iRacing delta challenge #8/20: Daytona 2008 Short

There are a bunch of free tracks I’ve never driven in iRacing. Every few days I’m going to drive one with zero preparation and then post the fastest lap time here. That’s the delta time. Your mission, should you accept it, is to beat it (and then call me names in the comment section).

Here are the rules.

1. Global Mazda MX-5 Cup, baseline setup
2. Default Weather (78F, 2 MPH N, 55%, afternoon)
3. 30 minutes or 20 laps, whichever comes first

[Legacy] Daytona International Speedway – 2008 Short

I’ve been to Daytona once to watch an AHMRA (vintage motorcycle) race. I was sitting in the infield and I can still recall the sounds of the 500cc singles blasting and the 250cc 2-strokes zinging around the track. I have no love for oval racing, and the few times I’ve driven Daytona in simulation I’ve been bored.  So I fully expected to hate the infield course because, well, it’s Daytona.

Delta = 46.709

OK, so I was totally wrong. The Daytona infield is actually pretty good. It’s very similar to TMS Short B. Both are really great for training. Daytona is a good deal longer than TMS, but every 20-something seconds you’re doing a double downshift into a 180 degree corner. For training purposes, the shorter length of TMS means you get more corners in per minute, but the two corners at Daytona are more different from each other. The first one is really tight, and emphasizes technique. The second one is extended and emphasizes discipline. Between those 180s are some kinks, the second of which caught me off guards on my second lap.

Track Rank

In this section I’m ranking the tracks in the order of my preference. I tend to like technical tracks with some elevation, short straights, and corners that are blind, off camber, decreasing radius, and connected.