Season 2 Introduction

[Kevin]

Season 2 of the GT Challenge will be somewhat different to our first season. I will be adding new information during the next few days, so please come back to this thread for the latest.

MOD:= =  =  = We will be driving GT1 cars which are easier and more fun than the GT2 cars we used for the first season.

LINK TO MOD:    www.mediafire.com/download/kmz68mxmsn8oabz/NAGP_GT1_V22.rar

Please download the new car pack and test them, your feedback would be welcome. Dont just go for looks! Find one that you can really drive, as they all have different physics depending on your driving style. eg. front engine cars do not handle the same as rear engine.


BALLAST:= = = =Ballast will be used to make the racing closer up front.

First = 30kg

Second =20kg

Third =10kg

Fourth =  -10kg

Fifth =  -20kg

MAX BALLAST WILL BE  90kg  with no less than 0kg

POINTS: = = = =  

1st....26

2nd....23

3rd....20

4th....18

5th....17

6th....16

7th....15

8th....14

9th....13

10th....12

11th....11

12th....10 and so forth till all places are full.

THIS APPLIES TO BOTH CLASSES


QUALIFY:
There will be NO reverse grid for the second race. A SUPERPOLE format will be used. Each driver gets 1 hot lap to qualify for the second race.

POLL POSITION WILL GET 1 Point




THE JOKER CARD

This gives you Double points for one race only, but can only be used if you are 22 or more points behind the championship leader. Every driver can use it if they are more than 22 points behind. You MUST declare your going to use it BEFORE qualifying. All your points for that round will be doubled. This is to give drivers a chance to get back in the championship if they have missed races for what ever reason, but will not allow a driver to leap frog the championship leader. You may only use it once during the season. The same rule applies to the GTam class.


CLASSES:= = = =We will be using 2 classes. GTpro and GTam. The drivers will be allocated a class depending where they finish in season 1. This gives everyone a chance to win a title.

PENALTIES:= = = =The wait rule will not apply. Should a complaint be received after the race, a panel of 3 drivers, picked at random (To keep it fair) will review the race and the penalties are as follows:

1st time.....Warning

2nd time.....30 seconds will be added to the drivers race time

3rd time.....Suspended from 1 round(Both Races).

Chat during Race.....Start at back of the grid for next race.

We want the racing to be fair for all and for all drivers to have an equal chance. These rules are aimed at keeping the race flowing.

TEAMS: = = = =Teams will be allowed, consisting of one GTpro and one GTam driver. They do NOT have to drive the same car, but their points will be added together for the team championship. I feel that this would help the slower drivers by learning a bit from their team mate and would keep everyone interested.
The teams must choose a team name and submit it when signing on.

OFFICIAL TRACK LIST FOR SEASON 2:

1. Sebring
2. Mid Ohio
3. Zandvoort
4. Yas Marina (Night)
5. Kyalami 75
6. Monza
7. Londrina
8. Singapore (Night)
9. Curitiba
10. Silverstone
11. Istanbul
12. Red Bull Ring

[Haribo]

Positive changes to season two and a very creative 'Joker Card' feature... possibly inspired F1's new double points rule at Abu Dhabi?

Looking forward to trying the GT1 cars out.

[Deleted]

Good day
My car is chosen
MASERATI MC12 N°11 RedBull
Thank you

[Haribo]

I'll take Porsche 993 GT2 (Larbre Competition, 34).

Cars are generally more reactive and powerful as you'd expect with GT1 cars as compared to GT3 cars. Guess we would see more spinning as throttle control is a little more important. Also, there's a nice mix of old and modern cars (e.g. Porsche 993 GT2 vs Ford GT1). There are also nice liveries like the Marlboro one on the McLaren F1. Loving it so far.

PS: Just posted a 1:50.XXX at Miller Motorsports Park. Shows how quick the cars are, or maybe just me.

[kyukyu]

Sounds good! I like the superpole idea. One drives and the others watch him driving, should be interesting. We could handle it like it was in F1 some years ago: as one driver begins his hot lap, the next one leaves the pits.
The penalty system means that we will no longer wait for the car we have bumped?

The point system keeps everybody close but I think it rewards victory too little. It also makes retirements very difficult to make up. Probably people will settle at their place instead of trying to force and battle for a better place.
I would propose something like 25-20-16-13-10-8-6 and so on. With 2 classes, there would still be plenty of points for everybody. The ballast system should keep the fight open anyway. The extra point for pole position is a good idea.

I like the idea of GT1. I will try the mod next week when I have time... it could be a Ferrari for me this time

[Haribo]

Can I suggest that we carry out proper registrations for season two...? Say you are really interested in participating in the season and will attend all or not most of the races, then you are eligible to gain points. Otherwise we have people who turn up for one or two races then disappear for the rest of the season.

Of course we welcome people into any of our races, but we should classify them as guest drivers and hence cannot gain any points in the championship.

[kyukyu]

Definitely and officially F40 GTE nr.46 for me thanks
Haribo I am at 1.44.3 at the moment

[Kevin]

Official registration will take place after the race at Watkins Glen.
We will have a test race next week to make sure you are all happy with your car choice.

[Haribo]

Beating me as always, KyuKyu... Sounds good, Kevin!

[paultodd]

Any chance of teams this season?

[Kevin]

We thought of that Paul. Not enough drivers yet. Lets see who joins in the next week.
Would be great to have a team Championship as well.

[paultodd]

If we average about 10 drivers that's 5 teams (2per team) I hope we pull it off I love running under my team name.

[paultodd]

BTW I'm loving the F40 nice choice of cars as well. But I'm bound to Ferrari lol

[kyukyu]

46 is MINE

[kyukyu]

We could as well make teams with 1 GTPro and one GTam driver... but how do we choose the pairs? And should the drivers of a team drive the same car model? Sounds complicated

[kyukyu]

I had some time yesterday so I decided to test all the cars with 5 laps each at Miller Motorsport. This is probably a sign of incoming mental insanity but I´d better discuss this in some forum of psychiatry

Actually I am still missing the Nissan, the Zonda, the 2 Porsches and the Saleen, which I am hoping to test today, so Haribo please be patient . I tested all the cars with standard setup, apart from the ride height which I set to 5cm front and 7 rear for all cars to have a quick base of comparison, and I moved the brake balance forward because with the standard settings I keep locking the rear brakes.

Tonight I will post more detailed results with the lap times and my impressions on each car, for now I will just make some general comments.

First of all, these cars are FUN, powerful, easy to drive. I did not have many problems of wheelspin apart from a couple of models, but with some cars it was easier to waste time after small mistakes. Some models have their own peculiar handling, others are more similar to each other.

Regarding handling, I think there are 3 big group of cars.
The FRONT ENGINE cars are generally more understeering at turn-in, especially with cold tires. They work at best if you force them in with a big steering angle. On the other side, you can keep some gas already at turn in and use the slight gas oversteer to your advance. In the fast bends at Miller this understeer is quite penalizing. Generally, if you miss your braking point and go slightly wide, you will lose AGES. The most balanced in this group are the Aston Martin and the F575.
The MIDDLE ENGINE cars are the most balanced. They will turn in fast, turn in MORE as soon as you lift gas slightly, and are predictable at corner exit. Some have proven more understeering or oversteering but it should be easy to correct with the setup.
The third group are basically the Lamborghinis Reactive as cats, they will attack the curves as soon as you begin thinking to move the steering wheel. This is great, but it is very easy to pass the limit for excess of confidence. The Murcielago is the only car I spun MID CORNER as I slightly pulled off gas. Ultimately, the perfect weapon in the expert hands of RaZoR

Regarding power, there are also 3 groups. The super-powerful cars hit about 288 km/h at Miller: MC12, F550, maybe the C5 (I will check this evening). Most of the other cars hit about 280 km/h. The slowest group hits about 275 and it should be the Koenigsegg (will also check) and the MclarenF1.

Regarding grip, some cars really excel over the others, especially in the fast corners: the MC12, the Mclaren F1 and the Panoz. The MclarenF1 lacks power, but in the slow tracks it could be hard to beat.

Overall, the MC12 has impressed me the most. It has tons of grip AND power, despite a slight understeer mid-corner that makes it "swivel" after the initial fast turn-in. With the right setup, it could be really hard to beat. I did a 1.43.3 despite this problem, which I tried to overcome with more cautious turn-ins. The only other car that allowed me to go below 1.44 was the F40GTE (1.43.9). Well balanced, slightly "light" on the front, powerful. It goes somehow faster than it feels. It is very light:ballast could penalize it more than other cars. The other very fast cars are the Lister GTS and the Murcielago (1.44.0), although I am sure the Murcielago could do more if you get used to its handling.
Then comes a big group of cars with which I lapped in about 1.44.5, and then another group at about 1.45.0 (C6, Ford... I will check this evening).
Of course it will depend on the track, but many cars behave in a similar way and have similar power. The big exception is the Mclaren F1, with super grip, but less power.

If I were to choose a car based on performance, I would choose the MC12 without thinking twice. On the other hand, one must also take looks and handling/"character" into consideration, also because the ballast system will penalize the winners anyway. My choice still remains the F40GTE because of its performance, looks, handling and sound

[Kevin]

Now THAT is what I call testing a mod!!!
Thanks my friend, I think it will help a lot of drivers when making their choice. Very detailed and to the point.

[Christie]

KyuKyu, brilliant review, thank you for this wonderful informative piece.

[kyukyu]

Sooo, here I am back again after completing the testing. Of course I am no Michael Schumacher, which means my laptimes can fluctuate a bit, but it's only to give an overall impression

I would start with a rough performance classification, which could differ from track to track but should give an idea...

Group below 1.44
1)Maserati MC12 - 1.43.3
2)Porsche Carrera GT1 - 1.43.6
3)Ferrari F40 GTE - 1.43.9

Group around 1.44.0: Lamborghini Murcielago (could go faster I think), Lister Storm GTS, Pagani Zonda, Saleen
Group around 1.44.5: Aston Martin, Corvette C6, F550, F575, F40LM, Mclaren F1 (limited by low power), Nissan, Panoz
Group around 1.45.0: Corvette C5, Ford, Lister Storm (non-GTS)
Hopeless group above 1.45: Viper, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini Diablo, Porsche 993 GT2

Top speed classification:
Above 285 km/h: Corvette C5, F550, Maserati MC12, Nissan, Porsche Carrera GT1, Saleen
Around 280 km/h: Aston Martin, Viper, F575, F40 GTE and LM, Ford, Diablo, Murcielago, Lister both versions, Zonda, 993
Around 275 km/h: Corvette C6, Koenigsegg, Mclaren F1, Panoz

Cars with above-average grip: Maserati MC12, Mclaren F1, Carrera GT1, Murcielago, F40GTE, Saleen, Lister GTS, Panoz

Unforgiving cars (could depend on setup): Murcielago (very reactive, risk of spinning at corner entry), Lister non-gts (gas snap-oversteer), 993, Panoz, Viper, Corvette C6 (all those are very understeery and will lose ages if you go slightly wide)


Quick comments on each car (these are based on the standard set-up!)

Aston Martin: well balanced for a front-engine, nice sound, just big and slow-reacting, lacks some grip, very forgiving
Corvette C5: well planted on the ground, slightly understeering, needs to be forced at corner entry, then you can hit gas very soon
Corvette C6: even more understeery, needs to be forced more, is slower on the straight but faster overall
Viper: also understeery, seems to go floating around, very slow to react, slowly oversteering under throttle
F550: again understeering at corner entry (also a front-engine car) but more reactive as those above. Great sound.
F575: it almost does not seem a front-engine: verv well balanced at corner entry and exit, very forgiving. At the end it lacks some grip and speed compared to the very top cars
F40 GTE: a great car. Good grip, easy to drive, a reassuring slight understeer at entry, controllable at exit, F1 sound
F40 LM: as above, just slower... a blue Ferrari with a red steering wheel?!? bah
Ford: I just hate it, it goes wobbling around like it has deflated tires
Koenigsegg: the "egg of the king" seems like an electrical space-ship thanks to its sound and look... quite understeery and lacks of power
Lamborghini Diablo: very "Outrun" style with its analog tachos, super reactive but slow overall. The sound is like a drill between your ears, you will prefer to smash yourself on the wall rather than bear 11 laps with that
Lamborghini Murcielago: a supercar, super reactive, super fast, just throw it at corners, but if you give it too much confidence it will bite
Lister Storm: neutral at entry but can bite under throttle. Just slow.
Lister Storm GTS: the flat car. Flat looks, flat neutral at entry, middle and exit, flat engine sound and flat torque curve. But it's in the group of the fastest cars
Maserati MC12: the car to beat. Super grip and super power, quite forgiving. It has a fast corner entry but then understeers mid-corner, making it wobble a bit. Better to take it easier at entry so as not to upset it. Even better to remove that slight understeer via setup, and then say bye bye to the rest of the field until you take a 90kg ballast...
Mclaren F1: an odd Mclaren car with BMW steering wheel and central seat (!). It just eats the curves, sadly lacks some power, but will be hard to beat on twisty tracks.
Nissan: a car with a high potential if you learn to drive it smooth. Sadly it just keeps oscillating if you try to force it, making it easy to waste time under pressure in the race
Pagani Zonda: a great car with high grip. It is slightly understeery at entry but tends to close the curves under throttle. If you hesitate after the entry because of the understeer, it will just waste time sliding under throttle at exit, BUT if you have faith, you can just hit gas before the apex and instead of going wide it will just close the corner and let you eat your opponents on the straight. Very rewarding and emotional, but could be stressful!
Panoz: a strange car with its own personality. The engine needs to be HIGH revving, the car is very understeering at entry, but shows very high grip if you force it, and lets you hit gas soon. Driven this way, it is very fast, but miss a braking point by 2 meters and you lose 1 second...
Porsche 993: I was just embarassed at how this car simply does not want to curve. I needed to change setup to manage a 1.45.5. It just understeers, you can try to steer as much as you can, then if you somehow hit the apex you can give as much gas as you want. Definitely the slowest car of the group. But in its oddity it can be fun to drive...
Porsche Carrera GT1: the car for you if your wheel doesn't have force feedback, because it doesn't give any anyway. I just threw it around, tried to lift gas abruptely then smash it, tried everything. It just understeers or wobbles slightly, always without feedback. Then I read 1.43.6 on the screen at my first attempt, though...
Saleen: a 7-meter-long car where you seat smashed on the front glass because of its 6.5-meter long rear engine. Thanks to this position it gives a great sense of speed, and it IS fast. Contrary to all the other cars, it UNDERSTEERS under throttle, which means you will have to rely on it superb corner entry and mid-corner speed, and hit gas slightly late.

So, here it is, hope it was helpful. To me it was fun and quite instructive as well

[Haribo]

Quality reviews, KyuKyu. Doesn't sound so good about my 993, hehe... Sticking with it though!

[Peter McNair]

Thank You kyukyu so much for your very informative review.
Now I can make a sensible car choice based on handling rather than good looks 

Just what I needed.

[yuca]

hi, i will take the zonda for season 2