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- United States
- equus_ferrum
I needed more than 267 points to improve on my lowest result this season, so I wasn't expecting to get a result good enough to count in this round. I had to miss the first 2 slots as I was at a wedding, but surprisingly made it home in time for Slot 3. Only 14 people loaded in, and I ultimately qualified P8, over 0.8s off of pole, but pole was over 0.5s ahead of P2, so that meant there was only 0.3s separating me from 2nd on the grid. I'd been busy all week so hadn't had any opportunity to practice fuel saving. I elected to try the 1-stop strategy, but backwards to how most people were apparently doing it. I elected to start on the Hards and go 4 laps before pitting for fuel and Mediums to the end of the race. It actually worked rather well and I ended up P5, rapidly closing on P4 but was maybe 1 lap short of grabbing that spot. It was worth 236 points, and while I had fun, it unfortunately did not count towards my final score, and in fact I would've needed to finish 2nd to even slightly improve on my lowest score. I didn't bother running again because I wasn't expecting to do much better than that.
But while my Suzuka result didn't count, I'm still incredibly pumped about my Daytona result from last week, so I decided to make a belated "photo essay" recapping it:
Starting grid (I'm the maize and blue Corvette starting in P2).
The gap the pole-sitting Supra had to the rest of us at the start of Lap 4
My view of the same gap to the Supra (I'd now fallen back to 3rd).
The aftermath of the leading Supra striking the tires at the end of the wall after turning too tightly into T1, only moments after the previous images. The black and yellow Jag had to take evasive action.
I went for a move on the Jag into the International Horseshoe, and emerged with the lead of the race as things got a bit messy behind me.
My lead on the pack behind me at the start of Lap 6.
How much the 2nd-place Jag managed to close the gap by the time we pitted on Lap 11.
Another view of the gap between us entering the pits.
After the lead change later on Lap 12
Me getting the lead back after the Jag got a shortcut penalty at the chicane at the end of Lap 14.
The Jag taking the lead from me once again at the start of Lap 16.
Deja vu as the Jag also meets its demise at the hands of the T1 tire barrier, after having just retaken the lead from me moments before.
My lead over the new 2nd place, a BMW Z4, at the start of Lap 17.
The gap between me and 2nd at the end of the final lap.
My winning margin after the Z4 had to serve a penalty for cutting the chicane (still less than 1s separating us at the finish).
Clearly I was far from the fastest in the race, as evidenced by how easily I was caught and/or passed several different times by multiple cars, but I simply drove within my limits and avoided mistakes, which was enough to get a win.
But while my Suzuka result didn't count, I'm still incredibly pumped about my Daytona result from last week, so I decided to make a belated "photo essay" recapping it:
Starting grid (I'm the maize and blue Corvette starting in P2).
The gap the pole-sitting Supra had to the rest of us at the start of Lap 4
My view of the same gap to the Supra (I'd now fallen back to 3rd).
The aftermath of the leading Supra striking the tires at the end of the wall after turning too tightly into T1, only moments after the previous images. The black and yellow Jag had to take evasive action.
I went for a move on the Jag into the International Horseshoe, and emerged with the lead of the race as things got a bit messy behind me.
My lead on the pack behind me at the start of Lap 6.
How much the 2nd-place Jag managed to close the gap by the time we pitted on Lap 11.
Another view of the gap between us entering the pits.
After the lead change later on Lap 12
Me getting the lead back after the Jag got a shortcut penalty at the chicane at the end of Lap 14.
The Jag taking the lead from me once again at the start of Lap 16.
Deja vu as the Jag also meets its demise at the hands of the T1 tire barrier, after having just retaken the lead from me moments before.
My lead over the new 2nd place, a BMW Z4, at the start of Lap 17.
The gap between me and 2nd at the end of the final lap.
My winning margin after the Z4 had to serve a penalty for cutting the chicane (still less than 1s separating us at the finish).
Clearly I was far from the fastest in the race, as evidenced by how easily I was caught and/or passed several different times by multiple cars, but I simply drove within my limits and avoided mistakes, which was enough to get a win.
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