What's The Deal With... TCR Cars

 I've already talked about how great touring cars and the races they provide, are. For this episode of What's The Deal With, I've decided to take a look at TCR cars, the class of car used in the FIA World Touring Car Cup, as well as numerous touring car and endurance championships across the globe. I'll primarily be looking at the cars that competed in the 2018 season of the FIA WTCR, though other TCR cars also exist.

TCR cars are based on hatchbacks and hatchback-sized saloons. There are no manufacturer entries; instead, the cars are sold to customer teams who run them in racing series. For 2018, the seven types of car that competed in the FIA WTCR were the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR, Cupra León TCR, Honda Civic Type R (FK8) TCR, Hyundai i30 N TCR, Peugeot 308 TCR and Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.

The body shell is the same as the road-going car the TCR car is based on, though this body shell is reinforced and the wheel-arches are widened to accommodate wider wheels and tyres. The body also features a standardised front splitter, and an adjustable rear wing for downforce. The minimum weight is 1285 kilograms including the driver, though this falls to 1250 kilograms for cars with a production gearbox.

Regardless of the car, the engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder of between 1.6 and 2.0 litres, producing 350 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent through a six-speed gearbox: typically a racing sequential gearbox, although production-spec paddle-shift automatics can also be used. TCR cars are strictly front-wheel drive; contrary to popular belief, the Audi RS 3 LMS TCR is NOT four-wheel drive.

The vehicle suspension has to use the same design as the road-going vehicle, but with modified and reinforced component parts. TCR cars use disc brakes all-around, with six-piston brake calipers up front and two-piston calipers at the back, and production anti-lock braking systems can be used. The wheels are a maximum of 18 inches in diameter, wrapped up in slick tyres (the provider of which depends on the series).

In my experience, these cars are great fun to drive and race. Front-wheel drive makes them very stable and rewarding to throw down a twisty piece of racetrack, safe in the knowledge that you won't spin out under power. Be mindful of braking from high speeds, as the lack of ABS and the front-biased weight distribution means the rear wheels are liable to locking up under hard braking, sending the tail swinging out. Also, you need to be mindful of the throttle in the middle of corners, as going on the throttle too early will result in wheelspin and understeer. The key to maximising corner exit speed is to be patient with the throttle, and figure out when you can roll onto full throttle. Get it right, and the car will drag itself out of the corner and launch itself down the next straight.

Before I go, I would just like to quickly mention the PURE ETCR Touring Car Series; the FIA's new Electric Touring Car Cup, using TCR-type vehicles outfitted with electric powertrains. Having already driven the Formula E car in Assetto Corsa, I reckon an electric touring car with instant power (and no need for energy saving) will provide thrilling low-emission racing. How long until us sim-racers get the chance to experience an electric TCR car for ourselves?

What's The Deal With... The Tatuus FA01

Hello, and welcome back to my blog! I've decided to take a deep dive into the Tatuus FA010 (known in Assetto Corsa as the FA01), a car used in SimRace1's Fast & Furious Pro event last weekend, and which will be used in the forthcoming Intermediate event. I'll be taking a look at the technical specifications to hopefully give racers a better understanding of their machinery.

Tatuus is an Italian constructor specialising in open-wheel cars. They've primarily built cars for the Formula Renault series, though they have also built cars for other manufacturer Formula series, Formula 3 and 4 championships and the W Series. The FA01 was built in 2010 for the Formula Abarth series, which lasted until 2014, and a few other regional entry-level championships. It was developed as a safe, high-quality and low-cost single-seater for entry-level racing. 120 FA01 chassis were built before the type was replaced by the Tatuus F4-T014 for 2014.

The chassis and bodywork are made of carbon fibre, contributing to a kerbweight of just 525 kilograms with the driver onboard. The front wing has adjustable flaps, and the rear wing can be adjusted to provide three aero profiles. The vehicle uses double-wishbone suspension, a layout that is common on sports and racing cars. For the braking system, the vehicle uses cast iron ventilated discs with four-piston calipers all around. Tyres are provided by Kuhmo, wrapped around 13 inch wheels front and rear.

The engine is a 1.4 litre inline-4 with a turbocharger, a modified version of the engine found in the Abarth 500 road car. It produces nearly 200 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Power-to-weight ratio is approximately 377 horsepower-per-tonne, making this car quite rapid for an entry-level racer.

I will now quote Aristotelis Vasilakos, dynamic modeler for Kunos Simulazioni (the developers of Assetto Corsa):

“From a driver’s point of view, this car is a delight to drive. It has plenty of both mechanical and aero grip and can carry incredible amounts of speed into turns. It is very stable under braking and acceleration and you can safely drive it around any circuit without problems, making it the perfect single seater for youngsters starting out in racing. Still, it is a very sensitive racing car and the more you push to find the limits the more difficult it becomes to find lap time. The driver ends up braking very late into every curve, turning in very fast and stepping on the gas pedal as soon as possible. When you reach this kind of limit, then you’re really on the edge, and being so fast in any corner can make the car reactions tricky to handle, so try to not upset it as it might turn around and bite you.

We think this is the perfect car to start learning the secrets of car setup and racing against others. Do not expect to be able to drift everywhere around the circuit with this car, but do expect to be able to carry out brisk manoeuvres while surrounded by your opponents without fear of losing control of the car.”

Hopefully this post has given you a greater understanding of the Tatuus FA01 and its engineering. I intend to do more of these What's The Deal With... posts, taking a look at the other kinds of racing vehicles that you'll find in Assetto Corsa and/or at SimRace1, so please do let me know what you thought of this post, and if you want me to do more like this!

Moving in Circles: The RSS Formula Americas 2020

Yesterday was the 104th running of the Indy 500; a race rich in history and tradition, and one of the jewels in the Triple Crown of Motorsports. It is without a doubt the flagship event of the IndyCar series, and the one they all want to win. Who's they? Pretty much a list of who's who in American open-wheel racing. Alexander Rossi, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti, Fernando Alonso, Max Chilton, Marcus Ericsson, Santino Ferrucci, Takuma Sato, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. All of these drivers ran in the Indy 500 this year, and I think you'll agree that there are some big names in that list. So what if you want to follow in their footsteps and experience what it's like to pilot quite possibly the fastest single-seater racing car out there?

Race Sim Studios has gained a reputation as one of the top mod makers for Assetto Corsa. Their work is of a very high quality, and well worth the prices they charge. Their primary area of expertise is in open-wheelers, Formula One cars in particular, though they've also worked on Formula Two and Four cars, a next-generation 2022-spec F1 car, and a line of 2000's GT cars. One of their more recent releases is the Formula Americas 2020, which is based on this years' IndyCar racer, the Dallara IR 18.

The IR 18 is an evolution of the previous DW12 IndyCar, with all teams using the same aero-kits, and 2.2 litre turbocharged V6 engines provided by either Chevrolet or Honda. There are three specs depending on the track; the Road Course spec (what the Americans call a racing circuit) has high-downforce bodywork with multi-element wings and larger brake ducts, and the engine produces 660 horsepower, with an extra 40 horsepower available with Push-to-Pass. By contrast, the Oval spec has low-drag bodywork with single-element wings and smaller brake ducts for maximum speed on the super-speedways, and the engine is detuned to 550 horsepower. IndyCar also has a Short-Oval spec with the Road Course aero-kit, though the RSS Formula Americas omits this version. Notably, the chassis is the same across all specs with the differences being aerodynamics and turbocharger boost pressure, reducing costs for the teams.

The IndyCar is rather different to a Formula One car. The biggest difference is that there is no Drag Reduction System or Hybrid powertrain in the IndyCar, making for a relatively simple driving experience without the need to juggle these systems. Also, the bodywork is very different, particularly with the large sidepod extending right to the rear wheel, preventing wheels from locking together and causing a crash. For head protection, the IndyCar eschews the Halo used by most open-wheel cars, instead using a wrap-around windscreen called the Aeroscreen, a new addition for the 2020 season. The top speed of an IndyCar (in Oval specification) is 235 miles per hour, compared to a Formula One car which tops out at around 200 miles per hour.

Driving the RSS Formula Americas takes a lot of precision in Road Course trim. You need to be very careful with the throttle when exiting a corner, and going on the brakes too hard in the middle of the corner (particularly with a full fuel load) will cause the car to rotate without hesitation. I feel like it takes more skill to drive aggressively than Formula One cars I've driven on Assetto Corsa, though this makes it more rewarding once you get a feel for the car. Certainly, as you push harder and get the downforce working, the car really sticks to the road and allows you to carry so much speed through sweeping curves. The carousel at Road America is a good example of this, while slower tracks like Long Beach demand much more skill to avoid spinning out.

The Oval spec is used only for speedways such as Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa; of which I only have Indianapolis. Driving at Indianapolis in the Oval-spec Formula Americas, the car sticks to the tarmac even with the low-drag aero-kit, turning a lap of Indianapolis into a full-throttle affair where the only time you lift off is to go into the pits or avoid a crash. Even so, you still need a very steady hand to keep the car from running over the kerbs and unsettling the aerodynamics. Another point to note is that first gear is very long, and so standing starts can be somewhat lethargic (something that also applies to the Road Course version). In fact, all of the gears for the Oval-spec are very long, so you may want to adjust the gearing for shorter ovals.

So, should you buy the RSS Formula Americas 2020? If you're an IndyCar fan or you're looking for a different experience, I'd say it's worth a look. The car costs €3.80 (around £3.40), though RSS' reputation for quality should ease your concerns. Unlike VRC, RSS only has the 2020 car with the Aeroscreen, though you can make the central pillar transparent (like with the Halo-equipped RSS Formula cars) to improve visibility in the cockpit. As with other paymods, RSS has had to sell the car with a generic name and liveries, though the users of RaceDepartment are always on hand to provide replica liveries of the IndyCar field for those who crave authenticity. All in all, the RSS Formula Americas 2020 provides a unique challenge that gives you a lot of respect for the real IndyCar drivers, and an exhilarating experience when you nail a perfect lap. If you want to experience the fastest single-seater race car in the world, then the RSS Formula Americas is definitely one to keep in mind.

If you want to buy the Formula Americas 2020, you can do so from Race Sim Studio for the price of €3.80.

As mentioned in the review, the Formula Americas 2020 has generic liveries as standard. You can source authentic replica liveries from RaceDepartment, such as this pack of 2020 IndyCar paint schemes. As with all files from RaceDepartment, you will need an account to download.

As for the tracks used in these photos, I used Indianapolis by Legion and Mid-Ohio by Zwiss, which combines the detail of the original Terra21 conversion with NAGP's smoothed tarmac. I also used Lilski's Road America, which can be downloaded from RaceDepartment.

When The Sun Goes Down... SimRace1 Comes To Life

 Sorry for not posting in a little while. I previously posted about SimRace1 Swansea and their Fast & Furious events. The Pros event was last night, and I took part in that as one of the racers, so I was busy putting in practice laps throughout the week beforehand. So now that the dust has settled, I have the chance to process what happened.

I came second in the points.

I wasn't expecting to come second. I'd like to think I'm a good racer, but I wasn't expecting to do so well against the people in the Pros category, so to get a few third place finishes and two wins, I'm pretty happy with that. The races were livestreamed on the SimRace1 Swansea Facebook page; they had some technical issues but they did at least capture most of the races. I've included links to the streams of my race wins below: I was in a Hyundai for the touring car race at Brands Hatch, and had a pretty good battle or two in the Tatuus Formula Abarth at Red Bull Ring.

Assetto Corsa

Posted by SimRace1 Swansea on Saturday, 22 August 2020

Assetto Corsa

Posted by SimRace1 Swansea on Saturday, 22 August 2020

 With the Pros event out of the way, my attention turns to the Intermediates event taking place at the same time next week. My performance in these Pro races should tell you that I'm not actually allowed to take part in the Intermediates events anymore, but I have instead been recruited to provide live commentary for this event. Hopefully the technical issues that plagued last night's streams will be sorted out, and I'll be able to provide an entertaining and informative description of a thrilling night of racing!

If you're interested in recreating these races for yourself, the tracks used were all standard Assetto Corsa tracks. We raced at Red Bull Ring, Mugello, Monza and Brands Hatch.

The touring cars are from Tommy78's TCR 2018 pack. They are paymods, and can be bought individually or as a pack.

The Tatuus FA01 is from the base game, with a skin pack to provide extra liveries for all of the racers. You can pick up the skin pack from RaceDepartment, though you will need an account to download.

Do Robots Dream of Electric Racecars?

 This lockdown has been hard on all of us. We've all changed in the months since the virus forced all of us to go to ground and wait for all of this to blow over. Me? I got really interested in Formula E, which is peculiar for a guy who is passionate about fast cars and loud engines. My quest to satisfy my curiosity for this electric racing series led me to VRC Modding Team, who sell the Formula Lithium 2019 for $4.50. It's essentially the current Formula E car with the serial numbers filed-off and generic liveries that sort-of resemble the actual teams, but not to the extent of getting them in trouble.

So how does an electric open-wheeler drive? It's certainly... interesting. This car doesn't produce much downforce, so lift-off oversteer is definitely a thing in high-speed corners, and the brakes lock up VERY easily. Also, the instant torque on offer means you have to be very patient with the go-pedal. On the upside, there's no special procedure to start moving; just press the pedal and you're off.

These cars work best on tight street circuits, which is exactly the type of circuit that Formula E races on. After all, what better way to promote low-emission, low-noise racing? These tracks are VERY tight, the kind of track that would also be suited to small hot hatchbacks or go-karts. Combined with the energy management, Fanboost and Attack Mode that have also become key parts of Formula E, it's a challenge that's quite unlike anything else in the motorsport world.

Is Formula E for everyone? Of course not. There will always be those who cave high speeds, wide-open straights and sweeping curves, set to the soundtrack of highly-tuned racing engines (and I'm one of them). Formula E doesn't really provide any of what I just described, but what it does provide is the kind of motorsport we may need to attract a new, always-connected and environmentally-conscious generation of fans. And more people sharing our passion for motorsport can only be a good thing, right?

P.S. I can confirm that I did not hire someone else to drive the car for me while I was taking these photos.

If you are interested in purchasing the car, you can do so from VRC Modding for $4.50.

As mentioned before, this car has a generic name and liveries to avoid copyright, so if you want authentic team liveries, you can pick them up from RaceDepartment. This site offers liveries for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler Formula E Team, BMW i Andretti Motorsport, DS Techeetah, Envision Virgin Racing, GEOX Dragon, HWA Racelab, Mahindra Racing, Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team, NIO Formula E Team, Nissan e.dams, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Venturi Formula E Team. As always, you will need a RaceDepartment account to download these.

As for the tracks, most of them can be found on RaceDepartment, while the Monaco GP circuit I use is by Patrikpat and can be downloaded here.

London Calling

 What I like about mods is that if the correct cars and tracks are available (and chances are, they are available), you can recreate any race or racing series you desire. Equally, you can do something that likely wouldn't happen in reality. For example, how about a touring car race on the closed-off streets of London?

This London street circuit is a convert from Need for Speed: Shift, developed by Slightly Mad Studios (what happened to them, I wonder?), and looking at a map of London, is actually accurate to real life. Let me talk you through a lap. You start off on York Road, where the first corner takes you the wrong way around the Odeon BFI IMAX roundabout. You then accelerate onto Waterloo Bridge, keeping an eye out for the lane divider just before the braking zone. You then loop around and dive down Savoy Street to come out onto Victoria Embankment. Hammer down, get some speed up, try not to get distracted by the London Eye across the river. There's a chicane coming up; get it right and you can carry some serious speed through, get it wrong and you'll end up on two wheels and/or in the wall. Swing onto Westminster Bridge for the third high-speed zone, and then you'll get to the sweeping left-hander at Westminster Bridge Road. Get through that, and it just a right turn to get back onto York Road and the conclusion of the fastest lap anyone's ever done of Westminster.

I feel the layout is great, and I've had quite some fun doing hotlaps with touring cars and entry-level racers. There are a few drawbacks, though: the road can be bumpy (which is to be expected), the AI just CANNOT deal with the divider on Waterloo Bridge and the kerbs can be... slightly vicious. Still, I can just imagine the British Touring Car Championship doing a special exhibition race on this track.

So here is my question. If you could set up a street circuit in any city or on any closed-off bit of public road, where would you set it up and what would you race on it?

If you fancy getting your hands on that Ford Focus that thinks it's a motorcycle (told you those kerbs were vicious), it's part of Shaun Clarke's really-quite-excellent BTCC pack. The London street circuit was sourced from GTPlanet, and can be downloaded here.

Flying Bricks: The FIA ETRC Digital

 I talk about Assetto Corsa a lot on this blog, and that's because it's a great platform for recreating any racing series you want. The range of cars and tracks available is simply staggering, and quite a few real racing series have cottoned on to this in the lockdown period. TCR Europe has hosted an eSports championship on Assetto Corsa. So has the Race of Champions. The forthcoming V10 R-League is another example of a professionally-organised virtual racing series, and let's not forget the Ferrari Hublot eSports Series with that 488 Challenge Evo, quite possibly the most sought-after car in the Assetto Corsa community right now.

And then there's the FIA European Truck Racing Championship.

They, like many others, have had to adapt to the global situation that forced a rethink of the way they organise races. Starting in May, they held the ETRC Digital, a virtual racing championship on Assetto Corsa with the drivers, trucks and tracks of the real series. And just so we're clear, these aren't pickup trucks I'm talking about here; these are 5 ton, 1,000 horsepower purpose-built semi trucks that are limited to 100 miles per hour, lest they punch right through the crash barriers.

Such vehicles don't really exist in Assetto Corsa, so the series has had truck mods specially made for this series. Whether the competitors drive a Scania, Iveco, MAN or Buggyra, those trucks have been replicated in-game. They've even gone to the trouble of recreating the Mercedes-Benz Actros pace truck and Ford Cargo official truck, and the races have all been overseen by qualified officials, race control and clerk of the course.

The final round of this series will be taking place this Sunday, the 16th of August, with race 1 starting at 18:00 CET (an hour ahead of British time), and the track will be Jarama in Spain. I'll be leaving links to livestreams of the previous rounds (and a link to the upcoming season finale), and keeping my fingers crossed that these truck mods will be made publicly available at some point. I really want to experience virtual truck racing of my own, and I'm sure there's quite a few people that feel the same way...

Livestreams:

Round 1: Hungaroring

Round 2: Misano

Round 3: Slovakia Ring

Round 4: Nürburgring

Round 5: Autodrom Most

Round 6: Zolder

Round 7: Le Mans Circuit Bugatti

Round 8: Jarama

My Opinion On... Assetto Corsa Competizione

 I've been digging through my archives, and came across this review of Assetto Corsa Competizione that I wrote back in May (before the release of the console versions and the GT4 Pack DLC). I have rewritten that review below, with a few modifications. I hope you enjoy reading my honest opinion of this game, and keep in mind that I am not a professional game reviewer or critic, but I do try my best.

"

First of all, this is a game that is focused on a single racing series, the GT World Challenge Europe (formerly known as the Blancpain GT Series). That means the game features all of the cars and teams of the series, all of the tracks, and all of the rules and regulations. It's like the F1 or WRC games; if you're not a fan of GT3 racing then this game isn't for you, but if you are, then this game's single-minded focus and pursuit of authenticity means that nothing else comes close.

Part of the game's focus on the GTWC is the cars. All of the cars that were on the grid in 2018 and 2019 are here, from the many, many Audi R8s and AMGS to the oddball Emil Frey Jaguar XK and Reiter Engineering's Gallardo. Each car drives different as well. You can spend hours getting to grips with the AMG GT3, to then jump into the R8 LMS and find you have to learn a new set of quirks and characteristics. Throw around a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a BMW M6 GT3, and you'll find that they are quite different animals. Balance of Performance keeps the cars close in terms of outright performance, but each car works best with a particular track and driving style.

For vehicle handling, the game is realistic, but not to the point of being impossible to control. These GT3 cars are not like classic F1 cars; tamed only by those with other-worldly talent. These cars are designed for wealthy businessmen to live out their race-driver fantasies, but that doesn't mean that anyone can win with one. You still have to know what you're doing, and trying to drive like you're in Need for Speed will end with you in the gravel trap. These cars are more approachable than other race cars, but they can still turn into 500-horsepower pinballs with improper driving.

I feel like Kunos Simulazioni are the masters of vehicle dynamics, and they've managed to capture the driving behaviour of these cars without making them excessively difficult to control. I remember a conversation I had with SimRace1's receptionist about how sim-racing developers and gamers are perhaps confusing realism with difficulty. For example, I could never really get on with Project CARS 2, try as I might, and it always felt like I was driving on a knife's edge. Assetto Corsa Competizione is a different story, and while the cars may be a big part of that, anyone who is used to the original Assetto Corsa will likely be right at home here.

The tracks are also beautifully recreated, having been laser-scanned, and each provides a different experience. Diving through Paddock Hill at Brands Hatch, opening the taps down the long back straight at Paul Ricard (no chicane for the GT layout!), or pushing around Monza's sweeping turns in the ultimate test of downforce; you'll be racing all around Europe in the pursuit of victory.

The sounds are another area in which Kunos excel, and ACC may be their finest work ever. Each car sounds exactly as they do in real life (and having attended the Blancpain GT Series round at Brands Hatch, I can confirm this!), and the in-car sounds are to die for. The screaming V10 Audi and Lamborghini. The howling Porsche 911. The thundering Bentley and Mercedes-AMG. You also have the other sounds: the squealing of brakes, the screeching of tyres approaching the limit of adhesion, the whining of straight-cut gears, the crackle of backfire and anti-lag. Just like the handling, the sound contributes heavily to each car's unique character. It's not just the cars either; each track also has unique atmospheric commentary taken from the actual race events.

Graphically, this game is outstanding. The details are beautiful, and this game has something the old Assetto Corsa couldn't manage without mods: dynamic weather and a full day-night cycle. It is entirely possible to run a full 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, running into the night with the risk of the heavens opening up at any moment. If there is a downside to this graphical excellence, it's the performance. This game is VERY graphically intensive, and while you can happily hotlap with the graphics turned up to Epic settings, even a modest lineup of opponent cars can cause framerate issues and stuttering at this level of graphics, at least on my laptop. A full grid of 30+ cars is something I would only really attempt with a dedicated gaming PC. Another issue I need to acknowledge is Virtual Reality, and while I don't have a VR headset, the performance in VR mode is apparently very poor, so keep that in mind.

DLC? There is one pack already out: the Intercontinental GT Challenge Pack. This adds four new tracks, with Mount Panorama, Laguna Seca, Suzuka and Kyalami all receiving the same attention-to-detail as the existing European tracks. This is probably the most realistic Suzuka I've ever come across, and going full-send through Mount Panorama's mountain section is suitably bum-puckering. You also get the liveries of the teams that competed in these IGTC endurance races, which is good for variety. In the future, we're expecting a GT4 pack, adding entry-level GT cars which will undoubtedly make for very exciting racing, whether on their own or in a multi-class field. This would bode very well for the second incoming DLC pack, adding the remaining tracks of the British GT Championship. Having also attended a round or two of the British GT Championship, and witnessed the simultaneous GT3 and GT4 battles, I am confident that Assetto Corsa Competizione could become one of the finest GT racing simulators available.

My conclusion to this rather long review? I'm going to go back to what I said in the opening part. You've really got to be into GT3 racing to like this game, but it's single-minded focus on the GT World Challenge Europe delivers an authenticity that no all-in-one racing game could hope to match. If you have a system capable of handling a large number of cars with great graphical detail, then this is the best-looking, best sounding and best-driving GT3 racing simulator you'll come across, and if that's the kind of experience you're looking for, then you won't regret picking this up.

"

And so that concludes my rewrite of the ACC review I wrote in May. I wrote another review of the GT4 Pack DLC for this game soon after it released in July, and I will be rewriting that review for this blog as well. Stay tuned!

SimRace1 Swansea

 Hi everyone! If you came here from SimRace1 Swansea's Facebook post, then chances are you already know who I am and who they are. In any case, welcome! I'll try to stop recycling my Bucket List content and bring some actual stuff on here instead of rambling on about what I did last summ... this spring. In the mean time, I reckon it's my turn to give SimRace1 a little promotion.

They have what's called their Fast & Furious events. Now, I must point out that they have nothing to do with a certain blockbuster movie franchise, but that's the name they've decided upon... Anyway, they have two such events occurring this month, both catering to different levels of racing skill. The Pro event is happening on Saturday the 22nd of this month, and is for highly-skilled drivers who want to test themselves against the best. Racers will compete in a tournament event, with the highest-place finishers from each race going on to compete in the final. Meanwhile, the Intermediate event, taking place on Saturday the 29th, is all about the rookie racers and the rising stars not yet ready to turn Pro. This event uses a team-race format, with two drivers per car taking it in turns to drive stints. Both events start from around 19:00, and run for about two-to-three hours.

Both of these events still have seats available (as far as I'm aware), so if you live in or near to the Swansea area and reckon you're: a) a hotshot who counts themselves among the top racers in the area, or b) a rookie looking for an introduction into the world of simulation racing with other people, then be sure to get in contact with SimRace1 Swansea to register your interest. I can personally attest to the people at these events being friendly, welcoming, and passionate about sim racing, and I myself will also be present. I look forward to seeing you there, and on this blog!

What's The Deal With... The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Car Classes

 In my previous post (The Bucket List at Daytona), I talked about the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and briefly went over the car classes. I figured I'd post a more detailed explanation of the classes you'll find in the championship, including pictures, details that set the cars in each class apart, and an overview of the cars that compete in each class. So, let's get on with it, shall we?

[GTD]

The Grand Touring Daytona class is open to GT3-class cars, based on production models. These GT3 cars are the same type that can be found in the GT World Challenge, Japan's Super GT series, the British GT Championship and numerous other GT championships worldwide. As these cars are designed to be driven by amateur race drivers, they are equipped with anti-lock brakes and traction control, and the performance of each car is carefully controlled to keep the variety of cars on a level playing field.

In the WSCC, the GTD class is open to privateer customer teams, with a mix of professional and amateur drivers. Each car in the class has a green windscreen banner, mirrors, wing endplates, car number boards and lumirank boards (the board on the side of the car that illuminates to show the car's race position). This is also the only class that uses yellow headlight lenses. The cars that are competing in the GTD class this year are the Acura/Honda NSX GT3 Evo, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, Audi R8 LMS Evo, BMW M6 GT3, Ferrari 488 GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo, Lexus RC F GT3, McLaren 720S GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and Porsche 911 GT3 R.

[GTLM]

The Grand Touring Le Mans class consists of GTE cars, the GT cars that are also eligible to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at Le Mans. Compared to the GT3 cars, GTE/GTLM cars are also production-based, but with a different set of regulations. While GT3 cars can use any engine from the manufacturer, GTE engines can be no larger than 5.5 litres or 4.0 litres for turbocharged engines, and can have no more than eight cylinders. While the engine size is more heavily regulated than with GT3, the position isn't regulated, so the manufacturer can reposition the engine as they see fit (for example, the current Porsche 911 RSR has a mid-engine layout, with the engine ahead of the rear axle rather than behind). The aerodynamics are also different, particularly with regards to the rear diffuser, and anti-lock brakes are not allowed.

In the WSCC, GTLM teams are all manufacturer entries or privateers with factory support, and the drivers are all professionals. Each car in the class has a red windscreen banner, mirrors, wing endplates, car number boards and lumirank boards. The cars in this year's GTLM class are the BMW M8 GTE, Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, Ferrari 488 GTE Evo and Porsche 911 RSR.

[P2]

The P2 class is for prototypes that comply with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's LMP2 regulations. As such, each P2 entry is also eligible to compete in the World Endurance Championship and at Le Mans. LMP2 cars are closed-cockpit designs with stabilising fins, and every LMP2 uses the same spec engine, a Gibson-built 4.2 litre V8 with around 600 horsepower.

In the WSCC, P2 teams are privateer teams, with both professional and amateurs represented in the driver lineup. Each car in the class has blue mirrors, wing endplates, car number boards and lumirank boards. While there are four manufacturers that produce LMP2 cars, all of the teams in the WSCC use the Oreca 07.

[DPi]

The Daytona Prototype International class is the top class in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The cars are all prototypes that are based on LMP2 chassis from Dallara, Oreca or Riley-Multimatic, with automobile manufacturers providing the engines and restyling the bodywork to match their preferred design language. The cars in this class are the Cadillac DPi-V.R (Dallara-based with a 5.5 litre V8), Acura ARX-05 DPi (Oreca-based with a 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6) and Mazda RT24-P DPi (Riley-based with a 2.0 litre turbo inline-4).

In the WSCC, DPi teams are either manufacturer-supported or completely-independent privateer teams, with only professional drivers allowed to compete. Each car in the class has black car number boards and white lumirank boards.

The Bucket List Episode 7: DAYTONA!

 Say what you will about American motorsports, but if you're a fan of endurance racing and looking for something a little bit different from the World Endurance Championship, then the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is where you'll want to look. The championship visits some of the most iconic tracks in North America, including Sebring, Laguna Seca, Road America and Long Beach. The season-opener, meanwhile, is none other than the 24 Hours of Daytona, and that's where I headed for this episode of the Bucket List.

If you're looking for a variety of cars, then you'll also find it in the WSCC. For GT cars, you have customer teams in GT3 cars (GTD) and manufacturer teams in Le Mans-spec GTE cars (GTLM), while other teams compete in LMP2 cars (P2) and the IMSA-specific DPi class. Based on LMP2 prototypes, but with manufacturer-specific styling and engines, these cars represent the pinnacle of endurance racing in the US.

I'd be driving a BMW M8 GTLM for this race, with a field comprised of GTLM and DPi cars and a full day-night cycle. From the off, I pushed hard to pull out an early lead, leading to a couple of high-speed lockups. I soon settled into a rhythm, however, and focused on maintaining my class lead while making way for incoming DPis. You know that feeling when you get into that rhythm? That's the best feeling, when you're no longer consciously driving the car, when time goes into a blur as you're just in the zone. That's what I look for every time I load up a race.

I used the Rollovers American Endurance Pack for this event, containing DPi and GTLM cars, which can be downloaded here. As I have stated with the Le Mans post, I have since switched to using other GTE cars, including URD's Bayro (BMW M8), Detroit (Ford GT) and Porsche 911 RSR 18, and the Ferrari 488 GTE "upgrade kit" from RaceDepartment (registration required).

I used the Terra21 Daytona circuit from RaceDepartment for this event. Since this event (which was in late-March), the Reboot Team has released an improved Daytona, which I highly recommend. You can download it here.

The Bucket List Episode 6: BTCC

Being a Brit, I've naturally gone to watch a few rounds of the British Touring Car Championship. I'm not really going to repeat what I said about touring cars a couple of episodes ago, but really, if you get the chance to watch a touring car race, do it. Those guys always put on a show!

This time on the Bucket List, I set up a race at Snetterton, the site of the BTCC's 60th Anniversary race weekend in 2018 (one of the races I spectated). Well, I say a race, but it was actually two races with a reverse grid (and some rain, and some success ballast) for the second. The cars would be Shaun Clarke's BTCC pack, featuring touring cars from Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda and Toyota, allowing me to replicate a good chunk of the BTCC grid. These cars are great fun to drive, and Shaun Clarke has clearly settled into his niche of British racing car mods, as each one of his cars are among the best free mods available in my opinion.

In case you were wondering how I did in the races, I won the first race, got sent to the back with a 60kg success ballast for the second race, and ended up finishing third. I think I should probably have cranked up the AI difficulty just a little bit...

If you're interested in driving the BTCC pack (and I reckon you should), you can download it from Shaun Clarke's site here. Meanwhile, the Snetterton Circuit I use is by Terra21, and can be downloaded here.

The Bucket List Episode 5: Le Mans

I may be interested in racing simulators (so much so that I started a blog to talk about them), but I am also interested in racing games on the less realistic side of things. One of the best I've played is the original Race Driver Grid. One of the highlights of the career mode in that game was that you could be invited to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans (for a twelve minute race, but still...), and that is something I wanted to replicate for the Bucket List.

For my first attempt at Le Mans, I would be entering into the GT Am class, driving a Ferrari 488 GTE, for a thirteen-lap race (about an hour of real time). My opponents would also be in the GTE class, although there would also be LMP2 prototypes running their own race. True enough, I would get lapped by most of the P2 cars during the race. It's definitely an interesting experience; running a race through the night, focusing on the road ahead while also glancing at the mirror to try and see a faster car approaching. I did lock the brakes up a couple of times (GTE cars get traction control but not ABS) and went off-track, but ended up finishing second in-class. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I used the Rollovers Endurance Pack for this event, which can be sourced from here. This includes the Toyota TS050 Hybrid from LMP1, the Oreca, Dallara and Ligier P2 prototypes, and the GTE class Aston Martin Vantage (both 2017 and 2018 specs), BMW M8, Ferrari 488 and Ford GT.

The Rollovers cars are decent, but I have since switched to the United Racing Design EGT cars, which I believe are vastly superior to the Rollovers GTE cars. If you are willing to pay for mods, I'd highly recommend picking up their AMR (Aston Martin Vantage), Bayro (BMW M8) and Detroit (Ford GT). There is also a freely-available 2018-spec Porsche 911 RSR.

Someone on RaceDepartment has created an "upgrade kit" to create a 488 GTE from the Kunos 488 GT3. As usual, you will need an RD account to download, and you will also need the 488 GT3 from the Red Pack DLC.

As for the Circuit de la Sarthe, I use this one from RaceDepartment. You could also use this Forza Motorsport 7 conversion, which has more detail but is also more framerate-intensive.

The Bucket List Episode 4: Lick the Stamp

If you've seen a Touring Car race, you'll most likely agree with me when I say that they are brilliant and so much fun to watch. These cars are quick and agile, and also relatable; looking just like the hatchbacks or saloons that you probably have on your driveway. Not to mention, the racing is pure close-quarters combat, with drivers not afraid to rub panels to get ahead. If I were to come up with a motto for touring car drivers, it would be this: "If you haven't got a dented or scraped panel on the car by the end, you haven't been trying hard enough."

For this entry on the Bucket List, I wanted to experience the fury of a touring car race. The original plan had been to go to the Macau street circuit, infamous for its narrow streets. And when I say narrow, I mean really narrow. Unfortunately, the mod I picked up for Macau had red tarmac, which would've broken the immersion just a little. Not to matter, as I took a look at the FIA World Touring Car Cup calendar and found that the German round is held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, in particular the Endurance layout that is also used for the 24 Hour race. So this is a class of car that's all about licking the stamp and sending it, on a track where you want to be very careful about going full-send...

For my run, I lined up ninth on the grid in an Audi RS 3 LMS TCR for a two lap race. The thing is, these touring cars don't have anti-lock brakes or traction control, and so I locked the brakes into the first corner. By the time I got back on track, I was down in thirteenth. It was time to mount a comeback drive, and that would have to involve going full-send. In those thirty-one-and-a-half miles, I pushed the car as hard as I dared, fighting my way through the pack and passing opponents where I could. At the end of it all, I finished third, which considering my shenanigans at the start, was better than I could hope for. It also convinced me that touring cars are brilliant no matter where they race.

I used the 2018 WTCR pack by maki123 and Delpinsky, featuring seven cars and authentic liveries from the 2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup season. You can download them here.

Also, I am aware that the driving line is visible in this photo. It's a habit that I have since grown out of on Assetto Corsa...

The Bucket List Episode 3: Down Under Thunder

The Australian Supercars series is an absolute riot. Flame-spitting V8 touring cars with 600 horsepower and no driver aids, and drivers with no ****s to give. If there's any motorsport series that embodies a philosophy of close-quarters combat, this is it, and the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit is the ultimate battleground. Two long straightaways, a tight hillclimb and a twisting descent; this circuit is a handful at the best of times. In a wild, old-school touring car with no driver aids and little in the way of downforce, you need your wits about you just to survive. But if you can get it right, these cars offer a challenge (and a soundtrack) you won't really get anywhere else, and there's a certain thrill that comes from mastering a difficult track with a long history.

In the third race of my Bucket List, I went to Mount Panorama for a ten lap Supercars race. Once again, I'd give myself an extra challenge, starting fifteenth and aiming to finish as high as I could. As it happens, when I wasn't locking the brakes and struggling to tame the wheelspin, I was getting brake-checked by the AI, so in the end I couldn't get higher than eighth. Put simply, the drivers who take on the mountain in actual races are probably not getting paid enough.

If you're interested in holding Supercars races of your own on Assetto Corsa, head on over to https://v8scorsa.weebly.com/ and download their Supercars mod. This contains the Ford Falcon and Mustang, two generations of Holden Commodore and the Nissan Altima. You can also download livery packs for these cars on the site.

The Bathurst I used for this race was by ACU, and can be downloaded from http://www.mediafire.com/file/42tfnynvmbn47kd/acu_bathurst_1.01.7z/file. Since then, I have switched to a FM7 conversion by Terra21 and Jim Lloyd. You can download it from https://www.mediafire.com/file/y4scpcytw22l95v/bathurst_fm7.rar/file.

The Bucket List Episode 2: Slow Car Fast

Fresh from my experience of driving the Isle of Man TT course, I wanted to explore a bit of grassroots motorsport. Those of you who have played the Gran Turismo games may remember an endurance race that involves driving a Mazda MX-5 around the short Tsukuba circuit in Japan for four hours. Well, that race actually exists, and has been run since the original MX-5 came out in 1989. And while I didn't exactly want to run a virtual four-hour endurance race, I did run a twenty lap race with a grid of sixteen cars (all MX-5 Cup cars). At the end of it, I honestly found myself wishing I'd set it for thirty laps instead. It was brilliant! The small MX-5 may not be the most powerful car out there, so it encourages a smooth driving style to conserve momentum. Starting in the middle of the pack, I found myself pushing the limits trying to catch up to the lead cars; staying clear of the kerbs that would throw my car sideways and force me to sacrifice momentum to gather up the slide.

I have found that the slowest cars often provide the closest and most exciting racing. This also applies to the virtual realm, and the MX-5 definitely delivers. There's a reason these things are raced all over the world. If you get the chance to race an MX-5, for real or virtually, I highly recommend you do so.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup for Assetto Corsa is part of the Japanese Pack DLC, while you can pick up the Tsukuba Circuit I used for this race from https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/tsukuba-circuit.2629/ (registration required).

This race was run in March 2020. Since then, a different Tsukuba mod was released, a convert from Gran Turismo Sport. You can download it from https://sharemods.com/uydgkug1ctti/ddm_tsukuba.zip.html.

And if you're interested in reading about the actual four-hour endurance race at Tsukuba, here's a good article.

The Bucket List Episode 1: Isle of Man

Back when this whole lockdown business was just starting, I decided to start a Bucket List of virtual motorsport, to experience many different forms of motorsport through Assetto Corsa. For the first item on the List, I decided to drive a lap of the Isle of Man TT course. I had originally wanted to use a BMW M5 Competition for tthe lap, but as I was unable to download that particular mod, I ended up using the Kunos BMW M4 as a substitute. The Isle of Man is a very long lap, with the roads being tight and affording little room for error. It gives you a whole new level of respect for the motorcycle racers who flock to the island to take part in the TT. Heading up the mountain, there's a decent stretch of road where you can open the taps and race across the hillside, and there's also a couple of very long straightaways to really test the top speed of your vehicle of choice.

Oh, and before you ask, I did get a little bit of air at Bellaugh Bridge.

Just a little bit...

You can get your hands on the Isle of Man TT Course for Assetto Corsa at https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/the-isle-of-man-tt.17415/ (registration required)

Hi Everyone!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my little corner of the Internet. My name is Sam, and I am passionate about cars and driving games, so it's no surprise that I am interested in racing and driving simulators. I primarily focus on Assetto Corsa and the wide range of mods available for it, although I do also play Assetto Corsa Competizione and the SCS Software range of Truck Simulators, and I keep my eye on the other simulators available.

If you're also interested in racing and driving sims like I am, thank you for your interest, and be sure to stick around as I head on this journey of writing my own blog!

Sam H.