NES S4 LMP & GT3

@PSN offapple

I am curious if I will be able to return for next season. I am not part of a team and have not received any offers on the driver market. Is it to soon for me to be asking since the season just ended?

Can I start my own team? Any AM drivers out there looking for a seat? Lol
It's very early, but a couple of deals have gone down to my knowledge. Just give it time. There's still the S4.5 special events (which I'm yet to set dates for, so just make sure you don't join another Sunday league).
 
@PSN offapple

I am curious if I will be able to return for next season. I am not part of a team and have not received any offers on the driver market. Is it to soon for me to be asking since the season just ended?

Can I start my own team? Any AM drivers out there looking for a seat? Lol


It’s a bit early since S4 still has one more race to go. I also noticed some speculations you’d be running Pro class in S5 (?). We (Camhatch ReeVer Racing) are currently still looking into our options for next season. There’s a chance we might need an extra driver. I’ll let you know when we have a break-through, but don’t wait up for us if get any other offers. ;)
 
You’re right about getting promoted in just one race. You did seem to give the entire Am split quite a run for their money though. Either way, it’s just speculations i’ve heard, and I don’t know how promotions in the NES work for sure anyway. We’ll see how things pan out ;)
 
@Clean Racer I have no idea about next season's placement system, we'll either do a placement test or @PSN offapple will select the categories on his own. There's a high chance that we will have promotions and relegations next season, so if you get great results you will get moved up.
 
Thrills, Spills, Drama, DQs (Part 2)

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Hope you guys enjoyed the latest article and we’re not over yet, as Part 2 is here to get an even closer look to the developments about Sunday’s Race 1 , at La Sarthe, of the Nukeshot Endurance Series. Today we have MarteeN5Huizen, the debutant in the NES series, drove to a solid 3rd place ahead of veterans Traels666 and DirtenDK in his ReeVer Motorsport Toyota TS030 HY. But as you all know he’s a race winner due to DQs of CJ and ArmoredCore. We had a chance to chat with him on how he’s been doing since is first NES race.


“ So Marteen, first of all welcome to the series and I have start by asking how did you found the NES Championship and what was your prospects going to the race weekend already pasted? “

“ It’s Maarten, thanks hahaha,
I was quite excited to be taking part in my very first NES race. Offapple and CJ actually introduced me to the NES after I ran across them in an open lobby for Offapple’s ‘Random race commentary (part 3?). We seemed to like each other’s pace and race craft and then, few weeks later I decided to join in on the fun that is the Nukeshot Endurance Series.

In the days prior to the race I had noticed some guys in the pro class having a very quick pace and I’m also still quite unfamiliar with the LMP prototype cars; I had already mentally prepared myself to getting my ass handed to me, but I didn’t really mind. Needless to say I wasn’t expecting this (rather controversial) race win.”



“ Do you think second place could be a possibility and would you changed anything in the race to hold off ArmoredCore? “

“ During the race I gained P2 over AC due to my alternative 1-stop strategy. Him overtaking me was just a matter of time. The only way I could’ve contained P2 was for AC to make a driver error since his pace was obviously quicker than mine. When AC did reach the back of my Toyota in lap 17 I made it as wide as I possibly could. When he had passed me after the Mulsanne corner I made a final stance by running around the outside at Indianapolis (which I thought would never work), but even then he made no error and made a clean pass. AC deserved P2 at that moment. To answer the question: No, I don’t think that with my current pace P2 would be in my reach. And no, I wouldn’t handle the situation any different next time. “

Does this win sound bitter sweet?

“ ‘Bitter sweet’ is about the right way to label it. Sure, having your name on the top of the board is nice, but it never felt like winning the race. My qualifier wasn’t great (5 out of 6) and my lap times were about 1 to 2 seconds off. Though I think the call from the race direction to take action regarding track limits was just, I do not feel it made me the rightful race winner.”

Do you plan to stick around in the championship for Season 5?

“ Yes, I am very keen to register for NES S5. My first race has been very enjoyable and it’s a good excuse to keep practicing by racing these very quick drivers every Sunday. I will probably try and have ReeVer Racing as a team in S5. Whether this will be in the form of a Pro, Pro-am or Am team is as much your guess as mine. Maybe we’ll even have an A and a B team? Who knows.. but you can expect me being part of S5 for sure.”









If he can challenge ArmoredCore on a slower car and with the hardest compound, he sure to keep an eye on him for NES Season 5, he shows great potential and will cause upsets on the so called big dogs. Good luck on your future Marteen!


And now without any delays, we have the “short” conversation with Nukeshot Endurance Series Governing Body, DirtenDK!


@DirtenDK, glad you’re available for this interview and first of all, when the CrazyJohnIsHere and ArmoredCore track limits incidents was reported to the stewards, who made the call that the offenses were “worthy” of disqualifications?

“ In essense, the call was made through discussion. We felt the decision was inevitable because of the number of incidents for both of the drivers involved. Of course it wasn't an easy decision to make, and ultimately it's also a shame that it was to decide the championship. “

Did you took that decision from a IRL incident and do you still it was the right decision? And what can we take from this from now on?

“ In real life, this would have been dealt with as the race went on, given as either time penalties, drive through or stop-and-go penalties. For obvious reasons, we don't have these possibilities, which in turn made it possible to have these numbers of incidents without the drivers knowing the severity of the situation. This we hope to address for the future!

However, if the competition is to be fair for all, the rules must be followed. So yes, i still think it's the right decision.

Last but not least, i'd also like to mention that it's good to see both the involved drivers and the community react in a constructive manner, that's led to a good debate about the issues at hand. “


Well, the myth is true, the Nordics sure are very reserved people when it comes to interviews (laughs).

Our reporting team tried get a chat with @Traels666 but he ignored our presence. The incident with Nilse must have taken a toll in him.

But anyway, as the Queen said, “ The Show Must Go On”, as the final part of La Sarthe race 1 will come to an end by Monday with interviews if possible with CrazyJohnIsHere and ArmoredCore!

Stay safe and a good weekend to all!
 
I shall be there today, I haven't been at the last few races because working in retail during the christmas period sucks also I shall be sporting a one off livery as well to mark the end of S4.
 
Well, that was an amazing race!

I had some cool battles on lap 1. The guys were much more aggressive than I was. @gugas99 got off to a cracking start and opened up a good gap. Once he did that I knew he was on a two stop strategy and running the Super Soft tires. I was able to stay close enough to see him take his first pit stop. I kept running laps as I was on the Soft tire and felt I could get 9 laps out of them. I did but the tires were getting to the point where I was losing time while @gugas99 was reeling me in on a blistering pace.

It was close at the end. Especially because I took too little fuel and had to manage it for the last 3 laps. Whew!

One more lap and I was done.

I am so looking forward to next season and the season 4.5 events.
 
Kudos on the Championship winners! :cheers:

What an eventful race!
- Got spun around twice by Zephyr on formation lap! :confused:
- Caught out on race start by being very cautious through the first sector
- Got a little contact going down the inside of Maarten three cars wide, which send me into the gravel trap lap 1, which demoted me to last.
- Did a 1 stop going SS-SS
- Led the GT3 class twice, but soon was caught up by CJ and AC towards the end of the race, which demoted me back to 3rd
- AC went into the pits for a late splash and dash, which gave me an opportunity for 2nd place.
- But because I gambled on finishing the race on lap 17, I underfueled and because the LMP1 leaders didn't lap me for the 3rd time, I had to do another lap on FM6... :scared:
- ...And that's where my 16s advantage went up in smoke, because I was slowing down towards the end of lap 16 hoping the LMP1 leader would come around (which never happened). :ouch: Before I knew, I started lap 17 with AC sail by me!
 
Kudos on the Championship winners! :cheers:

What an eventful race!
- Got spun around twice by Zephyr on formation lap! :confused:
- Caught out on race start by being very cautious through the first sector
- Got a little contact going down the inside of Maarten three cars wide, which send me into the gravel trap lap 1, which demoted me to last.
- Did a 1 stop going SS-SS
- Led the GT3 class twice, but soon was caught up by CJ and AC towards the end of the race, which demoted me back to 3rd
- AC went into the pits for a late splash and dash, which gave me an opportunity for 2nd place.
- But because I gambled on finishing the race on lap 17, I underfueled and because the LMP1 leaders didn't lap me for the 3rd time, I had to do another lap on FM6... :scared:
- ...And that's where my 16s advantage went up in smoke, because I was slowing down towards the end of lap 16 hoping the LMP1 leader would come around (which never happened). :ouch: Before I knew, I started lap 17 with AC sail by me!


Cheers on your best result of the season! Sorry if I made some contact on the opening laps of the race, but as you might’ve seen in the stream it was very very hard to judge your track position due to your “warp-speed lag”. Either way, nice racing, good pace and very good job on nursing those SS tyres to a 1-stopper giving you a well deserved podium!
 
Cheers on your best result of the season! Sorry if I made some contact on the opening laps of the race, but as you might’ve seen in the stream it was very very hard to judge your track position due to your “warp-speed lag”. Either way, nice racing, good pace and very good job on nursing those SS tyres to a 1-stopper giving you a well deserved podium!

No worries! It's racing. It happens, especially if we go three wide.

Was I really warping all over the place? I thought only Dirten saw that in the stream
 
No worries! It's racing. It happens, especially if we go three wide.

Was I really warping all over the place? I thought only Dirten saw that in the stream

All I know is Dirten, Jonathan and myself reporting similar sightings. Tbh my internet wasn’t the best either last Sunday, so it could’ve been some sort of mismatch. Doesn’t really matter; no serious accidents happened as far as my knowledge goes and Dirten reported that normally your internet connection is fine.
 
The Spirit of Le Mans

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Photo credit: @PSN offapple
Firstly, congratulations to CrazyJohnIsHere (@CrazyJohn) and offapple (@PSN offapple) for winning the photo contest! Next article I might do this again, but let the public vote instead. I would love to hear opinions on this, and look forward to writing for the NES Articles in the future.


Hello everybody! I’m definitely not gugas99, but I’m the next best thing. I'm GRM_Bandit and this is my first post for the NES Articles. Since I am new, I shall introduce myself. Firstly, I started playing racing games ages ago with Mario Kart on the SNES, and some unknown racing game on the Sega Saturn. Eventually I got my first Xbox (the original one too) and ended up playing games like Ford Racing 2, Chevy vs. Ford, Rally Sport Challenge 2, and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. I eventually got a PS3, skipping the PS2. I had developed interest in a game called ModNation Racers, and met one of my best friends, and offapple the peasant (I kid, I kid). I also got a copy of Gran Turismo 6 near the end of my PS3 days. I got an Xbox One for Christmas with Forza Motorsport 6 in 2016. I played that until I got my preordered copy of Forza Motorsport 7 Ultimate Edition. I ended up racing in a few leagues on Forza, the only notable one being Endureon. I got my PS4 on 25 December 2018 and a copy of Gran Turismo Sport. I quickly reconnected with offapple, and found my way into the last two rounds of the Nukeshot Endurance Series. My gamertag is GRM_Bandit and I drove the #35 Ford Mustang for Grip Runners Motorsport in the GT AM class, and the #35 SRT Tomahawk for Grip Runners Motorsport in the LMP AM class.

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Photo credit: @CrazyJohn

With my introduction out of the way, it is time to move on to more pressing matters. While I missed the last race of Season 4, I had managed to catch the Half the Race Gone stream on YouTube. With my terrible luck, I made a race prediction with Nilsemann. And it went something along the lines of “who do you think is going to win the GT Pro championship?” I confidently typed "Joe" into the live stream chat. I guess my bad luck made its way into the Atenza of Joe (@DrifterJoe), and the rest is history. I was able to catchup with the LMP Pro champion after the race.


GRM_Bandit: Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your LMP Pro championship. But I'm not here to talk about that. I want to ask you about "binning it" for lack of a better term. Were you pushing too hard after pitting, or did your car react weird to the corner?

JoeOfTheFire: “It just reacted weirdly. I took the corner the same as I did every other lap in the race, but that time the rear got unhappy and started drifting. I countersteered but that put the rear wheels on the grass, as the drift had moved the car to the right.”

GRM_Bandit: Would you say that the Atenza has a habit of reacting strangely to certain inputs? Or could this have been a strange one off occurrence?

JoeOfTheFire: “It was just a one off thing. The car was setup to be loose at the rear and was still easily controllable. You'd expect this crash to happen on old tyres, not new ones.”

GRM_Bandit: Do you think it was possible that if the incident did not occur, that you would have been fighting with CJ not just for the race win, but for the GT Pro championship title?

JoeOfTheFire: “Sadly no. I was a few seconds behind at the time, but I couldn’t quite match the pace of ac and CJ. In previous stints CJ was around .5 to .8 faster per lap.”

GRM_Bandit: Even with today's events, are you still happy with winning the LMP Pro Championship, or would you have liked to win the GT Pro Championship with your LMP Pro Championship?

JoeOfTheFire: “I’d have liked to win on pace in LMP, but I'm still happy with it. For GT I maybe could've gotten lucky in traffic or caught the draft while CJ and ac fought, so it's still disappointing.”

GRM_Bandit: Last question: do you have any other comments on today's race or this season?

JoeOfTheFire: “GentlemanRacing and gugas showed good pace today, which makes them potential PRO drivers next season.

The season was good, with close racing for me in both classes. I prefer the way the 919 and TS050 drive, over the R18, so probably won't use it next season.


The Mazda was a bit of a misguided choice. I went into the season believing it had decent top speed, and great handling, as well as good fuel use. PD changed fuel use in updates, and the Mazda turned out to be one of the slower cars in a straight line with fairly average handling.”

GRM_Bandit: Thank you for having me Joe, and good luck in the TSR GT300 series!

*Note: I did contradict my self by mentioning Joe's LMP Championship. Please excuse my error. Back to the story.

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Photo credit: @CrazyJohn

And there you have it, I would like to thank JoeOfTheFire for bearing with me for my first interview as a NES Articles journalist. However, this is not the end of the story. I attempted to contact the LMP AM race winner GentlemanRacing, but he was unavailable for comment. I was able to catch up with WaikeCU (@WaikeCU) and ask him a few questions.


GRM_Bandit: I’m here with the one and only Warp Speed Waike! Congrats on your podium this weekend. What happened on the formation lap between you and Zephyr?

WaikeCU: “Thank you very much! That really meant alot to me. Not sure exactly. It was weird to say the least. I was warming up my tires. Before I knew I felt a tap and I was facing the wrong way around. I rejoined my position, but later on he tapped me again sent me in another spin. I’ve never experienced something like that before in a formation lap. Luckily I didn’t have any damage.”

GRM_Bandit: Did this incident affect your mindset/performance at all?

WaikeCU: “At that moment I didn’t know what to think. Have I flatspotted the tires? Was it personal? I do have to say I was a bit cautious when we went green, so I fell further back. But before the checkered flag fell, anything could happen with such a long race. So I kept my focus and drove consistently.”

GRM_Bandit: Did you worry at all about loosing positions so early in the race?

WaikeCU: “Not really... the most important thing was to come out cleanly after sector 1. I knew I had the power of the Merc to win back positions on the straights.”

GRM_Bandit: What happened around the 1 hour mark when CJ and armoredcore passed you?

WaikeCU: “Well I gambled on a different strategy. I went with a one stop, but that meant I would nurse those SS (Super Soft) till the end and kept a reasonable pace. With those guys on fresher rubber, it was simply an impossible task at hand. CJ is not just a fast guy, winning the Championship says enough what kind of racing pedigree he has! Kudos to him for that. AC was matching his pace. Little did I know he still had to stop once more.”

GRM_Bandit: Is there anything else you would like to add about the race or this season?

WaikeCU: “A 2nd place would have been unreal, but 3rd place coming from the other end of the field was a massive result for the team. That also consolidated the constructors title. Thanks Y_bear for his share of great results. I would also like to thank Offapple for giving me the opportunity to race for this wonderful team. It wasn’t easy and I had lots of disappointing results, but the champagne tasted even better after such a great season’s ending!”

GRM_Bandit: Thank you for having me, and I hope to see you in Season 5.

WaikeCU: You’re welcome! (Winks)


Before I sign off, I would just like to congratulate Nilsemann on his AM class championships this season. And a big congratulations to JoeOfTheFire for his LMP Pro championship, and CrazyJohnIsHere for his GT Pro championship. Also a big thanks to offapple for letting me race in the final two rounds of the season. It has been lots of fun racing in NES. This is GRM_Bandit, signing off, and I hope to see you on the track very soon!
 
I apologize for the delay, but the final championship standings have been put up now. Congratulations to all of our winners, and thanks to all of our competitors for being a part of NES Season 4! :D
 
When is season 5 guys? Any room for another driver in any class or on a team? Thanks! Im pretty flexible.
Dates are yet to be confirmed for anything as of yet, however there is a thread called "NES S4.5" set up for some off-season special events. Dates aren't confirmed for them either just yet, but they'll still be on Sundays. I just need to sort out a few details before I set dates for them and open the entry lists
 
Well, this is as far as I could get today.
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To the left you can see the front of the car and the steering rack. To the right you can see the rear suspension and the differential. Things feel a little loose so I'll have to review where I'm at and make sure I haven't missed a fastener. There is a customized Hot Wheels Porsche 356 in the shot for reference.
 
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