B2O iRacing 24 Hours of Le Mans 2017

[John Navara]

Keep at it man, you'll get there. Remember, its endurance racing. It's ok to be a little off pace, I am. The important thing is to endure.

John, Remember this is a team event where we are after a fun time for the entire group first and foremost. Nobody is going to get left out because they were not "on the pace" (I would never get a drive if that were the case lol).

We still have 3 weeks until the race, week 12 is protoGT at Le Mans for 90 minutes anyway so there will be practice servers up all week in addition to any hosted sessions we put up between now and then. There is plenty of time to hone your lap times and get comfortable in the car

Also, when we're practicing together, we might be able to give some pointers on where to improve (braking later, adjustment to line etc.). I'm sure anyone on the team would be willing to look at a lap of yours and do their best to help out.

This is exactly why I enjoy this group as much as I do. I am very frustrated right now and this keeps me wanting to push forward. I just spent 45 minutes practicing just now. Getting the Optimum time down into the low 50's. Now I just need to put a bunch of FULL laps together and not just good different sectors.

Thanks!!!
John

 

[Will]

If the whispers I've been hearing over the past few weeks are true, brace yourselves for a new car announcement to come probably in the next few days. Just a heads up.

 

[Brainling]

So the only two cars that would effect this race would be the Ferrari 488 GTE or the Porsche 911 RSR, and the only one we know for sure is in development is the 488. RSR has only been hinted at (in the 911 GT3 Cup release video, a couple glimpses of the RSR are shown).

Sooooooo Ferrari 488 GTE confirmed. Basically everyone will be driving it, hehe.

 

[Sam Roselaar]

is the 911 RSR similar to 911 CUP?
i would drive that then, solo if i have to

porsche over anything else any day

 

[Brainling]

Yes, the RSR and the R are the full blown purpose built race versions of the GT3 Cup. So the RSR got it's 991 update this year and debuted at Daytona. In the GT3 Cup release video they show a couple of snippets of the new RSR (easiest way to tell is the gigantic rear diffuser).

The RSR in real life is a LeMans GTE spec car. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911_GT3#991_RSR_.282017.E2.80.93.29

There is also the 991 R (see the same page) which is a GT3 spec car. That's been racing since 2015 and is another possible inclusion somewhere down the road, likely to compete in the Blancpain series and possibly IMSA.

That said, for LeMans, the only two additions that would cause a wave are the 488 GTE or the 911 RSR, which would both race as GT2/GTE level cars.

(One other tidbit for as to why more Porsche sports car racers are surely going to come to iRacing: Asetto Corso already has the 991 R and 991 RSR, so Porsche is willing to let the data out the door).

 

[PancakesYUMMY]

o m g i want to drive new car

 

[Noodleguitar]

It/they probably won't be in Le Mans, since the most likely release date will be during week 13. That would give us a few days practice and they didn't include the Audi + Mercedes in the Sebring 12 Hour either when that happened before.

The good news is that I gained 250 iRating this week (actually 380 but I lost 130 in the McLaren as well ), so that might give us a decent chance at top split.

 

[Sam Roselaar]

nice 2/3 people from the ford team will drive the new car

good job Noël!
but if the porsches are practicly the same, why doesn't my hours and hours of PIC practice count?

if the porsche comes out week 13 they better put it in le mans

 

[Skid_Marc_]

Good luck making top split in a brand new car...

This is why week 13 endurance events are so stupid. Think of all the time and effort some people have put into practice already, just to lose it all. Not to mention all the fucking idiots that are going to jump into the race in a brand new car with no practice because "NEW CAR!!!!"...

That said, I'm probably going to put up another 4 hour Le Mans hosted session this afternoon, about 4pm EST.

 

[John Navara]

Marc,

Excellent on the hosted session. Hopefully I'll get a chance to get some behind the wheel time after work.

John

 

[Brainling]

Think you could delay that by an hour or two? 4pm EST is like 1 PM my time, and I won't even be home by the time that session ends.

If not I'll just put up another one when I get home from work.

 

[Sam Roselaar]

don't underestimate how much practice an unemployed "man" can get in 1 week

besides if the porsches really are that alike, i've gotten hours and hours of seat time in the CUP car

 

[Skid_Marc_]

don't underestimate how much practice an unemployed "man" can get in 1 week

besides if the porsches really are that alike, i've gotten hours and hours of seat time in the CUP car

Sam, the cars aren't going to be anywhere close to the same. GT3 Cup car is a stripped down rear-engine production based car, the GTE car is a purpose built MID-ENGINE race car with more power and WAY more aero..

Also, my fear isn't how much practice someone CAN get in, it is how much practice the majority of people in the session around me will have ACTUALLY gotten in..

 

[Brainling]

The 911 RSR isn't coming before LeMans anyway, it's almost certainly going to be the Ferrari 488 GTE. Same issues that Marc brought up: Mid engined purpose built race car with a ton of aero.

 

[Sam Roselaar]

i'm sad now ;(

 

[John Navara]

Do you guys really think a majority of teams will switch over to the Ferrari if it's released soon? That car alone could have more entries than the HPD.

John

 

[Nejtun]

Even if a new car gets released and half or more of the entries (foolishly) flock to it with a week to go before the race there will still only be 20 ish of each class ( I believe the grid size is 60) in each split. This means the top 3 -5 splits would be normal size and then the last 5+ splits would be full grids of Ferrari similar to how it normally is with the HPD as you get lower down.

Nothing to worry about here!
imo

 

[Kenadian]

You all up for running a few Hosted Sessions tonight for #PracticePals?

 

[Skid_Marc_]

Do we really want to pass up on Porsche at Phillip Island or IMSA at Mid-Ohio? A lot of us have been practicing Le Mans on the side, and maybe it would be a good Saturday/Sunday thing to squeeze in, but I'd hate to by-pass your favorite tracks with a really good car because of an endurance event which a.) iRacing Official ProtoGT will be running next week, and b.) we still have Week 12 AND a worthless Week 13 (with no official racing/league/practicepals) that we can spend on Le Mans..

I just really hate to miss these tracks for you, when they come around so little already..

 

[Kenadian]

I'm good either way to be perfectly honest. I love these tracks as you so well know but for me it's always about the benefit of the Community at large rather than my own personal gain.