Michael/
@gerber - you backed out of a couple of good high-speed passes, I'm sure you could have made them stick!
I knew the first race was going to be hard work in the Galant and wasn't expecting better than midfield. To get third on the grid was pleasing, as was seeing my buddy
@VEXD on second in the RUF. I had been doing some last minute fine tuning with the GTO, and I realised at the end of quali that I'd screwed up the finely honed first gear takeoff by adjusting the rear springs. Sure enough, the Mitsubishi smoked the tyres on the launch and I was in fourth before La Source with Michael's chrome 'Essex' Esprit overhauling me comprehensively off the line. However, he was very cautious through the hairpin and I got good traction, so the Cosmo, RUF and GTO were away and heading for Eau Rouge. On my screen, VEXD backed out of it and was sideways in front of me (I backed off and there was the barest of contacts) we kept it straight but all I could see after that was smoke as Joe was flailing up ahead of us. We both lost 15mph but all made it safely through, with buybon storming up to pick up the pieces.
At this point, intact but fourth, I decided to just try to keep it tidy. This worked for about two corners and I mucked up Fagnes and Stavelot in turn, letting blue and Malcolm/Glenn through. I managed to recover a place on Malcolm at La Source, although my Vettel line through Eau Rouge could be classed as 'cheeky' after that.
After an error from blue at Les Combes, and a bit of a draught battle, I lost grip through the 100mph Pouhon meaning I went wide. I thought it was all over at that point and settled in only to see blue touch the astroturf before the right turn leading to Stavelot, gifting me fourth going into lap 3.
At the top of the hill I rounded the first part of Les Combes to see a bright red RUF, which was a mixed feeling, but that was third. I then proceded to properly get the Kid Goat out of shape all the way through the Rivage complex and VEXD was on my tail. I held a central line into Pouhon and attemped to make good from the mess. VEXD kept me honest right up until I noticed him closing very fast... and passing me sideways in a cloud of smoke into the Bus-Stop. I was glad I saw it, but again, not so glad I'd lost the chance of a bit more of a battle! VEXD recovered it well and was only a couple of seconds down into lap 4.
From that point forwards it was a run to the line, really. I'd noticed the GTO was a bit pointier and twitchier than I would have liked late in practice, so I'd wound the ARBs off, but this meant my left tyres were wearing a bit faster than my rights. By halfway through lap 7, I was down to 5 at the rear left, the front soon followed. By Blanchimont they were all at 5 and I drifted wide, then missed the earlier braking point for bus-stop. What had been a fair closing on buybon ready to pounce on an error was now lost. Last lap was just caution and tenterhooks, seeing the rear left/front left down to 4. Little did I know buybon was in the same boat, but he handled bus-stop far better than I did again for the last corner!
I think I was lucky to get third, but I'll take it!
Second race was mental. Joe and I battered doors for a heartstopping moment through Blanchimont but I gave him the place (I don't think he'd seen me pull alongside) and I waited patiently with the Mercedes sledgehammer speed and managed to pass him at the top of Kemmel... and then immediately cocked ito up going through Les Combes. He took the place fairly, then I gave him a bit of a Plato-kiss going into Rivage on lap 3. No big harm done, I gave up a little speed but Joe didn't move over on me so went through the left side-by-side until Joe really backed out of it for which I consider myself very lucky.
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At that point it all went a bit Pete Tong. I got on the astroturf at Les Fagnes, Michael passed me at Stavelot, and I mucked up the braking into Bus-Stop and pounded the Esprit's bumper, causing all the chaos and sudden bunching of the pack.
Sorry about that.
Still the race livened up because of it!
I was desperately trying to keep a smooth line after letting Blue, Joe and Michael (& briefly buybon too) past. The powerhouse 300SL passed Michael at the top of Kemmel again but he nailed me at the end of lap 4 as I went wide at Blanchimont and had no grip at the Bus-Stop again. And then... Blue got it squiffy through Eau Rouge and the ensuing three-car chaos gifted me the lead.
Buybon was keeping me pretty honest until Michael was back on his tail at the end of lap 6. I noticed I was holding station JUST, and my front left was wearing so I just held back on the right turns, braking early and powering up gingerly and smoothly to save it.
TRACK LIMITS BE DAMNED! To gansails and courses, stand by the braces, set royals and stunsails!
At the end of lap 7 I thought I was done for, then I saw a rapidly approaching Lotus at Bus-Stop and braced for impact... which did not come. Michael unfortunately overcooked it and I was tailed by buybon alone once again. The Merc's engine had the power to draw away from the little Toyota, but I was really holding on to each corner, driving very defensively on entry and making the brown over gold Merc very wide indeed on the final lap. A barely clean run 20mph down through Blanchimont and I was over the kerbs but stayed in a straightline and edged buybon out onto the racing line, clearly holding onto the inside and really slowing up. I gambled I'd hold traction through Bus-Stop once again and held a clean apex on the exit... and Joe made the most of that as he snatched second at the last gasp.
Madness, I tells ya. Reefer Madness!
And I pitted in the first race, thinking everyone would 
The traction control is way too strong so that's not a solution either, I'd prefer a 1 to 10 system rather than on or off. It's a pain because I can tell it would be amazing with no assists and a wheel, and like you say the track list, car list, graphics etc are miles above GT. Sebring in the wet is fun! 
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Cripes, DS3 must *really* kill tyres. I'm down to 6 by end of lap 4. 
