Ok. i have never figured out how to do strategy. i know there is some math figures you have to do. My race is 45 minutes and average 1:20 laps. and im wanting to do a 2 stopper.
i guess the math starts now, and thats where im lost. I searched around here and googled and couldnt find a document or write up that explained how to figure it out.
If some one could walk me through it, or point me twords a document that explains it. stupid question but i FaiL yO at math

Thanks in advance

Shane

This is very simple math, Shane. First, assume the race to be around 34 laps (my math shows just under that, but be safe). If you want to do 2 stops, then you're could do something like 12+12+10 or 10+12+12 or something. Or maybe you will find that tires can last for a 1-stop? Who knows. Anyways, now you need to figure out exactly how much fuel you need for a lap. Motec can do this very accurately if you're using rfactor. I guess GTR2 has motec integration as well. So once you have that number, simply calculate each stint as the resulting fuel per lap burned times the number of laps per stint and set your strategy.

Remember to take an extra lap of fuel at the start if you need to do a pace lap on the race load of fuel as well.

If you are running a series where you have to start the race on your qual load, you would probably set the first stint to be a bit shorter and then the last two stints slightly longer so you get a better qual time.

Thanks man! +rep

I can complicate things further if you want...

You might also want to take into consideration how long it takes to change tires and/or add fuel. Using a race in GTR2 as an example, the last thing you want to be doing is sitting in your stall waiting the 1.2 seconds per gallon it takes to refuel. You may want to consider starting the race on a full tank no matter if you will be slower at the start. This way you spend less time in pit lane later in the race. You likely will not be 1.2 seconds slower for each additional gallon you are carrying, but if you do not carry it, you will be 1.2 seconds slower for each gallon you add at your stop. See where Im going with this?

Then there is the opposite, in the weight sensitive cars (ala F1). Even the additional 6-7 lbs for 1 gallon of fuel can mean a whole tenth of a second over a lap. I know it doesnt sound like a lot, but add 5 more gallons and you are a half second slower... every lap!

None of this matters though if you do not know the cost of pitting. In F1 a pit stop may only cost you a total of 18-26 seconds over a two lap period. In GTR2 sports car racing, a single stop for tires and full-fuel will be in the 60-90 second range. Spa has a longer pit lane then Monza. Some pit lanes have a chicane at the entry to slow your entry into the pits. Some have straight shots in/out so you can stay at speed longer... all these things have to be calculated in as well. Yes, we are talking about a few seconds, or even fractions of a second loss or gain. Sometimes, that is the difference between a win or not though.

I wrote up some stuff on F1 pit strategies a while back. Check it out

Also, the Setup Developer Tool has a pit strategy spreadsheet. It is not a simple procedure though, expect to spend one entire multi-hour testing session just filling in this data.

Thanks tim

The background image here is fantastic.

Darnit Tristan.
I saw you left a post in this thread and was loading the page up with great excitement, thinking of all the great information I may learn!

...and don't forget the cost of a gallon of gas these days. That's going to add at least $100 per pit stop.

What I do is drive the track until I get consistent lap times. Then I signal for a pit stop...do the pit and drive out and do at least 2 more laps. I use MoTeC to get the lap times for all 4 laps (2 laps before the pit and 2 laps after). I then add the first of the 4 laps to the last of the 4 laps together then subtract that sum from the sum of the two laps just before and after the pit stop:

(lap2 + lap3) - (Lap1 + lap 4) = Pit cost.

Once you have the pit cost then you can test different fuel and tire strategies. Let's say for example that pit cost is 30 seconds on a 60 lap race. So 1 pit stop will cost 1/2 second each lap of the race. If you don't follow this then take another look...it's crucial to understand how much it will cost each lap.

If you can use stickier tires and less fuel to gain an "average" 1/2 second per lap at the cost of an extra pit stop then you will be breaking even...finishing the race at exactly the same time with one important difference...you will have a faster qualifying time and have a more stable car (as long as you aren't letting your tires wear down to the fiber). But, you will need to find some open track to turn those faster laps...passing other cars as soon as possible, otherwise you lose your advantage.

So, what I do is practice with about 20 laps of fuel and the softest tires with the most stable setup. I keep going until I am consistent...no more than 1 or 2 second difference per lap...then I do my pit and get my pit cost. I then drop my fuel down to 10 and test my lap times. Then I change to medium tires with 20 laps of fuel and check my lap times there. Finally I test 30 laps of fuel on hards. At least in Formula 1 I've found that the lowest fuel loads and stickiest tires gets me the fastest finish even if I have to do 5 pit stops. But, it will depend on the driver as much as the setup...some drivers do very well with hard tires, so you have to do the testing yourself.

Steve, I think you'd enjoy my other main hobby, golf. :-)