The Chicane Podcast

Which Pedals Make You Faster?

• Track Ghost Sim Racing • Episode 48

Share episode

The world of sim racing technology takes center stage this week as we explore the newly released Simucube Tuner 2.5 software that's changing how serious racers interact with their equipment. This isn't just another update—it's a complete reimagining of how your sim racing hardware works together, with automatic profile switching that detects what car and sim you're using to apply your custom settings accordingly. No more fumbling with separate applications or manual adjustments when switching from trucking to GT3 racing!

We tackle the sometimes confusing world of brake technology, breaking down the pros and cons of elastomers, springs, hydraulic systems, and active pedals. If you've been wondering whether those hydraulic brake mods are worth the investment or if you should save for active pedals instead, our detailed breakdown will help you make an informed decision. The consensus might surprise you—sometimes the most expensive option isn't the best value, and proper technique often trumps hardware upgrades.

The conversation shifts to EA's upcoming F1 25 game, with some strong opinions about what would make it worth purchasing. The team doesn't hold back their frustration with previous iterations, particularly regarding physics models and authenticity. Is there any hope for F1 25, or should serious sim racers look elsewhere for their Formula 1 fix? We explore what features would actually make the game appealing to hardcore sim enthusiasts versus casual gamers.

Our Track of the Week segment transports you to Monza, with a fascinating dive into its century-long history, numerous configurations, and sometimes tragic past. From its inception in 1922 to its current layout, we examine how this iconic Italian circuit evolved into one of racing's most beloved and feared venues. Wrapping up with F1 driver updates and GT7's latest cars, this episode delivers everything racing enthusiasts need to stay informed and entertained. Don't miss our upcoming 50th episode—a major milestone we can't wait to share with our growing community!


Smart Livin - Jeff's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SmartLivin-808

The Sim Racing Den: https://www.youtube.com/@simracingden

Sim Racing Setups Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/476277217678724

Daniel Newman Racing (DNR): https://www.youtube.com/@danielnewmanracing

Please e-mail the show for any questions, comments or stories/experiences at thechicanepodcast@gmail.com

TGSR/Chicane Podcast Merch Store!: https://trackghost-shop.fourthwall.com

Watch the show in video podcast form on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@TGSsimracing

All my links: https://linktr.ee/tgssimracing

Affiliates and Discount Codes

Sim Gaming Expo I Use promo code CHICANE10 to save 10% on tickets. https://simgamingexpo.com/

Moradness by Daniel Morad I Use promo code CHICANE15 to save 15% off your order. https://moradness.com/

Intro/Outro Rights below:
Song: Low Mileage - Hold You [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/holdyou
Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/holdyouAT/youtube

Jason:

The Hello and welcome to the Chicane Podcast, where we discuss all things in this embracing world. I'm your host, Jason Rivera, and I'm joined here by Mr Eric Kelly and Jeff Smart. How's everybody doing today? That was the hardest intro I saw. You trying to keep it together. You guys were joking around as the seconds were counting down. You can't do that, man.

Erick:

Professional job. Man, that's our job. You're professional.

Jason:

It sounds like everybody's in a good mood. So how's everybody? How's it going? Guys, Update me what's going on.

Erick:

It's going good, man Trying to survive these allergies. Man, this pollen is out.

Jason:

Ah yeah, it keeps attacking different people at different times, and then it attacks your kids and they bring it right back to you.

Jeff:

Yeah, we were actually out in the ocean the other day and I saw a big line of it. It's all like pollen building up and, yeah, you can see it on the water, you can. I didn't know that. All right.

Jason:

So we got some content being brewed up for Smart Living. Is that right?

Jeff:

Yep Smart Living YouTube channel. We got a new video dropping.

Jason:

Awesome, bro. Guys, don't forget to check that out. I'll leave the links again to Jeff's channel. Show him some love and support on the distant end, on the fishing end.

Jeff:

I appreciate it yeah.

Jason:

Yeah, all right, so let's go over some announcements here and get right into it. The Winsims I promised a video about Winsims. Just bear with me, I am doing the research on that. We're only we're a week at a time podcast and I just I couldn't get it done this week, but I promised that that is coming, and the new bamboo printer just got released that I will not be purchasing.

Jeff:

No, that's pricey. It looks cool as hell.

Erick:

Yeah, it looks crazy. It looks crazy.

Jason:

But it's actually a good announcement because it's good for the future of the company. It means that we're progressing right. There's revisions made to the AMS system. I know we're not a 3D printing podcast or channel, but just telling you you do not need an H2D. I can promise you that. I can promise you that.

Erick:

So it depends. Oh, here we go, and the reason why I say that is, it depends on how much you make right. So 3D printing easily. It's going to be the best 3D printer that Bamboo has ever made.

Jason:

Yeah, definitely.

Erick:

They've just been iterating and literally it's like they've been reading our minds, like, oh, I wish this was different, I wish that was different. From a 3D printer standpoint, it's the best they've made, biggest bed, all that stuff. It might be something to look at, because I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but my wife was asking about a Glowforge, which is a laser engraver and cutter, and she has a Cricut where she cuts and prints and does vinyl labels and stickers and all that stuff those are. You know, depending on which one you buy, you could spend, you know, a couple of dollars.

Jason:

This gear just specific, you know.

Erick:

All it does is that and it's kind of weird the way it does it. But when she mentioned the Glowforge, those start at $700. And to get a 40-watt laser Glowforge it is $4,500.

Jeff:

Damn.

Erick:

You said $4,500?

Jeff:

$4,500.

Erick:

And that's not even their top tier, that's just like getting into their top tier. So that's why I say the laser cutting piece. When I saw that and my eyebrows went up I was like that's different, like I wonder how it compares to a glow forge, because that would that would be a huge undercut I, I mean this depends if you have someone like you better have that needs the machine hint hint.

Jason:

But I'm just saying because you might be able to benefit from that. You know what I'm saying? I don't blame you on that point I don't blame you there.

Erick:

Rob Markman. The wheels are spinning, man, I'm like, hey, we could all-.

Jason:

We could all just get along, I probably-.

Jeff:

Rob Markman. We don't need a lot of things, but here they are.

Erick:

I'm telling you.

Jason:

All right, well, yeah, go ahead, eric, my bad.

Erick:

No, but yeah, that was just my.

Jason:

But at $3,500, I think I'm pretty good at this point. I think I'm pretty good for the top, top tier. It has a dual nozzle and stuff, but honestly I saved money by purchasing two of them than the price of one, even after purchasing two of them. But again, if you want to go wild, it's out there, it's available, and that's all I have. Let's pass this over to Eric to see how was your week. I'm pretty sure you're excited to reveal something here on the show and I'll let you have it. Man, let's hear it.

Erick:

So my week I thought I wasn't going to get the race this week because the kids were out on spring break Went to Chattanooga earlier this week, had a blast and I guess I was just in a groove Came back everybody you know the house is quiet and I got to run some laps and messed around and won my first race in outracing.

Jason:

Wow, bro the man and you got your certificate tooracing. Wow, bro the man. And you got your certificate too, right.

Erick:

Yeah, I got the certificate. How'd that feel? Look, I was shocked because, when I tell you, I was just like in a zone and also, I'm going to be a little honest, I was racing a little late at night and the lobby probably was a little bit less.

Jason:

No, no, no, that's the time we race.

Jeff:

Don't shortchange me when I race.

Jason:

We don't need it? Well, not anymore. I'm mostly on the GRL, but you won your first race.

Erick:

Yeah, I won my first race.

Jason:

I don't care against who, I don't care, it's an official. Come on.

Erick:

So I got my D license and literally I'm trying to grind to get my C. I've got the safety rating. I just have to get the NPR or whatever.

Jason:

Oh, the races in the past. You seem to participate, bro. That's it.

Erick:

Yeah, so that's the piece I'm trying to do. Had some issues with our racing.

Jeff:

Well, you'll get the in-season promotion then, I'm sure.

Erick:

Yeah, yeah. So I did that, but also the way that I did it, I was um qualified on pole position and I led nine of the 10 laps, so it's like complete domination my man says hey, let me ask you a question.

Jeff:

He said domination, how nervous were you on that last lap?

Erick:

oh, I was I was shaking in my boots. I I was shaking in my boots. Man, I was shaking in my boots.

Jason:

Did you have to wipe? Did you have to wipe after? Because I mean come on.

Erick:

I wiped the forehead. That was about it. Wiped the forehead and did you do it in?

Jason:

VR, or did you do it on a single monitor?

Erick:

No, I've been doing single monitor, even on GT7 here lately I've been doing single monitor. Even on gt7, here lately I've been doing a single monitor. Okay, I mean hey, I mean yeah, whatever floats your boat, well, it's the, it's the information, like until gt7, if you're trying to be fast, um, vr is amazing, immersive, you know, immersion wise, but just being able to glance up and see what the guy ahead of me, the time to him, the time to the guy behind me.

Jason:

The tools, yes, yeah.

Erick:

Just having that information is priceless if you're trying to be aware of what's going on.

Jason:

See, we need to get that blended reality. That way we can do both, I know, and that will fix the problem right there. You just bridged them both, I know Go ahead.

Jeff:

I'm working on it, I'm working on it.

Jason:

It's it hey, listen man, listen, I wish hey.

Erick:

Jeff, if you got it, man, that's fine too.

Jeff:

I'm working on it, dude. Yeah, jeff, there's not a lot of like how to's to do this stuff. There's a dude who claims who shows video of some badass stuff and he's like I ain't telling anybody how to do this.

Jason:

You've been refreshing that page. Huh, I was on that today. Oh man, hey, real quick, real quick. I just want to give a shout out to the. What do you call it? What should I call him? The head honcho, the legend, michael Pagliaro from the Sim Racing den for hooking a brother up with a Sim. What side is it?

Jeff:

Sim.

Jason:

Racing setups. Hey, hoodie Hoodie Looks good. Dude, got my name on it right here. Oh nice, and it's got my number. So, grl folks, 22 is mine. I know that belongs to an admin, but at my show, chicane Podcast, 22 is mine, bro, and I'm like that you got whatever number you want in here, man.

Jason:

Guys, check out Sim Racing Setups group on Facebook 130,000 plus members sharing all kinds of innovation, ideas and support, and we're all part of the group too. So if you share something there, we're probably most likely going to see it and we'll hit like just put tag us at chicane podcast or something. Let us know. Yeah definitely. So shout out to Mike Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. So, jeff, how was your week, brother?

Jeff:

Tell me about it. Mine, mine was good. I had like a moment the other day. So I'm like, oh you know, like F1 season starting, and I'm like, oh man, like I wonder if they've opened up the tickets for Singapore. So I jump on there and I'm like, hey, I had an awesome experience last time I went. You know, I think we put together a little video. Yes, last time, guys, we need to check.

Jason:

You need to check this video out. I think we released it early. It was way early in the Chicane podcast's life. If you may, you need to look at it. There's some funny things in there too. It's really awesome and Jeff was kind enough.

Jeff:

Yeah, if you're curious about going to F1 race, like, give it a watch. It was an awesome experience, but anyways, so I digress. So I was looking for tickets to see if they had released them.

Jason:

You want to go back, bro? Yeah, I want to go back. So I'm sitting there at work looking at this stuff and I'm like no, there's pictures, wait, go back. Yeah, dude ready, and there's these switch.

Erick:

Wait, wait, wait a second. That's on the official site.

Jeff:

Though, dude, I know that guy dude, I'm like wait a second, that's me.

Jason:

I'm like look at, look this is a clown, the freaking podium winner. He was the podium winner in the go-karts too. You guys gotta check out that video man to see his podium.

Jeff:

So so, needless to say, they have like tripled the price from when I went. I'm not going holy, yeah, bro, like they obviously knew that we had got a deal over on them and they were like, yeah, not so, not so much I know they saw jeff there.

Erick:

They're like bro exactly hey, we got guys like this in here. We got to raise the price yeah, hang out with this handsome stuff we got ballers coming in here.

Jason:

What?

Jeff:

yeah, so there's like uh, there's one other one that was like, my wife was like, yeah, typical uh where is it? Here, so there's me waiting in line at the bar oh, yeah, so my wife checking in. Hey, no, that's me getting my money. Did you be lying to?

Jeff:

the bar that tell me you did, bro yeah, bro, that's not even there, yet it's early in the morning too, it's like a crackathon, yeah, so it's just funny that I'm at work, dude, this is sick and I'm like holy shit and everybody's like what, and I'm like that's me on the F1 page.

Jason:

We're going to share the links to that guys, if you want to check out. Super cool.

Jeff:

Unfortunately, it won't be going this year. With the prices going up, you actually look official, you look like you work for the team or something.

Jason:

You're an official.

Erick:

F1 sponsor. You look legit as hell, bro. Tell them I got to get my tickets. You guys forgot me this year. Go ahead and get me tickets.

Jason:

Yeah, where's my email? I didn't get an email. I didn't get a confirmation number. Exactly, that's what's my email. I didn't get an email.

Erick:

I didn't get a confirmation number. What was up with that Exactly?

Jason:

That's a hell of a Bro. I would be ecstatic if I saw that that was super cool.

Jeff:

It's super cool, I mean, in the long run, whatever People are like, whatever, but I think it's cool. I'm on the official F1 page for Singapore.

Jason:

I don't care about hating, that's straight hate. Haterade for you.

Jeff:

It was cool.

Jason:

I think that's dope as hell. I would print those out and put them up on the wall or something I don't know You're known to do that, Jeff.

Jeff:

You play around with the light room and stuff. Yeah, I didn't even know they were taking pictures and stuff. I didn't authorize anybody to take my picture, right? You give me free tickets, I can look, tell them. Hey, man.

Jason:

I want $5,000 and avoid a penalty, and I will put the money right back in your pocket because I will be here. Let's go.

Jeff:

We'll call it square, that's it.

Jason:

We'll send them the link to this video. I'll send it to Toto Toto Wolf. I got him online too, don't worry about that.

Jeff:

No, Stevie. All right man, let's get into it here.

Jason:

What a hell of a week for everybody. That's a great week for everybody. So I'm excited. So we're going to go into the main discussion now. Apparently, maybe less than 48 hours, simicube released finally their final version of, or their candidate release.

Jason:

Right for is the Simicube Tuner, and let's take a look at it right now because it's the easiest way for me to show you guys right. Just bear with me, we'll go to the website here. This is the Simicube page and there's a video so you can watch that. Of course it's the Tuner 2.5. And it says one for all.

Jason:

And I got a throwback of some Lord of the Rings like one for all and Dark Despindem or some shit like that A nerd moment for me. It says you can control all your gear in one place and if you can see this picture back here, you can control. You don't need separate software. Before you would need the True Drive software for Simucube bases and then True um, this tuner for your pedals. But now they united the clans. It's all in one place.

Jason:

And here is the kicker automatic profile switches per car, per sim. So if you have a pedal set up for trucking, I already have mine and it knows when I sit in the Peterbilt 389, it switches to my trucking profile. If I jump into a McLaren and iRacing, it goes to my GT3 profile that I made and a GT3 slash GT4. So then you can see that there were some new profiles added, some e-sports pedals from a. I'm not going to read these, but they're there if you want to try them. I always say, take these with a grain of salt, try them and then make it yours right, don't just use yeah, go ahead.

Jeff:

You passed me.

Jason:

You told me like, hey, it's like starting, it's a good starting point for to start your tweaking yes, yeah, it's a great reference point for you to see what works for you, because their seating position is different, their pedal angle is different, everything is different. So I'm actually interested about this one down here that says that they have a drifting one, which I haven't seen that yet. Um, and then it also, uh, allows you to customize your leds on your wheels, which I'm going to say it here. Shout out to DNR.

Jeff:

We don't need that stuff.

Jason:

You don't need that stuff, we got friends in hot places.

Jeff:

Yeah, check out.

Jason:

Danny Newman Racing for all your LED needs, and now dashboards, yes sir.

Jeff:

You love them, even though he's a McLaren fan.

Jason:

I love McLaren, bro. Mclaren is cool too.

Erick:

They are true, they are true, I love McLaren, bro.

Jason:

McLaren is cool too. Piastri is becoming a fan here, and then you can see basically the connectivity here on how things connect, and that's about it. It's a very short topic, it's just a great tool. And you might not notice this right, because if you're just sim racing and you're not looking at headlines, the old software is not getting automatic updates, no more. So it's not like oh, I'm going to get a notification to tell me to update the software. No, this is a totally different software that you have to install and then they will import all your previous data into it and from then on you don't need that previous software, and I'm not.

Jason:

This isn't a placebo effect, but we just raced today at Monza and Mike from the Sim Racing then was there, and so was our boy, neil, the top shotter you all know him from the last episode and we all noticed an increase in fidelity. For some reason they did something to that wheel where I actually had to turn the forces down, which was kind of interesting, and the pedals too, they did something. They did something that was fine-tuned. They finally released the release candidate, because this software has been in beta since the pedals came out and they've been improving it like every month. So I for one avoided the beta, because I use my rig every week for racing and I need things to work. I don't need a bug to happen and I lose the brakes on the, on the sim. It's going to make me upset. So when I, when they finally said, hey, this is ready to go, it's it's final software, then I was a little more um, give me a little warm and fuzzy to go ahead and try it.

Jeff:

So give that a try it it's a little interesting when it was released. Yes, just a little interested. You know, like just hey, somebody else was in the news, rob Markman. Oh, like Moza, rob Markman. Oh, that, you know, it's funny, you brought that up yeah.

Jason:

And then you know Simicube was like yeah, no, we need to get back to the headlines. Rob Markman Simicube is just flexing their arms in front of Moza saying, well, our shit's done waiting, waiting the wings, like all y'all are dropping out a little pedal. Okay, here we go yeah, here you go, here's, we're back on top. Have fun. The champ joy is here, hey. But again, if you're, if you're looking at the moza pedal and that's I mean I'm telling you an active pedal is better than no active pedal.

Jeff:

I'll say that I can't wait, we got, they got to be starting hitting, like the consumers. To the you know, the, the I'll say that I can't wait, we got, they gotta be starting hitting, like the consumers. To the you know, the, the I'll say amateur YouTubers who are just out there, you know our regular Joe's and paying for their own stuff, like you know, like we are giving their opinion on it, sim racers.

Jason:

Yeah, I can't. I can't wait to see and I would love for us to try the hardware. I mean, we're getting close to that. Yes, I would love to give you more data and practical data other than just things that we can speculate on because we don't have the stuff. I mean, there is a sim racing expo coming in September that the chicane podcast may or may not attend, but if we do, we're going to be all over that. Trust me, we're going to be all over it. It's going to be a vlog in. We're going to have all kinds of stuff set up there.

Jeff:

We're going to be over that and anything with a motion rig.

Jason:

Anything with a motion rig, oh yeah. And I'm going to tell the guy hey, this shit is too weak, turn it, turn it, turn. I need to max it out, please. Like my head is still connected to my neck right, I don't feel anything. No, g's, this is not even point one of a g. What are you doing? So, anyway, that's, that's the new software. That's my topic for today. Um, the winsims again, I'll get back to that on the next iteration of the show. So over to eric for the next topic yes, sir.

Erick:

So, speaking of you know, semi-cube and brake pedals, just wanted to mostly get you guys opinion and, just kind of, you know, being somebody who's trying to be faster, one of the things that helps you go faster, ironically, it are your brakes, right. So the better you are at breaking, the more accurate, the more precision, the more consistent you can be, the more on the on the line, on the edge, you can be, and so I wanted to just ask your opinion, jason, I think I know yours already about the different breaking technologies, right.

Erick:

So there are a couple and I'm going to just kind of give a you know share, a quick little overview of what the different kind of break options are here yeah, so, so we've got you know. I think this is what most people are probably running. Once you um, get you a nice set of pedals so okay I have sim magic, so this is something I was looking at. Uh for upgrading my kit right now. I'm just pure elastomers, and if you don't know what elastomers are, they're pretty much these different rubber yeah rubber discs with a varying hardness and people combine them in different ways.

Jason:

Uh, the reds to simulate yeah, different stages of the break yes yep, and they're.

Erick:

I mean, they're okay. Uh, they're definitely like the, the entry level to that, like, yeah, some of these are harder.

Jason:

Well, that's how we started bro you know, we started with springs, then we went over to elastomer.

Erick:

Now we're on the active pedal, which is electric, right yeah, yep, and so for me, I'm thinking about seeing no, obviously, outside of going to like an active pedal or something like that, uh, upgrading to a spring elastomer setup to kind of create different zones in the breaking. And, ironically, all of this is to try to emulate different Pedal feel, yeah, different pedal feel, which, like you said, with your active pedal you already got that. You could dial it up, which is dope. But something that I was curious about that's specific to SimMagic is Show this here they're hydraulic braking, so they have these kits, they have them for the throttle, they have them for the brake pedal. I don't hear much about them, but in my mind this, combined with a haptic motor, would give you a more realistic brake feel.

Erick:

I don't know.

Jason:

Let's hear from Jeff.

Jeff:

real quick, I got something to say after that I have never tried a hydraulic. So this is everything I'm about to say is from what I've read other people doing. It is, I feel like that people will die on the hill to say the active pedal is the best. I've never heard that people say the hydraulic is, hands down, better than load cell or elastomer. Okay, it, my feel, is what it is. Maybe I don't microscopic might not be the right word. Incremental, it's incrementally better. It's not like generational, it's like an evolution, not a evolution, evolution, whatever it is. Uh, it's like a baby step forward, not like a revolutionary product to hit the sim world, correct?

Jason:

that's a great answer, jeff, and and that I'll piggyback on that because that's exactly what I was going to say. It's a technology that was supposed to replace the elastomer, but it but it didn't take off, you know, and a lot of pedal makers don't make this no more. They they moved away from, from hydraulic, and it's because, um, a lot of them leak after a while, and it is known. You know, it's like it's the same thing with that hydraulic e-brake they put a hydraulic thing on it and it's like okay, but it's, it's just stiffer, it's just stiffer. It's a smoother action, but it's very incremental. Like Jeff said, it's a very.

Jason:

You're looking at diminishing returns for the money spent, right? I would not steer anyone to go this route. Even if you only had money for or budget, sorry, budget for a basic set of pedals, I would say save your money, learn proper brake technique and set the pedals up the way you want, using elastomers. It's a tried and true. Now there are pedals that have angle sensors instead of pressure instead of pressure, so that's another option too, but again, it's not perfect. It's not one-to-one, it's not. How do you say this? It's not. You're still using elastomers behind that. You know what I'm trying to say, and I'll have something to say about elastomers here in a second, but I'll let you continue, eric. It's a good topic, though. I like this topic let you continue, eric.

Erick:

It's a good topic though. I like this topic, yeah, and and like I say, being I've only ever had one set of pedals and the one of the draws outside of the pricing, um, and they just look cool and you know well, made for the money yeah uh, were some of the upgrade options.

Erick:

And to your point, jeff I, I see the hydraulics and I'm like that looks, that looks cool. It sounds like it would kind of emulate what I have in the car, right, but you don't hear anybody raving about oh yeah, I upgraded to the hydraulics and it made a world of difference.

Jeff:

Made me faster, like I could never, go back.

Erick:

Yeah, and that's kind of the you know to my point earlier about racing on the screen instead of in VR. The VR immersion wise is definitely like hands down worlds beyond just the screen. But to be faster, Right, it doesn't add that and from what y'all are saying it sounds like that's the case, with the hydraulic saying it sounds like that's the case with the hydraulic.

Jason:

This is 100% a marketing thing To make your pedals look industrially Like. Right there you go up, right there. You see that when people start inverting pedals with this thing, anything goes loose in there. You got oil all over. That's exactly what I was alluding to about it.

Erick:

some people have been issues of it leaking so, okay, that's good to know because, like I say, just, you know you're out here and you're looking at sites and you know looking at mods and upgrades, and it's like that. These have always kind of been out there ever since I got my pedals, but I never heard anything about them take the 180 and buy a haptic for your pedal.

Jeff:

I think you'd be happier in the long run. Or save the 180 or just save it, yeah. But I'm saying, if you're going to spend 100, that 880 add-on for pedals, I'd get the uh if I'm not mistaken.

Jason:

I think they're the only ones. Yeah, they're the only ones, and I think they're the only ones still pushing this right.

Jeff:

You might be right.

Jason:

Because Hewson Bell doesn't push them. I don't think I'm talking like top-end pedals. Obviously, simucube doesn't push them, moza doesn't push them. They all went and they moved over to the new technology, which is the active pedal.

Erick:

Yeah, so what I'll do is I'm going to go with the $17.

Jason:

Yeah, so you have more customization? Yeah, of course.

Erick:

And I feel like this will kind of address my needs of being able to create a more, create different breaking zones and breaking fields.

Jason:

So the whites are the softest ones and you use that to create the spongy and the beginning the spongy feel, and your reds are your hardest ones. I would, I would. There's, there's different. I think there's a page, if you scroll, scroll down that tells you what the recommended. Try the third one down, no no, no. Keep going, keep going. Two more, there we go, oh yeah, some of the different yeah.

Jason:

If you want to simulate a GT4, then it's telling you to combine the spring or whatever. Oh, check that out. Yeah, they have a guide for you, which is kind of cool.

Jeff:

Again starting point. Yeah, and then you can do what works for you.

Jason:

Exactly.

Jeff:

Yeah.

Erick:

I need a little more. I'm getting to a point where.

Jason:

But again, and that's my problem, that's the thing right here. Let's say, you installed something for a GT3 and then you want to drive formula. That brake is tuned now for formula. So now you got to get on your knees. You got to get on your knees, unscrew the shit, get all the things out, put them back in, look up the chart. There's a benefit to having an active pedal, so you can have a hundred pedals with one set of pedal, or an infinite amount of pedals with a single pedal.

Jeff:

That's kind of-, and so your knees don't hurt.

Jason:

That's the candy right there. It's candy Knees, knees back. So I will say this about elastomers, not so much springs. Even though springs go weak, they weaken after a while. Elastomers have a tendency of losing their you know, they just get weak. Same thing they get weak after a while. And when you my 3D print song, yeah, like if you want to there, you go. Your 3d print some, yeah, like if you want to, there you go you 3d print tpu, I don't know, man, I don't know either putting 200 pounds of pressure on that.

Jason:

You're gonna break something yeah we'll see jeff in the wall and we'll know why so you know, if you look at, if you look at elastomers right, when they start to go, when they're new, everything's fine. Not soon, I mean very soon after, like maybe a few months of use, and some sooner than others. Let's say, a car tends to lock up at 83%, for example. This is just a simple example of iRacing. Just a simple example of iRacing 83% tire locks. So you want to stay within the margins of the highest break point 80%, 79, 78. And then you trail off of that after you get to your max point. So here's the thing With elastomers you can hold 80, but when the elastomer starts to get old, you can hold 80, but when the elastomer starts to get old, your foot starts seeping down automatically and the pressure just doesn't have a consistent pressure.

Jason:

It can go up, it can go down, it can go sideways. That's the problem that I think. Race Beyond Matter had a great explanation on that and it kind of steered me to wait for something different. Right, that's not, you know, elastomer, even though it's relatively cheap to replace an elastomer as we're looking at it here. But still, it's a decision you have to make. That's my take on elastomers.

Erick:

Yeah, and that makes sense. And that's the overall is. You know you got to start somewhere. Elastomers and springs are good, easily replaceable.

Jason:

Yes.

Erick:

The hydraulics are essentially kind of a gimmick.

Jason:

It's a gimmick.

Erick:

Essentially yeah. So that's that's good info to have because, like I said, I've got a haptic um active pedal obviously is, you know, a whole nother stratosphere of pricing and so in your mind you're like, well, the you know something else might be a middle ground. But I think really just for consistency and speed.

Jason:

If you want to get faster. I think that's the way, because you can modulate the brake and it's always the same number and you have nothing to worry about things getting loose or getting weak. It's electric. It's an electronic motor that measures pressure yeah, unless it gets struck by lightning oh, man, then we got bigger problems. Then we got bigger problems, right.

Erick:

My rig is smoking. I don't know what's going on, but yeah, just a little quick question and something I've been struggling with.

Jason:

Yeah, man. But yeah, man, yeah, you're chasing the pedal field, which is great, right. That's kind of Sorry about that. That's kind of the journey, right. You start with the spring pedal, which is the G29 pedal, then you move over to a load cell that actually has a sensor measuring pressure, right, and now we have something new in the technology that can improve that. But I'm not telling you to go out, run and buy an active pedal. That's something top end. And what you're doing is you're like, okay, how do I customize the pedal to make it feel better for me? And you're in that stage. So it's everything by stages. Nothing needs to happen, right, this minute. You know what I mean. That's just you know.

Erick:

I think that's good advice.

Jason:

You know the top drivers. I'm not telling you that they can't be the top drivers without an active pedal, because they probably don't need one. You know what I mean. Yeah, to be the top drivers without an active pedal, because they probably don't need one. You know what I mean. Yeah, to be to be the top end. Now, if you want to squeeze more time out of your time, then that's how you get there, but if you're not hitting top split with a regular set of pedals, then you might want to consider the purchase. However, convenience right is having the, the, the ultimate customizable pedal in any sim, and that's where I come.

Jeff:

Yeah, yeah, I mean, maybe some magic will release their active pedal for like 400 bucks a man yes, a man can dream my a man cheaper than their own pedals how much?

Jason:

are there $500, $600 right now.

Jeff:

So yeah, like for example, I'd imagine $800 is their sweet spot for that thing you add $600 to a set of pedals, then you add this hydraulic thing.

Jason:

You're looking at close to $800 anyway.

Jeff:

So that tech is going away 100%, where you can get a active pedal from Boza for almost the same price. Yeah, very close to that price.

Erick:

It would be right there. But something interesting. So the you know Grand Turismo has their world championships every year, like the fastest drivers around the world. I think the last time they had them in Canada they flew them up there. But the setup that they run on they, if I'm not mistaken, they don't use load cells, they just use like what is it? Just the sensor, like the hall sensor, pedals, what? And they're like super consistent To your point. Jason, if you're fast on basic pedals, then getting these other pedals and customizing them will only help.

Jason:

But if you're slow on those.

Erick:

They're not going to make you faster.

Jason:

Right, nothing beats proper braking technique. Yeah, if you have the technique, then the hardware is only going to make you even faster. Yeah, that's when the hardware makes sense. But if you don't have the braking technique or the discipline or the line or the track or the race craft, all those things come first before the juicy hardware. The kid in town, the expensive looking device, because they look cool and everything and they work great for immersion? Yeah, they do. Yeah, but that's the real, that's the real talk, man. That's the real answer. Right there, it's you. You have to take it with a grain of salt. Sometimes those types of you know, you see YouTubers making reviews and they're making reviews and they're showing you stuff that you might not need. You know what I'm trying to say. You might not need it.

Erick:

Yeah, I've been there once or twice.

Jason:

So, like something like a butt kicker which we keep bugging, eric, a butt kicker is 100% going to make you understand what the car's doing. And if you understand what the car's doing underneath you another point of reference you're going to get faster. You're going to be able to save the car when it's about to spin out.

Jeff:

And, let's be honest, it is the single best thing for immersion.

Jason:

One of the. Yeah, it's why I can't be without it. If it broke today, I'm going on buttkickercom 100%.

Jeff:

Like when it doesn't turn on for whatever reason, like I don't even get out of my head without knowing.

Jason:

I'm like something's wrong.

Jeff:

Something's wrong yeah.

Jason:

Everything's, I can't race, I'm not. I guess I'm'm not racing tonight, but thankfully they've been super reliable knock on wood nothing, not even not a hiccup, never.

Jeff:

So yeah yo mine fell off the seat. The the bright fell off the mount the other day, like under underneath the seat mid-race and it's like on a tile floor, off the rig and stuff and I'm like driving trying to unplug it from the from the amp.

Jason:

It was a disaster, dude, that's cause you'd be running some high freaking forces, I bet you uh, or what do you call that? Um?

Jeff:

yeah, I have it. Yeah, I have for the RPMs of the motor, revin Cause, most of the time I do formula.

Jason:

So I like it, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what's up, all right, so thank you so much, uh, eric, for that. That's a good um, I guess an updated topic, because we have been over breaks before, but now we have new stuff, right, we all. We have new things coming out and I don't know where you are in your sim racing journey, but there's a lot of options for you now and it's like overwhelming. It's getting out of control. Is what's happening? Getting out of control? It's a good thing, it's a very good thing, yeah, but that's what we're here for, right? We're here to advise you.

Erick:

That's why I asked y'all man I've been waiting for weeks to ask y'all this question.

Jason:

I can either make you spend money or you save money. It's your choice. The choice is yours. But over to Jeff, jeff, what you got for us this week, brother.

Jeff:

All right, I got a topic F1,. The season has just started. Time of this recording. We've got through two races. We'll talk about that a little bit later, but um, our favorite game hasn't come out yet no way ea's f1 and this year will be 25. So my discussion is gentlemen, realistically here, what do you hope is going to be in F one 25? I'll go first, cause I've been complaining about this for all 48 episodes that we've been doing this show EA. All I'm asking for is a mouse. That's it, man.

Erick:

A mouse.

Jeff:

I have other things, but I'll yeah, I'll ask you, gentlemen, like, realistically, you want to know what do you got well?

Jason:

or here's wait till you hear mine you give me two things.

Jeff:

So what do you realistically hope would is going to be in it? And then what would have to be in it for you to buy it?

Jason:

okay that's a good question eric, you want to go first, or shall I take the plunge? Let me know, yeah, I'll go first.

Erick:

Well, I'll go first because mine's going to be kind of short and sweet VR on PS5.

Jason:

Okay, VR on PS5. That will make you buy it on PS5.

Jeff:

Yeah, for sure, I think it's got VR support for for pc yeah yeah, yeah for pc.

Jason:

Yeah, okay, you ready for this one?

Jeff:

oh, I'm ready buddy, let's go.

Jason:

so the one thing I want from ea, and this is directly to ea no, no f's given, you know, no straight chaser right here, straight no chaser. Straight, no chaser. Ea. I need you to cancel F1 and sell the license to iRacing. Let's go, that's what I need you to do, right now.

Jeff:

Yeah, I don't think it's going to happen this year, but I hope so next year.

Jason:

Because even if you put a mouse, even if you add graphics, your physics are trash, garbage, we all know it, garbage. And you have all the goodies, you got the career mode, which is great, you got the cars, the graphics you know the graphics on the cars and everything else, but your physics are garbage. And no offense to those that play f1. I understand there's a following, there's an esports with that game, but that's what it is. It's a video game. I want a simulator, I want to simulate f1 I got another gripe with it.

Jeff:

Yeah, get in the cockpit get in the car driving above the halo yeah, oh yeah, that's cheating that's not driving, that's a video game and it's weird, man, it's like an offset camera too. It's like off to the side and yeah, I think people do it because they can see more around the car. They're higher, can see the corners, um, but it's a yeah, it's a video game-esque.

Jason:

You know what would make me try it. I'll tell you. If you want to keep F1 and you want to keep it relevant, we need a complete overhaul. Whoever's working for you, fire him right now. Or her or her, sorry or they, them, you know, whatever All of it, Anybody, anybody that's working for them. I need an overhaul in everything your tire model, your suspension and the physics, everything and a proper triple screen support so that way my mirror doesn't look like that on my left monitor or something like that, because it's all stretched out. It looks like ass. Sorry, there's no other word, it just looks bad.

Jason:

Oh that sucks.

Jeff:

So here's some data points. It does come out for early access on May 27th, so we got a bit of time about two months, which is weird because it came out in like mid to late february for 24, it's like I know, like you lost all the all the momentum that, like actual f1, you know has at the beginning and it's not like they're doing anything.

Jason:

The game is done, it's just sitting in the.

Jeff:

They're not doing anything to this, you go to the website, right, and this is their features as breaking point three. Okay, that's my, my team 2.0 okay and more to be revealed we know what's wrong brah, come on. Nothing about tire malls, nothing about driving, nothing nothing, they say.

Erick:

They're not even blowing smoke this year, blowing out the smoke last year about the physics and all of that, and they got lewis hamilton all over it like they're trying of course you know, like just that's the celebrity they have to have them.

Jeff:

I think you smoked it out of the park. Just give it up. Just give it up, dude. I racing would be badass if you could get in there with the licensed cars and all that stuff, because, like what? The W13, I think Maybe the SF… 23?, 23 are pretty much the closest ones you're going to get to an F1 car and you can put skins on the SF23, but you can't put skins on the W13.

Jeff:

Just play AMS2, yeah, I know you can't race other content manager, yeah, content manager, you can simulate all that stuff but and there's no drs and ers in one car, you know, on iRacing, so that's kind of takes a little bit away from it iRacing has done as much as they can, but 100.

Jason:

They've showed you that we have the potential of making an actual F1 car that behaves like an F1 car.

Jeff:

Because that.

Jason:

Mercedes is a beast.

Jeff:

It's a handful.

Jason:

It's a handful but that's what it's supposed to be right, it's supposed to be 100%, absolutely.

Jeff:

I don't care if they just make it an A license only Like it wouldn't give me a reason to try to become an A to drive it.

Jason:

Yeah.

Jeff:

I mean, I can do the W13, but it's. Nobody's racing it, they have like two races a week, on it on Saturday nights. And it's kind of cool yeah.

Jason:

They don't have the updated model. They don't. They don't have teams.

Jeff:

You're racing the same car. Yeah, I think, yeah, yeah, that sucks. I think ea really dropped the ball last year, um and with like hey, we're changing stuff, and it was like they put lipstick on the pig, you know you and you're saying bro where the hell is this?

Jason:

coming from, so yeah it's just so.

Jeff:

I'd be surprised.

Jason:

I'd be shocked if this thing releases well yeah, three day early release kids watch out again I want to apologize for all. That was a very, very bashy moment for the chicane podcast against f1 games, but you know we were honest, we're just frustrated. I'm frustrated. Frustrated, that's just there's one word for it. Frustration is mine's disappointed. There's a bang bro, that's yeah, I mean like I love formula driving.

Jeff:

That's the premier title that you're getting and it's a shit product. That's what brought you to sim racing yeah, when I first got it that's all I wanted was F123 when it came out. Yeah, that lasted for about 20 minutes Then chasing up on ACC and iRacing, and the rest is history.

Jason:

Yeah, man, and AMS too. You got the content manager going.

Erick:

Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Jason:

No, h least you know, it served this purpose of showing us that things are better and we have options, which is terrible. I'm so sorry for you guys. If you're a fan of F1 24 or 23 or any of the F1 games, shout it out, say it loud and proud, leave a comment below. You know they do have flip us off.

Jeff:

Yeah, I mean they do have cool. You know weekly challenges where you do like your fastest lap of the week at the track that the real f1 circuit is on that week, right, so you can rack and stack yourself amongst peers. Your, you know other people for that track and you do the next one the next week. That's kind of cool, but like it's still not a good sim, yeah right yeah, they're really it's close.

Jason:

they don't really have to do much other than a new tire model and suspension and they always they come out with this mark, my words, everybody. They'll come out with a video showing the, showing some engineers working on a computer and looking at data and they got all the cameras and stuff and you drive.

Jeff:

It's funny like that, bro, if I see one person on YouTube saying this is the best thing, bro, come on. I mean you either get it for free.

Jason:

I would be surprised, seriously. I would be surprised, seriously, I would be surprised because this game is geared yeah, the game is geared around consoles for you to yeah, that's true, I'll give them that play the game with the controller, and if that's all you have, then by all means play F1 race with your brong. But if you're building a sim and it's for F1, I would. I would think twice yeah, I think twice about that.

Erick:

Yeah, still build the sim I will say this um, they would do a lot better if they put the energy and effort into coming out with a realistic tire and suspension model and geared it toward people with wheels and pedals on PC. There are not a lot of console players playing.

Jason:

F1. You know what the problem is, eric. Oh, okay, it costs too much money for them to do that and it's deepening into their profit, because EA is a for-profit and we all know this.

Erick:

Yeah, I mean them. F1 licenses are not free.

Jason:

I wonder what the colors are going to be this year. Is it going to be blue and red? Is it going to be black and yellow? Is it what's the color scheme this year? You know, but yeah, enough of that, enough of the bashing. We got like what 15 minutes worth of straight bash, please. Anybody forward this to EA. If you know the CEO over there haven't watched this game podcast, please, and send them and tell them to send us an email and we will address this for you, for free, off the payroll.

Jason:

I'll tell you what you need to do, eric will tell you, jeff will tell you, any one of us will tell you. With that, it's that time, what time? It's that time, it's that time for track of the week. And we're back, baby, full speed. And today, where we at well, let me just put it this way I had a terrible race at Monza and I figured we gotta give it props. And that's what we're covering today. Man, we're gonna go over Autodromo di Monza, I think it's called Monza.

Jeff:

Hit us with it, buddy.

Jason:

Let's get right into it. Yes, sir, it's been a while since we've done one of these and I'm excited to bring it back.

Jeff:

This is pretty cool man. This one should have plenty of history.

Jason:

Yes, so that's the track as of, and we can, let me just put this in shot. There we go. Look at the many, many, many, many many changes that this thing went through. So we're going to go, we're just going to do a quick glance around and see this is a different layout, and just see how oh it hasn't really. It looks like a sock.

Jeff:

Oh, you took the words out of my mouth. It looks like a sock. Oh, you took the words out of my mouth.

Jason:

I'm just going to glance over real quick and then we'll go into the history and everything with it.

Erick:

Okay, so a couple of those are interesting.

Jason:

It's just a very. There's some variations here. To slow her down, you know how they do Dude that thing is that I'm going to butcher it.

Jeff:

You'll get into it before I say it. Which one? The Prima Ventre?

Jason:

Prima Variante. That's a death trap. You know what that means Death trap.

Jeff:

that's what it means, At least in Spanish it means cousin and variante means varied cousin.

Jason:

Yeah, yeah, it should be. I bet you it's the same. We'll see, we'll find out.

Jeff:

I'm not sure we got people that know that listen to us maybe, oh yeah.

Jason:

We'll find out, we'll find out, we'll find out, anyways. So let me leave the track up and we're going to stay in 1922, because there's a reason for that being that way. Wow, so Monza's history began shortly after the First World War. Here we go again, with war having the biggest impact on motorsport. That's crazy, isn't? It Makes sense, it says. When italian motor industry was undergoing its first great ascendancy, authorities began looking for land to create, uh, a circuit to test their cars and demonstrate the rest of the world their superiority through sporting success. Gallarte and La Cagnola, near Milan, were initially suggestions. So they were trying to figure out where to build it right. So they were looking at those two places, it was proposed. It says here I kind of lost myself, hold on. So Milan, yeah, they were initially suggesting. They got rejected. Some farsighted visionary proposed the Royal Park at Monza, at the Automobile Club. This too, it was called the SIAS, the Societa Incremento Autodromo Sport.

Jason:

Say that three times fast. Under the presidency of Silvio Crespi, agreements were made right. And then the engineer, piero Puricelli, who began to develop many of the pioneering Autostrada routes across Lombardy and was entrusted with heading up the design. And at the time, back then, we're looking at 16 million liar. It's crazy. Wow, at 16 million liar. It's crazy, wow, 16 million. Yeah, venenzo Lancia and Felice Nazaro duly turned the first side on February 26, 1922, which is the version that we're looking at here. That was the first time. That was the first time. Construction would only get underway for a matter of days before conservationists, if I read, that correctly.

Jason:

Yeah, here we go Back then alarmed at the number of trees due to be felled. Didn't this happen in another circuit?

Jeff:

Yeah, australia, and it forced it to a halt.

Jason:

Yeah, Similar story. They were fighting back and forth with negotiations with Rome by the authorities and eventually they got permission to do it and they modified the course using as many of the existing park roads and pathways possible, which means they cut the trees down, that's basically what happened?

Jeff:

we're gonna tell you some something, but we're just gonna do whatever we need to do.

Jason:

Okay, yeah, we waited a while and we're gonna. We'll talk about it, but we're doing it anyway. So yeah, anyways, 3,500 bro. 3,500 workmen were brought into complete construction, 300 wagons back then and 200 trucks and an even three mile temporary railway laid out among. So take out the trees, bro. 3,500 people just cutting down trees, dang, and in just 110 days the entire complex was completed.

Jason:

That's wild 110 days Moving. Yeah, they were trying to get that done. It was obviously important to them. The combined road and high-speed oval course, grandstands, service roads and the other facilities were all ready for the Grand Prix, and Solomano, giacone and Lampiano turned the first laps around the 6.21 mile circuit a few days ahead of an elaborate open ceremony which saw 200 cars driven by members of the Milan Automobile Club. So they celebrated.

Erick:

Wow.

Jason:

They celebrated.

Jeff:

Dude Milan said no, I wouldn't let them over to my track. If their home city said no, I'd be like no go find your own track.

Jason:

Yeah, man, go figure it out, go figure it out, that's it. So the early days were like the happiest times of the circus history Italy leading the world with both cars and its facilities. The sense of celebration was to be cruelly shattered just a few years later, during the 1928 Grand Prix. So let's move over. Oh, we're still in the same configuration. For reasons that never been entirely clear, the Talbot of Matsuramaterasi suddenly served to the left while overtaking another car on the grandstand, straight Plowing through the barriers and into the crowd. 28 spectators killed. Jeez, that's terrible. And we still don't know what. Actually. You know the full story to that. Wow, in the 20s, yeah, 30 people, almost 30 people died. That's crazy. So the changes were inevitable. Obviously, spectator safety was improved.

Jeff:

And by 1930 let's move over to 1930 same same I don't see much of all they put the little loop in over on the uh, the track, the pit area, maybe on the oval.

Jason:

Let's see what it says here. A new configuration was created with the installation of a link road which you're correct, jeff between the central straight of the road course and the eastern straight of the speed course, cutting out the north curve altogether, known as the Florio course Right.

Erick:

Oh, okay, they got that third one, that third configuration.

Jason:

This was using variety of formations in preference to the full course. But even then, tragedy was not far away. So a year later, some guy named Felipe Antancelin left the road at Lesmo Corners when the hell is Lesmo? This one right here. These are the corners. Road at Lesmo Corners when the hell is Lesmo? This one right here. These are the corners the Lesmo Corners Hold on.

Jeff:

I didn't realize it's got such a dark history. Yeah.

Jason:

Okay, sorry about that. Left the corners and guess what guys Into the crowd. Yep, oh God. Careering into another group of spectators. Three died, including the driver itself, and another 14 were injured.

Jeff:

Dang Terrible man.

Jason:

So then, after that, they're going to call this Black Sunday. And listen to this, guys. On 1930, 1933, on the south curve of the speed circuit, giuseppe Campari P3, you find that on the map. This is in Italian.

Erick:

I don't know it's a final corner, let's this is in Italy.

Jason:

I don't know it's. It's a final corner, let's just. Let's just call it that, ok. Alpha Romeo and Bocconi Borrachini my Maserati slid off an oil laid down the previous lap by a competitor. Both were killed instantly. Then, later the same day, count Stain's Law I can't say his last name overturned on the south curve and caught fire. The Polish driver died in an ensuing blaze. Those events led to the virtual abandonment of the combined and speed courses in the following years, further variations of Florian road course being preferred after one last Italian Grand Prix and the original course in early 1938. Man, so we jumped over here.

Erick:

Yeah.

Jason:

So then war happens, right, because we're in the midst of this stuff, it says. Under plans drawn by engineer Aldo Di Rionzo, the blacked oval course was demolished altogether and a new Grand Prix course was devised. This saw the installation of a new Vialone curve and an extended back straight which led into two sharp right this is in 1938 that this happened Two sharp right-handers and a complete lap head back to back, straight to finish. Changes were also made to the two Les Mo corners which are these guys over here, and bypassing the cool background that was installed at the behest of Pirelli. So let me just summarize this for you guys.

Jason:

A bunch of facilities got upgraded the new grandstand, they upgraded the seating to 2,000 people. But then the war happened and new improvements were never tried. In anger, I guess, all racing activities seized at. Monza Buildings were used for various purposes during the war, including safe storage of public automobile registry archives and even as pens for the animals removed from the Milan Zoo. So they used it as an escape or like a storage, or like a shelter, I guess, for animals yeah, that's probably the best word.

Jason:

Yeah so in April 1945, let me see if, here's, the course changed significantly.

Jeff:

Yo, they like their speed, huh.

Jason:

Yeah, it kept it simple. The Grandstand Strait was host of a parade allied armored vehicle which broke up the track surface. A little later, large areas were used for storage of military vehicles and war surplus, mainly in the southern part of the circuit. Besides the track, the pits, buildings, buildings and stands also suffered, and by war ends little remained that was usable. So he got jacked up. So at the beginning of 1948 that's why it looks like this. Uh, again, the milan club completed a restoration on it. Oh, oh.

Jeff:

Milan decided to help out this time.

Jason:

Yeah, the circus was re-dyed in a very short time frame. In less than two months the facilities were restored and the improvements of 1938 could finally be used as they were used originally. So let's move over to 1955. We're going to get through this, guys. So it's a big history with this track.

Jason:

By 1955, ambitions had grown further and plans were put into place to recreate the high-speed bank circuit. This roughly followed the course of 1922 original, save for the south curve which was set closer to the pit straight. The new high-speed loop was built on reinforced concrete pillars rather than earth banks and cut through the Vedano course, necessitating a new final parabolic curve, just like 1922. New final parabolic curve, just like 1922. So the full 6.21 mile course circuit was used in the Italian Grand Prix in 1955 and 1956 through the 60s up to 61. So move over here. We're here in this generation. The high speed track, in addition to numerous records attempted by cars and motorcycles, was used in 1957 and 58. The Monza 500 races open to Indianapolis cars with two world trophy offered by size, excuse me as prized by the Monza city administration. So let's look at 1959. So the size group I mentioned earlier introduce a new short course for the popular junior single uh seat categories called Pista Junior, so I don't know why it's not on here, but it's probably this right here.

Jeff:

Quick little oval.

Jason:

Yeah, right right here, over here, pista junior. Uh, tragedy once again. In 1961, rampri for the last time on the full course, during the second lap, the ferrari of wolfgang von trips and lotus of jim clark tangled in the braking area of parabolicica, which is right here, sending the German's car into the air and rolling across the spectator zone. Bond trips, 10 spectators dead, jeez again. Yeah, a disaster, largely, dude, don't? I mean it would be crazy for you to go and watch this race.

Erick:

The body count on this thing is crazy.

Jason:

Yeah, we're over 50 bodies right now, just on spectators. The disaster largely spelled the end for the full circuit with this bank course. Grand Prix races thereafter used Only ran the road course, although it was used for Monza. 1,000 kilometers, whatever Prototype and Grand Touring from 1965 to 1969. Okay, Starting in 66, there were two permanent chicanes at the entrance to the bank curve and the courses were 100 meters long. Where is that chicane over?

Erick:

here, uh, somewhere find it, there's a couple on there yeah, yeah.

Jason:

So they made changes and in in 1970, they made another change um to the configuration. They made the sports car switch to the road course, basically what they were racing on. So in 72, let's jump over to 72, and they added chicanes here.

Jeff:

Yeah, we're starting to get to be what it looks like today.

Jason:

Yeah, yeah, so I'm going to summarize because it's a lot of history, guys. But eventually they made these chicane was introduced in the grandstand slightly clumsy, slow speed flick, just before the entrance of the junior circuit. The track also increased by length by 109 yards. And in 73, there was another black Sunday, during the first lap of the 250cc GP, a collision at Curva Grande, which is this one right here, which is a fast corner, very fast. There was another collision between the deaths of both Jarno Cernan and Renzo Pasolini, so after that they canceled the race. But more tragedy arrived 40 days later in a junior race with three gentlemen riders fell and were fatally injured at the same point. Then in 1981, we're skipping to 81, the 80s here which the track kept changing to try to make it safe.

Jeff:

Just trying to slow them down.

Jason:

Just trying to slow them down. That's like the common thing, right? Why chicanes were placed.

Jeff:

Except the Australia track. They took all that stuff out to make it go faster.

Jason:

This one was a motorcycle accident and was transferred elsewhere. Uh, that happened in the juniors. Uh, no one died, thankfully. So well, I'm gonna skip over to 94. The 1994 season forced further changes on many circuits in the wake of the death of Ayrton Senna Monza was no different.

Jason:

The second Lesmo curve was tightened, reducing speed considerably, while the following year further changes were made to increase safety at key spots. Cuba Grande was realigned with its new radius some 12 meters further to the inside that previously, greatly enlarging the runoff area. De La Roja's chicane was also brought further forward in the lap by 50 meters, while the two curves, the Lesmo curves, which are these guys, meters, while the two curves, the Lesmo curves, which are these guys, were realigned some 15 meters further inside the circuit perimeter. Sadly, these changes also involved the demolition of Lesmo grandstands, removing a fantastic viewing spot once and for all. But so many people died here man All right.

Jason:

Yeah. So to recap here the final changes involved in rebuilding the first chicane in the summer of 2000, the new almost triangular hairpin combination providing a new overtaking point but doing little to alleviate the traditional first lap carnage, which is still like that.

Jason:

It's still a carnage at this track To this day. Yeah, if anything, the tighter, slower combination of curves might actually have made it worse. So, following a disastrous 2009 World Superbike event where riders were toppled like dominoes and shallower slip roads was built for bike racing, which eased the problem somewhat, which that's what kind of? Actually, this is the same layout.

Erick:

Yeah.

Jason:

So this is what we're looking at today. It kind of got shortened. It used to be 6.1, and it got shortened to 5.7. Yeah, on all three versions. But yeah, that's Monza. The first video game to feature Monza was a game called Endurance. Monza was a game called Endurance. It doesn't say what console it was, but it's something called the CPC and a spec. If you know what those consoles are, probably some PC stuff. But yeah, that's what I have on Monza. We can look at the map here on an aerial shot, if it lets me do it. But this is the track here and its surroundings. It's not the best looking thing, but you know the drill. That's track of the week. Yes, sir, let's get back to the chicane podcast and wrap up here. Oh yeah, so what do? Back to the chicane podcast and wrap up here? Oh yeah. So what do you guys think of Monza? Like, what's the first thing you think when you get on this track?

Erick:

Ferrari, please, please, let me survive this first chicane.

Jason:

The first chicane. The first chicane.

Erick:

Just let me get past the first chicane.

Jason:

The breaking point is a lot sooner, especially with the amount of draft that you get when you're racing. It's the worst you have to.

Erick:

It's the worst combination. You got cold tires with a whole lot of draft. Right, and I mean, that's a cane, it's not slight, no, it's a cool, hard, almost greater than 90-degree turn.

Jeff:

Yeah, man Dude, here's the put-it perspective. When F1 has their start, there's about a third of the field that goes through that chicane, and those are the best in the world. What do you think us idiots at iRacing are going to do? We ain't got a chance.

Jason:

Yeah, man, that was. If you watch my stream today, you will know what happened on the first corner, which was it wasn't that bad, but I came to a complete halt, meaning I had to stop in front of the car, like behind the car in front of me. It was just crazy to get out the way. But, yeah, a lot of people went off track to avoid the carnage, which is the smartest thing, honestly. Yeah, deal with the penalty later, but we don't want to wreck nobody on the first lap On endurance race too, is what we did today.

Jason:

Hey guys, track of the week. That's it for this week on track of the week. Sorry, that was a little lengthy, but I had to give it the respect that it earned. Uh, a lot of people, a lot of people passed away there and hopefully that that all the changes that they made throughout the course of almost an entire century uh, hopefully we fixed the problem or we made it somewhat safe. Uh, but it's time for round table. Anything we forgot and I will put this out right now Yuki Tsunoda is replacing Liam Lawson. Just after two races, he gone. Yeah, I want to listen, I want to hear Jeff.

Erick:

I want to hear him. All right, let's hear it.

Jeff:

I'm going to say I got a hot take here. I know we've been going for a minute, but I got something to say here. Yuki Tsunoda is an average F1 driver. Hmm, I took some. I did some studying. What's Yuki Tsunoda's average? Finish Right. In a lesser car, sure I Right In a lesser car, sure I'd still say that Yuki Tsunoda's average finish is 13.8. 14th position is Yuki Tsunoda's average finish. That means there's only six people behind him. Well, I'll tell you what, and average is four people ahead of him.

Jason:

Yuki Tsunoda is going to his hometown track in Suzuka, japan, which happens to be he's going to be a freaking legend which, in a Red Bull, right In a team, in a high performance Honda powered let's get it right you can call it whatever you want. You can call it the Red Bull engine, you can call it the Netherlands engine. It has a Japanese engine behind under the hood. You just can can call it the netherlands engine. It has a japanese engine behind under the hood.

Jason:

Yeah, you just got a big h on it it's got a big old h on it, uh, so I don't know, maybe that'll help inspire him. Like yo, I'm on my home track, I'm in the baddest, one of the baddest cars on the, on the, you know yo, here's a.

Jeff:

Here's a hot take for Yuki. If he doesn't get in the points, he could be done F1 for his career at the end of the season.

Jason:

I don't think so.

Jeff:

He's not going back to the JV team.

Jason:

No, because they'll just get rid of Lawson and put Yuki in there because Yuki's performing. He qualified fifth place.

Jason:

He was two tenths under max per step in in a lesser car, let that sink in and they did some poor uh uh strategy that really hurt the red bulls or the cash app, his result can be a result of the team failing him too we gotta it was yeah there's so many things with this, and the cool thing is that we're actually on time, because the race doesn't happen until april by the time you watch this, it'll still be relevant, so I had to take the opportunity to put that and I gotta give my man, kimmy antonelli, some props here.

Jeff:

What are dry?

Jason:

two drives for the rookie and we'll say 18 year old uh, he, he is, he's a baby, he's not even old enough to drink yet, but he's driving a freaking he's driving a billion dollar car out of that I don't know so all right. So, uh, okay, we kind of went over predictions, right, jeff eric, anything else?

Erick:

um, just wanted to put out that GT7 had an update. They released some cars, three cars. Only one of them is remotely interesting the Aston Martin Vantage 2018. It's nice.

Jeff:

Not a sports car, but a sweet looking car.

Erick:

Yeah, nice road car. If GT7 has some open world, something that'd be awesome.

Jeff:

But yeah, yeah, yeah, aside of that, nothing else really major all right no, oh yeah, no f1 this week, like you said, and uh, to everybody get jumping in this week, drive fast and break late I had to give it to you, man, I need you to, I'm getting back on it. I'm getting back on it. I won't be prompting anymore. Yeah, man.

Jason:

So it's always great to be here, guys. Sorry about the lengthy Monza. I know I went a little extra, but again I had to give it the honors. It's great to be here. We are reaching our 50th episode here, which is a massive milestone for a podcast. It is one of the biggest milestones for us, so thank you so much for your support up until this day. That includes Jeff, Eric and everybody watching and listening. Please have a great start of your week, Thank you.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Jason Rivera

Host
Head Shot

Erick Kelly

Co-host
Head Shot

Jeff Smart

Co-host