Generic Weekly Hotlap Challenge 179 – Praga Seca

Have you got time to read the several books I could write for myself?
Two main things for me at this track, both are effects of the same cause.

1. FOV/ view/ viewpoints/ line of sight
2. Sausages

Having changed my FOV a few months ago to 29deg (42inch screen, I can't sit closer than 1m!) I don't get as good a view on corner exits.
At Laguna Seca turn 1, for example, I use the tyre marks as a guide to where the apex of turn 2 is. I see on @GoodGame.eXistenZ and purple @Pretend racer 's vid's you get a clear view of 2 as you go through turn 1, which means early confidence on the throttle.
Also, especially at Laguna Seca, I become obsessed with sausages. Especially those big red ones on the kerbs. Just where you'd like to clip the apex.

If you look at it you hit it....

Turns 4 and 6.

To agree with what @LeiF said earlier;
I did a 30 lap GT3 race at Spa (career mode) at the weekend. Tyre wear off. My qualy was a mid 2.26. By the time I'd finished the race, I'd done a 2.22 something. First five or so laps were 2.26s, then a 2.25 and 2.24s. After 20 laps, I was doing 2.23s and the 2.22 was on about lap 27.
Nearly 5 seconds better, (quali was a clean decent lap) just with practice.
I was surprised! No idea where it all came from.

 

IMPROVEMENT
finally.
Totall Wrytoff
1.26.660
PS4

A change of FOV!
First lap out = nearly 1 second improvement.
It is all in the mind.
But, having aired my problem, I then fixed it. Using a Fov of 33 degrees has really helped.

On set-up:
I've been trying @Pretend racer 's set-up, but I'm not as quick
Oxymor0nically*, his loose rear meant I couldn't get a smooth entry.
So I reverted to stock for the suspension.
I did use his transmission, but only the final speeds for each gears. I left final drive as is was.

However, I'm now feeling it again.
There's time for a quick 30 laps.

*why is this word censored unless I use a nought?

 

Lol!
Presumably ***** / m0ron is classed as offensive..?

 

So I see @Totall Wrytoff was doing ballet!

 

Over the years I have learned to compensate for my lack of trail braking skills by steering with the throttle which requires a loose end. Its also lots of fun. So yah I love a loose caboose

Well that's still valuable info. Now you can create a setup that suits the way you want to do drive. I would recommend adding a couple clicks of -camber and +toe to the rear to tighten it up.

All this talk of setup and we have all been overlooking the fundamentals. TW has pointed out how important it is to customize a heck of a lot of different settings to maximize your performance. Of course, fov is probably one of the more important settings, but even small things like adjusting the audio levels of the tires so its easier to hear them squeal (mines at max), or adjusting video settings to get the ideal framerate, they all add up. Time and motivation prevent most people from messing with them but there is a real benefit to customizing your rig settings.

I recently started using content manager so I have been going through and learning how to adjust all my settings. I probably need to revisit my braking gamma to see if I can get some more fidelity out of my terrrible t500 brakes.

This is why I usually have my hotlap setup optimized for lap 2. I am not usually able to put together my fastest lap from a cold start I need the get the flow going so I can fix my mistakes on the next lap. After lap 3 or 4 the tires are starting to wear and its worth it to restart.

 

Lovely read from you all. What TW said about the FOV, I had to switch to the view without wheel since the cockpitview with wheel blinded me completely for corners.

@Pretend racer I'll probably add some camber or go back to my setup but using your gears. I think that would be optimal for me personally. I am not sure though if I can give it a go like I've done the last 2 days...
@Totall Wrytoff The Flying Sausisse, I agree, they are bloody attractive and aiming for them works like a charm! After 30 laps you'll probably end up collecting enough flyer miles

btw I use a stock T150 from Thrustmaster with the lovely plastic pedals

 

Improvement
Peggy11
1:25:953
PC



The blood, sweat, tears and swearing that went into me achieving this I won't even go into!
After reading all the setup posts again I took 1 click out of the rear wing and increased -camber and +toe to the rear (thanks @Pretend racer ).
About 20 minutes before I got this time I posted a 1:26:065 and then couldn't get near that, this is it I thought I've got so near and now I'm not going to be able to improve by .066 of a second.

I have also done this WHC using pancake mode instead of VR for the first time in around a year, and I seem to be slightly quicker (a few tenths a lap) not just in AC but in all of the sims that I play. The cars seem to have less under steer as well, particularly in AC.
This could just be a placebo effect, but I always thought I was significantly quicker using VR?
Following @Totall Wrytoff mentioning FOV I thought I would also double check that before this latest effort now I'm out of VR. I reduced it from 45 to the correct 37 for my setup, so maybe this also helped me break the 1:26 barrier.

Unwittingly between all of you here you have managed to coach me to a sub 1:26, so many thanks.

Anyway apologies for the long post, and thanks to you all for the competition

 

Yeah, I guess somebody must have put it into the list of censored words. Seems a bit extreme...

but then there's this! ROFLMAO.
The censorship system clearly failed to identify the appallingly rude nature of the rest of this remark

 

@Peggy11 - good to read, we love a thorough comment.

@Neilski - Rude? What do you mean?
You know a nicely tied down rear end gives you a much more stable entry.

 

Improvement
Alexis_RS_MKII
1:25:771
PC



It has been hard, very hard to finally ends with a 1:25:xxx but I did it (after something like a 2h session)! Far from some of you but pretty happy about this result so far!

 

Seems like everyone has been drinking gasoline this week Great stuff!

 

F1415182235
1:24.761 - X1

 

moodyryder
1.26.890
Ps4




Pedals working again. For now.
Wing to max, gears shorter, brake balance backwards and brake power reduced.

5 laps and under target. It might be last but that's ya lot.

 

WHC179 Praga Seca – Saturday Standings

1. GoodGame.eXistenZ - 1:23:947 PC
2. F1415182235 - 1:24.761 X1
3. Bastian Boillot (P308R) - 1:24:812 PS4
4. Pretend racer - 1.24.835 PC
5. LeiF - 1.25.519 PC
6. Alexis_RS_MKII - 1:25:771 PC
7. Peggy11 - 1:25:953 PC
8. Totall Wrytoff - 1.26.660 PS4
9. Moodyryder - 1.26.890 Ps4



@GoodGame.eXistenZ is still out in front but the gap has narrowed! Driver of the week @P308R has demonstrated that lots of effort is worth it and improved to overtake the legendary @Pretend racer. That is some effort, great job! He moved up to second place, but @F1415182235 has come flying in with a 1.24.7. Great lap and he takes second place!
Bastian holds the third step and @Pretend racer moves from 2nd to 4th....
Will he let that stand????

There has been a huge ding dong battle going on behind too. @Peggy11 has sweated blood and tears and is now officially magic. A one twenty five! Well done, although I was surprised about the pancake. He went up a place and overtook @Alexis_RS_MKII
It wasn't for long! @Alexis_RS_MKII was watching from the pit lane. Hot on the heels of Peggy 11's triumph, he pulled out and he too, pulled off an equally admirable achievement! A 1.25.7, two tenths better!
Oooooooh!
Can Peggy11 dig even deeper... will Alexis RS MkII have to defend again?????

Despite ongoing technical problems @moodyrider slots a 1.26.8 on his first go. Having spent all week trying, I was utterly delighted to see my eventual, modest improvement keeps me just ahead!

Just one more entry will bring us up to double figures. Couple of obvious players missing... both have names starting with "L."
And stand by for @Neilski at 5.50pm tomorrow evening, with his "hold the front page!" entry!

Happy Saturday to you!

 

Hoping to lose that reputation (too much stress by far!) with each passing week

 

Improvement
Peggy11
1:25:713
PC

I dug even deeper, but that is seriously all I have to give this week. I can't go any quicker than that and I have no blood, sweat or tears left
If @Alexis_RS_MKII manages to improve beyond that then I doff my cap to him and heartily congratulate him, as indeed to anyone else who improves and is faster than me.

I'm off to replenish my fluids

 

That is a magnificent effort @Peggy11 !
WOW!
Caps are doffed to you!
Presumably you will be replenishing with Sunoco's 260 GT Plus.

Speaking of which, has @Alexis_RS_MKII got anything left in the tank?
Bet he's thinking about it!

Moral support, let's all have another go up the mountain!!
(You are completely let off @GoodGame.eXistenZ )

 

Impressed by your hard work and dedication @Peggy11 & @P308R . This is what it's all about. Reaching times you thought unreachable of at first. When time goes your brain will keep memory of your learning curve and after some time you will be able to recall this info with any car on any track, you made progress. Keep going

 

Without kissing-up I must say that I am really happy I joined since you're all such kind people. It's rare these days

 

Laughing Gravy
1.27.462
PS4

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