Test & Tune

Anyone game for a little test and tune tonight, say, 8 PM Central? Get out and flog the cars at Sebring and get a feel before Sundays race?

We were running a bit last night, I'll jump in if I'm on around then.

I should make it.

Created a shared sheet for all to post their test times:

Trans Am Test & Tune Datasheet

Each test track hosts three columns per car. Please post times in order of best to third best, left to right. When posting the first time, please post it to the left most column under the appropriate track. When that time gets bettered, please copy the declining time one to the right and post your time into the newly vacated box. If there are already three times and you have a better time, shuffle the order as necessary. Thank you!

Edit: Preferred time format is single quote for minutes ' [space] double quote for seconds "
as in: 1' 13.681"
and I would like use of zero as a place holder as in: 0' 51.019"

68 Cuda ran 2' 23''.361 at Road America.

I'll try to start writing down the hundredths and thousands.  I didn't think those were that important.  hehehe

Generally they aren't, since a split time difference of 0.099 means part of your car is inside the ghost time, though I write everything the game gives me and then round from there.

Am I missing something or are there only 4 tracks?   I'm just curious.  I would imagine if those are the only 4 you picked those for the diversity.  I have only race at Iberian in the world tour and I don't even remember it.  Maybe I didn't.  I'll have to start hitting that one.

There was three then the 4th said pick one so I added a track I really enjoy that is technical and short to offset the long tracks of RA and Sunset.

Infineon was a good pick!!!!!

The three tracks selected initially were for diversity and I agree Sears Point IRL was a good fourth choice.

I kinda felt that Sunset and RA are pretty similar.   I tossed around the thought of Camino Extreme or Nordschleife but I figured the rest of you may not enjoy them as much testing all cars.   Mugello is great but that straight is a bit long.  Tsukuba seems to provide the closest battles for these cars as I recall the season 1 race there was bumper to bumper freight training.  Plenty of tracks to choose from.

I love Tsukuba when racing online.  The B class (smaller) cars really are fun there.  I have not done o2 cars there much.  That would be interesting to do.

I built up the 510 to top of B class and it works really well at Tsukuba.

I'll try to get some times up later this week.

Yeah, I'd love to see some others' times.  Because I know I'm slow.  I'm still learning.

Ran 4 builds at Road America tonight.

Less than a second between all of them. Less that 3-tenths between 3 of them.

Dang, how do you guys find 5-6-7 seconds???? I've got a lot to learn.  LOL.  Good racing there.

Lots of practice?

Familiarity with the cars?

Lack of social lives?

Understanding (or lack of) wives/girlfriends?



Quick question, are you using any assists? (TCM, ABS, etc.?) If so, turn those off. What about transmissions? If you're not using a manual with a clutch, you're losing some time there.

No assists, manual w/ clutch.  I started playing in Feb this year.  So I'm a newb.  I thought I was doing good when I got under 2:30 at Road America (my favorite track and home track for real, I live about hour and a half from there) with some of my A class cars.  But you're doing it with these and not even top of class.  NICE. 

Do you use a wheel or just the controller?  I doubt I'll ever spring for a wheel and all that, but the controller can be sometimes hard to be smooth with a car.  I'm getting better though.  One of they guys interested in racing with you all, Count of CV, he's been giving me a lot of tips.  We race around 3 PM together some days in a private race he sets up.  He coaches me and it's helped a lot.  I wouldn't do as well as I do with out that and I still have a long way to go.  LOL.  

If any of you guys ever want to join us around that time, that would be fun.  He said he might not do it today or maybe a little late.

Thank you Sim for the Road America updates. Also thank you AB for the U2T cars at Infineon.

I run a wheel (XBox Wireless Racing Wheel), but I'm the only F4RR regular to do so. Everyone else uses a controller. I love the wheel, I won't give it up. Does it help me? No clue...

I do really well on ovals...

I use a controller. Never liked the wheels on video games, doesn't feel anything like a real car.

So there is hope for me!!!!!!!!!  LOL

You're welcome Avanti.  I really like driving the U2 cars.  They are more forgiving I think.  Stopping quicker, less body roll and that type of stuff.  Just plain fun.

69' Shelby has body roll but its not really a disadvantage.

I used it to my benefit to keep the car planted in the corners. Just need to adapt to it.

I was thinking about that after I posted it that if it really is an issue or not.  I guess because it was different than a lot of cars in that regard, it got me thinking it wasn't a good thing.  But I could see how it really isn't a big deal.  Or obviously you guys that know how to drive well adapt to each cars differences. 

I probably spend too much time trying to find the cars that drive well for me, as opposed to just picking one and going with it.  But it does seem I find some faster than others.  Either because it's my style of driving, or they are just faster.  I'm not sure which.  For Example, with the U2 cars I find that the Alfa, BMW, and Escort are faster than all the others.  The Pinto and 510 are the slowest, and the rest are kind of right in between.  And I find this to be true on every course I race them.  So.....  there may be some truth in it. 

I see patterns emerge with the O2 cars too, but I'm not as consistent with them and things can change from track to track for me.  So I can't really tell which one is faster.  And they're harder to drive, IMHO.  So.....  I think I have pretty much found my favorite out of the ones I've tested, but that doesn't necessarily make it the fastest.  And there are a lot I haven't tried.  Like all the Mopars.  I have a feeling they are fast.