Formula-SimRacing Team ACR Announces PRO Drivers and Partnership with DashMeterPro by Sensadigit

[David O'Reilly]

We are here at the scenic setting of the Stokehouse at St Kilda Beach Melbourne for the reveal of Avid Chronic Racing's Formula Sim Racing Pro driver line up.
The Autumn sun is setting, casting long shadows over the beach. Kris Cobb the Team Principle takes the mike and starts the introductions.

Kris Cobb: We have an eclectic mix of talents amongst the four ACR Pro teams. The drivers all show promise and have been working very much as a team, supported by their engineering and test crew. Pro is a melting pot. We are excited about what will happen in Mellbourne and indeed for the whole of the 2015 season. Without further ado we will present the drivers and you can ask them questions.
Teams and Drivers.
ACR Engineering: Pascal Chapon and Cordell Cahill
ACR Team Gray: Nikodem Wisniewski and Yoichi Uehara
ACR Team Blue: David Cook and David O'Reilly
ACR Team Orange: Eugene Van Loggerenberg and Lionel Klue.

Handling the joint broadcast interviews is Martin O'Brundle. RD Journalist of the year.

We will start with "ACR Engineering".
Welcome to French Driver Pascal Chapon. A test driver for 2014 who is now stepping up to Pro for 2015.

How much experience have you had with RF2?
About 2.5 years, though I really began to use it (almost) exclusively about 18 months ago before meeting Kris on RD forum.

League experience?
None, ACR team is my very first -and most likely the last- simracing team

Open wheeler experience?
Well, none IRL, but I was already a fan of Crammond's "Grand Prix" games 20+ years ago, and open wheelers --F1 in particular- have always been my favorite challenge in simracing. I began my "serious simracer career" last year, just after the start of FSR 2014 season as ACR reserve driver, on a not-that-steep learning curve...

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
Obviously the highly technical and competitive level of the field.

How are you feeling about moving from test to Pro Race driver?
I feel really great in the team, and I think that this year I should be able to do many more things regarding setups, testing them, tweaking them, etc... and so to be of more use to the team than last year. Besides, it's a real pleasure to benefit from the experience of better drivers, it would have taken me several years to learn all that I learned at your side in the last 8/9 months.

How are you feeling about racing in Pro? / What would be your expectations? / Will you get into the points?
From where I stand, I saw Pro as my ultimate objective fornext year -getting competitive enough to be able to race in there one day for ACR team. I mean, to be on the grid this season, it is already a great deed in my point of view... And maybe picking a couple of points during the season, on a misunderstanding between faster drivers, you never know...

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
Mostly yes and yes, in particular on suspensions, there's so much to get from them and it's an abyss of complexity...

What would you say are your strengths?
Probably consistency, which has greatly improved, and also focus on finishing the race / minimum tires wear etc... rather than going as fast as I can.

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
Getting faster, braking later, carrying more corner speed, exiting faster.

We will now announce Pascals team mate for 2015, returning to Pro after his 2014 campaign From the USA Cordell Cahill.
Cordell will not be here today for interviews.


Introducing Team Grey.

Presenting from Poland and new to our team Nikodem Wisniewski.

Nikodem, How much experience have you had with RF2?
It's quite funny, but I have participated in only three races in rF2. This year in FSR will be learning procees for me.

What about league experience?
I was driving in many leagues on rFactor. SimRacingOnline, SimRacingPro, Sim-Racing.org, simracing.pl, Racersleague, Racedepartment, Endurance-inside.fr. A most of them were endurance leagues, but I also drove in few Polish leagues with open-wheelers mods.

Open wheeler experience?
Quite small, but as I said - My simracing career is most associated with Endu races.

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
My mate brought me here.

How are you feeling about Pro?
I'm really excited to driving in FSR. I could driving in other series, but PRO will be appropriate for me in this- learning year

What are your expectations?
Although that will be my first season in FSR, also on rF2, my goal for this season is TOP3 in general

Will you get into the points?
Exactly for 25 points per race

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
Of course, but I didn't comprehend everything in rF2 yet.

What about strategy?
I can say, that I never did something stupid in my race strategy, so I think everything's gonna be all right (haha, Bob Marley)

What would you say are your strengths?
If I say, that I'm calm - Kuba will burst out laughing.I think consistency, and big focus on main events, because I did my PB at qualifying many times.

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
I need to improve my tyre wear and maybe fuel consumption a little bit.

Why ACR as a team?
Team gave me a chance, trusted me, and now I need to show everybody that I'm really fast guy.

Thank you Nikodem, big goals indeed for 2015!
Nothing said officially but I get the feeling that guy is fast.


We will now announce Nikodems team mate for 2015, returning to Pro after his 2014 campaign, from Japan, Yoichi Uehara
Yoichi will not be here today for interviews.

 

[David O'Reilly]

Now for the introductions for Team Blue. Known within ACR as “Team David”.
Our Canadian driver and carrying #18 for 2015 is David Cook.

How much experience have you had with RF2?
Since October

League experience?
Codies F1 in RD and one other Xbox league.

Open wheeler experience?
Mainly Codies F1 titles.

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
It is the most competitive league for rFactor 2

How are you feeling about Pro?
Looking forward to it. Even the third tier of FSR has a great history of very strong competitive drivers.

What are your expectations?
I expect the competition to be strong. This Pro season could produce another Kuba Brzezinski so podium finishes are unlikely but I am hoping to be consistently in the top 10.

Will you get into the points?
Yarp

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
I can but I will also be relying on the team at the same time. And hopefully my contributions can help others too. I know my old mate David O'Reilly will be leaning on me like a crutch as always.

What about strategy?
I think strategy will be pretty simple in the Pro series because shorter races have fewer options. If I have any doubts Michi will help I'm sure.

What would you say are your strengths?
Consistency, staying out of trouble and good hair.

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
Outright speed. Blitzing corners as fast as possible and getting a good exit too.

Why ACR as a team?
Well the others weren't exactly knocking my door down but even so it is the best possible place for me to end up. Good organization and lots of fast guys in it to give advice and lots of tech heads too for setups. A good place to improve which is what I hope to do.

Thank you David.

Carrying the #19 for ACR Team Blue and for sure hoping for a solid debut in his home Grand Prix is Australian local David O'Reilly.

How much experience have you had with RF2?
2 years.

League experience?
Two Formula Renault 3.5 and two endurance leagues in RF2. Several seasons in Codies F1 titles.

Open wheeler experience?
The FR 3.5 seasons and codies F1.

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
I see it as the pinnacle series in the pinnacle simulation. It was my goal as soon as I saw it on Youtube.

How are you feeling about Pro?
Feeling better the more work I put in.

What are your expectations?
There will be some fast guys. I first want to make the grid if pre qualifying is required. Then see what I can do.

Will you get into the points?
That's my goal, but its not an expectation every race. The first points finish will feel pretty special.

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
I have a real interest in “spannering” the car and do most by myself. However since joining ACR I have met people who can show me a thing or two.

What about strategy?
I spend some time on this. I like to know what each tyre will do. My best results will involve some strategic calls above raw pace.

What would you say are your strengths?
Race pace over qualifying pace. Consistency, patience and good pace on primes (it's either that or poor pace on options).

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
Raw pace and that of course extends into qualifying.

Why ACR as a team?
In Pro you can form your own team quite easily, but I felt that working with the best I would develop much faster. So an established team was my goal. I had raced with a couple of the ACR guys in season 2 of the Virtual World series by Renault in the FR 3.5. They responded to my "drive wanted ad" and its going well so far.

What else?
I'm looking forward to a strong but healthy inter team rivalry with my team mate David Cook. Its fair to say he currently has an edge on raw pace but I am closing the gap and I race better than I qualify.

Anything else?
I've run around Albert Park many times on foot, maybe that will give me an edge!


Moving to team Orange.
We look for South African Eugene Van Loggerenberg
He cant be found on stage or back stage but we see him sitting outside with a pair of sunglasses on enjoying a coffee! So we head outside.
Eugene How much experience have you had with RF2?
8 months

League experience?
yes

Open wheeler experience?
yes

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
My countryman and ex FSR Driver Dewald Nel

How are you feeling about Pro?
Great

What are your expectations?
to do my best.

Will you get into the points?
this is why we race.

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
I can.

What about strategy?
strategy almost always changes during the race

What would you say are your strengths?
I'm calm

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
Consistency.

Why ACR as a team?
They gave me the opportunity now its payback time, and fun guys to work with.

Ah ok Wow Eugene, that was to the point!
Anything else Eugene? We have 5 mins to fill before an ad break!
Eugene turns away to enjoy his coffee but Kris Cobb hands us a statement from Eugene.

It reads....
This will be my first full season for ACR in the Pro category in FSR, Last year I started mid Season and was very exciting and added to that a lot to learn, Obviously going into 2015 season the target is to improve from were we ended last season, we have a great team!, Everyone is working extremely hard to improve at all levels.

Coming from a previously Local championship victory in RF1 as well as other platforms and then getting started with RF2 and FSR as a first try was quite a big learning curve but this is the same for everybody. I truly believe that this season will be as exciting as predicted for the 15th season in FSR history.


Team mate to Eugene in Team Orange will be Lionel Klue.

How much experience have you had with RF2?
About 10 months now, I started using it when I joined ACR as test Driver last season.

League experience?
As stated above I only started last season as test driver. I then moved up as pro driver for hockenheim GP. I found it very tough to be honest, it was a steep learning curve and I found it hard to adjust to the level of competition in FSR. I feel much more prepared this season.

Open Wheeler Experience
About two seasons, did about 5 races in a local league in south africa. About 20 races in total.

What stimulated your interest in FSR itself?
Dewald Nel who use to race for ACR got me involved, and the rest from there is history.

How are you feeling about Pro?
Very optimistic, I am ready for the challenge, with the help of my team I am hoping that we could score some good points this season.

What are your expectations?
Honestly I have no expectations this season, well maybe I am lying. No one races to be second if you don't race to win then why are you racing. If that will become a reality or not, only time will tell.

Will you get into the points?
I hope so, I can't see why not, I have worked hard and my team has prepared me well so some points are definitely on the cards.

Can you set up a car or will the team help in this area?
I can do my own setups, but obviously I would love the help from the team, we have some very talented and fast drivers in our team, so it would be foolish of me not to want their help in this regard.

What about strategy?
I feel comfortable with strategy, but it helps to have input from other team members, more heads is always better than one.

What would you say are your strengths?
I would say my strength is consistency and I do not create to many incidents. The incidents tends to find me more often than not but my luck will change. I can maintain my race pace throughout the race distance.

What do you feel you need to work on the most to improve?
I need to find some more speed, in all honesty I am to slow especially in Qualifying. My poor qualifying puts me at a disadvantage comes race day and it leaves me with to much to do during the race.

Why ACR as a team?
They welcomed me with open arms right from the start. They work well as a team and in the same breath they are extremely competitive. This competitiveness will eventually lead to better performances by all of our drivers.

Thanks Lionel, good luck for 2015

 

[David O'Reilly]

The Avid Chronic Pro drivers and DashmeterPro.
We asked David O'Reilly from ACR Team Blue to explain how he uses it.

When I am preparing for a race and setting up the car there are key pieces of information that I need such as tyre wear, fuel consumption to name a couple. DashmeterPro allows me to create a custom screen with detailed data.
For example if I am testing a strategy I need to know in real time if my tyres are on target for wear, whether I can push them harder or need to ease up. This will help me validate a strategy.
Fuel wise I get a report within 1-5 laps giving me an fuel consumption per lap. This allows me to load a race amount of fuel to within 1 litre.

When it comes to race day I dont want the same data. For fuel I simply want to know if there is a shortfall, a negative fuel delta. By simply telling the DashmeterPro software the race length, it will continuously calculate fuel use and projected fuel quantity at race end. I want this simply shown as one number-"Fuel Add".So I have this on my race screen. If there is a delta after my pit stop I know to keep an eye on it, and fuel save if need be. No more ending races with 5 litres of fuel sloshing around.
I have this with lap #, race position, along with tyre temp/wear info and engine oil temp.
If tyre wear is above or below target I can deal with it by managing wear more, considering a stop earlier in my pit window or pushing harder to use them up. I set an overtemp warning for engine oil, if it starts flashing I know to manage temps.
The rev LED is customisable and its far clearer and more precise than what appears on the car chassis or my wheel. If I need to set a different rev limit I can.

I have more data in my cockpit than a real world F1 driver as I'm the guy who needs to make the engineering calls.
I would now be lost without DashmeterPro.

Below you can see my install, I run a 7" android (Hudl) sited perfectly in my line of sight and leaving my whole screen clear for driving.
Some prefer a smaller phone size device mounted to their wheel. These and the dozens of sets of data to display, the customisable screens, colour schemes and styles are all up to you.

 

[David O'Reilly]

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