Category Archives: Race Previews

Sebring Preview

Posted on February 1, 2016 | 1 comment

After starting the year in Austin, the SBMRL returns to the United States for the start of the second half of the season.  This time, we head to Florida to wind our way around Sebring International Raceway.  Sebring hosted the first Formula 1 grand prix in America in 1959, but is now most known for the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Sebring

Unlike our last race in Monaco, Sebring will allow drivers to let loose a bit… provided they’re able to hit the right line through the corners.  The slowest section of the track will likely be the first sector.  Turn One Club Hospitality is indeed hospitable, giving drivers a fair amount of leeway.  The consequence of this is that, on the opening lap, drivers starting at the back of the grid may be less hampered by their starting position than in some of the races we’ve seen to date.  This may allow them to carry speed and momentum through the first corner that drivers at the front of the field won’t have.  On lap 2, anyone who doesn’t pit may be able to take advantage as well.

North Gate Corner will, then, accordingly slow the field down before a long straight into the equally slow Hairpin.  This straight will likely set up some passing opportunities.  Despite being nearly as long as the tunnel straight in Monaco, it’s just the 3rd longest straight at Sebring.  It’ll see slower speeds than elsewhere on the track due to the corner that precedes it, making it feel a bit more Monaco-like.  It’ll also require a slowdown at the end in preparation for the hairpin.

From there, drivers will do everything they can to go all out throughout the rest of the track.  Unfortunately, that won’t be quite as easy as folks may like.  They’ll have to hit Cunningham Bend and Tower Turn accurately and in succession.  Both are sharp, unforgiving corners that can trip drivers up.  Tower Turn then opens up into a moderately long straight leading to Gendebien Bend, so cars that are unable to carry speed will be on the wrong foot.

The third sector is all about gearing up for the longest straight on the track.  Gendebien Bend and the Le Mans Curve keep drivers frustratingly honest.  There’s no easy way to tear through them fast enough for satisfaction, and Sunset Bend at the far end requires enough speed reduction to bring out the cautious side of most drivers.

It’s been three races since anyone has crashed out prior to the finish, but Sebring may bring that streak to an end.  It’s could very well be the best track for high speed passing that we’ll run all year, and you can bet that the more aggressive drivers, and those trying desperately to catch up from the back, will be pushing their vehicles to the limits.

Starting Grid

Mater gets pole position after tumbling precipitously in Monaco.  His nightmare race dropped him from a starting slot of 3rd all the way to 7th, and he subsequently finds himself last in the driver standings.  The 4-way tie for 3rd place, with 47 points each, is resolved in reverse order of finish at the previous race, Monaco.  That brings Nero, who started the last two races in 7th place, all the way up to 3rd on the grid after his 8th place finish.  On the other end, Captain Slow and The Stig start in the third row.  This is the fourth consecutive race that Jaap Snellrijder will start at the back of the pack.  With both Regency Motors drivers starting on the back row, it seems like this will be an excellent time for someone else to put themselves atop the standings.

  1. Mater (GT)
  2. Ice (CO)
  3. Nero (CO)
  4. Danger Wheel (GT)
  5. Captain Slow (SB)
  6. The Stig (SB)
  7. Launch Bornado (RM)
  8. Jaap Snellrijder (RM)

Pit selection, based on reverse order of average starting grid position will be as follows.  Ties broken by reverse order of current team standings.

  1. Regency Motors
  2. Scandinavian Blitz
  3. Green Team
  4. Cobalt

Cobalt, with their drivers starting 2nd and 3rd are in an excellent position to finally claim their first victory of the year.  They’re currently tied with Regency Motors for the most podium appearances this year (4) and reportedly none too pleased about Scandinavian Blitz passing them in the team standings.  The Green Team will also be looking to see if they can break Scandinavian Blitz’s single race points record.  Any team hoping to do so will need to win and have their second car finish better than 5th, which the white liveries have delivered twice.

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Monaco Preview

Posted on January 6, 2016 | Leave a comment

January takes us to the most prestigious race on the calendar, Monaco.  Set along the harbor in Monte Carlo, the course features drastic elevation changes and has been hosting Grands Prix since 1929.

Monaco

The first sector of the course features an opening right hand turn into the 3rd longest straight of the track, which isn’t saying a whole lot.  Overall, the track is not particularly fast.  That straight is then followed by the comfortable Massenet corner (first half of Casino), but the Casino bends are not to be taken lightly.

The second sector of the course is where things really slow down, and the exit from Casino is key to getting this right.  The Loews hairpin is the slowest corner and needs care to negotiate.  It sets up the longest straight on the course, featuring the tunnel opening up into the chicane, which can be surprisingly difficult.  The Tabac corner closes out the sector, forcing a speed reduction.

Sector three is slow and technical, with a pair of two stop corners and very little opportunity for passing.  The final, Anthony Noghes, bend sets up the front straight with the entrance to pit lane right out of the corner.  Cars forced to the outside may even carry too much speed to get around to the pits, if that was their intention.

The starting grid is shaken up a bit coming out of India, with the Stig moving to pole position after starting second at Buddh.  Nero and Jaap Snellrijder start from familiar positions at the back.

  1. The Stig (WT)
  2. Ice (CO)
  3. Mater (GT)
  4. Captain Slow (WT)
  5. Launch Bornado (RM)
  6. Danger Wheel (GT)
  7. Nero (CO)
  8. Jaap Snellrijder (RM)

For the first time, rather than having the stewards assign pits, pit selection will occur prior to the start of the race.  Teams will choose their pit in reverse order of average starting grid position, with ties being broken by whichever team is farther back in the team standings.  Here then is the pit selection order:

  1. Regency Motors
  2. Green Team
  3. Cobalt
  4. White Team

The White team, with two cars in the first two rows, will be looking to repeat their Singapore success rather than their miserable showing in India.  The Stig, in particular, needs a strong race to get back in the title hunt.  He can be encouraged by the fact that each of the last two race winners started at the front of the pack, and the other started in 2nd.  He’ll be followed by Ice and Mater, the two drivers who skipped the pits last time out.  It will be interesting to see if they felt that gamble, which clearly did not pay off, is worth repeating.  Cobalt is keenly aware that through three races the other three teams have each won once, so that may encourage Ice to charge on again.  His teammate Nero and standings leader Jaap will have their work cut out for them to stay where they’re at.

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India Preview

Posted on December 3, 2015 | Leave a comment

The third race of the inaugural SBMRL season will take us to the Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit.

Buddh International Circuit

As a purpose built track, Buddh represents a stark contrast from the sharp corners of the city based circuit in Singapore.  Instead, cars will have the opportunity to push their engines to the limit.  Long straights and forgiving corners should make for some of the fastest laps we’ve seen.  With high speeds come high risks, and it will be interesting to see how the various drivers manage.

The track starts off with what is the least forgiving corner, a sharp right hander that drivers will have to hit just right.  After that, though, comes a moderate straight into a far more forgiving bend before the lengthy stretch that characterizes the first sector.  The highest speeds of the track will be found here, and rapid downshifting should be expected for those that aren’t able to get the most out of their engines.

The second sector contains the only two multistop corners on the track, and is highlighted by the long, high speed turn 6.  Despite the fact that this will be the most technical portion of the track, drivers who take the best line could sail right through.  The track finishes up with three forgiving corners in the third sector before dumping cars back on the starting straight.  While it wasn’t uncommon for cars to need to shift all the way down to 2nd gear in Singapore, any car that gets that low in India has clearly missed the mark.

With no starting grid penalties due coming out of Singapore, the starting grid will simply be a reverse of the current driver standings:

  1. Stanley Washington (YT)
  2. Danger Wheel (GT)
  3. The Stig (WT)
  4. Launch Bornado (RM)
  5. Mater (GT)
  6. Ice (CO)
  7. Captain Slow (WT)
  8. Nero (CO)
  9. Jaap Snellrijder (RM)

After an extremely trying race in Singapore, the Green Team will be looking to take advantage of their strong starting position to move up the standings ladder.  Conversely, Cobalt’s strong showing in Singapore has them starting towards the back of the pack.  Captain Slow’s wire-to-wire run has him starting 7th, but the Stig will start high up the grid thanks to late passes by both Regency Motors drivers in Singapore.  Jaap will start at the very back for the second race in a row.  That didn’t prove to be a problem in Singapore, but it may be a lot harder on a more forgiving course where mistakes will be fewer.  The team will hope that Launch can challenge from the front to keep the team at the top of the leaderboard.

Slip Streaming

We’ll introduce the slip streaming rule for the high speeds of Buddh!  Slip streaming allows a car trailing another car to take advantage of the leading car’s aerodynamic footprint in order to pass that car.

In short, slip streaming allows a car to move 3 additional spaces after ending their normal movement in the space immediately behind a car in the same or lower gear, provided both cars are at least in 4th gear.

Slip Streaming Rules:
  • Slip streaming is optional
  • A car must finish its normal movement in the space immediately behind another car in order to slip stream.  You cannot brake in order to take advantage of a slip stream.
  • Both cars must be in 4th gear or higher.
  • The slip streaming car must be in the same or higher gear than the car it is going to slip stream.
  • If a car uses a slip streaming maneuver to enter a corner, that car will consume 1 Brake wear point, without moving back one space.
  • All 3 spaces of the slip stream must be consumed unless Brake wear points are used.

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