NARS 2024
Virtual F3 World Championship
2024 will close out in the same fine fashion we wrapped up 2023 – with an open wheel series but this time, trying out our skills on tracks from around the world! With a mix of tracks familiar and not so much, there will be challenges a-plenty.
The series will be using the S397 F.3 T318 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1782908881 , equipped with the Alfa Romeo blown 1.7 Engine producing 280 bhp. This car comes with big wings and big tyres and a very similar aeromap to its equivalent in the FIA F3.
The NARS championship nights will be a mix of 3 formats: qualifying/short race/feature, qualifying/3 short races and the traditional qualifying/long race.
Non-Steam Workshop tracks will be available through the NARS Workshop item (you need to be subscribed!) while the Steam content necessary for the series will be listed on the NARS item as well.
Calendar:
October
24 Autopolis 60 min
31 Brno 1×15 min/1×45 min
November
07 Kazan Ring 3×20 min
14 Buriram 1×15 min/1×45 min
21 Barber Motorsports Park 3×20 min
28 Kyalami 1×60
December
05 Sao Paolo Indy “Streets” 3×20 min
12 The Bend 1×60 min
19 Trembling Mountain International 1×15 min/1×45 min
Event Schedule
7pm/1900 Eastern – Server Reboot / Practice
9:00pm/2100 Eastern – Driver Brief/Announcements
9:10pm/2110 Eastern – Qualification (10 minutes)
9:20 pm/2120 Eastern – Warm-up (5 minutes)
9:25 pm/2120 Eastern – Race 1
As soon as possible – Race 2 and Race 3
Start
Formation lap, rolling start, double file.
Tires and Fuel
With minimal crew in real life, pitstops are not possible. So, no pitstops are permitted for this series; cars will need to start with enough fuel to finish the race. Slick and wet tires are available and may be changed in a pitstop.
Gridding
Race 1 will grid using the qualifying session results. Race 2 will grid use the reversed results of qualifying while Race 3 will use the reversed finishing order of Race 2.
Orange Zone (OZ)
There will be an OZ designated for each race in the driver notes that will be posted to the NARS #f3-info channel and noted again in the pre-race brief. There will be an automatic review of the OZ post-race.
Registration
There is no pre-registration for the championship or races and drivers are free to join the series at any point.
Regardless of driver class, each driver showing up on race night are expected to have completed all their preparations, including reading the series and race instuctions, d/l and installation of the required mods, confirmation that their system and connection are working properly plus have completed enough single player and online practice on the CMS server to race competently and safely.
Driver Classes
To minimize frustration and encourage drivers to participate for the full series, there are separate groups of drivers based on performance. Drivers will race in their CMS rF2 stratification category. Drivers who have yet to be stratified are to contact the race admin.
Championships
There will be three individual driver championships, PRO, PRO AM and AM.
Points will be awarded each race for championship standings for each driver over the course of the series. There are NO drop nights
In addition to the individual driver championships, there will also be a team championship, with teams composed of one driver each PRO, PRO AM and AM. Teams must register on the #f3-teams channel and will count points as a team from that point forward. Team points will be awarded using the overall race standings points for the top two drivers in a team.
There are also two additional driver trophies – one “Hard Charger” per class to recognise drivers who make the biggest gains from their starting positions and the “In the Groove” to recognise the driver who drives the most consistently during their races, regardless of class. These trophies will be awarded at the end of the season. No ‘drop’ rounds for these trophies – drivers will always be able to compete for points in these trophies in each race competed.
Points
Driver Championship: Drivers will score points in their class according to their overall race finishing position as follows:
15 min Race: 12-10-8-6-4-2
20 min Race: 16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2
45 min Race: 36-34-32-30-28-26-24-22-20-20-etc
60 min Race: 48-44-40-36-34-32-30-28-26-24-etc
Hard Charger Trophy: 4 points per class to be shared between the drivers in each class gaining the most grid-to-finish positions in the race. 2 points per driver in class if tied, 1 point per driver if three or more drivers gain an equal number of positions. Only the first race of each event night will be counted in this trophy as the second and third races are reverse grid.
In the Groove Trophy: Points are gained by drivers driving the most consistently in the race compared to their own fastest race lap as follows: 5-4-3-2-1.
Details on how to follow championship results are provided at #links-nars.
Custom Liveries and Numbers
Drivers may select from the liveries of either series (Asia or WSK) however they are also encouraged to paint their own custom liveries that will be run as ‘loose’ liveries. Templates are at the top of the #f3-info channel; the location and style of number can be as the driver feels appropriate for the livery. Check #f3-info for further instructions. Please log onto the server a couple of days before to mitigate server load from skin transfers on race day. The admin reserves the right to refuse liveries that they deem inappropriate.
The use of the NARS numbering system is required for custom liveries and drivers not yet holding a NARS racing number may choose from those available. Simply follow the directions contained in the #nar-links channel in the CMS Discord.
Settings
We will use the latest stable build of rFactor 2.
The damage setting is 75%.
Crash Recovery is off. Drive carefully!
Driving View is open.
Auto Clutch, Blip, Lift and Brakes/Clutch are the only rF2 global aids available.
1x fuel and tires.
Weather will always be live weather conditions.
The server name will be “CMS NARS F3 [track name]”.
The server race password will be provided when the server is rebooted on race day.
General
Hot laps and race results with full championship results will displayed in the rF2la app – available through #nars-links
The race will be live-streamed on YouTube at our channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Kdp07PvIeW47f0_sM0emw
We will use the CMS Discord NARS voice channel for race communications. CMS Discord is available at https://discord.com/invite/4ckmjPX.
The voice channel is required to monitor race control during the event and if you are not present on the correct channel, you will be booted from the server before qualifying. You will not be allowed to race until you have joined the NARS voicechat
You do not need a microphone if you do not want to speak. If you have a microphone, please set it to “push to talk”. If that just doesn’t work for you, PLEASE set the voice-activated audio level up considerably so your coughing, wheezing or sim controls grinding isn’t “shared” with everyone else. Don’t be “that guy/girl”.
Chatter during free practice is permitted and encouraged! For qualification and races, please be brief in your communication on Discord and talk only if absolutely necessary. One sentence then quiet is requested. No text chat AT ALL during qualification or race.
Abusive and/or profane in-game chat, Discord, or forum post language may lead to that driver receiving a sanction up to and including a ban from CMS.
Competition Rules and Stewarding
This series will conform to the CMS General Competition Rules that may be found on the CMS Discord Server. All drivers are expected to know the GCR and shall be required to abide by them.
Pit Entry/Exit Lines: On circuits that a white line is drawn at the pit road entry or/and exit, crossing this white line to enter or exit the pit is prohibited unless specifically permitted in a pre-race brief. Otherwise, it is permissible for tires to step on the white line, but crossing the line with one tire completely will result in a post-race Incident Review Request and penalty.
There are no live stewards. A post-race Incident Review Request may be submitted for adjudication with any resultant penalties to be served in the next race competed by the driver(s) at fault. The IRR form may be found at https://cmsracing.com/incident-report/. Penalties from the last race, or not served by the end of the series will be converted into time penalties in the final race.
rFactor 2 system assigned penalties during races must be served. The Race Director will only have the capability to clear penalties and driver DQ during practice on the race server and then AFTER qualification but before the race.
Connection Notes
Drivers are strongly advised to reboot their computer just before joining the server on race night.
Don’t use a WiFi connection. Only Ethernet cable connections are permitted for NARS events.