So, with all the crap going on with having to move and having to help with getting the place I live in ready for sale, I have only just been in a position to get back to racing. Took me a while to learn to drive again
. First race on Wednesday night. Qualified with a less than spectacular time in the Aston, so was a bit surprised to start P4.
So I see they have adopted a reverse LeMans style start (facing in the opposite direction):
After auto drive have spent some time reversing and going forward and generally all points on the compass, it eventually sorted itself out. By the time I actually started the race I was in P8. P7 starting lap 2 after driving through a Porsche that had just ghosted. Up to P6 exiting Senna. My nemesis, T4 gave me a 0.5s penalty for going wide, which I wasn't doing during qualifying. I picked up this penalty every second lap
. I was a bit close to the Aussie in front of me in a beemer, who had strange braking habits. He went wide at T8 and I took the inside, which gave him the inside for the next corner. His strange braking came in again T10 (Bico de Pato) and I tapped him on the rear. He went off, so I pulled aside to wait for him to regain position, which put me in P10. Started lap 4 in P8, had a good side by side battle with a GT-R, and suddenly found I was in P6 entering Juncao. I stayed there for a while. Lap 6 i started noticing the handling was getting a bit squiffy and understeer was beginning to become an issue. I had to drop to a lower gear for cornering. I stuck to the WRX in P5 for a while, and had a few sniffs up the inside. Finally lap 6 heading into lap 7 I was able to get past him in the drag to the start/finish line and ahead into Senna. He stuck with me and we had a bit of side by side action. Sure enough, 0.5s penalty at T4
. That penalty doesn't seem to do much, except help brake for T4 the next time around
. I was struggling with tyre wear at the fronts for the rest of the race, but somehow managed to fend off the WRX (and the Cayman that passed him) to finish P5.
SR blue, DR went up 400+
Next day I had a go with the Viper. Improved my qualy time, and again started P4. This time a normal start. I was struggling again with the fronts after about 6 laps. The guy I had knocked off in the race the night before (Sennas_Cat) was starting behind me, this time in a Lambo. This doesn't bode well... Lambo's always ram me off the track
. Hope he doesn't hold a grudge
!
Made it through Senna unscathed and he had dropped back to P6 (I think he got bullied by another Lambo). Still nervous! Up to P3 and right in P2 coming up to Bico de Pato. The NSX behind me was a goldfish turd. Lap 4 he got me on the exit to Senna, I out braked him at T4, we were side by side coming out the other side. He pulled in front and I hung with him till lap 6. Someone pitted so I went up to P3, but my fronts weren't happy. The NSX started to inch away. Meanwhile the GT-R that had pitted had quietly been working his way back up through the field. Not sure how cleanly he did it, but lap 8 onward I was having to nurse the Viper around the corners. The GT-R was closing in
. Lap 11 on the climb up the hill after Juncao he got along side me and slowly creeped ahead. There was nothing short of *realy* poor sportsmanship that I could do about it
. P4 for me. I went to congratulate him on his drive, but he cleared off
.
SR blue, DR went up 670. Surviving DR/C
.
I have tried a number of cars but so far haven't been able to match or beat the Viper. Most cars I'm 1 or 2 seconds off, with only a couple that have had my optimum anywhere near. I might finish off the week with the Trophy. I couldn't match my speed but its easy to get around with and in my races, there has been no clear META.
!
. Once I install that energy polariser and harness that Orgon Energy I'ma own Race C!
