SimCar

SimCar is an online simulation league utilizing the Image Space title rFactor.

History

SimCar was founded by Timagnus D.A. "Tim" Traylor in 2005, two weeks after the release of rFactor. SimCar was originally created as a league for beginning drivers utilizing Redline Developments's GTP mod, which was an add-on for Papyrus's NASCAR Racing 2003 Season.

Format

SimCar originally began with three series. The GTP Lights Online Beginners Experience (GLOBE) Series ran with the Redline GTP mod for NR2003. The SimCar Racing School ran with the default rTrainer vehicles in rFactor. Finally, the SimCar Formula 3 Series utilized Style Lo's add-on Formula 3 mod for rFactor.

SimCar later added a Formula 2 Championship with custom physics that placed it between Formula 3 and the FormulaIS cars found in rFactor. Due to low attendance, this formula was later dropped.

SimCar currently oversees four open-wheel series: Formula Focus (rTrainers), Formula BMW, Champ3 (Toyota Atlantics), and Champ1 (Champcar World Series).

Season Composition

SimCar ran its first season, designated 2005-01, from August 2005 to October 2005; it consisted of six races. The second season ran from November 2005 to December 2005 and also consisted of six races. In 2006, SimCar went to a ten-race schedule that lasted thirteen weeks. In 2007, SimCar looked to continue the three-season per year schedule, however mid year a new schedule was adopted.

Beginning with a special eight-week spring season called the SimCar World Tour, SimCar is adopting a two-week per venue schedule. Over the course of each two-week cycle, week one sees Formula Focus run Monday, Formula BMW on Wednesday, and Champ3 on Thursday; week two sees a Non-Championship Formula Focus race held at an alternate venue, with Wednesday hosting Champ1 qualifying and Thursday the Champ1 race.

The SimCar World Tour

The SimCar World Tour is a special "Mini Season" during which SimCar leaves its traditional Champ Car inspired venues and heads around the globe. In 2007, the league is visiting sites of the Italian, British, Chinese, and Japanese Grands Prix.

In addition to running alternate venues, the 2007 SimCar World Tour is also running the Formula One inspired cars for rFactor in the Champ1 division. With the recent update of the Formula One BMW cars, these are expected to be on track at the next event.

SimCar Racing School Series

The series consists of a custom rTrainer (with ISI's rTrainer physics). Rounds consist of two 37.5-mile races. There is no pit stop requirement. The series is aimed to be the entry-level series on the SimCar ladder, and is the first place many new drivers start out at SimCar.

The cars have limited setups to make the focus of the series driving rather than setups. Both road and oval options are used (the latter offering a wider range of gear settings).

SRS Pro and Sportsman

Starting with the 2008-01 season, the SRS series has two divisions. The series had been one of the most popular in SimCar when veteran drivers were asked to leave the series to the less advanced. Because of the desire to race in the cars, SimCar added the Pro division for the seasoned drivers, and Sportsman remains for drivers who have yet to win races and championships.

In addition, the Sportsman cars are repaired more quickly than the Pro cars in the event of race damage with an eye to keeping new drivers on the track and reduce retirements.

SimCar FBMW Championship

Introduced in the 2007-01 season, Formula BMW mirrors the real series of the same name that is today the major entry-point in racing for young racers around the world.

Powered by the iDT Formula BMW mod for rFactor, this series is the second step in the SimCar ladder system, and is open to all drivers regarless of experience. Like the real-world FBMW cars, these have front mono-shock suspension and limited setup changes that allow drivers to focus on the racing rather than setup development.

The inaugural series Champion, in the 2007-01 season, was Richard Smith, and Sam Dobie captured the 2007-WT season title.

SimCar Champ3 Championship

The SimCar Champ3 Championship (formerly the SimCar North American Formula Three Action (NAFTA) Championship, the SimCar Formula 3 Championship, and the SimCar Atlantic Championship) currently uses an adjusted 2005 Toyota Atlantic chassis. Since SimCar began, this has been the most well-attended championship. Rounds consist of a single 72-mile race. There is one compulsory four-tire pit stop.

Parker Kligerman (2005-01), David Greco (2005-02), Jon Edwards (2006-01), Jordan Lee (2006-02), Francis Robert (2006-03), Richard Smith (2007-01), and Laurent Vaisman (2007-WT) have won a SimCar Champ3 title.

SimCar Champ2 Championship

The SimCar Champ2 Championship (formerly the SimCar Indy Lights Championship and the SimCar Formula 2 Championship) currently reutilizes the GP2 mod after beginning with a custom mod, the GP2 mod, the Armaroli SimRacing World Cup mod, and the A1GP mod. After an aborted season in 2005-02, SimCar ran its first full Indy Lights schedule in the 2006-01 season. Rounds consist of a single 90-mile race. There is one compulsory four-tire pit stop.

The series was placed on hiatus for the first five races of the 2006-03 season but returned for a five-race mini-championship using the GP2 mod with R&D physics. The Champ2 series is currently dormant.

David Greco (2006-01), Chris Rainer (2006-02), and Scott Arrington (2006-03) have won Champ2 titles.

SimCar Champ1 Championship

The top tier of the SimCar racing ladder, the Champ1 series is meant for more experienced races, but like all divisions at SimCar does not turn away newcomers. The series debuted in 2006-04 and was won by Rhys Hellion driving for Concrete Jungle Motorsports.

In 2006-04 the SimCar Champ1 Championship used a custom SimCar CART mod based on iDT's CART 2000 mod. Rounds consisted of a single 150-mile race with one compulsory four-tire pit stop.

The 2007-01 SimCar Champ1 Championship is running with a new rFactor mod: the Formula Nippon 1.2 mod. Using revised fuel consumption and tyre compounds, the series runs 150-mile road course races, and 200-mile oval races in a 12-race championship.

The long-awaited release of a Champ Car World Series mod in July 2007 has given SimCar it's dream of having its top-tier series modeled on the real Champ Car World Series. The 2007-02 season, running from mid-July to December 2007, uses the 2006 Champ Car World Series mod by iDT.

SimCar GLOBE Series

The SimCar GTP Lights Online Beginners Experience (GLOBE) Series ran for three seasons and utilized the Redline GTP mod for NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. Kevin Jay has won all three SimCar GLOBE Series titles. The series ceased operations in April 2006, with drivers being directed to the GTP2 class of the Monday Night Racing League.

SimCar NorAm Championship

The SimCar GTP Lights Online Beginners Experience (GLOBE) Series ran for three seasons and utilized the Redline GTP mod for NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. Kevin Jay has won all three SimCar GLOBE Series titles. The series ceased operations in April 2006, with drivers being directed to the GTP2 class of the Monday Night Racing League. The series was resurrected as the SimCar NorAm Championship using rFactor as the racing platform.

The SimCar NorAm (for North American) Championship began in the 2006-03 season and utilizes the ProtoRacer mod for rFactor as well as Team GSMF's Porsche Carrera Cup mod in mixed-class racing. NorAm will utilize rFactor's planned Panoz Esperante add-on once it is released. This series was created to replace GLOBE as SimCar's lone series non-open-wheel formula and will begin with points-paying races in the 2006-03 season. Rounds will consist of a single 125-mile race. There is one compulsory four-tire pit stop.

The SimCar NorAm Championship ceased operation at the conclusion of the 2006-04 season.

SimCar Champions

External links

* [http://www.simcarracing.com SimCar]
* [http://www.rfactor.net rFactor]