Community advice request for an office based "Challenge the Stig" - Forza competition

Is this some thing you are doing Si, or the forzanet? 

Advice/help needed

Has anyone been involved in something similar and can give advice on what worked well or not? Are there obvious pitfalls/challenges with what I am proposing that I need to think about?

** not for this type of event, well that i can think of. You'll have to manually record the times and think about allowing invalid laps.

What track should I pick? Suggestions please. I am thinking of going for something well known but not too difficult/long. I want each three lap attempt (outlap and two flyers) to last no longer than 10 minutes.

** I'd pick a fairly open and fast track.  Silverstone nat or internat. Plenty of run off and familair for most. 

What cars should I use? My thought is C/D Class for the easier target and B/A for the faster one.

*** Lower class means that a driver has to keep his speed up through the turns so the times can be closer.  However, a faster car means that it can be made up on the straights. (larger gap here between fast and slow drivers) 

I am planning on allowing all assists except audit-brake, thoughts? 

*** Always allow any assists, non of them give you an advantage. 

Any tips on setting up the challenge? I thought it would be easiest to just run in hotlap mode, with ghosts off? Should I alternatively think of setting up a custom race with specific settings? What should these be?

** See above, but you can run a custom race with collisions off and rate by fastest lap time. A group is fun to run with, but it is much harder to beat the lap. 

One I have tracks and cars selected I might need to test the target lap times to see how achievable they are. For the fast time I want it to be challening but not ridiculous so nobody gets near it. As I don't really know what the spread of ability is going to be (there's 400 people in my office) can some of you help me guage this?

*** As above, You're fast a fuck, if you had the time you'd be top 50 fast atleast.   Depending on experiance, i think your office will be any thing around 6+seconds slower than your laguna seca time.  Experianced are probably 3/4+ 

Anything else I have'nt thought of?

** use AWD to make it easier for them and slightly harder for you. (too pushy) 

Thanks in advance for your help

Let me know if i can help, I could always provide a tune if you want one. 

Great idea - and be sure to post up the link for the charity event thingy. You may get some donations from the community (if allowed) 

Dont forget to put down a real swhite lap time...not for your competition but to impress your co-workers on how fucken fast you really are!!!

if the group's acquainted with the Top Gear show, they might want to do the reasonably priced car though?

And following that thought, some celebrity times from the show could be placed up on the chart?

From one point of view, some will always want to drive that really cool monster of a fast car, but others are simply into competition, and it wouldn't matter if it were shopping carts, it's the "beat you on the chart" thing that'll be important.

I'm planning something similar as it happens but was just going to do it for entertainment value, but the charity bit is a great idea.

I second what Tourni said about the pace of non forza regulars.

With no experience, I think Tourni actually underestimates (no offense :))how slow folks will be. Picking it up cold, after 3 laps, I still think most people will be at least 10 seconds shy of even a top 1000 time on a track like Silverstone GP.

I've watched a friend who is a semi decent GT player really struggle with Forza from cold. 20 laps later he started to put the odd reasonable lap in.

If they have a bit of forza time under their belt, then it is bloody unlikely they would get within 2 seconds of your best. Unless by some fluke you have any other quick closet forza-ites around.

How about 1 stig challenge, and then an autocross type event. Fastest times win, no stig time?

I think the top gear track is a pig of a track due to the lack of obvious visual cues.

Actually think MLS would be a good one, even though for obvious reasons, its currently on my shit list ;)

When I played the Forza 4 game at last year's long beach GP, they were using Road Atlanta club. Iirc the car was one of the BMW art cars.  I also agree that Maple Valley short would make a good beginner course. 

Exige is a hard car to master, but very stable.  Lift off oversteer can be a bitch and is this a B  class? 

The 211 could be a fun car too!  Aston's are nice, especially with race slicks :)  or perhaps a S2000 built up a bit  - Aero, cams and slicks :)

C class - Mx5? or you could go with a civic type R 

Hummer

What class is that Opel roadster? Or is it a Vauxhall? Parcells did a stock night with it and it was quite nice and well behaved.

BTW, for the one's punding their chests and claiming to be experts, I'd put them in that Koeneggsegg the STig crashed...

If the C class is for the less speedy players then i would think something FWD would be "kinder" ie more forgiving, so aye the civic type r or similiar. However if your going to put the celebs times in it would have to be the Liana/Kia or those times would be pointless wouldnt it?. Opel roadster is a b so needs tuned. Why not a Ferrari......Isnt the testarossa an A class?

I'm assuming you're still going to use stock tunes since you'll have multiple XBoxes.

The Ferrari F430 is the highest rated A class car.  Haven't driven one lately to know what it's like stock.  The 2-Eleven would also be a good choice, I think.
Now if you want to give them a car that may be a little less forgiving how about cars like the Sagaris, ZL1, Z06, Viper SRT-10 or Ford GT?

For C Class, how about the Mini or FR-S?

I'd say the Mini might be popular?

Your welcome, good luck, and please share some pics of the event if you can.