Virtual World Sportscar Historic Championship – 1981

Historic sportscar endurance racing returns for another year-long series.  Using the Storm Gang Simulation (SGS) rFactor 2 World Sportscar Championship 1981 sports car mod.  The series will feature Group 5 Special Production cars from the era, competing in multi-class racing across the historic WSC calendar from 1981.

SGS‘s “Smart Balance of Performance™” ensures competitive racing while preserving individual car characteristics, affording drivers plenty of options while choosing a car that fits their driving style. Developed with broad support from the racing community and highly technical details from the real cars, this mod provides an unparalleled opportunity for close, competitive and fun historic racing.

VWSC will run a 15 race calendar across a variety of WSC circuits in their historic formats (where available).  Sister Chapter, MNRL, will run the IMSA calendar on Tuesday nights (US ET) from the same year.  All races will be broadcasted on the Champion Motorsports YouTube.

HISTORY

It’s the beginning of the decade but the end of an era. Group 5 sportscars began in the late 60’s and were some of the most profound prototypes to grace tracks across the world. What started with short-run homologation specials like the 908, 917 and 512 eventually transformed into specialized race cars based on production models.

The 4th generation of Group 5 ran from 1976-1982 and were the “Special Production” variations of the cars featured in Groups 1-4. It showcased the iconic boxy body kits that would inspire tuning culture for decades. With only a 3-page ruleset, the cars were incredibly powerful and only required the bonnet, roof, doors and rail panels to remain unmodified. This led to Porsche exploiting the “headlight loophole” with their successful “flat nose” 935.

Group 5 specs were used internationally, even in DRM (DTM predecessor). A huge host of manufacturers produced cars for the category, leading to one of the largest and most diverse fields in racing. After 1982, Group 5 dissolved and was directly replaced with Group B which would go on to become the infamous era of rally while Group C took the reins to become the golden age of sportscar prototype racing.

In cooperation with the Grand Touring Group, who created the original mod for AMS and rFactor, Storm Gang Simulation has recreated the 1981 car set to celebrate the height of the group regulations on its 45th anniversary.

THE CARS

VWSC will use the Storm Gang Simulation car mod WSC 1981.  This pack includes 7 Group 5 SP cars.  All cars feature unique layouts and characteristics with each one developed and released for free by SGS.  They are split into two “divisions” based on engine displacement and feature a variety of unique layouts.  Cars available on the CMS discord server.

2L Special Production Group 5

The top tier category in Group 5, running the larger (>2L) engines that typically exceeded 600 HP and threw caution to the wind in favor of absolute performance.

• BMW M1 Sauber
• Ferrari 512BB LM
• Ford Zakspeed Mustang Turbo
• Porsche 935 K3

U2L Special Production Group 5

The slower category showcased production models limited to 2 liters or less. While not quite as fast as the 2L+ cars, there often was little difference between the two divisions other than the power plants, taking full advantage of the very limited rule set.

• BMW 320
• Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo
• Lotus Esprit S1

Paintable body templates are provided in the CMS Discord server

CALENDAR:

Google Calendar

VWSC Saturdays

MNRL Tuesdays

CHAMPIONSHIPS

The rf2la app (password: cmsrocks) will record all sessions and standings

There will be 8 championships available for VWSC 1981 (only Driver Class championships for MNRL):

Team’s Championship 2L Pro

Team’s Championship 2L Am

Team’s Championship U2L Pro

Team’s Championship U2L Am

—————————————–

Driver’s Championship 2L Pro

Driver’s Championship 2L Am

Driver’s Championship U2L Pro

Driver’s Championship U2L Am

Points

20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0.5 point for each car finishing (per class)

Additional requirements for points:

  • Drivers must complete 50% race distance and take the checkered flag under own power
  • Drivers must not DNF (VWSC)

Driver Classes

  • Class placement will be based on CMS Elo stratification which is hosted and maintained in the CMS Discord.  Class splits will be determined upon field distribution at start of season and admin review.
  • Drivers may request to race in a higher driver class but must commit to that class for the entire season.
  • New and Unrated drivers (Black designation) (<5 races in VWSC) are required to perform 1 full fuel stint on CMS servers and join as Pro class driver.
  • Admins retain the right to reassign a driver up or down a car category if they are not correctly placed.
  • Drivers may change their vehicle as many times as they wish during the season.  However, that driver will lose a % of points based on season completion.  E.g., if a driver changes after 50% of season completion, they will lose 50% of their points as of the change during an official point scoring event.
  • There will be 2 ‘drop’ race for each driver over the course of the year.

Teams (Not Applicable for MNRL)

  • Teams must register in the Discord server via the sign up sheet and be approved by the series admin before scoring points as a team.
  • Teams will be formed by 2-3 drivers. No substitute drivers will be allowed, however a driver may be replaced if they are unable to complete remaining races in the season. Only the top 2 points scoring drivers will be counted towards the team total after each event.
  • Team drivers must be of the same driver class (not necessarily driver rank). If a driver is reclassified at any point during the season, the team may assign a new, class-appropriate driver to the team prior to the next race or arrange to have other team drivers move up in class so as not to split up the team (driver classes can not move down unless admin approved). Previously scored team points by any exiting driver will be retained.
  • Teams must use the same make/model car among its drivers. If a team changes vehicles, all drivers must change to the new vehicle.

CUSTOM LIVERIES AND NUMBERS

The following applies to VWSC entries only.  MNRL will utilize loose skins without required adherence to the VWSC Number list or livery requirements (except in the case of meeting general CMS Standards – e.g. do not feature harmful language or acts).

  • Drivers must have completed 3 races from either last year’s VWSC championship to be eligible for livery submission to the mod. All other drivers will have to apply a loose skin (alt livery) to a default car appropriate to their class (for proper scoring).
  • Only 2 livery submissions may be made over the season.
  • Drivers and teams are encouraged to share screenshots of their liveries in the CMS Discord. Drivers using unapproved skins may be asked to change it, run a default or possibly exit the event.
  • The use of the VWSC numbering system is required for custom liveries and drivers not yet holding a VWSC racing number may choose from those available, as listed in the Discord. Instructions on how to choose either a permanent or series-specific number are provided on the individual pages.
  • When submitting, please utilize the following file naming convention: ###AAABBBCCC (e.g. 13RMSESPPRO_region.dds)
  • ### number (1, 43, 499)
  • AAA Driver initials (First Middle Last if possible)
  • BBB Car model (320, 935, MUS, M1, etc)
  • CCC Class (PRO, AM)

Other Livery Requirements (VWSC and MNRL)

  • Templates are provided in the CMS Discord server
  • CMS window banners are required, please do not remove or change these.
  • Car numbers can be displayed however drivers wish but must 1) be visible and legible on the front/left/right sides of the car and 2) comply with the class color (Black #/White background=Pro, White #/Black background=Am).  Liveries not containing required elements or containing inappropriate materials will be rejected

RACE REGISTRATION

Attendance Sheet (VWSC only)

  • The Attendance Sheet is for initial season sign-up.
  • If signed-up entries haven’t fulfilled their minimum required driving practice time, etc. will be denied race entry.
  • Drivers that sign-up, but don’t show will be dropped from Seniority status (contact the race admin if you will not be participating).
  • Drivers will be registered with the following priority:
  1. Race Registered Team Drivers, by seniority
  2. Race Registered Single Drivers, by seniority
  3. 1985/2025 Teams Drivers, by seniority
  4. 1985/2025 Single Drivers, by seniority
  5. Teams Drivers, by seniority
  6. Single Drivers, by seniority
  • If there are more drivers than server slots, additional signups will be placed on reserve and allotted slots as they become available per the priority list.
  • Drivers not on the Attendance Sheet may be allowed to participate if there are available slots and will be prioritized based on the priority list.
  • Admins may adjust the cap and registrations as necessary to ensure the race event can continue as planned.

RACE EVENTS

VWSC Event Schedule (note UTC times may be 1 hour earlier during Daylight Saving Time – See the Discord for details)

11:30AM US ET|16:30 UTC – Server Reboot/Practice (2 hours)

01:30PM US ET|18:30 UTC – Qualifying (20 mins: 10 mins Slower Division|10 mins Faster Division)

01:50PM US ET|18:50 UTC – Drivers’ briefing/Warmup (10 mins)

02:00PM US ET|19:00 UTC – Race

MNRL Event Schedule (note UTC times may be 1 hour earlier during Daylight Saving Time – See the Discord for details)

7:30PM US ET Tue|00:30 UTC Wed – Server Reboot/Practice (2 hours)

8:55PM US ET Tue|01:55 UTC Wed – Drivers’ briefing (5 mins)

9:00PM US ET Tue|02:00 UTC Wed – Qualifying/Warmup (20 mins Q)

9:30PM US ET Tue|02:30 UTC Wed – Race

NOTE: The grid is LOCKED at 10 minutes to Qualifying.  Contact the Race Director/Admins with any questions/issues/concerns.

Server Settings

THERE IS ONLY ONE EVENT SERVER AND NO SERVER RESTARTS outside of critical server technical issues!

Server name: “CMS VWSC [track name]” – Password will be added and provided on race day in the CMS Discord
Build: Latest stable build of rFactor 2
Damage: 75% VWSC / 50% MNRL
Mechanical Failures: Normal
Crash Recovery: OFF
Driving View: Open
Aids: Auto Clutch, Blip, Lift are the only rF2 global aids available (onboard aids/controls available per vehicle, eg TC and ABS)
Fuel: 2x
Tires: 1x VWSC / 1x MNRL
Weather: Live
Race Start: Manual roll-off from grid into double-file formation lap.  Drivers must maintain safe and reasonable speeds and clearances before crossing the S/F line and beginning their race!  MNRL – Pole Sitter will call green flag for the field when within 10 car lengths of the S/F line.
Orange Zone (OZ):  There will be an OZ designated for each race in the driver notes that will be posted to the race brief and noted again in the pre-race verbal driver’s brief.

Race Communications

  • We will use the CMS Discord VWSC voice channel for race communications.  Drivers will receive 3 notifications before being removed by race control during events.  Drivers may return to the server once they have joined voice.
  • The voice channel is only required to monitor race control during the event. You do not need a microphone if you do not want to speak.
  • If you have a microphone, please use “push to talk” or set voice activation properly to avoid disruptive background noises. Don’t be “that driver”.
  • Conversation during practice and warm up is encouraged.  For qualification and race, ONLY brief communication for session-critical information (eg “car stopped in turn 1”).  One sentence then quiet is requested. NO TEXT CHAT ALLOWED during qualification & race.  This is reserved for ADMIN USE ONLY.

Abusive and/or profane language in any form or channel may lead to that driver receiving a sanction up to and including a ban from CMS.

Connection Notes

  • Drivers are strongly advised to reboot their computer just before joining the server on race day.
  • Drivers must also maintain a reasonable connection and appropriate ping rate which does not impact race conditions or else they may be asked to leave the server.

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.
  • Additional event-specific instructions will be provided via a drivers race brief posted in the CMS Discord and reviewed verbally by the director prior to the race session.
  • Pit road entry and/or exit white lines may not be crossed while occupied by a pitting vehicle 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 via the RRC Discord for adjudication with any resultant penalties to be retroactively applied to the race in which they occurred.  If a driver DNF’s, the penalty must be served at the next round.
  • rFactor 2 system-assigned penalties during qualification and race sessions must be served. The Race Director will only clear penalties/DQ during practice/warm-up.

CONTACTS

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of the series admins in the CMS Discord:

  • George Angelidis
  • Karl
  • Matthew Overton

Good luck and see you on track!