1AM UCT/GMT Sunday suggestion.

[Martin Leyfield]

We have drivers in North+South America, South Africa, Australasia, Europe, and Asia. Sunday morning seems to be the best time to get everyone together.

However, I think there is potential for events with qually starting at 1AM UCT on Sundays. I live in the UK and racing at this time would help prevent DRI's (disco related injuries) and hangovers.

Thoughts please.

 

[Erik Bennett]

UCT is equal to GMT correct? If so, yes this time would be great for us in the United States (I might be the only one...) as it late Saturday night that the races would start. I always miss those Sunday morning races because it is like 4:00AM for me to wake up to race in them.

 

[BrianW]

It would also benefit us in Canada too !. I would love to have the option of joining these events at a more reasonable start time.

 

[Ian Strom]

Indeed. Normally the GTL club races and the race07 retro ones that I want to join are at 12:00 or 13:00h for me depending on time of year. Right now I am fortunate enough to have the important days free but that will not always be the case. And who can argue with more racing to begin with?

I think the only concerns are these two things.
a) You need someone to organize these events.
b) You need people who would actually sign up for these events.

I know in my case I am very picky about what I drive so you are not going to see me much.

 

[Senad Subasic]

What Ian says is true, the b) being more important.

There were regular US events a year or two ago, but not that many people were driving in them.

 

[Ian Strom]

Also, just because the people are around does not mean they are participating. They may be, oh, say, uploading results or whatever he was doing during multiple GTL club races... and end up missing the race..... Senad.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Ian, I"m afraid it would take a petition from enough "American" drivers, signed in blood, guaranteeing their presence at every RD event set up for us with RD having the option to "off all our heads" if even just one of us didn't show up for a scheduled race.

It's been tried before, their just isn't enough activity here to make it worth while.

Try, just try, to even get enough of us to commit to a drive using the RD server for an event run at a time that's good for us. I can tell you that it might work once and you might get three drivers. Unfortunately, the next time you try to do the same thing, no one will show. Even races with three are bummers! A big reason is time zones, a good time for me[EST] isn't a good time for you[PST?].

RD has already been there several times and we've already tried it ourselves.

 

[Ian Strom]

Dennis I know, or were you directing your post at OP?

Even the last race07 retro event never happened because there were only three people around. You generally see more in the GTL events though.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Just adding to what Senad said, more than anything. I guess I just tagged you as the last respondent, sorry.

 

[Ian Strom]

No worries Dennis.

It is too bad most people would rather go and play need for speed with a keyboard/gamepad. I cannot think of anyone I know who would actually want to get into racing online. weeeelll perhaps one.. he has neither the time nor a wheel though.. and the last time I had him try out GTL he blew up the engine.(which is funny because he has never destroyed an engine in one of his real cars with manual transmissions.)

I suspect he might also have an issue with the real name part and would likely end up banned for some reason or another.

Most of the people I know irl suck. At least I can come to RD and give you guys a hard time.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Ian, I was thinking late last night that Idon't look at the other forums much. I have the rfactor2 beta and iracing so I look on there once in a while. I think of getting GSC so it gets checked but rarely do I get to GTL. The "American" racers that were iin the 07 club disbursed, to another site and some I think stopped racing. I have seen that some show up in the other racing forums. 07 seems to be losing out to other sims in general while some of us wait for GTR3.

Machwerk is still running, give me a hard time there

 

[Ian Strom]

Actually I suspect 8 mins is roughly where I am going to top out. Still 20 seconds behind the fast guys. Normally on a 1.5-2min lap IIRC I end up being in the ballpark of 5-10 seconds behind the fastbastards like Yves, Knut, Eck, Garland, etc depending on car and track.. so 20 seconds behind here is about right I would say.
One of these days though. One of these days.

On the original topic, It also feels like Europeans and Asians and all those places over there seem to have racing twisty tracks more ingrained in their culture.
I know that Americans like drag and nascar and Canadians get some of that due to proximity, but it feels like people in other parts of the world are just more into it.
On the other hand, the grass is always greener on the other side eh?

I need to tread carefully when judging cultures so quickly though, some Canadians like taking Chevettes ice racing. That actually sounds like a lot of fun.
And there was also the TransAm stuff going on back in the day.

 

[Martin Leyfield]

This idea of mine has not been tried before actually, because the races in the past started at 4AM central Europe time (3AM UK time). I did a few of them but I was rather sleepy, especially if they were over 40 minute races.

UCT is GMT. During summer UK&Ireland are UCT+1 and Central Europe is UCT+2.

I think the events that start at 1AM UCT Sunday morning should be arrive and drives, no practice, hotlap qually, no warm up, and two short races of about 25 minutes each.

If 1AM UCT is too late for Europe then maybe 11PM UCT Saturday would be better (12AM UCT in the Winter after the clocks change).

To boost grids I suggest Race07 content only. I guess North Americans to not like twisty circuits but there used to be several of them in Mini Friday on twisty circuits and I think they enjoyed them.

I think the lowest common denominator is WTCC06/07 on Race07 circuits circuits would be best but if that is too boring maybe WTCC06/07 and occasionally BMW Mini on download circuits (especially if Mini Friday grids get even smaller than they are at the moment).

Drag racing was mentioned. Now that would be a fun event: Anderstorp runway, cars with no sequential gearbox (Caterhams, WTCC87, GTR-Evolution production cars (Viper, Apollo, CCX (1000BHP 245MPH), Race On Muscle cars, Camaro Cup, retro Max, retro cool Volvo's and BMW2002, Toyota Levin mod, NEXTEL mod, TVR mod, Commodore V8's (

),
Escort V8's (

), Retro Plus (Escort and Fiat 131:

), Mercedes 300 SEL (

), Nissan Failady (

),
Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R (http://www.youtube.com/v/vXJDPjkMbsI).

Anderstorp should be wide enough for 4 or 5 cars and we could have heats and a final.

If Anderstorp runway is to short for drag racing we could use the Mulscane Straight from VLM Lemans 1977 (no chicanes).

We could do conventional drag racing or first to a set speed and then back to zero in the shortest distance (someone would need to be watching each car with HUD to show their speedometer).

We could have no flag rules and race from the start of the Mulscane straight then do a handbrake turn and back the other way.

One other thing we could do at 1AM UCT Sunday morning is mob another communities public server or have a Racedepartment open public server with an admin present to kick ban wreckers and noobs.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

GMT is the only real way to handle this discussion.
Whether 2300 GMT, 2400 or 0100, it's Saturday night here and I'm full of Margarita's, my loss.
Why shoud the races proposed be shucked of practice, quali and all the social activites[TS] that go along with them, just because we're on this side of the pond?

 

[Martin Leyfield]

I think the social aspect could be done in practice. I just thought it would be best to have a small window for qually and race one to get the most people together.

At the moment I often get home half drunk at 12AM GMT (UCT) have a coffee and sober up on the public servers. I would not dream of driving a car in real life half drunk but I am capable of simracing safely half drunk albeit about a second of my usual pace and needing extra caution when overtaking or being overtaken. If I am in this situation on a public server I dq and start at the back and wait ten seconds before starting.

Below is an example of a Saturday night/Sunday morning sober up on a public. I would prefer to race more clean on Racedepartment. The publics on Saturday night Sunday morning are rather violent and I seek a better alternative.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Looks like you've been taking lessons from Keith Barrick. For a long time he raced, beers in hand and popping oopen fresh ones through the entire race night. Outstanding way to be the fastest guy on track, LOL!