By Mike Nyden, Peachstate Region PCA

Overview

This is intended to be an extension of the philosophy of enjoying each other’s company while participating in a series of low-key events emphasizing comradery, sportsmanship, and the spirit of fun and learning. Competition is in there too, somewhere, but please – don’t take this too seriously. This is a PCA-sponsored league with season prizes to be announced.

Mike Nyden in the Stars & Stripes GT3

Schedule

Date Track (Name) Course Event’s Car Duration
RSR GT3 Cup GT4
May 27, 2020 Charlotte 2018 Roval X 40
June 3, 2020 Legacy Phoenix Road Course X 40
June 10, 2020 Auto Club Oval X 60
June 17, 2020 Auto Club Competition X 40
June 24, 2020 Legacy Pocono International X 40
July 1, 2020 Legacy Texas Road Course X 40
July 8, 2020 Daytona Infield X 40
July 15, 2020 Daytona Oval X 60

Cars

Three cars will be used during the season. The cars are specific to the race taking place and there will not be multiple car types in individual races.

The cars are:

  • Porsche 911 RSR
  • Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
  • Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR

James Huth in the Cayman GT4

Driver Classifications

Your class has been assigned according to PCA guidelines criteria as published. Each driver is subject to evaluation and placement by the committee.

  • Classes will be subject to the modification within the league and are on trial based on feedback from the series 4 survey
  • Classes will be running together in the same race, on both servers. Pro, Club, Sport, and Challenge Class drivers will race together in the same car
  • In-class scoring will be applied after the event, and the final results will be posted within 48 hours after the races

Here’s how the classes and your individual class was determined:

  1. Approximate Percentage of Cars per Class
    1. 20% PCA Pro
    2. 25% PCA Club
    3. 25% PCA Sport
    4. 30% PCA Entry
  2. The determination was made to continue to use iRating as the general basis for classes
    1. Other trial methods work within a class
    2. Other methods fail between classes and in determining class
  3. Updated iRatings for each driver were obtained – effective May 25, 2020
    1. Done for every driver regardless of whether they competed during Season 4
  4. Drivers who did not participate during S4 were removed from consideration
  5. Percentages per class (as noted) were applied, to determine the total numbers in each class
  6. In any case, where the updated iRating didn’t move a driver up in class, the top five-season finishers in each class were promoted to the next higher class
  7. At the discretion of the Committee, the Class placement of some drivers was changed
    1. The bottom sixteen drivers in PCA Sport Class were moved to PCA Entry Class
    2. The top sixteen drivers in PCA Entry were moved to PCA Sport
  8. Anyone joining the Interim Summer Fun Series for the first time will be placed according to their iRating.
  9. Classes are based on iRatings.
  • 2000 and up – PCA Pro
  • 1351 through 1999 – PCA Club
  • 1000 through 1350 – PCA Sport
  • 0 through 999 – PCA Entry

Thank you to James Huth, Karen, and Chuck Parrish, our league Timing & Scoring Managers, and the PCA Sim Racing Steering Committee.

Servers

We will be running two servers and two “Identical” events each week named Atlantic and Pacific time servers. Atlantic and Pacific’s servers open at 7 PM in their respective time zones.

  • Approximately two hours of practice, including eDE (as available) on both servers
  • The schedule may change for the Auto Club and Daytona “Ovals”
  • Race Qualifying will begin at 9:10 PM in the respective time zones, except for Ovals, with qualifying at 8:50 PM

Server Admins

  • Atlantic: James Huth, Doug Atkinson, Mike Nyden, and/or others
  • Pacific: Ed Nelson and Rodney Campbell and/or others

Settings

Setups

The series will use open setups. Sharing encouraged! But please do not share copyrighted material.

Fuel

Starting percentage will be restricted to force a pit stop, and will be posted a few days before each event. For the first race, the Cayman GT4 at Legacy Charlotte Road Course, the starting fuel will be 30%.

Race & Session Durations

  • Practice Sessions will begin at 7:00 PM and run 2 hours with eDE available
  • Qualifying
  • Race (road courses): Approximately 9:20 PM local time (40 minutes)
  • Race (ovals): Approximately 9:00 PM local time (60 minutes – subject to change)

Conditions

  • iRacing default weather
  • Morning time, except Daytona races which will be nighttime
  • There may be changes, but notice will be made in the Discord Server and on the “league” comms page.

Matt Mitchell driving the RSR

Race Winners

  • All classes can run in both the Atlantic and Pacific servers. Total participants in each server may vary.
  • Weekly winners in Entry, Sport, Club, and Pro will be announced for each server
  • Note: A driver can run either or both servers
  • Expect an “unofficial” Zone Competition with details to be announced
  • Each server will crown a season-long champion. In theory, a person might be able to win a championship on both servers.

Penalty Enforcement

  • Admin oversight will be extremely limited
  • General PCA Sim Racing rules apply, including incident points and penalties, etc.
  • Profanity will NOT be tolerated period
  • iRacing penalties must be served
  • Drivers must practice self-policing. If you cause a problem, acknowledge it, and consider how you want to handle it, including pulling over and re-entering safely or retiring entirely
  • Take up all issues privately in a discord text or voice chat
  • DO NOT involve the race admin(s) except as a final resort

Rule Changes

Changes from PCA Sim Racing Friday night Series:

  1. Drop 2 races with the lowest finish.
  2. One exception: Season Champion Driver for each server MUST compete at Daytona Tri-oval. To be considered for Overall Class Champion, you must race the Daytona Tri-Oval.
  3. We will start on “Green”.
    You may pass once the green flag falls. It is not necessary to wait until crossing the start/finish, i.e., you may pass anyone once you see the green flag. This may be changed at any time. We’ll “trial” this start method which is essentially a reversion to the way we started in Season 1.
  4. Regarding “protests”: Watch the replay post-race from all angles before commenting. Talk to the other guy. Apologize. Realize we are all trying to just have fun. Reach a compromise with the other driver.

The RSRs cornering.