VROC users and regular readers of my GPL site already know about this,
but if you haven't tried my Coventry race setups for GPL, read on.
After racing with a large and diverse population on VROC, I can say one
thing for sure: many people are finding the Lotus, Eagle and Ferrari a
big challenge, maybe a bit bigger challenge than they bargained for. For
some GPL enthusiasts, the frustration level must be running very high.
If you find yourself struggling to get the best out of a GP car while
keeping it on the road, I've got some help. I've developed a collection
of setups for the Coventry which will help you leave the frustration
behind, and experience more of the delights offered by GPL.
I've left the development of hotlap setups to others, who are much
better at hotlapping than I am. My setup philosophy is to try to create
a setup which will be easy to drive and forgiving, since consistency -
and minimizing mistakes - is so important in races. I'm not so
interested in speed over a single lap. What is important for racing is
the speed over an entire race distance.
For this, the Coventry shines, since it is perhaps the most forgiving
and communicative car of all the cars in GPL. This philosophy seems to
be working, because I've won quite a few races on VROC with the Coventry
against lighter, more powerful cars which were clearly faster over a
single lap.
The Coventry, set up well, is an absolute joy to drive. It's a superb
tool for honing one's skills as a driver and as a race tactician. I
find I expend less mental resources thinking about keeping the car on
the road, which leaves more mental resources available for thinking
about how to go fast, and how to deal with traffic.
Granted, a highly skilled driver will almost certainly be able to lap
faster in some of the other cars. But for most of us, especially during
the learning process, we'll be able to lap just as fast in the Coventry
as in the Lotus or Eagle, and we'll be able to do it far more
consistently. I found that once I'd mastered the Coventry, and could
drive it near the limit lap after lap without going off, I was able to
drive the other cars better as well.
If you're like me, you'll find that it's a lot more satisfying and a
great deal more fun to do a solid, mistake-free drive to the podium in
the Coventry than to spend half the race extricating yourself and the
Lotus from the weeds.
Here is Keith Findlay's reaction after he tried my Coventry race setups:
"I reckon you've done exactly what was needed here. Beginners the world
over may now rejoice!!
"Your setups are an absolute delight to use. Fast, surefooted, and
forgiving. Just what the doctor ordered.
"My first flying lap of the ring was 9:12 with 2 spins, so around 8:45s
should be feasible easily. That's brilliant with that car, and as you
say, you could do it for hours if necessary.
"At Zandvoort...[I] have a 1:28.86. I was very surprised that the time
was so quick, because it didn't feel stressed at all. I believe that
with a wheel, and a bit more time, the Coventry with your setup should
be capable of 1:27s, and maybe into the 1:26s with a really top driver
at the controls. If you know you're not yet in the absolute top rank of
sim-racers, what more do you need?
"Frankly, I see no need to develop my own setups for the time being.
Yours will do just fine, thank you very much!!"
John Wallace said this after reading my comments about the Coventry:
"Nice to see the Coventry get the praise it deserves! Ever since I tried
all the cars at Monza and Zandvoort it's been my favourite car in the
sim. ...it is far and away the most fun to drive. ... The fact that it's
forgiving means you can either use that to allow you to stay on the
track, or throw it around even more knowing that you'll probably be able
to pick up the pieces if it goes wrong :-)"
And others:
"Thank you for the tip to try the Coventry."
"Thank you for your excellent Coventry setups!"
"I agree with everything you said about the Coventry. It's made races
much more enjoyable. "
"Just downloaded your set-ups for the Coventry today and it is amazing
how responsive and much easier the car is to drive."
"I've tried your Cooper setups and they are superb."
"I never knew GPL cars could be so easy to drive."
----
You can read about the Coventry and my race setup philosophy, and
download my complete setup collection at:
http://nh.ultranet.com/~alison/gpl/
On the left-hand navigation menu, choose Help, and then Setup.
Alison
Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me.
http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~alison
1-0 for Alison ! :-)
Bart
Ive tried your Coventry-Setup in Spa and was able to make a 3.31.76 within
1 Hour. My previous best lap was about 3.33.8 with a Lotus.
The other thing is that I could drive a lot of laps continuesly without a
spin (I have not been able to do this with the Lotus) and times about 3.33 -
3.35.
Great work, Alison, thanks a lot.
Forgive my bad English, Im a German from Cologne.
Kalle Thiel
Hi!
Incredible setups: the car is so easy and fast that I have more fun and
best laps (and races)... except at Mexico...
I know there is already a post on this and there is a note in your page
:"I've only done about five laps at Mexico in the Coventry". Does
someone manage good laps consistently at Mexico with this setup (about
1:52-1:53 which is not a big problem in a Lotus in race)? I have some
good laps too with the covert' but it's hard to stay on the track...
Seb
still very much a novice at this GPL lark (even though I seen to have spent
a lot of time at it!!!) - have have the game about 6 weeks and have only
driven Kyalami (nearest to my home of Zimbabwe!) and watkins glen.
Have done an ATB of 1:23.00 in the Lotus at KYA and with one or 2 tweeks (to
even the tyre temps with my driving) I managed a 1:23.74 with the Coventry.
Nice one - thanx.
1:07.25 is my best at the Glen - in the Ferrari.
grrrr - I really seem have hit a brick wall at both places - have to watch
some more replays and see where I can gain a tenth or ten!!
-Lindsay
