|
Sunday Cup
Level: 0
*The ratios below can be used for front, rear-drive, and all wheel-drive vehicles.
Autumn Ring Mini--6 laps
(1,450) 10.98 - 132 hp
(1,700) 12.23 -
139 hp
(2,100) 14.38 - 146 hp
(2,500) 15.06 - 166 hp
(3,000) 16.95 - 177 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain speed
Grand Valley East--4 laps
(1,450) 11.60 - 125 hp
(1,700)
13.17 - 129 hp
(2,100) 15.32 - 137 hp
(2,500) 17.12 - 146 hp
(3,000) 18.52 - 162 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain speed
Tsukuba--4 laps
(1,450) 12.60 - 115 hp
(1,700) 13.17 -
129 hp
(2,100) 14.68 - 143 hp
(2,500) 16.78 - 149 hp
(3,000) 18.18 - 165 hp
popular commands: slow down (esp. FR & MRs), maintain
speed
Add 10 horsepower to taller vehicles (60
inches / 1524 mm) or so at Grand Valley East
* the ratios above should be
used if most rear-drive cars or the front-drive Citroen C4 Coupe, MINI Cooper S,
and/or Ford Focus ST show up, especially at Grand Valley and Tsukuba. If these don't show, use 10-20
hp less, depending how well your driver can handle the car.
Rear-drive cars to watch for include Nissan Silvia
K's (sometimes the Silvia Q's Aero as well), Miata/MX-5 Roadsters, Toyota MR-S and the
MGF / MG-TFs. but generally it's the FFs that are more safely dominant. The front-drive Mazda
6 5-door does well, but this assumes it starts on or near pole position. It's a bigger, heavier car than the
others.
If any these cars are included in the grid (except the Mazda 6), it's best to start them downfield...anywhere
from 3rd to 8th place. They typically make their way to the front unless they're at Autumn Ring Mini. Here, the Citroen and
Ford are still dangerous, but the rear-drives sometimes have problems: getting too sideways on occasion, sliding,
and even spinning out.
There will be others which make the front lines on occasion (Preludes, Civics, Primeras,
etc) but generally watch for those mentioned above.
GT4 allowed us to train our B-spec drivers on an empty track,
thus boosting their Machine and Track skills; letting them get to actually know each track before a single race was
started. GT5, for whatever reason, doesn't allow this anymore, which means our drivers will be learning as they race!
That
first race at Autumn Ring Mini is particularly tough for our novices, as you'll see some of them
mis-gauging corners and going off-track. Adding horsepower can sometimes worsen their situation, especially at this track.
At these lower levels, novice drivers often don't know how to use larger amounts of horsepower yet.
It might be a better idea to start absolute Class Zero drivers off at Tsukuba, actually.
Some
drivers will do better than others, but the best defense is to simply pay attention to what they're up to.
If your driver happens to get a lead, don't just walk away! I've done plenty of races where a driver will get an early, sizeable
lead for instance, and then lose it to a spectacular Ai opponent that makes its way up to the front while I was off micro-managing
some pizza in a different room. Ooops.
Parts used:
>Sports Hard tires
>Fixed Sport Suspension.
> Some cars with traditionally good handling (like a Mazda MX-5) can
go with their stock suspensions, but this assumes the driver is not having issues during races.
>Close-Ratio
transmission + Single-plate clutch & Sports flywheel for some cars at Autumn Ring
Mini and/or Tsukuba.
Carbon driveshaft for low-torque all-wheel drives & some rear-drives
(Kei cars, for example)
Cars used to get ratios:
'97 Suzuki Alto
Works RS-Z (1,450)
'00 Toyota Yaris U Euro Sport Edition (1,700)
'08 Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge (2,100)
'88 Honda
Accord Coupe (2,500)
'95 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FF Challenge
Level: 0
Suzuka East--6
laps
(1,500) 12.82 -- 117 hp
(2,000)
15.27 - 134 hp
(2,500) 16.66 - 150 hp
(3,000) 18.18 - 165 hp
(3,500) 18.13 -- 193 hp
popular commands: maintain speed, speed up
Clubman Route 5 6 laps
(1,500) 9.74 -- 154 hp
(2,000) 12.12 - 165 hp
(2,500)
13.51 - 185 hp
(3,000) 15.07 - 199 hp
(3,500) 15.70 - 223 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain speed
Deep Forest Raceway--4 laps
(1,500) 10.87 - 138 hp
(2,000) 13.33 - 150 hp
(2,500)
14.79 - 169 hp
(3,000) 16.66 - 180 hp
(3,500) 17.16 - 204 hp
popular commands: varies per car. maintain speed is most common
Up and coming drivers were used for these ratios (Class 3-5). If a lesser
driver is used, more power may be needed.
That above line in red ink is not an absolute
rule. Sometimes, drivers who are lower in class will do fine. Sometimes, those higher in class have problems, but overall,
it's best to stick to the formula in red ink.
I'm noticing Clubman Stage Route 5 is the toughest track
for our drivers to learn, for some reason they really have a hard time winning here and figuring out NOT to hit the walls.
"Slow down" "Slow down" you might have to tell them over and over. Hot-headed drivers that are low on Cornering, Accuracy,
and/or Braking seem to have the toughest learning curve, but I'm noticing ALL drivers screw up at Route 5 initially.
Opponents:
It's
difficult to make a prediction here. Sometimes the Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus, or Mazda
Kusabi wind up becoming jackrabbits; other times they can't make their way thru traffic, even after 6 laps of trying.
The Honda Integra Type R also makes a good showing at Deep Forest sometimes.
In some cases, power
may need to be added if any of those start in front of your driver's car, especially if they're on or near Pole.
Parts
recommended:
>Hard Sport tires
>Fixed or Height-Adjustable Sport
Suspension (cars with superior handling won't need this).
>Close ratio transmission in
some cases, at some tracks, for some cars. Kei cars and others with detrimental gearing may need full-custom transmission
work.
>Assorted light drivetrain parts
Cars Used
'98 Mini Cooper 1.3i (Lightweight, 1500) '98 Ford Taurus SHO (Ultra-heavy, 3,500)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
World Compact Car Cup
London
(1,500)
13.04 - 115 hp
(1,700) 14.17 - 120 hp
(2,400) 15.48 - 155 hp
(2,800) 16.00 - 175 hp
(3,000) 16.04 - 187 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain
speed
Circuito de Madrid - Mini
(1,500) 13.63 - 110 hp
(1,700) 15.18 - 120 hp
(2,400) 17.14 - 140 hp
(2,800) 17.50 - 160 hp
(3,000) 17.76 - 169 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain speed
Cape Ring Inside
(1,500) 14.56 - 103 hp
(1,700) 15.60 - 109 hp
(2,400) 18.46 - 130 hp
(2,800) 18.79 - 149 hp
(3,000) 19.18 - 157 hp
popular commands: slow down (at chicane), maintain speed,
speed up (at largest curves)
* Class 5 and higher drivers do best with the above ratios. Those lower than 5 may
need more power, assuming they're not so good with Cornering, Braking, and Accuracy stats.
** Peugeots (mostly
the 206 and 207 models), later-model Civics & del Sols ('91 and later), Ford Focuses, and the MINI
Cooper and Cooper S do especially well as Ai most of the time. These should be started downfield
(at least 4th place) for best results. The MG-TF is also one to watch yet rarely appears.
If any of these
do not appear, remove 5 to 15 horsepower. This depends on how well your car handles,
what sort of extra parts installed, what Class the driver is, and how far back on the grid the faster hatches start.
The ratios above were made mostly with front-drives. If you enter a confident rear-drive (such as a Mazda MX-5)
and only one of the better opponents starts in front of us, 5 horsepower can
be removed for London. Then determine whether the car needs this deduction for the next two races, or if -5
is not enough.
Description
A surpringly low amount of power (by B-spec standards) was needed to accomplish these;
not sure why, but I think it's because by this point, my drivers were of a much higher class than the Ai. Notice our opponents
sometimes still tire after 6 laps of London, for instance. Class 5 or 6 drivers like ones I've used will
have more stamina. Then again, I recently had a Class 3 driver keep up with the Ai, no problem.
Also, the
hot hatch opponents which we've seen before are using less power than they did during the FF Challenge, but
it's still astounding how much easier these seemed in B-spec mode as compared to both the Sunday Cup and FF Challenge.
As
usual, keep a strict watch over your drivers, particularly at London and Madrid. Make sure they're not thinking walls are
okay to tag.
Opponents:
MINIs, some Peugeots (usually the 206 and higher), Ford
Focuses, the MG-TF, and '91 or later Civics do a bit better than other cars that appear, although
as usual this is not set in stone. Occasionally a turbocharged Vitz or a Lantis will manage to keep up with the typical alphas.
Since
these are 6 laps apiece, keep in mind a straggler could wind up eventually challenging you for the win late into the race,
particularly at Cape Ring. But there will also be those races during which you've calculated top power,
expecting to be challenged by one of the faster guys, only to find your driver's car getting far ahead of everyone else.
Parts
used:
> Hard Sport tires.
> Fixed Sport Suspension*. Cars which handle
well won't need this.
*Cars with mediocre handling that you can pilot only using great skill during
A-spec should be avoided during B-spec.
> Close Ratio Transmission + single-plate clutch
& sports flywheel for the majority.
Full-customized transmissions are good for a lot of Kei cars and others with awkward gearing.
Cars used to
get ratios:
'97 Suzuki Alto Works Limited (1,500)
various Toyota Yaris/Vitzes (1,700)
'02 MINI Cooper (2,450)
????????? (2,800)
'01 Hyundai Tiburon GT (3,000)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightweight K Cup
Level: 1
Participants:
8
-Front Drives-
Autumn Ring Mini II
(1,100) 15.94 - 69 hp
(1,800)
23.08 - 78 hp
Suzuka East Circuit
(1,100) 18.33 - 60 hp
(1,800) 24.66 - 73 hp
-Rear and All-wheel drives-
Autumn Ring Mini II
(1,200) 21.43 = 56 hp
(1,800) 26.09 = 69 hp (2,100) 28.00 = 75 hp
Suzuka
East Circuit
(1,200) 20.00 - 60 hp
(1,800) 27.27 - 66 hp (2,100) 29.38
- 72 hp
* The above ratios were made with Kei hatches, MPVs, and minivans. If a sports
car or roadster like the Daihatsu Copin or Suzki Cappucino is used, power should be set to stock or slightly higher,
especially if the driver is known to be confident with cornering, and the front lines are not packed with other sports types Maybe
61 to 65 hp at the most.
** Easier grids, with no sports cars on or near pole, might be needed for vans and, dorkier models
like the Honda Z Act. This is especially true at Autumn Ring, not so much at Suzuka.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV can be used in this series, although sometimes it's best to start those better sports cars
no higher than 3rd. Full weight reductions are also sometimes needed.
Description
Two
races, 6 laps each, limited to just Japan's kei class. The Ai is typically using standard kei car power (63 horsepower or
sometimes even less) which makes it pretty easy to overcome them without needing to break our entire bank account. Kei cars
can be somewhat hard to find in the used car lot, but they're always cheap once we score one. They can also be won from a
couple Beginner's events (World's Compact Car Series and Japanese Classics).
I've noticed that usually
by the time I've got to the Lightweight K Cup, the game allows us to start a new driver, which is perfect. Since these races
are so easy, it's a good arena to possibly train our newbie Class 0 drivers in the K-Cup.
Opponents
The
miniature rear-drive sports cars (Mazda AZ-1, Suzuki Cappucino, Honda Beat) which can possibly
show up represent the toughest (ha ha) competition. Daihatsu Copens and sometimes an oddball Alto Works
might also shine towards the front. The Daihatsu Midget type II does well at Autumn Ring sometimes, but loses
it down Suzuka East's long straight.
For best success, I recommend starting these guys behind your
B-spec driver, or at least behind a pack of three slower cars. This is especially true at Suzuka East, not so much at
Autumn Ring Mini. The only exception to this is if your car happens to be one of these miniature sports autos.
Then, it might be better to have a few others of its class to spar with. These races are 6 laps apiece, which is plenty
of time to catch up, but also plenty of time for the Ai's sports cars to jackrabbit far ahead.
Parts used
>
Comfort Soft tires
>Fixed Sport Suspension (lightweight sports cars and other
handling demons will not need this).
> Some models may need transmission work, especially
a full-custom unit for some models that can't make Suzuka's straight without revving out (Daihatsu Midget comes to mind).
Close trannies are good for many at Autumn Ring Mini
>Some of these low-powered keis also have ridiculously tall
stock gearing (Honda Z Act). Sometimes the best solution is full-custom gears at Suzuka. Close gearboxes
are usually too short.
> Light drivetrain parts (single-plate clutch especially). Flywheels are
optional, limited-slips generally a waste of money unless you've got something with really bad handling.
>
Carbon driveshaft a good buy for 4-wheel drive models, but not fully necessary for RWDs.
Vehicles used
to get ratios:
'70 Honda Z ACT (1,100--FF class)
'97 Daihatsu Move SR-XX 2WD (1,800--FF class)
'98 Daihatsu
Midget D Type II (1,200--FR/4WD)
'98 Suzuki Wagon R-RR (1,800--FR/4WD class) '02 Daihatsu Move Custom
RS (2,100 -AWD class)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Japanese Classics
Level: 2
Participants:
10
Suzuka East
(1,700) 12.41 - 137 hp
(2,200) 14.86 - 148 hp
(2,700) 16.46 - 164 hp
Sports
Car Class
(1,500) 14.28 - 105 hp
(2,200) 16.19 - 136 hp
popular commands
: maintain speed, speed up (in final curves)
Tsukuba
(1,700) 11.18 - 152 hp
(2,200) 13.92
- 158 hp
(2,700) 15.43 - 175 hp
Sports Car Class
(1,500) 15.00 - 100 hp
(2,200) 15.61 - 141 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain speed
Grand Valley East
(1,700) 12.32 - 138 hp
(2,200) 14.47 - 152 hp
(2,700) 16.56 - 163 hp
Sports
Car Class
(1,500) TBA
(2,200) 17.32 - 127 hp
popular commands: slow down, maintain
speed, speed up (final curve onto straight)
* The ratios above were created with intermediate drivers (Class 5 and above). More power may be needed if
a lower Class driver is used.
*The 'sports car' class includes the smaller 2-seaters like Honda's S series. These have
a tendency to zip around larger cars in turns, which means they don't need as much horsepower down the straights. I have not
calculated a GVE ratio yet because the '64 S600 is the only model I've tried so far. This one makes 105 hp max, which is not
enough. So for now use the same power as Tsukuba, and make sure the cars which show up are mostly Class B.
**
The ratios above also include the faster "Class A" vehicles driven by the Ai, starting in front
of your vehicle. See below for more details, and also look at the A-spec definition of these faster autos on the
A-spec Japan Classic page. If no Class A autos show up (or sometimes if they start far back on the grid), 10-20
hp can be removed.
Description
The racing can be fierce and the competition tight in these three
6 lap events. TCS is still OFF on these Ai-mobiles, as evidenced by occasional rear-drives which take turns too
hot (especially Tsukuba) and wind up spinning in a massive cloud of smoke. Lots of sliding, lots of mock-drifts, too.
Sports
Car Class: I have noticed that certain 2-seaters can be used, and will require significantly less power than larger
coupes, hatches, GTs, and sedans. These sports cars can destroy others in turns, and experience zero
wheel-spin out of them, even without LSD tuning. Other sorts of tuning (especially transmission) might be necessary to make
a sports car ultimately successful. LSD tuning can be skipped at the first 2 tracks, but will probably be needed (decel especially)
at Grand Valley East to limit the tendency for our drivers to suffer spins out of the tunnel area.
Only drivers that
can handle this class should be tried. I am finding those which have balanced personalities (not too hot or cold) are best.
Opponents
Watch for Nissan Z cars, the Dome Zero, and any Mazdas
that show up. I called these "Class A" during the A-spec portion of races. These can possibly wind up being jackrabbits
at certain tracks, but sometimes they also spin and make it nowhere near the front. There are a few others to watch ('68 Nissan
Fairlady, '67 Toyota 2000GT, Skyline GT-Rs, and the '74 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR) especially at Tsukuba, sometimes
at Suzuka East as well.
Anybody else not mentioned ('79 Honda Civic, Honda S sports cars, '70 Mitsubishi
Galant FTO, etc.) is Class B. Class B can sometimes dominate Class A, but these races are rare.
Parts
used
> Comfort Soft tires
> Fixed Sport Suspension (cars which
handle okay won't need this).
> Custom Gearing (for those classics which can't make it down Suzuka's
and GV's straights without maxing revs), or for those with gearing which is way too tall. This includes many which are in
the Sports Car Class (Honda S series, for instance).
> Close gearing at Tsukuba for
some models.
> Light drivetrain parts (single-plate clutch, lighter flywheel).
> Limited-slip
differential for rear-drives if the driver has trouble keeping them from getting too oversteery. On the other
hand, in some cases you might not want to install this. Watching B-spec drivers get sideways can be fun!
Cars
used for ratios:
1,500 = '64 Honda S600 (Sports Car Class)
2,200 = '78 Dome Zero (Sports Car Class)
1,700 = '79 Honda Civic 1500 CX
2,200 = '71 Datsun 240ZG
2,700 = '78 Datsun 280Z-L
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitz / Yaris Race
Level: 2
Participants:
16
Fuji Speedway F - 4 laps
(1,800) 14.40 - 125 hp
(2,100) 15.00 -- 140 hp
popular commands: slow down (tightest turns), maintain
speed
Description
The actual game description says something about Vitzes being "easy
to drive, hard to master", and I'm not disagreeing. Watching my B-spec driver go at it with the other sims was almost as good
as watching any intense GT-type racing on Speed channel. Surprisingly aggressive and unpredictable this 1-make event happens
to be, not the borefest I was fearing.
Opponents:
You'd think the Vitz turbos would be causing the
most trouble; in reality any Vitz or Yaris can potentially be a problem. With this tracks combination of long straights, long
curves, but also some super-tight areas, everybody winds up getting a shot at glory.
Parts Needed:
Hard
Sport tires
Fixed Sport suspension
Single-plate clutch + lighter flywheel
Stock tranny
& differential are both okay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
European Classic Car Championship
Participants:
10
Level: 3
Madrid Circuito Mini
(1,000) 6.62
- 151 hp
(2,000) 11.62 - 172 hp
(2,400) 12.76 - 188 hp
Cote d'Azur
(1,000) 8.99
- 143 hp
(2,000) 12.42 - 161 hp
(2,400) 13.56 - 177 hp
popular commands at both tracks: slow down, maintain
speed
It's best to use Class 7 or higher drivers here with these numbers.
At Madrid it's best
to start the three strongest cars (Alpine 110, Alpine 310, and Lotus Europa Special)
behind your driver's car, or no higher than 4th place. Otherwise, the Ai will be harder to catch and you'll need more power.
At Cote d'Azur, this isn't so strict.
Ignore the above rule if you've actually entered one of the three
mentioned above. The '66 VW Beetle and '74 BMW 2002 are a couple of other dominators as well. If your driver is ultra-confident,
you can also remove up to 20 hp.
Description
This
is the second of three historic events. It's a good idea to buy or use a car for your drivers that is known to have
decent handling.
Other than a few slides and wrecks, the race at Madrid can be somewhat of a bore. If the
Lotus Europa shows up, it'll usually wind up blowing the rest of the Ai away, even if it is started in last place. I've
calculated for more power than the Ai, yet there are times when our drivers are still having problems fighting their way through
traffic. If they happen to get through early somehow, notice that they usually will start to jump ahead (sometimes far ahead)
of the competition. Not much we can do about this. It's (1) spend the entire race fighting traffic or (2) jackrabbit if the
driver gets lucky.
Certain cars (like the Alpines, Beetle, 2002, etc.) will usually always make their way to the front
with ease, and they may need a variety of restrictions (power and/or parts) to tame them.
>On the other
hand, if you're doing race after race without success, you can try more power. It usually doesn't help much to keep piling
it on though, since our drivers often still have problems navigating through messy European Classic traffic. But you can try
it. What might be a better idea is to try different gearing. Close gears work for several cars.
Opponents
The Ai seems of a higher class here. Even after 6 laps, they still have their strength and are
driving fairly confidently.
As mentioned, the Alpine team (A110 and A310), and Lotus Europa Special do best
at Madrid. At Cote d'Azur, they sometimes do well, sometimes wind up spinning and wrecking in a huge mess, their mid
and rear-engine layouts causing them to lose control. For this reason, any car can wind up dueling on the front
lines since the jackrabbits can possibly screw up.
Parts list
Comfort Soft tires for
cars like the following: Alpines, BMW 2002, Ginetta G4, Lotus Elan, Lotus Europa, Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1), and VW Karmann-Ghia, especially
against easier grids.
Sports Hard tires for just about everyone else.
Fixed Sport
Suspension for certain cars that have tricky handling.
Limited-slip device for those
that get a little fishtaily on exits. Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider for instance.
Most should be okay with stock
or close transmissions, but there may be that oddball that'll need close or full-custom work every now
and then.
Cars Used
''64 Ginetta G4 (1,000)
'70
Mini Marcos GT (1,200 pounds)
'66 Volkswagen Beetle (1,800 pounds)
'76 Volkswagen Golf GTi (1,800 pounds)
'73 BMW
2002 (2,400 pounds)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Classic Car Series
Participants: 12
Level: 3
Circuit de Sarthe (2009 no chicanes, 2 laps)
(1,000) 7.57 - 132 hp
(2,000) 10.15 - 197 hp
(3,000) 11.82 - 272 hp
(3,500) 12.15 - 288 hp
popular commands: maintain pace, speed
up (larger curves)
* The Sarthe ratios can be used if the '68 Nissan Fairlady,
'68 Mazda 110S, or '68 Mazda Cosmo Sport show up. If these do not show, less power will be needed
(TBD). These faster cars can be started at any position, including Pole.
Eiger Nordwand (6 laps)
(1,000) 7.76 - 124 hp
(2,000) 9.66 - 207 hp
(3,000) 10.38 - 291 hp
(3,500) 10.37 - 344 hp
Autumn Ring (6 laps)
(1,000) 8.47 - 118 hp
(2,000) 9.85 - 203
hp
(3,000) 10.79 - 278 hp
(3,500) 13.47 - 305 hp
popular commands (both tracks above): slow down, maintain
pace
**The ratios above can be used if faster Class A cars are started no
higher than 4th place at Eiger or Autumn Ring (see A-spec version of the WCCS for more details on the A and
B classes). It can be incredibly hard for our drivers to catch them at Eiger (not so much Autumn Ring) if these faster
cars are started any higher than 4th, even with massive horsepower bumps.
I have found that muscle cars
sometimes simply blow away everybody else at Autumn Ring, even after massive power restrictions. Other times, they struggle
with this tracks many curves and curbs. If you don't wanna sit thru a boring 6 lap race in which your Corvette or Camaro showboats
the entire fest, put some of the better A.I. cars on or near Pole.
Using the '66 Beetle as a B-spec weapon?
20 horsepower will need to be removed after calculating. The VW possesses a
massive amount of torque which allows it to smoke the competition a little too easily.
Description
Like
its A-spec version, the first race at Sarthe requires a different strategy than the other two events at Eiger and Autumn
Ring.
Sarthe: An incredible amount of power (by B-spec/ Beginner's Hall standards) is needed to succeed
here. So will a full-custom transmission tuned somewhere over 160 mph. But be careful. Tuning for too
much speed can cause a car's gears to be too tall, leading to sluggish acceleration out of Sarthe's chicanes and curves.
B-spec
drivers have an annoying habit of slowing or braking right in the middle of the Mulsanne straight, or not passing other
cars without slamming their bumper. Make sure you're telling them to "go fast" and "pass" down this straight, even if their
stress meter shows they're already as pressured as can be.
Eiger Nordwand: There's a high learning curve
for our drivers here in Switzerland, and even MORE power will be needed to succeed, even if we start the fastest A and
B-class vehicles far away from Pole Position. Lots of power (more than I'm suggesting) does not necessarily guarantee
easy wins, since we're starting in 7th place and Eiger has few passing zones. In some cases, stock or Close transmissions
can be used, although full-custom still guarantees the better power distribution.
Autumn Ring: A bit easier
for our drivers, but still not a walkover. Autumn Ring is a wider track with more passing zones.
Parts
list
Hard Sport tires
At Eiger and Autumn Ring, soft comforts can be
used for cars that simply walk around the competition.
Fixed Sport Suspension
for those that need it (look for cars that lean so much, their racing lines get wildly distorted because of this.
Full-custom
transmission for many cars at Sarthe that max their revs too early.
Single-plate clutch.
Flywheels and the carbon driveshaft are optional and can actually hurt a car's ability to lay down power without losing
traction. This mostly only applies to lighter FRs, though.
Full-custom differential for some
cars that burnout too easy when exiting turns.
Cars used to get ratios
'64 Ginetta
G4 (1,000)
'66 Alfa
Romeo Spider 1600 (2,000)
'54 Chevrolet Corvette (2,900)
'69 Chevrolet Corvette & Camaro Z28 (3,300)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FR Challenge
Level: 4
Participants:
10
Grand Valley East
(2,000) 7.33 - 273 hp
(2,700)
9.15 - 295 hp
(3,500) 10.48 - 334 hp (4,000) 10.92 - 366 hp
Tsukuba
(2,000) 6.92 - 289 hp
(2,700)
8.54 - 316 hp
(3,500) 8.64 - 405 hp (4,000) 9.19 - 435
hp
Trial Mountain Circuit
(2,000)
8.47 - 236 hp
(2,700) 10.00 - 270 hp
(3,500) 9.72 - 360 hp (4,000) 9.80 - 408 hp
Trucks
Grand Valley East
(3,800) 9.00 - 422 hp
Tsukuba
(3,800) 8.44 - 450 hp
Trial Mountain
(3,800) 11.99 - 417 hp
* Grids that are packed with sports cars like BMW's M-series,
FD-era RX-7s, RX-8s, C4 Corvettes (or later), Nissan's Z-cars (Z32 or later), might require you add some extra power,
especially if several of these faster automobiles start near Pole position. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. This
list of faster cars is incomplete, but you get the picture, right?
** The Shelby Series 1 is the only true jackrabbit, unless it starts way back on the grid.
Avoid having it included, or add extra power if you do include it, even if it starts in 9th or 10th sometimes.
** The above ratios were created with autos which handle fairly well
most of the time. Autos with more difficult handling traits should be avoided. I also used drivers which were at least Level
7 or 8.
Description:
Pay attention to that little blurb up above, the one
about car handling. If you give your driver a car that it has trouble driving, it will take forever to get a win. I initially
had my first B-spec driver in a Nissan Sil80, for instance. I could handle this car fine, but after Bob was on his 10th
loss in a row at Tsukuba, I realized perhaps this was a car he couldn't drive very well, and I opted for an FD-series RX-7
instead.
A good test is to take a car into the Practice hall and drive it around Tsukuba. All rear-drive
cars in GT5 can potentially fishtail if they're sideways, but as you're driving, try to select cars/settings that
feel easier to get out of slides with.
Also, if you can't floor the car's gas out of Tsukuba's hairpins
without excessive wheelspin showing up, even if your car is straightened up, your B-spec driver won't
be able to garner wins any time soon. This includes those drivers which have been traditionally good with cornering so
far.
* In some cases, buying Chassis Reinforcement parts can help here, but sometimes not. These
are the parts we buy in Tuning Shop > Body/Chassis that cost 20K.
Another friendly tip: pay attention to
how much power the car you're giving to Bob actually has. This is very important for monetary reasons. If you've
got a Nissan 200SX that starts with 210 horsepower, you're going to need to spend a ****load of cash to get it up towards
300 where it should be to compete successfully. Try and start with a car that's more like 250 to 290 horsepower, depending
on weight.
Speaking of weight, I've capped this one at about 3,500 pounds for practical reasons. It's possible there
are some cars out there that can win if they weigh over 3,500. But generally: the heavier we go, the more issues our cars
will have, especially at Tsukuba and Trial Mountain. I've experimented with cars heavier than 3,500, so far I haven't found
any that don't have issues with sluggish cornering at the two more technical tracks.
As
usual, each of these three events is 6 laps. It's honestly addicting to watch the action sometimes, as it is intense
at times, so that you'll wind up not watching your driver. But keep your driver(s) under strict watch...at least 80%
of the time! Even drivers which have so far been good with cornering may get overwhelmed with the learning curve these higher-paced
races require.
Opponents:
The racing itself seems more intense in B-spec than it does during
A-spec. There are more scuffles and more accidents. More power-slides. It's a good way to go off from the Beginner's League
toward the Amateurs.
I've already detailed which opponents are stronger than others up above (Shelby Series 1,
BMW M-series cars, etc.), so have a look there. A more comprehensive list can also be found in the A-spec FR Beginner's
section.
Parts:
Medium Sport Tires
Fixed or Height-adjustable Sport Suspension (some
handling demons may not need these parts).
Light drivetrain parts (single-plate clutch, lighter flywheel, carbon
driveshaft)
Close gears for some cars at Tsukuba, maybe Trial Mountain.
Full-customized
gearbox for those that truely need it. Some older classics which can't make GVE's straight without maxing rpms, for
instance.
Full-customized limited-slip, again for those cars which our drivers have trouble handling
without excessive fishtailing.
Chassis Reinforcement, for some older models with slightly slippery/slidey
shenanigans. ;) Sometimes this helps, sometimes not, so careful before you part ways with 20K here.
Cars used
for ratios:
'95 Mazda Miata S-special (2,000)
'93 Mazda RX-7 Type RZ (2,700)
'97 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (3,500) '08
Dodge Challenger SRT8 (4,000)
'03 Chevrolet SSR (3,800, Trucks) '
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