2009C Draft Formula

This is still subject to change, but should be close enough for teams to start development.  Now that we are starting the 4th cup we are officially into the development window.  The deadlines are hard and early since I will have limited access (family vacation) during the 'off' part of the off season itself.  Note also that for 2009C we will not likely support mid-season skin updates, even for new recruits, so make your factory skins nice for any recruits you may get.

Deadline for formula submission:  2009-07-04

Deadline for members to select teams:  2009-07-18

Deadline for skin submissions:  2009-07-18

Point Budget: 7

There will be no mid-season point upgrade.  All points are to be spent up front.

The spec engine is currently named 027-S (I called it that because the recipe is close to square:00 timing:20 exhaust:70 and it has Standard induction).

The formula is less absolute hot lap performance centric than before, with more stress on buying flexibility and raceability. 

Finally, counter to what I posted before, note that Advanced Materials (CG height) is still in there.  However, the range has been significantly reduced to bring its value in line with the other items.  This is mainly to help keep 2009B setups valid for 2009C versions of those cars that had lowered CGs in 2009B (if they choose to buy it again).

Here is the draft formula itself:

; Aero package
;  gp_rigid  -- gp_rigid aero package
;                 - fixed front wing
;                 - aero efficiency loss in turbulence
;               cost: 0
;  gp_flex   -- gp_flex aero package
;                 - front wing has automatic (no driver controls) flexible elements
;                 - constant aero efficiency
;               cost: 1
aero=gp_rigid

; Diffusor type.
; narrow        cost: 0
; medium        cost: 1
; wide          cost: 2
diffusor=narrow

; Suspension type
; gp         -- large grain dampers w/ wide ranges
;               cost: 0
; gp_kpi     -- large grain dampers w/ wide ranges
;               cost: 1
; gp_lorfeel -- large grain dampers w/ wide ranges
;               cost: 1
suspension=gp

; In-car brake bias control
; 0 -- no
;      cost: 0
; 1 -- yes
;      cost: 1
brakebias=0

; Longitudinal Center of Gravity
; number is the rear percentage, so 0.55 is 45% front, 55% rear distribution
; Recommended range: 0.50-0.62
cgcenter=0.55

; Advanced Materials, currently interpreted as being able to lower the CG
; by using more ballast low instead of constructive materials high.
; 0          -- CG: 232
;               cost: 0
; 1          -- CG: 228
;               cost: 1
; 2          -- CG: 224
;               cost: 2
; 3          -- CG: 220
;               cost: 3
material=0

; Advanced Packaging
; Garage adjustability of longitudinal center of gravity
; range is centered on the above cgcenter value
; 0 -- no adjustibility
;      cost 0
; 1 -- 0.01 (1%) 
;      cost 1
; 2 -- 0.02 (2%) 
;      cost 2
; 3 -- 0.04 (4%) 
;      cost 3
; 4 -- 0.08 (8%) 
;      cost 4
cgadjrange=0

; Third Spring
; none -- no third spring
;         cost 0
; gp   -- third spring
;         cost 1
thirdspring=none

; Pit Stop Technology and Training
; gp_1 -- 8 second nominal tire change time
;         cost: 0
; gp_2 -- 6 second nominal tire change time
;         cost: 1
; gp_3 -- 4 second nominal tire change time
;         cost: 2
pit=gp_1


; Brakes, ranges list in Celsius
; steel      -- full effective range: 0-800    optimum range: 300-650
;               cost: 0
; mk1        -- full effective range: 0-1300   optimum range: 600-650
;               cost: 1
; mk2        -- full effective range: 150-1100 optimum range: 450-800
;               cost: 1
; mk3        -- full effective range: 0-1000   optimum range: 300-650
;               cost: 1
; nanotech   -- full effective range: 0-2000   optimum range: 100-1400
;               cost: 2
brake=steel

Any idea when we'll know what the budget will be? I know we have 2 weeks till the deadline, but I'm working two jobs and having trouble finding time to work on current setups, let alone play with prototype configurations, so knowing what I have to work with as soon as possible is going to make things a bit easier.

Could you also go into a bit more detail on the aero choices? What do they do exactly? ANd are there levels of ABS and TC that aren't "free" that can be chosen by individual drivers outside of what the car's csp file has listed? I.E. if I build a car with no "free" ABS and TC, can drivers still choose higher levels of those two settings and incur a drag penalty? Or can they not choose higher levels at all if the car isn't built with them?

Well looks good as long as there is an expenditures cap of $40 million per team. If we don't get what we want the GMTA will refuse to sign on for next years grid

Sorry...couldn't resist

Previously AJ Weber wrote:

[edited by hoss to remove totally gratuitous and unnecessary quote of AJ's entire draft post.  Good job, Doug.]

further, more refined question, on the ABS and TC...there's currently two areas to set this in the current formula....there's the in-race, on-track settings that can be adjusted in the garage and on track using the function keys...I believe these currently have no "cost" associated with them, and there's the upgrades you can get for your car when you're chosing your car prior to loading a track...I believe these choices currently have a drag penalty associated with them. Is it the pre-track-selection choices that will have a ocst associated with them? With there still be a drag cost to them as well as the point cost? Or does spending the points remove the drag penalty up to the level puyrchased and any additional levels beyond that still have the drag penalty? Right now, pre-track-selection, I chose no ABS or TC upgrades, and on track, I generally have full ABS turned on and medium to high TC (depending on the track). Using the same settings in the new formula, will there be a point cost to my preferred settings? And will the amount of TC and ABS I get be reduced?

So each member has their own budget to spend not a team budget? I don' tunderstand the part below about the K tires being exploitive, how do the K tires do this? What about the use of gyro and AS series drivelines and the use of K tires?

"The formula is less absolute hot lap performance centric than before, with more stress on buying flexibility and raceability.  Note the TC and ABS items: they do not have any impact at all on members who buy upgraded TC and ABS.  They only have impact on the un-upgraded TC and ABS.  The reason these are now budget items is that in combination with the K tires they now have more performance upside.  A setup with K's can now exploit the fact that even those low levels of TC and ABS are in play.  Furthermore, the K tires do a better job at compensating (in a healthy way) for controller issues than those low levels of TC and ABS anyway."