Last week we announced our first exciting series that would run during the autumn/winter months, this week we announce the second series that will run alongside it.
Just over 12 years ago Papyrus released a racing simulation that set new benchmarks for racing simulations. Universally loved by racing sim fans, Grand Prix Legends is still enjoyed by many today. Sadly Papyrus is no more but some of that team went on to form iRacing which again sets new benchmarks for racing simulations. Sadly we don’t have those exciting Grand Prix cars from 1967 but what we do have is a car that is considered by many to be a modern day version of those cars – the Skip Barber Formula 2000. The Skip Barber or ‘Skippy’ as its nicknamed by many iRacing fans can be drifted through corners with the same kind of finesse as those ’67 Grand Prix cars but just like those vintage racers the Skip Barber is unforgiving if pushed too far and many drivers have come away frustrated at not being able to tame it quickly. Given time though the Skip Barber can be a joy to drive and with the new tyre model its gets even better.
RaceDepartment has organised over 50 events this year alone and we’re proud to announce this new series that will run alternate weeks with the MX-5 series over the autumn and into winter and starts at the end of September. This six week series will feature a couple of new tracks that we’ve not run in a league format before and we start with round one at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. Built in the 1960’s at Mansfield, Ohio this 2.25 mile course takes in 13 turns, let’s hope that doesn’t prove to be unlucky for our Skip Barber drivers!
Round two and we visit an old favourite – Laguna Seca. A popular, yet challenging track for rookie drivers in the iRacing service is possibly one of the best known US road courses around the world. The famous ‘corkscrew corner’ has challenged drivers in Indycar, Can-Am, Trans Am and is also the home for the West Coast Skip Barber Racing School.
Round three see’s the return of another RaceDepartment favourite in iRacing – Road Atlanta. Set just 35 miles north of Atlanta this track has a number of deceptively tight corners that some drivers have a love/hate relationship with as it can be hard to find a consistent lap time. At 2.54 Miles in length, Road Atlanta boasts a long back straight giving drivers a chance at a slipstream and then heavy on the brakes into the tight chicane at turn 10.
Round four takes us to Okayama International Circuit in Japan. Formerly known as TI Circuit Aida this track has hosted Formula 1 and many other high profile events. Since its introduction into the iRacing service this year as part of the base package it has proven to be a very popular and versatile track catering for all speeds of racing car. For this round of the Skip Barber series we’ll be using the full course.
Round five uses another track from the iRacing base package, this time it’s Lime Rock Park in its full course configuration. Finding a good line through turn seven is the key to getting a good lap time here allowing drivers to carry speed down the long start/finish straight. Lime Rock Park is home to the Skip Barber Racing School and also hosts rounds of the American Le Mans Series.
The grand finale for the Skip Barber series takes place at a historic European circuit. Zandvoort may not play host to Formula 1 anymore but it still plays host to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Masters of Formula 3 and has also hosted A1GP. Given the similarities a lot of iRacing fans feel the Skip Barber has to the 1967 Grand Prix cars of Grand Prix Legends it seems only right that we end here on the Grand Prix configuration of this circuit where Jim Clark was victorious in the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix.
We have two single events to follow this series that we will announce in the next few months that will take us right up to Christmas, we hope you’ll enjoy these series and rest assured we are currently planning more events for 2012!
Just over 12 years ago Papyrus released a racing simulation that set new benchmarks for racing simulations. Universally loved by racing sim fans, Grand Prix Legends is still enjoyed by many today. Sadly Papyrus is no more but some of that team went on to form iRacing which again sets new benchmarks for racing simulations. Sadly we don’t have those exciting Grand Prix cars from 1967 but what we do have is a car that is considered by many to be a modern day version of those cars – the Skip Barber Formula 2000. The Skip Barber or ‘Skippy’ as its nicknamed by many iRacing fans can be drifted through corners with the same kind of finesse as those ’67 Grand Prix cars but just like those vintage racers the Skip Barber is unforgiving if pushed too far and many drivers have come away frustrated at not being able to tame it quickly. Given time though the Skip Barber can be a joy to drive and with the new tyre model its gets even better.
RaceDepartment has organised over 50 events this year alone and we’re proud to announce this new series that will run alternate weeks with the MX-5 series over the autumn and into winter and starts at the end of September. This six week series will feature a couple of new tracks that we’ve not run in a league format before and we start with round one at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. Built in the 1960’s at Mansfield, Ohio this 2.25 mile course takes in 13 turns, let’s hope that doesn’t prove to be unlucky for our Skip Barber drivers!
Round two and we visit an old favourite – Laguna Seca. A popular, yet challenging track for rookie drivers in the iRacing service is possibly one of the best known US road courses around the world. The famous ‘corkscrew corner’ has challenged drivers in Indycar, Can-Am, Trans Am and is also the home for the West Coast Skip Barber Racing School.
Round three see’s the return of another RaceDepartment favourite in iRacing – Road Atlanta. Set just 35 miles north of Atlanta this track has a number of deceptively tight corners that some drivers have a love/hate relationship with as it can be hard to find a consistent lap time. At 2.54 Miles in length, Road Atlanta boasts a long back straight giving drivers a chance at a slipstream and then heavy on the brakes into the tight chicane at turn 10.
Round four takes us to Okayama International Circuit in Japan. Formerly known as TI Circuit Aida this track has hosted Formula 1 and many other high profile events. Since its introduction into the iRacing service this year as part of the base package it has proven to be a very popular and versatile track catering for all speeds of racing car. For this round of the Skip Barber series we’ll be using the full course.
Round five uses another track from the iRacing base package, this time it’s Lime Rock Park in its full course configuration. Finding a good line through turn seven is the key to getting a good lap time here allowing drivers to carry speed down the long start/finish straight. Lime Rock Park is home to the Skip Barber Racing School and also hosts rounds of the American Le Mans Series.
The grand finale for the Skip Barber series takes place at a historic European circuit. Zandvoort may not play host to Formula 1 anymore but it still plays host to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Masters of Formula 3 and has also hosted A1GP. Given the similarities a lot of iRacing fans feel the Skip Barber has to the 1967 Grand Prix cars of Grand Prix Legends it seems only right that we end here on the Grand Prix configuration of this circuit where Jim Clark was victorious in the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix.
We have two single events to follow this series that we will announce in the next few months that will take us right up to Christmas, we hope you’ll enjoy these series and rest assured we are currently planning more events for 2012!
