Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 2, 2020 21:57:14 GMT -5
Made it to the end of Stage 4! The car is even still running (mostly)!
Man this is a hairy rally. Almost had a coming together with the post you mentioned in Stage 1, slid out over the crest and had a real heart in mouth moment. Amazingly I missed it entirely. Later on I completely misjudged a "4 right" and went straight on, thankfully the only damage was running over a little sapling and not a full size tree. Was down about 9 seconds on An70ny at the last split, but over-rotated and span at the end and lost another 10 seconds. Good thing that pace wasn't sustainable, as I would NOT have been able to keep up and keep the car running at the same time.
Stage 2 went relatively smoothly, no major incidents. Stage 3 wasn't great. Ran wide and had the two right side wheels running in the ditch on the outside of the course, which wasn't unusual to that point. What was unusual was the big rock that was sitting in the ditch. Ran into it and ended up doing a forward somersault then left roll before getting going again. Then I ran into the same log pile you did. Can't remember exactly what the call was, but it seems woefully wrong, as I was heading straight towards the middle of the pile. Tried to go around the left side, but ended up getting sideways and sliding the right side of the car into the pile. Thankfully only a front right puncture and a few damaged bits, but nothing terminal. Thankfully Stage 4 was again relatively uneventful.
I think this rally is trickier than most for a couple of reasons. First, there are a significant number of calls in DR2.0 which seem a bit off, across all the locations. Normally you should be able to recover (not always though), but Finland is so bumpy that if you are out of shape when a bad call comes, by the time you get the car straight again it's too late to save it. Or you're coming over a huge crest and can't see anything!
The second reason it's tricky is the car class. With the "safer" 4WD or FWD cars, you have a bit more spare mental capacity to compensate for the difficult stage and bad calls. But with the RWD cars trying to bite you at every turn, you don't have the capacity to compensate for anything else. I'm sure the Group B RWD and 4WD classes would be worse, but this is probably one of the trickiest combos you can cook up.
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 5, 2020 19:33:07 GMT -5
I did end up making it to the end. Got a puncture each in Stages 10 and 11 which I replaced, plus another puncture or two at the end of other stages which I just soldiered on with. I got lucky with one of those punctures as it meant I didn't smash into that darn pile of logs when I came across it again as I was going so slowly.
After seeing that log pile the second time and wondering if I was truly misjuding the call, I looked for some videos of that stage. Looks like there is a call for "6 right over crest and jump keep in." However, there is also a "keep middle over big jump" that is called before you even get to that "6 right" crest! So unless you are paying VERY close attention, you just remember the "middle over big jump" and go spearing straight towards it.
It's about 3:30 in the video (not mine) if you want to see it.
Overall, quite surprised that I was the only one to make it to the finish, let alone get past Stage 3. It was a tricky rally, but even so. Here's hoping Monte Carlo is a little easier!
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Post by Mudcat on Aug 5, 2020 20:04:50 GMT -5
Yeah, bad calls seem real likely. I notice that the calls mostly go right into my subconscious and at times I want to go a different direction than what I can visually see.
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Post by Magnesium Overcast on Aug 5, 2020 20:13:50 GMT -5
...at times I want to go a different direction than what I can visually see.
This is exactly what happened to me. There was a left 4 or 5 over a crest. There was a telephone pole directly ahead of me I could see the top of, so I know the course turned. For whatever reason I just went straight over the crest and launched right into the middle of the pole. Something was telling me to go straight even though I knew that wasn't the right direction, maybe it was the call.
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keets
New Member
Posts: 20
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Post by keets on Aug 6, 2020 3:40:39 GMT -5
I was going ok, but clipped a tree on the back right tyre as I was drifting round a 3 left. “Something seems wrong at the rear”.... oh great, we’ll it’s a short stage, I’ll keep going.
Then when the tyre left the rim, I clipped a rock and punctured the front left. At this point, I retired.
I was enjoying it and wasn’t too far off the pace.
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keets
New Member
Posts: 20
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Post by keets on Aug 10, 2020 7:35:49 GMT -5
Ugly ugly driving at Monte Carlo. I’m minimum 2 seconds a sector down. I just can’t seem to get into a rhythm. I’ve done a couple of the stages as practise, but it doesn’t make any difference, I feel like a noob.
Nothing is working for me on this rally. 😁
Hats off to you Roo, for the pace you’re driving at.
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 10, 2020 18:46:27 GMT -5
Hats off to you Roo, for the pace you’re driving at. Thanks, but you're just about to see my ugly driving in a few stages! Honestly, don't feel too bad about your pace. An70ny was really on it this week. Even pushing as hard as I could, I could typically only gain a few tenths per split on the dry tarmac, though it was even or his advantage in the icy bits. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up that pace for the whole rally. Got a puncture about 1.5 splits from the end of Stage 6, which dropped me down about 15 seconds. Stages 8 and 12 were horrid, both having a puncture and consequent tire change very early on (before the end of split 2), plus an additional puncture before the halfway point, so I was driving 3-odd miles on three wheels. This was in addition to the car being pretty knackered after Stage 6. I think I'd locked up on a downhill icy braking zone and went straight into the end of a guardrail, and never really got it fully repaired after that. Ended up about 5 minutes off the pace, so a 2nd place finish is definitely still on the cards. The actual driving experience I really enjoyed though. With the soft, squidgy winter tires you could really feel the car lean into a corner and then grip up, which was fun. On the ice, I found that the fastest method is to really rotate the nose into the corner and use the 4WD to pull yourself in to the corner. You're basically travelling almost 90° nose in to the corner, and flicking it between left/right transitions while doing that was immense fun. So overall it looks like An70ny has beaten me twice in a fair fight (Finland does't really count in my book), so hats off there. Interestingly in all three cases, it's been the chasing driver who goes second that ends up coming off worse. Guess that we can both choke under pressure. Anyways, looking forward to seeing what's next up on the schedule!
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keets
New Member
Posts: 20
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Post by keets on Aug 11, 2020 16:15:56 GMT -5
Finished it this afternoon. I did manage to get a fastest stage, one of the shorter ones which was predominantly tarmac, that finished below the snowline.
I started to dislike the snow/ice in the end as I felt I was having to try to hard to get any pace. I’ve done ice karting before on a rink and the mechanics felt very similar, in that you have to forget about how you think you should drive quickly and just over use the break and throttle to extremes.
Another point I was frustrated with, is that a couple of good runs were ruined by the 8 second penalties from stupid spectators standing on the outside of hairpins. Idiots. They deserved the tail end of the car coming through the barriers. I think I did this on every run with the hairpins in snow.
Good fun and Antony deserves the win. I think you were unlucky Roo and I feel like I’ve stolen 2nd place rather than earned it.
Looking forward to whatever is next...
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Post by Mudcat on Aug 11, 2020 16:39:18 GMT -5
I'll get something set up, not sure I remember at this point the last 4 tracks in the rotation, but i'll try
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 11, 2020 19:20:42 GMT -5
Yeah, you really have to use weight transfer on the ice to get the tail around, as trail breaking or even the handbrake are next to useless with so little grip. It's definitely a different driving style than anything else. It's even more tricky in the areas where it's only patches of ice, as you're constantly adapting your driving style between tarmac and ice, often turn by turn. Perhaps I was unlucky, but An70ny pushed me hard enough to force me into mistakes. You may have inherited 2nd place, but you were still there to pick up the pieces, so hats off to you both. As for the next rally, as long as it's not Argentina, I'm happy! Would be even more so if it involved a certain Pug and Lancia (nudge nudge, wink wink). Probably not the most enticing for newcomers though!
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Post by Mudcat on Aug 12, 2020 8:12:39 GMT -5
Did put together a schedule for the next 4 weeks, Rally GT's in Spain, H2 (RWD) in Greece, Group A's in Australia and finishing slow with H1 (FWD) in Scotland.
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 14, 2020 22:52:59 GMT -5
First three rallies look nice. My only disappointment is that my favorite location (Scotland) will be run with one of my least favorite classes (H1). Suppose I can't complain too much, as last time we ran there I had an absolute riot in the Pug. Guess I get to test that old theory of can I beat the Group B times in the H1 cars.
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 16, 2020 16:27:07 GMT -5
Well that was waaay too close for comfort. Initially I was torn between taking the Porsche and Aston Martin. The Porsche has monster traction in a straight line which made it a no brainer when we ran in Germany (coincidence?), but with the twisty Spanish roads the very rearward weight bias could catch you out. The Vantage is much more forgiving in that sense, as you can power slide around to your heart's content. Finally decided that exuberantly sliding everywhere, while fun, wasn't as fast, so took the Porsche to keep the tail happiness in check. It would be more difficult, but should be faster because of that necessary caution. Started off pretty well. Stages 1 and 2 I pulled out a small lead on An70ny, but it was clear that small mistakes could ruin everything. Must have been running with a fairly heavy right foot, as Stage 4 I found that the soft tires gave up the ghost at the rear about half way through. The previous Stage 3 was a long one (8 split), so the length, coupled with low speed corners, meant the tires were just gone. Slid around quite a bit, and ended up loosing ~10 seconds. Stage 5 had the first major mistake. There's a long downhill section where all the turns seem to be 5s or 6s, and the very last 6 left, 6 right caught me out. Drifted a little wide in the 6 left, but the entry to the 6 right was extremely tight, so I ended up riding up the embankment and crunching to a halt. Amazingly, just a few dings in the radiator and bodywork were the only mechanical damages in addition to the ~20 seconds lost. After that ran fairly cleanly and managed to get a 21 second lead going into Stage 12. That's where things got interesting... About 1 split in to Stage 12 I completely misjudged a 3 right and went spearing into the bushes. Got reset to the track with a +15s penalty, which wasn't great, but given I had 21s in reserve, not terminal. Managed to run cleanly from there and was actually up by 2 seconds up going into the 8th and final split. Instead of just cruising home though, I kept pushing and misjudged another 3 right, also spearing into the bushes, but also about 75 feet down a shallow embankment. Was nose down so tried reversing up, got a little stuck about 25 feet from the road again, and was just about to turn around and drive back up forwards, but got reset to the tarmac with a +11 second penalty. Given I'd spent ~10 seconds trying to reverse back up, I wasn't sure what the outcome would be. Ended up crossing the line with a total deficit for the stage of 19s, and and overall time of 1.261 seconds ahead of An70ny. Ironically, just before the final off road excursion, I was thinking in the back of my mind that I wished it had ended a little closer. To whichever sim racing deity was listening, I didn't mean it! I should have learned by now to just focus on the driving. I don't need another finish that close, thank you very much!
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keets
New Member
Posts: 20
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Post by keets on Aug 17, 2020 4:27:39 GMT -5
I like Spain, like the cars. I was torn between the Aston and the Porsche. I’d driven the Aston in Germany, so switched over.
Stages 1-4 were going ok. I was loving a couple of seconds on the faster sections, which just felt too risky. Midway through 4, I clipped the rock wall which put me sideways and had to shuffle back and forth to get back on track.
Stage 5 was ok, still less than a minute down so recoverable. The stage 6 I slipped down a bank and took a penalty.
Stage 7 back on pace, but realistically no chance of a win unless either you or Antony crashed out. Then stage 8 happened.
I was flat out on the right hander and turned just a bit too late. This put the angle of the turn beyond the grip of the tyres and the understeer took me across the road and I clipped the small piece of Armco. I lost count of the flips and somersaults the car did. Eventually the game gave me a 31 second penalty, I’d burst one of the rear tyres and the doors were off. I think in real life it would have been fatal.
I limped along, then slipped down a bank for another penalty, eventually crossing the line 1m 14s further down.
I’ve got 4 stages remaining, so will see how bad it gets.
I’m going to re-run the rally in the Aston after and see if it would have been a better choice.
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Roo
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by Roo on Aug 17, 2020 22:09:56 GMT -5
I’m going to re-run the rally in the Aston after and see if it would have been a better choice. It's definitely the safer choice. The Porsche always has you on your toes, and if you go into a corner too hot, you're in real trouble. With the Aston you can just flick it in and no big deal, just power slide out the other side with a huge grin on your face! Tough luck with the crash. I was definitely right on the edge for most of the rally, and did get bitten a few times. An70ny is good, he's very good.
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