If you voted "Yes" in this poll, please select which car / series you would most like to run in the ARMS iRacing League. The poll will remain open for 5 days, during which you may change you vote.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

My vote is cast!

I voted for the Caddy but to be honest it really doesn't matter much to me except I would perfer not to run the MX-5 and I don't own the Radical (I will buy it if I need to!). I'm not saying no to the other cars, like MX-5, I will still race them and be happy doing so. We could mix the MX-5's with Jetta TDI's as they do in other races just to give an option. I'm still thinking we should have fixed setups only from the aspect that I would rather see more people join in to race then spending time working on setups and possibly it wrong. Same for any oval races we do, I don't know if everyone owns the Impala A or any other oval car besides the free ones, but we could have some fun races with those cars as well. The last time week 13 came around they raced the legends and Impala B I believe together at Road America, that was fun!

Scott, this is just my opinion but, you really should do more oval races. It has helped me with patience as everything happens in slow motion if you are .01 second faster than the guy in front you will eventually catch and pass them. It has also helped me with consistency and race craft since most front runners are running the whole race bumper to bumper. After doing a few oval races and then going back to the road course I found it helped me to avoid accidents, plan my passes better and much more consistent. Last night I ran the Jetta TDI at Zolder, I started on the pole and ran a fast lap of 1:51.4 with my average being 1:52.2, for 15 laps. Led every lap and watched as people kept coming up and then would make a mistake, then disapear in the rear view mirror. I later did the same race that night and had a fast lap of 1:50.8 and a average of 1:51.4 for 15 laps again. I have myself convinced anyway that oval racing has helped me with the road racing.

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Brian
VP, AMP
#51 Vantage Motorsports

The good thing about running cars like the Caddy, MX-5 and Jetta is that they are all fixed set-up cars, which I can definitely get behind (and I love the Jetta). I'd rather save my (rather extensive) set-up testing for the SM or ARX in official series.

Maybe we can toss a few oval races in to the mix if more people want it. I am no fan of oval racing, but do not hate it enough to shy away from it if the majority agrees. We can see how it goes and decide from there.

I would prefer the Caddy of the two rookie cars as well, but will go with whatever the majority wants.


My only concern with a mixed class series is the that people who want to run the MX-5 may be forced to buy the Jetta just to join the session. For example, I know that I cannot run in CASC-OR's MX-5 / Solstice / Jetta series unless I buy the Jetta. It wouldn't let me when I tried. We don't want to force someone to buy a car they don't intend to drive.


Fixed setups can turn a fun car into a not-so-fun car, depending on your driving style. I'd rather see the faster guys share their setups at the beginning of practice. Then you can pick & choose the setup that best fits you.

Typically what I do is grab a few setups from the forums, run some laps with each, and pick the one I'm quickest with. I never develop my own.


I've actually run quite a few oval races (only 6 less than yourself) and have earned my oval "A" license. But I rarely got enjoyment out of it. Most races are just wreck-fests. And when you get to the higher series, the constant full course cautions are a snooze-fest, assuming you survive the carnage. It's just not for me, unfortunately.

I would enjoy running a Legends road series though. Maybe throw in some Street Stocks too (presuming they can be setup property).

In the end, I'm just here to facilitate and get this thing going. I'll go with the flow.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Let's assume the Cadillac CTS-V wins the poll... Here is what the schedule would look like:

Season Schedule



Date	Track	Rules	Length
Week 1 (2012-11-02)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 2 (2012-11-09)	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 3 (2012-11-16)	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Full	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 4 (2012-11-23)	Infineon Raceway - Long	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 5 (2012-11-30)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 6 (2012-12-07)	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 7 (2012-12-14)	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Full	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 8 (2012-12-21)	Infineon Raceway - Long	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 9 (2012-12-28)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 10 (2013-01-04)	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 11 (2013-01-11)	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Full	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 12 (2013-01-18)	Infineon Raceway - Long	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2

It mirrors iRacing's official series so there will be practice & race sessions available all week to prepare for the ARMS league race.

Come race night, here's what the time schedule will look like. We'll run two 30 minute sprint races, each with its own 10 minute qualifying session starting at 8:30pm for race #1 and 9:30pm for race #2. Each qualifying session will be proceeded by a practice session, the second of which will be overlapped by race #1.

Evening Schedule



Session Type	Start Time	End Time	Duration
Practice	7:10 PM	8:30 PM	80 Min.
Qualify	8:30 PM	8:40 PM	10 Min.
Race	8:40 PM	9:10 PM	30 min.
Practice	8:40 PM	9:30 PM	50 Min.
Qualify	9:30 PM	9:40 PM	10 Min.
Race	9:40 PM	10:10 PM	30 min.

We'll use the "grand-prix" points system: positions 1-10 are awarded 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1 point. The remaining positions will be awarded zero points. There will also be deductions for incidents: one point for each 2 incidents. This will encourage clean racing and driving within your limits.

We'll also have unlimited Fast Repairs, so that even if you crash out or incur damage, you'll be able to get back into the race quickly without sitting in the pits for half the race. So no rage quitting.

That's all I can think of for now. If anyone is interested in sharing the administration duties with me, let me know.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Scott! The MX-5 and Caddy are tied! Where is that last person for a swing vote?

Well, anyone can change their vote up until the poll closes on Sunday, so it's still wide open.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

I like the two 30 min races. Thats what they do Monday nights and it seems to work very well. They do two different tracks each night as well, but that doesn't matter as much. A half hour is just about right, keeps everyone "in it" a lot better than a hour long race. If you have a bad start , bad luck ,bad race or what ever, you don't have to suffer as long to get an another chance. It sucks to spin out in the first lap of a hour long race , and then have to wait a week to redeem your self. Just wastes your night really. Two short races much better, should be fun.
Looks like the Caddy is in . And the base set up is not bad.

Yes, the two sprint races are more fun that one hour-long race, for all the reasons you mentioned. The Regulars do two 20 minute races, which I sometimes found to be just a tad too short, so I thought we'd try 30 minutes.

They'll be open setup races, but anyone can run the base setup if that's their preference.

I'll setup the league this weekend and send out invitations via the iRacing service.

Plan for this Friday Nov 2 to be our first night, at Mosport no less. Should be fun!!!

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

I'm not sure we should have open setups for the Caddy because isn't it a fixed setup series. It would suck to get your car set up and then have to revert back to a different setup your not used to, to run the series.

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Brian
VP, AMP
#51 Vantage Motorsports

Voted, and +1 for ovals

Yes, the Cadillac Cup is fixed, or at least has been to-date.

If someone is running the Cadillac Cup official series in addition to our league, there's nothing preventing him/her from using the base setup for both series. That's what I would be doing.

To be honest, I'm not even sure how to make a hosted race fixed. I looked all through the session settings and could not see anything pertaining to setups. Does anyone know?

Tell you what, I'll create another poll (once this one closes) so we can vote on fixed versus open setups for our series. I could very well be in the minority.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Scott and other's what does everyone own for oval content besides the free stuff?

Ask Jason about the fixed setup stuff, I'm pretty sure he was the one who set it up last winter.

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Brian
VP, AMP
#51 Vantage Motorsports

My oval non-base content is as follows:

• Dallara IndyCar
• Star Mazda (runs ovals in real life)

• Daytona International Speedway
• Homestead Miami Speedway
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Iowa Speedway
• Twin Ring Motegi

Basically, I only own oval tracks that have an infield road course.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Fixed setup is easy enough to set. In the hosted setup window just check the box next to "Fixed". Two new boxes will appear called "Race" and "Qual". Click on the "Sel" next to each one and it will allow you to select a setup. It will give you the option to make a setup on your machine available or to use one of the iracing setups (e.g baseline): "You must upload your setups to the service before you can select them. To do this, click on a setup in the SETUPS ON MY MACHINE list (lower left) and then click the UPLOAD button. It should then be available in the AVAILABLE SETUPS list."

I have a bunch of oval tracks available, don't think I've driven on some of them. Here's my list (not sure which ones are free so listed them all)

Atlanta
Charlotte
Concord
Daytona
Homstead
Stafford
Lanier
Martinsville
Oxford plains
Richmond
Thomspon
Irwindale
South Boston
USA

The Rovals are good fun. We ran Charlotte Road in different cars over the past few season and it's usually generates a good race. I wouldn't be interested in the superspeedway stuff (with fixed setup they are merely a test to see who has the longest attention span ). The medium size ovals would probably be entertaining in the CTS.

Ah ha! Thanks again.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Not sure where to put this, but instead of creating a new thread, this one will do.

Originally the plan for this series was to follow iRacing’s Cadillac Cup track schedule. This would allow us to use iRacing official sessions for practice and vice versa. However it seems that no one in our league is actually running the official iRacing Cadillac Cup series, so that logic is no longer relevant.

Currently the general consensus seems to be that we’re not particularly fond of iRacing’s Cadillac Cup track selection, and some would like to mix it up. I think that could be a good idea. So here is what I’m proposing:

Revised Season Schedule



Date	Track	Rules	Length
Week 1 (2012-11-02)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 2 (2012-11-09)	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 3 (2012-11-16)	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Full	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 4 (2012-11-23)	Infineon Raceway - Long	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 5 (2012-11-30)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 6 (2012-12-07)	Lime Rock Park - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 7 (2012-12-14)	Summit Point Raceway - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 8 (2012-12-21)	Okayama International Circuit - Full Course	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 9 (2012-12-28)	Mosport International Raceway	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 10 (2013-01-04)	Watkins Glen International - Classic Boot	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 11 (2013-01-11)	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Full	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2
Week 12 (2013-01-18)	Charlotte Motor Speedway - Oval	Local enforced cautions, Standing start	30 min. x 2

All of the changed tracks are base content, save Watkins Glen. But that particular track is easily the most used road course in the service, so it’s worth purchasing if you don’t already own it. Plus it’s an awesome track!

You may also note that I have included an oval for the series final. Charlotte is a large & wide track, so it should lead to a fun race (and appease the oval affectionados).

Let me know your thoughts on this revised schedule.

Also, while on the topic of tracks... During our last week’s race a couple people had suggested that we run two different tracks each night for more variety, much like the CASC-OR league does. I personally don’t want to do this for a number of reasons:

1) Practice: Like most others in our league, I normally don’t run the Cadillac and am treating this like an arrive & drive series. That said, I struggle to get to grips with the car in the beginning of each Friday session and it takes me a while just to be able to run consistent clean laps on the night’s track. If we switch tracks after the first race, without adding a hour’s practice in between there’s no way I’d be competitive / keep pace, and I'd likely crash trying. My only alternative would be to spend some evenings beforehand practicing, and I simply don’t have the time considering the other leagues & official series’ I’m currently running. So using the same track for both races makes the night much easier for an "arrive & drive" member like myself.

2) Number of Tracks: With a 12 week season running two different track per night, we’d run out of base content tracks pretty quickly and end up repeating them all anyway. That or force everyone to spent a pile of money on purchasing a bunch of new tracks. More likely people just won't show up when they don't own one or both of the tracks.

3) Second Chance: I like the idea that if I mess up my 1st race of the night, I can at least use the remainder of the race as practice for the 2nd race, and still have a chance to redeem myself. If we go to a whole new track for the 2nd race, then all that prior practice is moot.

4) Competition: It is also my belief that running the same track twice in both races promotes closer competition as by the time we hit the 2nd race, the track experience gap has been lessened amongst the group. Everyone has figured out the proper race line, know where to pass, know which sections of the track they're faster / slower than their competitor(s).

Anyway, those are my reasons. That’s not to say we couldn’t do things differently next season. Actually, I’d like to see us run two series concurrently next season, alternating weekly. Perhaps a road series and an oval series, with someone else administering the oval side. *hint* *hint*

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

I like it, I get bored of the same track for 2 races, I like the mix. There are so many great tracks to use, I know many don't buy them, but they should!

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Paul

I think every race should be at Lime Rock in the Mazda roadster, but thats just me. But I really don't care. Its all about a little friendly competition. So far its been fun. Lets just keek it going.

I said "+1 squared" to Scott's hard work the other day, but then realized that is still only "1" (when he certainly deserved so much more credit)

So I'll try and be a little less dramatic in my reply to this statement above:

Yessireeee I would be so in with that! Ya think if I register a bunch of one month free memberships and gave them out on the street do you think we can sway the poll Brian? Perhaps we can find a computer geek to hack Scott's iracing account and change the format (and while he's in there give him a harder compound tire) Maybe we need to spread the rumour that Dino is going to race all spec Miata's next year and Brian G. will feel he has get some seat time in on the off season? Bribes, payoffs, pictures of competitors in compromising positions are not at all below me!

Cue sounds of crickets chirping... We now return to regular programming

Stacy

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The fricton circle for my 911 Porsche resembles more of an oblong... I'm either trailbraking or accelerating while trying to get it to turn!

I suppose in real life we only run at one track....

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Here's a graph showing our league's participation trend at the half-season point...

Last week we reached a new peak at 10 competitors. Hopefully the upward trend will continue into the second part of the season.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR

Scott..can you tell me what a compeditor is...?

It's what happens when Scott doesn't use the F7 key in Excel.

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1997 Talon TSi AWD
2008 EVO X MR