Second Daily C run of the week for the 'Vitessa V'.
Shaved nearly six tenths off my qualifying time (3:06.395) to start 13th in my 17:30 slot, again in a DR A/A+ lobby but this time with a 962C and 787B thrown into the mix. Been gradually gaining confidence in the R92CP in time trials, and this carried through into the race on brake balance +1. Started cleanly and gained one place at Mulsanne Corner on the first lap when a German Calsonic car ran too deep. Lost said position after sensing the German going up the inside at Indianapolis, and another when I pitched sideways over the outside kerb. Ended up collecting the German Calsonic car in the process, which held us up and brought an Italian Nissan into the mix. Lap 2 saw a line of 4-5 cars forming a queue for 8th place, which I gradually caught up with and followed closely for a while. 8th place broke away, but the Dutch and first German driver went wide at the first Ford chicanes, each picking up track limits penalties. In tip-toeing around the chicanes, I give way to another Italian in a pink Nismo Advan Koito car, and again at Dunlop for a French West car fighting back from three seconds' worth of contact penalties.
Penalties ensured I would climb back up to 14th and continue to shadow the train for what was now 9th. The French 962C was gaining fast, but any pressure from him or the recovering first German was nullified when they both came together at Indianapolis. At Arnage, the British Calsonic car loses it and gets ghosted; the French West car picks up a 1-second penalty for being hit and another as he starts getting aggressive with a GTR-style R92CP. By this point, we're up to 12th, and the blue Calsonic car might give us another as he fumbles through the Ford chicanes. On exit, he lights up the rears and veers into my path; the West and British cars fly back past to continue their scrap. Almost ended up in disaster as the West car abruptly cut me off as I tried to get the slipstream on both of them down Mulsanne Straight; needless to say, they touched and lost momentum as the blue Calsonic car gives me a sudden, but welcome push on the outside apron.
Up into 11th now, and a further punt from the West car on the British Calsonic driver gives me enough of a cushion to pull away from the fighting. Next, the ghost of a Dutch car appears in view on the run into Arnage, and I brake earlier to give him the space he needs. The Dutchman looked fairly shaky, as I could tell from the way he scraped the Armco going into Mulsanne Straight, and the slipstream gave me an opportunity to try and make a pass for 10th. Having set purple first and second sectors and stuck close to his rear endplates, I get a better exit out of Mulsanne Corner and make the pass stick before Indianapolis. A Ford chicane respawn and 1.5-second penalty for another British Calsonic entry promoted me up to 9th.
A little disappointed to find that I lost another 293 DR points through this race (then again, this was a mostly A-ranked lobby), but very pleased with my pace in this one. Set a 3:05.560 just before entering matchmaking, which while too late to affect my starting position here could very well come in handy later on...
Seems like the way races are right now it might be good to have backup. 45k to Aplus 99 room the fricken guy top 20 on the server got bombed turn one. I was punted and bombed several times, I mean you KNOW how bad I’ve seen it but this one today, I’m taking their points off the table and not returning them.
