(iRacing) - World Record @ LRP in the MX5 Cup

[Flavien]

Well, I'm sure most of you know iRacing already.
The old Lime Rock Park has been scanned a few years ago and the track is available with the Mx5 Cup and MX5 Roadster (The one my friend drives in front of me, the Japanese version, 5 speed, different tires and slightly faster on LRP due to a more adequate gearing and weight repartition due to the right hand drive).

So I recently beat the World Record of the track online. I'm not so used to the "normal" 6 speed MX5, but I use it once in a while to have fun with friends.
I normally use a triple screen setup, which is more than helpful to really see what's going on around you during a race.

As you can see I don't drive very "realisticaly", taking lots of risks, as... I dont risk my life behind the wheel, and well, if I crash I just press the reset button hahaha
This was done with a Logitech G27 wheel, H-shifter and proper clutch. Laptime is 59.022s... Dunno if it would be doable in real life. Probably not as it requires driving like a mad man and being @ 90mph in the uphill corner lol.

I make a few mistakes on T5 (I enter it REALLY fast, dive in a tiny bit early and almost clip the security barrier on the exit), on T6 where I could have eaten the inside curb a bit better and on T7 where I miss the apex by a few inches...
I also benefit of the draft of my friend. Without draft, my best lap is @ 59.09s.

So for now, I am the fastest in iRacing out of 16000 other people
Hopefully I'll be the fastest @ skip barber in a few years also hahahah

Enjoy! (you can watch it in HD and in full screen if you watch directly on youtube instead of through the skippyforum page)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96M4fQRS7SI

[dalyduo]

Congrats Flavien but if you've got the track record who's the car in front of you that maintains his distance while going 4 off in west bend and still manages to be in front of you at start/finish?

[Flavien]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

Congrats Flavien but if you've got the track record who's the car in front of you that maintains his distance while going 4 off in west bend and still manages to be in front of you at start/finish?

hahaha
As I said, the Japanese version, the Roadster in front of me, is a bit faster... 0.4s faster on average actually
If you notice, the driver is on the right side of the car
So my friend (that's Clément actually, that was with me when we met) can stay in front with quite a bit less effort than me. Less shifting required (only two actually... Down from 4th to 3rd on T1 and back to 4th in the no-name straight), he has larger tires, less understeer and better weight distribution for Lime Rock (6 right turn and only 1 left), the driver being on the right side of the car
I have yet to get the World Record in the Roadster. I am 5th for now with it fighting for world record in the Roadster with a time of 58.636s. World Record is at a staggering 58.533s
The roadster being globally the fastest out of both cars, pretty much all the very good drivers drive it instead of the cup. So I have a lot of work to do to get the WR with it than with the Cup...
It will be VERY hard to get, especially since I want to get this one with no draft at all... But I'll keep trying hehe
I'll post a video if I ever get it

[cdh]

Just occurred to me if I ever need clips for a SB video I can just use iRacing, the reality is truly astonishing. With a little editing and color tweaking, no one would know amazing. Nice lap you did..what times do real SB MX5's do on the orig LRP?

[Flavien]

World Record is @ 57.45s in the ST2000... My personal best is @ 58.3s and with that kind of laptime and I'm like 300th lol
No idea what the real lap times were in the skip before the track was rebuilt...
Watkins (long, with the bus stop) gets a World Record @ 2.09.106
Road Atlanta @ 1.35.798
Road America @ 2.32.580
Sebring @ 2.25.009

The main problem with the SB is that on some of these tracks it has to be driven "realisticaly" to be fast (Lime Rock for exemple), with not much drift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMl1bFJcggk

But on other tracks, like Laguna Seca... you have to drift it like hell to be among the fastest... you would be 2 seconds off the world record if you drive it normally there....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NL689Gz4PY

[Flavien]

I have a setup similar to that, without the "moving seat" that de did not enable in this video (dont really get the importance of something like that... useless to me if there are no G forces...and just too expensive for what it is)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpP5wUkK8z0

(poor wheel, dunno how he can stay on course jacking it like that all the time lol)

I cant spend a day without joining a practice session or a race

[cdh]

Originally Posted by Flavien

World Record is @ 57.45s in the ST2000... My personal best is @ 58.3s and with that kind of laptime and I'm like 300th lol - No idea what the real lap times were in the skip before the track was rebuilt...

The main problem with the SB is that on some of these tracks it has to be driven "realisticaly" to be fast (Lime Rock for exemple), with not much drift

But on other tracks, like Laguna Seca... you have to drift it like hell to be among the fastest... you would be 2 seconds off the world record if you drive it normally there....

Thanks Flav, cool vids. The main Problem is having to drive realistically?? Isn't iRacing's main selling point it's realism , that you can get some reasonably useful practice with the sim? I was only asking what a Skip MX5 does on the original track footprint (no chicanes), someone here must know, thanks.

I see Trent set a new track record last weekend in the formula car - Track Record: Trent Hindman 56.001 on 5/27/2011

BOING! 56 flat, wow! Great job Trent!!

***

[Flavien]

hahaha
Sorry if I wasnt clear...I was just waking up when I typed this.
My sentence is splitted in two parts with the video in between
You must read:

"The main problem with the SB (RT2000) is that on some of these tracks it has to be driven "realisticaly" to be fast (Lime Rock for exemple), with not much drift, but on other tracks, like Laguna Seca... you have to drift it like hell to be among the fastest... you would be 2 seconds off the world record if you drive it normally there...."

So basically, on some tracks, you can drive realisticaly and be fast, which is great, but for some reasons on other tracks, you need to drift the hell out of the RT2000 to manage a fast lap, which sucks and is definitly not realistic. And you really have no other choice... no drift, no competitive laptime...

As far as the Skip MX5, I've read that some poeple could qualify in 1min01or a bit less... most being in 1.02/1.03. In game 1.01 is not a very good lap. It's the kind of laptime an "average" iracer would do once his tires are dying after 30 laps.
But keep in mind most people in the iRacing MX5 Cup cannot go under 1.00...

Laptimes in RT2000 seem pretty similar though.
WR iRacing old layout: 57.45s
Best lap real life on new layout: 56.001s
When I went to LRP and discovered the new layout, it seemed to me that it would be the kind of gain I would get in the game if the rescanned it. Grippier feel in MX5 (as a passenger), barely bumpy. 1.45s of gain going from old to new layout seems right.... I feel like the gain in the MX5 by changing layout would be a bit less important than in the RT2000 though... maybe 1s going from old to new... (it's what I think would be the gain in iRacing of course )

Damnm I want to try the real MX5 there so bad

[Flavien]

Also quick question to the fastest MX5 drivers who might see this post...
How do you take the uphill corner in real life?
Do you downshift into 3rd there or do stay in 4th all the way?
Same for the last corner do you shift to 5th before it or after?

[cdh]

Oh I understood exactly what you said. I was surpised to hear it, makes little sense iRacing would get it so wrong at LS.

[dalyduo]

There isn't any track I've ever driven the open wheel car on that makes you more aware of the rear weight of the car than Laguna. Feels like you're trying to wrestle a swinging pendulum more of the time than any other track. That could have something to do with the difficulty in getting the dynamics & balance right in iRacing with the MX-5 at that track. The precision and balance required for the proper feel of rear traction may be hard to replicate in certain iRacing car equations. My 2 cents.

Originally Posted by cdh

Oh I understood exactly what you said. I was surpised to hear it, makes little sense iRacing would get it so wrong at LS.

[Flavien]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

Feels like you're trying to wrestle a swinging pendulum more of the time than any other track. That could have something to do with the difficulty in getting the dynamics & balance right in iRacing with the MX-5 at that track.

The MX5 feels very good @ LS...
The only problem is the RD2000... You have fight the MX5 as you said, but if you drift, you'll be slow... It takes LOTS of time to get it right there...

By the way, my best lap @ LS in the MX5 is 1.41.3... WR is @ 1.40.5... Does it seem doable? Or is it WAY too fast?

[dron]

Originally Posted by Flavien

hahaha
Sorry if I wasnt clear...I was just waking up when I typed this.
My sentence is splitted in two parts with the video in between
You must read:

"The main problem with the SB (RT2000) is that on some of these tracks it has to be driven "realisticaly" to be fast (Lime Rock for exemple), with not much drift, but on other tracks, like Laguna Seca... you have to drift it like hell to be among the fastest... you would be 2 seconds off the world record if you drive it normally there...."

So basically, on some tracks, you can drive realisticaly and be fast, which is great, but for some reasons on other tracks, you need to drift the hell out of the RT2000 to manage a fast lap, which sucks and is definitly not realistic. And you really have no other choice... no drift, no competitive laptime...

The four wheel drift is a big part of driving the RT2000, it is on street tires after all. Sliding on the other hand will slow you down. I wouldn't say iracing is really that far off. Have you driven the real car at laguna?

[Flavien]

Originally Posted by dron

The four wheel drift is a big part of driving the RT2000, it is on street tires after all. Sliding on the other hand will slow you down. I wouldn't say iracing is really that far off. Have you driven the real car at laguna?

No I never did... I am not so much into open wheelers to be honest, I'd even say I kind of suck at these hahaha
It's just the way it's driven when compared to fast laps in real life. In order to be the fastest, it has to be driven in a simply crazy way...
Here is an exemple @ VIR...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HtJUPobWCI

He does not slide just a bit. He does full long corners just counter steering and all the fast iracers in iRacing in RT2000, Star Mazda or F1 drive the same way. I have never seen anyone do something like in real life. No problem driving like this, it'S fun, but it's not THE fastest way... At least I dont think so...
I beleive the skip is close to reality in iracing for 99% of iracers who drive normally... But to reach world record times, it often turn into what I see as a drifiting contest.

Once again I might be wrong as I've never tried the real car... It's just how I feel when comparing fast laps in real life and VERY fast laps in iracing

[dalyduo]

That iRacing video doesn't illustrate drifting by my definition. Drifting is over rotating the rear tires and rear end with power by achieving a slip angle well past the optimum for maximum grip and cornering speed. It looks sexy but it's not the fastest way through the corner. What I'm seeing in the video is very close to the optimum slip angle to achieve maximum cornering force. While there is some slip, I would not label it as drifting because RT's don't have enough power to drift. The iRacing video reveals a strong slip angle but it's the optimum slip angle of that car and those tires and likely explains why the fast lap was achieved.

[Ryan Hall]

Originally Posted by Flavien

Also quick question to the fastest MX5 drivers who might see this post...
How do you take the uphill corner in real life?
Do you downshift into 3rd there or do stay in 4th all the way?
Same for the last corner do you shift to 5th before it or after?

always 4th for the uphill. Its either a breathe or a soft brush of the brakes depending on who you talk to and what tires are on the car.

The downhill is 4th with going to 5th by the ambulance bridge. And just barely a lift of the throttle before turn in.

We are also on treaded tires and a 6 speed gearbox

The Playboy Cup Cars were just here and qualified at 1.02.804 with slicks, little different suspension set up and no supertrapp exhaust compared to skippy mx-5's

Skippy mx-5s have been in the mid 1.03.....s

[GregS]

Originally Posted by Flavien

hahaha

So my friend (that's Clément actually,

Is his last name Tien?

i didnt know drafting worked in iracing - never felt like it in all the races i did.

[Flavien]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

That iRacing video doesn't illustrate drifting by my definition. Drifting is over rotating the rear tires and rear end with power by achieving a slip angle well past the optimum for maximum grip and cornering speed. It looks sexy but it's not the fastest way through the corner. What I'm seeing in the video is very close to the optimum slip angle to achieve maximum cornering force. While there is some slip, I would not label it as drifting because RT's don't have enough power to drift. The iRacing video reveals a strong slip angle but it's the optimum slip angle of that car and those tires and likely explains why the fast lap was achieved.

hum, I guessing you must be right... As I said I rarely drive openwheelers, exept when they are @ LRP (one track a week, changes every week on iracing)
It just feels tremendously weird when following and seing them sliding their tails everywhere... Might just be a problem retranscripting the actual driving into a view from the outside I guess

Originally Posted by Ryan Hall

always 4th for the uphill. Its either a breathe or a soft brush of the brakes depending on who you talk to and what tires are on the car.

The downhill is 4th with going to 5th by the ambulance bridge. And just barely a lift of the throttle before turn in.

We are also on treaded tires and a 6 speed gearbox

The Playboy Cup Cars were just here and qualified at 1.02.804 with slicks, little different suspension set up and no supertrapp exhaust compared to skippy mx-5's

Skippy mx-5s have been in the mid 1.03.....s

Hum... Weird, the driving of the MX5 Cup in iRacing is exactly the same though the laptime are about 3 to 4secs faster in iRacing.
Wehn I did the hotlaps as a passenger in the MX5 around LRP, the real car felt grippier than the one in iRacing. The differnce might have been due to the old vs new layout though...
As far as stats go with the iRacing MX5, it is suppsoed to be 170bhp, that's all I know...

Originally Posted by GregS

Is his last name Tien?

i didnt know drafting worked in iracing - never felt like it in all the races i did.

Hum... almost. His full name is Clément Etienne. Did you guys meet @ the open house?
And yes, drafting works pretty realisticaly in iRacing... Always has as they also have a lot of people who only like to turn left