Here's a story about anger and reconciliation
And lessons learned...I hope.
I am slowly realizing that this whole racing thing can really get people really worked up over perceived wrongdoings on the track. I urge everyone to save their replays after the race (if they feel something has occured against them) and watch them as soon after the races as you can and look at them from the other driver's views. You may find that SOME situations may just be unavoidable and noone's fault.
Case in point...last night I had another reasonably terrible showing after getting the pole twice and qualifying second in the other race. I had such high hopes and knew I had the speed to win every race...if I could only keep it together.
Race 1...I'm right behind the leader Kronin coming out of the final turn of lap 2 or 3 and get on the gas a tad too soon and slide into the wall on the right. At this point I'm a little peeved.
Race 2...I start near the front now due to my crappy finish in race 1. Pretty good battle through the first few laps...Oshawa's car is at least 20ft wide and I can't get around him. Soren is on my ass and we just can't get by. Soren gets up beside me going into the first long left hander after the underpass and we are side by side and I get bumped into the dirt a little right in the braking zone. I managed to keep it together and stay alongside Soren through the next corner and get bumped again through the next corner and at this point we are going into the final sharp left and I'm out of sorts and frustrated and get sideways and blow my chnace of finishing well. I'm really upset and am thinking "dammit I am protesting some of this crap". So I sit down afterwards and watch the race and I realize that if Soren uses the same bumper or cockpit view like 99% of the people do (I use the above and behind view) then I am in his blind spot and he couldn't have known I was right there next to him. So I cool down a bit
Race 3...I get pole so I know I can win this. In lead on lap 2 coming into the chicane after the long straight. Racefan thinks he can draft by before we hit the braking zone. Stuff happens and I get punted into the concrete barrier and the possibility of me winning is over and I finish near dead last and I'm pissed at racefan. I watch the replay and it turns out Oshawa gets kinda behind and between racefan and I and contacts racefan slightly and then gets into me pretty hard. Oshawa later reported himself...and it's all cool. Stuff happens...all is well. But at the time...my night is not going well...
Race 4...I start near the front again and have high hopes of winning. 1st turn of the first lap. Everyone is good going into the chicane. Dragonwhiskey gets caught out to the left of the line of cars so I let him in and tell him to go on and get in front of me so he can squeeze into the line just as we all do the right/left. By letting him in I get slightly off line for the right, go just barely over the green area on the inside and get a 10 sec time penalty. Race over....again.
Race 5...Pole position again. Racefan behind me. I'm already not happy with him due to what I THOUGHT was him punting me earlier. We race real close on the oval. Going into 3 I have been backing it in and getting a little sideways there nearly every lap. I do so again and racefan gets me and I spin out and everyone goes by. Racefan waits up for me and both finish near the back. I'm way upset because I knew I had a great chance of winning. I watch the replay from racefan's point of view and I realize that he really had nowhere to go. He was already committed to the corner, I get sideways a little more than usual and he has nowhere to go but into my rear quarter panel. Not his fault.
Race 6...I start near the front again
Yay me. In the lead and nearly the same situation as the race before but DGA gets into me. I am sooo livid that my night has been ruined by everyone when I could have won every race. I watch the replay and, same as the race before, but this time is was DGA who had nowhere to go. I started drifting and DGA had nowhere to go.
But I take this lesson with me...as the night went on I was getting so pissed off that people were ruining my night and all this bad luck was happening. But after watching the replays I realize that it was just racing. Most of the issues just unavoidable.
So try to stay calm and not point fingers at phantom targets. Save the replay and watch it with a nuetral eye. You may find that it was the adrenalin that was clouding your mind and firing up your emotions. See ya next week
Good racing D2...sorry I was secretly angry at some you! It was unfounded and I'm all better now
👍
.
