- 4,853
- Buffalo, NY
- PURE_DrWatson
Great race on my end. Had the most fun I've had in ages in this game. Definitely this season after Fuji; hate the track; no time to practice no real pace to speak of but I'd already written that one off after pushing the bull fighting triplets into competition.
Laguna Seca, always a strange mistress... like driving there but never really seem to get good finishes. Had one fantastic miata race there but at the same time got owned by a flying yellow banana who decided worst-2-first is fun. Barely made D1 not getting the car to hook up in quali and chose the absolute wrong pit-strategy and got an ok finish only due to attrition.
Then LeSarth (which I also hate) .... didn't go well. But at least the car felt great and I salvaged the best from the worst with dumb luck and a solid drive.
Was greatfull to even make the "big show" after botching qualifying. Morning warm-up the car felt good and I was actually pretty optimistic after being 5th on the time sheet before tech inspection with a bobbled 46.0 and a practice pb of 45.8. With the draft I figured starting from the back wasn't a super-big-deal anyway.
Turn1 was professional clean. 👍 ... seriously ... you could operate on a patient in the chicane everyone was so sterile and precise. Just chilling behind Jason letting the tires warm up it looked like Eddie and Dan behind weren't in a big hurry either so all was going well. After ascari though there was a bit of a dust-up which pushed us into some 4-wide scary business toward the parabollica. Somehow we managed to find enough road to accommodate and were on our way for lap2.
I was staying with Jason but Kevin was in front and looked like he was coming to grips with the pressure of having RT under his wing on cold tires so a gap was opening already... Jason got around on the straight IIRC and kev gave me a bit if a bobble going into della rogia so I undercut him and closed up to RT by ascari thinking we might be able to get away from the others.
Unfortunately I underestimated the draft and overestimated the warmth of my tires coming down to parabollica and had a "hold the road, hold the road, come on!" moment of understeer on the way in... It bit finally, but the left rear stepped off the road and snapped me around. Thankfully I was ready for it, and had enough space to the Dan, Eddie, Kevin train that I was able to stay in the race with a lazy slide and no spectacular shower of body parts.
Got back on my horse and started clicking off 46's determined to catch back up considering it was still very early and I'd only lost ~8-10s. The group of three in front was running mercifully slow so it didn't take long before I got back into DRS range and pulled up with the group. I was pleased but the gap was growing and we were going kind of slow. Watched a few 1'47s go by and started to do risk analysis.
While I was getting anxious Kevin threw sand up in Ascari bunching Eddie and I while the Xanavi pulled a gap that was heartbreaking. So I jumped on Kevin and Eddie determined to not let Paginas pull away.
At this point we went by the other Petronas car looking for treasure on parabollica beach. Eddie and I lost Kevin somewhere and we sort-of worked together to catch that GTR. Pushing each other everywhere but the main straight. Though we were a bit too racy for our own good. Catching Dan up little by little but running out of laps as I was desperate to be the head of the spear but it looked like Eddie was having trouble driving in the dirty air. So we continued to leapfrog the straight doing inconsistent pace, but at least not slow.
By the teens we'd gotten so close to the DRS gap I gave up and just started pushing Eddie down the straight hoping he would get us both into the draft... Then in the late teens when we were closer than ever the tires started to slow us down and Eddie ducked in at the end of 17. Dan stayed out and I was soooo close to catching that wind and really wanted the *free* time it would give that I stayed out. Pushed the tires to a low 46; but that just made up the time lost on Eddie's pit lap and wasn't enough to hit the DRS tractor beam.
Was going to give it another lap to burn up the tires before the stop. Tires had another fast one in them and I could taste the draft heading down to parabollica but the outside rear was starting to go and it let me know when I hit the throttle to power down the straight and the back end tried to step out. When it happened again in turn1 I woke up and saw that the race was over half-over and nige was also behind me so I better pit lest I give the leader a tow.
I lost a bucket of time in the pit, even though my in lap wasn't slow by any means... I creepily drove through a Z into my pit box. The 430 has been thirsty for fuel lately but the pit guy said 12L. Which I reluctantly took since any more would slow my stop. But the yellow bugger must have had a cracking out lap because he flew by before I was even back in control. Warming up the tires to match his sticky boys was impossible so I just had to helplessly watch him get away on my out lap.
As we hit the straight Pag came out of the pits stopping a lap after me and I was sinking even lower thinking they'd hook up and leave me dry. I hoped fighting on cold tires would slow them both down at first so I pushed hard to catch before it was too late popping into the low 46 on the first non-pit lap. Then I was so relieved to see them start dicing not bumping.
At this point I was all-in not going to waste the gift they were giving and just plowed on trying to close that draft gap. Hit 45.8 equaling my pb; new pb 45.6, 46.0, then knew I had the wind when my pb fell again to 45.4. Did a super hot one with draft on both ends for 45.1 closing right up on them as I was getting even more good luck with a petronas car showing up.
Paginas and Eddie got around as the lexi was squirming; saw it was Kevin and thought he must have been trying a zero stop so I just slungshot by and grabbed onto Eddie and Paganis... back in the group at last. But running out of road being in the meat of the 20s by now and something like 30 seconds behind the leaders.
I followed the first lap and I think we buzzed by an HSV on the side of the road after Ascari... that was another surreal way to get a free one; but soon forgotten because after doing all those 45s seeing a 46.6 pop onto my screen was unacceptable to me.
The car was just coming alive on low fuel so I *needed* to be the head of the spear this time. I took Eddie on the straight, closed right up under the wing of the Xanavi and went all Fernando Alonso buzzing under Dan in curve grande. It seemed to take him off-guard but we got into della roja no problem and I was pushing like mad to try and stay in front.
I took the inside line down the straight to show that I was prepared to fight for turn1, and thank the stars when the 45 popped on the screen apparently Dan thought it was best for me to be in front because he started pushing down the straights. We started to settle into a good bump draft; 45.3, 45.4, 45.3 ... by then the race was almost over and we'd gone by another curiously parked HSV when I got the first whiff of a blue car on the horizon... and another one in-front.
Bolstered by being in P7 with 5th in sight on lap 30/36 I saw blood in the water. Knowing I'd stopped later than mid-way I figured my tires were good to go, Paginas was doing a steller job of pushing; hell we might be able to catch those buggers... Push, push, push push... 45.1 ... who cares what my pb is anymore... 45.0; 44.6! ... hello GTR(s).
Passed the Calsonic into turn 1 and as expected he was going to fight for it. Took me back into della roja; I cut back under him on exit and had P6 back for the lesmos still flying full out and sliding it in 4th through the end of Ascari; but Johan closed back up in s3 and being so close to the end of the race I was in race mode again forgetting lap times and defending the inside line to turn1 when *booom*. Two GTRs go sliding off next to me and I was like *whoah* .... not my accident; ok... oh shi* eddie's still there; go go go.
I was starting to get nervous about fuel.. eddie took me on the straight to lead the last lap... i went into limp mode behind him, short-shifting and lifting waiting to pounce on the last corner. But my gauge went red between the lesmos putting the fear into me again.
I stuck with him but all that pushing had made my left rear pretty ragged and the car tried to step out in the last trip through the prarabollica and the yellow one stole my glory at the line.
GR guys. Great fun. Glad we recovered from last week in spades. 👍
Laguna Seca, always a strange mistress... like driving there but never really seem to get good finishes. Had one fantastic miata race there but at the same time got owned by a flying yellow banana who decided worst-2-first is fun. Barely made D1 not getting the car to hook up in quali and chose the absolute wrong pit-strategy and got an ok finish only due to attrition.
Then LeSarth (which I also hate) .... didn't go well. But at least the car felt great and I salvaged the best from the worst with dumb luck and a solid drive.
Was greatfull to even make the "big show" after botching qualifying. Morning warm-up the car felt good and I was actually pretty optimistic after being 5th on the time sheet before tech inspection with a bobbled 46.0 and a practice pb of 45.8. With the draft I figured starting from the back wasn't a super-big-deal anyway.
Turn1 was professional clean. 👍 ... seriously ... you could operate on a patient in the chicane everyone was so sterile and precise. Just chilling behind Jason letting the tires warm up it looked like Eddie and Dan behind weren't in a big hurry either so all was going well. After ascari though there was a bit of a dust-up which pushed us into some 4-wide scary business toward the parabollica. Somehow we managed to find enough road to accommodate and were on our way for lap2.
I was staying with Jason but Kevin was in front and looked like he was coming to grips with the pressure of having RT under his wing on cold tires so a gap was opening already... Jason got around on the straight IIRC and kev gave me a bit if a bobble going into della rogia so I undercut him and closed up to RT by ascari thinking we might be able to get away from the others.
Unfortunately I underestimated the draft and overestimated the warmth of my tires coming down to parabollica and had a "hold the road, hold the road, come on!" moment of understeer on the way in... It bit finally, but the left rear stepped off the road and snapped me around. Thankfully I was ready for it, and had enough space to the Dan, Eddie, Kevin train that I was able to stay in the race with a lazy slide and no spectacular shower of body parts.
Got back on my horse and started clicking off 46's determined to catch back up considering it was still very early and I'd only lost ~8-10s. The group of three in front was running mercifully slow so it didn't take long before I got back into DRS range and pulled up with the group. I was pleased but the gap was growing and we were going kind of slow. Watched a few 1'47s go by and started to do risk analysis.
While I was getting anxious Kevin threw sand up in Ascari bunching Eddie and I while the Xanavi pulled a gap that was heartbreaking. So I jumped on Kevin and Eddie determined to not let Paginas pull away.
At this point we went by the other Petronas car looking for treasure on parabollica beach. Eddie and I lost Kevin somewhere and we sort-of worked together to catch that GTR. Pushing each other everywhere but the main straight. Though we were a bit too racy for our own good. Catching Dan up little by little but running out of laps as I was desperate to be the head of the spear but it looked like Eddie was having trouble driving in the dirty air. So we continued to leapfrog the straight doing inconsistent pace, but at least not slow.
By the teens we'd gotten so close to the DRS gap I gave up and just started pushing Eddie down the straight hoping he would get us both into the draft... Then in the late teens when we were closer than ever the tires started to slow us down and Eddie ducked in at the end of 17. Dan stayed out and I was soooo close to catching that wind and really wanted the *free* time it would give that I stayed out. Pushed the tires to a low 46; but that just made up the time lost on Eddie's pit lap and wasn't enough to hit the DRS tractor beam.
Was going to give it another lap to burn up the tires before the stop. Tires had another fast one in them and I could taste the draft heading down to parabollica but the outside rear was starting to go and it let me know when I hit the throttle to power down the straight and the back end tried to step out. When it happened again in turn1 I woke up and saw that the race was over half-over and nige was also behind me so I better pit lest I give the leader a tow.
I lost a bucket of time in the pit, even though my in lap wasn't slow by any means... I creepily drove through a Z into my pit box. The 430 has been thirsty for fuel lately but the pit guy said 12L. Which I reluctantly took since any more would slow my stop. But the yellow bugger must have had a cracking out lap because he flew by before I was even back in control. Warming up the tires to match his sticky boys was impossible so I just had to helplessly watch him get away on my out lap.
As we hit the straight Pag came out of the pits stopping a lap after me and I was sinking even lower thinking they'd hook up and leave me dry. I hoped fighting on cold tires would slow them both down at first so I pushed hard to catch before it was too late popping into the low 46 on the first non-pit lap. Then I was so relieved to see them start dicing not bumping.
At this point I was all-in not going to waste the gift they were giving and just plowed on trying to close that draft gap. Hit 45.8 equaling my pb; new pb 45.6, 46.0, then knew I had the wind when my pb fell again to 45.4. Did a super hot one with draft on both ends for 45.1 closing right up on them as I was getting even more good luck with a petronas car showing up.
Paginas and Eddie got around as the lexi was squirming; saw it was Kevin and thought he must have been trying a zero stop so I just slungshot by and grabbed onto Eddie and Paganis... back in the group at last. But running out of road being in the meat of the 20s by now and something like 30 seconds behind the leaders.
I followed the first lap and I think we buzzed by an HSV on the side of the road after Ascari... that was another surreal way to get a free one; but soon forgotten because after doing all those 45s seeing a 46.6 pop onto my screen was unacceptable to me.
The car was just coming alive on low fuel so I *needed* to be the head of the spear this time. I took Eddie on the straight, closed right up under the wing of the Xanavi and went all Fernando Alonso buzzing under Dan in curve grande. It seemed to take him off-guard but we got into della roja no problem and I was pushing like mad to try and stay in front.
I took the inside line down the straight to show that I was prepared to fight for turn1, and thank the stars when the 45 popped on the screen apparently Dan thought it was best for me to be in front because he started pushing down the straights. We started to settle into a good bump draft; 45.3, 45.4, 45.3 ... by then the race was almost over and we'd gone by another curiously parked HSV when I got the first whiff of a blue car on the horizon... and another one in-front.
Bolstered by being in P7 with 5th in sight on lap 30/36 I saw blood in the water. Knowing I'd stopped later than mid-way I figured my tires were good to go, Paginas was doing a steller job of pushing; hell we might be able to catch those buggers... Push, push, push push... 45.1 ... who cares what my pb is anymore... 45.0; 44.6! ... hello GTR(s).
Passed the Calsonic into turn 1 and as expected he was going to fight for it. Took me back into della roja; I cut back under him on exit and had P6 back for the lesmos still flying full out and sliding it in 4th through the end of Ascari; but Johan closed back up in s3 and being so close to the end of the race I was in race mode again forgetting lap times and defending the inside line to turn1 when *booom*. Two GTRs go sliding off next to me and I was like *whoah* .... not my accident; ok... oh shi* eddie's still there; go go go.
I was starting to get nervous about fuel.. eddie took me on the straight to lead the last lap... i went into limp mode behind him, short-shifting and lifting waiting to pounce on the last corner. But my gauge went red between the lesmos putting the fear into me again.
I stuck with him but all that pushing had made my left rear pretty ragged and the car tried to step out in the last trip through the prarabollica and the yellow one stole my glory at the line.
GR guys. Great fun. Glad we recovered from last week in spades. 👍
