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Nurburgring Nordschleife Speed Guide - Gran Turismo 4
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By Mike Kimball
Version 1.9, April 18, 2009
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CONTENTS
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Copyright Notice
Contact The Author
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Version Updates
The Car
Game Equipment
Shoes - On or Off?
Left-Foot Braking
Driving Tips That Have Helped Me Go Faster
Nordschleife - Step by Step
(Includes all section names and time splits)
Looking Forward
Addendum 1 - racing setup
Addendum 2 - sub-5'00 examples
Addendum 3 - lap milestones
Addendum 4 - experimentation
================
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
================
Copyright 2009 Mike Kimball
Intended for private, personal, and educational usage only.
Originally written to be displayed on www.gamefaqs.com.
May not be placed on any other web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. (Or you can beg for
forgiveness later if you at least let me know you've posted it
somewhere.)
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
==================
Contact The Author
==================
I welcome email regarding this guide. Please note that my
anti-spam settings are high, so if you don't get a response, there is
a chance I didn't see your mail. Try again and avoid flagged words
(you know what I mean). Make sure you put something about this guide in the
subject.
Email:
bloodmetalcontent
at yahoo.com
========
Foreword
========
First of all, I do not recommend that you use this guide to tell you how to
drive the Nordschleife with a real car in real life. I've been there only
once, and that was as a passenger in the Zakspeed Viper Jet, so I'm far
from being in a position to give advice for those of you who are lucky enough
to go there and actually take a lap in the driver's seat.
The game has been cited as a reason that some tourists push too hard and
get into trouble, so make sure you do a reality check and realize that
if the track's official record is 6'11 but in GT4 one can beat that by 80 or
90 seconds, then obviously there is a lot that the game does not represent
with complete accuracy. It's the experience of the game that should translate
well to the feel of racing for real, and I think that GT4 does this quite well.
By the time I actually went to the Nurburgring in late August 2007 I had turned
over 600 laps in the game and watched many different dvds of in-car footage.
This familiarity with the track layout deepened the experience for me, and
increased the thrill and my appreciation. Even with quite a lot of traffic we
went BTG in 8'20. The g's in some corners were intense. I had the time of
my life but I could also see how easy it would be to get caught out
if you don't really, truly know what you are doing.
In summer 2008 I spent 9 days at the Bertil Roos road racing school, including
visits to VIR, NJ Motorsports, and Pocono North. The great thing about
actual racing is how much sooner you sense the car reacting to your inputs -
especially moments where the weight transfer might start to get you in trouble.
One revelation from driving a formula car is how meaningful it is to race with
a proper race car on a circuit, and that any ego one has about "racing" on the
street in a street car is pointless - ego is detrimental in actual racing,
so on the street, even more so. The other thing I noticed is how amazingly
similar the handling and response felt between the game and my real experience
in the car, albeit at much slower speeds. Even though I was a complete novice,
I felt that playing the game had given me quite an edge.
This guide is geared for those who seek suggestions to improve their time in
GT4, and who have, at the minimum, memorized the track. It helps if you know
the track well enough to race with your display set to simple, which turns off
the flashing gear suggestions.
================
Acknowledgements
================
I would like to acknowledge some sources which have offered specific
inspiration for this guide: justgofaster.com, Nurburgring for Dummies by
Christopher Heiser, and of course Ben Lovejoy's awesome guide. As for other
acknowledgements, I must mention dvds from FIA Formula 1 2000-2008, Best
Motoring International vols. 9-16 and Tsuchiya’s Drift Bible, and Skip Barber's
Going Faster. Also, much thanks for the In Car 956 dvd featuring Derek Bell
and his commentary of a lap at Nurburgring, and the Nissan GT-R dvd featuring
fantastic laps from 'ringmeister Dirk Schoysman.
Special thanks to all who made it possible for me to visit the Nurburgring
in person at last - my bus driver Max first and foremost for setting it all
up, my band and crew, especially my tour manager Oise for helping make it
possible, and all at Zakspeed for an amazing high-speed experience.
And finally, all at Bertil Roos Racing School. No amount of time in a simulator
is as valuable as even one day at a real track, and what I learned from them
has made a huge difference.
===============
Version Updates
===============
Version 1.9
- Further updates to text of lap description for references, gearing, etc
- New fast times and setups
Version 1.8
- General text updates, new times, and setups
- Sections updated to include more info on reference points
Version 1.7
- More updates including a note from my racing school visit
- New fast times and setups
Version 1.6
- The usual corrections, updates, and evolution of the line
- New fast times and setups
Version 1.5
- As usual, some corrections of inaccuracies and omissions
- New fast times and setups
- Setups now include arcade mode, as well as Gran Tourismo mode
- Added a lap milestones section with my personal lap tally
Version 1.4
- New fast time and setup updates
- Addendum containing a setup for racing conditions (fuel and tire wear)
- More updates to the turn-by-turn guide and racing hints
Version 1.3
- Wouldn't ya know it? I had to correct a couple of omissions from 1.2
- Wouldn't ya know it? I abandoned the rear toe/front downforce experiment
- Wouldn't ya ... I changed the setup and finally managed to go faster
Version 1.2
- New info in The Car and Driving Tips sections
- Added Left-Foot Braking section
- Added Addendum 2 - experimentation
Version 1.1
- A couple of minor errors have been corrected.
- My record time and splits have been updated - along with new info about
the car setup and the incidentals of the lap.
- There is now an addendum of other example times/setups that beat 5'00.
=======
The Car
=======
I prefer to use a Formula Gran Turismo in my garage, or I select one in
arcade mode. If you are going for a best time, you want to use practice
or Time Trial mode, either of which allow you to race without fuel or tire
wear to worry about and also give you the option of having a ghost replay
of your best lap to use as a guide (although sometimes this is more of a
distraction, but you should save one anytime you beat your record, or
someone else's ;).
Incidentally, I was very surprised the first time I beat my best practice
time using arcade mode. I thought the hard suspension would cancel out
even 1069hp and 495kg with RSS tires, but after some practice doing single
races, I tried again and in three laps went 4'59, 4'54, and 4'52. Stunned.
I still say it's exceedingly difficult to cope with the hard suspension
and loose rear end, and you will be white-knuckling each jagged lap. At
first it can be a little tedious to have to adjust and concentrate to
that extreme, knowing the setup is not ideal and pretty far from reality.
Under such conditions, the difference between an awesome lap time and a crash
is often nothing more than pure luck. But, it's worth the experience of
pushing yourself, the game, and even the force feedback mechanism to the
limit. Eventually you'll get used to it and find a way to lap consistently
and stay relaxed.
Other cars that are fast enough to beat the 5-minute mark include many
group C cars such as the Audi R8 or Minolta Toyota 88C-V, which may be a lot
easier to drive if you are using arcade mode. Most of the fast times I've
seen on YouTube were done with the Minolta, including a 4'41.4 which is the
quickest I've ever heard of and verified in GT4. I love trying the Ring
with other cars but rarely tweak their setups except for the GT40 or the
'63 Corvette race car (which had some strange behavior and/or were too soft
to be driveable).
Of course every setup is made up of compromises, especially at Nurburgring
where the circuit is incredibly varied so the car setup works great in some
sections but not as well in others. The setup you use might vary according
to your driving style as it applies to different situations on the course.
Ultimately the car setup can seem to help or hinder you depending on how you
are driving that day, so its effects should be considered less important than
the ability to adjust one's driving style. Nurburgring Nordschleife is
probably the best example of how crucial this adaptability is to getting
around the track in one piece, let alone setting a fast time. There is a
reason some drivers get paid more than others - it's because the driving is
still the single most important factor in going faster.
That said, here are my Formula car setups and times...
Arcade mode setup:
------------------
+20% power (1069), -10% weight (495), 380kph, driving aids none, RS, MT
Fastest time: 4'43.547
(I recently switched from RSS to RS tires - they are easier to control
and less prone to bouncy wandering; also shortened the top speed by 10k
which made it very easy to shave time off my record, mostly in the last
few sections of the circuit.)
Obviously the goal here is maximum grip and power, with the lightest car.
This setup approximates the gearing for GT mode but you still have to be
extremely careful with the throttle in gears 2-4, even more so than in
GT mode. Overall the driving style is different to accommodate the hard
and loose suspension - earlier braking, more careful steering, more careful
throttle and brakes, using throttle rotation. It gets very tricky
to go straight or even shift above 180mph because the wheel is shaking
so bad, and the car really bounces around above 220, so Kesselchen and
Schwedenkreuz are difficult, and even Fuchsrohe becomes rather nervous. Also
the spin-happy rear makes high-speed corners require a certain amount of
finesse, so you really have to work on your line and steer carefully. And
remember to allow more braking room simply because of the higher speeds
you will be able to reach. Most kerbs will cause a bounce and several bumps
make the car leap unpredictably to one side or the other. So stay off the
kerbs as much as possible and the bumps, well try to take them straight
with neutral power and hope for some luck.
Practice setup (all settings not listed here are on defaults):
--------------------------------------------------------------
Suspension
Spring rate: 13.9, 13.9
Ride height: 56, 56
Bound: 6, 6
Toe: 0, 0
Manual Transmission
Gear ratios: auto 18
2nd: 4.523
3rd: 3.290
4th: 2.492
5th: 1.970
6th: 1.669
7th: 1.434
Driving aids: 0, 0, 0
Diff: 11, 42, 21
Weight balance: 0, -10
Fastest time: 4'53.088
Setup notes:
------------
Driving aids: Off. Much faster once you develop the skill.
Transmission: I tweak gears 2-4 to avoid hitting the rev limiter around
certain corners but still retain a bite on entry; 6th and 7th are shortened
for maximum acceleration to the terminal velocity of the car.
Toe: Zeroed for cornering stability especially at high speeds.
Ride height: Hard to tell how much this matters but higher seems to help with
bumpy sections. I try to set it as low as possible depending on the springs.
Springs and compression: I'm always trying to tolerate as hard as I can while
still being able to drive the same lines as I would in any other car. I've
tried different combinations but it seems you should soften both moderately
so the handling doesn't become unpredictable.
Diff: With zero toe I realized I no longer needed the diff set different than
other cars; however I still up the initial torque to induce a slight amount
of understeer. Now a certain annoying twitchyness with the formula car is much
calmer.
Weight balance: I've moved some weight toward the front but not increased the
ballast. At least I think it makes a difference with stability, but I'm not
totally sure it does if you don't add ballast.
Another quick practice setup:
-----------------------------
Springs: 13.4, 13.1; Height: 55, 55; Compression: 5, 7; Toe: 0, -1
Transmission: Basically the same as above setup
Brakes: 3, 3
Aids: off
(This setup takes a driving style adjustment, can be weird to get used to.)
Notes:
This setup is meant to manipulate the balance to get the following effects:
Springs - setup so the turn-in is quicker and more weight remains on the
rear wheels during acceleration
Dampers - offset to balance the springs setup
Toe - because of the slight understeer in the springs and dampers, rear toe
is added to help the car turn
* Great rear stability in 6th and 7th gear high-speed corners!
Fastest time: 4'54.308
==============
Game Equipment
==============
If you are using the PS2 controller to drive the car, I can only say best of
luck. It didn't take me long to realize that with the controller it is
incredibly difficult to get the proper level of steering control as well as
throttle and brake. At first I got the Logitech Driving Force Pro and a fairly
inexpensive chair and table, but I eventually was able to get the Sparco
cockpit and the G25 wheel, which have improved my game dramatically. I also
only use the paddle shifters now - the stick shifter on the G25 is not
compatible with the Sparco cockpit so I can only mount it to the side, not a
place where it is useful.
With the use of arcade mode, you'll start to experience the limitations of
the force feedback mechanism as your formula car goes into the higher speed
ranges - the wheel gets rather rough in its interpretations of the bumps, and
the resistance of turning the wheel becomes inconsistent as well. Maybe this
is really what it would feel like with a suspension that is too hard, but I
can't help looking forward to a new and improved version of Logitech's wheel.
Or maybe another option in the feedback strength - sometimes I find
"strong" can be too much, but "mild" is way too light.
==================
Shoes - On or Off?
==================
My suggestion is use what you are comfortable with. However, I can definitely
say racing with bare feet causes me to make the most mistakes, so I only do
this when I'm lazy. I got all of my quickest times wearing socks - this seems
to be ideal for the game since it compensates for the lack of feedback and
weight in the pedals. As for shoes - I wear Adidas Adi Racer Goodyear shoes,
which work quite well, and within a few laps I was able to get a lap time of
5'01, so maybe with practice they would work just as well as socks. With shoes
the application of throttle and brake becomes slightly smoother, so in a way it
acts as some measure of traction control and stability management.
=================
Left-Foot Braking
=================
Many drivers say this skill is indispensable in racing - and both karting and
Formula 1 pretty much require it. Even when you are driving a car that has
a clutch, in some situations where no gear shift is needed it can be useful
to employ left-foot braking for stability as well as a quicker braking reaction
time. I began practicing this extensively in my old car and in the game I
use it exclusively. Even at racing school in some corners it came in handy.
At this point it has improved my fastest time in pretty much every car, not
to mention making it easier to drive in other conditions (especially rally).
==========================================
Driving Tips That Have Helped Me Go Faster
==========================================
First, always bear in mind that as you improve in one section, it changes
your approach to the next, and so on. All it takes is time, practice, and
gradual improvements in your knowledge of the car and the track. Very often
when you are pushing your limit and going off the track, getting frustrated,
feeling like quitting ;) you are actually just on the verge of making a huge
improvement. So just remember it's all part of the process of training your
brain and your muscle memory. Take a rest, come back a few hours or a day
later, and you'll be surprised how easy it suddenly gets.
Frequently the way to make a breakthrough is to drive a different car for a
while. Some other cars I enjoy driving at the Nordschleife are: Ford GT40
Race Car, Lotus Elise, Mercedes SLR McLaren, and the Nissan R89C. The
different handling capabilities of another car can force you to approach
corners differently, and can also point out some bad habits you may have.
Slower cars let you focus harder on your racing line, and can make the
the Formula car seem so much lower, wider, and more grippy than before.
I also like to use arcade mode and give the car as many handicaps as I can
- maximum weight, low power, super hard tires. Finally, one of my favorite
cars is the GT-R R35 LM race car, since it has 7 gears and for most
of the track the gearing is the same as the formula car.
Next, if you want to improve your lap time, it is crucial to consider the
importance of corner exits over late braking. Obviously I brake as late
as I can, but braking later improves time in hundredths of a second, while
getting on the throttle earlier for the exit improves your time in tenths.
Another way of explaining this is that getting 2mph faster makes a bigger
time difference when you're going 50 than it does when you're going 150.
Also, the Formula car handles best when you have your foot on the throttle.
Braking/throttling earlier is not only faster but also safer, since all you
lose if you brake too early is time, but braking too late could lose you
much more. When one is battling other cars, defending one's position is
important and this may shift the emphasis more toward late braking, but
lap times will be faster with the earlier brake/throttle approach.
Another valuable piece of advice is from Petter Solberg: "You have to try to
be very neat, no attack, because as soon as you try to push harder, you go
slower. So just keep it neat and steady." Professor Nakaya seems to concur,
that in some situations the driver's attempt to push harder will be useless
since it only increases the steering angle as well as the friction of the
wheels on the pavement, which cancels out or even negates any increase the
driver desires to make. Again, aggressive driving is often useful in racing,
but for time attack you want to be as smooth as possible. A recent example
would be Sebastien Vettel's pole lap at China (which he went on to win in
superb style and extremely challenging wet conditions) - if you saw his on
board footage you may have noticed how smooth he was...
Undulating corners are all over the place at Nordschleife, but they are not
as friendly and predictable as a track like Suzuka, so you will need to think
about how weight transfer affects braking and throttle as your car alternates
quickly between understeer and oversteer, often in the same corner - not easy
to do in a video game, where the vertical changes aren't always visually
obvious. If you find spots where you tend to spin out even with steady
throttle and steering input, an undulation is probably the cause.
Finally, one trick I often use on corner exits is to shift up early if I seem
to be tracking a little too wide - this causes a condition not unlike a
throttle lift-off, which makes the car suddenly cut inside a little. A quick
upshift is often just the little push inside that I need to keep it on the
track and accelerating, without making huge steering corrections. Shifting
up early is also a good way to control oversteer on the exits of corners,
especially corners going downhill or over a brow.
Once you feel really dialed in after many laps of practice, you'll start to
experience feeling like it's just basic flowing lines, using as smooth and
steady inputs as you can manage, adjusting the acceleration for the shape of
each corner. When you feel it, it is just magic.
Ok, now it's time to take a lap around the track!
===========================
Nordschleife - Step by Step
===========================
Note: I have added the reference points I usually notice, but frequently
I use the kerbs - front edges for braking points, back edges for turn
in points, etc. There is also graffiti all over the track, so pick what
works for you but remember that where the graffiti stops, if you still
haven't finished braking and turning in yet, you might have some trouble.
T13 (0)
-------
If you got a good exit from the final right turn of Hohenrain, you should be
coming toward the start/finish straight accelerating from 3rd gear through 4th
and 5th, tracking to the right side, and then braking down to 2nd gear
for the first left. Because it's downhill, it's easy to miss the apex here.
I've tried a lot of different lines but apexing where there is a bunch of
graffiti seems to be quickest and allow full power earlier.
Flat out into 6th gear for the second right, where the rear wants to come
out on the exit if you push too hard, so turn in early about where the yellow
graffiti is, and squeeze out of the wheel a bit on the exit. 7th gear before
you brake for the next section. Drop down to 5th gear, staying straight on
the right edge.
Hatzenbach
----------
Take the first left with a brief throttle in 5th gear, then brake into 4th so
you can throttle through the right; be careful since this can make the rear
a little dicey. Back up to 5th for the next left about where the path is,
throttle through, then keep the revs high in 4th to throttle to the right, then
dab the brakes to medium revs in 4th for the hard throttle to the left, exiting
wide and heading to the next section in 5th gear.
Hocheichen
----------
This corner made me start examining my ride height. As you approach the
first right, brake fairly early down to 3rd gear, turn in at the red graffiti
and be especially careful on the throttle as you go over the crest; shift to
4th before the left, where it is quite slippery, keep on the throttle and let
the car track to the right edge on exit. Flat out to the next section.
Quiddelbacher Hohe
------------------
T1 0'30.346
This section is flat out but bumpy, stick to the basics and you should reach
7th gear before the brutal crest at the start of the next section.
Flugplatz
---------
Go over the left center of the crest as straight as you can and try not to
come off the throttle. You should have a beat to let the car settle before
heading into the double-apex right-hander. This corner is very easy to get
wrong going flat out at this speed, and is the main place that made me set
the toe to zero. You can keep the throttle wide open in 7th gear if you
take the corner smooth enough. Barely touch the first apex, and you should
come around the second one in a single arc. Keep going flat out into the
next section.
Schwedenkreuz
-------------
(Top speed 232mph TT, 219mph GT)
This is all flat out, in 7th gear. Go over the crest near the middle or
slightly right but go as straight as possible. The next long left is totally
flat, but you need to be very gentle with the turn in, and there is a bump
about half-way through that can be unsettling. Also, try not to touch the
inside kerb which tends to throw off your balance. Try to make the car
track slightly left of center as you get ready to brake hard down to 3rd
into the next section.
Aremberg
--------
T2 0'53.172
It's important for your time to get a good exit here so concentrate on your
braking point and get a good line. There's some red graffiti on the pavement
that I usually use as a reference. This is a somewhat long right-hander so
throttle control is important. Keep the revs high in 3rd as you turn in,
and try to shift into 4th a little before the exit, and try to aim for a
straight line for good acceleration on the exit toward the bridge.
Fuchsrohre
----------
Drive through the bends as straight as you can, touching each kerb, until you
approach the compression that leads up the hill to the left. You can stay
completely flat all the way to 7th gear. As you come up the hill stay to the
right and get ready to dance as you shift to 6th, turn in for the left over the
kerb as straight as you can with the throttle steady and revs high, then drop
to 5th and again back on the throttle, revs steady for the right. Hug the kerb
without actually hitting it, then as the track straightens drop to 3rd to
prepare for the next section.
Adenauer Forst
--------------
T3 1'12.828
This section is wonderful for going off the track or spinning out. I used to
have trouble at this spot fairly often - the trick is don't get tempted to
brake too late since it is more important to get a really good exit. Turn
in early for the left and it should be fairly simple making the right. I also
find that jumping the kerb for the right turn rarely improves my time as much
as just keeping all four wheels on the pavement and being patient with the
throttle. Go slow to go faster, so to speak.
You should be well into 5th gear as you pass the section timer. I've made it
here as quick as 1'12.5 before so there's more time to find again later.
Continue accelerating flat out into 7th for the next section.
Metzgesfeld
-----------
This is another easy spot to lose control, so be very careful with your line
and try to stay off the kerb on the inside left. There is more grip on the
outside of the turn but it's difficult to get that right. If you tend to spin
here, relax your turning arc sooner on the exit. Keep it flat all the way
in 7th, then drop quick as you can to 3rd for the next hard left. Get back
into 4th and pass the kerb for the right turn, and into 5th and briefly to 6th
as you head down the hill into the next section.
Kallenhard
----------
Let the car track left as you come down the hill, and you want to brake fairly
early and drop back to 3rd. The kerb on the inside right is a good reference,
brake at its front edge. Apex late but get on the inside until you can see
a clear exit, shift to 4th, and track to the outside. Continue through 5th
and 6th as you approach the next scary section of the track.
Spiegelkurve
------------
This 6th gear left-right is brutal at high speed, and has made me blow
countless laps and do endless tweaking to the car. The cambers shift violently
from left to right, almost like a side-to-side brow, so if you steer too hard
or take a bad line you will almost certainly spin out. Pass through as straight
as possible, with only minimal steering inputs. I finally found a wide line
that also works but the entry has to be absolutely perfect in running close to
each kerb. The idea is to look at the kerb for the right and all you have to
do is just miss it. I take this full throttle if I get it right, avoiding the
kerb but if I roll over it (and some grass), so be it. Don't try to make any
wild corrections - it will already be too late.
“Miss-Hit-Miss”
---------------
This is another place where the turns feel like they change on you so you don't
want to be accelerating and tightening your turning arc at the same time. I
can leave it in 6th but right after the "hit" kerb it often tries to throw
the rear loose so there's a dab of the brake before it and some easing on the
steering afterward. If you get the car to the right spot on the "hit" kerb
then you can keep the throttle on harder for the exit without worrying about
the rear end. Throttle hard down the straight, into 7th.
Wehrseifen
----------
T4 1'46.166
Little bit of dancing here. Drop to 5th and gas a bit into the right turn,
then drop a little more slowly into 2nd for the left turn. There's a white
line of graffiti that I use as a guide for where to turn left and get back on
the gas, if I go past this then I know I'm too deep and losing time. Accelerate
smoothly through 2nd and 3rd and get into 4th for the following right turn.
Pass the T4 section time and keep accelerating up through 5th and 6th into the
next section.
Breidscheid
-----------
Approach the right bend in 6th gear but start braking for the left somewhat
early - you want to be in 4th and close to the inside, and this is a corner
that will really mess you up if you are late (in real life there is a concrete
wall here, so we are talking serious damage). The pavement is quite rough so
the exit is difficult to do with full throttle, and going too wide makes it
hard to set up the following right turn. Get 5th on the exit and the car
will get some acceleration to the next bit.
Ex-Muhle
--------
This section MUST be done delicately. Approach in 5th gear and drop back down
to 4th - brake lightly and early since it gets bumpy, uphill, and feels off
camber so traction really sucks - the entry will understeer so use the graffiti
and turn in somewhat early, staying tight on the apex. If you nail it you can
release your arc and get good throttle on the exit, if not you will go wide and
it will take a while to get back on the power. Also be careful accelerating up
the hill - you should get up to 5th before the crest but if you push too hard
you might get wheel spin and possibly lose the rear. Continue flat out through
6th gear into the next section.
Lauda Kink
----------
In the Formula car there isn't much to this - stay hard on the throttle and you
should reach 7th gear before the apex, after which you can keep accelerating
down the hill and track a bit off to the left before the tricky dancing for the
next section.
Bergwerk
--------
Similar to Ex-Muhle though not as delicate, this is one of the most important
corners for getting a strong exit. This corner's odd shape and weird camber
make most attempts to brake late end in understeer followed by tracking wide
into the Armco - usually I use the green sign on the right as a reference,
braking at or just after it. Brake consistently to 4th, and though this is
a late apex corner, the entry is a bit earlier than you may think because of
the uphill and the camber. Work the throttle patiently and get a good exit.
This will give you good speed up the hill into one of the longer flat-out
sections of the track.
Kesselchen
----------
T5 2'11.299
The Formula car easily takes this flat all the way through. There is a series
of left bends where you should reach 7th gear. The next right curves are quite
bumpy, which is one place where stability control can freak out and careen you
into the Armco. After this there is a quick right-left, so try to miss-hit the
split kerbs on the right, then just touch the edge of the kerb on the left. Aim
for a straight line that will put you on the kerb up close to the Armco at the
right edge, and brace for the next section.
Angstkurve
----------
T6 2'28.716
This left hander is another spot where it is very easy to push too hard and
lose the rear end (as I did on this attempt and lost a good 2 tenths), and
I'm sure it was another contributor to my zero toe setting in practice. It
is possible to take this flat if you are very careful with your line and stay
close to the kerb on the inside left, then ease off the wheel just as the car
tracks through to the kerb on the outside right where you think you'll end
up on the grass. Try to keep it at around 210mph and you should be
doing fine for the next section.
Klostertal
----------
(Top speed: 224mph TT, 212mph GT)
This is yet another place where it is easy to spin out if you turn too hard
on a bad line, so turn right early with some anticipation of where the kerb
appears, and then ease off the wheel on the exit, and the car should remain
relatively stable.
Steilstrecken
-------------
This tight curve is hidden by a crest that you will go over flat out, then
brake just before the kerb on the left drop to 3rd. This is another curve
that has a couple of apexes, and it seems best to enter in 3rd gear and be
up to 4th past the second apex. There are gentle bends leading to the next
section but you can easily go straight and keep accelerating, just reaching
6th gear before dropping hard back to 3rd again. There is a particular
shadow that protrudes from the right which I use as a reference.
Karussell
---------
This tight banked corner is easiest if you keep the car inside but not all the
way to the kerb, and keep the revs steady in 3rd, around 62mph, until you reach
a patch of graffiti where you can start accelerating if your car is still in
the banking. Pop over the last corner stone and start throttling hard toward
the next section.
Hohe Acht
---------
T7 3'03.616
On this attempt I was over a second faster than my previous record at T5 but
had lost almost all of it by T7, so the mistake at high speed and probably
a bad Karussell were quite costly.
You should be high in 6th gear, after exiting Karussell and passing the tricky
left-hander flat out - sometimes I get 7th before dropping to 5th for the
tight left-right toward the summit. This is a little like a less severe
Spiegelkurve that is uphill - don't turn too hard since the cambers pull the
car to the left on entry. Gas steady for the left so you can set up a good
line for the right. Try to have a patient bit of throttle but sometimes you
may need a small dab of brake to get the car to turn right and over the crest.
For the final downhill right turn you want to brake early down to 4th and
stay tight on the inside so you can be back on the throttle hard at
the exit. Take the gentle left bend into the next section in 5th and up to 6th.
Hedwigshohe
-----------
Believe it or not you can take this flat in 6th if you get the right line, but
you have to keep the car steady and smooth on the steering before you tap the
brake at the exit and drop revs for the next curve. Getting this wrong will
totally blow your balance into...
Wipperman
---------
This spot is an easy place to lose it because of the abrupt way that it goes
downhill, and when I went to the real track we saw an accident here. This
tricky left-right gets a bit snappy and has a tendency to toss you right off
the track, so you'll find is a lot easier in the Formula if you concentrate
on keeping the car balanced. Usually I avoid the kerbs and just be patient
- if I keep 6th then there's not much throttle but sometimes I need 5th to get
the car to turn. As you approach the next hill avoid braking too late since
it will cause understeer that will probably put you on the grass as you go
over the crest.
Eschbach
--------
You should be in 4th with medium revs as you come over the hill into this right
hander, staying tight on the inside and hitting 5th as you start downhill on
the exit. Brake somewhat early to drop back to 4th for the double left
hander, which is another part where it is easy to lose the rear. Wait for
the car to settle between apexes before you shift to 5th gear for the second
apex. Then it's back to 4th for the next section.
Brunnchen
---------
This is another dance between 4th and 5th gears. The first right hander is
very easy to overcook as it is downhill, and very often you will find yourself
all the way to the left on the exit, almost into the grass. If you can keep
just the left wheels on the kerb you will still be able to get good throttle
in 5th before the next right, again dropping to 4th for the turn and back to
5th as the car tracks to the outside of the exit (but be especially careful
here, the sand will lose you a lot of time). There is a certain melody
with the revs, dropping to 4th slightly lower each time.
Eiskurve
--------
T8 3'30.998
This left-hander is again taken in 4th, but it seems longer and goes into a
tricky right hander on the exit. I've started braking earlier (using the white
graffiti as a turn-in reference - again like Wehrseifen, if you find the left
is difficult to make it means you're too deep) so I can use more throttle. The
pavement also crowns and is really slippery (hence the name), so stay in the
middle of the pavement as you accelerate into 5th and 6th gears for the next
section.
Pflanzgarten 1
--------------
This wavy little section can be taken flat, sticking to the basics but ending
up slightly to the left as you go over the little jump at the bottom before the
rather difficult double right-hander. This crest is a spot where the car loves
to leap sideways if you're not careful - I stopped using RSS tires mainly due
to all the times this happened here. It takes some confidence but keep it in
6th with just a dab of the brake before and after the crest and turn in to the
right. Being in 6th already with medium revs will keep you accelerating
nicely, but of course be as smooth as possible and no sudden steering changes
as you head up the hill toward the next part.
Sprunghugel
-----------
This first left is another easy place to mess up and not be in the right
position to track to the rumble strip on the right side of the exit. It is
vital to keep hard on the throttle in 6th and try to get into 7th gear before
going over the crest, staying to the left while going as straight as possible.
This drop can be extremely unsettling to the car at this speed so again, go
over it as straight as you can. Heading into the next section is where your
interplay between steering and throttle should be very careful.
Pflanzgarten 2
--------------
T9 3'44.259
(Top speed: 212mph TT, 215mph GT)
This section is flat out in 7th and can be quite terrifying at this speed,
since it is extremely easy to lose control if you try too hard to steer into
the curves of the track. Drop into the first couple of right turns at 200mph,
accelerating up to 212 or so by the end. Again, try not to push too hard on
the throttle through here if you tend to work the steering; think of the
technique for cone slalom and you should get the idea of how to balance these
tricky curves while gaining speed. When you finally exit this section onto
the straight, drop to 6th gear for the next bit.
On this attempt I ended up eating some grass toward the end but barely kept
it together before the next corner...
Schwalbenschwanz
----------------
This section gets slippery, and once you start sliding it can get very ugly no
matter what attempts to brake/downshift/countersteer you use. 6th works if you
concentrate on a smooth entry with a late apex and relaxed exit arc, getting
this right easily dropped tenths off my time. If you find yourself losing the
rear here then try braking and shifting earlier so the turn-in is more stable.
Then throttle for a beat, drop to 4th for the left turn-in. Again there is some
useful graffiti to help you find good brake, apex, and exit points. 5th gear as
you head on to the next part.
Kleinekarussell
---------------
The "little karussell" takes some balance to get right. Approach in 5th and
there is a change in the pavement that leaves a nice line for a braking
reference, to 3rd. Drop about half the car inside and you should try to shift
to 4th just as you pop out over the right corner of the last paving block.
Continue through 5th, and into 6th for the approach to the last really
difficult part. The phrase "stay calm" repeats in my head at this point.
Galgenkopf
----------
T10 4'11.149
The trick is getting the right hand apex - you definitely do not want to hit
the kerb as you will almost certainly bounce and crash into the Armco, but if
you go the slightest bit too wide you will not stay on the track. If you're
feeling brave you can do this flat out, but your line must be perfect. There
is a line of graffiti that I tend to think of as my turn in point, but mostly
I stare at the inside kerb and try to miss it by a hair. Keep some turn on
since the outside edge keeps coming in on you. Try to anticipate the kerb
for the second right hander and get it into 7th as early as you can and start
letting the car track left just at the point where the rear tries to break
away (on places where this happens, being inside relaxing out helps a lot).
Continue flat out. You should soon pass under the Gantry and receive your
T10 section time.
Dottinger Hohe
--------------
T11 4'28.141
Not much to this - keep it flat in 7th and stick just off center to the right.
The car should be reaching top speed as you start on the incline before the
bridge, let the car go all the way right and then turn early so you can ease
through the left hander, totally wide open. You will get the T11 section time
as you pass under the bridge. Keep it flat out down the hill into the next
section.
Tiergarten
----------
(Top speed: 230mph TT, 216mph GT)
This section near the end leads to a left-right that you can take flat out in
the Formula car, so don't lift or anything, just stick to the basics and go as
fast as you can. Once you clear the right and are going straight, immediately
drop to 6th for the final section...
Hohenrain
---------
L1 4'43.547
I used to enter this in 5th but 6th is faster by at least a tenth or two.
Cut to the inside left in 6th, and as soon as you are straight drop quickly
down to 3rd for the right hander of the chicane, keeping the revs high but
steady since this corner is an easy place to spoil what might have been a
stellar lap time. I stay off the kerbs and shift to 4th just after the apex
of the right, going into the left with full throttle. Brake to 3rd and get
ready for the final right-hander. Aim for the Armco at the apex and just
miss it - don't go too wide as you make your last effort at throttling hard
up the hill to the finish. You should just make 5th gear as you cross
and get your final lap time.
===============
Looking Forward
===============
"The Perfect Lap" - that elusive goal that we always try to reach. It's
always interesting to compare a new best time to an old one and see how
a 13-mile track leaves so many places to make mistakes, or at least lose
time by being too conservative through difficult areas. Broken down into
sectors, one doesn't always improve at every split, and even if the total
time is faster, the lead you have built often fluctuates. Imagine then,
what might happen if you built a composite time based on the best sector
times, to see what the car is capable of based on your own abilities at
that moment.
As I was updating my splits this time, I had built up a lead on my previous
best of 1.1 seconds, which I lost entirely around T7 and T8. The improvements
in T10-12 gained back half a second, so if I hadn't messed up in the middle
my time would be more like a 4'42.4. As always, there were a lot of restarts
and cursing while I was working on this, it's normal when pushing the limit
of one's talent that day, so I just try to be patient...
=========================
Addendum 1 - racing setup
=========================
Recently I noticed that while my setup was great for time attack, I couldn't
reliably lap with this setup in real racing conditions (in the Formula GT
or Family Cup races at Nurburgring). What I needed was another setup that
made the car feel right during all phases of tire wear, fuel load, and
other factors that come into play when other cars are involved. Since then
I have spent so much time in arcade mode that I think I'm beginning to
tolerate a much harder setup, so the suspension in particular is always
evolving. It's tricky balancing driving style, tire wear, responsiveness...
Brakes 4, 4
Suspension: springs 14, 14; height 56, 56; compression 6, 6; toe 0
Transmission: same as practice
Aids: none
Diff: 11, 42, 21
Best 2-lap Family Cup: 10'06.942
Fastest Family Cup L1: 5'06.783 (from above race)
Fastest Family Cup L2: 4'59.478 (different race)
Best time: 4'57.868 (flying lap 15 in 26th Formula GT)
Best 15-lap GT: 1:17'39.119 (+2 laps on lead car by T2 of L15)
Another setup I used with good results in the family cup (2 laps on
full fuel and tire wear, difficulty 10):
Brakes: 4, 4
Suspension: springs 13.5, 13.4; height 56, 56; compression 7, 7; toe 0
Transmission: same as practice setup
Aids: none
Diff: 16, 40, 30
All others: default
Best time: 4'57.302 (flying lap 15 in Formula GT, not same race as below)
Best 15-lap GT: 1:17'57.249 (+2 laps on all cars by T5 on L15)
I usually try to get my best time on the final flying lap 15 (which I
set up by pitting early on lap 9 after lapping all the other cars, or even
on lap 1 so that I can use up the tires while I'm heavy on fuel) but
often do not get it. At Nurburgring you only get 2 laps on a set of tires
so you're always on an in-lap or out-lap. The one shot at a flying lap
on the last lap of the race often results in encountering backmarkers
for the second time, so this makes it difficult to get a good time.
As far as fuel strategy, at first you are burning down the fuel load -
a lap is around 15 units of fuel, but I usually leave the pit with an
extra few units just in case (around 33 or so total). Basically
I don't start fueling up until after 5 laps, or on the lap that you
plan to pit early, only top off to about 16 units.
==============================
Addendum 2 - sub-5'00 examples
==============================
Time: 4'56.646 (best time with setup 1.3)
T1 0'31.758 T7 3'11.342
T2 0'55.767 T8 3'39.820
T3 1'16.206 T9 3'53.759
T4 1'51.748 T10 4'22.256
T5 2'18.054 T11 4'40.336
T6 2'36.598 L1 4'56.646
Susp. 10.8, 10.9; 64, 64; 7, 7; toe 0
Trans. 18; 2nd 4.518, 3rd 3.287, 4th 2.489
5th 1.960, 6th 1.609, 7th 1.374
Aids off
Note: using LFB
Time: 4'57.962 (best time with setup 1.1)
T1 0'31.598 T7 3'11.343
T2 0'55.547 T8 3'40.777
T3 1'16.218 T9 3'54.733
T4 1'51.673 T10 4'23.469
T5 2'18.496 T11 4'41.586
T6 2'37.084 L1 4'57.962
Notes: bumped armco at Karussell, big slides at Brunnchen and Adenauer Forst,
some wheelspin errors.
Susp. 12.9, 12.9; 62, 62; 4, 4; toe 0
Trans. 18; 2nd 4.522, 3rd 3.289, 4th 2.492
Aids off
Time: 4'59.275 (time reported in version 1.0)
T1 0'31.559 T7 3'12.465
T2 0'55.579 T8 3'42.141
T3 1'16.244 T9 3'56.346
T4 1'51.888 T10 4'24.620
T5 2'18.699 T11 4'42.841
T6 2'37.313 L1 4'59.275
Notes: lots of small errors but three major ones at Eschbach (grass),
Kleinekarussell (missed banking), and Galgenkopf (grass); somehow didn't
prove too costly in time.
Settings modified from defaults (version 1.0):
Suspension
Spring rate: 13.2, 13.2
Ride height: 62, 62
Compression: 4, 4
Toe: 0, 0
Transmission: manual, gear ratio level 18
Driving aids: 0, 0, 0
===========================
Addendum 3 - lap milestones
===========================
Recently I decided to start counting just how many laps I've done at this
unbelievably challenging and enriching circuit. I found it interesting
that most people's advice is absolutely correct: that it takes about 100
laps just to consider oneself minimally familiar with the track. But
refining from there can take exponentially more practice...
Incidentally I do not count the 24-hour or 4-hour endurance races, or anything
else I b-spec'd, nor do I count a number of arcade laps that would be hard
to tally accurately (perhaps 40-50?) when I was going for maximum points
or just looking for new ways to challenge myself. Or the dozen or so laps
at Ringhaus. I started counting arcade laps only recently when going for
time attacks. I also didn't count any of those pesky late-nite frustrating
partial spin-and-bounce-off-Armco-screw-this-hit-restart laps.
Lap 85 (est.): New record practice - 5'29.297
Lap 100 (est.): Family cup time - 5'26.672
Lap 185: Beat Mission 34 - 9'12.394
Lap 262: First honest win, Formula GT 15-lap - 5'16.026
Lap 270: Broke 5'10 in practice - 5'09.297
Lap 400: Made 5'00 in practice - 5'00.897
Lap 410: Break 5'00 in practice - 4'59.715
Lap 431: Break 5'10 in Formula GT 15-lap - 5'07.514
Lap 600 (est.): Visited Nurburgring for real in August 2007
Lap 660: Made 4'55 in practice - 4'55.491
Lap 800: Made 5'00 in Formula GT 15-lap - 5'00.871
Lap 975: Break 4'55 in practice - 4'54.708
Lap 1000: New record practice - 4'54.582
Lap 1050: New record arcade - 4'50.158
Lap 1190: New record practice - 4'54.308
Lap 1241: New record arcade - 4'46.479
Lap 1363: Break 5'00 in Formula GT 15-lap - 4'59.048
Lap 1471: New record arcade - 4'45.815
Lap 2088: Break 78-minute Formula GT 15-lap - 1:17'57.249
Lap 2141: New record practice - 4'53.738
Lap 2163: New record arcade - 4'44.043
Lap 2217: New record 15-lap Formula GT - 1:17'39.119
Lap 2334: New record practice - 4'53.088
Lap 2406: New record arcade - 4'43.547
============================
Addendum 4 - experimentation
============================
Balance and traction are two elements that always lead me to tinker with
the car setup in the eternal quest for going faster. Frustration be damned,
I always hope that the changes won't require much adjustment to driving
style, and will somehow just magically "feel better" which will in turn
produce more confident driving and thus faster lap times. Of course,
with such a long track it still takes a relatively long time to adjust
entirely and actually get a lap with few enough mistakes to break a record.
Muscle memory is a funny thing, and often you can play forever on a late
night and never even complete a full lap, go to bed frustrated, then wake
up the next day and nail it in two or three tries.
Suspension settings always seem to be the place I'm fiddling with to try and
get better balance and traction. Spring rates are naturally a big area - on
bumpy courses like the Nurburgring it can be very difficult to get the right
setting. The spectrum is of course: Too hard, lose traction from bouncing;
too soft, lose traction from poor contact. Also, the softer the springs, the
slower the car reacts and the easier it is for your correction timing to be
off. Also, shock absorber (damper) compression frequently comes into play -
there are several combinations of springs and dampers that will feel roughly
equal in the steering wheel but will have subtle but different effects on
handling. The quest for mechanical grip is just endless, but I'm always hoping
to refine my driving style so I can tolerate a stiffer suspension and still
drive the same lines and ride the kerbs whenever I need to as I would in any
other car.
The other area I decided to fiddle with is the interaction of front downforce
with rear toe. The idea was to gain some handling through lower speed corners
while taking away some nervousness through high-speed corners. I think I was
also going for a more even tire wear during family cup races, although I'm
not sure if it made a big difference. Ultimately I had to abandon this
since it seemed to make the car handle unnaturally through medium speed
corners (imagine the feeling of simultaneous understeer and oversteer),
which make up a large part of the 'ring.
Gearing is another area I will sometimes play with, but less often and in
most instances it was more of a guess than anything. Usually the adjustment
is specific to particular corners where I keep hitting the limiter.
I just started playing with the limited-slip diff, which I use to try
to manipulate the balance without the adverse effects of using the suspension
for this (snappy rear, etc). I know what the numbers are supposed to do but
sometimes I wonder if they actually do what they say. Still, ever since I
changed it to something closer to the normal cars, it's been much easier
to drive which for me makes it faster.
One last experiment involved the weight balance - it seemed to help my practice
setup but I have not got it to work right for actual racing (with fuel and tire
wear). Yet, anyway.
==================
Thanks for reading
==================
There you have it! I must say it took a huge number of attempts on each day
that I actually moved my time. If you've ever seen a Formula 1 practice session
you know that the drivers will go off or spin out fairly often while they are
trying to push hard and find the absolute limit of the car, track, and their
skill on that day. It is amazing how you can do better or worse in completely
different sections and end up with an almost identical time. As heartbreaking
as it is to have a lapse of concentration that destroys what could have been a
huge lead over your previous best time, try to remember that it is difficult
to push the limit that you already achieved by pushing your limit. It's never
going to be perfect - sometimes when you update your time splits some of them
may move forward instead of back. It's nice to know you can go faster in the
initial sectors, but what counts is how they add up to the last.
Determination is one of the more important qualities of racing so stay loose,
and don't let yourself get angry or frustrated, since this will only make you
race even worse (unless you want the exercise of racing angry and trying to
control it). Relax, have fun, and you will be elated when the moment
finally happens. Thanks for reading, I hope this has helped or entertained you
in some way!
++++++++++++
