RaceDepartment Historic Grand Prix Season 7 is Go – Touring is Grand again.
Welcome to Season 7 of the RaceDepartment Historic Grand Prix (RDHGP), covering the Spring / Summer session of 2011. After last season’s (successful) “new class” of vehicle, the GTC-72’s, this coming season takes us full circle, back to the class that I ran in my first ever RDHGP as organiser – the GTC-65s.
In terms of vehicles available for use, the GTC65 class is the most populous here at RD, with a total of 25 models available. However, with variety comes disparity, meaning the GTC65 cars have a wide gulf in performance from top to bottom, hence the creation of the 3 groups we now use at RD. We have eschewed the fastest group – Group A – as it is not as well balanced as the others, and probably too close in performance to the GTC72’s from last season to be a worthwhile contrast. Similarly, we have not chosen the slowest cars in the class – Group C – as (while it is well balanced) it contains all but one of the Cars we used in Season 3.
That left us with Group B, a core group of true, classical GTC65 vehicles, augmented by some later dated Touring class Cars, whose all-round abilities means that they get promoted to this class for performance matching.
With regard to the venues chosen for this season, we visit the Middle East for the first time at Bahrain, Singapore and its temporary road course gets a first taste of the Historic Grand Prix, and we have our finale at one of the most popular tracks in the Historic Racing Club - the 200km of Lime Rock Mountain.
The season opener takes us to Japan, specifically to Oyama in the Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Fuji Speedway, in it’s 5th Layout/Configuration.
Circuit Notes
Located in the foothills of Mount Fuji, the Fuji International Speedway was built in the 60’s, and was originally intended to be a 4km long, highly banked Superspeedway, but lack of funds meant that only one banked section was built, and then incorporated into a more traditional Road track design.
The track was altered in the late 60’s to allow a climb into the banking, as opposed to the blind crested drop that was there before, and which exacted such an horrific toll from drivers.
This altered track hosted the first F1 race to be run in Japan, the 1976 season decider that Championship Leader Niki Lauda withdrew from due to the horrendous rain and treacherous conditions, but which James Hunt navigated well enough to take the season by half a point. A crash a year later involving Gilles Villeneuve killed 2 spectators, and so F1 left Fuji, and did not return until 2007.
Despite F1 moving to Suzuka for their Japanese visits, Fuji remained – and remains – hugely popular for Sports Car, GTC and Drifting Championship racing, the latter being the only time that the circuit is run in reverse. Indeed - such is Fuji’s layout, with the ghost of that originally proposed Superspeedway still faintly recognisable, that the long Home Straight has hosted Drag Racing exhibitions.
The current layout was opened in 2005, and it is this circuit that we will be visiting in our Grand Touring Classics.
A lap of Fuji begins with a relatively long, wide and easy run from the S/F line and into T1R – 1st. This is a relatively tight hairpin, so there will be some very heavy braking going on into here. The cars are vastly different in their relative top speed, weight and braking performances, so all drivers should be prepared and aware for early braking, late braking and overtake attempts here. This will lead me into my first cautionary note of the season. People in cars with better braking characteristics cannot divebomb the inside line, effectively parking their cars there without ever having a chance of making the corner properly. And by the same token, people who run wide cannot just dive straight back to block the inside line if they’ve missed the apex and not care if anyone is there or not. Give people racing room – this is NOT optional. This does apply to all corners throughout the season, but I couldn’t really have asked for a better or more pertinent example to start off with.
Exiting out of 1st, there is a gentle right hand curve of T2R, taken under some pretty stiff acceleration, and before the hard braking zone and crested turn-in point of T3L – Coca-Cola. You need to try and carry through as much speed as the crest will allow you, and then get hard on the accelerator for the short downhill blast into the T4R & T5R section, collectively called 100R.
This is a test of both patience and control, as the first portion of the turn (T4R) will allow you to build up some fairly good speed, and then it will hit you with the sucker punch of the off-camber tightening second section, T5R.
Once you’ve negotiated 100R, it’s a quick squirt up to the braking zone for T6L – Hairpin. The various cars can attack this corner differently, and as there is a long period of acceleration after here, you should be aware of drivers slithering about as they try to get their foot down as early as possible.
T7L is a gentle curve, taken at full acceleration on the downhill stretch, where the slightly deceptive T8R awaits. This may need to be taken with a slightly breathed accelerator on some cars, or flat out on others, but even if you need a lift, it’s flatout as soon as you clear it.
From here you approach the relatively gentle T9R – 300R. This is not a difficult curve in and of itself, but it does just slightly unsettle the car if you aren’t clean through here, just as you are getting set up for the heavy braking for T10R – Dunlop.
Dunlop is a tight right-hand turn, followed almost immediately by the sharp left-hand turn of T11L, guarded on the inside by a solid wall. Drivers here need to be aware that, just because they have the inside line at T10R, they shouldn’t just assume that they have the inside at T11L. People who are close through T10R may be able to get though into the inside line of T11L cleanly. Again, just parking your car across the apex, or conversely moving across without consideration of what may be there is not acceptable.
You accelerate out of T12R uphill for a short burst, before setting the car up for the complex at the end of the lap. T13R – 13th almost comes back on itself, before you hit T14L & T15L – Netz. T14L is relatively gentle, uphill and crested, before it suddenly tightens beyond that crest through T15L.
T14L is a testing corner, as restraint through here will mean a correct entrance to T15L, and that is preferable to the time you’d spend getting back in shape through T15L after an over exuberant T14L.
From there it’s a steady approach required for T16R - Panasonic, as it is absolutely vital that you get the exit of this correct, as it leads on to the approximate 1km long straight, and every iota of speed lost exiting Panasonic will kill you down the straight. You cross the S/F line approx 2/3 of the way down the Home Straight, across the line and into the braking zone for 1st.
The Race Director has some notes for drivers. Please see the track map above for location of Race Direction note:-
All Corners Without Exception – The kerbs are not deemed as track, therefore 2 wheels must be within the white lines, on the tarmac, At All Times. Again, there are NO exceptions to this rule at any point on the circuit. Any exception to this rule is deemed illegal, any advantage gained by this method must be ceded immediately. Report people deliberately and excessively cutting.
Racing Room must be given to all drivers – and this works both ways. Divebombing into and across a corner denies people the chance to make the corner correctly just as much as someone obliviously (or deliberately) cutting the nose off of another driver who has achieved partial overlap fairly.
Regain the track safely - If you leave the track, you must rejoin the track safely. If that means losing another couple of places – so be it.
T1R – 1st – Especially on Lap 1. Be aware of people as you turn in here, it has the possibility to cause huge problems if drivers don’t respect each other. I am really tempted to put a “no-pass” rule in place for this corner on Lap1, but I will give the benefit of the doubt to you all. Do not make me regret my decision. Be aware, however, that any incidents caused by reckless or over aggressive driving in Turn 1 during the first lap will be dealt with severely, probably with a “no quali” penalty for Round 2.
T6L – Hairpin. As mentioned in the Circuit Notes, this is a tight, crested turn, and it is very easy to either turn in too early, or slide off the outside here. Be aware of people possibly losing control under acceleration here.
T10R – Dunlop & T11L. This complex is approached under heavy braking after the high speed T9R, so you will need to be aware of the differences in braking distances and relative manoueverability of the cars around you as you go into T10R. T11L is also guarded on the inside by a wall, so I will take a praticularly dim view of people being driven or forced into it. As mentioned in the Circuit Notes, be aware of what’s around you, and give people Racing Room.
T15L– Netz. Drivers missing this tightening corner to the outside must be aware of traffic as they try to rejoin. Selfishness and overeagerness here could well ruin more than one person’s race, so exercise prudence through this section.
T16R – Panasonic. Drivers will be eager to get on the accelerator as soon as possible, so be aware of possible spins under power due to overexuberance.
All points on the track – General Items
As it’s Round 1 of a new season, everyone comes into it with a completely clean slate.
As a change from last season, 2 consecutive no-shows will mean removal from the League.
Please remember, the League staff will only review incidents if they are reported to them.
No report = no review.
Please try and remember the incident reporting guidelines: review, cool off, review again. Only after following the above process, and if you are convinced you still need to report it, should you let the League staff know.
Please give as much information as possible during the report (time of incident, drivers involved etc.)
Accident reports made within 24 hours of race completion will be ignored.
Any accusations or complaints aired in the Chat during or after a race will mean a penalty levied on the person complaining or making the accusations, even if a subsequent official complaint gets found in their favour. I simply will NOT tolerate any post race finger pointing.
As last season, I will convene a driver panel consiting of myself, Bob (as long as we are not involved in the incident) & a number of random drivers to make a 5-man panel who will then vote.
The chosen panel drivers will rotate as much as possible within the limitations of the field and incident. If you are chosen, please try and participate - if you yourself get reported later in the season, you wouldn't want your fellow drivers to not participate for you.
Liveries
You have chosen your car and livery already, and you must only drive your chosen car at any time during an RDHGP event. Every driver has a unique livery in this season of RDHGP.
Scoring System
Points are scored down to P20 (75% distance completion required) so people can fight for some points no matter where they are on the track, and hopefully have a season long battle with people around them in the League.
The Distribution is as follows for 100km events :
P1 - 25 pts
P2 - 22
P3 - 20
P4 - 18
P5 - 16
P6 - 15
P7 - 14
P8 - 13
P9 - 12
P10 - 11
P11 - 10
P12 - 9
P13 - 8
P14 - 7
P15 - 6
P16 - 5
P17 - 4
P18 - 3
P19 - 2
P20 - 1
1 point for fastest race lap
1 point for qualifying on Pole
Welcome to Season 7 of the RaceDepartment Historic Grand Prix (RDHGP), covering the Spring / Summer session of 2011. After last season’s (successful) “new class” of vehicle, the GTC-72’s, this coming season takes us full circle, back to the class that I ran in my first ever RDHGP as organiser – the GTC-65s.
In terms of vehicles available for use, the GTC65 class is the most populous here at RD, with a total of 25 models available. However, with variety comes disparity, meaning the GTC65 cars have a wide gulf in performance from top to bottom, hence the creation of the 3 groups we now use at RD. We have eschewed the fastest group – Group A – as it is not as well balanced as the others, and probably too close in performance to the GTC72’s from last season to be a worthwhile contrast. Similarly, we have not chosen the slowest cars in the class – Group C – as (while it is well balanced) it contains all but one of the Cars we used in Season 3.
That left us with Group B, a core group of true, classical GTC65 vehicles, augmented by some later dated Touring class Cars, whose all-round abilities means that they get promoted to this class for performance matching.
With regard to the venues chosen for this season, we visit the Middle East for the first time at Bahrain, Singapore and its temporary road course gets a first taste of the Historic Grand Prix, and we have our finale at one of the most popular tracks in the Historic Racing Club - the 200km of Lime Rock Mountain.
The season opener takes us to Japan, specifically to Oyama in the Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Fuji Speedway, in it’s 5th Layout/Configuration.
Circuit Notes
Located in the foothills of Mount Fuji, the Fuji International Speedway was built in the 60’s, and was originally intended to be a 4km long, highly banked Superspeedway, but lack of funds meant that only one banked section was built, and then incorporated into a more traditional Road track design.
The track was altered in the late 60’s to allow a climb into the banking, as opposed to the blind crested drop that was there before, and which exacted such an horrific toll from drivers.
This altered track hosted the first F1 race to be run in Japan, the 1976 season decider that Championship Leader Niki Lauda withdrew from due to the horrendous rain and treacherous conditions, but which James Hunt navigated well enough to take the season by half a point. A crash a year later involving Gilles Villeneuve killed 2 spectators, and so F1 left Fuji, and did not return until 2007.
Despite F1 moving to Suzuka for their Japanese visits, Fuji remained – and remains – hugely popular for Sports Car, GTC and Drifting Championship racing, the latter being the only time that the circuit is run in reverse. Indeed - such is Fuji’s layout, with the ghost of that originally proposed Superspeedway still faintly recognisable, that the long Home Straight has hosted Drag Racing exhibitions.
The current layout was opened in 2005, and it is this circuit that we will be visiting in our Grand Touring Classics.
A lap of Fuji begins with a relatively long, wide and easy run from the S/F line and into T1R – 1st. This is a relatively tight hairpin, so there will be some very heavy braking going on into here. The cars are vastly different in their relative top speed, weight and braking performances, so all drivers should be prepared and aware for early braking, late braking and overtake attempts here. This will lead me into my first cautionary note of the season. People in cars with better braking characteristics cannot divebomb the inside line, effectively parking their cars there without ever having a chance of making the corner properly. And by the same token, people who run wide cannot just dive straight back to block the inside line if they’ve missed the apex and not care if anyone is there or not. Give people racing room – this is NOT optional. This does apply to all corners throughout the season, but I couldn’t really have asked for a better or more pertinent example to start off with.
Exiting out of 1st, there is a gentle right hand curve of T2R, taken under some pretty stiff acceleration, and before the hard braking zone and crested turn-in point of T3L – Coca-Cola. You need to try and carry through as much speed as the crest will allow you, and then get hard on the accelerator for the short downhill blast into the T4R & T5R section, collectively called 100R.
This is a test of both patience and control, as the first portion of the turn (T4R) will allow you to build up some fairly good speed, and then it will hit you with the sucker punch of the off-camber tightening second section, T5R.
Once you’ve negotiated 100R, it’s a quick squirt up to the braking zone for T6L – Hairpin. The various cars can attack this corner differently, and as there is a long period of acceleration after here, you should be aware of drivers slithering about as they try to get their foot down as early as possible.
T7L is a gentle curve, taken at full acceleration on the downhill stretch, where the slightly deceptive T8R awaits. This may need to be taken with a slightly breathed accelerator on some cars, or flat out on others, but even if you need a lift, it’s flatout as soon as you clear it.
From here you approach the relatively gentle T9R – 300R. This is not a difficult curve in and of itself, but it does just slightly unsettle the car if you aren’t clean through here, just as you are getting set up for the heavy braking for T10R – Dunlop.
Dunlop is a tight right-hand turn, followed almost immediately by the sharp left-hand turn of T11L, guarded on the inside by a solid wall. Drivers here need to be aware that, just because they have the inside line at T10R, they shouldn’t just assume that they have the inside at T11L. People who are close through T10R may be able to get though into the inside line of T11L cleanly. Again, just parking your car across the apex, or conversely moving across without consideration of what may be there is not acceptable.
You accelerate out of T12R uphill for a short burst, before setting the car up for the complex at the end of the lap. T13R – 13th almost comes back on itself, before you hit T14L & T15L – Netz. T14L is relatively gentle, uphill and crested, before it suddenly tightens beyond that crest through T15L.
T14L is a testing corner, as restraint through here will mean a correct entrance to T15L, and that is preferable to the time you’d spend getting back in shape through T15L after an over exuberant T14L.
From there it’s a steady approach required for T16R - Panasonic, as it is absolutely vital that you get the exit of this correct, as it leads on to the approximate 1km long straight, and every iota of speed lost exiting Panasonic will kill you down the straight. You cross the S/F line approx 2/3 of the way down the Home Straight, across the line and into the braking zone for 1st.
The Race Director has some notes for drivers. Please see the track map above for location of Race Direction note:-
All Corners Without Exception – The kerbs are not deemed as track, therefore 2 wheels must be within the white lines, on the tarmac, At All Times. Again, there are NO exceptions to this rule at any point on the circuit. Any exception to this rule is deemed illegal, any advantage gained by this method must be ceded immediately. Report people deliberately and excessively cutting.
Racing Room must be given to all drivers – and this works both ways. Divebombing into and across a corner denies people the chance to make the corner correctly just as much as someone obliviously (or deliberately) cutting the nose off of another driver who has achieved partial overlap fairly.
Regain the track safely - If you leave the track, you must rejoin the track safely. If that means losing another couple of places – so be it.
T1R – 1st – Especially on Lap 1. Be aware of people as you turn in here, it has the possibility to cause huge problems if drivers don’t respect each other. I am really tempted to put a “no-pass” rule in place for this corner on Lap1, but I will give the benefit of the doubt to you all. Do not make me regret my decision. Be aware, however, that any incidents caused by reckless or over aggressive driving in Turn 1 during the first lap will be dealt with severely, probably with a “no quali” penalty for Round 2.
T6L – Hairpin. As mentioned in the Circuit Notes, this is a tight, crested turn, and it is very easy to either turn in too early, or slide off the outside here. Be aware of people possibly losing control under acceleration here.
T10R – Dunlop & T11L. This complex is approached under heavy braking after the high speed T9R, so you will need to be aware of the differences in braking distances and relative manoueverability of the cars around you as you go into T10R. T11L is also guarded on the inside by a wall, so I will take a praticularly dim view of people being driven or forced into it. As mentioned in the Circuit Notes, be aware of what’s around you, and give people Racing Room.
T15L– Netz. Drivers missing this tightening corner to the outside must be aware of traffic as they try to rejoin. Selfishness and overeagerness here could well ruin more than one person’s race, so exercise prudence through this section.
T16R – Panasonic. Drivers will be eager to get on the accelerator as soon as possible, so be aware of possible spins under power due to overexuberance.
All points on the track – General Items
- Lights can be put on - and left on - during Qualification only, if you are on a timed lap.
- No lights are to be flashed to distract a driver during the race.
- Lights may be flashed once to thank another driver, and this is the only time it is permitted. Please report excessive or illegal light flashing.
- No Chat during the Quali or Race except by Race Control for information.
- Car damage must be assessed realistically to know if it is possible to make the pits or not.
As it’s Round 1 of a new season, everyone comes into it with a completely clean slate.
As a change from last season, 2 consecutive no-shows will mean removal from the League.
Please remember, the League staff will only review incidents if they are reported to them.
No report = no review.
Please try and remember the incident reporting guidelines: review, cool off, review again. Only after following the above process, and if you are convinced you still need to report it, should you let the League staff know.
Please give as much information as possible during the report (time of incident, drivers involved etc.)
Accident reports made within 24 hours of race completion will be ignored.
Any accusations or complaints aired in the Chat during or after a race will mean a penalty levied on the person complaining or making the accusations, even if a subsequent official complaint gets found in their favour. I simply will NOT tolerate any post race finger pointing.
As last season, I will convene a driver panel consiting of myself, Bob (as long as we are not involved in the incident) & a number of random drivers to make a 5-man panel who will then vote.
The chosen panel drivers will rotate as much as possible within the limitations of the field and incident. If you are chosen, please try and participate - if you yourself get reported later in the season, you wouldn't want your fellow drivers to not participate for you.
Liveries
You have chosen your car and livery already, and you must only drive your chosen car at any time during an RDHGP event. Every driver has a unique livery in this season of RDHGP.
Scoring System
Points are scored down to P20 (75% distance completion required) so people can fight for some points no matter where they are on the track, and hopefully have a season long battle with people around them in the League.
The Distribution is as follows for 100km events :
P1 - 25 pts
P2 - 22
P3 - 20
P4 - 18
P5 - 16
P6 - 15
P7 - 14
P8 - 13
P9 - 12
P10 - 11
P11 - 10
P12 - 9
P13 - 8
P14 - 7
P15 - 6
P16 - 5
P17 - 4
P18 - 3
P19 - 2
P20 - 1
1 point for fastest race lap
1 point for qualifying on Pole
