I'm back! Real life got in the way this past week, but that just means I can put up a triple length post!
Nations Gr.3 Maggiore Reverse
Race 1
Livery by Kuutatsu_Gamer07
Starting from 12th, I made up a few positions in the first two sectors, but I was hit with a nasty case of tunnel vision into the esses:
My tunnel vision caused me to turn in too late, while the FT-1 on my outside turned in on me, sending him down to 15th and me into the barriers and the back of the pack (We both apologised after the race). The only comfort I could take was that two other guys came together through the esses and took each other out, so at least I was not dead last.
As the race progressed, it became apparent that unfamiliarity with Maggiore GP in reverse was a common theme for this race, as I was up to 12th by the end of lap 4 from multiple excursions from other drivers (and an Audi's dodgy connection). By lap 6, a battle for 10th had begun as a Renault tumbled into the clutches of me, a FT-1 and another RX-Vision.
The battle imploded two laps later, as the FT-1 in 10th ran wide out of the S-bend before Big Bank and slammed me and the other RX-Vision into the gravel on the rejoin.
I got lucky, being able to rejoin safely and retain my place. The Toyota and other RX-Vision were not so fortunate, both spinning out of contention for 10th
A pink Supra that had died as the esses on the opening lap took 10th after the incident, but I was unable to get close enough to make a move. However, I would take 10th after a Chinese Lexus binned it out of the first corner of Sector 4, initiating a battle between me, the Lexus and a pink Beetle. I ended up losing 10th running wide out of the final corner of Sector 3, but I was still in contention for 10th. On the penultimate lap, I dove up the inside of the Beetle into the S-bend before Big Bank, sending him wide. The Lexus then dies to the esses, giving me 10th.
I decided to concede 10th on the final lap to the Beetle as an apology for shoving him wide, but he proceeded to get the esses wrong right after I gave him the place, handing 10th back to me for 94 points.
After the carnage of Race 1, I decided to go again, hoping to captialise on more mayhem without binning it on lap 1. To my dismay, everyone had gotten their act together after Race 1 and the field was much more spread out. I did hold 10th for a while, but I was mugged by a Vantage that had pitted, finishing 11th to lose 3 points and take 91 points instead.
Realising that things ware not going to get any better after this, I called it a day.
Manufacturers - Death Chicane Gr.4
I got into Race 3 after coming home too late to run Races 1 and 2. A decent qualifying placed me in 8th and I got up to 6th.
That was before the Death Chicane murdered me on lap 2.
I had slammed into the second apex instead of ramming into it, which meant that I 'only' lost a ton of momentum down the straight and dropped to 9th instead of ending my race then and there. The ghosting system, in its infinite wisdom, did not ghost me despite my death at the Chicane, resulting in a black AMG running into my rear and handing me a 1 second penalty that dropped me to 11th to add salt to wounds. At least I had a good gap over 12th, so I could focus my eyes forward.
On lap 9, I made a double overtake to reclaim 9th after the Miku AMG got a bad exit out of the Chicane and the 650S unwisely retook the racing line after passing said AMG.
That started a battle over 9th, which became 8th after the polesitter and race leader Lexus bungled the first chicane's exit on lap 7, before unghosting at the wrong time and getting shunted by an unlucky Toyota with nowhere to go, sending the Lexus down the order while the hapless Toyota took a 3 second penalty.
Worst possible time to unghost
Fortunately for the Toyota, a bad run through the esses for me and the pack snapping at my heels prevented me from captialising on the penalty. The Toyota eventually fell into the feuding midfield pack, while the Miku AMG spun out of contention at the hairpin before the penalty line on lap 10. I was briefly in 7th for a few laps, before the Toyota found a second wind and got away from the pack and me on lap 11.
In the dying moments of the race, the yellow/green 650S from earlier tried a move on the inside into the final hairpin on the penultimate lap, but I got the cutback to keep 8th. A Malaysian Aston managed to get the run on me into the final hairpin on the final lap, but ran deep and allowed me to scarper to the line to finish where I started in 8th for 111 points.
Not wanting to gamble my life on another run at the Chicane, I called it quits.
Nations - Karting at the Bull Ring
Setup: DS4 with Weak ABS, BB +4
Livery by PhantasmKnight14
A strong qualifying placed me in 4th, but I was far more concerned with staying on track in the early laps than fighting for places. Two others were not so careful on lap 2, with one guy getting the final two corners completely wrong and the other having his kart snap and suddenly spin out on the final corner. Despite my best efforts, I went off at the penultimate corner on lap 9, dropping one place to 4th.
On lap 11, I got drawn into a battle for 2nd after #3 in 2nd bungled the final corner. I hung back, hoping for someone to slip up. Sure enough, #3 ran wide at the same corner on lap 16, handing me 3rd.
At the start of lap 21, I passed #7 for 2nd to start the real fight for positions. I took the inside into Turn 1, but #7 kept his foot in and turned in on me, allowing #3 and #10 to catch up. However, I was able to stay ahead into the final lap. Had the race ended then and there, I would have gotten 2nd.
It all went wrong on the final lap, as #3 and #7 got the run on me into turn 2. I tried going 3-wide into the penultimate corner, but I was forced to back out. #10 then ran into me backing up, pitching me into a slide that I had to correct at the cost of dropping to 5th. #10 apologised afterwards, but getting 5th when a podium was on the cards is...disappointing.
I don't have high hopes for Sardegna as I suck at tyre management, but I'll give it a shot.
Having to hold the wheel solid whilst making very small movements for 20 minutes is not very comfortable. 
Not helped by having another Brit bump drafting me very close to turn 1... I was very glad when I eventually broke away from him. My rhythm eventually came back to me though, finishing P4 and setting the fastest lap with a 53.694.
