Hi Guys I guess I'm not the only Euro not really aquainted with Oval or Indy Road Course rules and standards. For example: What is the tactic and skill when Oval racing? How many laps are they running on Road Courses? Mandatory Pit/Tire Rules? Push to Pass Rules? Stuff like that. If someone can be arsed to write a short primer that would be exceptional value. I don't really like Stock Cars (NASCAR) but Oval Racing in 750HP open wheelers does seem somehow exciting, I just need some background.
They do an exceptionally good job on the US networks of explaining it to viewers. If you can find a stream, I highly recommend watching IndyCar. It's extremely competitive. The Indy 500 is different to any other oval or oval race really. The track is really a single lane, while most ovals have multiple. Maybe someone will have more time to explain the rules, but I truly hope you watch the 500 tomorrow. Sent using Tapatalk
As far as laps driven goes, it depends on whether the course is Oval or Road course. On ovals, the race is run to distance, ie 500 miles, 400 miles, etc... On Road courses, the race is run to time *or distance, whichever comes first. Most road courses are run to 2 hours, *or the set distance depending on the course. Indy is a totally different beast as Tim said. It has been described a lot as being a road course, with 4 corners and 4 straights, rather than an oval. So the techniques here will differ greatly from what you'll find at Autoclub or Pocono for instance. As Tim said though, watch the 500, you'll learn a great deal about the whole sport with that one 500 mile race. Push to Pass is used on Road and Street courses, each driver has 10 pushes to use at his discretion for the entire race. Can be used to overtake or defend, doesn't matter, corners or straights also. There are no mandatory pit stops, however each car MUST run at least 2 laps on each tire on a Road and Street course. The rest of the race can be run on the other tire, as long as the opposite one has at least 2 laps raced on. Refueling is very important, unlike F1, and fuel usage is a huge strategy in every race. I'll try to clarify the couple things I couldn't remember, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. Also, check out indycar.com, you'll find the rules and everything right on the website. *=edit
What is the tactic and skill when oval racing? If you want to know what it is about, watch the 2013 Auto Club race. It was a fantastic race. Just that, tactics and skill. EG - last night in the race I ended up in at iRacing @ Indy with their DW12, I knew I was fast. Knowing that, the goal is to not wad the car up (ultra easy to do at Indy, the wind there made T1 a very, very, very narrow window) and to make sure we don't use up fuel. Knowing who to race, how to race, when to pit and when not to pit is powerful. Do you push for the lead and try and stay first in line at a track like Indy (which in the DW12 is a draft fest), or do you cruise behind someone and save fuel? Is there skill? Well, there is a reason Ed Carpenter is on the pole, and was last year. There is a reason he is an oval specialist who stepped out of his car because he sucked at road courses, but he's considered one of the best oval racers in the series. The car is so sensitive, so balanced, oval racing becomes a game of "how very little can you move". It really is a challenge in it's own way, especially in qualifying. The fact negative wing angle is a thing in Indycar should say a bit about it. IMO - as a road guy first and foremost - there is so much more tactical knowledge required to do well on ovals because there is just so little opportunity to gain back time. On a road course you just go fast and if you are fast you will do well, you won't gain that time on an oval. Not to mention that managing the car becomes important - at least over there where it is very easy to end up making adjustments at every corner to make sure the car is neither skidding nor scrubbing. I haven't driven the car yet here, but I guess we have no weight jacker which will make that a lot less of an issue, but in iRacing on a Q run I was making adjustments to the car in each and every corner across 4 laps in a car that if you miss your turn in by a couple of inches you end up in the wall or turning hard, scrubbing speed massively. In Q trim, you are running so little downforce to get the speed you need to be competitive it's a whole different ball game. How many laps are they running on Road Courses? Depends, but races typically run about 2 hours. Some of them are a bit shorter for the double header weekends (like 8/10ths distance you would expect it seems, not like a 25 minute sprint), but generally about the same as F1. Worth noting, oval races are usually shorter than the Indy 500 - though Indy, Pocono and Auto Club / Fontana are 500 mile oval races, the so called Triple Crown. They are worth double points given their length, significantly longer than other races. Mandatory Pit/Tire Rules? Tires are all the same on oval, only one compound. Road courses have hard (black) tires and soft (red) tires. In a race, you need to use one set of reds. Unlike F1 though, these tires are faster but fall off more predictably, generally you don't see the same massive fall off as well as the fact they last a fuel run. Typically about the same over the course of a run, though a good bit faster on the short run. Push to Pass Rules? 10 button pushes, for roughly 30 HP. Road / Street course only, 15/20 seconds per push or until you lift. Not enough to make a pass certain, but certainly helpful. You can deploy it at any moment you would like, but you only get 10 button presses per race. Not sure how rF2 has this implemented, I'd assume it's in as there is a mapping for temporary boost, but not sure and not sure if it would be metered over the course of the race. Other stuff Fuel and tires done at the same time, one fueler, one man per tire and only one man per tire. Same engine used on road and oval circuits, though oval boost is lower to control the speeds so the engine is producing more like 550 HP in oval trim, though with very low drag. The reason the DW12 has a lot of the features it does that make it look goofy are for both safety and to lower drag - more speed with less power. At Indy, they also had a higher boost level compared to the race trim oval standard they will use in the race. No onboard starter.
Thanks guys. Seems that a TV channel I recently got added is actually doing a 4 hour live session, so I might just be able to watch it.
Good info there Empty... I`m a bit of a noob as far as Indy is concerned. Does anyone know of a good stream to watch a bit of the action?
unfortunately, he starts from "I knew I was fast" ... I need it from "I knew I was a second a lap slower than the AI at 100%" I think you can watch the race from VIPBOX - they have links for it anyways in the motor racing section
I know a lot of people like to make fun of oval racing and how it takes no skill, however once you DO an oval race you understand that it does take a skill, but it is different from road course driving which requires a lot more car handling skill. But oval racing takes big balls (200 MPH, 6 inches away from the guy next to you) and dealing with traffic is its own skill. Indycar is unique because it includes ovals and road/street courses in equal measure
Watching the race now... Why are they bending the race line inwards on the straights? Is that for defense reasons or would that actually make a shorter path (I don't think it does?)
Don't quote me GCC, but I believe that is to reduce side air turbulence off the walls down the straight. They get cleaner air by driving away from the wall.
Couple given reasons : The turbulence from the car running by the wall slows them down. This is the reasoning I heard originally and always had before this : So the banking, the car wanting to turn left and comfort as well. Probably not that much of a difference actually though.
I'm not sure. I would hope it is, or will be if it isn't. Though, I'm not real sure how much that affects the Indycars. I know it has a big effect on the Sprint Cup cars when they race here, but they are much bigger and much less aerodynamic, so maybe it really isn't even a big deal to the Indycars. Pagenaud in the video EB posted doesn't even mention air turbulence being a factor.
Well one does it, then they all do right. But at least one person at the front of the train thinks it matters right now Like you say, maybe it is minor.
I'm actually enjoying watching this, not a bad sport. Thanks for all the background info. So besides fuel tactics, it seems to be a real draft battle and a content of who's smoothest.
Quite fun indeed I am glad I get to have a go on the sim too. Was up late last night racing with some American oval racing fans. They were at least 5 tenths faster than me, but at least I got down to 40 second laps. The Brits are not exactly having a good day in RL terms either.
Although am really disappointed that they made my screen stupidly small so they could show the wags. Please? I want to watch the finish??
Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Indy has made a bunch of changes the last few years to fix the brand, making it a lot more competitive and exciting than it used to be. I think they are succeeding in that, though they still have a little ways to go to catch up to NASCAR in the excitement level. This Indy 500 was pretty darn good though, great finish. Most races in Indycar end like this, since the competition is so close. Speaking of NASCAR, I imagine you've never watched much of it either. I know many people start by watching the Daytona or Talladega races, thinking they are the biggest and best the sport offers, but it's actually opposite. Those 2 tracks make up the 4 worst, most boring and dull races of the year. I encourage you to watch the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte tonight, it's IMO one of the best races of the year, very fast and very competitive the whole race. If you don't find excitement there, then stock car racing probably isn't for you, but I beg anyone to not judge the sport by Daytona or Talladega.
