Best testing track.

[Ethan Bass]

I haven't been playing this game for too long (steam would say something different, have over 450hours on it :tongue, and I haven't gotten to the point where I can pick a favourite car and work with it and develop with it. I currently have just picked a car on how it looks. Saleen for GTP, Alfa 07 for WTCC.

I'm free from college this week, so I'm looking to test as many cars as possible to get used to at least two cars in each class. WTCC to DTM. I need a track thats easy to learn, and will test each aspect of a car, it's overall grip, it's braking power, braking stability, change of direction, speed of turn-in, composure and grip on bumps and over curbs, top speed, overall acceleration and out of slow corners.

I am using a G25, so if there is also a good way to set it up to make a good comparison between cars, (I'm not modding it, don't have the money to do things to it) that would be awsome.

Thanks for any help you can give.


Edit: A track that has corner markers showing the gear to be in would probably be the best, so no add-on tracks.

 

[Ivo Simons]

I always use Nurburgring GP for my testing.

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

I'd say Valencia. That's a good all-rounder circuit.

 

[Austin Jordan]

wha you want for a track is a track that is technical and also fast. you want a car that can work good at fast and technical tracks

 

[Ethan Bass]

wha you want for a track is a track that is technical and also fast. you want a car that can work good at fast and technical tracks

Any idea on a track thats like what you described above, I don't know that many tracks off by heart.

 

[29manzglade]

Yeah, Vallelunga
I used this track earlier to do my tests, and it has high speed parts, and also slow corners.

 

[Eric Estes]

The corner markers might work for generic WTCC, but are often way off in the other classes.
For strictly in-game tracks, I would say Zandvoort '07 or Zandvoort Club have good mix for testing - and the club course is fairly short so you can quickly evaluate setup changes. Imola & Istanbul are also weld rounded.
I test on the tracks I ended up using the setups from most: Watkins Glen for fast/smooth tracks, and Mid-Ohio for technical tracks. The Renault AMS test track also works well.
Personally would use at least two tracks for testing your two cars, as the car you want at, say, Road America/Sebring/Silverstone is far from the car you want at Cadwell/Brno etc.
Maybe just coincidence from F1 this week, but I'm thinking Suzuka would be a great testing track... if only I could find it...

 

[UMC 22]

Maybe just coincidence from F1 this week, but I'm thinking Suzuka would be a great testing track... if only I could find it...

Here you go: Download

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I always used Anderstorp for testing. Has slow and fast corners and a long straight.

 

[Eric Estes]

Here you go:

Thanks! (for that useful post )

 

[Ethan Bass]

Thanks for the help guys. I've been running around Valencia 07 in some of the WTCC cars. What I've done is take their SimBin setup, increase Brake Pressure to 95% and Steering lock to 20.0 deg, and left everything else as it is (had to download a basic setup for 07 Honda but okay).

I took them around for 10 laps each, seeing what time I could get and how the car felt, (bearing in mind I did this in TA, just to be sure of braking points and make it as fair as possible IMO).

I have to say, the 07 Honda is a good bit different than my 07 Alfa. Ivo, I'll be going around in a selection of STCC cars tomorrow so I'll give you an idea on how the new VW and the Vectra's new physics are compared to the others. Next up is Anderstop once I have a read on what most of the cars (no point in running the STCC Alfa, or the likes of the E46) are like around Valencia.

Who knows, by the time we go to Brands, (http://www.racedepartment.com/europ...00-brands-hatch-indy-sun-oct-17th-2010-a.html) I might show up in something like a Volvo or the Lada. :tongue:

I think I'll go around the F1 Nurburgring GP circuit and Road America for the GT's and similarly powerful cars (open wheels, muscle, DTM etc).

Thanks for your help guys, catch ya at te next Touring car event.

 

[Koray Can]

Valencia has elevation changes and a long straight. If you're just figuring things out you may find a shorter and flatter track more useful. In fact you may want to start with the Mini or the Renault Clio as more powerful cars have a lot more knobs whose interactions get complicated.

SimBin setups tend to be garbage. Look for setups in our setups subforum.

 

[Den.]

I've gotten to use Sliverstone GP most of the time. Funny as I originally HATED Silverstone but quite love it now. Short enough to 'test' on and long enough to be interesting. I also use Cadwell and Goodwood a lot, especially Goodwood. If I'm working on a mod, I usually test initially at Goodwood and then go to Silverstone for 'more serious' testing. Heh.

Mosport's fun also for testing but I only recently embraced it.

 

[Ross Balfour]

You can't beat Spa for testing, it has everything, nothing goes untested here. It's also fun to test at, unlike some other tracks where I find it very very boring!

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

nothing cant test you more than Nordschleife!

 

[Den.]

I love the Nordshlieffe myself but rarely get 10 minutes or more to do a full lap which is why I don't use it for 'testing'. Though I AM finally getting a few laps in again here and there lately.:wink:

 

[Chris Tarboton]

For me Brands Hatch is great - fast flowing technical corners to make sure you get the right line in, mid corner bumps which throw the car and test your set up, slow corner bends and the best of all, Paddock Hill - the best test of a well setup car, imo. Spa is great, especially eau rouge with its mid corner bump and then the rest of the track is brilliant - fast and testing and bumpy.

Zandvoort for many of the above. Hate Brno - no grip - and Valencia doesn't have many high speed bends imo.

 

[Dave Flower]

I like Watkins Glen GP - it has less of the really slow stuff but does have some nice fastflowing sections as well a some varying cambers and some challenging bends - especially T1 which is ok to get round but hard to get round Fast. Its not too long like the Nords. although I do love the Nords. it isn't really for testing due to its length. I would like to see more Nords. Events in the racing club... Unfortunately I am very rarely available on Thursday or Friday evenings for racing and so have not been able to attend an RD Nordscliffe Event Yet...

I think the main thing for testing different cars is to stick to a track that you know really really well - it doesn't really matter which track - just choose a track where you know whats fast, whats slow and how a car should behave.

I would try more online or RD setups as the SIMBIN setups are not brilliant since they are a 'catch all, suit all' setup that actually varies very little from track to track (giving consistency for more casual racers) and also they are designed to be useable with many differnt controllers - but not perfect for any. Its best if you can try to use setups from people who you know are using the same type of controller and settings. I personally use a Wheel, set at 900 degrees rotation, meaning that a setup for someone using say 220 degrees of wheel rotation will not be ideal for me - a setup from someone using say an XBOX controller will be even less ideal, add to that differences in driving style and you will quickly see why what works great for one might not work for you. It really is a case of trial and error, but setups from online players who you know to be fast or from fellow RDer's will help you move in the right direction faster I think. Good luck Ethan and if you finally master the art of setups please send some my way!! Note also that you can use setups from different cars for teh same track - try loading that Honda setup on your Alfa and I guarantee you'll see an improvement in your Alfa (although it might not be as 'perfect' as it was on the Honda...)