I took another look at the Race 2 replay this morning. I want to throw this out there for everyone but particularly for Cipher and Cam. Understand I'm not being judgmental here, just offering up some advice for what it's worth and hopefully you can use this advice to your advantage in the future.
You guys could easily have finished 1-2 in that second race. I wasn't anywhere near you guys so I didn't see what happened up front but watching the replay you guys put on a heck of a show. Passing and repassing, lap after lap, door handle to door handle racing with a bit of contact but nothing major. And Cipher's pass on Cam going from full speed down into the dead slow in the first hairpin several laps in could easily be in a demo video of how to complete a pass going into a tight hairpin on a track that's two cars + 1 tire wide. Until you missed your braking point a few laps in Cipher, it was excellent racing.
However, as exciting as those first few laps were, that is what cost you guys the race. I'm as excited as you guys about executing a good pass, and in 4 or 5 laps online sprints it's pass or be passed, there's not much waiting or racecraft. But in these 15 lap races you have really give some thought about where and when to pass. As you and Cam passed and repassed, you're sending a signal to the other guy, "watch your mirrors man I'm coming for you" and so you have to constantly watch and defend and be sure you don't make contact.
This slows you down. You are both capable of running high 58's and given how even the field was and how far back the faster drivers were, you could have won the race with high 58's easily. You guys pulled out a small gap in spite of the battling, enough to break the draft I think early on, but your constant battle allowed the pack behind to catch up. Had the pack not caught up to you Cipher, you would not have been in that position to miss your braking point because it would have been just you and Cam out for a Sunday cruise.
Instead, what you might have done is send a signal to Cam saying, "Go as hard as you can man, don't worry I'm going to slot in behind you and not try to pass". Watch most race replays and you'll see when two fast guys get out in front, inevitably they bump draft to try and create a gap behind them both to secure your position, and so you have some room to breathe and try to make some riskier maveuvres that will slow you a bit, but won't matter because the gap is so big. Had you bump drafted Cam and backed off going into the corners and never "show" a pass, Cam can concentrate on just running hot laps, and you can gain from his draft as well, making you both faster.
If Cam makes a mistake, by all means go on by, and then he can bump draft you for a while to maintain the gap. Usually within 2 laps of the finish, it's understood it's every man for himself at this point and the lead car can now expect a pass at anytime, and so begin blocking and taking a more conservative racing line to close the door behind him.
But had you worked together, bump drafting and swapping places only when mistakes are made, you guys would easily have finished 1-2, I have no doubt of that. It's not always outright speed that wins races, especially on tight tracks like this where it's hard to pass, but good racecraft and patience will always lead to better finishes and more fun in the end.
And again, I offer this up not as criticism, because you guys are entitled to race however you like, there are no rules against racing door handle to door handle every lap. It's cool if that's what you want to do too. But I suspect you guys would have been happier with a 1-2 finish with no passing than how it ultimately turned out, so I hope this helps a little bit for the next race.
Hopefully they price the DLC reasonably, but I'm probably going to be buying it regardless of price. I'll be getting the car and track packs for sure, but the racing gear I'll wait and see if it's worth it.
