Hey Guys,
I finally finished the website and shop! Thank goodness, that was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Everything I do is self taught from sewing all the way to building a website so I am very proud of being able to say it's online.
OK Here it goes.
I have been hovering around the GTP forums for quite some time now. I usually go straight to the hardware forum. Luckily one day I saw the original post for the championship and signed up. Much to my surprise I was accepted.
I immediately realized that I have never turned any consecutive laps in the title and due to my work schedule that was not going to change, first mistake; no practice.
With that in mind I continue. In all honesty I turned my first meaningful laps on the track and in the game 2hrs before race test. This was not the best thing to do but I always felt that I was a safe driver if nothing else so I felt confident in my abilities to adapt, boy was I wrong.
Prerace log in.
I had no idea how the invite worked and to be honest it’s pretty cool as you all know. Once in the lobby I realized the first error of my naivety. I didn’t have a mic. I have never felt so detached in all my online racing endeavors this will be corrected by next official session for sure.
Game launches and we are in game. I’ll admit I was a little nervous but that’s what draws me to online racing. After a few laps of qualifying its apparent and official, I’m slow. I have disgraced the prancing horse and I know it. I tell myself that this will change. I’ll never be the fastest but I damn sure will become competitive!
Back to reality.
Race start:
I Q last of the humans I believe and if not it’s only because a human decided not to Q. Obviously I am not familiar with the starting procedure and I think the official lights out are for the warm up lap but NO it’s race on. Up in front of me I see shrapnel flying and manage to avoid it. I gain a few places and I’m all of a sudden feeling a bit racey. Through T1, T2 and T3, all is going great so I snuggle down into my cockpit and hit the DRS Button thinking I’m going to get a slight advantage, DOH! DRS is not enabled yet, LOL. I am blazing down the long straight along the side of my new and soon to be racing rival Jarno Trulli the AI driver from hell! We lock wheels and he doesn’t back out, nor do I thinking he has to let off at some point. Much to my disappointment he stays in it. Furthermore, I know for a fact that when I looked over at him he was looking back at me and then he did it, he spun me. I’m all knuckles and elbows. I can’t save it and I hit the wall. Nose gone, Rear wing is gone and I have to pit.
I return to the track and finally settle into my snail pace rhythm. I’m feeling good; I’m getting racey with the AI. Based on my initial experience I give them some respect and whom do I see in the distance? That’s right, Trulli!
At this point I am about to get lapped for the first time and I have to hold off on my assault on Mr. Trulli. I let the leaders pass, I remember thinking how great it would be to scrapping it out lap after lap at full speed with those guys and then they’re gone. I get back to my battle with the Mr. T. I swear I gave him room, I gave him respect and what does he do? He crashes me again! I limp back to the pits almost crying now. I have real human racers speeding by me, heck I have Ai speeding by me so on my long trip back to the pit lane I make a promise to myself, I am going to get Trulli if it’s the only thing I accomplish during this race.
Back on track, I have no idea where the leaders are all I know is that I’m 2 laps down and I’m looking for Trulli. I tool around for a bunch of laps and get the call to pit so I do just that. Great pit stop and I’m back on track. I have to say, there is a sim racing God because who do I enter the track right behind? TRULLI!!! I get my race face on and I stalk him for one lap meanwhile the human racers are passing me thinking I’m just another Ai racer and that’s OK with me because at this point in time I am just another Ai racer and I’m in the race.
Through T1, T2 and T3 down the back stretch where it all began I make my move on Mr. Trulli. We lock wheels and it’s on! This time I’ll take the contact exp deduction! I’ll take the possibility of being spun again, what I won’t take is anything from Trulli again. I push him into the wall and he crashes. Was it juvenile? Yes. Was it against the racing code for racing humans? Yes. Was it pure pleasure? YES!
I finish the rest of the race with a smile on my face. I didn’t care that I was the slowest human by a long way, I didn’t care that I had absolutely no strategy, I didn’t care that I had no idea as to how I should set up my pit stops and consequently my car was crap, all of that was fine and acceptable. I know one thing for sure; Mr. Jarno Trulli will truly be giving me respect the next time we meet on track.
I had a fantastic time and I promise to be a better human like racer next time instead of the Ai like racer that I was.
Thanks for reading,
simBOOT
I AM OFFICIALLY THE WORLD CHAMPION 👍 
(18th,17th,11th,14th and DNF)
