2016 Season 4

[SpeedPagan]

The release notes for Season 4 has been posted.

http://www.iracing.com/2016-season-4-release-notes/

This especially caught my eye.

– A previously unannounced special addition will be brought to iRacing during the first week of 2016 Season 4!

– – Be sure to visit http://www.iracing.com at 1:00PM EDT (17:00 GMT) for a special presentation on Tuesday, September 13th, 2016!

So far it seems like a maintenance build than a build that's focused on new content. Which I'm okay with, I'm sure they're busy trying to get the dirt program ready.

 

[SpeedPagan]

The iRacing forum is going crazy about this special addition, and I'm already tired of hearing about it.

 

[Jeffrey00]

Have they hinted to what it is yet? Been off iracing for about a week now. Was going to pick back up with Season 4.

 

[SpeedPagan]

 

[LouieLouie]

Can't wait for le mans! Always been a fan of this track.

Curious to hear what the 9/13 announcement is. They call it a "special addition" so I don't know if that means addition to the sim on day one or just that they are going to be building a new product for the future? i.e. LMP1 car?

 

[LouieLouie]

FYI, LeMans is awesome if you haven't tried it yet. It is really a fun track to drive. I also picked up Kansas so I can race it this season. I did a test drive and wow is that a boring track. What were they thinking when they were building all these cookie cutters?

 

[SpeedPagan]

So with Week 13 wrapping up and everyone getting ready for 2016 Season 4, what series are y'all racing?

I'll be in the SK Modified again, I've been working on building a good set-up for the first race. I did some tinkering with the Week 13 Street Stock series in terms of set-up and how to tackle the track. I've come away with a lot of new information and ideas that I hope I can apply to the SK Mods.

 

[LouieLouie]

So with Week 13 wrapping up and everyone getting ready for 2016 Season 4, what series are y'all racing?

I'll be in the SK Modified again, I've been working on building a good set-up for the first race. I did some tinkering with the Week 13 Street Stock series in terms of set-up and how to tackle the track. I've come away with a lot of new information and ideas that I hope I can apply to the SK Mods.

cool. I will probably stick with the Open A cup cars. I think i'm starting to get used to the cars a little more. I might try one of the lower road series like the skippy or the Lotus 49 if I can find enough races. I love the 49 but there are so few race sessions it's ridiculous.

Should be interesting to see what they announce tomorrow too.

 

[LouieLouie]

Some people were spilling the secret last night on the forums, but Steve Meyer stepped in and told everyone not to ruin the fun for today. I didn't read the threads because I wanted to hear the surprise first hand so I still don't know what it is but we shall see a few hours from now.

 

[kkfan91]

Well, that was less then exciting

 

[LouieLouie]

Well, that was less then exciting

Yeah not sure why they needed a huge production like that to announce a new car. They say there is a part 2 coming out in a week but after the first episode, I'm not sure I'm all that interested in part 2. lol

 

[kkfan91]

Yeah not sure why they needed a huge production like that to announce a new car. They say there is a part 2 coming out in a week but after the first episode, I'm not sure I'm all that interested in part 2. lol

As I saw someone comment on their facebook post why make it a big deal when really it was more for the road racers.

 

[Jeffrey00]

So bought most of the short tracks. Think going late model racing this season.

 

[SpeedPagan]

Yeah not sure why they needed a huge production like that to announce a new car. They say there is a part 2 coming out in a week but after the first episode, I'm not sure I'm all that interested in part 2. lol

I'll watch part 2 because I'm a sucker. lol

 

[SpeedPagan]

Just got done with an SK Modified race, started in 2nd on the outside. Got freaking freight trained, fell back to 4th and stayed there for the rest of the race. Although towards the end I was catching the 3rd place guy, but I ran out of time.

 

[LouieLouie]

Almost got a win at Chicagoland this weekend. The first place guy forgot to put his race setup on and blew the engine 15 laps in. I was faster than everyone else on the long runs but the new leader cut across the apron on the front stretch and lost it going into turn 1 and found the left side of my car. So that ruined it for me. I should have tried a 2nd race but just didn't have the time. Oh well, on to Loudon.

 

[LouieLouie]

The 1989 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo / Available Now on iRacing

 

[SpeedPagan]

The 1989 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo / Available Now on iRacing

Yea, there's also a new road series that has the Nissan GTP-ZX and the Audi 90 GTO in it.

 

[SpeedPagan]

I raced two races tonight in the SK Modifieds. This week we were at Stafford Speedway which kind of has a Darlington feel to it. Turn 1 and 2, you have to do a diamond turn and on turn 3-4 you have to arc it. The first race was well....terrible. I started in the back and after we got the green flag, I was involved in a wreck coming out of turn 4. What was stupid is that I was dodging everyone and trying to make it through, but I still got caught.

In race 2, I screwed up qualifying so I started in the back. After the pace car pulled off, I jumped the start and I actually gave someone a 4x for that move, so that was on me. Anyways I started marching forward once we all got going and I actually made it up to 4th from 10th place. However, as the race went on, the car became looser off of exit. I spun out towards the end and I limped home with a 7th place finish.

I'm thinking that I may have to tighten up my set-up because the races are going off in late afternoon in the sun. By the time the race rolls around the track has already been rubber up from the 3 minutes of practice and qualifying. So the track is already slick and the sun heats it up. What do you think @LouieLouie ?

I will say, iRacing really does give you the racing experience. You have your good days, your bad days. You piss off other drivers, sometimes drivers piss you off. Sometimes you walk away victorious and sometimes you limp back to the trailer in defeat.

This is why I will always support iRacing and it will always be my main hobby.

 

[LouieLouie]

I will say, iRacing really does give you the racing experience. You have your good days, your bad days. You piss off other drivers, sometimes drivers piss you off. Sometimes you walk away victorious and sometimes you limp back to the trailer in defeat.

This is why I will always support iRacing and it will always be my main hobby.

It is a lot of fun that's for sure.

My thoughts on getting loose later in the race could definitely be related to the track conditions. I would check your tire wear on the long runs. Make sure the RR isn't burning up. If the temps are extremely high or the wear is really uneven your car will definitely loosen up. iracing has made changes to their track conditions too in the past few seasons saying that there will be more rubber build up and track temp changes so maybe you are seeing that.

I would say, if your setup is getting loose on the long runs, I would definitely try and tighten it up a little on the short runs so you hit that sweet spot toward the end.
That's a tricky game to play though so be careful.

The other thing could be just your driving style but that all goes back to tire wear. Managing your tires is part of the race. If you burn them up early, you will have a tough time toward the end, so just use a little less gas in the corners. Basically just wait an extra half second before getting on the gas, or try not to use the gas in the turns, only on the straights. Other adjustments might include rear camber, tire pressures, rear weight distribution, etc. Basically anything that will stop your right rear from burning up.

If your tire wear looks ok on the long runs then I would definitely throw it back to the track conditions and try and tighten up the car by lowering the right rear track bar two clicks or so. This will tighten the car on exit without messing with the weight distribution. You could also lower the RR tire pressure half a pound but if you tire wear looks good I wouldn't mess with the tire pressures.

Good luck, maybe next season we will both be running dirt and can share sets. I know nothing about running in the dirt so it will definitely be a learning experience.

 

[LouieLouie]

Hey I finally got a win this year! It was pure luck but a win is a win!

So we were at Dover and there were only 6 of us. The race started out fine and eventually the bottom 2 cars got together and one of them left the race but no caution came out. I was in third and the top two cars were only 2 seconds in front of me until my wife sits down beside me and decides she wants to talk. So I just couldn't concentrate on her and the race so I ended up hitting the apron coming out of turn 2 which pushed me into the outside wall. Damage wasn't too bad but I had no more aero so the top two cars were gone. The 4th place car was about 8 seconds behind me and wasn't running very well so there wasn't much pressure to drive over the top. Well it comes down to lap 100 of 180 and the first two guys have basically lapped the field, myself included. But right as the leader goes to pass the last place car, the last place car spins and takes out both of them. This throws the caution, I get my lap back as the lucky dog, now there are 3 of us left. We start up again, the leader is the only car not damaged at this point so he takes off like a madman. The third place car has a ton of damage so he gets left behind and so now I'm just cruising trying not to get lapped.

Well the 3rd place car finally quits or something and it is just the first place car and me on the track. 10 laps to go and the 1st place car is just about to lap me when suddenly his engine goes out. He blew the engine! I'm the only car on the track at this point with 8 laps to go so I finish the 8 laps and get my first win of the year on the oval side.
It was ugly, but a win is a win! haha

 

[SpeedPagan]

Hey, congrats on the win @LouieLouie !!!

The SK Modified went to Lanier Speedway in week 3, I only managed to get in one race and once again, spinning out on exit has cost me a good race. I was up front in 5th, battling with 4th and 3rd place. I felt good about my set-up and I felt good about my chances, and then herp-a-derp. I managed a 10th place finish in a field of 14 cars. So that's two weeks in a row that I've been having problem on exit.

I've decided that I need to get some more seat time and practice more. I don't think it's the set-up, I think it's the idiot behind the wheel (me) lol. Oh well, 3 races down 9 more to go.

 

[LouieLouie]

Hey, congrats on the win @LouieLouie !!!

The SK Modified went to Lanier Speedway in week 3, I only managed to get in one race and once again, spinning out on exit has cost me a good race. I was up front in 5th, battling with 4th and 3rd place. I felt good about my set-up and I felt good about my chances, and then herp-a-derp. I managed a 10th place finish in a field of 14 cars. So that's two weeks in a row that I've been having problem on exit.

I've decided that I need to get some more seat time and practice more. I don't think it's the set-up, I think it's the idiot behind the wheel (me) lol. Oh well, 3 races down 9 more to go.

Well if it happens again, after you get out of the car, take a screenshot of the chassis page and the tire page and post it here. I will see if I notice anything in your setup screens that might be causing an issue.

 

[SpeedPagan]

I looked at the points tonight, I am 5th in points in my division and I am 48 points behind the number one guy. I am really going to have to step up my game here. I believe I can win the division championship, but I gotta stop having these bad runs that I've been having for the past two weeks.

 

[SpeedPagan]

So I ran two races for this week at Five Flags Speedway. I couldn't get a decent set together because the race for this week was in the afternoon and the track temps were somewhere around 103F and 105F depending on the session. One of the mod regular ran a race with 120F track temperature.

First race I did pretty good, I started in 7th, climbed up to 4th, and finished 5th because I didn't have my Relevance Box up and thought the guy behind me was the leader about to lap me down. I'm an idiot, of course. lol

Second race I did, I started in 8th and I finished 12th or 13th. Mainly because early on in the race I got onto the gas too early on turn 4 and hit the outside wall on exit, ruined my RF wheel assembly. After I got a new car, I did manage to put down some decent lap times and was able to make a few passes. Hel, early on in the race I made a pass on the outside. After I got a new car, I even manage to keep pace with the leader before I made too many mistakes and he passed me.

Honestly, I realized that my main problem is not that I can't run a fast lap, or that I can't put together a good set (well except for this week). The problem is I cannot be consistent in a 40 or 50 lap race. Especially in a series that has no caution. So that's something for me to work on.

I also realize that I need to seriously think about tire conservation because I'm pretty sure that's part of my problem when it comes to exit on turn 4. I run the car as hard as I can and that eats up my tires. iRacing has actually made tires matter now. So that is something else for me to work on.

I'm still going to attempt one more race tomorrow night, and I think for this Sunday night race, I'm going to focus on being consistent and save my tires for the first part of the race.

 

[SpeedPagan]

I....just had the best race EVER!!!

So tonight I raced at Thompson Speedway and I started 3rd. After the green flag flew, 1st, 2nd, and myself just took off and left the rest of the pack in our dust. The first battle was between 1st and 2nd place, I decided to sit that one out and see how it plays out. So I kept my distance but I was still able to keep pace with them. Second place guy eventually took over the lead so now it was my turn to challenge for second.

For the first half of the race it was basically me trying to get my way around second, I'll give him this he knew how to hold the prefer line. We then started coming up on lap traffic and at this point I was simply behind the 2nd place guy, keeping pressure on him, hoping he'll mess up. Well he did, because he got caught by a lapped down car and when that happened I ducked to the inside and passed them both. However, not before we went three wide through turn 3 and 4 in which I came out ahead on.

So now it was my turn to hunt down the leader and honestly I thought I was doing a good job of it. Every lap I could see that I was getting closer and closer but I was keeping my cool and still taking care of my equipment. However, just as the lapped traffic was the downfall of the guy that I passed, it became my downfall as well. This one guy pulled out of the pits on the backstretch and decided to join traffic on turn 3. I ****** had to check up and this idiot started racing me, I couldn't get around him because he had a fresh car with fresh tires and I didn't. At the end I just decided to let the leader go and I settled in for second.

However, I did finish second and I got 48 championship points. Hopefully this will all shake out with me being near the top of the points standing. I won't know til Monday after everything switches over.

I may do one or two more races. I may do a truck race just to get my SR back up, because I did get some battle scars during that race. 12xs, so not a good night for my SR. Hahaha

 

[LouieLouie]

Nice! Sounds like you have that RR problem fixed for good!
Yeah at the lower levels some guys just don't understand what is going on in the race or who they are racing. They just jump on the track and hit the gas and try not to be passed. It sucks sometimes cause they can really ruin the fun, but as you go up in levels those types of guys show up less and less.

It sounds like you are on the brink of a win! Good Luck and keep at it.

 

[SpeedPagan]

Oh yea, the view is good from up here.

 

[SpeedPagan]

So I did two races at Martinsville so far. The first race I did pretty well in, I started 3rd and I finished 3rd, got 49 championship points and I'm still leading in my division as of tonight. I did another race tonight and it was crap-tastic. I started in 6th, but quickly dropped back to 7th and then I had an accident. I took the car to pit row to get a new one and got caught speeding. After that I was done.

One thing that I've noticed in Martinsville is that I'm really good on entry, but I suck on exit. I don't think it's the set-up because the set-up was good enough to get me 3rd place in the first race and I was able to contend for second. I would've gotten second if I hadn't screw up exit a few times.

I tried backing up my entry, braking earlier, but that just cost me more time. I did that time bar thing that you get when you hit TAB and it does show me gaining time on entry, but I lose it all on exit. I'm wondering if I need to ease into the throttle earlier through the turn.

 

[SpeedPagan]

Well, I did some practice run at Martinsville this morning, and I figured out what I was doing wrong. I was doing the trail braking all wrong and once I corrected that, my entry and exit became a lot better and I was a lot faster.

 

[LouieLouie]

yeah i suck at martinsville so I have no advice for you! lol
congrats on leading your division!

 

[LouieLouie]

Man, I have been having a really tough time finding an A open race the past few weeks. We were at martinsville this week and I still couldn't get a race in. I know there is a lot of racing on Tuesday nights but I just have too many other things going during the week. I try to race over the weekends and we can't even get 6 guys to race. I'm definitely bummed lately cause this is the 3rd week in a row that I haven't been able to race.
I hope this week is different!

 

[SpeedPagan]

Last week, the SK Modifieds was at South Boston. Work was kind of busy that week so I was only able to get in one race & I ran with a set-up that I did not test for the long run. So going into this one race, my goal was to survive, get as many points as I can & take care of my equipment.

Well the good news is, I was in a high SOF race, my car # was 12 out of the 13 cars that entered. So I was up against some fast drivers. I started 7th, worked my way up to 6th & was able to stay on the lead lap til about two laps to go. So I think that is a good barometer for where I'm at not only as a driver, but as a crew chief.

Now for the bad. I got spun out by another driver on the last lap coming out of turn 2 & ended up finishing 8th, so that sucks.

I was able to get 39 points & still hold onto my points lead in my division.

This week, we're at New Smyrna.

 

[LouieLouie]

yeah I've had that happen before. I was at New Hampshire and someone totally dive bombed me in turn 4 on the last lap. Went from 3rd to 9th. Not a happy camper after that but it happens!

 

[SpeedPagan]

Well my set-up for New Symrna is ready to go. I have noticed that ever since I committed myself to running a full season in the iRacing SK Modified series, my driving has gotten better and so has my set-up changes. I've also gotten faster. At the beginning of the season I was lucky to be half a second off of the pace when it comes to the fast guys. Now I'm down to like 0.30 seconds off the pace. So there is improvement happening here.

 

[LouieLouie]

Yeah the longer you drive the same car the better feel you get.
Plus with more driving experience you make better decisions which will put you closer to the front.

 

[SpeedPagan]

I did two races tonight at New Symrna, and those were the best two races of my life! The SOF was high in both races, and in the first race I ended up finishing 4th on the lead lap and I end up finishing 5th on the lead lap in the second race. The SOF was 2132 and 2108.

In the first race, I was only .point two zero off the leader in terms of pace, and the same goes for the second race. So I'm excited about it. I am now 76 points ahead in the Division 8 Championship points.

 

[LouieLouie]

Congrats on the races and points lead. Don't forget that only your best 8 weeks count which means someone from way behind can come close to beating you in the final few weeks. You can see where every one is and how many races they have completed by looking at the series stats. I think you can get there by clicking on the series title on the race schedule page.

I had a pretty good race this weekend too. I started 10 of 15 and finished 4th. So I was pretty happy with that. I give a lot of credit to just staying on the track for as long of a fuel run as I can handle. Texas is tough because the tires fall off so quickly that you really can't make a full fuel run, but I was able to get about 40+ laps out of my car. A lot of guys would pit after about 30 laps which caused them to get a few laps down. By staying out, I was able to stay on the lead lap even though I was just about a lap down.

 

[LouieLouie]

So a quick story where I learned something pretty cool.
One time during week 13 activities they held a multicar series at Charlotte with the cup cars and the trucks. It was something like 60 laps, but the cup cars had to pit. I chose to drive the truck just because that was the car I was driving regularly at the time.
Anyway, long story short, since the cup cars had to pit, there was no way they could keep up with the trucks. The races all week showed that the trucks won each race and were usually the top 4 or 5 finishers.
So what this tells me is that no matter how slow you are going, or how fast the other cars are, it is always best to pit less than the other guy. This makes a huge impact on the A races because a lot of guys want to pit 3 or 4 times, and when I can get it done in 2 or 3 pit stops, it puts me in the top 5 every time!
So I'm really glad I ran that multicar race in week 13. It taught me soooo much!

 

[SpeedPagan]

Congrats on the races and points lead. Don't forget that only your best 8 weeks count which means someone from way behind can come close to beating you in the final few weeks. You can see where every one is and how many races they have completed by looking at the series stats. I think you can get there by clicking on the series title on the race schedule page.

I plan on racing all 12 weeks, so I got four more weeks to go. I haven't checked the stats page in awhile, I'll have to at some point today.

So a quick story where I learned something pretty cool.
One time during week 13 activities they held a multicar series at Charlotte with the cup cars and the trucks. It was something like 60 laps, but the cup cars had to pit. I chose to drive the truck just because that was the car I was driving regularly at the time.
Anyway, long story short, since the cup cars had to pit, there was no way they could keep up with the trucks. The races all week showed that the trucks won each race and were usually the top 4 or 5 finishers.
So what this tells me is that no matter how slow you are going, or how fast the other cars are, it is always best to pit less than the other guy. This makes a huge impact on the A races because a lot of guys want to pit 3 or 4 times, and when I can get it done in 2 or 3 pit stops, it puts me in the top 5 every time!
So I'm really glad I ran that multicar race in week 13. It taught me soooo much!

That is awesome!! I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever venture back into the C-Class Truck series. Although I don't know if I am though. I really love short track racing & given my racecraft improvement this season, I think that is where my talents lies.