OK my faith in humanity is restored a bit after today.
Bathurst is really a track where you need to pick your spots and hope others do the same. And the differences between cars that are strong on the mountain and ones that are strong on the straights makes for interesting racing.
But the Scirocco is horrible on front tyres as you'd expect, even with BB +5. You really are a sitting duck towards the end but I didn't fancy a one-stop because every pass is dangerous on this track.
Slot 3 EMEA - B/S race
Qualy went pretty well, got out early so could do one conservative lap and one on the limit. Unfortunately the one on the limit was just over the limit so my first lap counted for Q4. Pretty happy.
Race was a bit of a disaster. Messed up turn 1 by not thinking about the braking point at the slower starting speed and got swallowed up. That meant I was in the middle of a big battle that was eventually going to end in tears. Sure enough at the end of lap 2 there are too many of us trying to go through the chase and I end up wide on exit and hit the wall before the pit entry
. My own fault, should have had a plan for the inevitable before it happened.
Anyway down to19th and fight back to12th having good clean battles and the 2nd fastest lap. Kudos to a Brit called nitrogash in a Toyota who let me past on Mountain Straight as I had much better straight line speed. He was quicker over the mountain but never tried anything stupid. Felt a bit sorry for him as he got caught by someone else who clearly wanted to battle and suddenly I was 10 seconds ahead of them.
But I knew I had OK pace at this level so I went again.
Slot 4
Qualy went better this time. Second lap was the counter for Q3 (would have been pole in the earlier race). And this time I get turn 1 right and keep in touching distance of the top 2. A Jag in 4th keeps closing on me over the mountain (an FF car with BB +5 isn't great down the esses to Forrest's Elbow).
Eventually the TT in 2nd slows and I get him on conrod. Then on lap 8 the lead Jag pits and I lead for 4 laps. But the other jag that was Q4 has also passed the TT and is gaining on me fast. I decide I'm going to let him go at Conrod and try to hold his slip for as long as possible. He actually dives up my inside at Forrest's but not an awful move.
Meanwhile the jag that pitted is flying, with 3 to go he is on me. I am really struggling with tyres and go close to beaching it at the top of the mountain. That's enough to let him get past on Conrod and then he starts to swerve as if he thinks I will try a move. Fair play I flash him to say I'm not trying to pass and he gets the message. I manage to hold on to the slipstream up mountain straight on the last lap but again I nearly beach it at the top. That is enough to force me on the defensive to try to protect 3rd from a German in an Aston.
I go super defensive through the chase and try to force him round the outside at the final turn. But he goes for the cutback and it's a drag race to the line which I lose by a few thousandths!! 2nd fastest lap again (fastest was the TT who must have had a mare in the 2nd half of the race as he finished 19th)
But good respectful racing all round which was recognised in the chat after. Interesting that the winner was a no stopping Jag and 2nd was a one stopping Jag. I think 2nd threw it away as he had a 2 second lead from me when he pitted and about 5 seconds to the winner.
But I still got 74 points which will count for me along with my 80 for winning at Sardegna (#humblebrag). I won't make next week's race.
And far more importantly both races were good experiences, felt like proper motor racing (at least as much as possible in GTS) and ultimately that's what I'm looking for.
. That Zavisic is a bit quick!
Although other cars can shred their tyres faster if they don't drive smoothly. Especially so for those who play on control pads, like the Dodge that finished P2 in the race me and Stpatty were in earlier.
