News

Grid Motorsports is pleased to announce the schedule and format for the forthcoming 2011A GTCC championship.

Jan 29th - Grand Touring , Mosport
Feb 19th - Spec Touring, Varano
Mar 12th - Grand Touring, Sebring (extended enduro)
Apr 2nd - Spec Touring, Brands Indy
Apr 23rd - Grand Touring, Snetterton

2011A will feature rounds for both Grand Touring cars and Spec touring Skodas. Each round will feature three points scoring races on a 3x20 min format for Spec Touring and 2x10min plus 1 hour enduro for GT rounds. The season will feature also an extended endurance race at Sebring.

A Number of car revisions are also featured this season including an all new Aston Martin Vantage, sound upgrades for the Porsche and simplified setup options for the Spec Touring cars feature in garage switchable FWD or RWD. GTCC looks forward to welcoming all drivers to the grid in 2011A

During the 2011A homologation and inspection process, Vanderwall paid of....er...sponsored a speed shootout at Jacksonville among all of the new GP cars.  Each car was run at 1/1 wing and of course Vanderwall tires.

A bystander Rusyn engineer scoffed at the value of this data stating that the B/B wings dominated (MP-11A and MRDCXT1) these silly tests, but that in real races it will be the A/A wings to look out for (ASR03 and Kelly).  Strangely, he had no good answer for why Rusyn went with A/B wings (as did Hyundai11A and ASR02).  He did mention that B/A wings are 'right out'.

An Antares engineer went on to point out that the airboxes skew the results as well, showing only their advantage of more power, at a level not normally seen, since most races never go north of 300 kph, and average in the low 200s at best.  These tests do not show drivability, fuel mileage, or pull out of slower corners.

In any case, another test was run using full wing (50/50), even though the Antares engineer still protested the airbox issue.  The Rusyn engineer muttering 'whatever' to the retest.

An SDL investor was seen quietly smiling off in a dark corner.

Grid Motosports has reached an agreement with Antares Sim Racing to produce the league "default" cars for the 2011A season.  Two models will actually be produced.

The ASR01 will be built under license from MRDC as the current 2010C default car design rebadged.  The ASR01 will continue to use GRID engines and RB5 geaboxes.

Grid Motorsports has also reached an agreement for a Merlin engine supply, and in conjunction with Antares engineers will design the new ASR02 around the new Merlin engine.  It has also been reported that a shipment of Taekook GP tires has already been delivered to Antares testing staff located in Jerez, the site of most winter testing and the opening round of the 2011A season.  This implies that the ASR02 will be designed to work with these new tires.

The GMWC Drivers Championship standings is determined by the cumulative results of the Finals event, which is held after the conclusion of all official seasonal series that contribute to the GMWC.  The winner of the Finals is crowned as the GMWC Drivers Champion.  The winner is the driver with the most Finals points after the Superprix Stage.  Points for the GMWC are earned via two separate methods:

1. The finishing positions in the seasonal series.
2. The finishing positions from the Finals stages.

The Finals event itself consists of multiple stages, where each stage features a race that represents one of the contributing series:

• Street (GART)
• Oval (GMOC)
• Touring (GTCC)
• Superprix (GMGP/GMFC)

Series Seed Points

A driver can only earn seed points from one series.  If a driver finishes in a points-earning position in more than one series, they will be awarded seed points only from the one in which they earned the most seed points.  If a driver earns the same amount of points in more than one series, the priority of assignment is as follows: GMGP, GMFC, GTCC, GART, GMOC.  The order matters because drivers with seed points have certain vehicle restrictions placed up them in the Finals stage that corresponds to the series in which they earned their points.

Race Day Format

Signature tracks have been chosen that will be featured in every GMWC Finals (until such time as changes are made, of course).  The intent is for the GMWC Finals to be not only a tradition, but also something with unique appeal that drivers can anticipate and prepare for over the course of each season.

The stages will occur in the order listed here.  There is a separate (short and private) qualification session for each stage.  The stages get progressively longer, but there are also 3 breaks included in the schedule, also of progressively longer duration.

Note that after each stage, drivers will have to leave the rFactor server just long enough to switch vehicles, and then hurry back in order to participate in the qualification session for the next stage -- the race for one stage and the qual for the next occur back-to-back because the breaks are located between qual and race sessions.

Street Stage

Oval Stage

Any driver who earns seed points from GMFC or GMGP must use the car in this stage that they used in the respective series.

Touring Stage

Any driver who earns seed points from GTCC must use the car in this stage that they used the most in the GTCC series.

Superprix Stage

Any driver who earns seed points from GMFC or GMGP must use the car in this stage that they used in the respective series.

Notes

• The 2011A CSP release will be published by the time of this event.  The reason this is important is because we no longer need dedicated oval tires for the grid-gp vehicles.  They're no longer needed because the normal grid-gp tires are viable for use on all of the oval tracks at which the grid-gp vehicles will be used.  This means Taekook will be providing a new grid-gp tire for 2011A for mainline grid-gp usage.  These tires will be available for use in the Finals.  Taekook had originally licensed tire technology from Vanderwall, so their new tire is expected to be similar to the Vanderwalls.  However, due to Taekook's heavy involvement in the drifting scene, expect a tire with much higher ideal slip angles.  If you have a 'drifty' style, you may like the new tires.  This will also probably suit gamepadders better than any current option since gamepadders tend to oscillate in and out of higher slip angles as a matter of finger/thumb technique.  The Coffields have the highest ideal slip angle among the current mainline GP tires.
• A GMWC Team Championship based on the Finals may be possible.  This has not been thoroughly discussed or finalized yet.
• The tracks for future Finals will not change often from season to season.  These will tend towards our 'Indy', 'Le Mans', or 'Daytona' in tradition, with a little bit of F1 mobility (like the British GP has ocassionally been at a location other than Silverstone).  Of note, the Superprix stage track is actually Suzuka, not Sepang, but we are using Sepang for the inaugural event because we just visited Suzuka this season.
• The track/car combos were all chosen to be substantial, requiring more than typical preparation effort compared to our weekly events.   Even the oval will require a measurable amount of setup prep to get through the race on our tires.
• In the future we will not schedule Finals tracks for the regular season events.  The one exception this season is Martinsville for the Oval Stage, which both GART and GMOC did use.  The reason for this is exactly why both of these series chose the track in the first place.  It works exceptionally well for open wheel cars in rFactor.  We have isolated the main requirements for a killer oval track for our cars:  at least one tight radius corner, low banking, and long straights relative to the corners.  Only Martinsville and Gateway satisfy all of these in a format that allows us to use non-oval-specific tires.  Indy and Pocono satsify the three specs as well, but require the oval tires.  Martinsville has a lot more sparkle in the implementation than Gateway, so it is the stage choice.  In the future GMOC and GART will not run Martinsville.  They'll visit Gateway.
• The length of the stage races will be a fixed lap count, not a time value.  The official laps counts will be announced after the practice server gets enough activity on these tracks for us to determine the lap counts that will consume the desired amount of time.

Engines

All three engines and all three inductions were used, so we still have wide variety in the power department.  However, Ottodyn has displaced GRID as the preferred engine in number of designs.  But this is not the whole story.  The huge growth of SDL combined with the still strong RAC, both using Velocotech, it is likely more Velocotech engines will see use than any other engine.  This is all interesting because it was in fact the GRID engine that won both the TC and DC.

Wing Analysis

Looking at the choices of wing is an interesting clue into each chassis' design philosophy.  An A/A (front/rear) choice indicates the thinking that the car needs more efficiency at high downforce, which indicates the team is thinking they lean more towards higher downforce setups.  A B/B choice indicates the opposite.  An A/B choice indicates a thinking that setups will often be medium downforce with the front wing set higher than the rear.  A B/A choice indicates that setups will also be in the middle, but the rear wing will often be higher than the front.

MP-10C (M-Sport) -- Evolution

The DC championship car for 2010B seems to have only gone through minor changes to adapt to the new formula.  This is probably wise.  Why fix it if it ain't broke.  The result is a car that a balanced choice.

Given that, there is not a whole lot to say about this car, as it is pretty much a known.  It even took the most common wing configuration, which is B/B, which is a lean towards lower downforce setups.

CJ10C-A (RAC) -- "6"

Six speeds.  This is the only design to try it, and is wisely matched with somewhat peaky by powerful velocotech engine with airbox.  This is a relatively high bling car, inclucing nanotech brakes, high pit tech, and the highest mass mobility of any car.  Like a lot of other cars, it is a B/B wing car.  It also sports one of the lower CGs.

So what does all this bling cost?  Well, as it turns out, both mass and drag.  Even though the CJ10C-A has a low CG, it has a little extra ballast bolted on to enhance the mass mobility.  It is the highest drag car, being 7% higher in base drag than average.

MRDC10C (MRDC) -- Only 4 pit guys

In the tradition of the team charter, this car favors fun and drivability over raw time.  In this case basically no resources were invested in pit technology, and everything was dumped into the car.  The only other cars with this primitive pit technology are the customer cars, which is the default car and from that, the Redman car.

So where does it rock then, with all of those tech points saved?  Everywhere, just a little.  They spread the benefit across the whole car.  It has low drag, but not the lowest (it is 2nd).  It has low CG, but not the lowest (it is 2nd).  It has good mass mobility (3rd).  And it has some bling, such as a medium diffusor and nanotech brakes.

The only item that is any sort of on-track compromise at all is the lack of seamless shifting, as the RB5 gearbox was selected.

rusyn-10c (Rusyn) -- Spring, Spring, Spring

One again, the trademark of the Rusyn entry is the inclusion of the third spring.  However, this season, the Rusyn is the only team car to include it.  While not the most extreme car, the Rusyn does have the lowest CG by a small margin and therefore has good mass mobility.  It is also the only car to choose the A/B wing combination, indicating a preference to use more front rear than rear at medium downforce levels.

The main weakness of the Rusyn is that it is one of the higher drag cars, with 4% more drag than average, and does not have one of the high peak power engines to compensate.  Instead, it is the only car to use scoop induction to maybe stop the bleeding.

Hyundai10C (Litchfield) -- Back to the Front

The Hyundai10C is a mostly moderate and reserved design, with the exception that it has moved the mass more forward than any other car.  The Litchfield also appears to be designed for downforce, according to its A/A wing configuration.  So while in the big picture the Litchfield car seems moderate, for this team this is a dramatic change from their roots.  Historically, Litchfield setups have been very low drag and their cars have had mass placed more aft than most.

The basics of this car are reliable choices: nanotech brakes, medium diffusor, and mid level pit tech.  One spot where the Hyundai cut a corner to keep the price down is the gearbox, where the seamless shift was dropped in the form of the RB5.

Another interesting note about the Hyundai, which is a trait from past Litchfield cars, is that it has a wider track than average.  Although this season it does not even come close to the having the widest track.

Jezebel (SDL) -- Drag King

This car is probably the boldest design of the lot, as it is the most extreme in many categories, and is done so in a way that makes a lot of sense.

The SDL entry is the other car besides the Litchfield designed for downforce, using the A/A wing configuration, but gives this a double punch by also having the lowest drag at only 94% of the average.  The Jezebel also sports the best pit tech fielded, along with several other designs.  This entry does not cut corners on the gearbox either, and uses the popular RS5.

None of this is free, and where the Jezebel pays the price is in mass.  It is the heaviest team designed car.  Only the default car is heavier, by  4kg.  And it has all this mass sitting up high at 240mm, leaving no flexibility to adjust mass.  This is combined with the furthest back CG at 0.59.  But this car seems designed for that --  the Jezebel has the widest footprint as well, maxing out at 1800mm, so in spite of the high CG, the Jezebel will likely also have some of the most even tire wear and nimble handling.  Of course the price of this could be longitudinal stability.  We'll see.

default-10c (GMWC Default) -- MRDC with bling

The default car is B/A just to reuse the skin, so that doesn't really show anything philosophy-wise.  Other than that, the default car is the MRDC car with a third spring and brake bias control added.  Since the MRDC was already heavy due to some ballast enhancement, this makes the default car the heaviest car of all, although not uncompetitively so.  It is still one of the lower drag cars, and due to supply issues uses the GRID engine, so in a long straight line is probably faster than its parent, the MRDC.

Ant3333 (indie -- Anthony) -- Gamepad Optimized

The Ant3333 is the only car sitting on B/A by design, which guess what...makes sense.  This car is a custom gamepad indie, and gamepads need as much front end twitch forgiveness as they can get.  I am not a gamepad driver, so I'm not sure what else to say about the mostly balanced design of this car, other than to say it was designed overall by a fast gamepadder.

The one interesting note is that this is the first car by design, for racing, to mate an airbox with the Ottodyn engine.  This is probably a style thing, since Anthony tends to run fewer gears than most, but likes high top speed, so he took the fat power curve and made it as fast as he could.  I'm actually a little surprised he didn't choose a 4 speed, but that could simply be because he still wants good starts off the grid.

Redman10C (indie -- Mike) -- MRDC in Antares clothing

This is another MRDC lineage car, mainly with wing and bodywork changes to reuse Mike's skin.  His main use is to use it to preview tracks, although he may race it, so from a design point of view, it is basically a MRDC.

GMWC will see a long awaited return to the principality on May 8th when the GTCC rolls into Monaco for round two.

The second round will use the ever popular Class C Skodas on the most challenging street circuit of them all.  GTCC organisers stated "Drivers have petitioned for a return to the streets of Monaco for some time but the GP cars just won't provide a rewarding event.  Continuing our trend of providing alternate race locations, Monaco sees its first GTCC outing and with the Skodas we hope we have the ideal car to provide close and competitive racing on these tricky streets."

Round one saw three different winners from three races, demonstrating the competitive nature of the series.  Whether you're a serious championship challenger or just wanting a fun raceday away from the GPs then come and join GTCC at one of motorsport's most famous circuits.

Desert-dwelling grimms living in the area of the Bahrain venue have succeeded in having the upcoming Bahrain GMWC event changed to a full daylight race.  Ironically, most of these same grimms are race fans, and are now ticket holders for the race itself.  They just like to sleep when they like to sleep.

This Saturday will see the start of the new GTCC season which enjoyed a good response last season whilst various formats were tested. The 2010B season develops on from that and is once again set to form an alternate championship to the GP season.

Carrying on from last seasons success, each round will feature single class racing with a 50/50 split useage of the B (Sports) and C (Touring) class cars. Events will follow a standard 3 x 30 min race format.

The season will also host a finale round with a single 15 minute sprint race leading to a double points scoring 1.5 hour enduro.

With the reduction to single class running at each round, the championship points table should be easier to follow over the course of the season.

Provsional GTCC Schedule (subject to confirmation of GP schedule)

17th April   - Lime Rock Park , B (sports) class

8th May     - Monaco , C (touring) class

29th May   - Oulton Park , C (touring) class

19th June  - Mid Ohio , B (Sports) class

3rd July    - Norisring , C (touring) class

17th July   - Enduro finale -Essington (TBC) , B (Sports) class

The GMWC technical board today released some data from the homologation process.  This data includes the as of yet incomplete submission from inTech.

• Engines: 5 GRID, 3 ottodyn, 3 velocotech
• Inductions: 6 airbox, 4 standard, 1 scoop
• Brakes: 5 mk2, 5 nanotech, 1 mk3
• Gauges: 6 digital yokes, 2 analog dashes, 1 motec, 1 mkII, 1 mkI
• Front wings: 8 flex, 3 rigid
• Diffusors: 6 narrow, 4 medium, 1 wide
• Suspensions: 6 kpi, 5 gp
• Suspension Materials: 5 steel, 3 carbonfiber, 3 polymer
• Pit levels: 4 gp_4, 3 gp_3, 4 gp_2
• Third Springs: 7 w/o, 4 with
• CG Heights: 3@232, 2@228, 3@224, 3@220
• Brake Bias: 9 w/o, 2 with
• CG ranges: 4@0.02, 3@0.01, 4@0.00

Observers are not quite sure what to make of this, but what was clearly a 2010B developmental car was seen doing shake down laps at Fuji.  Rumors are that this is some sort of light kit for GP cars.

Since grimms show up to races proportional to how an event actually turns out, it is no surprise, in retrospect, that more grimms attended today's GMWC event at Interlagos than any other GMWC event in history.  Why?

To watch the first female driver compete in the true top level of racing.   Wives, girlfriends, and daughters have all been seen turning laps here and there, but this was the first official participation by a female.  Amanda was seen signing autographs well into the night.  Rumours are also running rampant about huge sponsorship money now pouring into Litchfield.  Oh yeah, there was also the closest finish in league history. 

Note that the virtual spectators (think Sims) go to races that turn out to be what they want to see.   Our Grid Sims, or Grims, for example, turn out in larger numbers for races that have close finishes.  They have really really good intuition.  Also, being grim, they like contact.  The management and marshal do not, but the grims do, so races with more contact draw more grims.

2009C saw one of the most incredible championship battles seen in its history, Both GMWC and GTCC drivers titles ended tied on points, number of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place results. The primary GMWC title was finally decided in a unique 2 driver sprint race to decide the champion. No sprint showdown was completed for GTCC so fault rating is the deciding factor.

GWMC would like to congratulate the drivers and teams taking away the silverware for 2009C and everyone who contributed to an exciting season.

In summary the trophies were awarded as follows:

GMWC Drivers Championship

Champion - AJ Weber
2nd Place - Celso Jorge
3rd Place - Matt Lew

GMWC Teams Championship

Champions - Antares
2nd Place - Rusyn
3rd Place - A-Tek

GTCC Championship

Overall Champion - Matt Lewis
Class A Champion - Matt Lewis
Class B Champion - Moe Faster
Class C Champion - Alex Du Plessis

The 2010A season kicks off this Saturday with round one of the GTCC featuring Skoda class cars at the small but frantic Knockhill circuit in Scotland. We hope you are there to make 2010A just as succesful as this season.

The default GMWC GP car is built under license from MRDC and is very similar to the MRDC-10A. In fact, it is completely setup compatible and will have identical behavior. The only difference is that since these league cars are also available for school usage, GMWC has decided to trade away some pit tech in favor of nanotech suspension.

2010A is another spec engine season for the league, so all the variety is in the chassis.  And there is a lot of variety.  Every option has been exercised across the league, so this little tech summary will be with respect to parts.

Aerodynamics

Clearly, the flexible front wing was the favored option, but for the first time a team has optimized around the simpler fixed front wing.  SUPEROO's plan for the GSR4a may be to qualify up front and walk away from the field so they do not have to pass anyone, at least for position.  Or maybe this is an accounting decision because they cannot afford to keep replacing those expensive flexible front wings.

The diffusors are nearly evenly split between narrow and medium, with no takers on the wide variant.

Suspension

The base gp suspension layout is dominant, likely due to it not increasing the cost of the car.  However, one team, RAC, has opted to retain their tried and true kpi suspension.

An new feature for suspensions this season is construction material, with every available material being used across the league.  Antares is  using the expensive nanotech, and Rusyn and Litchfield are using the brittle carbon fiber, MRDC is using the bendy polymer, and everyone else is using basic steel.

Pit Technology

The research into pit technology has made faster pit stop possible, but apparently that technology was deemed too expensive by all teams.  The most tech used is level 3, the maximum used last season, by SUPEROO, MRDC, Litchfield, and Rusyn.  Level 2 is being used by SDL, Antares, and M-Sport.  RAC has simply drafted some unemployed ex-A1GP pit crew to implement level 1.

Third Spring

Last season only one team used the third spring, but apparently other teams took notice, because this season there is a pretty even split between teams using a third spring and not.

In Car Adjustability 

Once again, only one team chose this (brake bias): Rusyn.

Center of Mass

This is all over the place, with all sorts of mixes of centers and ranges.  The most fore mass reachable by any car is 0.52 (aft) by RAC.  The most aft is 0.58 by SDL.

Advanced Materials (CG height)

The most aggressive cars with materials are M-Sport and SUPEROO, both reaching a CG height of 220mm.  The lowest tech entries are Rusyn and MRDC with 232mm each.

Track Width

While most teams stood pat with the default track of the last couple of seasons, two teams, M-Sport and RAC, jumped on the opportunity to try to recapture an aspect of their dominant chassis models of old formula seasons.  Time will tell if these narrow tracks will work as well on the current short wheelbases as they did on those old long wheelbases.  One team is venturing where no team has gone before -- wider tracks.  Litchfield has gone with a rear track at the maximum allowed, 1800mm.

Brakes

A variety of brakes are in use, with the most notable observation being the general increase in the use of nanotech brakes.  Is this a sign of inconsistent carbon brakes in 2009C, or are teams pushing the aerodynamic edge trying to get brake ducts a couple of clicks lower?

2009C

The final round of the GWMC draws to a close this weekend and we see a repeat at the top with AJ Weber and Celso Jorge battling for the title. At this point last season the question was, can Celso take his first title or will AJ add to his extensive tally? And so we arrive at the final round of 2009 with the same question on everyone’s lips however this time Celso has the upper hand and AJ will certainly need to claim the win and fastest lap to defend the title… pressure is certainly on.

Matt Lewis and Anthony Cochrane will be fighting for 3rd place, both of whom were never in title contention having not contested all the cups. Also in distance of that 3rd place with a very credible performance this year is Ian Cumming ,who is set for his highest points finished for the RAC team.

In the Team title race, Antares once again look set to clinch the crown but a valiant effort from Rusyn has kept them on their toes. Based on current performance, A-tek look set to knock M-sport out of the top three.

2010A

And so on to 2010 and what looks like one of the most interesting off season shake ups for a while. Much like F1 the Grid Motorsport see’s new teams, departures and a refuel ban.

Of what little there is confirmed from the silly season will be that new boys MRDC will join the grid led by ex SDL driver Andy Jones, with an interesting concept to team management. Litchfield Dynamics have a bolstered squad with their first expansion from a one car team.

SDL’s fall from grace though looks set to continue from the once great team as its owner struggles to find time and funding for the SDL project. With Andy Jones already moving on to form his own team, will others follow? Certainly the Seattle factory will be hanging onto faith for the possible return of star driver “C” at some stage during the 2010 campaign. Another team owner struggling to make the grid is Chris Jones; however his team drivers have done a good job to keep the RAC banner flying. 

Of the current top four, Antares, Rusyn, M-Sport and A-Tek no changes have been revealed and stability is expected to continue. Rumours of a merger between M-sport and A-tek have surfaced however they remain just rumours.

GTCC

The GTCC series draws to a close in Cleveland in two weeks, but the news is all about the revamped series which will commence before the end of the year. 

Aimed at increasing popularity and the fun factor the series will reduce to two car classes, B and C. GTCC promoters are confident this will retain the attraction of a multi class series but retain strong competition across the classes even with low field numbers. whilst retaining an element of arrive and drive accessibility. So in summary GTCC will feature 

• Unchanged class B cars with possible additional types to compliment the Panoz and Porsche (reports of Chevrolet and Spyker truck sightings have emerged from resident nearby GWMC HQ)
• Class C car consolidated to Skoda only with 200bhp engine spec
• Unchanged GTCC raceand points format

GMWC Off season

So after the hangovers subside after the end of season Party, what’s on the agenda?

Well with the core GP series taking a month long sabbatical, there’s plenty to keep the competitive juices flowing. 2009C GTCC finals will be held in Cleveland followed the week after by a showcase for the revamped mid week racing series. In December we have a welcome return of the highly entertaining and competitive Skoda series which as a bonus now contributes to the points for the 2010A GTCC series.

So plenty of change and some exciting times, we wish the title contenders well for the final GMWC round and look forward to seeing as many drivers on track for the off season action.

After a well-earned offseason the Grid Motorsports World Cup is again ready to resume its showcase of the world's best drivers in the world's best cars, on many of the world's best circuits.  The start of the 2009C season is just days away, and most of the drivers and teams are already in the exotic and balmy environs of Shanghai, China, where re-engineered cars and a blank scoreboard breed renewed hope and optimism throughout the grid.

Most of the faces are familiar, as are the uniforms, with the offseason seeing very little turnover in the series' roster, for perhaps the first time in its history.  A-Tek is the lone exception, though even that is merely academic.  The brash young outfit registered itself last season but the rules postponed their official entrance into the competition until the start of the new season.  There are, however, quite a few independent drivers now unofficially lurking in the shadows, and we could see the 2009C team competition swing in favor of whichever garage can manage to woo a few new hot shoes into its confines.

If the drivers are familiar to the fans, then the fans will be equally familiar to the drivers, as the series sticks to a schedule of traditional, and popular, circuits.  We'll visit only a single new venue this time around, when we travel to the sunny side of North America and the unique track at Thermalito, CA.

AJ Weber will be trying to defend his record-setting 7th Drivers Championship, which he won by the narrowest margin in league history, and the venerable reputation of Antares Racing will be on the line as they defend their record-setting 4th Team Championship.

So strap in, fuel up, bolt on a fresh set of rubber, and put those shiny new cars to the test in another glorious run for the cup!

Squeezed between regular GP seasons, the GMWC drivers let their hair down for some last minute tin top panel bashing in an informal British touring car style mini series.

Visiting the UK classic touring car circuits of Donington, Brands Hatch, as well as the newest British circuit at Rockingham, the mini series had a strong turnout and provided some of the closest racing seen in GMWC touring classes.

The Touring class C Skoda’s proved the ideal car of choice with high praise received from the drivers.

Stuart Barge and Matt Lewis led the charge over the 3 rounds with some superb individual performances from Loyer, Weber, Thorne and Longworth. Series points were recorded over the 12 races which can be found in the forums shortly but for most, the points were secondary to the racing action which was first class throughout the field.  Hopefully the mini series will see a welcome return in the future.

Thanks to all that took part.

Four cups down, one to go.  And the 2009B GMWC Drivers Championship is legitimately undecided.  Even moreso, the 2nd and 3rd place drivers are in a dead tie, both of them within striking distance of the leader, AJ Weber, should fortune elect to abandon him.  So the stage is set for perhaps a deciding moment at Nürburg this weekend, and it wouldn't be the first time.

The venue has not been visited by the series since its early incarnation as the NegativeSum Racing League.  In fact this weekend will at the very least be remarkable for erasing one of the few remaining track records of the series' first champion, David Hostetler, who handily won the inaugural championship in 2007A.  He executed a clean sweep at the Ring's short circuit, taking pole, fastest lap, most laps led, track record, and winning the race.

Nürburg could be deemed the turning point of that season, as it marked Hostetler's second win of what would be a four event sweep putting the championship firmly out of reach of the rest of the field.  Going into Nürburg, Weber was ahead of Hostetler by 9 points.  But Hostetler's win in Germany would match Weber's win total (2) and unseat him from the top of the standings for the first time all season.  Weber not only failed to finish the race, due to a mistake in T2 of the last lap, but he would manage to score only a single point in the season's remaining two events, allowing even 2nd place to slip away from him in the final standings.  As the dust settled that day, the result must have been particularly bitter for Weber, as he had qualified 2nd and in fact led 9 of the race's 25 laps.

So as this season's leader finally returns to Germany's signature motorsports venue, his memories of it will not be fond.  This might explain why, according to Rusyn sources, the reigning champion has exhibited noticeably less than his usuall dedication to preparation this week.  Sure the series' new schedule format perhaps allows him that luxury, knowing that Paul Ricard will offer a second chance to secure the championship.  But it might instead offer merely a second dose of disappointment.  His lead in the standings is only 7 points this time, and he faces perhaps greater competition than in that wild west season of 2007A.  Celso Jorge is dangerous on any track, in any car, and Matthew Lewis has the distinction of being the only other driver besides Hostetler, ever, to beat Weber to the season Trophy.

But if the competition is stronger, then certainly the champ is as well.  Many regard his collapse in the 2007A season as having delivered a necessary lesson to the supremely talented driver that talent alone doesn't win championships.  The strategic mistakes made that season have been rarely witnessed again from the 6-time champion, and if his competition is hanging its hopes on such mistakes, their hopes are slim indeed.

But this is racing, and if we knew what would happen between the green lights and the checkered flag, well, we wouldn't need to bother.

After 12 years in Formula 1, where the FIA takes care about every little hump, this is a race track for real men. It’s more a fight than a pleasure, but I love the challenge of Le Mans!

- Alex Wurz, 2009 Le Mans 24 hours winner

Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting

- Steve McQueen, Le Mans 1971

Enduro Season finale 

Drivers and teams of the GMWC Enduro series arrived in La Sarthe region of France today for the completion of the first ever Enduro championship

Competitors will take on the circuit La Sarthe in its 1979 configuration with the classic Mulsanne straight uninterrupted by chicanes. With high speeds, technical sweepers and the challenge of running on public roads await the drivers and teams as the plan their round the clock race to the season end.

Whilst drivers are yet to declare the class of car they will drive, Championships are at stake. In class A, Matt Lewis has the advantage but in missing Bahrain cannot relax and must shoot for the win to be assured of the title. Class B has been one of the most competitive groups with AJ Weber and Dennis Loyer leading the charge. Tom Castellani has performed well in this class but has yet to bring the car home and will be eager to score well at one of his favourite tracks.

Finally class C has been one of the most un-predictable. Chris Jones, Alex Dorsett and Moe Faster have a win each but it’s the consistency of the Moe that gives him the edge to the Class C title.

All is to play for but Le Mans is unique, from the setting sun over the Dunlop Bridge, Glowing brakes in the night at Mulsanne and at dawn driving through forest and lingering smell of breakfast from the Arnage corner campsites.  Le Mans is a classic and this race looks to be no exception.

A lot has happened since the last news update with many changes and results; however the one constant is the names at the top of the championship standings with AJ Weber and Antares leading the drivers and team championship standings respectively.

In the past few rounds different winners have reaped the rewards. The Turbo powered cars however seem to have really got to grips with their engine designs with the standard engine cars now really struggling to keep the pace up the front for extended runs. Advantage to Antares, Rusyn and SDL who have enjoyed the feature wins in rounds all bar Suzuka. M-sport and A-tek drivers will be looking forward to the standard engine formula for the 2009C season.

SDL drivers have enjoyed a welcome revival of late, Dennis Loyer returning from occasional absence to dominate the Silverstone round and Stuart Barge enjoying his first Enduro victory in Bahrain.

Spa

Non turbo cars actually held the surprise fastest times in the run up to the Spa round and enjoyed competitive qualifying times but it was once again those turbo cars that had the long run pace.

Anthony Cochrane managed one sprint win but Celso Jorge and AJ Weber shared the rest.

Matt Lewis gained second on the feature grid behind Celso Jorge. On lap one Matt got the better run out of La source and was set to make of move at the end of the straight into Les Coombes but was caught out when Celso braked unexpectedly at the 300 meter board. With 200 to run to the usual brake point Matt had no where to go. AJ Weber sneaked through the resulting carnage to lead at the end of lap one.

Celso and Matt recovered but it was Celso with a much higher top speed hunting down and eventually passing AJ on lap 6. Celso would go on to hold this place to the end. Further back, Matt would get the jump on AJ during the pit stops and emerge with a healthy 11 second gap. Second was not certain however as a short fill left Matt fuel saving for the last two laps. Back marker traffic would prevent AJ closing the final 2 seconds on the last lap.

GP's take a break now as Le Mans beckons the Enduro finale but AJ Weber will head into the final cup with one hand on the championship trophy leaving Matt Lewis and Celso Jorge in with a chance but effectively scrapping over second.

Laguna Seca was all about one man with Celso Jorge completing a brilliant clean sweep of race wins.

Proving practice makes perfect, Celso racked up more laps than any other driver in advance of the race and these translated into race pace that the rest of the field struggled to respond too, the turbo/gyro package of the Antares car proving too strong.

Leading the chase during the sprints were the works M-sport car of Matt Lewis and Anthony Cochrane in the newly entered A-Tek  team running a customer M-sport car.

Heading into the feature race however, the MP009 cars seemed to have made a huge leap in performance and were contesting for the pole, but Celso pulled it off leaving the top three covered by less than 160ths of a second.

From the start Anthony Cochrane unexpectedly hounded Celso hard with the Antares car possibly running a one stop strategy. Inevitably they were both soon off with Celso loosing a wing and Anthony dropping down to 6^th leaving Matt Lewis and an impressive Carl Dixon up front. Matt was unable to take the advantage however nursing an overheating car due to a bad radiator setting selection.

After the final pit stops all four contenders were once again together but the order had changed. Anthony looked set to challenge for the win but suffered an untimely technical problem allowing that man Celso back through into a lead that would not be challenged after a calm and measured recovery from the earlier incident. Matt Lewis completed the podium in second after solving the overheating issue with an impressive drive from Carl Dixon taking 3rd in his first race for A-Tek

Leaving this USA round, Local driver AJ Weber leads the championship thanks to his Shanghai and Estoril wins despite a chassis struggling for speed. With season budget remaining, new parts are due on the car very soon so the championship race is very much hotting up.... stay tuned

Under the stars and fireworks, it was the underdogs that were celebrating class wins in the first round of the GWMC Enduro championship.

From the outset the practice pace setters controlled the race and looked set for the wins but their plans began to unravel heading in to the final stages of the race.

The successful event proved popular once again with the track characteristics proving challenging for drivers and heavy on tyre wear. Although some inevitable start issues, multi class contact issues and fatigue crept in, all participating drivers drove a good and measured race and although maybe not mentioned below, deserve congratulations none the less. After all in endurance racing, getting to the end is a result alone.

Class A

Practice pace and pole was taken by Matt Lewis with comfortable margins and for the most part had the edge on race pace. Mike Redman however surprised the class A pack with a consistent performance and was always running a steady but strong speed.

As night fell it would be the leader and not the chaser that made errors as an increase in wing setting left the M-sport car off the pace, getting bottled up behind lapped Class A and B cars. The M-sport team reduced the wing on the next stop but the damage had been done and both Lewis and Redman were now on the lead lap, swapping the place at the pit stops. The defining moment however came when Matt, caught out by a slowing Panoz, lost control and got caught on the kerbing loosing half a lap. This error was then compounded by over filling the car on the final stop.

Matt emerged 20 seconds behind Mike but despite a faster pace, made numerous errors and off track excursions leaving Mike to take a great win with calm and controlled driving.

Class B

A strong class B field was hotly contested with leading GP series drivers from Rusyn, Antares and M-sport. Much like class A, it was the M-Sport liveried Panoz of Tom Castellani that held the pace edge but in this class too it would not prove to be success for M-sport.

Throughout the race AJ Weber and Tom traded the lead by result of differing strategies and going into the final stops it looked like they would emerge very close for a sprint to the end. Unfortunately a technical problem putting Tom out of the running soon after.

AJ went on to claim the win having survived a few attacks from frustrated class A drivers along the way.

Class C

No matter where you went or looked, there always seemed to be a Skoda in front, at least to the Panoz and Proton drivers. The most popular class saw the entire RAC team take to the track in Class C. Chris Jones, Scott Farm and Alex Dorsett were the class of the field but an early exit from Bathurst Class C enduro winner Alex made it a two horse race.

Chris raced hard with Scott Farm all distance long in some of the best action on the circuit. Inseparable to the end it was Chris that would take to the win after a fuel strategy error left him dry with one lap to run.

Get the comfy seat cushions out and make sure the beer is within reach, Enduro’s are back with a bang!

Following a hugely successful and popular Bathurst endurance race last season, the GMWC special events now takes the guise of a new four race endurance series, kicking off at Orchard Lake road course this weekend culminating in the daddy of them all, Le Mans.

Drivers will face the challenge of multi class racing, day/night transitions and managing long distance strategies, all of which are required skills to be successful in endurance racing.

Practice times are now on the board but remain inconclusive, one hot lap will not win a 2 hour race. The Panoz class looks to be hugely popular and competitive this time but no doubt the Proton and Skoda’s will see no less intensive competition.

The heat was on for round two of the GMWC series this week and the action on the track was as hot as the local climate. Whilst many teams and drivers were glad to move on from the demanding Shanghai track which thoroughly tested driver skill, the Bahrain Sakhir circuit posed a whole new challenge to complete the opening cup of the season.

Whilst remaining a challenge to the drivers, Sakhir presented a nightmare for the teams and setup engineers with many struggling to find a fast but consistent setup. The early pace in testing saw Shanghai feature winner and points leader AJ Weber topping the times.

Come raceday though, the headline grabber was the appearance of the much feared pace of the Antares car which saw them enjoy significant advantage in the many straights with Celso Jorge and Mike Redman showing strong.

Sprint Races

Complete chaos ensued at the start of the first race with the tight turn one catching lots of drivers out, the safety car also added to the melee with more drivers getting caught up in incidents with damaged cars. More than half the grid pitted for repairs leaving pole sitter Matt Lewis at the head of the field and the eventual win. Mike Redmond scored a great result for Antares starting and finishing second with Brandon Longworth escaping the chaos to rise to the final podium place.  Anthony Cochrane was the big winner of the opening chaos rising 17 places to take 4th.

By the second race a theme was emerging, M-sport had a fast qualifying car but Antares had faster sprint race pace. Another pole for Matt Lewis came to nothing though after contact from Chris Jones into the first corner sent them both to the back of the pack. AJ Weber chased hard but Antares notched the first win of the year with Celso taking the flag. Mike Redmond with another solid performance in 4rd and Zach Litchfiled with a strong result came home in the points in 5th

The final sprint saw a Matt Lewis, Celso Jorge, AJ Weber result.

The main event

So the scene was set and the cards were on the table, or so it seemed. Between races the Antares team had been thinking hard and Celso Jorge snatched pole with a stunning lap in the dying seconds having narrowly avoided a spinning Matt Lewis on the back straight. The M-Sport team owner having wasted that final lap could not respond. Anthony Cochrane also showed his hand with 3rd followed Mike Redmond and AJ Weber.

The feature race start whilst less incident strewn was no less dramatic.  Matt Lewis had a poor lap dropping to 6th with Mike Redmond endured a torrid start dropping to 17th.  By lap 3 Matt had clawed two places back but the leading pack of Celso, Anthony and AJ had a gap going. Celso and Anthony exchanged places briefly on lap 4 and they would continue to battle throughout the race.

AJ Weber showed good pace struggling with a difficult car but a 3 stop strategy ultimately dropped him away as the race progressed. In the midfield and rear of the grid action was frenzied and changed by the lap. The large grids now enjoyed by the league providing some entertaining racing.

Up front Anthony had the upper hand after the pit stops and led the most laps but a longer middle stint did not work out for him and going into the last stint the race was far from won. Matt Lewis has made a steady recovery through the race to sit in 3rd but unable to close a 5 second gap to the Celso / Anthony battle. However the race was about to be decided in a true case of it isn't over till the fat lady sings. 

Entering lap 19 Celso has once again diced with Anthony but this time had the lead onto the final two straights where his cars power had the upper hand. Ahead in the final turn however a sister Antares car was recovering from an off and Celso, possibly distracted ran wide. As Celso rejoined Anthony found himself faced with a back marker and two recovering Antares cars, the combining traffic and backing off had closed the top three in one corner. As Celso and Anthony regained there speed from the unexpected incident in a drag race down the finish straight, Matt Lewis was foot to the floor behind enjoying a healthy slipstream from team mate Michael Gore and then latching onto the back of Anthony for a further tow effect to slingshot into first place. All 3 cars closed in on turn one with hardly a gap and contact between all 3 seemed inevitable but it was Anthony chasing Matt up the hill out of the turn. An attempt was made into the hairpin with the RAC car diving up the inside of the M-sport car but over cooking it. 

A spin from Anthony later that lap left Matt with a comfortable margin that he would maintain for the victory. Celso and Anthony had unfinished business however continuing to trade places until a blocking move too many saw Celso unable to avoid the back of Anthonys car, tapping him into a spin. Celso continued to take second with a return to the podium for the new RAC rookie. AJ driving well to wring performance out of his car took 4th.

So the first two races down and some of the most exciting races the league has seen, the new Formula certainly seems to be doing the goods thanks to its developers.  The GP league now takes a break whilst the drivers head for the Enduro series but the GP cars return at Estoril soon where the battle will be as strong as ever.

The Shanghai grid rumbled to a record turnout as the new look GMWC 2009B season got underway this weekend. With an even playing field drivers got to grips with the new formula and finally questions are starting to be answered about how the teams and drivers would fare with the new specifications. Rusyn, M-sport and RAC all scored a win during the event with the higher powered cars of SDL, Superoo and reigning team champions Antares off the pace.

However no one team could claim to be truly dominant. Pre season speculation of the league entering a turbo era remains in question however as the Rusyn and M-sport standard engine cars notched up the most victories with the RAC turbo powered car picking up the last sprint win. Where the turbo cars will gain the upper hand on other circuits will remain to be seen as the season progresses however they are sure to come back strong very soon.

The 2009B season opener also welcomed many new rookies to the league and the results saw a highly competitive mid field over the various races. At the sharp end, former champions AJ Weber and Matt Lewis picked up where they left off and rookie Anthony Cochrane impressed up front which saw some exciting 3 way battles. Snapping on their heels were Chris Jones, Tom Castellani and Antares lead driver Celso Jorge.

Results for the event as follows:

Sprint 1

1st Matt Lewis, M-Sport
2nd Celso Jorge, Antares
3rd Chris Jones, RAC

Sprint 2

1st Matt Lewis, M-Sport
2nd Tom Castellani, M-Sport
3rd Chris Jones, RAC

Sprint 3

1st Anthony Cochrane, RAC
2nd Matt Lewis, M-Sport
3rd AJ Weber, Rusyn

Feature

1st AJ Weber, Rusyn
2nd Matt Lewis, M-sport
3rd Anthony Cochrane, RAC

Fastest Qaul lap - AJ Weber 1:43:127
Fastest Race lap - Anthony Cochrane 1:44.118

The GMWC circus now heads to the sandy terrain of Bahrain and the Sakhir GP circuit.

As of 9:00 PST, Matthew Lewis (M-Sport) sits atop the Shanghai practice timesheets with a healthy margin over Anthony (RAC) in second and AJ Weber (Rusyn) in third; all three into the 1:43 bracket.

Strangely, nobody is in the 1:44 bracket at all, with Celso (Antares) leading the rest of the field in the 1:45 bracket.  Top 10 practice times:

1. Matthew Lewis (M-Sport) 1:43.552
2. anthony (RAC) 1:43.751
3. AJ Weber (Rusyn) 1:43.872
4. Celso Jorge (Antares) 1:45.508
5. Mike Redman (Antares) 1:45.527
6. Tom Castellani (M-Sport) 1:46.276
7. Stephan Moons (Rusyn) 1:46.554
8. Chris Jones (RAC) 1:46.941
9. Tom Giangreco (Rusyn) 1:46.986
10. Scott Farm (Rusyn) 1:48.228

2009A Observations

The story that was 2009A saw a few stars rising to the top of the league. Some youngbloods, a few old timers. Even amongst the teams there was a rising and falling. Scuderia DeLoyer, a formidable team to be sure, fell a few places down the team ladder while M-Sport Racing, the new kid on the block, rose to claim a coveted spot among the top three.  Antares once again proved they were the king of the hill and claimed the title as number one team in GMWC.  If the race for the championship was the main plot, one of the subplots in this drama was a technical one. 

In 2009A, more teams/drivers opted to go with the helotek driveline than at any other point in GMWC history.  Does this prove the strength of the driveline? Only time will tell as the story of 2009B is written over the course of the season. Each race will have it's own unique story to tell. Those stories will comprise the great mosaic that is GMWC.  Future generations will tell the stories of what we've done around community fires all the while dancing like a bunch of crazed peyote induced natives praying to the gods for a great day of sport.  This is the reason we race.  It's the reason 2009B will prove to be one of the greatest of all time.  So spike your fuel, attach some illegal movable wing, tip your glasses, pass the peace pipe. We're in for the season of a lifetime.

2009B Season Preview

The big story of the 2009B season is the new grid-gp formula.  Teams were restricted to a budget of 8 points, with certain areas of development and focus costing differing amounts of points.  Teams could spend all 8 points up front, or reserve some points for a single update after the second cup.  Most teams spent the full 8 points, with one team opting to defer all spending until the update, and a couple others reserving some lesser amount of budget.

Most teams also went with turbo engines, and the few non-turbo teams are rumored to be developing their own turbo packages for the update.  Has the GMWC entered a turbo-era?

The new season also brings a new look.  Part of the new formula is wider and shorter cars.  This has driven the development of lots of new shapes, although a couple teams have instead chosen to adapt their tried and true aerodynamic approach.  All of the newly developed shapes also sport new liveries.

After a non-points showcase event at Jacarepagua, the season starts at a new venue for the league: Shanghai.  Shanghai is a large Tilke designed track and should be a big challenge for the teams to come to terms with in their new cars.

Teams

	Antares Sim Racing The Antares design effort was one of the more thorough and collaborative projects among the teams and has resulted in a balanced approach.
2009A Score	105
2009B Budget Spent	8
Drivers	Celso, MikeR, Doug, Bill, Sammy, Abe(?)
Engine	custom turbo, 483-531 kW
Chassis	level 2 aero, gp suspension, carbon brakes, mclaren88 carshape

	Rusyn Performance Dynamics Rusyn is one of only three teams to hold back any budget for the mid season update, opting to deploy minimal upgrades at the start of the season.  One thing to watch with Rusyn is if they can scrape together enough points to stay in the championship running early on.
2009A Score	87
2009B Budget Spent	2
Drivers	Tom, Stephan, AJ, Moe, Jeremi, Scott
Engine	custom standard, 485 kW
Chassis	basic aero, gp suspension, carbon brakes, ferrari88 carshape

	M-Sport Racing M-Sport has by far the most advanced chassis, choosing to develop the aerodynamics more than any other team.   Their advanced materials and nanotech brakes only help to improve the chassis beyond the norm.  Can their standard based engine keep up with the turbo invasion over a whole season?
2009A Score	77
2009B Budget Spent	8
Drivers	MattL, Brian, TomC, Alex
Engine	custom standard, 511 kW
Chassis	level 3 aero, kpi suspension, nanotech brakes, gmwc99 carshape

	SUPEROO The unfortunate news for Superoo is the loss of one of their drivers, Scott, which adds to the challenge of moving up among the teams.   With the respect to the car, Superoo has chosen a well balanced approach much like Antares.
2009A Score	57
2009B Budget Spent	8
Drivers	Josh, Todd
Engine	custom turbo, 470-517 kW
Chassis	level 1 aero, kpi suspension, carbon brakes, ferrari91 carshape

	Scuderia DeLoyer SDL is one of the three teams reserving some development for the mid season update, although a mere 1 point.  As with Antares and SUPEROO, SDL is chosing a balanced development plan in their bid to recapture past glory.  SDL's biggest hurdle is the temporary absence of their star driver, C, who is on an extended all-paid vacation in a secure environment.
2009A Score	55
2009B Budget Spent	7
Drivers	Dennis, C, Stuart
Engine	custom turbo, 474-521 kW
Chassis	level 2 aero, gp suspension, carbon brakes, gmwc99 carshape

	RAC Racing RAC has one of the more interesting cars since focused heavily on their engine drivability without sacrificing too much in their chassis except for one key component: brakes.  Among the highly developed cars, RAC is the only team to remain on steel brakes, and this could prove to be a thing to watch over the season.
2009A Score	49
2009B Budget Spent	8
Drivers	Chris, Brandon, Carl, Tim
Engine	custom turbo, 451-496 kW
Chassis	level 1 aero, kpi suspension, steel brakes, minardi91 carshape

	De La Rosa There is not much to say about DLR yet, as they have taken the bold path of reserving all upgrade deployment for the mid season update, so their campaign starts on a basic car.  They could be a very interesting car to watch after the update as they will have better information on tradeoffs than any other team had.
2009A Score	5
2009B Budget Spent	0
Drivers	Gregg, MikeS
Engine	standard engine, 459 kW
Chassis	basic aero, gp suspension, steel brakes, benetton88 carshape

The GMWC is unveiling a new way to enjoy casually-competitive simulation motorsports: The Hot Lap Ranking (HLR) Competition.

The HLR is a 'perpetual' competition, much like the Rolling Rankings, but it has several distinct differences.   First, as the name implies, it's focus is hot lapping, rather than racing or racecraft.  Second, it is completely independent from the league's events and the results of those events.  That latter point is perhaps the most critical, and is in fact the motivation for the HLR's existence.

As a league, we strive to provide opportunities for league members to indulge their affection for motorsports on both a competitive and social level, and for league members to be able to participate as fully as possible despite the demands of their normal lives.  While the forum and the practice server are always available to fill that social role, the league's existing set of competitive opportunities were such that they left some of our league members 'out in the cold', so to speak, merely because those members aren't able to regularly participate in the events.

So we created the HLR as a complement to our current competitions, and crafted it such that it fills a niche that has heretofore been neglected.

Specifically, the HLR is an individual driver competition where each driver has at all times a single score.  That score is simply the cumulative time for the fastest laps achieved by that driver on each of a fixed list of tracks.  The list is short, currently 4 tracks, and so the HLR score for a driver would consist of the sum of just 4 lap times - the fastest lap achieved by the driver on each of the 4 tracks.  The faster you are, the lower your cumulative time will be, and the higher your HLR score will be.

Keep reading for the full details of the HLR...

The GMWC 2007D season is concluded (a summary of the standings is included below, in the extended portion of this post).

This was the league's 4th official season, and the first under the Grid Motorsports banner.  As expected, the improved funding and marketing afforded by the league's new governing body vaulted the series into unprecedented international prestige.  New drivers have swelled the league's rank and file, as brash up-and-comers and wily veterans alike saw an opportunity to hone their talents and pursue motorsports excellence on a world-wide stage.

Driver Championship

AJ won his third Driver Championship, though it was his narrowest victory in terms of points.  This was due in large part to the new schedule format introduced this season which helped insulate drivers from event absences and also forced drivers to succeed consistently across the full variety of venues on the schedule if they wished to contend for the cup.  AJ was the very portrait of that consistency, winning the last 6 (of 10) races and missing the podium only twice all season.  He put his signature on the season by taking pole position in 8 of the 10 races.  AJ showed once again that he is undaunted by the influx of brash new talent to the league's roster.

In a remarkable rebound from a disappointing 2007C, Doug put together an impressive string of performances to take the silver spot on the DC podium.  This is the second straight season to see the #2 DC driver winless for the season (Tom, 2007C).  But despite not winning a single feature race, Doug clung to his chances for the cup longer than any other driver, only being eliminated from contention for the DC win in the season's final region.  This being his career best DC finish, we're left to wonder which Doug will show up in 2008A, the podium contender, or the human pinball, or both!

The bronze DC finish went to last season's rookie phenom, Abe, who picked up where he left off last season and significantly upped the ante!  Abe parlayed his 2007C success into a position as founder and engineering lead on Team Antares, giving him both the means and the opportunity to challenge the league's elite performers with a vehicle custom tailored to his style.  And indeed he looked poised to not only challenge, but to execute a coup d’état, as he notched 3 wins in the first 4 events of the season.  But a mix of absences and difficulty taming his new 4-wheeled thoroughbred would see Abe on the podium only once in the last 6 events of the season.

Just outside the DC podium, in 4th place, was Celso, whose finish is even more impressive considering that he didn't even get to participate in the North American region.  But his early season success coupled with a strong return to the grid in Europe put him right in the thick of things at the end.  In fact, his assault on the field after his return in January catapulted him all the way to the #2 spot in the rolling rankings.

Matt found himself in 5th place, which doubtlessly is disappointing given his pre-season aspirations and the promise of a schedule format that would better accommodate the travel restrictions associated with the terms of his parole from a 2006 misdemeanor conviction for public nudity.  To his credit, he did manage to stay out of the negative limelight this season, but the problem was that he didn't find himself in the positive limelight much either.  He showcased his usual mastery of the streets of Monaco, but his hopes for DC glory were scuttled by chronic absences.  We'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was merely prioritizing his responsibilities as president of Team Ridgefield over personal season accolades as a driver.

Tom and Bill were neck and neck in DC points, with Tom edging out for a 6th place finish based on gross points earnings.   Tom  was unable to recapture his 2007C form (#2 DC) but represented himself and his team well all season long.  Bill seems to be either a marked man or have some kind of voodoo curse on his head, as he again seemed to suffer from an inordinate amount of accidental clobberings at the hands of his fellow gridmates.

The remainder of the DC points ladder was populated by a mix of rookies, both young and old, and league stalwarts seeking their niche in an increasingly impressive field.  Particularly noteworthy was Todd, who was the only driver out of the top two who scored points in every region of the season, and Mike, who earned points in 3 of the 4 events in which he participated.

Team Championship

2007D was the inaugural season for the revamped Team Championship, which now showcases teams formed according to their own philosophies, each competing not only on the track but for the hearts and minds of the drivers as well, since the rosters are built solely through driver-initiated affiliation.  Three strong league personalities staked out their territories in the pre-season, forming teams Antares, Ridgefield, and Rusyn.  Their methods differed, and the factory vehicles seemed to capture the nature of each team founder's personal style.  But it didn't take long to prove that they were all three the competitive equal of each other.

Team Antares rode a strong roster and consistent attendance to a decisive victory in the TC, in addition to putting two drivers on the DC podium (Doug, Abe).  Team Ridgefield benefited from a very accommodating vehicle design and the league's largest roster to earn a clear 2nd place finish.  Team Rusyn scored very well in 3rd, but it lost the recruiting game early in the season and suffered the consequences.

Team Ridgefield sowed the seeds of future success with the acquisition of multiple rookies during the course of the season, setting the stage for a strong 2008A.  But Antares now has a reputation to trumpet, and Rusyn can't help but benefit from the continued proven success of its founder and lead engineer (AJ).  And there'll be at least one new flag waving as well, as the newly-formed Team CPS assumes a customer relationship with Team Ridgefield, with former Ridgefield standout Tom at the helm.

Summary

The 2007D season was another chapter in the GMWC success story.  As we move swiftly into the next season, we want to thank all the drivers for participating, contributing, sharing, and joining in our dream of establishing the best sim-racing environment we can imagine.  We also want to welcome all of the new drivers that have arrived over the course of the season and encourage all of the drivers, both old and new, to continue to nurture the kind of community that lets us not only pursue sim-racing excellence but to thoroughly enjoy the pursuit itself.

- Grid Motorsports Administration

There are just a few weeks remaining in the schedule for the current season, and since we don't have any appreciable off-season that means that there are just a few weeks before the start of the next season!  All of the preparation for the upcoming season is being conducted now: tweaking league policies; finalizing the 2008A track list; teams testing new vehicle specifications; new teams potentially forming; drivers considering changing team affiliation; attempts to pilfer giant piles of technical documents from competitors and xeroxing them at Kinko's, etc..!

But that doesn't mean the 2007D season is all tied up with a bow just yet.  The DC (Drivers Championship) is technically still up for grabs, though it will take a very strange set of circumstances to keep the trophy out of AJ's hands (again).  But the remaining two podium spots in the championship are within reach of three drivers (Doug, Abe, Matt).  Team Antares has essentially locked up the TC (Team Championship), though I think Team Ridgefield still has a mathematical chance to eek out the victory.  All of that will be decided by the lone score yet to be entered into the DC/TC standings from the European Region (NHS and Zandvoort).

Note that the league survey has been closed.  We want to thank everybody who took the time to provide feedback.  If you didn't respond to this survey (either because you're lazy, forgetful, or brand new) don't worry - we intend to conduct the survey regularly (probably each season).  Expect another news post soon that summarizes our interpretations of the survey results and how they'll influence the 2008A Regulations.

We've had a lot of new users registered on the website, and we'd like to encourage anyone who's lurking quietly, perhaps curious about joining the league, to go ahead and jump right in.  This is the perfect time.  We've got a couple of weeks to get custom cars defined for new (and existing) drivers, and can get new drivers fully acclimated in time for the start of a brand new season.

Drivers - a massive survey has been posted that requires your dutiful attention.  You'll need to create a login for the website before you can fill out the survey, so please register a user profile for yourself if you haven't already done so (click 'join' in the box at the upper right).  Once you're able to login, bust out your opinion bat and have at the survey.  We wouldn't ask if we didn't want to know!