Season 15 IFCA Relay Challenge is back!

by **IFCA GTDon** Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:41 am

Welcome race fans and competitors! We bring you the IFCA Relay Challenge this season!

It's been over a year since we last did a 2-man relay race so it's a good time to refresh everyone's memory on how this goes. This is a unique, exclusive, and fun IFCA format that simulates the exchange of drivers like in an endurance race. Since Forza has no option or feature that allows you to share driving a car during a race, we do it by sharing an equal number of stints and pit stops with 2 drivers.

There are no sign-ups to get in. Everyone must run a practice qualifying lap to get in and be on one of the 12 teams. There is no cut line but space is limited to the top 24 drivers/12 teams. You can use any legal car each attempt at Lime Rock, AND you do not have to use that car for the season. Whatever car you do start the season with will be the car you and your teammate must use for the whole season.

Here's how it works: You and your teammate take turns (stints) in relay fashion. Before the start 1 driver is selected to qualify for the team grid position. Then at the start one driver will be the lead-off driver for the first stint, while the other driver drives (slowly around the track) to the pit, to park at pit exit, and wait for his turn in ghosted form. Both of you will do 2 pit stops, and then a final mandatory pit. (This is a rolling start/pace lap)

Once you both have completed your mandated pit (3rd and final pit), you both leave the pits together for the first time to finish the remaining laps together in tandem.

Both drivers are required to pit on the same lap number for each pit stop. The first 2 pits can be whatever your team decides. It can be on lap 5 and 9, or 5 and 13, or even 2 and 8. Whatever number your partner pits on has to be the same lap number as you. The "goal" is to get to the end of the mandatory 3rd pit as fast as possible so you both can finish the remaining laps together and ahead of your rivals.

The simulated exchange of drivers happens whenever one driver exits the pits and goes through the waiting ghosted driver. Once "contact" is made, the waiting driver can leave to start his stint while the tagging driver parks at pit exit.  Everyone is required to pit at the end of the mandated pit/lap which is a different IFCA designated number at every race.

With everyone having different pit strategies it becomes difficult and therefore fun to tell who is actually in the lead until teams start coming in on their mandatory 3rd pit and you see 2 cars leaving the pits at the same time for the first time. And this is when the racing intensity actually begins. As the last stint of laps begins, and as faster drivers from slower teams start to gain on slower drivers from faster teams the pressure increases! We leave only just enough laps for drivers to make some ground up on their rivals at the end.

In the end, the team with the best combined average finishing position wins! If there is a tie, the team with the highest combined pre-race average IFCA computer rating, wins!

Oh, and Good luck!

Master car list here:
https://ifca.forumotion.com/t6792-trans-am-master-car-

Track Schedule and distance

1.Lime Rock, Saturday July 23rd 7pm EST

24laps (x2) mandatory pit at the end of lap 16

2.LeMans Le Sarthe, Saturday July 30th 7pm EST

6laps (x2) mandatory pit at the end of lap 5

3.Catalunya GP, Saturday Aug 6th 7pm EST

12laps (x2) mandatory pit at the end of lap 8

4.Daytona 24hr day, Saturday Aug 13th 7pm EST

12laps (x2) mandatory pit at the end of lap 8

--BIR NHRA Nationals break--

5.Indy GP, Saturday Aug 27th 7pm EST

15laps (x2) mandatory pit at the end of lap 11