The aim of this challenge
The Balkan GT Challenge, organized in the Assetto Corsa Competizione, aims to become the next step in the region for the best sim racers in the national leagues of these countries. Season 0 is a full scale test, with the 3 organizing nations populating the grid before extending the invitation to the most remarkable sim racers in 12 countries from the Balkan region.
It is an opportunity to do a reality check regarding the level in each league, a good opportunity to meet new people and a good opportunity to push the competition even higher.
COMPETITION FORMAT
Date
Test race: Barcelona January, 7
Round 1: Silverstone January, 14
Round 2: Suzuka March, 11
Round 3: Kyalami April, 8
Round 4: Nurburgring May, 6
Format
Weather parameters will be announced before each race.
Rd. 1 - Silverstone - Ambient temp: 20, rain 0, random 2, cloud 0.2. Timings: Q 13 R 14-17, dry
Rd. 2 - Suzuka - Ambient temp: 20, rain 0, random 2, cloud 0.3. Timings: Q 16 R 17-20, dry
Rd. 3 - Kyalami - Ambient temp: 17 , rain 0.3, random 1, cloud 0.3. Timings: Q 13 R 14 , wet
Rd. 4 - Nurburgring - Ambient temp: 20, rain 0.35, random 5, cloud 0.1. Timings: Q 17 R 18 , realistic
Cars
There will be no custom BoP in Season 0. All GT3 cars in ACC can be chosen.
Setup
The car setup will be fully open, and each driver will be able to change any car setting. No restrictions of any kind are imposed in this regard.
Stream(s) Live stream, with English commentary on F1aXionTV Youtube channel: BALKAN GT CHALLENGE 2023 TRAILER
Skins
There are no reserved areas and no mandatory sponsors.png templates in Season 0 on the skins.
We encourage you to create custom skins following a few basic rules:
Display only logos for which you have an agreement in place to use them (sponsorship contracts). It’s not allowed to display branding ~just because you support Red Bull”, with the exception of ACC in-game skins that can be used as-is.
We recommend erasing the SRO partners from your custom skins (the Pirelli, Total etc. brading).
It is forbidden to promote tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs, political content and betting.
Skins should be uploaded on F1A Discord (channel: #bgtc-skins). Deadline for submission is 48h ahead of the race.
Race evening
Each round will be represented by an endurance race with a mandatory change of drivers with a duration of 180 minutes with the grid defined by a single preliminary qualifying session.
Access to the server on race night will be based on password and entry_list. The entry_list will be built based on the 30 teams defined on the Simgrid platform 48h ahead of the race.
Briefing
At 19:00, in the evening of each round, the drivers attending the race are obliged to take part at the briefing, where the most important rules specific to the race will be presented and the password to connect to the server will be communicated.
Ignorance of the regulations or the clarifications made at the briefing will not absolve from responsibility any competitor who does not respect the rules established by the organizers, both in technical and sporting matters.
Briefing will take place on F1A Discord (channel:#bgtc-drivers-briefing): https://discord.gg/NG6FcvnvjS
Free practice
Drivers will be able to connect to the server using the password communicated at the briefing, respecting the connection order established by each team on the Simgrid platform to avoid connection problems. The server will run a free practice session where drivers can make their final adjustments and warm up for the race session.
Qualifying
The session lasts for 10 minutes. The expiration of the time will allow the drivers to finish any fast lap already started.
The drivers of a crew must alternate in the qualifying sessions: Driver #1 will qualify the car in the odd-numbered rounds (1, 3) and his teammate will compete in the qualifying session in the even-numbered rounds (2, 4). Failure to comply with this alternation leads to exclusion from the qualifying session (starting from the last position on the grid) or the application of a 60-second post-race penalty. There is no requirement that the driver who qualifies the car has to start the race.
During the qualifying session it is forbidden to use Return to Garage when the car is outside the pit lane (anywhere on the circuit). The exception is the situation of significant damage, in which case RTG can be used to clear the track as quickly as possible, but it is subsequently forbidden for that crew to re-enter the circuit for the rest of the session.
The related penalty is disqualification from the qualifying session or 60 seconds added post-race.
Race Start
The rolling start is customary, following a full formation lap. It is the drivers responsibility to load the race setup and press the grid placement button in a timely manner (before the timer expires). Whoever does not respect this will be forced to start from the pit lane, with a delay compared to the rest of the cars.
At the start, the positions of the first 2 cars on the grid will be monitored; P2 is not allowed to be in front of the leading car at the start (green lights), otherwise the P2 car will be penalized with a drive-through; the rest of the drivers, starting from the second line, must follow the car in front of them without leaving too much space and without touching other cars.
Any penalties issued by the software shall not be deleted by the live stewarding office.
Pit stops
The emphasis in this championship is on strategic flexibility: there is no imposed pit window or number of stops, only a maximum time of 100 minutes that each of the drivers can spend at the controls of the car during the race.
Cuts
Each race session will allow you to accumulate 3 warnings for cuts, as they are given by the simulator. At the 4th warning, the driver will be forced to a drive through. The penalty is repeated for every 4th additional warning.
Scoring
Each race will award points for:
• Crews (driver pairings);
• Manufacturers (top 3 classified cars from each model, the only classification where crews from various countries collaborate);
• Countries (adding best 8 of 10 results from each country)
The points table rewards the Top 20 finishing positions.
In order to be classified, a car needs to complete at least 60% of the winner’s total of laps.
