races. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvbkr-nXpjE&t=436s

If anyone wants to try iRacing, here's a promo code for a 3-month subscription for $5 USD. If you already have an iRacing account, just create a new one with a different email address. Code: PRHotlaps

Looks like there's no panic for getting ready this spring . . . good think too, I've got a 14" big brake kit to put on my 350Z. I've only got an outside parking lot to work in, it'll may be getting warm enough soon! peace, David

Dason - good on you. You’re right, this is a great opportunity to keep up with our automotive connections the only way we really can in these highly unusual times. ...and I’m not on any social media either - just not my bag. But I’d like to know what everyone is working on. I kept blowing the tires off in turns 3-4-5 so I’m putting a different set of headers on my car in an effort to move the torque peak up a bit and free up a bit more hp. I went from 1 5/8” shorty’s to 1 3/4” full length headers. As soon as the weather is good enough I will bolt them on. If the dollar gets better I might get stiffer springs but exchange is just too high right now. Dason - any plans for your car?? anybody else trying something new??

I work nights so I’m available during the days to help build these...I like the design tho...station 4 (one of my favourite places to marshal) seems to always be in the path of destruction...whether it’s the weather lol or the occasional race car coming for a visit...I was lucky last year to be out of the weather but I’m looking forward to a new station there and I’ll bang nails or cut wood to help see that as a reality!

Hey all, I finally figured out how to make this public instead of sending it out 1 by 1. Track is made by me but I'm deffinately no designer or computer guy so if your able to make changes to make it better please do so and share it back. Fyi I never put computer ai racers into it so you will only be able to race with yourself or other real people This is the download link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYE5BIx8q4hGxvgWq0O66c-KwdNgViMV/view?usp=drivesdk Love Ian

any chance we can get assists unlocked? Im playing on a poverty setup with no clutch pedal and the auto clutch setting is locked

That is one sweet Toyotahome. Looks friggen minty. Not sure if you've used it yet, I bet you will have much more fun than you thought you would. That is a cool unit and much better then sleeping on the ground, especially when it is raining. Don't change the interior at all, it will come back in style in about 20 years. I love it.

The BB sequence is a pretty common thing, real life racing or sim racing. I installed Asseto Corsa a couple of nights ago, I had only been on iRacing and rFactor up until now. AC has a better tire model and force feedback in my opinion than iRacing. The issue with iRacing is the cost, and also that some people are console only. I've got Discord voice enabled for the WSCC group.

I've setup a Discord server for text/voice chat. Below is the invite link. https://discord.gg/SbbzHFa

@beppcaGoing Faster is the best book on Driving I’ve read. I bought that when it was first released many moons ago. The Skip Barber guys have been at it for a long time and rest assured that what you read there is quite practical and applicable. Specifically on how they explain the types of corners and how to approach them. @Rare Snake pics of the toyotahome!! Those things are great! And for the most part, it doesn’t matter what you drive, as long as your get out there a drive - but rest assured we are all SUPER grateful for the volunteer work you do!!

Thanks Aaron. Much appreciated!! Someone else made a side by side comparison of the rFactor1 GMP track model next to the Assetto Corsa GMP track model, and I think the comparison is striking. In my opinion, one is like actually racing at GMP, and the other seems like an arcade version of racing at GMP. http://www.youtubemultiplier.com/5e874a85b0e7b-rfactor-assetto-corsa-side-by-side-comparison.php Before a decision is made on which platform people prefer, they should definitely watch this video if they haven't had a chance to actually drive both.

Older video on some dumbed down in game setting, I'll try to post a new one soon.

What are the specs of your computer? There's a chance you would be able to run one of the games even on an older computer.

This is just incredible! I've been hoping for something like this since I first got to the track. Thank you SO SO much for posting it for everyone to enjoy! This will help with not being able to race until we know more. Again, Huge thank you! (Spencer Green)

Works great! Can confirm it's compatible with Custom Shaders Patch and the SOL mod.

The rFactor track looks pretty rad:

Looking for input from volunteers on a proposed Marshaling Stand concept. The base is 8' x 8' with a 6 degree slope to the roof. (The markers in the middle shows a height of 6') A detailed dimensional drawing is available. WSCC Marshall Station Elevation 5.bmp

Same as me David - I have a garage but it’s skinny, can’t work on suspension or brakes in there. But that’s cool. With the nice weather it’s good to be outside! Scott - I have been contemplating a gearing change for that same reason.... I have 3.42 right now. So 3.73 is logical. With the double-overdriven T56 i could run 4.11 with no problems. But changing the headers to alter the power band Is a new challenge for me, I have no experience with this and am looking forward to the results. As it sits, I’m in 3rd gear from turn 3 until the start-finish line where I pull 4th and keep it there til T3 again...kinda boring, but as a rule I don’t take the motor past 5800 and learning to carry momentum through the corners is a great exercise in physics, specifically Newton’s 1st law of motion. I dunno, maybe I should re-visit the gearing... that being said, the rear of my car was exhibiting an uncomfortable lack of control despite my best efforts to put it where I’d like it to be. in preparation for the season finale in sept 2019, I got a new sway bar for the rear (never had one before) and also clamped a coil down in an effort to follow the manufacturers recommended settings when using Hoosier tires - they said minimum is to run 10% more spring with their tires. well, due to weather I didn’t get to the track in September, so it’s going to be a new deal for the first track day of 2020 - whenever that will be. Either way, I’ll be ready!

Yeah, I'm usually more into reading than posting, and I don't do facebook. It's cool to follow the guys working on their Hondas at MT Garage https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyhOCbO0kLDuVIAILbYdIQg Other people have projects on the go?

I dry everything with roasted fire ! I assume you bought these high quality coils!

This is fantastic. I’d like a couple of these bullet points on their own T-Shirt

We should have some if Gary doesn't.

I'm not sure if I have any pull up - but I have a pile of expired harnesses. I will check tonight.

Little late to the post. This weekend i'm only available on Sunday, Cya then! Now for the list: 1. Scott 2. Dason 3. Llew 4. Aaron (Sunday)

If anyone needs the construction details for study, then I'm posting Jim's plans here. As you can see, a materials list is provided along with a cutting list and an estimated cost. Looks good to me! WSCC Marshall Station without Elevation.pdf

Prior to spending money on additional car modifications (aside from tires) I would suggest getting in more seat time. You can have the fastest car out there but if your driving skills aren't up to the task you will always post slow time. Attend more events and have the rookie instructor ride with you (great for feed back), attend the two schools that are offered throughout the year (tons of feedback and seat time) and you'll start noticing your time get faster and faster.

A few more tidbits of information to share while watching the on-board live streams tonight: The additional lights that you see mounted on the GT cars for night races are actually referred to as "apex lights" and are angled outwards so while braking in a straight line, the apex of the corner is illuminated. While not highly effective at Daytona, they are incredibly useful for the after-dark portions of the Sebring 12hr and Road Atlanta 10hr races. The GTD cars actually have driver air conditioning systems installed that either blow air at the driver, into their helmet, at their back or all of the mentioned. In the Porsche, the system had varying intensities from completely off to being on all the time. The most commonly run position during hot weather was the "performance" setting which would engage the A/C compressor clutch only when under the throttle pedal position was below a certain threshold. Similar engine performance favouring logic is used for battery charging as well. If the battery state of charge (SOC) is below a certain amount, then the alternator would always be engaged. If the SOC is at 100% or close to it, the alternator would not engage at all and if the SOC is just below full-capacity, the alternator would only engage under braking. Electrical failures do happen and sometimes the crew will loose radio communication with the driver. At tracks were crew members can access the front straight wall from across pit lane, IMSA allows the usage of signs to communicate with the driver. Our protocol was that as long as the car was functioning mechanically sound, the driver was to stay out until the low fuel alarm came on. The fuel system in the car is designed such that you can only see the exact level of the last 6L of fuel in the central collector. The cell has 4 pumps (one in each corner) that feed a central collector at the top of the tank. It is in this collector that the level sensor is located and from here that two high-pressure fuel pumps (one primary and one spare) feed the engine. In the Porsche 911 GT3R, the 6L capacity was enough for at least 2 full green-flag laps at every track we competed at. The car also has selective engine maps that vary how rich/lean the engine runs. Under FCY behind the safety car, the driver would use map 0 which is the most lean and under normal running would use map 3. Map 4 is the richest and is only used when an opportunity to pass is present. The last 6L in the fuel cell are all that really matter when it comes to knowing exact fuel level. The car does have a fuel-flow meter installed so we were able to keep track of how much fuel had been burned since the last fueling. The ECU also outputs fuel usage data based upon injector duty cycle for where the engine is operating within the loaded engine calibration and fuel maps. It is nearly impossible to mount a level sensor in the fuel cell to measure the entire level because of capacity blocks that have to be added to ensure cell capacity matches the specified amount as outlined by the BoP tables. The fuel cell has a full capacity of 120L but the car typically has to run in the 94L capacity range. The fuel rig in pit lane has load cells attached to it so we know exactly how much fuel was put in the car at each pit stop. Even when the car is filled in the paddock for practice sessions, it is common practice to measure fuel capacity by weight and not outright volume. This leads to my next point, one of the most over-looked positions on an endurance racing team is that of the fueler. The IMSA BoP mandates that GTD cars cannot fill an empty car to full during a pit stop quicker than 40s. A typical 4-tire change takes no longer than 20s so the remainder of the pit stop is dependent on the fuel going in the car. If the fueler does not plug the head in perfectly straight or bobbles it slightly, the flow will be disrupted significantly and slow the rate of fuel passage to the car. Another massively over-looked position is that of the tire guy. Though he may not be any of the mechanics going over the wall to actually put the tires on the car, the tire guy is responsible for ensuring their preparation. Each set that comes off the car needs to have their balancing weights removed, cleaned and inspected for any cracks or damage. They then are taken to a designated area where Michelin technicians are set up to dismount the used tires, mount new ones then balance them. Tire pressures are highly critical to vehicle performance and tire longevity, especially on the Daytona banking. Pure nitrogen is used in the tires to ensure repeatable pressure ramp-up and maintenance since target hot pressures need to be accurate within 0.15 psi. The mounted tires from Michelin are purged of whatever pressurized gas is put in them then the tire guy fills them with nitrogen from one of our own tanks. The pressures are always set higher than required, then bumped down a lap or two prior to the car coming in to pit. This is because the engineer may call for a change in cold pressures based upon driver feedback or change in ambient weather conditions.

As the Rolex 24hr is coming up this weekend, I figured I would re-visit this topic and provide addition insight into what really happens during the Rolex 24 race weekend. A common misconception about any 24hr race, is that the crew needs to be alert and awake for 24hrs straight. Certain crew members such as mechanics are only required during pit stops so they will often sleep between stops. The time between stops varies for each class in IMSA since each class burns a full tank of fuel at different rates to ensure that under green flag running, there are not multiple classes pitting at the same time. In the GTD class, time between stops from a full to near-empty tank can be anywhere from 50-65 minutes. IMSA positions teams from different classes beside each other on pit lane in an effort to maximize the chance of having clear pit box entry and exit for drivers. If there is a full-course yellow (FCY) and the safety car is dispatched, pit lane will only be open to specific classes following the order of DPi/LMP2 then GTLM/GTD. The opening and closing of pit lane to specific classes under FCY safety car is controlled by the race director over the race control radio channel. For other crew members such as the engineers and crew chief, the Rolex 24 is closer to 36hrs than 24. Teams arrive at the track around 6am on race day to complete final vehicle checks, spares preparation and pit equipment servicing. The race starts at 1:40pm and provided your vehicle makes it the entire 24hrs to Sunday afternoon, you need to tear down and pack up your pit lane and garage setups and vacate the track by 5:30pm on Sunday. The fact that a 24hr race is significantly more than just 24hrs was the biggest eye-opener to me last year and made me gain even more respect for teams who make it look so easy. A lot can happen in a 24hr period regarding position changes on track and teams who have been more than a lap down at some point in the race have come back to win. As important as outright pace is to maintaining or gaining track position, I learned early in the season last year that the easiest and most effective way of passing a car ahead of you is by fuel saving. Through saving fuel, if you pit on the same lap as the car ahead of you, there is a significant chance that you burned less fuel than them. While filling the tank back to full, you require less fuel and thus less time in your pitbox. Often the ability to fuel save while setting competitive lap times is what differentiates the best drivers from the mediocre ones. The most common strategy for fuel saving is lifting off of the throttle early and coasting into braking zones after high speed sections of track. Drag force is equivalent to the square of air speed so the faster the car is going, the greater the "braking" effect caused by aerodynamic drag will be. Remarkably, a good portion of IMSA documents are accessible by the general public. For timing reports, weather reports, official schedules, team briefing slides and other race event-specific documents see the following: http://results.imsa.com/notice-board.html. For technical bulletins regarding regulations and BoP tables see the following: https://competitors.imsa.com/102019/2020-technical-bulletins.

Don - check your PM. Mia needs a race car. Thanks Wayne

Hi Peter: The wheel controller is a G27 modified with a quick release attachment. The actual steering wheel is a Momo D cut 10, which I also use on the Formula Vee. The dashboard is a custom 480x272 TFT with shift and warning LEDs that I designed to be identical to the PCU-8 from McLaren: http://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/products/item/display-unit-pcu-8d/ I've developed a plugin so the display gathers telemetry from rFactor (it works with iRacing too). JS

It's difficult to show any sort of quality details in a picture considering the rather harsh limitation on this forum for attachment size. We're currently adding texture to the track which adds to the realistic feel when driving. Proof of the realistic feel: T1 and its approach feel equally dangerous in the simulator when driving an open wheel, with the proximity of the tower, wood fence, RVs and other containers.