A friend and I are getting cable modems installed over the course of next
week and we are looking to start a new GPL Online Racing League (as yet
unnamed). So far the available host machines are as follows:
Celeron 300a (O/C to 450mhz)
64MB PC 100 RAM
Voodoo 2 12MB
Cable Modem
and a
P2 450
192 MB RAM (Should be able to record full races).
12 MB Voodoo 2 SLI
Cable Modem.
We are located in Central Texas and would prefer racers with low ping
times (of course!) but would be interested in hearing from applicants
from
anywhere. We are going to use a scoring system like that used in the sim
and may or may not (depending on demand) run point earning races at the
more difficult tracks like the Ring. The first season will probably be
short to determine interest and to avoid long stretches were individual
drivers are completely out of the points race. The races will be run from
the password protected rooms at VROC and we are looking at having at
least one a week, with the
servers running unattended for practice sessions between races. We need
10-12 drivers and will only be running one Class. Race length will be
intermediate-long.
A note on driver skill league difficulty. My friend and I are currently
what I would consider 'average'. I've raced at Spa, Kyalami, Monza and
Zandvoort. My times aren't fast. 1:35 Monza, 1:41 Zandy, 3:50 at Spa
and 1:40 or so at Kyalami. Slow but I know the line and can stay on the
track. We would like to create a league with drivers of the same skill
level and attempt to all grow together. I'll reprint an earlier post
I've mine from usenet to show my feelings in this area:
"Probably going to get flamed for this, but here goes.
I've been putting alot of time into GPL lately and I've hit a wall. My
quickest time at Monza is a 1:35 and I run 3:50's at Spa and 1:40's at
Zandy. I've had a hard time getting faster then that (despite watching
practice hotlappers w/ in car view). I realize that I'm way off the pace
but I finished 3rd (Four laps down) in a 27 lap race at Zandy (10-12 car
field....don't quite remember). During that race I was involved in one
incident and spun twice. I'm fairly smooth, but slow.
Now a comment/observation based upon my experience that I would like to
get everyone's opinion on:
There are alot of fast racers, but few good drivers. Don't get me wrong;
I'm neither. But it gets old when I get re-ended and then I'm told that
I have to drive faster. A) I have as much right to be on the track as
anyone in a non-password protected race. B) I get out of the way when I
can, but I can't move over easily in a high speed corner or the middle of
the Masta kink. Don't drivers look for a good place to pass, or do they
just try to run hotlaps OVER everyone? What is the point of being fast if
you can't
make ANY adjustments to track conditions?
I lack talent and have to drive 'smart'. I just wish that some of the
other drivers would combine their talents with some sense. I'll try to
get faster if they'll try to watch out for me. :)
That is all, please be gentle with the flames, I burn easily.
Andrew M on VROC"
As my friend would like to have it summed up, "No Paul Tracys". :) If you
are interested in our "Kindler/Gentler league, please respond to
following information:
*System Config (CPU/RAM)
*Connection type
*General location
*Car you will drive (We want a good mix. No 12 Lotus fields. I
drive an Eagle.)
*Tracks you are familiar with
*Best lap times or general estimate of your skill level (Please be
honest.. slow or fast racers will not be denied, but we want people that
can remain on the track for the most part).
*Nights and times you would be available converted to US Central or give
us your time zone.
Thank you for your time,
We also need an html website guy/girl if anyone would like to volunteer.
We want some sort of offical record to add to the 'coolness factor'. We
can learn to do it ourselves, but it may not be pretty. :)
THIS IS NOT A FLAME
OK I sorta' in the middle on this because I have only recently become
quick enough to lap slower cars on some tracks. You have to remember
that other racers are as likely to "off" as you are if they hit you. I
wouldn't make the mistake of thinking that they are intentionally
making contact with the slower cars. Most of the GPL folks are a very
sportsman like and just a generally decent bunch of people. The
difference in total lap times between a fast and slower driver might
not seem that great but the difference in speed is huge in the braking
zones and trough the corners. I absolutely nailed someone exiting the
first of the "Lesmos" the other night. It was as if they were standing
still . I was at "the limit of adhesion" in a turn where there is
basically only one line if you are at speed . Sometimes, no matter how
good you are, there is just no where to go. I wouldn't take it
personally. As we all get more experience racing online I think the
differences in speed will narrow and this will not be so much of an
issue. Until then ,as the NASCAR guys like to say, " it's just one of
them racin' deals"
Good luck with the league. ....oh yea : take it easy on Paul
Tracy. I feel bad for him after that Fontana race. Think about it, 1
million dollars , SWOOSHHHHH , right down the toilet.
> take it easy on Paul
>Tracy. I feel bad for him after that Fontana race.
Hey, Tracy was a loose cannon all season -- I think Wally Dallenbach WAS being
easy on him by just suspending him for one race next season.
Bob
