zinc spark

OEL Historic Touring Car Series - Round 5 Old Spa

It's a Grand Slam in Old Spa! Pole position, fastest lap, and a lights-to-flag victory! I knew coming into this race that I had an engine power advantage and that with the track layout, domination of the event was possible. So I prepared seriously for this race, with hundreds of practice laps and a few test races with the AI. I found the pace, rehearsed my strategy, and tried to maximize the setup of the car. These Historic Touring Cars are a handful to drive, and to win a race in this series is an encouraging result.

For me, the biggest challenge was the brain fade. The old layout of Spa features some long flat-out stretches and high-speed sweeps. I felt like I was being lulled in these sections, and I would lose track of where I was. Suddenly a braking or turning point appears and it's too late to react because the car is going fast and very unpredictable at the limit. Going off even for a little bit is an instant spin or crash as there is no grip off the tarmac and there is no runoff on this vintage course. Keeping alert and anticipating the marks was the key.

Years ago, I won a race on this very same classic layout of Spa in the SRO Man vs Track series. I am very happy to add to my fond memories of this circuit with this latest triumph. 

the next bison wallaby

Just showing off what would have been my car for the Bobos E-Sports IndyCar 2026 (by A&M Modding) Series. The series has been cancelled because of lack of interest. Only 3 drivers signed up.

tempest in a test tube

OEL Historic Touring Car Series - Round 3 Sachsenring

The original Sachsenring circuit was laid out on public roads and ran through a village in Saxony, Germany. In rFactor, it is a long and punishing course, with little to no runoff in sections, plenty of deadly trackside objects, and some crests and dips that will unsettle these OEL Historic Touring cars. I had raced here before, years ago in the SRO Man vs. Track Challenge. One of the toughest rFactor tracks in my experience. A bit like the Nurburgring, at least in terms of the intimidation aspect, although the scenery kinda reminds me of some tracks featured in NFS: High Stakes.

It was another race chasing the ET; I was 7 seconds away at the checkered flag this time around, the closest I've been in this series. I kept him within visual range until about half distance. Again, I had a slightly faster car overall; we were pretty much even in Sector 1, and I could creep up on him in the flat out stretch of Sector 2, but he would just pull away at the killer crests of Sector 3. I think I would have been closer if I didn't make any mistakes, but I doubt that I could have made an overtake, let alone hold the lead and take the win.

The race lasted just under 1 hour, but I was so tired at the end that I felt like I had been driving for 3 hours or something. I used up so much energy just trying to keep my car on the track and control my fear. When your car is so unpredictable and there is no feeling for it or connection to it, it takes a lot more effort to race with it.

it will be forgotten in the news cycle

OEL Historic Touring Car Series - Round 1 - Rouen

No surprise, the ET was fastest again. I was about 1 second behind in Qualifying and it was about the same gap per lap in the Race. I had a bit of top speed advantage and could creep up on him in the straights, but he would just pull away in the slow corners. I think I setup my car with too much understeer. It's just these classic touring cars are so tail happy. I just wanted to keep the back planted and prevent spinning out. Gotta dial in a bit more turn-in for the next race and maybe I can fight for the win.

with just a shadow for a friend

Here we go, it's OEL Historic Endurance Touring Series. Well, it's not really endurance anymore; the races have been shortened from 2 hours to around 45 mins because of the small grid. Fine by me, because I've been having a tough time driving these classic cars. I've done thousands of laps across the different tracks on the schedule, and I still haven't found a good baseline setup. Consequently, I have been struggling with the motivation as well. I just don't feel connected to my car at all. Just dreading every corner, every braking point... not certain how the car will react or behave.

white crow, black heron

One more entry before the year ends. I look at all the loving people, brainwashing each other, gaslighting each other... what is my value to them? What do I mean? Who cares that I am a sim racing champion? Either way it signifies nothing. This is my condition, my fate. I did my best for something insignificant for everyone else.

I used to say, I want to be a sim racer to entertain people and inspire other people to do better. It don't mean much now. Nobody cares what I do. There is no ride into the sunset. There is no triumphant entry into the vanishing point. There is no validation, vindication, or even vilification. 

The chance for redemption requires the world to change.

chipmunk laugh track

Unofficial Standings by Dom Wings

I missed the first two rounds, I didn't have the pace of the front runners, and I never figured out the car. I only finished 4th overall in the standings because of dwindling attendance. I had a tough time in this series. Apart from Interlagos, I had never raced on any of the other tracks before. My race prep was more about learning the track and I didn't get up to optimizing the car. I also lacked experience with the rolling starts and safety car restarts and would often lose positions in those conditions. At least I scored points in every race I entered. Anyway, this series is done.

skeleton key in the closet

OEL Historic Endurance Touring Test Race - Mosport

On his way to a dominant victory, the ET was sending up rooster tails of tire smoke on some of the turns. I guess he had the driver aids off or on low setting. That could explain why he was around 2 seconds faster per lap than me. It looked like he could put the power down yet stay in control of the wild beast. I was able to maintain my own pace until late in the race. I got tired and made some mistakes, losing loads of time. I had the driver aids on full, but I was still on edge, spending a lot of energy just trying to keep the car on the track. At checkered flag I was in 2nd place, 2 laps behind, but at least I finished the test.

torch your torture

So, I swallowed my pride and switched on the driver aids. Suddenly these crazy OEL Historic Touring Cars are a bit more drivable. They will still snap if you go over the limit but are now more stable particularly when going over bumps, crests, and dips. However, the anomalous flipping when you turn in too fast still happens, regardless of front anti roll bar setting.

And the car feels so nerfed, like it can go so much faster with the aids off if you can just control it. I don't know. In Qualifying for the Preseason Test Race, the ET was at least more than 2 seconds faster than everybody else. I wonder which aids he got switched on, if any.

I am still undecided on whether I will race in this upcoming series. I'm just not having fun trying to drive this car, let alone race with it. I will continue testing; maybe I'll figure out some magic setup or something. Also, I'll see how I perform in the Test Race.

a lingering malingering

 
I've been having a rough time, testing the newly released OEL Historic Endurance Touring Mod. The cars are just tail happy curmudgeons that don't seem to respond to setup changes at all. It doesn't help that there are only few setup parameters that can be changed, and so little range in them. The tires have no grip, there is no aero, there isn't even a rear anti-roll bar. But that's how they did it in the 70's I'm told. I'll just have to adjust and learn if I want to race in this upcoming series.

I don't know, but it's no fun trying to figure out how to drive these cars fast. You hit a bump; snap oversteer. You go over a crest; snap oversteer. You miss a shift and hang on the rev limit in any gear; snap oversteer. You push the brake pedal too hard; snap oversteer. Sometimes I can catch it with a little countersteer or throttle input, but then I've lost time and confidence. Mostly I am spinning out, or sliding off the track, and sometimes I'm crashing into the wall.

I guess I just don't have the skills to race with these cars. It's all very discouraging at the moment. I even tried it with the Traction Control active, and though it did mitigate some of the oversteering, it totally nerfed the car in terms of throttle response, acceleration, and top speed. And what is the point of utilizing historic style physics if you are going to switch on the driver aids anyway?

It reminds me a little bit of those Racing Nexus torture mods from a few years back. Wow that league was hardcore no driver aids allowed. But we had a very open and customizable car setup, and that is not the case here. 

And although the cars seem numb to changes in the setup, there is this bizarre behavior where the car will just flip itself over on corner entry if you max out the front anti-roll bar. (Long ago, when I was racing with NR2003 - Redline GTP, this was called the "Mazda Flip".) There is just something strange with the overall dynamics of these cars. Maybe it's just me.

Point Nemo

 

another gout flare it seems

on my throttle foot too

well blow me down

gotta detox again 

and alleviate this pain

the money is gone anyway

time to stop partying

start racing for real

like all those years ago

when I won

an "and" credit

Back to Virtual Speed Masters for Series 2 - F1 2012. Gonna race with the HRT #23 car. 12 races total which will take us into next year. I'm familiar with all the tracks on the schedule and the car is just an evolution of the previous F1 2011 mod we used in the first series, so it shouldn't be hard to prepare for the races. However, I did not bother with the KERS / DRS plugin again, so I am expecting to be slower than the frontrunners. We'll see how it goes.

gassed up mid

I decided to withdraw from the FWC-VEE 4 Hours of Spa event, after several CTD's during the Practice and Qualifying sessions. The crashes started when the server started to fill up with the drivers/teams; there were 26 teams registered for the big race. Maybe my vintage PC just couldn't handle the grid. But I remember I was able to race in AMF with a grid of more than 30 cars. Maybe it was the cars themselves since the mod we used featured graphically heavy, highly detailed car models. Maybe it was the RFE plugin which has been known to cause system instability. I don't know.

Anyway, all those practice laps and fitness training were all for naught. I even decided to skip the HRL Stock Car Series opening round for this event. I feel enfeebled by the frustration and also the practice fatigue. I need to re-motivate myself and focus now on the HRL Stock Car series. That mod has been patched with a physics update. I think I will have to learn a new car all over again.

bloody wolves chasing me through some blue inferno

Summer break is over; it's back to sim racing. I return to HRL for the Stock Car V8 2014 series where I will run with Titan Fury Racing Team. Looks like a big grid and I have no idea where I will be in the pecking order. At first, I thought this was going to be like a NASCAR kind of deal, but this is Brazilian Stock Car. Turns out the car itself feels more like a circuit fighter than a speed oval bomber.

Meanwhile I'm also going to solo drive another big Endurance event, the FWC - VeeRace 4 Hours of Spa. I'm back in a Lambo Huracan, but an EVO2 this time. I'm having a tough time in testing with this car. The base is a bit understeery, but if I try to set it up so it turns in at a high speed corner, it becomes all twitchy at low speed turns. And I also have to work on my fitness.

Unfortunately. the FWC-VeeRace event will clash with the HRL Series schedule, and I am forced to miss the opening round at Interlagos. Too bad, as I consider Interlagos my home track, but the Endurance race at Spa is too big to miss.

hope for our future is now a stillborn dream

OEL IMSA GTS1 Series - Round 6 Virginia International Raceway

I qualified P2 and took the lead early despite a botched start. Gokhan was within striking distance when he crashed into the killer hay bales at the esses. That gave me some breathing room, the gap to Elia hovering around 8-10 seconds. Elia was considerably faster in practice and qualifying, so I knew he had some more pace to unlock. After the pitstop cycle, Elia had cut the gap to about 3 seconds and the duel was on. Lap after lap he got a little bit closer. I didn't have the speed to break away and I didn't manage the traffic well either. Less than 20 laps to go and we were nose to tail. Elia made a few attempts to overtake but somehow I was able to soak up the pressure, defend the position, and win the race.

blinker fluid

Virtual Speed Masters F1 2011 WCP Series - Postmortem

With the summer break on, the last three rounds of this series have been cancelled. David Alonso is the champ, winning 8 of the 16 races that were run. I end up 3rd overall, after the Ferraris ahead of me withdrew their entries and the points that they scored were deleted from the standings.

I didn't have the raw pace of the fast guys, but I got some podiums and even a win when I was able to prepare adequately and optimize the car setup and the tire strategy.

A bit of a turbid series really; this league is new (this was its first season), and the drivers and admins are still finding their feet. But we all must start somewhere, and I enjoyed the races here which is the most important thing. Anyway, some protocols have been established and the next series will certainly be better.

propeller beanie

 

OEL IMSA GTS1 Series - Round 5 Mosport

It was looking good; I had the speed to get P2 in Qualifying and had seized the lead at the start of the race. Although I had a heavy car (I had fueled up for the full race distance to cut down my pitstop time), I had enough race pace to keep the chasers behind me. I thought, if I could stay ahead and control the pace, my strategy would gain me a bit of time in the second half of the race. 

Just on lap 5 we came upon a backmarker already, and I misjudged the closing speed. He was behaving erratically, and we were at the tricky switchback section of the track. I ran into the back of him as I was trying to overtake. He got punted into the wall and it ended his race. Meanwhile, I lost the lead and fell behind about 10 seconds to the fast guys.

I got rattled and I couldn't recover my rhythm. Maybe the damage from the incident also compromised my car, I don't know. But the fast guys pulled away and the time I gained from my quicker pitstop wasn't enough to make up the gap. So, the series championship is lost. It is double points in the final round, but still I have been eliminated from contention.

Time has won

the design is very human

 

[04:49] <Alaster> vanity promotes documentation

[04:50] <Alaster> documentation generates history

[04:50] <Alaster> history creates vanity

[04:51] <Alaster> documentation is evil

reality check bounced

Virtual Speed Masters F1 2011 WCP Series Round 10 Hungary

David Alonso, championship leader and winner of 3 of the last 4 rounds, was absent. Gokhan Kaya was the pacesetter but he disco'ed at around half distance. The rest of the grid was struggling with tire deg. And so, the victory was there for the taking, and I took it. The race win vaults me up to 3rd in the standings as we reach the halfway point of this series.