Iracing & Mustang Challenge Series

[VibrantRedGT]

For those who don't know what iRacing is it's a Driving Simulator service. It is a pay service since they laser scan tracks, need licensing to use specific cars, etc. Everyone starts out as a Rookie and depending on well you do move up the ranks. PRO Series in both Road and Oval race a 12 week season where the winner gets $10,500. Our team is not there yet.

If you're thinking another video game, not a chance. You set the cars up- Caster /Camber, Spring Rates, Rebound, Tire pressure just to name a few. It's very hard to win, you're racing the best from all over the Globe. You can't race with a controller you'll need a wheel, pedals and shifter. Professional racers come to iRacing to practice for upcoming tracks. As you will see in the video of how hard it really is.

Anyway to my point. I'm not driving this season in the Mustang Challenge, however I have two drivers driving the series. I am spotter / crew chief for these drivers. If they pit I can make changes to their cars-fuel, tires, suspension changes, etc.

Our two drivers are currently #1 and #3 in the point standings so after two races we're off to a great start.

One of our drivers has put a camera over his shoulder so you can watch him sawing the wheel. I am spotting so you'll hear audio of me but not him (he has headphones on). The orange car in the video who is the leader for most of the race is our other driver.

I hope @MRaburn and Steve@CJPony are following along in this thread.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsqezffk1M0


Both drivers went head to head Sunday afternoon and margin of victory 0.022 seconds. We finished 1-2.



Stangnet.com Mustang



We use serious equipment. Hydraulic pedal sets.





View attachment 115723

I have an iRacing Room.

 

[madspeed]

Vn, i'll stop by for a driving lesson

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Anytime, you'd be surprised how many people have come over to try it (Cable guy, Alarm Guy, Painter, you name it). Most bail because it's too hard. A few have signed up and I race with them.

 

[Ronin38]

I did iRacing for a while, but that was a few years ago... I mostly just did the solo practice, to try out new tracks, and review the NJMP tracks before I went there. I ran a couple of Legends races on the oval, but kept getting punted off-track by morons.
Mostly I used GTR2. It was free, and you could download all kinds of cars and tracks. I loved trying out Watkins Glen, Pikes Peak, MRLS, etc.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Legends is a Rookie series so I can see getting punted. I learned quickly to fast track out of Rookie level and I tell others to do the same.

Now we race with drivers in Class A mostly with over 5000 iRating so all that nonsense is gone. It's strictly tough door to door racing.

Tonight is a big race (Friday's at 10:15 PM EST) at Oultan Park and both drivers would currently start 2nd & 3rd respectively. They will requalify tonight. I'm hoping they are on the front row and can fight it out later for the win like last week.

I'll post pics tomorrow of the winner and link the driver video also.

 

[Noobz347]

That video is pretty intense. So this is where all the gear head, wow players ended up.

 

[jikelly]

I have been talking about joining iRacing for years. I even built a computer specifically for that purpose but have never shelled out the money for the rest of the equipment.

I still wanna go fast!!

 

[VibrantRedGT]

I've had neck surgery and can't race SCCA anymore so what do I do now? I race in my A/C room against the best.

I am forming a team currently and I've asked Companies to get involved but I'm also looking for behind the scenes people that can be spotters and do website stuff. If we do get corporate sponsorship we can get better equipment.

Currently Greger Huttu is ranked #1 in road racing. He's won 3 iRacing Championships and collected $10,500 in the process. He's fully funded by Fanantec (wheels, pedals, etc.). Got a tryout with a real Formula 3 team and did well.

iRacing oval Champion Ray Alfalla got a try out with a real team and I was there. I wrote an article for iRacing.
http://www.iracing.com/iracingnews/nascar-news/in-the-drivers-seat-at-last

Everything you know about cars applies in iRacing. This is the future here so don't miss out. Sounds cheesy but all the gearheads are there. Steve@CJPony

It's $12.00 a month or $99 for the year. They do summer promos for $49 per year in July. You get 6 cars / 6 tracks. All you need is a PC / Laptop and steering wheel. I clamped a G27 ($209) wheel to a coffee table and hooked my PC up to my HDTV (HDMI cable) and I was racing that night. Console games are dead, they are unrealistic and hackers win. In iRacing, it's totally realistic down the pebbles on track, you feel it all in the wheel and drivers win.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Here is race 2 at Daytona Road at night (that's why it's so dark). Jared beat Mike (our two drivers) by 0.022 seconds which is the picture above.

Here is the video of him working it. Race 3 is tonight so I'll post that race too.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WrctNFFWE0

Here is the Continental Endurance Series - Mustang's and Mazda MX-5's which is broadcast live with commentary. Motor Racing Network (MRN) even broadcasts iRacing events. This thing is huge boys and growing, now is the time.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9icrjpHBr34

Here is the iRacing World Champion Road Race at Interlagos.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwD0OLTEQnI&list=PLNMJ_c2cCPTVAlFiHGs7J2kdJ-nF_ztrH

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Race 3 at Oultan Park UK went pretty well. Both our drivers started 2nd-Mike Wille and 3rd-Jared Jewell.

Both driver stalked the leader for 12 of 17 laps when Jared bumped Mike in one of the turns. The leader got out to a longer lead and we finished were we started.

However we took over 1st & 2nd in the Championship points.

Video of the race from Jared.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFmKTB7WsZg


Mustang Season 2 / Week 3- Oultan Park

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Both driver's are mentioned in the iRacing News. You do well you're in the news.

http://www.iracing.com/iracingnews/all-news/mustangs-face-hairpin-havoc-at-oulton-park


Mustangs Face Hairpin Havoc at Oulton Park
by Jeff Jacobs on May 20th, 2014
0
For the first time the history of the iRacing.com Mustang Challenge, sim-racers took on the “Island Historic” configuration at Oulton Park, which introduced a tight hairpin turn after the fast exit from Turn 3. The new turn challenged the Mustang racers to go from a flat-out 115mph to 30mph for the 180-degree pivot and back to 115mph+ in the other direction. The combination mixed brave late-brakers and those with an itchy throttle foot, bringing opportunities for contact going in and out.
The typical result was a car spun mid-corner facing oncoming traffic or sideways across mid-track, with Mustangs dodging left and right to avoid the victim. Several drivers noted the likelihood for mayhem in a series that otherwise earns lots of praise for clean driving. “This could be checkers or wreckers racing this week,” said Joe Pisciotta Jr. Seemingly unaware of the irony early in the week, Jared Jewell predicted: “Time to polish the chrome horn.” One driver not complaining was “local” boy Antony Woodward: “Ahhh home sweet home! This is my local track. Welcome to Oulton Park Mustang wrestlers, have fun and please take all rubbish/wrecked car parts with you when you leave!”

Brakes glow red as Mike Wille (#7) catches his slide following a tap from Jared Jewell (#3) who then received a tap from Kevin Ford (#2) in a demonstration of the accordion effect seen all week as the Mustang drivers wrestled with the hairpin at Turn 4.


One driver seemingly immune to the havoc behind him was Patrick Bieri, a benefit of his top qualifying time for the week (1:27.355) that allowed him to start from the pole on his way to winning Sunday’s 20:15 GMT Strength-of-Field race. Bieri’s haul of 205 points was the most in Week 3, moving him up to fourth overall in the championship standings. Pressuring Bieri throughout the race was second-place finisher Mike Wille, whose 186 point-consolation prize was enough to make him the overall championship points leader. He takes a 13-point lead over Jared Jewell who led after Week 2. Liam Hackwith holds the third spot in the overall standings, followed by Bieri and Kevin Ford.

Patrick Bieri (#1) set the qualifying World Record and won Sunday’s SOF race to claim the most points in Week 3.

As these were the first official laps for the Mustang series on this configuration, two drivers established new world record qualifying and race laps. After setting a new race lap record in Week 2 at Daytona, Kevin Ford repeated the feat by setting the race lap record on Oulton Park’s Island Historic configuration with a 1:27.536. Bieri’s time of 1:27.356 set the qualifying record.
By the time Week 3 came to a close, 99 sim-racers had taken the grid in at least one of the 15 official races at Oulton Park. Twelve different drivers came away with wins, with the most checkered flags claimed by Kevin Ford who took three wins out of the seven races he entered (also making him the top participant for the week). In the Rookie Division, current leader Philip Lake extended his considerable lead in the division championship being the only Rookie Division driver to make at least one start in each of the first three weeks of Season 2.

Liam Hackwith took the win in Friday’s SOF race on Oulton Park’s Island Historic configuration.

Week 4 returns the Mustangs to a favorite – Watkins Glen International’s Boot configuration. Sim-racers love winding out the pony car’s V8 through the hills of The Glen along with the thrilling challenges for position going into the chicane. Typically drawing the most drivers of any track on the schedule, last season saw 365 competitors run at least one race during the week at the The Glen. Everyone will find the track map, lap guide, video laps and other helpful information in the Series Forum

 

[madspeed]

is this all web based or must be run from pc?

 

[TheRican]

It's all run from the PC. The web portal launches iRacing. It's legit - I didn't last long because I had no reliable setup for it.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

iRacing is web based and used by a PC only. Most new laptops and PC's can run iRacing. The requirements are decent now.

We used a GoPro in Week 3. We lowered the video so you can see more shifting and feet work. Should we put the GoPro on his head.

In the video I guess you can hear our strategy with 6 laps to go. I need to talk in code next time. We were going to use a bumper if needed but after Jared touched Mike (orange car in front of us) the leader got away. Only Jared can hear me though (team radio).

 

[jikelly]

Looks like fun!

 

[VibrantRedGT]

We did a practice race last night in preparation to Friday night and Sunday after noon race at Watkins Glen.

Jared and Mike did not qualify to see if they could start from the back and get through the field. By the end of Lap 1 Jared was leading while Mike grabbed 2nd place.

They stayed together in tandem for the entire race but with 2 to go Mike made the pass before the bus stop and took the lead over Jared.

On the last lap Jared tried to do the same move on Mike, they banged doors though and Jared spun. Mike won the race, even though Jared spun he finished 2nd.

I will post the video of the big race on Monday morning.

 

[madspeed]

That's some intense stuff. Last time I bench raced it was the original Need For Speed

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Race 4 at Watkins Glen this Sunday, GripTV did a live broadcast. Here is the replay.

Our drivers finished 2nd and 3rd. The same driver has beaten us 3 weeks in a row. We need speed at Lime Rock Park in race 5

Our drivers are 1st and 2nd in the point standings. I also post the video of Jared wheeling the car later.

Here is the race broadcast

View: http://youtu.be/lgbzhJTRUdw

Here is Jared wheeling the car.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVJ4aofeGxI

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Race 4 Article.

Bieri Earns Top Mustang Points With Dramatic Charge at The Glen
by Jeff Jacobs on May 27th, 2014
0
In a display of the determination and focus that made him the Season 1 Champion, Patrick Bieri recovered from a first lap near-spin to win the Sunday strength-of-field race at Watkins Glen in the iRacing.com Mustang Challenge. Bieri started on the pole and led a 19-car field of the best Mustang sim-racers in series into Turn 1 on the opening lap. But an uncharacteristic mistake on corner exit put Bieri into a full-sideways slide right in front the field. Luckily the other front runners missed Bieri’s sliding car and he recovered in sixth place.
Jared Jewell took over the lead, chased by current season points leader Mike Wille and Kimmo Suominen. On lap 2, Wille and Suominen slipped by Jewell . On lap 3 Bieri passed Kevin Ford to move up to fifth place and commence his charge to recover the lead. The battle for the lead between Wille and Suominen ended on Lap 6 when contact sent Suominen into the wall in Turn 8, ending his race. By this time, Bieri had moved up to fourth and was hounding Jewell for third. With Suominen’s crash at the mid-point of the 13-lap race, Jewell inherited second and Bieri third, with Wille having a nearly 3 second lead at the front.

It was a last-lap three-way battle for the final podium spot in Sunday’s SOF race, with Kevin Ford (#6) having a nose just ahead of Jared Jewell (#4) and Tim Schuett (#3) in pursuit.

On lap 7, Bieri took advantage of the draft on the long back straight to pass Jewell into the chicane. Having recovered from sixth place to second, Bieri had just six laps to close the more than 2.5 seconds that separated him from Wille. Then he found the afterburners. Free of other traffic, Bieri ticked off his three fastest laps of the race, all near his top qualifying time. By the start of lap 11, Bieri was on Wille’s bumper as they started the long run down the back straight. Again using the draft with great effect, Bieri entered the chicane three-quarters of a car length ahead of Wille. A sheet of paper could not have fit between the cars mid-corner but both cars emerged from the chicane unscathed and with Bieri back in the lead. Despite a valiant effort by Wille to challenge Bieri on laps 12 and 13, the defending champ was not to be denied the win – with a final margin of just nine-tenths of a second.

Patrick Bieri (#2) retakes the lead from Mike Wille (#7) on lap 11 after recovering from an opening lap near-spin that shuffled him from the pole to sixth at Watkins Glen.

The win earned Bieri the most points of any sim-racers in the series for Week 4 and moved him up to third in the overall standings. Wille’s second place finish earned him enough points to retain the series points lead for the second straight week at 658 points. Jewell’s third place finish in Sunday’s race also keeps him second in the standings, just 24 points behind Wille. Liam Hackwith slipped from third to fourth but sits just 15 points behind Bieri. Kevin Ford continues in fifth with 523 points four week into the season.

Antony Woodward (#8) leads Leon Wright and Michael Morris through the hills of Watkins Glen during the Saturday 0:15GMT race.

Week 5 takes the Mustangs to something completely different – from the high speeds of The Glen in New York to the narrow confines of Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. With the Continental Endurance Sports Car Series having just run its two-hour race there on May 17th, many of the Mustang racers will be primed for close racing in the Challenge’s shorter 25-minute, 26-lap sprint races. Everyone will find the track map, lap guide, videos and setup tips in the Series Forum.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Digg Share on Reddit Share on Facebook

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Race 5 at Lime Rock Part this Sunday was almost total disaster. NO VIDEO, we had technical difficulties.

Jared Jewell missed the race because of the technical issues. Mike Wille started on pole so we had a chance to gain some serious points if he won. Mike started strong but on Lap 6 he entered Turn 1 with a car next to him and they made contact. Mike spun into the grass and our day was over (finished 9th). The day was looking bleak.

Many Mustang driver's stuck around for the next race and Jared was back. So Mike on pole and Jared starting in 2nd. Mike led the first lap but Jared got a run on him in lap 2 and took the lead. Mike was door slammed again by 3rd place. Jared won the race and Mike finished 3rd. Jared- 186 Points, Mike- 147 Points.

Our team is now 1-2 in the points.