I been playing on this server a bit, its great fun, but there is almost no rest between races and tracks... i never know what setup to pick or how much fuel to run, so ive just been putting in a buncha fuel and sticking with one setup... but i dont know how much of a disadvantage that puts me in... what do you guys do?

Type "$tracks" without the quotes. That will tell you the current track, how long until the next track rotation, and even gives you statistical info suggesting how much fuel to use. On setups, the track rotates every 2 hours or so. How have you not figured out and easy way for you to name setups that you can pick the correct one for a particular track after 4 years? I generally have specific setups for each track, but for the XFG and Fern Bay for example, I only use one particular setup no matter what the configuration. My Fern Bay is also what I use on South City as well.

Name your setups Blackwood, FE Gold, SO Classic, etc, or if you know the abbreviations, BL1, FE4, SO1R etc if you use different sets for different tracks.

I have to clean up my setups actually. I have probably 50-60 sets for each the XFG and FZR that I've collected or made through the years. They are all named with the track name included, so I have many BL1 sets, but only 1 that I use now. Same with Fern Bay. I have a set for each config of FE, but only usually use the same FE Green set I tweaked for all of Fern Bay and South City configs.

im always trying out new setups that people send me and i only drive a few layouts

I just guess for the first race, and usually end up with a doggy setup that understeers like a bitch and leaves me three seconds off the pace. Then I look at it in the garage, swear at it, replace the locked diff with a clutch pack and run race two.

After race two I usually increase the tyre pressures because I'm pushing harder and either the rears are getting cooked from oversteery exits or the fronts are scrubbing too much on reversed configs from braking and turning at the same time.

By the end of race three I've given up and switched to a new setup and begun the whole process all over again, or I've messed with the damper settings out of desperation, got them wrong, made the car a total deathtrap and brought out yellow flags every sector for the first three laps...

Sounds good Kev,i think il try that approach

/OT yeah just name the setups when you get them if yu get lots and there is only a certain track rotation isnt there ne time i have been on its BL1, SO1, SO1r, FE sumthing, FE sumthing reversed, SO2, SO2R (in no order by the way)

well still that helps cause i thought it was just random tracks... still would like a few more seconds between rounds

Quote from drinklime :

still would like a few more seconds between rounds

Yeah it would certainly help. Was racing at SO1R tonight on the SS1 server, good racing but it was far too frantic with almost no downtime inbetween races. Once the results were confirmed (bearing in mind it only takes about 50 seconds for everyone to finish after the winner), the restart procedure began immediately - not even time to check the CTRA results panel or licence status or anything.

I think a minutes breather space inbetween races after dodging wrecked noobs for 15 laps would be quite welcome!

Other than that, good racing once again tonight. Apart from an ATC guy who completely ignored a waved blue flag for four laps, the racing was fun, clean and fast. I think the quality of CTRA must have suffered from the popularity of the launch hype, because it's been great this week.

As far as setups go, I just nick them off Inferno and live with them. Although I tweaked one to my style and got within 1 second of the world record, which is a big thing for me.

Experience plays a BIG part in this for me, after 28,000 miles i know my way around most tracks and while the braking points are different, i have experience in both the car and the track and can put the two together into a fairly quick time.

Just keep driving and you'll get better, and dont focus on one combo - the CTRA is VERY good in this respect as you get used to a combo, find out the lines etc, have some fun and then get on a new track.

Quote from Jakg :

Experience plays a BIG part in this for me, after 28,000 miles i know my way around most tracks and while the braking points are different, i have experience in both the car and the track and can put the two together into a fairly quick time.

Just keep driving and you'll get better, and dont focus on one combo - the CTRA is VERY good in this respect as you get used to a combo, find out the lines etc, have some fun and then get on a new track.

Well there is the trick from CTRA for me. It always change tracks. So you can get used to tracks and cars. For instances I hated the RWD cars just by the lake of experience. But due to CTRA you have no choice and you go for it. That means i would.

It is just a matter of time and you can drive with the fastest on track, at least i hope

this is why I bumped this thread in Improvement Suggestions:
http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=2008