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Michelin Pilot Challenge 2024 - Presented by SNAIL
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Event #3 / Race #1 Recap

Event #3 - Laguna Seca
Friday January 10th, 2025

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Preamble:
I had tickets to the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse game on this night and I'm sitting in my seat looking at the clock being pained by missing this event.

The changes to the grid from Event #2 to Event #3 for various reasons are as follows:
Looks like the races went off with only 15 drivers for this event.

Qualifying Table:
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250110 - Qualifying Table 2.JPG


@THMP took pole position just ahead of @bublyman by a margin of only 0.031. Knowing I was likely to be absent for this event I didn't spend as much time in the practice lobbies in recent weeks so I wasn't sure what to expect. But it's the 3rd different manufacturer to claim pole of the season behind @JDMKING13 's McLaren in Event #1 and @Bologna_Duc 's Corvette in Event #2.

Event #3 / Race #1:
And they're off!! @THMP position at the front was short lived as @bublyman 's McLaren would take the lead upon entering the first turn of the race. The McLarens are so quick off the line.
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LAP #2:
Everybody managed to navigate through the first congested pass through the corkscrew safely. By lap 2, a little space was created between the cars. The following 2 pics show the entire grid from turn 4 on Lap #2.

In the first, we can see @bublyman leading @THMP , @socalnatv , @radliffracing , @JDMKING13 and @Worst_Driver ....
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And rotating the camera to the right 90 degrees, we can see @DublDee in 7th place, followed by @Bologna_Duc , @Fudman420 and @Noob01_lmdead rounding up the top 10.
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As was apparent in the previous photo, two quick unforced errors occurred at this point as @llNovall and @RACECAR would both go for spins. @llNovall would fall from 9th to 14th while @RACECAR would fall back to 15th.
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LAP #3:
We have the race's second lead change. The action between @bublyman and @THMP early on is intense. @THMP would reclaim his lead upon entering sector 3, just after the corkscrew. @socalnatv is sitting rather comfortably in 3rd place
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LAP #6:
@THMP does well leading the race for 3 laps being chased by @bublyman and @socalnatv . @radliffracing and @Worst_Driver still round off the top 5.

Unfortunately, @THMP 's car gets a little loose exiting turn 5 on lap 6. He does really well to reverse himself out of heavy traffic. He would re-enter the track down in 10th spot.
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LAP #8:
I always found that dirty tires can last up to a whole lap at Laguna Seca. @Fudman420 would take advantage of this and he and @THMP would do battle exchanging positions a few times for a few laps. And in the background @Kgffy and @llNovall are about to engage in what I thought was the best battle of this race.
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LAP #9:
The same four cars are having fun with each other but @Kgffy and @llNovall managed to get past @THMP and @Fudman420 . Perhaps @THMP took in a little too much sausage at turn 10 as he spun again and @Fudman420 just couldn't avoid @THMP 's car coming across the track.
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LAP #10:
The two BMW's of @llNovall and @Kgffy are really going at it now pretty fiercely and cleanly. @llNovall managed to get by him between turns 4 and 5 on lap 10.
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LAP #13:
A few laps later, they're still neck and neck. @llNovall goes a little deep at the corkscrew which allows @Kgffy to regain the position.
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LAP #15:
Checking in on our leaders, @bublyman is on a mission and not letting up at all. He's got a pretty comfortable lead and still putting up lap times in the high 1:27.000's . @socalnatv remains in 2nd and @Worst_Driver is holding onto 3rd place. But late in lap 15 is the last time I would be able to frame the top 3 in the same picture. @bublyman just keeps increasing his lead.
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LAP #20:
Oh no!!! An unforced error by @Worst_Driver . He loses the grip coming out of lefthander just after the corkscrew on Lap 20. He'd also wait for a break in traffic before safely re-entering the track in 8th position.
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LAP #22:
@bublyman would not give back the lead he took from @THMP back on Lap 6. He's making his debut in a @llNovall series race and would go on to claim the checkered flag by a margin of over 7 seconds.

Those of us that race in Snail's Sunday Night Spec League got to know him since he joined our group this past October or November and now the rest of you know what we've recently learned... that @bublyman is plenty fast.
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Congrats to @bublyman and to @socalnatv and @JDMKING13 for getting themselves on the podium.

Final Event #3 / Race #1 Results Table:
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Event #3 / Race #1 Broadcast:


Final Thoughts:
  • A quick shout-out to @radliffracing for collecting and sending me the Qualifying and Race Results tables.
  • Anybody looking to get another shot at @bublyman ? All you need to do is to join our Sunday Night Spec League and you'll have 6 cracks at him just about every Sunday.
  • I'll try to have the Event #3 / Race #2 recap done in the next several days.
That how I interpreted Race #1.

DRD_Niagara
Director of Media Relations
 
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“I’m surrounded by Aliens”
Chasing one that I know I won’t catch, and being chased by one that I know will catch me !!!

Great racing Friday night.

Great recap @Buffalo_DRD, as usual. Missed having you in the lineup for Laguna, but looking forward to some quality practice at Bathurst.
 
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