The two races couldn't have been much more different for me.
I qualified 10th which was ok considering that it was almost impossible to get even one clean lap in with 20+ drivers on this short track.
The first 10 laps of race 1 were pretty good with some close driving with several drivers, especially Dan. After lap 10, I settled in 6th position and drove on my own from then on. In the last corner before the finish, ChesNos apparently spun and I passed him on the s/f straight when he got up to speed again to finish 5th which I was very happy with.
This gave me the 6th start position for race 2. The first laps were again really good. I was in 4th place (I think) when Dan spun in front of me. I thought he would spin out to the left but his car went to the right and I hit him which sent me to the entry of the pits. I reversed out of it and found myself out of the top 10. There was again good racing in the following laps with Stoney and GFresh. But several laps later, GFresh and me just barely collided with our tyres after the chicane and I made 5 or 6 sideways flips. After that, I just drove home with a damaged car, spinning several times (sorry Gasper, no goose to blame this time ) and finishing in a bad position (don't exactly know which one; 17 or 18 or sth). I think I would have been a candidate for the win in this race actually but the luck wasn't on my side today.
I still want to know who paid the AR guys to take me out of race 2, though.
A good evening of racing for me. After a very bad first lap in race 1 that left me in about 22nd place, I drove hard for the next 19 laps, moving up to 9th place at the end. I think there were a few mistakes ahead of me, which did greatly help.
Race 2 saw me in front after about 3 laps, but I was just the hare in front of some useful greyhounds behind. I held out until about lap 12. I got hit in the final corners on about lap 13 by the then 2nd place racer - our pace was a little mismatched. Thankfully I held on to the car, but I was now in reach of more racers. I slipped down to 4th with a couple of laps to go, and tried to hold on in the final lap, but was passed quite conclusively. 5th placed finish was a good result for me though.
I was really afraid about the connection problems because I lost connections to internet a lot before the race. Just before the race started my connection went off completely and I said this is it, no race for me then.
Then it came back and and I entered the server. After qualy, race 1 and race 2, just I was trying to say sth to zeugnimod and it went off again. I think I was lucky this time
I qualified way below my pb (43.98 IIRC) and find myself in 19th place.
I knew a hard first lap was coming so I tried to take it slow, and it happened just after the chicane, cars were everywhere, tried to get around them from the grass, clipped a car (don't remember who) and spun. Bad damage occured and went to the pits, last place.
It was mad entering the track, absolutely no space, waited a lap to join. Then I somehow passed one guy (again don't remember who) and finished 20th 3 laps behind.
Second race was better for me, don't know why, second races are much better for me. Again 1st lap was a carnage, but I managed to keep my mrt in one piece. Then the spun faster guys started to catch me, but I managed to hold them back. Some of them spun, some of them managed to pass me and I finished 12th.
What can I say, small track, huge numbers of cars (even when they are small), and a fun race for sure
1st race was avargae , i quallyd 17th got to 14th even tho my car waas wrecked and in race 2 i just dident get caught up in the carnage and got through cleanly and got to 6th but lost it by going on the grass ended up 7th
What I asked you was, when I passed you you slowed down, I wanted to learn if you slowed down because of the yellow flag or not, because the server lagged and the yellow flag showed very late. Then I checked out the replay and you lost your rear there and were trying to correct the car, I doubted if I broke the yellow flag rule there, but it seems ok now
Not my best showing or experience from Fern Bay, however, the track is much better in the other direction
Quali and Race One, started near the back and stayed there then lapped several times, nothing to write home about except a lack of understanding of what a "being lapped" driver is required to do while being lapped, which lost me some time, but I would take a guess that being so many laps down, that would not be a consideration in the minds of some of those lapping. Lots of shoving in Quali too.
Race Two, started again near the back, as those who are slowest will do with a top ten reverse grid, it will always reward the faster ten. Kinda glad in a way, as I get the feeling that those who consider themselves faster would have just pushed the slower cars off the track as they did in race one.
I have one beef, with DT ChesNas 13 (Nosser) who managed to spin approaching the chicane, and rejoin the racing line right infront of me, which made me take to the grass to miss him. I thought that was bad enough, but learning he was behind me at the time too..
Will sleep on it.
Hoping for a better standard for the next race, which will be next year? Correct?
I know how you feel, having had races like that myself ... but not yet in this series. I was very impressed by the driving last night, all but one of the faster guys passing me waited until an appropriate time and it was clear how they were passing. The one exception was whoever hit me in the second race in the final corner - it was accidental I think, just a difference in speed as he was probably lining up for a passing manouvre on the straight.
In respect to the top 10 reverse grid, I don't think that it changes much for those finishing outside the top 10. Only those in perhaps positions 11 to 15 might normally be in with a chance of overtaking some top 10 drivers, and with this system they still have a chance as the slower top 10 drivers will be slowed whenever they are fending off or being passed by one of the quicker drivers.
I wouldn't consider myself a top 10 driver in this field, I was fortunate with my 9th and 5th placed finishes last night. I am spurred on to achieve a top 10 finish in future races though, and the prospect of starting at the front of the grid for the second race.
Hopefully your experience was just a one off, and a nature of the track rather than the drivers. The next race is at South City (sprint 2) on 8th Jan, so another tight circuit, but fingers crossed that you'll have a better experience.
[quote=mkinnov8;635430]off the track as they did in race one.
I have one beef, with DT ChesNas 13 (Nosser) who managed to spin approaching the chicane, and rejoin the racing line right infront of me, which made me take to the grass to miss him. I thought that was bad enough, but learning he was behind me at the time too..
Dunno where you're talking about, I just had a spin and then tried to drive away of the ideal line and then u stopped steering the ideal line and was on the outside of the track where I went too..
Well, it was good for me, but TBH I messed up my pre-race training a little bit because of the test patch, I been driving for too much FBM
This meant I did absolutely zero training, and did not use a suitable set and I was late for the lottery of the qualifying session which saw me starting 14th for Race 1
Early hiccups in the race saw me go to 20th or something but pulled back nicely into 9th(!) I think - Can't remember........
Anyways all my hard work was to be undone on the last turn when I flipped my car onto it's side and the rest button would not work
Nobodys fault but my own, thx for hosting I will be back for the next one stronger and fresher and not trying to arrive at my house at 7:25 with Sausage&Chips in hand trying to qualify by 7:45 lol
BTW is the next race the week after next (Next tuesday being Christmas and all !) ?
Its strange, I had a feeling you wouldn't remember or have know where im talking about, so I made a little video of the incident, which is here for you to watch.
Your answer will be something along the lines of "did I not see the yellow flag", or "could I have not gone to the right of you and around", to which my answer would be something along the lines of:
Yes, I seen the yellow flag, and yes, I could have tried to go around to the right of you, but have you ever tried breaking quickly and turning in an mrt, they are unstable at the best of times.
I went for the gap I presumed you would leave, because:
a) you were being lapped and you will have seen the blue flag
b) you had spun and was recovering, thus you would be leaving room and awaiting other cars to pass
c) you realised you did wrong when you exited the chicane, as you allowed both following cars to pass without holding them up.
Regardless, I know you was in the wrong, you will notice im not posting this as a complaint. Im just asking for a little more awareness.
On the blue flag yeilding point, it should be noted that it takes two to tango. It takes a fair amount of cooperation between lapping car and lapped car. Lapper IMO should always be thinking "ok I need to pass this guy, I should try and do it at the least inconvenient place to this guy, as im not racing him and I've no need to upset his race".
Therefore, they should be awake and alert, watching for places where the lapped car is slower, or unsure, or where they lift to allow overtaking.
With reference to my incident with Nosser above, yes I should have tried to brake, just as Nosser should have waiting for the track to be clear before rejoining.
