So who isn't racing a 4wd in the Toscana race?

Racing on the edge

I reckon the competitive cars will be the 4wd cars. Certainly my fastest/easiest lap has been in a Skyline R35:

That's a 2:05 laptime (replayed twice). Chris has managed a 2:02, which I think is pretty much unbeatable. But... Boost will sort out some of this. Read the previous post for comments about that!

And now for something completely different...

I think it's fair to say that the TC500 class is still wide open. In this class the difference between 4wd and F/R cars is a lot less. The Subarus and Evos are very quick but they're let down on the straights. So what about a 4wd Evo and a F/F Prelude? Uneven racing you'd think eh?

Well, not sure what happened, and boost certainly helped in places, but the video below is one of the better spectator races I've uploaded I think, let me know what you think...

Remember this Thursday is league points night! Good racing folks!

FCT GT5 League Race #2

Hi folks,

Due to an overwhelming amount of feedback saying we should move the race back a week we've changed the date for the "Road Festival" race.

New date is: 03-May-2012.

Official details:

Host: Andrew

Date: 03-May-2012

Start time: 9:00 PM

Race starts: 9:15 PM

Lounge: FCT GT5 Andrew

Track: FCT GT5 Toscana Track #3 (shared out)

Laps: 4

Cars: Exotique (587pp Road Cars)

Tyres: Open

As a guide, this track is the one we raced last week - now shared in my profile.

How do you get it to practice on?

• Go to community.
• Select me, I'm at the top, naturally.
• Select tracks, bottom left (like where you'd find your own designed tracks).
• My shared one is in there, download it.
• Go back to GT Life, i.e. the non-community GT5.
• Go into your tracks and it should be there.
• Easy!

I'll upload a hot lap in the next few days. I've been practising and 2:10 is a good laptime target. If you're doing well then a 2:05 is possible, though I reckon besting that will take some practice.

What should you be setting your car to?

I did pretty much this to my 458:

• Raised the suspension from -15 to -10
• Dropped the dampers back to 6/6 for compression/rebound, front and rear.
• Dropped the gearing back to max at 199mph
• Softened the springs to 11 front and rear.
• Added more wing on the back
• Removed all ballast (what got it down to 587pp)
• Dropped the power to bring it back to 587pp.

Essentially, despite there being some fast straights in this race I reckon it's going to be won or lost in the (many) bends. Indeed what made it a top race last week was sitting behind one of you lot then squeezing past on a short straight - a sprint attack car is needed for that...

Of course, all moot if someone pulls out a km on the straights I suppose!

Race on!

Top 5 Car Chase Movies

I have a new toy, and the toy is the blog this button...

Top 5 Car Chase Movies

This is a worthy read though. Not least as I'm thinking we do a cars from the movies race night one off-night.
I have my General Lee ready to role, or maybe a DeLorean, or Herbie (shudder, you deserve to lose) or maybe even a mini from the Italian Job...

Anyway, official race details for this week shortly.

Buy a real Le Mans racing car

Something over $4m, but you get a Le Mans car, a current one(ish) for that:
Buy a real Le Mans racing car - BBC Top Gear

Catch is the support crew you'll need to run this baby.

George, I do believe this is your FAP wagon you were zipping about in the other night...

Link courtesy of Evan.

$370000 Lamborghini Aventador Catches Fire On Test Drive

Bummer..

$370000 Lamborghini Aventador Catches Fire On Test Drive ~ Damn Cool Pictures:

Or more accurately, "Thanks, I don't think I'll take it."

'via Blog this'

Toscana - what do we think?

So an interesting night for sure.

Not entirely certain I like the shuffle racing. One thing they do really well though is give good race practice, the cars are so hard to drive it becomes a exercise of trying to avoid the other racer. That and a lottery of getting something dire & American.

And then what?

This...

Actually despite coming last I reckon it was a blinding session. Really good to see a mix of who was at the front to be honest, we all need to enjoy our racing and I'd say we probably did on this track.

So, unless there's any dissenters I'll upload this as the shared track so you can all download it for next Thursday's race - it'll be points to be had on this track.

But once again folks, how refreshingly different to normal racing last night was. Interested in feedback of course!

This Thursday...

Mash up time folks.

If only because there's now quite the season ahead of us and a bit of mixing it up might be a good idea. Expect on Thursday:

• Some shuffle racing - track car spec to be decided on the night.
• A sprint race with TC500 cars.
• A sprint race with Exotique cars.
• A sprint race with the 650Open cars.
• A test session on next week's Toscana course (yet to be built).
• Instruction on how to download it as your very own.

So lots on - totally open to suggestion (err about racing) so don't be shy. But I can tell you that karts won't be featuring any time soon....

And speaking of karts...

Check the post about Super GT below - closest we'll get to having them I can tell you. Serious fun. If we all have one we'll race them on Thursday.

Super Smashing Great GT...

So Evan and I did a bit of a test run with Super GT cars last night.

Looks like it could be fun, so here is a final cut of the rules:

• No 4WD - I really don't like the Skyline TC.
• 590pp max - Covers most cars.
• Racing Soft (& Racing Medium Tyres) - we'll go with Softs for now.
• Japanese make car (preferably from the Super GT series).
• No TCS etc - same rules as our Exotique racers basically.

What of the cars?

This is quick, no doubt about that.

Much more err, solid. Easy drive.

Fast, and a little bit furious to be honest.

So those are the stars that are the cars. They all seem to be $950k, some need a bit of a tweak to get them to 590pp, but really they're not too pricey at all.

As an aside, it show's how refined we've got in the 587pp class as George and I have cars that can lap Grand Valley faster than these - time to calm that class down a bit I think!

We'll use these cars in the no-points races, once everyone has one. I'll keep checking, but these could be great fun. Mind you, if we're cool with it, those without a car can use the online ones (the fave Supra and Skylines!).

What else?

If only we had a 488pp class, I'd so be racing this...

And my recent foray into the online seasonal races had me racing this beaut for the 400pp races...

I think I've gone retro...

Grand Valley Speedway replay

Tis here:

Thanks for the most excellent races folks - and beware in the Exotique races... if my steering wheel lasts then I'll be on fire... ;o)

League Race #1 Official Results

Live Timing Results:

Damn Quick!

Seriously, what an excellent night of racing five excellent races wasn't it? But what of the league races that count to points?

Race1

TC500 cars are fun. There's no doubt about that. I think I was lucky, I don't think I'd have got past Chris's blinding STi had I been behind it - how can I be sure? George was stuck back in third for most of the race but just couldn't find a gap to come past.

I'm glad it's not just a 4wd fest' but it so could easily become one.

Interesting fact of the night, we had two beemers, two mercs and two scoobies in that race. Team event!

Race2

Meh. Steering wheel fell off it's clamps on lap one for me which wrote off what was shaping up to to be another hot race for me. Of the rest of the field, the replay looks awesome. Low boost is just enough to cover up minor mistakes but also allow the quick drivers to shine out.

Chris demonstrated his luck at being a couch potato for the week with a win. In fairness you are quick mate.

Official Results

Race1

1 - Andrew

2 - Chris

3 - George

4 - Paul

5 - Evan

6 - Luke

Race2

1 - Chris

2 - George

3 - Paul

4 - Andrew

5 - Evan

6 - Luke

Race log has been updated on the right.

Video to follow folks - upload crashed (usually does)

After races

Fun in the 650Open class cars for sure. That 787B is extreme, although on a tighter course it won't be any use at all - Chris your Chevvy' was quicker round the bends for sure.

George's FAP Wagon set a quick pace too, it's a beautiful car for sure and I think rated as one of the top cars in the game (if maxed out). Certainly I'm glad we've set the bar at 650pp - the cars are just about manageable!

The Super GT cars of course are fun - is there ever a time when they're not?

Super GT - for the after races?

Here's the deal folks, let's set a challenge to have race of these demons...

Spec:

• Japanese make racing car,
• Max 590pp
• Open tuning.

We'll use those for some after races, and who knows they may make an appearance in the league if we all end up with one. Do let the group know if I've set the PP limit too low (I think it's in the ball park for most of the ricers).

Other

Evan, cheers for recommending the headset, once I'd worked out où est la bluetooth setting it was all good.

League Race #1 Grand Valley Speedway

It starts here...

Track

An old favourite, I've not raced it much in GT5, but in practice I've come to like it again.

Cars

Two car classes in this race. Read that again, two classes.

TC500 & Exotique. This is a double header race. Time to pay your mechanic to tune up two cars for you eh...

Official Race Details

Organiser: Andrew

Date: 12-Apr-2012

Start time: 9:00 PM

Race starts: 9:15 PM

Lounge: FCT GT5 Andrew

Track: Grand Valley Speedway

Laps: 4

Cars: TC500 & Exotique

Tyres: Race/Med & Open

Something to watch

And here's a taster of Grand Valley, me doing a 1:59:1 in an old Beemer...

This will most likely be the car I'm racing on Thursday. Jury is still out on the Exotique (587pp) car - George is faster than me, to quote "Do you have any fast 587pp cars?" Cheeky monkey!

Got my shizzle sorted...

Just a quick aloha... (could you want more content anyhow?);

I've updated the race log, it's permanently linked on the right but also here.

Now I'm using excel for it expect to see some funky graphs in time.

It also has commentary around the races in there. Not exciting, but you'll see the trends appearing from the various racers...

And because I can here's two pics I've taken recently. I am in love with the Lambo pic, now my wallpaper on the PS3.

And you might want to...

And finally today (can you tell it's raining here).

Recent after events have thrown up some excellent racing. So if you have a spare few million you might want to populate your garage with the following:

• GT86 - 500pp Toyota GT86 (the new thingamebob car).
• Japanese Make Racecars - anything Japanese, 600pp max. Racecars only please.

Here's why we like the GT86:

Here it is - what we're doing...

So here it is, by popular demand the race calendar for the season:

Something for everyone!

We have in there another fixed car race, some enduro (and that's a massive length race that is!), a wet race, some sprint stuff... basically a good spread of racing! I'm excited I can tell you!

What worries me is that races that aren't so popular will be empty. Or we find that something is just too much fun to pass up (so need to have some 'special' races).

The other worry is that some of us will practice too much - but I think the spread of tracks will make that a bit harder - let's see, if there's too much disparity in the racing I'll reshuffle the events and cars. Meh!

Anyway, I reserve the right to shuffle and amend as I see fit throughout the season.

Comments very welcome, if only to know you're still interested in racing (Baloo!).

Come on in, don't be shy...

So just three of us in the last round of racing.

Extenuating circumstances of course, but that's two weeks in a row that the race grid could be counted on one hand (with fingers missing...).

So here's something from the previous week, when we did a test race for the 650Open class racers:

Not bad - promises to be a hotly contested class once we all get tyres and traction control sorted.

Next week is our first points race of the season, be there or be at the back of the league I say!

More on tracks later...

Pointless race night this week.

Hi Folks,

I've been a bit remiss with my blogging of late. Meh. Reflection of four racers in the first league race?...

Anyway, this week we'll see a return to the famous shuffle racing that we enjoyed/endured last season.

The track

Yeah, the old favourite of GT4 - just about every race seemed to be on this track.

It is real and we'll be using it for some close racing no doubt...

The cars

They'll vary - but essentially expect an arrive and drive approach - so not using our own cars. Format will be 2-3 races like this then into our very own TC500 cars for 2-3 races.

Season notes

I'll be putting together that list this week hopefully. Stand by!