AC Mini Cooper S @ Brands Hatch Indy - Mon 25 May 2020

[HF2000]

Denis forgot to add that you need to be a Premium member - but the cost for an entire year is no more than a few pints would set you back

And you can't drink while you drive so it's free basically!

 

[Erik Axelsson]

Thanks for tonights race, what a great mod this car is!
After Down passed me my Crew Chief was like:

"Don't think about the laptimes"
"Down just did a 56,5"
"Your laptimes are dropping off"


See you next time

 

[stribbeck]

Thank you for organising the event Denis that was so much fun and managed my best results on an RD race 7th for both had some lovely races with a few people but forgot their names now love brands hatch and fwd cars

 

[Denis Betty]

Denis forgot to add that you need to be a Premium member - but the cost for an entire year is no more than a few pints would set you back

Hmmm, I would have sworn that I checked that he was Premium???
Time for me to go to the great donkey sanctuary in the sky, methinks.

 

[Chris Down]

Wow, what amazing races. We should definitely run this car again some time

I qualified on pole, so race 1 was mostly about escaping. Thankfully I managed to pull the gap early on after some defending from @Axel Moebius who was really quick, and so could mostly work in clean air. From there it was mostly just managing the tyre temps and keeping the concentration to secure the win.

Race 2 with the reverse grid was a really tough one. I knew I would have to be aggressive to stay with everyone else since we were all qualifying about the same lap times. After a few laps I went to battle with @Erik Axelsson who was doing some really great driving, and I really tried to squeeze every last inch out of the track to make the pass.

Thanks @Denis for organising, I really had a blast, and it sounds like I'm not the only one

 

[Kek700]

Another bad day at black rock.

Will this film never end, another torrid time, I am beginning to think I have become Spencer Tracey.
The last fortnight I have been punted of at least 10 times. Most wait some don’t.
It’s getting so I have joined in, I am now punting myself off.

 

[Robert Walker]

Thanks for the race chaps, first one in a long time. Made up a few places in race 1, but got a tap to the rear on the last bend as I rounded a stranded car. 2nd race I went to the grid late and it gave me a false start I think and put me in the pits with a time penalty. In the end I caught up a pack and we had a good clean battle.

 

[Chris Down]

As usual, here are my VR onboards. Since there were a few people complaining about track extending, hopefully it can show some of the folks extending the track how to use the maximum track available while still being legal.

Audio is a bit quiet for some reason, but still there. Cc: @Sheppio since you were asking for them

Race 1:

Race 2 (top 5 reverse grid):

 

[Denis Betty]

Thanks to all who raced tonight and thanks for all the kind words on TS and here on the event thread. It's nights like this that make the task of event organising worthwhile. I think we all owe @Pessio (and the rest of the people who contibuted to this fantastic mod) a big thank you and a round of applause. Take a bow guys, we are not worthy.

The practice server for next week is up. There has recently been a small update to the Caterham Academy. Thanks to @Ben O'Bro for another awesome mod. Thanks also to @Yrgfilosoof for suggesting another great track that none of us ever heard of. This one is a real doozie.

 

[Medilloni]

Thanks for tonight Denis, what a great car Congrats to the podium guys too!

 

[Partick Eaton]

Thanks for hosting Denis and everyone for the race. My best finish in race 1, mostly due to others going off early. 2nd race not so good, but fun anyway. Well done all.

 

[b3orn]

Finally my first race in race department! First one was awesome, finished 3rd starting from 4th position. I’m not very fast, so I was surprised to be only .100 from the pole. Second race was fun for other reasons. Got hit too many times at Druids, spun out and had to start from the bottom. I think I’ve managed to finish between 8-10th and it was even more challenging than the first race.
Thank you guys (and in particular to Denis), it was a lot of fun, clean races, nice people. I’ll be one of yours again in the future!

 

[HF2000]

I’m not very fast, so I was surprised to be only .100 from the pole.

Well if you are not very fast then I'm a snail!

 

[joeymac]

Yesterday's races were a lot of fun. Thanks again @Denis Betty for organising.

In the first race I qualified in 9th and I was on for a possible top 10 finish only for a silly mistake while battling back after a turn 2 punt & spin. I then had trouble (despite lifting for the whole straight) while let a front runner through which knocked me back to near last.

I was punted in again (at turn 1) in the second race but recovered to 14th or so and I enjoyed a lot of clean and respectful racing with @Robert Walker which only ended after I mistakenly let too many cars through while lifting to let the leaders through .

Some discussion may be required about blue flag etiquette in general, but as for the leaders they must understand that respect is required from both parties. On such a short circuit where there is limited room for getting offline safely you must be patient, and being in the lead does not entitle you to barge your way through, especially during a close battle.

Also, maybe it's just some of the new drivers (I'm new too of course) ... but please folks, don't try to win the race at the first turn on cold tyres!

 

[HF2000]

As usual, here are my VR onboards. Since there were a few people complaining about track extending, hopefully it can show some of the folks extending the track how to use the maximum track available while still being legal.

Audio is a bit quiet for some reason, but still there. Cc: @Sheppio since you were asking for them

Race 1:

Race 2 (top 5 reverse grid):

Thanks Chris. The 2nd race in which you chased Erik was very educational for me. On several parts of the track you used different lines. Nice to see which line was faster. Also I noticed that you only drove in 3 and 4th gear, even in Druids. I must have had the wrong gear settings because that was a no go for me.

 

[Chris Down]

Some discussion may be required about blue flag etiquette in general, but as for the leaders they must understand that respect is required from both parties. On such a short circuit where there is limited room for getting offline safely you must be patient, and being in the lead does not entitle you to barge your way through, especially during a close battle.

I'm not sure of the specific case(s) you're talking about, but "being in the lead does not entitle you to barge your way through, especially during a close battle" implies that having a battle changes blue flag dynamics, which it doesn't

We don't have formalised rules for blue flags at RD (although maybe we should, since they are really poorly standardised across series...), but any move that would be legal during a for-position overtake is legal during a blue flag overtake, so if it's just aggressive but legal, then I don't see anything wrong with that.

You have to also remember that many of the drivers who are at the front have vastly different lines and braking marks than the midfield or back of the pack. Sometimes this "barging through" is really just the driver lapping taking his normal line. For example, when lapping into Clark Curve last night, I was almost always on the inside, because most people in the midfield take a much wider line than me. Taking that line isn't me being aggressive, it's me taking my normal line, which is often left completely free and unobstructed. It might make it difficult to continue a battle since half the road is being taken up by me lapping, but unfortunately that's the reality of getting a blue flag.

Getting a blue flag sucks, but being in a battle doesn't change responsibilities on either side.

 

[joeymac]

I'm not sure of the specific case(s) you're talking about, but "being in the lead does not entitle you to barge your way through, especially during a close battle" implies that having a battle changes blue flag dynamics, which it doesn't

We don't have formalised rules for blue flags at RD (although maybe we should, since they are really poorly standardised across series...), but I cannot think of any ruleset which declares that any move that would be legal during a for-position overtake is illegal during a blue flag overtake. If the move is aggressive, but legal (which I suppose is what you are implying by "barg[ing one's] way through"), then it's still legal.

You have to also remember that many of the drivers who are at the front have vastly different lines and braking marks than the midfield or back of the pack. Sometimes this "barging through" is really just the driver lapping taking his normal line. For example, when lapping into Clark Curve last night, I was almost always on the inside, because most people in the midfield take a much wider line than me. Taking that line isn't me being aggressive, it's me taking my normal line, which is often left completely free and unobstructed. It might make it difficult to continue a battle since half the road is being taken up by me lapping, but unfortunately that's the reality of getting a blue flag.

Getting a blue flag sucks, sure, but having a battle doesn't change the responsibility to yield.

I agree with most of what you have said @Chris Down and you did nothing wrong in my experience yesterday (in fact I ran too wide myself when I was letting you by in turn 1).

It's just a general point to consider, so please don't disregard my comment. It's not always wise to assume that just because someone is getting lapped that they are way off the pace or driving poor lines. Yes, I was not lapping in the 56's but I was only so far back yesterday because of being punted.

My main points were basically that no matter the situation (blue-flag or otherwise) the majority of the responsibility for a contact-less overtake is on the driver carrying out the overtake. It's not a question of blue flag rules, which I am fully aware of and wholeally respect. I also know the frustration of lapping backmarkers safely. I never want to be the one who hinders a leading driver or prevents a battle for a top-ten finish, but as with real motorsport no driver should have to jump off the circuit or put the car into reverse to allow the leaders through.

Some of the guys were so slow out of Clarke Curve (as you hinted at yourself) that it meant lifting for the whole of Brabham Straight to let them by only to be hit from behind in Paddock Hill Bend. Some where even trying to slip-stream me as I was clearly lifting off-line. The issue with that is at Brands Indy (a track I really like and one perfectly suited to the fantastic little Mini), that the off-line route quickly becomes the racing line and trouble soon follows.

 

[Kek700]

Thanks Chris. The 2nd race in which you chased Erik was very educational for me. On several parts of the track you used different lines. Nice to see which line was faster. Also I noticed that you only drove in 3 and 4th gear, even in Druids. I must have had the wrong gear settings because that was a no go for me.

@HF2000
Read this and ignored, wondered what you were on about. I put the gears far left, lowest ratio's so I thought.
Had another go at brands today, thought about your comment, bugger far left is higher, put the gear pointer far right, now in the 56's
made about 3/10th a lap quicker.

 

[Kek700]

@joeymac has a point, mid field is a very difficult place to be now that so many are reasonably competitive, being punted is a very common occurrence.
Then have to deal with blue flag driver who are quite often over competitive, almost demanding you move aside can only add to it all.
What you do about it without some common ground rules is a bit beyond me.
I hope that does not include racing the blue flag drivers which I have seen many a time, so you could Quite rightly argue that there are two sides to this situation.

 

[GEO147]

Great racing yesterday. The little mini created a lot of drama so even though you were going at a lower pace than other cars you really had to concentrate.
It was also a great leveler as not hitting the apex 100% didn't mean the car in front shot off out of sight.
That's two or three races now where I have found myself grinning from ear to ear whilst battling to keep position in a car and track I'd never raced before. Brilliant.
Really enjoyed the battles.

Thanks Denis.