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[UCanTuna]

A couple of threads I've been following today made me think of this.

In a recent note from Spec, he related how he and the other GTA participants would run some warmup races prior to their official runs. He said they would put very hard tires on the cars (S1's or S2's, I think) in order to get a feel for the car, the track, and the physics of the game.

We all know the stickier the tire the faster you can go. And we all like to go fast so we usually load up R tires. R3's whenever we can get away with it. Lately, I've taken to running warmup laps in a new car on S2's or S3's. (I just can't bring myself to try and race on S1's, but it's coming.) It makes me focus on braking and throttle control and I work on improving my laps times just like I would if I were on R tires. Once I'm done fiddling with the car, I'll load up R1's or R2's and head back out. It's amazing how much better the car feels and I quickly learn where I can brake later or get back on the gas harder.

Sometimes I have a lot of trouble completing a lap on S2's without a major spin, but I stick with it. Since we've not organized any TT's I'm thinking of starting up a bench thread. Have folks post up their best times on a list of selected tracks (the ones we run most) but require the cars be run on S2's. Maybe allow two times... one on S2's and one on the tire of your choice. I used to refer to clacksman's bench thread often to get an idea of expected times in a given car on a given track.

Spec insists it helped him and believes it would help us too. Anyone interested?


Tracks to be considered:

1. HSR
2. DayTuna or Indy? (1 vote Indy)
3. DayTuna Road Course
4. Suzuka
5. Madrid
6. Monza (chicane'd)
7. Deep Forest
8. Le Sarthe
9.One of the Cape Ring iterations
10. The godforsaken hell known as the NincompoopRing.
11. Eiger
12. Rome

[ChromeTuna]

[UCanTuna]

Yes? The little smilie in the third road wants to add something?

I'll take that as a "yes".

[Wiz]

Anyone interested?

YES!!! 

I've been waiting for this for a long time, ucan.  I consider myself a Time Trialer at heart. 

:yay

[GoesTuna11]

Sounds like fun.  I liked running the new Lambo events on sport soft tires.  Couldn't get used to the sport hard so I think I've been spoiled with the Aspardinks on the racing softs.

[UCanTuna]

Started a list of tracks to be considered. Trying to be representative of various layouts. Would like to limit it to 10 tracks.

I suppose the NuclearboogerRing should be considered but I haven't added it yet.

[RickS95]

Take another look, UC.  They ran some races on Comfort softs...N3s if I remember right.  

I don't want to commandeer this thread, but I want to expand on and endorse what UC is promoting.  Spec was in the Saturday night event this past weekend and noted that another driver (won't mention his name, but I think of the Bruins when I see his name) and I were bitching about the difference in physics between online and offline play.  One of the things I noted was that this mystery driver and I do most of our racing offline and when it comes to online, we're helpless on the track.  Another thing I noted was the guys saying there was no difference did most of their racing online.  Clacksman has since validated this theory that if you only race online, you have no idea how different the physics are.

Anyway, I'm almost to the point of the mystery driver in hanging up my racing shoes because I'm so awful on the track and the fun has just been taken out of the game.  Knowing that I have a 7-year old and thus, have no life I've decided to go back to what first helped me out three years ago...running time trials.

Without starting yet another jihad, the 4-letter will be doing some more time trials in the near future.  I've purposely neglected to mention it here because since GT5 came out there has been little interest and to be honest, I'm at the point where I don't care which organization does what anymore.  I'm going wherever something is offered that interests me and if it pisses off anyone, it’s not my problem.

So, while I’m not suggesting everyone run to the 4-letter for their time trials, I am proposing that if you’re currently struggling and want to improve, the 4-letter can probably help you.  It’s still a work in progress, but I believe lots of user-created tracks will be offered.  We’ll start with some piece of shit and work our way up.

Having said all that, I too would like to see a bench thread at this site like what Clacks used to do.  I also used it, to see whether I’d be racing or drinking beer on a given racing night.

I have no doubts that at either place, there will be plenty of communication between the guys that know what they’re doing and those that don’t.  One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the fast guys are very comfortable sharing information.  

It would seem if something so trivial can help Spec win a trip to England, it ought to be able to help some of us from ditching our hobby.

[InfiniTuna]

Started a list of tracks to be considered. Trying to be representative of various layouts. Would like to limit it to 10 tracks.

I suppose the NuclearboogerRing should be considered but I haven't added it yet.

I consider Nurburgring a very good TT track.  Better than actually racing there.  Done quite a bit of practice on it and just love driving around it.  Try to get a few laps in everyday.   

[Wiz]

I suppose the NuclearboogerRing should be considered

It should be mandatory!  

I've always been a huge fan of Deep Forest as a TT track as well.  I'd love to see it added.

Have you given any thought as to how the TT's would be set up?  Completely stock in arcade mode?  Certain PP?  Certain power/weight ratio?  Completely open tuning with the exception of tires?

Also, I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can.  Let me know if there is anything I can do.  

Edit:  Also, also, it seems that Rick's interest (and others, I'm sure) in TT's is to get better for online racing.  Should the TT's be run online then?  Maybe we could even have something like a TT night?  Just spitballing here. 

[GoesTuna11]

A good one to start with would be the GT-R at the Nurburgring in arcade mode on Sport Hard Tires.  There is a trophy if you can beat the real life time.  I'm not usually into trophies but I'm slowly working on the GT5 ones.

[R2 the pancake shortstack]

i have always liked the TT"s good fun ...and very good tips mr U / spec  thanks

[TheHotstepper]

I wring all me new purchases out at the Top Gear Test Track (after all, it does have the words "Test Track" in the name)... and I do it on STOCK tires... which can get interesting to say the least

[UCanTuna]

Take another look, UC.  

While I was typing my post a little voice kept saying, "You sure it was S tires?" I wasn't, but I went with it. I never let the facts get in the way of a good story. I remember Spec kept referring to "plastic" tires.

I have not formulated any plans in my head to run any Time Trials, although we had a great time with those as Prologue wound down. For the bench thread, in order to standardize everything I may suggest post your best lap on S1's and your best lap on R1's. And practice all you can on N tires.

All of that is open for suggestion.


also... added NBR to the rota.

[DudeTuna]

Time trials were on S2 (sports medium now) and TT's are a great for learning tracks and cars and generally improving.

I find right now all my time is consumed by left over single player and online, so I probably won't have much time for a TT although I will not say no to running a few laps.

[InfiniTuna]

One problem running them in arcade mode, aren't the physics offline different than online, if it's meant as practice for the online, then this wouldn't be the way to go.  Plus, may I suggest going with the SH (S1)/SM (S2) tires, with or without the R tires time.  That's what GT5P had and it would make it completely universal.  Of course you could do the R's as a comparison, to really see the lap time difference.  Tunes were always the same way, as nothing could be changed except the tires where you could use S2's or less.