rec.autos.simulators

Just watching some on board video of David Farmer's Corvette at Lime
Rock before I leave work, and I'm startled by 2 things:

-Lime Rock is *bumpy* - he's bouncing around and feathering the
throttle all over the place.  I haven't had SpeedTV for a while (just
moved recently) - and my only on track experience is the Nurburgring
in a rented A4, and clinging to the roll bar inside a '70 Firebird at
Summit Point,WV  (ride-along laps for charity).  Is LR particularly
torn up?

-The fore-aft bouncing and pitching is particularly noticeable - I
remember alot of people ***ing about the effect being overdone in
GTR2002 - but from the video it looks *spot on*.

-And the *sound* :) - even with the low-quality realaudio file - no
game has even come *close*.  Not alot of whine or screech - just
wonderful growl-rasp-growl.  The other interesting thing is how rapid
the sound drop-off is from other cars - cars are plenty loud when
they're right on top of him, but by the time they're right in front
you don't hear a thing.

Damn - when's SBDT's GTR supposed to come out :)?

Kendt

Lime Rock is bumpy.  It wasn't always quite so bumpy (it's been repaved a
few times), but the foundation was laid almost half a century ago, and the
pavement has been patched so many times (here and there with cement even)
that it's just a tattered old shmatta.

   Rossanne Barr's singing and US Politics?

  Lime Rock is in New England, Cold winters create frost heaves.  Ask the
Indy car drivers why they left Pocono?

        Wellllll...they got the motion, but I'm one who thinks it does
detract too much...You'll notice that while his car was bouncing, he wasn't
going slower.

   This Summer or early Fall I would guess.
  Gear whine depends alot on the type of car.  I remember hearing incar
audio of BMW Super Tourers that was ALL WHINE.  I don't know how he picked
shift points because the howling gears totally overlaid the engine noise.  
I've heard other types that are a mix of gear howl and engine growl.  
   I would think the positioning of the microphone would have alot to do
with it.  I remember just a year or so ago in F1, the Schumacher Ferrari
sounded tinny and lifeless while in car.  But Barrechello's sound was much
different, you could hear the full scream of the engine as well as road
noise and wind.  I wish F1 sims could find THAT tape to digitize.  I
suspect we don't hear the real engine sound in many cars, Competitive
secrecy probably means if a TV camera is onboard, the microphone must be
filtered.

dave henrie

Not soon enough. =)

(and yeah, lime rock is full of patched tarmac)

Jason

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 20:36:52 -0600, Dave Henrie

Pocono isn't bad anymore.  The reason the Indycars left was safety
concerns anyway - the barriers at Pocono are completely unsafe for
open wheeled cars.

Jason

In other words - I shouldn't be surprised how bad any of these things
are ;)?
[snip]

I'm watching Mid-Ohio on the TV right now - what a battle with those
Porsches!  I bet the effect has more to do with F12k2's track
modelling - they're *all* as bumpy as LRP!  Must be why I tend to fire
up quick races at Interlagos - the bumpiness feels right for that
track ;).  I love Suzuka too - but the modelling there is hopeless
(esp the run up to the spoon curve - great fun trying to hold it
together, but they might as well put "Flugplatz" in Japanese on a
sign!)

'03 - from the file names.

Yeah - I remember the on-board from the BTCC races - WHIIINE!  Then of
course there's the WRC cars - squeeek-chirp-squeek-chirp.
Let's hope the on-board recording stuff SBDT has talked about will
yeild something spectacular.  Seems like you'd have to track the
direction/speed of the throttle movement as well as the RPM's to get a
really proper model of the engine noise.

Kendt

Summit Point eh.....I raced a few races there on the road course
myself.  I grew up near Charles Town, and my uncle worked at the track
for years.  A good friend of mine was working as a medic at the track,
don't know if he still is.  I moved away from the area three years
ago, and moved to the beach!  That is a pretty cool road course
though, for a smaller area, saw Paul Newman race there a couple times!

Yup.  Hence the need for softer springs than any sane person would use
in a car with that much ride-height-dependant downforce.

Jason

There's some concrete patches that are slippery, but they're not too bumpy
in a slow car (formula Dodge) but there is a *** bump right at the apex of
the downhill turn.  Could be a lot bumpier in a heavier and/or a faster car.

Brook

I go to Summit 15 times a year.  It was very bumpy and even had holes in it
a few years ago.  It has been repaved and even has a lot of grip in it now.
They use to call it Slippery Point.  The track is in pretty good shape right
now. :-)

Nim

OMFG - you mean they *finally* repaved it?  I used to go there alot
with my brother.  He cut his motorcycle RR teeth (and a whole lot
else!) there.  It seemed like every year they'd say it was about to
get repaved - most I ever saw was them scarifying the surface of some
of the turns (looked ***, and ate knee sliders!).
What kind of events are they holding there these days?  I wondered how
it was doing since the resurrection of VIR.

Kendt

ACK

Oh yes, the Supertouring-Cars were extrem in that. It was strange to hear
that when a driver shifted up the noise didnt become lower but higher.

Yes, you can also notice a difference betweens a cam mounted above the
driver-helmet and one mounted at the nose of the car.

Yeah man!  The surface is a million times better then it use to be.  Infact
they are building a 3rd track that is suppose to be done this spring.
Behind the big barn outside the esses.

They have about 7 SCCA events. 4 CCS events one of them being Formula USA
that is held on Memorial day weekend this year.  That event is incredible.
4 or so WERA events one of them a National.  2 Vintage car events. Then a
bunch of club and carting events.

If you ever decide to go shoot me an email.  I go to all the SCCA and CCS
events with a couple of others scattered in between. :-)

Nim

Cool!  Thanks!  It really is a nice track layout - glad to hear it's doing well.

Kendt