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Hey, a question I can answer! Normally these things are of the order of
"why is it so easy to do 7:45 at the Ring in a BRM blindfolded?"...
Anyhow, I'd say that if you're unstable in an Eagle at Spa, you'll be
unstable in the other cars too. Building a rhythm is important for all
the tracks, but for Spa it's absolutely vital - you need to *flow* from
one corner into the next. Point and squirt won't work here.
Other people have mentioned Roland Ehnstr?m's setups, and I certainly
think they're easier to drive than Greger Huttu's - they're much more
stable, and can easily be used for a race and not just a hotlap. I use
a tweaked version of RE's setup myself - it used to be available from
my website, but the Spa page is down right now (must get it back up
sometime!). Email me if you want it.
Here's what I do at Spa, in briefest outline:
Take Eau Rouge in 3rd, slide around the l-h bend at the top, just
avoiding clipping the grass bank on the inside. Up to 5th. Down to 2nd,
and slide around the tight l-h. Flat out down the hill (including the
chicane). High 4th or medium 5th to taste round the long r-h, into
Malmedy.
Malmedy is incredibly difficult to get right, but if I'm flowing I do
it all in 3rd with not much change in throttle. Do *not* lift right off
here - you'll end up in the hedge. Slide out of the bottom of Malmedy
onto the long straight and thrash down in top gear - you should top
200mph. Don't change down for Masta, and steer early into the lower, r-
h part of the corner. Dash down the hill on the left.
Enter Stavelot in 5th and gradually scrub speed off around it, changing
down to 4th then 3rd. Go right out to the left as you start the uphill
section. Foot flat to the floor around a couple of gentle curves, then
take the right-hander in 4th. Go out wide to the left on the approach,
then clip the apex and *accelerate* round it - counterintuitive, but it
works. About 165mph will do.
Up the short straight into another r-h bend. This is a tricky one; I
take it in a very high 3rd, but a medium 4th might be better in a race
situation. Again, accelerate through the corner. Then up to a vicious
double-apex left. Brake just before the end of the dark groove, and
slide around into the very short straight. Up into 4th just before the
second corner. Stay in 4th around the r-h.
The next l-h needs a tiny lift from the top of 4th gear, which allows
you to slingshot around into the short straight leading up to La
Source. Brake just after the 200 board, but be careful - it's very easy
to spin here. La Source itself is a 40mph 1st-gear corner, which is
easy, but judging when to put the gas back on isn't. Then down the
hill, and over the line.
(The above came from watching a 3:19 I did. Not by any means perfect,
but it shows it can be done!)
--
David. (GPLRank handicap -6.57; Monsters of GPL +271.79)
The GPL Scrapyard: http://www.racesimcentral.net/
"After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll,
really" - Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh.