- 129
- Berlin
Yesterday's race proved that you don't have to be up front to have some great racing action! My race was basically one big scrap with @IfAndOr, and oh boy, did he put up a fight
The start revealed you don't have to go fast to crash into each other. It's hard to tell from my cockpit, but seemingly @rj5992 decides that his brakes are too cold and brake-checks the rest of the field. @IBZ6L20VT is quick to react and swerves to the left, but @RagingBullLC is not so lucky and makes contact with @rj5992 in front and @richroo to his right.
As we get going, I again get a good exit out of Copse, reminiscent of Monday's race, and put my car to the right of @upuaut mindful that, if I can stay there, I should have the upper hand into Becketts. Approaching the corner, all of the sudden @RagingBullLC is teleported into a parallel universe (seriously, just look at it
) and enters our dimension again right in front of me! I don't have time to scream, let alone brake, but apparently he hasn't fully materialized yet, so I just pass through him. The action continues, as @richroo loses it on the corner entry spinning madly, while @rj5992 cuts in front of @John Wells and is dragged over the circuit like a snowplow. I have to take evasive action, which is ruthlessly exploited by @upuaut to take back the position. On hangar straight the race director waves the green flag and I think to myself: What a couple of first corners! 
The relatively low speed Fords don't allow the field to spread much in the first minutes. On lap 2, I try a late braking maneuver into Copse, but the resulting slide ensures that the gap to @upuaut just gets a bit bigger. @IfAndOr behind me tries to pounce on my mistake and pass me on my right, but loses the drag race up to Becketts. He tries again down Hangar Straight, but again I manage to stay in front. It would not be the last time we play this game
Going through the Woodcote chicane, I have a small moment, and the chance to close to @upuaut is gone, at least for the moment.From now on my game plan is "Be fast out of Becketts!" as @IfAndOr and I start our well choreographed dance that would last until the very end of the race. At times, I can't even see the track in my mirrors, so close is his Escort. Let me take you through a lap of ours: @IfAndOr gets a better exit out of Copse and I keep to the left side of the track to make him go the long way round for Maggotts. This way I stay on front for the entry to Becketts, for which I brake early because: "Be fast out of Becketts!" Covering the inside line (well, middle, most of the times) for Stowe, again @IfAndOr has a better exit, but the following straight isn't long enough for him to pass me. I stay on the left approaching Abbey, after which he either tries a switch back and I cover the inside line, or tries to pass me on the inside but never quite gets near enough to try a late braking maneuver without risking both our races. Note that this could be any of the 18 laps, as @IfAndOr never relieves the pressure. He is so close in the end that his car figuratively and literally slams into the back of mine as the AI takes over for the cool down lap. I have to hand it to @IfAndOr, because he stayed patient and waited for a mistake, always driving calculated but forcefully. I'm not sure I could have done so 👍
We both catch up to @upuaut, and I try to pass him around the outside into Woodcote on lap 5. Expectedly, it doesn't work, and I get a sense of what it must be like for @IfAndOr behind me. I do make it past @upuaut after he runs wide at Club corner on the same lap, and @IfAndOr does the same after he loses control putting his car on the grass coming out of Woodcote.
On lap 12, I make my one mistake and it is, of course, coming out of Becketts. With my game plan ruined, I have to watch in anger as @IfAndOr passes me down Hangar straight. Looking in his cockpit, I can almost see the smirk under his helmet while he does so
On the next lap, just when I pull out of the slip stream on Hangar straight, race leader @beachboy6658 laps me. I hope he expected my move, because this could have been a hairy one... 
@Don Mejillone is hot on his tail and squeezes @IfAndOr just enough into Club that I can sneak past. I vow to once again stick to my game plan and manage to do so until the end of the race.
Last edited:
