GTP NASCAR SPRINT CUP S3 Champs: RFLX_Niop, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota

[Niop]

What I don't yet understand is how in the 32-lap the best lap time from everyone was 5.17-5.19 and in the 10 lap race the best lap from everyone was around 5.42..
That's like 25 seconds? We didn't do anything different..right?
I mean..watch the replay yourself.. o.O

For the final lap we ran a 5:24, everyone was just taking it easy for most of the race.

 

[MustangRyan]

In a five car push I found it hard to hit 220mph but it still seamed like the cars ran a lot slower

In the 32-lap race, we had 6 cars in a straight line, pushing 100% throttle the entire way around. 2-car pushing doesn't allow for speeds much over what, 217mph? Each extra car adds about 2 mph, as I think we were running 225mph in our 6-car train.

 

[RedPartyhat]

For the final lap we ran a 5:24, everyone was just taking it easy for most of the race.

Ah, didn't see the last lap. Best lap was around 5.20.
Can't believe what happened to Knelly though, he went from first to last on the last lap. I got caught in the same wreck and went from 2nd to 4th.

 

[cgr-10]

I can't catch a break recently in any of my racing, it's really annoying.

Congrats to Joe on the good finish and RFLX on the win 👍

EDIT: At least my internet has got back to a good level; gone from a F to C grade on the speed test website.

 

[Mudd]

Looks like I missed a great race. Congrats, Niop (even though I'm tired of saying that ) Nice job Carbon, and thanks for running my 'colors' for the day. 6th place at an oval with these guys is very respectable. 👍

 

[Knelly]

What happened between me and Knelly...I mean talk about a race of inches.
I got loose when we reached turn 3, so the car dipped under the line, I tried to bring it back in so I was on the low line. Knelly was just on top of me. Niop came and gave him a push. And maybe because I got into him or he came down low onto me, maybe both.. I caught his back end. I mean just watching the replay, it was an absolute love tap and Knelly just lost it. And Tom who was in the back of our pack got caught into it unfortunately. I'm just lucky that my car didn't get in a terrible position when I was wrecked and was able to get back up and finish the race in a position I might have finished anyway even if there wasn't a wreck.
The second pack never caught me even after I wrecked. I was alone as my teammate MULE was with the other pack. Had there been no wreck, both of Ford team, both of SGR, Droptop all vs me. I was just thinking of what on Earth am I going to do for 1st. So 4th isn't that bad for me, I coulda had 6th..

In another note: PD updated replay viewing, so much easier to skip through the race and finding the precise moment you want, instead of just skipping an entire lap. I don't know why PD mentions the little things they do for convenience in their maintenance updates. =\

Think you hit the nail on the head Red, however sick I feel. After you were loose and came back up, we were door to door. I mean, not even a cig paper between us. BUT, we both held our lines like pro's right there.

Right then I had the win, I'm confident of it. But it was Niops push that squeezed my car down the camber into your side. Maybe you came up slightly but by then we were stuck together.

What happened after that is just last turn NASCAR racing. Nobody could do anything about it, and nobody did a thing wrong.

Doesn't mean I don't feel as sick as a dog though. It was all planned out. SGR / JRM were already on a 5 out of 6 winning streak, and then the Nationwide boys swept with a 1, 2, 3. Myself and Niop were in the prime position to sweep the SC as well, and make it 7 wins out of the last 8. Well, we did that but just without the sweep that should have been.

We went out looking to see what happens and conserve as much as possible. But we had our numbers down as well knowing where we needed to be changing it up. The very next lap was led by Niop, as planned, and again we were in the perfect position to finish off the perfect weekends strategy, if not for just pure hardcore racing becomming the winner.

Anyway, awesome win buddy. Great to see Champ

Joe, I feel for you as well tonight. Both Indycar and SC you came second by 4 hundreths of a second each race. Bitter sweet man.

Good tacticle racing guys. Can't wait to see what lap amount Drop puts in for this race next season 👍

Now to get ready for my sleepless night of what SHOULD have been

 

[cgr-10]

Know the feeling Knelly, felt pretty damn sick after both races this weekend

IIRC, PartyHat and myself should overtake ACDC and I think we may even be on level points (unless he lead a lap last night). Should be an awesome duel for the final chase spot at Indy, good luck to all 👍

 

[kenkwilinski]

Wow so its possible to drive like a granny to save fuel for ten laps here at 5:44 with 5 car pack. When a 5 car pack can pit once, loss 45sec but do 5:20 laps which is only 25sec faster but at two laps you would fly past the grannys. So what's the deal? Did you guys NOT go all out and race? Or no one working together anymore? Because I know you can drive 5:44 in tandem not 5 cars. Someone please explain.

 

[Furinkazen]

Wow so its possible to drive like a granny to save fuel for ten laps here at 5:44 with 5 car pack. When a 5 car pack can pit once, loss 45sec but do 5:20 laps which is only 25sec faster but at two laps you would fly past the grannys. So what's the deal? Did you guys NOT go all out and race? Or no one working together anymore? Because I know you can drive 5:44 in tandem not 5 cars. Someone please explain.

Whats your deal? We arrived to race and we did...

(Sorry sounded a little aggresive)

 

[MustangRyan]

Wow so its possible to drive like a granny to save fuel for ten laps here at 5:44 with 5 car pack. When a 5 car pack can pit once, loss 45sec but do 5:20 laps which is only 25sec faster but at two laps you would fly past the grannys. So what's the deal? Did you guys NOT go all out and race? Or no one working together anymore? Because I know you can drive 5:44 in tandem not 5 cars. Someone please explain.

When half the field pitted at the end of lap 8, they lost about ~40 seconds to the main pack. At that point, RFLX and Knelly took off, having already saved enough fuel (~1/4 tank) to make it the last 2 laps wide-open. RedPartyHat, myself, Joe, and Tom picked up our pace, but continued to save a little fuel behind them, rather than push them. RFLX and Knelly went just fast enough those last two laps that the trailing pack wasn't able to catch up. Looking back, the people that pitted should have left themselves probably 4-5 laps to form a line and push, as the lead pack couldn't have pushed hard enough and saved enough fuel to finish ahead of them without pitting for themselves.

 

[kenkwilinski]

When half the field pitted at the end of lap 8, they lost about ~40 seconds to the main pack. At that point, RFLX and Knelly took off, having already saved enough fuel (~1/4 tank) to make it the last 2 laps wide-open. RedPartyHat, myself, Joe, and Tom picked up our pace, but continued to save a little fuel behind them, rather than push them. RFLX and Knelly went just fast enough those last two laps that the trailing pack wasn't able to catch up. Looking back, the people that pitted should have left themselves probably 4-5 laps to form a line and push, as the lead pack couldn't have pushed hard enough and saved enough fuel to finish ahead of them without pitting for themselves.

I see, so it just happened that way. And I told carbon n matty to leach onto a pack that was going to pit mid race. Seeing that a pit at lap 8 would do no good. And you would need more consecutive fast lap to catch back up. I thought that would've been the general strategy since there's nothing to gain pitting at lap 8. Oh well, I knew it would be a longshot without having a plan with 5 cars.

 

[MustangRyan]

OFFICIAL SS Route X Results:

1. #14 RFLX_Niop (2 laps led) - 20 points, +1 bonus point
2. #43 JoeOfTheFire - 18 points
3. #20 Droptop2001gt (4 laps led) - 16 points, +2 bonus points
4. #83 RedPartyHat - 14 points
5. #83 MULE_9242 (1 lap led) - 12 points, +1 bonus point
6. #88 Carbonox (1 lap led) - 0 points (Nationwide Driver) (+8 points for Mudd)
7. #11 Furinkazen - 10 points
8. #99 Tom_97_COD - 9 points
9. #20 Nater_Racing21 (Pole Position, 1 lap led) - 0 points (Nationwide Driver)
10. #48 MattyMc1996 (1 lap led) - 7 points, +1 bonus point (+5 points for Dowhat13)
11. #42 Knelly - 6 points








Driver's Championship:

Owner's Championship:

Manufacturer's Championship:

 

[nate11x]

Practice room open
1472 - 6118 -4130 - 9224 - 5736

 

[MustangRyan]

From the Stats Department:

The top 5 drivers (Droptop2001gt, JoeOfTheFire, MULE_9242, RFLX_Niop, Knelly) are locked into the Chase, being more than 23 points ahead of 8th place with only one race remaining.

ACDCROCKS123 is currently in the Wild Card slot. However, Tom, Mudd, Crazy, or Furi would automatically take the wild card spot away by winning the Brickyard 400 if ACDC didn't start the race.

If dowhat can earn 14 points at Indy, he is guaranteed to make the Chase.

In order for Mudd to make the Chase, he needs both of the following:
*Score 5 more points than Tom, as Mudd holds the tiebreaker (highest finish)
*Score 7 more points than RedPartyHat if Mudd finishes worse than 5th (RPH would own tiebreaker) -OR- 6 more points than RedPartyhat if Mudd finishes 5th or better (Mudd would own tiebreaker).

Updated stats for the following:
Career Average Finish
Regular Season Average Finish
Oval Average Finish
SS Route X Average Finish

 

[kenkwilinski]

Droptop, I'm not sure if dowhat will want mattys points. He may hold out till the chase if needs another weekend off.

EDIT: scratch that idea, he needs the points and told me to take them for him. I just overlooked that previously, so no need to change the standings. He has no intentions of missing anymore races otherwise.

 

[Knelly]

If not for misfortune around SSRX, my stats should be a whole lot better than they suggest. Very frustrating.

Will just have to save the clean sweep and a Nationwide Drivers and Constructors Title for next week

Plus, SGR are the only team to have two secured drivers in the Chase already.

 

[Mudd]

Wow, a driver that's only shown up for 3 races this season is beating several full time drivers out of a chase position. Nice.

 

[Carbonox]

I think it's a bit stupid though, that a driver who probably only makes 1 or 2 Chase races gets a near-freebie Chase spot.

 

[cgr-10]

I think it's a bit 'off' but there's nothing I can do about it.

 

[Knelly]

The points and rules were always there and somebody is always going to miss out. After all, it is a wildcard spot and not an automatic in.

That time of season that will always have peeps complaining about the points season.

 

[MustangRyan]

I think it's a bit 'off' but there's nothing I can do about it.

Sure there is. Just go out and win the last race and you take his place. I know ACDC only came to three of the first seven races, but he was still in on his total points after six races. He won the Daytona 500, finished second at Indy the next week, and could have won the 600 if he hadn't wrecked with a few laps to go. He's definitely worthy of a Chase spot, as he has as good of a chance as anyone to win any given race when he shows up.

 

[cgr-10]

Sure there is. Just go out and win the last race and you take his place. I know ACDC only came to three of the first seven races, but he was still in on his total points after six races. He won the Daytona 500, finished second at Indy the next week, and could have won the 600 if he hadn't wrecked with a few laps to go. He's definitely worthy of a Chase spot, as he has as good of a chance as anyone to win any given race when he shows up.

I know he's worthy of a spot; anyway, me and PartyHat will be competing for the spot above AC at Indy if he doesn't show up. Even with good luck (which I can't seem to catch), me winning a race is not really gonna happen with this field.

Has he not showed up due to other commitments or cos' he knew he was basically in the chase already?

 

[Niop]

Has he not showed up due to other commitments or cos' he knew he was basically in the chase already?

I think it's a little of both.

 

[MustangRyan]

I know he was at a wedding yesterday, and he was out of town for Monza on a family vacation. The other weeks, I have no idea.

 

[Carbonox]

I know he was at a wedding yesterday, and he was out of town for Monza on a family vacation. The other weeks, I have no idea.

I somehow expected some different commitments, like work or something, but meh, missing a race is still missing a race.

 

[Mudd]

Smoking the first three races and then making absolutely zero effort to even communicate your intensions for the entire remainder of the regular season really doesn't sound like a deserving chase position to me. Who am I to complain, though? The rules were clear and that's what we signed up for, I guess.

 

[MustangRyan]

So what should the requirement be to qualify for the wild card next season?

Minimum percentage of regular season races started? What percentage? Over 50%? More?

Keep in mind that to earn a wild card, you still have to win a race, or have the most points out of everyone if no one outside the Top 7 has a win.

 

[cgr-10]

I think 60% or 2/3 of the races isn't asking too much at all. You could probably include 2/3 point driver starts in that if it seemed a bit high.

 

[Furinkazen]

So what should the requirement be to qualify for the wild card next season?

Minimum percentage of regular season races started? What percentage? Over 50%? More?

Keep in mind that to earn a wild card, you still have to win a race, or have the most points out of everyone if no one outside the Top 7 has a win.

Have best race finish result in standings outside of chase? So for example if an 11th place driver gets a 2nd place, yet 10th doesn't, he's in?

Otherwise its like NASCAR giving Regan Smith a chase spot last year for winning Darlington.

 

[Müle]

Eliminate the wildcard altogether.