- 755
This is a write-up I did of when I was using the Integra to win the Beginner League Stars & Stripes Cup. I won the other races in the cup with relative ease but came across much trouble when I went into the Laguna Seca race.
Race 1
Competition underestimation....just did manage to squeeze my way into second on the last turn by cutting inside of the Corvette. He had a run on me towards the finish line. Edged him by 0.102 seconds.
2nd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'29.682
Race 2
Intended to qualify for the race but accidentally went to 'Start' instead of 'Qualify'. Reminded me of how much I wish there was an extra 'Start Race?' question to confirm your decision. Knew I was screwed from the get-go because the 'Vette was on the pole. Managed to gently bump the Viper on the last turn, but the weight of the Viper lowered the effectiveness of the bump and prevented him from sliding too far out in the sand.
3rd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'30.441
Race 3 - Qualified 2nd
Since I was starting 2nd, I figured I would leave the TCS off. That was a mistake. My best friend on this track decided to join us: the Shelby Cobra. The Cobra was all over the plac, halfway turned around half the time, you know, the usual. I couldn't catch the Corvette. On the last turn, I figured I didn't have much to lose so I nailed the Corvette in the rear and sent him way outward into the outside wall. I slid into the dirt myself and got on the brakes hard to make a sharp turn. Just when I thought I would be able to possibly recover quicker than the Corvette and beat him to the line, I got tagged by the Corvette Grand Sport to send me further into the dirt. The Grand Sport and Camaro Z28 managed to get by us both, and the Corvette was able to recover before I could.
4th Place Finish
Total Time: 3'42.581
Race 4
Decided not to qualify but turn the TCS on because the Z06 wasn't in the race. The Cobra flew into the dirt on the first turn of course. At the corkscrew, I gave the SVT Cobra a little bump that sent him around and almost spun him out. Luckily his back end didn't catch the edge of the wall, because I and all the traffic behind me would have run right into each other. I closed in on the Viper on the second lap and pulled along to the inside at the last turn. I decided to race him clean since I had the inside advantage, but I gave him too much room and he accelarated away to win the race. Grrrr.
2nd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'28.337
Race 5 - Qualified 2nd
Learned my lesson from using no TCS when I was in this position before. Unfortunately, the Viper was starting 3rd. When the race started, I tried to move to the inside to block the Viper and have him give me a boost to get closer to the 'Vette, but he blew right by me. The SVT Cobra and the Grand Sport were coming at me next, and I decided to block the Grand Sport. The SVT Cobra blew by on the outside. That dropped me to 4th. I thought the race was over then. Luckily, the Viper raced the Corvette hard. They held each other up which allowed the SVT Cobra to catch up. I closed in and got by the SVT Cobra at the corkscrew and bumped the Corvette. I moved to the inside and made the pass on the left after the corkscrew. I knew I was in good position then. I made a run on the Viper at the last turn before the finish line at the end of the 1st lap. Pulled alongside just as I did in the last race, but this time I didn't give him any room. It didn't matter. The Viper has so much more muscle that it was able to just get by me through the dirt and accelarate away. The Viper went into Turn1 pretty deep, which allowed me to hug the inside and pull alongside for the lead. The Corvette followed right behind me. The Viper powered back into a clean lead on the little straightaway after the first turn. Predictably, my next move was to cut to the inside and take the position. THats exactly what I did, and into the lead I went. After the quick left leading to the back straightaway and corkscrew section, the Corvette and Viper both got runs on me. I decided to block the inside, which is where the Viper was. The Corvette was beginning to pull alongside me on the outside as we went into the corkscrew. Of course, I left them in my dust at the corkscrew and was unchallenged for the remander of the lap.
1st Place Finish
Total Time: 3'28.944
Race 1
Competition underestimation....just did manage to squeeze my way into second on the last turn by cutting inside of the Corvette. He had a run on me towards the finish line. Edged him by 0.102 seconds.
2nd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'29.682
Race 2
Intended to qualify for the race but accidentally went to 'Start' instead of 'Qualify'. Reminded me of how much I wish there was an extra 'Start Race?' question to confirm your decision. Knew I was screwed from the get-go because the 'Vette was on the pole. Managed to gently bump the Viper on the last turn, but the weight of the Viper lowered the effectiveness of the bump and prevented him from sliding too far out in the sand.
3rd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'30.441
Race 3 - Qualified 2nd
Since I was starting 2nd, I figured I would leave the TCS off. That was a mistake. My best friend on this track decided to join us: the Shelby Cobra. The Cobra was all over the plac, halfway turned around half the time, you know, the usual. I couldn't catch the Corvette. On the last turn, I figured I didn't have much to lose so I nailed the Corvette in the rear and sent him way outward into the outside wall. I slid into the dirt myself and got on the brakes hard to make a sharp turn. Just when I thought I would be able to possibly recover quicker than the Corvette and beat him to the line, I got tagged by the Corvette Grand Sport to send me further into the dirt. The Grand Sport and Camaro Z28 managed to get by us both, and the Corvette was able to recover before I could.
4th Place Finish
Total Time: 3'42.581
Race 4
Decided not to qualify but turn the TCS on because the Z06 wasn't in the race. The Cobra flew into the dirt on the first turn of course. At the corkscrew, I gave the SVT Cobra a little bump that sent him around and almost spun him out. Luckily his back end didn't catch the edge of the wall, because I and all the traffic behind me would have run right into each other. I closed in on the Viper on the second lap and pulled along to the inside at the last turn. I decided to race him clean since I had the inside advantage, but I gave him too much room and he accelarated away to win the race. Grrrr.
2nd Place Finish
Total Time: 3'28.337
Race 5 - Qualified 2nd
Learned my lesson from using no TCS when I was in this position before. Unfortunately, the Viper was starting 3rd. When the race started, I tried to move to the inside to block the Viper and have him give me a boost to get closer to the 'Vette, but he blew right by me. The SVT Cobra and the Grand Sport were coming at me next, and I decided to block the Grand Sport. The SVT Cobra blew by on the outside. That dropped me to 4th. I thought the race was over then. Luckily, the Viper raced the Corvette hard. They held each other up which allowed the SVT Cobra to catch up. I closed in and got by the SVT Cobra at the corkscrew and bumped the Corvette. I moved to the inside and made the pass on the left after the corkscrew. I knew I was in good position then. I made a run on the Viper at the last turn before the finish line at the end of the 1st lap. Pulled alongside just as I did in the last race, but this time I didn't give him any room. It didn't matter. The Viper has so much more muscle that it was able to just get by me through the dirt and accelarate away. The Viper went into Turn1 pretty deep, which allowed me to hug the inside and pull alongside for the lead. The Corvette followed right behind me. The Viper powered back into a clean lead on the little straightaway after the first turn. Predictably, my next move was to cut to the inside and take the position. THats exactly what I did, and into the lead I went. After the quick left leading to the back straightaway and corkscrew section, the Corvette and Viper both got runs on me. I decided to block the inside, which is where the Viper was. The Corvette was beginning to pull alongside me on the outside as we went into the corkscrew. Of course, I left them in my dust at the corkscrew and was unchallenged for the remander of the lap.
1st Place Finish
Total Time: 3'28.944
