Tag: nascar

Oval datapack updates (Fall 2017)

Posted on by Peter Dimov

Back in February 2017 we signed up VRS coaches Ray Alfalla and Bryan Blackford and launched our first NASCAR datapacks. Ever since, we’ve had high demand for open setup NASCAR datapacks and finally we’re doing it!

Open Datapacks Available

We continue to believe that the Fixed series datapacks are a great tool for perfecting one’s driving style. With the open setup datapacks the focus will be setup building. The weekly open setup tutorials will cover what setup changes (and why) our coaches made for the datapack. They’ll start from the fixed series baseline setup and you can watch them iterate on and improve the datapack setup week over week. Here is the full list of NASCAR datapacks we’ll be offering:

  • Street Stock – Rookie – by Ray Alfalla

  • National Series – by Bobby Zalenski (starting Week 7)

  • Class C Fixed – by Bryan Blackford (starting Week 7)

  • Class C Open – by Bryan Blackford (starting Week7)

  • Class B Fixed – by Bobby Zalenski (starting Week7)

  • Class B Open – By Ray Alfalla (starting Week7)

  • NiS Fixed / Class A Fixed – Bobby Zalenski (starting after NiS ends)

  • NiS Open / Class A Open – Ray Alfalla (starting after NiS ends)

Relatedly, we heard feedback from both paying and free members that we are giving away too much for free. Free members don’t have an incentive to upgrade and paying members think it’s unfair to themselves that so much valuable content is available for free. So, we decided to lock down all oval/NASCAR datapacks, with the exception of the Street Stock Rookie datapack. This means that rookies on a free subscription will continue to have access to the street stock .blap/.olap/.rpy and video tutorials. All other NASCAR datapacks would require a paid subscription in order to access datapack files (.sto/.blap/.olap/.rpy) and video tutorials. Driving analysis is currently subject to the same restrictions as before (no changes there).

2.3: Getting started on oval racing: your first week

Posted on by Ray Alfalla

Your first week of oval racing is just about the same as when you try anything for the first time, so take it easy! One of the biggest mistakes that rookies make is trying to go too fast, too early. At first glimpse, an oval looks very simple. It’s got a couple straights and a couple long turns. This makes new drivers want to exit pit road and set a world record time on the first lap. However, you’ll soon realize that because the turns only go in one direction, and because the turns are generally longer than those on road courses, that the cars will be set up to only go left, that the car’s setup will be on the ragged edge of spinning out, in order to achieve competitive lap times.

There are fewer opportunities to make up time on an oval, so it ends up being a competition of who can go through the corner the fastest. Of course this applies to all of racing, but since road racing includes heavy braking zones and shifting, mistakes are more common and making up lost ground is a bigger possibility. You won’t be shifting at most ovals, and there won’t be much braking unless at a short track. So, you better be ready to put the “loose is fast” theory into practice!

But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, remember that you’re just a rookie at this. Some day you may be burning rubber and hanging out the rear end through the corners, but for now, take baby steps. A good way to learn a track and car is to join an open practice session and simply observe other drivers, preferably the fast ones. There are also plenty of tutorials on VRS’ YouTube channel, and another, perhaps the best option, is to head into the VRS software and open a datapack (learn more about datapacks in 2.6).

Inside each datapack is a replay file you can load in iRacing itself, or you can open the Driving Analyzer (as seen on the image below) to see the inputs as well as the cockpit view. Make notes on how the driver is positioning the car, where it touches the outside and inside of the corner, where it picks up the revs. These minor details are very important on an oval. Missing your mark by a foot can be the difference between running up front or in the back.

Once you’ve seen how the fast drivers go around the track, try it yourself in an offline session. Make sure that you can complete a clean lap, and then two, three, and so on. Eventually, you should be able to complete ten consecutive laps without incidents and achieving a very consistent laptime. If you’re having trouble accomplishing this, simply slow down. Eventually you’ll find a comfortable pace that will allow clean laps. Sure, it may be slow, but being able to complete clean laps and finish races is the most important thing to do as a rookie. Overdriving the car and crashing is highly unproductive.

After you’ve learned to race cleanly, it’s time to join others on track. Go back into an open practice, and run clean laps just like in testing. There is usually quite a bit of crashing in these practices, so you’ll get a chance to practice wreck avoidance. Intentionally find packs of cars and pretend you’re in a race. Get used to having someone right in front of you, blocking your vision into the turn, and someone right behind you filling the mirror. This is what will happen in the race. Practice pit road entry and exit as well. Basically; do your homework. Once you’re comfortable and confident in your ability to run clean laps and not cause an accident, sign up for a race! Remember, you’re a rookie. Don’t ask too much of yourself, and focus on finishing the race. Have a good time out on the track, and learn as much as possible with every single lap. Most importantly, have fun!

2.1: Oval or road?

Posted on by Ray Alfalla

The stereotype of oval racing is that racers just turn left, full throttle, and that therefore oval racing is easy. But there’s lots of skill involved in oval racing, especially with around forty cars with 725 horsepower fighting for the same piece of tarmac.

Whether you should pursue either oval or road racing (or both) is completely up to you. But here we dive into some of the differences here, as well as some of the similarities.

Differences in race procedures
In road racing, the car attempting to overtake should have its front tires up to the leading driver’s side before the corner, or else the corner is considered to belong to the leading car. On ovals, having any sort of bodywork next to the leading driver is enough to challenge the leading driver into the corner. This is because racing side by side is way more common on ovals, compared to road racing, where going side by side is potentially much more detrimental to each driver’s race.

Regarding pit strategy, road racing generally has very few, if any, full-course caution flag period in a race, which in turn allows the team to set one or two main strategies for the race. On ovals, because of the frequency of full-course cautions and how short the lap times are, strategies are often made on the go. Stopping for fuel, tyres, or both all depends on when the caution flies, who pits around you, and your track position.You’ll probably also go a lap down when pitting under green and be trapped a lap down if a yellow comes out directly afterwards. All these factors make oval racing strategies very diverse and improvisational.

All race starts on ovals are of the rolling kind, whereas road racing sometimes features standing starts.

In NASCAR oval racing, there is a ‘free pass’ or commonly known as ‘lucky dog’ rule. This means that the first car which is a lap down when a caution flag flies, gets to go around the track and regain a lap. Lapped cars can also receive a lap back if all lead-lap cars ahead of them pit and they don’t. This puts them directly behind the pace car, and they’re allowed to pass it and regain their lap on the last caution flag lap.

Oval racing is much more affected by dynamic track rubber buildup than road racing. Road racing usually has a fairly defined apex in each corner, and does not vary much throughout a race. On ovals, many of the turns have a wide radius, and some are extensively banked. This allows drivers to run the outside line. Due to ovals being usually much shorter in length than their twisty counterparts, this means that many more cars go over a certain groove on the track – and often. Races can consists of over 200 laps. This means more heat transfer onto the track, as well as rubber buildup. In NASCAR stock cars, more heat and rubber usually means a lower amount of grip. This causes drivers to ‘search’ around the track in the corners for more grip. Some will run the inside line, others the middle, and some may dare to go up by the wall if there is enough grip up there to compensate for the longer distance traveled.

Differences in setup approach
Since oval turns go in only one direction, the car is setup to be stiffer on the right side (because a left turn shifts weight to the right). On a road course, you would generally have a balanced (symmetrical) setup since you have left and right turns. On the ovals, the car is optimized to turn left. Everything in the car is made to turn in that direction. If you try a right turn with an oval setup, the car will not turn well at all.

Difference in skills required
One of the biggest differences between road and oval is the length of the turns. Road courses put more emphasis on hitting the apex, as more turns are short in comparison to ovals. On the oval side, turns are generally divided by the drivers into entry, center, and exit. When describing handling characteristics, the car may for example behave completely different at the entry of the turn compared to the exit. Drivers have to be able to split the turns of the track into different sections, and construct their setup for each phase of the corner. The driving skills required are fairly similar, but can have some key differences. The road side is more focused on quick reflexes and precise apexing, while the oval side centers on car control and adaptability to changing track conditions.

Similarities
At the end of the day, whether road or oval, all drivers push their cars to the limit to try and beat everyone else on the track. Oval and road racing are more similar than they are different. Drivers have to find the grip limits of their respective cars, and maneuver around traffic in order to get to the checkered flag first. Many drivers can run both disciplines competitively, but few can do them at the top level. As similar as these two sides are, they still take a different mindset to compete in each, and at the core have different cultures attached to them. But with that being said, racing is racing, and a true race fan will enjoy anything on wheels that goes fast!

Oval datapacks & Slip Angle Motorsports partnership

Posted on by Jaap Grolleman

VRS_SAMTHWith the growth of VRS and the positive feedback that we’ve received on our driver improvement software from road competitors on iRacing, we’ve been frequently asked when ovals would be covered by the VRS platform. One requirement for us was always to work with the best coaches, to allow our users to compare their data against the best drivers on iRacing. If that wouldn’t be possible, why bother?

We’ve managed to do just that, and hence we’re thrilled to announce that we’re starting a partnership with Slip Angle Motorsports to help optimize the VRS platform for oval racing.

Two of their NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series drivers, Ray Alfalla and Bryan Blackford, will be supplying datapacks for the most popular oval series. Additionally, Ray and Bryan will be available for one-on-one coaching sessions, and, as part of the partnership, their team’s cars will prominently feature the VRS logo.

VRS_SAM1

Ray Alfalla, three-time iRacing World Champion:
“I’m happy to kick off the 2017 NPAS season with VRS on the car! This is a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to hit the track at Daytona as a VRS driver and coach.”

Bryan Blackford:
“I’m proud to be affiliated with VRS, and look forward to utilizing their service this coming NPAS season! I’m also excited to begin training others through their coaching platform.”

Lisa Pineda of SAM:
“VRS is the perfect match for SAM. Mixing sim racing and education has been a winning formula for us for the past four years. We look forward to working together in 2017 in NPAS as well as in the virtual classroom.”

Peter Dimov of VRS:
“Being able work with the best, like we’re already doing on the road side, is amazing. Ray and Bryan are super fast and some of the nicest guys you’ll find in the community. We really look forward to working with them to make VRS the go-to tool for all oval iRacers.”

Stay tuned for updates on when the first oval datapacks will become available, as well as detail on a fan contest we are putting together.