Rodan
Rodan UltraDork
11/15/23 11:20 a.m.
aircooled said:

Yeah, these cars are about 90% "hey these are pretty easy to drive" and 10% "what the hell just happened".  

 QFT!

I do find these a lot of fun to drive, but they'll definitely bite out of low speed corners. 

COTA is pretty challenging... speed on the long straights is very dependent on getting a good drive out of the slowest corners on the track, and that's where the Radical will bite you.

gencollon
gencollon Reader
11/15/23 12:44 p.m.
DarkMonohue said:

In reply to aircooled:

That was a rough one. This whole series has been rough. I was in that black and yellow 56 car, and until tonight, I didn't realize just how long I sat there on the fence contemplating my life choices after that furball at the start of the second race. That's not the behavior of someone who is enjoying himself.

Sorry to hear that traumatized you. Perhaps if you know what happened and why, you could start having a better outlook about it?

You're using the radar app? Changing lanes at the start of a race is something to be very careful about. It should have been obvious that you were about to drive into cars.  

Mike924
Mike924 HalfDork
11/15/23 1:27 p.m.

In reply to DarkMonohue :

Sorry to hear you will not be joining us tonight Dark.  You have been running really well in these. 

They are a bear to get right, and I know I have had good and bad races with them. 

See you on the flip side

 

DarkMonohue
DarkMonohue Dork
11/15/23 1:57 p.m.
gencollon said:

Sorry to hear that traumatized you. Perhaps if you know what happened and why, you could start having a better outlook about it?

You're using the radar app? Changing lanes at the start of a race is something to be very careful about. It should have been obvious that you were about to drive into cars.  

"Traumatized" is sure a fun word, isn't it? And so fashionable these days! But here, "frustrated" is much more accurate.

I do have the radar app. In hindsight, there's no question I was at fault in this incident. I should have seen that collision coming. I had the information but didn't process it. And that makes it all the more frustrating.

So that's one incident. Incidents happen. This entire season has been - how should I say this? - above my pay grade. The plain truth is that I have zero on-track experience, and not even any sim racing experience until the last (touring cars) season. I also have less than stellar eyesight, pretty damn slow reflexes, very limited time to practice, and only about an hour after work on Wednesday to prep and find some focus before the flag drops. That's not an ideal combination. Mix it with a Radical and the tracks we ran this season and I'm at capacity. No hard feelings, no ragrets; I'm just in over my head and have had more than my fill. And since I am unlikely to either enjoy tonight's race or make a really positive contribution to it, I'm electing to sit it out.

In reply to Mike924:

Thanks. If it was just the car, it would be one thing. If it's car and tracks and driver, well, that's a whole 'nother situation.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/15/23 2:58 p.m.

Maybe it is once again time to preach the gospel of our lord and savior, the TDT Spec Alto.  Consequences for such incidents are much lower leading to a lot less frustration if you happen to have an off day (or season).  Also the racing is a lot closer.

aircooled
aircooled MegaDork
11/15/23 3:53 p.m.

In reply to ProDarwin :

ZELOT!    cheeky

aircooled
aircooled MegaDork
11/15/23 3:57 p.m.

In reply to gencollon :

The start issue looked exactly like:

"Hey, I got a good start"...

[power band]

"Hey, where is the back end going, and why can't I steer?!"

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/15/23 3:59 p.m.
aircooled said:

In reply to ProDarwin :

ZELOT!    cheeky

Zealot even

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/16/23 3:13 p.m.
DarkMonohue said:
gencollon said:

Sorry to hear that traumatized you. Perhaps if you know what happened and why, you could start having a better outlook about it?

You're using the radar app? Changing lanes at the start of a race is something to be very careful about. It should have been obvious that you were about to drive into cars.  

"Traumatized" is sure a fun word, isn't it? And so fashionable these days! But here, "frustrated" is much more accurate.

I do have the radar app. In hindsight, there's no question I was at fault in this incident. I should have seen that collision coming. I had the information but didn't process it. And that makes it all the more frustrating.

So that's one incident. Incidents happen. This entire season has been - how should I say this? - above my pay grade. The plain truth is that I have zero on-track experience, and not even any sim racing experience until the last (touring cars) season. I also have less than stellar eyesight, pretty damn slow reflexes, very limited time to practice, and only about an hour after work on Wednesday to prep and find some focus before the flag drops. That's not an ideal combination. Mix it with a Radical and the tracks we ran this season and I'm at capacity. No hard feelings, no ragrets; I'm just in over my head and have had more than my fill. And since I am unlikely to either enjoy tonight's race or make a really positive contribution to it, I'm electing to sit it out.

In reply to Mike924:

Thanks. If it was just the car, it would be one thing. If it's car and tracks and driver, well, that's a whole 'nother situation.

Dark

PLEASE show up next week.  We will be testing cars to use.  How about you pick a car?  No really!!!  We were batting around several cars last light and getting something new (and slow) would be a nice change from the gittery fast cars we just ran.  I am horrible with slow cars for some reason.  I need to learn to drive them better so I welcome them.  There is the old RWD AE86.  We should revisit that.   As Darwin said spec alto is an option.  I was thinking an E30 M3 series.  Maybe an E42 M3.  They are not really fast.  What about a spec Honda Civic series?  Those can be fun.  We were also looking at Spec LTD Cown Victorias (cop cars).  I tested a 911 997.1 and it was just ok.  We also tested a 2015 Mustang GT and it was a faster Crown Vic with more motor and about the same brakes so not my cup of tea really but a race or three with it could be fun.

  

 

DarkMonohue
DarkMonohue Dork
11/16/23 5:17 p.m.

In reply to dean1484 :

I plan to be there next week. You don't owe me any favors. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses; the TCL series was right up my alley, and the fact that I was in over my head in the Radical is my problem, not something you need to work around. My preference leans toward classic stuff that has lots of character and is more forgiving, but different people like different things, and if everybody wants to run something harder edged again then by all means do it.

Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter)
Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter) Reader
11/16/23 5:39 p.m.

I was out on the last couple races because I just wasn't having fun with the Radicals, truthfully. So you're definitely not alone in the boat of not vibing with them. I would definitely enjoy something older, and street cars could be a lot of fun for the next series. I do like the thought of a non-spec series, too. Sure, I ended up in the meta car (911) in the TCL series but it was really fun to have tracks that favored the better handling cars and tracks that favored stuff like the Mustang to see how everything plays with one another.

 

Maybe it's just the ramblings of a mid-fielder, but a spec series just tells me who has the greatest out and out driving skill, and I don't really need a whole series to know where I rank in that regard. Having a car where some tracks will have you fighting for your life half a lap behind, and the next week going somewhere where a podium finish is within reach because the track plays differently with the different cars racing is just more interesting and fun in my eyes.

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/16/23 7:28 p.m.
Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter) said:

I was out on the last couple races because I just wasn't having fun with the Radicals, truthfully. So you're definitely not alone in the boat of not vibing with them. I would definitely enjoy something older, and street cars could be a lot of fun for the next series. I do like the thought of a non-spec series, too. Sure, I ended up in the meta car (911) in the TCL series but it was really fun to have tracks that favored the better handling cars and tracks that favored stuff like the Mustang to see how everything plays with one another.

 

Maybe it's just the ramblings of a mid-fielder, but a spec series just tells me who has the greatest out and out driving skill, and I don't really need a whole series to know where I rank in that regard. Having a car where some tracks will have you fighting for your life half a lap behind, and the next week going somewhere where a podium finish is within reach because the track plays differently with the different cars racing is just more interesting and fun in my eyes.

I agree. I don't mind a non spec series. It takes a lot more work on my end and help from others to test the cars and try and sort out what is a ringer and what is just junk.  Maybe we do a coupole random races for the next two weeks and in the background we can do a test run of a couple series.  
 

One I would like to do is a 1980s Japanese series.  I know we looked at it a while back but I don't think we tan ot.  Or just put together a random hot hot hatch series.  Get some Honda on VW action. I am sure there are some others we could add in. Kind of a hot hatch track day racing series. 

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
11/16/23 10:43 p.m.

Yeah the Radical series was definitely more work and less fun than the average series, that's kind of the nature of driving a downforce-dependent high power-to-weight car...I almost made it the whole season without a thoroughly disastrous race until the last one where my luck or skill ran out. Still a pretty good series IMO.

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/17/23 8:59 a.m.

The other series I was thinking of is a stepped Porsche series.  I was thinking up to 1990. For one series and /or a second series that started at 1990 to the present.  That same theme could be applies to other manufacturers or to a type or genre of car. I would make it a fixed setup series.  

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/17/23 9:25 a.m.

Here's my vote:

Lets just put some races on the schedule and run them.  Dont overthink it.  Dont change it last minute.  Give people a week to practice.  Handicap or not.  I dont really care.

Spec P71 | Road Atlanta
Spec Alto | Bridgehampton
2015 Mustang | Mid Ohio
A Porch of Dean's Choosing | VIR Grand Course
FD RX7 | Laguna Seca
DTM Merc | Red Bull Ring
 

Rodan
Rodan UltraDork
11/17/23 10:36 a.m.

Can we please ditch Bridgehampton?  Aside from being terrible if you put a wheel off, it's just not that much fun to drive.

I'd like to see a race at Sonoma, if there's a good version of the track.  VIR is great, Laguna as well.

Maybe something powerful at Road America?

 

 

Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter)
Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter) Reader
11/17/23 11:17 a.m.
ProDarwin said:

Here's my vote:

Lets just put some races on the schedule and run them.  Dont overthink it.  Dont change it last minute.  Give people a week to practice.  Handicap or not.  I dont really care.

Spec P71 | Road Atlanta
Spec Alto | Bridgehampton
2015 Mustang | Mid Ohio
A Porch of Dean's Choosing | VIR Grand Course
FD RX7 | Laguna Seca
DTM Merc | Red Bull Ring
 

This gives me an idea for a few weeks of potentially fun racing, maybe as an in between or just to fill time before the end of the year even if it's no points as I don't know how well this format would work for a points series. Randomizer race. List of cars previously chosen as good and fun, list of tracks that are crowd favorites. Throw them into a randomizer at 8:30PM Wednesday and see what fate says we're racing for the night. Get 15 or so minutes of practice in, quali and race. The following week that track and car are removed until we're out of options.

 

Only concern would be the possibility of Spec Alto at Daytona, but even that sounds more fun to me than Radicals at Bridgehampton.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/17/23 12:33 p.m.

Im fine with a randomizer, I'd like to run it on Thursday or Friday and post the car/track to give those the chance to practice.  I learn a lot from practice sessions when I can make it to them.  Seeing times and if possible, doing a "ride along" with some of the fast guys throughout the week is good motivation.

I am definitely not skilled enough to get from zero to even my own fastest time in 30 minutes.

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/17/23 12:47 p.m.

I am in for this BUT let's make it a spec series without tuning.  You get what you get and have to drive within the car's limits.  Practice will benefit those who can but those who spend hours tuning (like me sometimes) will lose that advantage.  

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/17/23 12:48 p.m.

So who has the randomizer that we can use?  I would say we run the randomizer at the end of the Wednesday race while people are there.  Or we could do it before the race for the following week as I know some people have to jump quickly after the race is over.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/17/23 12:49 p.m.

Everyone pick 5 cars and 5 tracks and I'll make a randomizer.  If multiple people choose the same car/track it will be entered multiple times, increasing the chances of it being selected.

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
11/17/23 12:55 p.m.

Actually, I found one

RANDOM.ORG

Just plug in the list of cars (cut and past) and hit the button take the top car as the one we are using

Do the same with a list of tracks and there you have it. 

Once a car and track is used you delete them from the lists that we use the following week.  We can add to the two lists as things go along if we want to.

 

 

 

Racebrick
Racebrick HalfDork
11/17/23 12:57 p.m.

I would also like to see a race at high plains raceway. It's a good track, and a very good mod.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
11/17/23 1:14 p.m.

aircooled
aircooled MegaDork
11/17/23 1:18 p.m.

In reply to Rodan :

     [Shot of a lowly lite office, with back of computer screen in foreground]

Dean walks in, a pleasant expression on his face.  He sits in front of the computer, the light of the screen reflecting in his face and glasses and the weight of his years showing in his face and hair.

    [Sounds of keyboard and mouse] 

He appears to navigates the computer, pausing to read... his expression changes slightly, more flat now.

    [Close up of screen, showing the text:  "Can we please ditch Bridgehampton? Aside from being terrible..."]

    [Cut to close up of deans face, highlighting his eyes, a small tear appears in the corner of one eye]

- Internal monologue is heard, in a slight strain:  "yes, it was terrible... it was a nightmare... but it was my nightmare..."

    [Scene fades, to medium external shot, an approaching twilight sky in the background, a clearly younger Dean, walking slowly, a helmet in his left hand, a breeze blowing in his hair the look of confidence in his face]

Dean pauses, and looks to his left.  As we pan to follow his gaze, we notice the line of cars in what is clearly a racetrack, the trees mixed with sand dunes in the background, and long straight of track comes into view, reaching towards a setting sun... in the distance a sign on a bridge running across the track can be seen, the camera zooms in as a car appears in the frame moving under the sign, the strains of an engine at the peak of it's rpm can be heard.... [title sequence begins]

 

 

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