Shell Ultra 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship

Woohoo, so keen!

i dont know any of these tracks but would i be right in thinking they are gonna still suit outright power i.e class1 stuff as the straights look long on a few of em.


dunno whether to stick with my m3 or go class1

Ah Wobbly, I beg to differ.
Some of these tracks have a lot of twisty turns that the M3 will love. Tracks like Barbagello, Oran Park, Amaroo and Winton will all favour nimble machines. I think the smaller cars may provide some great action at these tracks.

I have also thought about going for a front runner rather than the Group 2 for next season but I'm enjoying the Alfa.
One thing is for certain though, I'm very keen to get back on some of the tracks I used to race in Superkarts... Oran, Amaroo, Lakeside & Winton.. 2 of which are now gone from thje real world.

cheers stevie, looks like i need to download a few of these and try the class1 and 2 cars back to back b4 i make a decision on whether to stick with the m3 or not.

Ha! Wobbs, I just tried an RS500 and a VL at Bathurst, and I'm faster around there in the Merc than I am in either of 'em. lol.

Mind you, I can't drive either to save my life... The RS500 is a dog. I believe it's a Great Dane, such is it's doggyness. GAH!

Will it be x3 fuel & x3 tyres like the current season?

wobblyone wrote:cheers stevie, looks like i need to download a few of these and try the class1 and 2 cars back to back b4 i make a decision on whether to stick with the m3 or not.

Remember to base your decision on how the cars will go over an hour long race.

Around say Lakeside, a Sierra might be quicker over a lap, but over 60mins, the Sierra will use alot more rubber and fuel & its where the BMWs and Mercs etc... will come into their own

i love the 3x wear, makes pitting a must and makes strategies more important.

i disargee with you on the class 2 possibly being better at tighter tracks, with the right setup the rs500 is incredible. and if you short shift and conserve your tyres you can still pump out fast laps.

menthol369 wrote:i disargee with you on the class 2 possibly being better at tighter tracks, with the right setup the rs500 is incredible. and if you short shift and conserve your tyres you can still pump out fast laps.

We'll find out next season

My opinion is based on previous leagues i've run in with TCL, the M3's have had the wood on the Sierra's around the likes of Winton & Amaroo, the longer the races the better they go.

I lol when i see ppl say M3's will challenge etc, i know you guys have more exp than me, but having done nearly a full season in the M3 ive realised that you have to be an absolute freak driver to even come close to challenging in the M3.

Wobbly for example, the guy is not normal, he does laps 3 seconds faster than me in the M3, (im no comparison, just saying) and i doubt very much he could challenge a VL or Sierra lap for lap. They simply have too much power, which makes up for for what they lack in Tyre and Fuel consumption, and a smart driver can manage these things. Over an hour or 28 laps, they just pull away with ease. The best result he has managed this season is 3rd, and he is damn fast.

So, in the right hands they can come close, yes, but over a season, they just dont stack up to the other faster cars. Let alone "dominate".

Now, i know im not very good but Bathurst is basically the only track in which i have kept a Class 3 car behind me for any sector, and that was over the mountain, as soon as we hit the straights, they're gone. Never to be seen again.

I'll prolly run the M3 again for this series, as i love how it drives and i can push it hard enough to go faster, but i know i wont be a chance to finish in a higher position, and im ok with that. lol.

shaynskyline wrote:I lol when i see ppl say M3's will challenge etc, i know you guys have more exp than me, but having done nearly a full season in the M3 ive realised that you have to be an absolute freak driver to even come close to challenging in the M3.

Wobbly for example, the guy is not normal, he does laps 3 seconds faster than me in the M3, (im no comparison, just saying) and i doubt very much he could challenge a VL or Sierra lap for lap. They simply have too much power, which makes up for for what they lack in Tyre and Fuel consumption, and a smart driver can manage these things. Over an hour or 28 laps, they just pull away with ease. The best result he has managed this season is 3rd, and he is damn fast.

So, in the right hands they can come close, yes, but over a season, they just dont stack up to the other faster cars. Let alone "dominate".

Now, i know im not very good but Bathurst is basically the only track in which i have kept a Class 3 car behind me for any sector, and that was over the mountain, as soon as we hit the straights, they're gone. Never to be seen again.

I'll prolly run the M3 again for this series, as i love how it drives and i can push it hard enough to go faster, but i know i wont be a chance to finish in a higher position, and im ok with that. lol.

Shayn, I am by no means the fastest driver here.....
But at Lakeside in the last series I drove a M3 and absolutely blitzed them... I am a middle of the pack driver at best.
I made my decision to drive a M3 there after watching races from that era on you tube.... The Beemas even killed Godzilla there and blitzed there with Tony Longhurst and Jim Richards..
Winton club circuit will be used here and I believe the M3's will donimate here as well... amaroo is weird, over an hour race the m3's may come into there own but surprisingly over one lap the bigger cars are faster.
W26

Be adventurous Shayn and drive the Merc... Go on, you know you want to!

Wally26 wrote:

shaynskyline wrote:I lol when i see ppl say M3's will challenge etc, i know you guys have more exp than me, but having done nearly a full season in the M3 ive realised that you have to be an absolute freak driver to even come close to challenging in the M3.

Wobbly for example, the guy is not normal, he does laps 3 seconds faster than me in the M3, (im no comparison, just saying) and i doubt very much he could challenge a VL or Sierra lap for lap. They simply have too much power, which makes up for for what they lack in Tyre and Fuel consumption, and a smart driver can manage these things. Over an hour or 28 laps, they just pull away with ease. The best result he has managed this season is 3rd, and he is damn fast.

So, in the right hands they can come close, yes, but over a season, they just dont stack up to the other faster cars. Let alone "dominate".

Now, i know im not very good but Bathurst is basically the only track in which i have kept a Class 3 car behind me for any sector, and that was over the mountain, as soon as we hit the straights, they're gone. Never to be seen again.

I'll prolly run the M3 again for this series, as i love how it drives and i can push it hard enough to go faster, but i know i wont be a chance to finish in a higher position, and im ok with that. lol.

Shayn, I am by no means the fastest driver here.....
But at Lakeside in the last series I drove a M3 and absolutely blitzed them... I am a middle of the pack driver at best.
I made my decision to drive a M3 there after watching races from that era on you tube.... The Beemas even killed Godzilla there and blitzed there with Tony Longhurst and Jim Richards..
Winton club circuit will be used here and I believe the M3's will donimate here as well... amaroo is weird, over an hour race the m3's may come into there own but surprisingly over one lap the bigger cars are faster.
W26

In addition to what Wally has said Shayn,

The tracks used in the current WTCC season bear no resemblance to (bar Bathurst & Calder) to what tracks are used in the ATCC.

The World Championship used mostly Formula 1 tracks, which are fast, sweeping and open. Australian tracks are much tighter and twistier. BMWs WILL win races next season.

Remember also Wally that GroupC dominated proceedings at Amaroo in season 1 as well in an M3.

I can't yet confirm the team I will be driving for but what I can tell you is that this car has no turbo & it doesn't have 8cyls either

im runing my new car in 2nites test and this weeks round......

Well,

more decisions... I'm down to a choice between 3 makes, 5 types and about
a dozen different skins!!!! (pity the 88 series doesn't include the Alfa, but
I reckon I'll be pretty happy with whatever car I choose this time.)
At least I'll have plenty of choice come Monday!
I think I'll do some testing tonight in a few different cars @ different tracks
and see what happens.

Oooo, this series just oozes "fun". Can't wait.

If it is still available on Monday night I'm gonna switch to the Bond Sierra to keep the Caltex colours. I don't really mind but it would be cool to stay in theme so to speak.

Steve Crossland wrote:If it is still available on Monday night I'm gonna switch to the Bond Sierra to keep the Caltex colours. I don't really mind but it would be cool to stay in theme so to speak.

Remember, there's always the Stewart/Giddings #44 Caltex Sierra too if the Bond/Jones Sierra has gone. (I'm not having the Caltex Sierra if that's what you're thinking either!
Just in case, best to have a back-up) .

Obbzy wrote: (pity the 88 series doesn't include the Alfa...)

It's a pity the Alfa run by John Cotter in some 1988 ATCC rounds wasn't included in the mod... probably because there isn't many pics of the car about

Here is all I could find of it, from the live Channel 7 coverage of Round 1 at Calder

I'm going Sierra definitely if I can.
Had a run around Bathurst last night and first timed lap was a 2m18 without too much setup tweaking.
It has a lot of potential and suits my driving style.

O.k. after a bit more testing, we're down to 2 makes, 2 models (and the M3 as 3rd backup)...
I think I know what I'm gonna race, but depends if the skin/s I want are still there....
Roll on Monday 12:01am!!!

Obbzy wrote:Oooo, this series just oozes "fun". Can't wait.

Says it all

Obbzy wrote:Roll on Monday 12:01am!!!

Indeed! Choices choices!!!

Had a quick go in the potential cars. Shock horror - no Volvo!! Noooooooooo. Sooooo went Bathurst and picked the closest "competitive" car handling wise to the volvo, which I reckon is the skyline. Pretty nice although a right handful to brake in the chase. I may consider having a go if someone hasn't picked them both come monday
Sierra is also a handful, but I found it more controllable for some reason - especially under heavy braking.
I used to be pretty handy in a Holden but I'm a bit rusty, so I didn't really give it a fair test - ie put it into the unforgiving walls of Bathurst for over half of the lap . I'll give that one another go and then try some of the class 2 pocket rockets on saturday

Looking forward to it guys!

eligibo - technically there are 4 Skyline's to choose from, two from ATCC88 and two from Bathurst88, so you should be right.

Steve Crossland wrote:I'm going Sierra definitely if I can.

There is plenty of Sierra's across ATCC88 and Bathurst88 sets, including 2 Caltex cars from bathurst so you shouldn't have any troubles getting one


Its looking like one very competitive series

What car is young racer looking at taking on the ATCC with? hints allowed hahaha

Here's some crazy action at Wanneroo from the 1988 ATCC, just to whet the appetite!

Was a shame they stopped that race, Larry Perkins in particular was very fired up when interviewed after.

groupcaction wrote:What car is young racer looking at taking on the ATCC with? hints allowed hahaha

hehe, ok i'll give a hint, it has 4 cylinders but isn't German

prac server up and going

sweet thanks wally!

Going from what I've seen on the praccy server so far, it looks like a Sierra-fest at Round 1 lol.

Haven't seen any of the TWR boys though, be interested to see what they can do about 'em!

Yep mozza, i second yur suggestion.

Just did a couple 30 min races against the AI on 120%.

Top 5 - Sierras. avg time of high 1:01s
Then - VLs. avg time of low-mid 1:02s
etc
etc
Me in the R31. avg time of about mid 1:03s


I came off a couple of times and fell back, within the 15 laps i was able to catch up to the Mercs and M3s.
But the Sierras and VL's wer too far ahead. Might've been better if i stayed on the track, but eh.
Finished 14th of 20 behind VL's and Sierras.

The times may not be completely accurate, as im sure people will be doing better laps. So i might have to figure out this AI learning thing. Speed em up a bit so its a little more real.

The R31 will be pretty good in the right hands, but it does suffer from lag. RS drivers should never complain abt lag. Try the Skyline.

Intermeresting. Im gonna stick with it though. I've picked my car. See how it pans out.

Guys we are all human, we make mistakes, take a prac race with 6 of us the other day..... i was in a corrolla and came third.... why because of drop outs spins, crashes etc..

I think it will even out somehow over a 12 round season with really long enduro's

W26

shaynskyline wrote:The R31 will be pretty good in the right hands, but it does suffer from lag. RS drivers should never complain abt lag. Try the Skyline.

Have to say i found the opposite.

When i raced the Skyline in the Tuesday TCL Series here earlier in the year i found the Skyline much more drivable off the corners and alot less lag than the Sierra. The Sierra is ultimatly quicker, but in terms of handling i've always found the Skyline better in the corners.

shaynskyline wrote:The times may not be completely accurate, as im sure people will be doing better laps. So i might have to figure out this AI learning thing. Speed em up a bit so its a little more real.

Try adding talent files as well for the AI, that helps alot too

I agree with Racer: the Skyline handles better and more predictably than the Sierra, but that is partly because it's down on power.

yer, no, dont get me wrong, i love the skyline. im just not gonna be expecting any miracles in it. thats all.

gonna be fun though.

shaynskyline wrote:yer, no, dont get me wrong, i love the skyline. im just not gonna be expecting any miracles in it. thats all.

gonna be fun though.

Dont get ME wrong, I expect miracles from YOU Shayn!

well i got a 1:01.815 on hard tyres and 60litres of fuel.

miracle will be to get under that. lols

Wally, is the plan to run every week in the series, or will there be a 1-week break built in at times like last season?

racer69 wrote:Wally, is the plan to run every week in the series, or will there be a 1-week break built in at times like last season?

I spoke with Benny about that and we agreed on running it straight through

Hey guys,

Unfortuntely I've got some pretty bad shit going on in life right now, and as a direct result of it, I'm gonna have to pull out of the ATCC88 season.

Hopefully it's only temporary and I can join ya's after a couple of rounds, however I won't be suprised if I miss the whole season. Hopefully not, but yeah, just playing it by ear at the moment.

I'll still be around on the forum occaisonally, just wont be racing.

That also frees up the #15 ATCC Skyline if anyone wants it, too....

Cheers

Moz

Bad news right there,

Hope things work out in the end mate, and we see you get back during the series.

I will chuck a sticker with yur name on it on my qtr window, so yur still goin around with us, even if its down a couple of places lol.

GL mang.

Hey Mozza sorry to here mate Hope you work it all soon



Always welcome anytime even just for a quick run to take your mind off what ever your problem is

As Shayn & Benny have said, wishing you the best Mozza and hope to see you back on here sometime soon

same here mozz.....ill miss kicking ur ass NOT

send me a steam mess next time ur on mate

Haha, you still use NOT as well.

I use it all the time, people dont expect it anymore, cos its so old-school.

Awesome.

Also, Team Skyline is down to 2 entrants after Mozza's retreat. Elgibo and Me.
Kinda happy, You and Mozza woulda just made us look bad.

Would still love to have Mozza out there, as a yardstick basically. Lol.

Shame. Chin up mate.

so what is the race formate for each night?

1x 1 hour races.

Not sure abt pit stops.

TTR kris wrote:so what is the race formate for each night?

As Shayn says;

- A single 1hr race for the first 9 rounds
- Rd10 is 75mins (Oran Park Pepsi 250), Rd11 is 90mins (Sandown 500), Rd12 is 120mins (Bathurst 1000)

Pitstops are free, you only stop when/if you need to

Practice starts at 7pm

20min Qualifying starts at 7.30pm

A 7min warm-up is from 7.50pm

At 7.57pm the formation lap starts.

cool thanks guys,

Race distances updated for the endurance part of the series...

oran park 32 laps
sandown 53 laps
bathurst 53 laps

fuel/tyres x3