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VEC Race 9 - 24 hours of VEC Le Mans

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First of all, congratulations to #70 Tomas Enge Simracing for winning the GT3 championship! Since I've been driving VEC, you've driven at the highest level every season, no matter which car you chose. So big respect for this achievement :thumbsup: (y)!

Congratulations also to the BMW teams, #89 BS Competition for winning the big one (well-deserved after so much bad luck) and to #58 Visceral for 2nd place in the championship. Having apparently the best car over the entire season does not guarantee you anything, because you still have to perform and you both did it. So, congrats on that.

And obviously a big thank you and congratulations to my teammates of #81 & #91. To finish P3 and P4 in the championship feels like a win when you consider all these circumstances. Pretty proud about that!
It was a really tough season for us and we are pretty sure that we have maxed out the performance of our car and definitely made the best out of it. It is not that easy to find enough motivation each race, to be as competitive as possible when you realize that you have picked an (let me say) interesting car :oops:. But we have accepted the challenge, have worked together and had still a great team spirit to improve this car as much as possible for each round.

That leads me to the disappointing part of this season. The amount of public complaining and defending by some drivers/teams about the usual topic BOP was pretty annoying for us in the team. Why are you not first of all trying to maxed out the performance of your own car and see the big picture, before starting to complain :rolleyes:!?

Anyway, thanks for this intense and long season, which was BHR’s most successful in terms of results. Congrats to all the other class winners and champions!

And finally, thanks to @Jimmi Allison for making it possible for us to compete against each other in a well-organized community.

Cheers and have a nice summer break

Alex
 
Hello everyone!


Now that the season is over, it might be a good time to reflect.



I would want to leave a personal opinion as a driver during the season in GT3.
Firstly, to say that I have not written any comment on the BoP changes that have occurred during the season.


In pre-season we had a test at Monza to test all the cars under a BoP that, in theory, should be the one used for the season.


All the teams do their tests and after their conclusions, they decide each car according to its performance, versatility, circuits, comfort, setup, fuel consumption, tyre wear, racepace, etc...
Once the entries have been made, the BoP is modified. And not only that, also race after race some cars are adjusted for the circuit, being benefited and harmed the performance of the others.

Now I will give some examples:
When we tested the Porsche in pre-season we didn't choose it because the 6th was too short, and we knew that at Daytona and Le Mans the car would reach the RPM limit.
When we tested the BMW in pre-season we didn't choose it because the fuel consumption was exaggerated compared to the others. However, we liked the car.
Finally and after testing all the cars in all the circuits the Porsche and BMW were discarded for being weak in some circuits and we chose the AMG because it seemed to us the most complete without standing out in anything in particular.

It was a surprise for us to see the BoP modified race by race to the benefit of some.

A clear example is the Porsche.
It is surprising to arrive at Daytona and see that the Porsche's 6th gear is adjusted specifically to make up for the eventual disadvantage of that car. We go to Road America and it is modified again. At LeMans, 3 more adjustments are made to the 6th gear.

During the season, changes are made to the cars: power, fuel, weight, drag, etc... When those pros and cons should be, in my opinion, fixed from the date the car is chosen until the end of the championship. Without exception.


The aim of the comment is not a complaint, it is to find a solution to the problem. That's why we believe that the best thing would be a single BoP for the whole season, tested during the pre-season by all the teams and without any modification during the season.




Thank you very much, see you next season.
 
What happened?
Crash seems to be strange. At the beginning i believe too optimistic accelerating on the kerb but when i saw the line of the car, i think is a wheel issue isn't it?
Too sad for you
 
So,

Season 16 again, it was a great season and the team participated in the VEC for 2 years. It went much better than the 1st year, and we had great races again. We can complain about the bop etc but it is what it is. I wanted to thank everyone behind the scenes and also the riders this season. We are now going to enjoy our holiday and hopefully see you next VEC season
 
Debrief time! Thanks Jimmi for taking the time to plan a second test start and for asking everyone to turn their headlights on! It was extremely helpful, and also looked very good on stream!

My teammates followed me on the 720s, I wanted to try a mid engined car, and I told them "historically, these cars are the best when it rains" :ROFL: :ROFLMAO: We struggled a lot to set it up (except at Sebring), it was always on the edge, which cost us the race in Daytona, RA, Spa and Le Mans.

I still really liked this last race for some reason, no strat, no fight, just pure hotlapping, except for the last few hours when Tomelli closed down the gap and put the pressure on us. So we made even hotter laps.
Shout out to my two team mates who gave everything to stay and then come back to D1!

We'll pick the Bentley next time :lol: :Laugh:
Congrats to all the winners and podium finishers!
 
Riki Jimenez said:
The aim of the comment is not a complaint, it is to find a solution to the problem. That's why we believe that the best thing would be a single BoP for the whole season, tested during the pre-season by all the teams and without any modification during the season.
Click to expand...
Man if only i asked for Motec files before the season so we could get the best start. Oh wait i did, didn't I?
Jimmi Allison said:
BOP:
The constant talk about BOP will be ignored, we are doing our best to keep cars very close, and will continue to do so. You can pick ANY car you want, do not pick the slowest and then complain about it, but don't pick the fastest just for pure speed as it most likely will get adjusted. If you can't deal with us making BOP calls, please do not sign up. There are other leagues that don't go through the hasle of keeping cars at same level. Go race there!
If you are still interested feel free to submit motec before even signing up - as soon as you have season pass you have access to the already massive changed cars. You can do so by sending it in contact staff.
Click to expand...
For Le Mans:
Out of 7 entries 0 Ferrari team sent in their motec
Out of 4 entries 1 McLaren team sent in their motec
Out of 9 entries 0 Mercedes team sent in their motec
Out of 8 entries 2 BMW teams sent in their motec
Out of 5 entries 1 Porsche team sent in their motec (full stint very late)
Then what i can do there is simply use that data i have from previous rounds, laps done on server etc.
So get in the game if you want to argue about BOP you better damn well step up to the plate and deliver.

/out

I will never let BOP not be a thing, so dont waste your breath thinking BOP wont happen. It will.
 
Thanks, everyone, for a great season. As a new team, we managed to achieve 4 podium finishes, including both 24H races.

I also have to compliment all the driving teams in the last race at Le Mans. This race was a real step up in terms of respect for all drivers and teams. There was great adherence to blue flags, giving room to LMH and LMP2 drivers, and, in return, receiving respect from those teams.

Hopefully, we can make it to DIV1 next season. What I noticed is that there are some teams who only completed a few laps to get the points in DIV1 and still maintain their position, while we had to fight hard for those points. This is quite disappointing. I really hope this is taken into account for qualifying next season, especially for the higher-ranked teams in DIV2 that have shown good behavior and performance on track.

I also want to say THANK YOU to the organization for making this a great first season. Hope to see you all in the next run.

Bye!
Fast Forward Racing Team (DIV2)
 
The viewpoint of a (seemingly) D2 driver, which is entirely my own.

The season...
I'd say that, as usual, it hasn't lived up to our expectations, but on our part that's becoming so recurrent that I'm not going to dwell on it any further.

(A voice Off, in my fake pilot head, like a little devil posted on my right shoulder whispers to me:
<<It's not your age* to play with little cars and you're just not any good, just a driver, certainly not a pilot... Go and play somewhere else!>>
On the other shoulder a little angel said to me: <<Don't listen to him, you're never too old to learn, you've got your whole life ahead of you.
He says that because he's jealous of not having been able to keep his childlike soul... As long as you enjoy it, carry on, have fun. We know you're not a pilot, but why stop playing !>>)

More seriously a little anecdote about this last race.
I'm not going to mention our problems with the car running off the road, which cost us a good 8 minutes to repair.
In the middle of a conversation to prepare the last stint, I crossed the line noticing that the Low Fuel warning announced 0.26 litres in the tank !
Yes, we were the slow car at the end of the race all over the circuit.
Against all expectations, I don't think that's realistic, but it was more than enough to cover the 13.626 km of the circuit, as there was still 0.7 litres left at the Pit !
I'm not allowed to say any more about the method used to bring the car back, as Patrice, the Chief, is supposed to be filing the patent today.

On a more serious note, thank you all for agreeing to play with me again this year, and a big thank you to Jimmi and those who help him organise it all.

And with our new experience in fuel consumption, we'll be back for season 17...

(In voice-over : the devil <<But take him out, when I say he's rubbish, the other competitors were doing two laps in the meantime !>>
The angel <<Don't listen to him, he's only saying that because... Well, he's not entirely wrong now either... You're going to have to optimise your trick here !>>
The devil <<Wait till Jimmi gets involved, he's going to review the BOP just for you... I'm laughing myself to death in advance !>>
The angel <<Don't listen to him... OH my God ! Jimmi is going to have to invent a BOP for the LMP2s and as they're all the same car !>>
The devil <<And we're going to have a laugh !>>)

* 65 years old this month... And no, I don't take drugs any more, but if my ramblings have brought a smile to your face, then my day won't have been in vain.
See you all on the virtual dancefloor!
 
Timotej Andonovski said:
Straight to jail (drive through)
Click to expand...


XQEPZg.gif
 
Theo Badry said:
The viewpoint of a (seemingly) D2 driver, which is entirely my own.

The season...
I'd say that, as usual, it hasn't lived up to our expectations, but on our part that's becoming so recurrent that I'm not going to dwell on it any further.

(A voice Off, in my fake pilot head, like a little devil posted on my right shoulder whispers to me:
<<It's not your age* to play with little cars and you're just not any good, just a driver, certainly not a pilot... Go and play somewhere else!>>
On the other shoulder a little angel said to me: <<Don't listen to him, you're never too old to learn, you've got your whole life ahead of you.
He says that because he's jealous of not having been able to keep his childlike soul... As long as you enjoy it, carry on, have fun. We know you're not a pilot, but why stop playing !>>)

More seriously a little anecdote about this last race.
I'm not going to mention our problems with the car running off the road, which cost us a good 8 minutes to repair.
In the middle of a conversation to prepare the last stint, I crossed the line noticing that the Low Fuel warning announced 0.26 litres in the tank !
Yes, we were the slow car at the end of the race all over the circuit.
Against all expectations, I don't think that's realistic, but it was more than enough to cover the 13.626 km of the circuit, as there was still 0.7 litres left at the Pit !
I'm not allowed to say any more about the method used to bring the car back, as Patrice, the Chief, is supposed to be filing the patent today.

On a more serious note, thank you all for agreeing to play with me again this year, and a big thank you to Jimmi and those who help him organise it all.

And with our new experience in fuel consumption, we'll be back for season 17...

(In voice-over : the devil <<But take him out, when I say he's rubbish, the other competitors were doing two laps in the meantime !>>
The angel <<Don't listen to him, he's only saying that because... Well, he's not entirely wrong now either... You're going to have to optimise your trick here !>>
The devil <<Wait till Jimmi gets involved, he's going to review the BOP just for you... I'm laughing myself to death in advance !>>
The angel <<Don't listen to him... OH my God ! Jimmi is going to have to invent a BOP for the LMP2s and as they're all the same car !>>
The devil <<And we're going to have a laugh !>>)

* 65 years old this month... And no, I don't take drugs any more, but if my ramblings have brought a smile to your face, then my day won't have been in vain.
See you all on the virtual dancefloor!
Click to expand...
Theo I share all your feelings. It must be a question of age. But at 67 I plan to move on.

Unfortunately this season we have not been able to get the most out of the car. We have not managed to make it competitive, and if we add to that that our level is not up to par with other teams in terms of driving, it is all said. Ah! which could also be age, thanks for reminding me Theo.

In any case we have fought as hard as possible, and we hope to return in S17. VEC has been a passion for us for years. Thanks to Jimmi and all the participants, you have ensured that we continue to enjoy the track and the races.

PS: If any LMH is kind enough to give us a setup, for example from Le Mans, we can see where we went wrong in preparing the car. We believe that we have not developed something well. Thank you.
 
Theo Badry said:
The viewpoint of a (seemingly) D2 driver, which is entirely my own.
The season...
I'd say that, as usual, it hasn't lived up to our expectations, but on our part that's becoming so recurrent that I'm not going to dwell on it any further.
Click to expand...
Still laughing. Now I'm waiting for the end of the next season for your report. Maybe you could share the video of that lap with comments in the background!.

It's been the second season for Shaun Clarke Racing in the VEC, this time in the division 1. It's been a blast. Life out there is complicated. Most of us need to disconnect after the job. Having the chance to play casual races out there, sometimes I think in how idiot I am putting myself in these stressful situations like racing in a challenging environment like VEC. But when I start to practice, after 5 min with the headset making me sweat, I forget about everything else out there. And that's a gift. I'm one of the guys with more than 300 practice laps at LM, and they all were a pleasure. This community enforces you to get better. As Theo said, I want to think I can keep learning and I can improve my pace. Binned it once but I finished my stints exhausted, red forehead, sweating and... looking forward for the next one. Unluckily there is no next one for the moment. I don't know what to drive now. AC feels dead, ACC feels dead, LMU is like a demo yet, AMS2 is fun but... need a bit more of everything. Blame rf2 and VEC.

I want to thank my mates. They are angels. In the beginning of each event I tell them I'm stupidly slow, "replace me, I'm bad, I'm fucking bad". Then when I find the trick, I start to bother them from the other side. Oh guys, thanks. That's me. I wish I was more self confident, but never thought I had more skills than working hard to get better, that's exhausting. Jussi, Simon and David are not only extraordinary simracers, they are good friends and I wish you get as much fun as me when driving together. It's important to have always a good word to encourage your mate after mistakes. That's a team. We've been driving mostly AC endurance events in the last years, but our top 10 in LM and our p6 in the standings before LM (didn't calculate where we'll be after LM points) is better than any other win we got out there. It's a shame that the founder of the team, AC modder Shaun Clarke, formerly TPC-Simracing (it was the simracing division of the formerly BTCC team), couldn't enjoy the team competing in an amazing grid as VEC's -passed away in 2021 and we renamed the team to tribute him-. I like that there's space for everyone in this championship: aliens, real drivers, pro simracers, "working class" simracers... Everyone has the chance to take part on it but it depends on you to extract the maximum of the experience of driving around some of the best endurance simracers of the world. We are a niche hobbie, yes, but I think that giving value to your competitors' effort and respecting them, the quicker and the slower, makes simracing stronger.

Ok, time to stop talking trash, I only wanted to say thanks to the organizers, to all the drivers of the VEC champ, and a big hug to my mates. And sorry for my mistakes, of course, I'm such a bad driver! I hope we can meet soon in the practice server of the test race for the next season. Raceweeks make week to go quicker and smoother. Important things are on saturdays. Good summer for everybody.
 
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It was a pleasure to share and fight on track in such a high level field, once again. We did finally get to win a VEC race (in op car I know), and it was awesome! My congratulations to Thomas Enge, always there, no matter the track and that's why they are champions. We had a chance on the final round, but just because they did not race at RA due to a disconnect.

This last race was something else, if we take bs from the equation we were all mixed up. Many strategies, everyone pushing, triple stints, people going long on fuel, and with12hours remaining nothing was guaranteed. The best and more thrilling 24 hour race that I ever raced.

About the BOP, we really wanted to race on level played field, that's why we always sent our data from each race to jimmi. So we did our part on trying to have a fair and square competition.

To summarize this season... The best league, with the best drivers and with the best organization. Congratulations to all winners and hope to see you all in S17 (in our death but amazing rf2)

Ps: And like always, we love bop talk and to avoid dive bombs from higher class. Without this two things the season just get boring
 
I've not lost too many words around here since I joined only at Spa that season, but want to thank all the organizers for the season, as well as all the competitors, and especially my team and teammates from Deuces, both the 73 and the 71 cars, who gave me the opportunity to drive in D1 and also being very helpful throughout the season in developing an understanding for the car we were driving. Teached me to have much more respect for drivers on rear-engined cars, still I don't want to touch the Porsche again for a long time haha.

It was a pretty tough season for the 73, as I only joined when things already didnt look very bright, pretty much always at the brink of getting relegated into d2. The car had a lot of bad luck in the early stages of the season and we only barely managed to keep it in d1 quite a few times. Still we managed it till Le Mans, after having at least a couple of cleaner races which brought the highly needed results. Looking at the competing teams and drivers it's not a shame to be in the bottom half of the standings.
Unfortunately we couldn't take part at Le Mans after we were already a bit down on available drivers and injuring my wrists on wednesday before the race sadly made it impossible for us to get the car on the grid. Already we had quite a bit of practice in, so that was very dissapointing for myself but I also felt for the team. This was clearly not the season finish we were looking for.

However, thats life and sometimes you can't change the circumstances. Still, personally, I'm looking forward to be on the grid for the upcoming season. It's just a very special feeling having such big grids with such an amount of great drivers.
 
Moriz Mehl said:
@Daniele Cannistraci @Mattia Panci @Angelo Colavitto @Alex Beggi @Christian Malghera
I want to apologize for the crash that our LMP2 caused in the Porsche curves. It's always the worst outcome if you kill a slower class car and ruin all the effort made before and during the race. We'll try to learn from it and not repeat the mistake.
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Thanks for the apologies, they are always appreciated.
But in the end, probably, it's not just your fault, because we should have been 30 seconds ahead of this situation.....
because you will have to move up the field, and by fighting you lose a lot of time, in addition to all the things that can happen..
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Hi Jimmi,
I'm here to ask if you can reply to those questions i'm going to give you. so i didn't partecipate to the 24h but my drivers qualified and raced the 24h (car no. #290 Mennato Boffa srt), what they want to know (if this is possible)
1. why they qualified in 6th position an than they started the race last (15th)
2. the second question is why my guys had picked a penalty durning the start procedure (they were following the guide lines about the briefing you write here in the foum), and they got a DT.
 
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