Division 3 Season 3

Ahh, that explains a few things! You obviously couldn't see me Raptor? We came together 3 times, which resulted in me losing a spot to you each time. Was starting to wonder if you could see me at the time.

Hopefully we should get back to normal next week if Telstra don't decide to dick around with my cable on a Sunday night again, and PD/PSN behave. It sounds like a few others had issues too. Felt bad for Serge again, and Sparklehead, bad luck guys.

I'm very happy to take 3rd place behind some very quick drivers in Groover and Moozer.
After the initial issues getting everyone into one room I was keen to get the racing underway and when the lights went out I think it was S54 who was very slow getting off the line (obviously due to his display issues), and I was able to move around the outside and claim a quick position before turn 1.

Running in close formation for the first few laps was a challenge, particularly through turns 1/2 where you were playing with fire if you tried to stand too close to the sun.

S54 was keeping good pressure on me until he went off, which let Groover, Moozer and I break away and create a gap back to 4th which remained for the rest of the race. Up ahead I watched Groover and Moozer continue their race-long battle and at times I would close the gap right down but then their slightly faster pace each lap allowed them to slowly increase that gap until I made some time up, for it to dwindle away again.

My pit stategy seemed to work just fine and it must have been very similar to the leaders (particularly Moozer) and we were pretty much back into the same formation after both pit stops.

All in all my consistency was very good for the whole race, with the large majority of my laps being within 1 second or so of each other.
I kept a watchful eye out on our newest Div 3 competitor (Raptor) who drove really well for his first race and secured 4th place in his debut run - well done Raptor!

Very happy with team HTO's performance again (claiming P2 and P3 points for the team) and I look forward to next week's sprint round at Trial Mountain (probably my favourite track)!
Hopefully PD plays nice next week so we can have a full grid....

Ahhh ok make more sense then. Bad luck I guess..

If you see that in practice speak up, as with the close racing, if you can't see people it will totally wreck peoples races.


On another note, Im all for including as many people as possible (and I was one of the people saying reset), but starting at 9:15pm really is too late, particularly for anyone in NZ.

Yeah last night was a bit of a bugger with connections it was pretty hard sitting around waiting for so long after qualifying I had lost all my motivation when we started the race and struggled for a while trying to find pace. But I knew it would have been a tough race with moozer and doodle being so quick again and bad luck for skywalker I no he had pace as well and it would have been worse if things didn't happen to him at the start he would have been up with there with us top 3.
toughest race I have had so far but so much fun I have the biggest respect for the top runners who are keeping it super clean with side by side racing and no rubbing and leaving enough racing room and that's why we are all here thanks guys.
Me and moozer were so close the whole race keeping in each others slip stream with doogle just behind but we couldn't shake each other so we all went into the pits at different times and I was hoping that would give us all space but that didn't work so my 2nd pit stop I thought I would change my plans and pit earlier than I wanted to get out of dirty air seeing as me and moozer were fighting the whole time and doogle was catching quick and we would lose more time.
but I got held in pits for a sec or 2 which when I come back on track the gap ended up the same anyway and I knew I had made a mistake pitting when I did because it was early and my tyres were shot at the end and didn't have front grip when moozer got past me but last lap moozer made a mistake on 2nd corner which let me back past until the tunnel but having to change my line from missing mooz I didn't have a good line and he got me back so I only had 1 more chance of getting a good run out of the tunnel and in his slip stream down to the last corner but I stuffed it and touched the grass on exit of the tunnel which made me drift and I knew then I lost 1st place.

But what a race it was a tough one and am looking forward to the next race.
Congrats to moozer on the win and to me and doogledave for the podium and some more good HTO team points let's keep it up cheers.

Hi Gary I think I seen you at the start of the race and were pretty sure you were chasing me in the opening laps but then you disappeared! On my screen the only time I came close to someone was when I was on the inside going 3 wide (I think) inside down the tunnel (and I think you and I did some bump drafting heading up to the hairpin on one lap) on the opening laps then my entire race consisted of trying to keep pace with doodle, thinking I've done alright with the next car 15sec behind and I'm sitting pretty safe in 2nd lol...

I didn't know you could save a full race replay until Stu told me after the session, if anyone would be kind enough to send us a copy of the replay of the race, I'd be keen to have a look and see what chaos I caused throughout so I can offer any apologies if needed.

Also someone else made the comment before the race started in the new room that there was only 6 in the room at the time which is what it was showing on my end (so I thought I was all good, people just had not decided to come back in) so I think I wasn't the only one in this situation?

Just make sure she doesn't watch the vids online during your Sunday race!

That was me asking if there were only 6 on track, because that's all I could see. I thought the same thing though that people had decided to not race because it was so late.
Then I figured there must have been more that I couldn't see after people who weren't on my driver list talking about being out of order!!
I know the drama that can be caused by not being able to see the full field, so I just pulled over off the grid and didn't bother racing.

I think because of the room issues last night everyone was just keen to get underway ASAP and the fact that some people couldn't see the entire field was over-looked until the race had begun.

Sometimes life gets in the way and we can't always be on time, but where possible it is encouraged to be online as early as possible for a few last minute practice laps (or perhaps we should label it "room testing"), before qualifying begins.
It is during this time where the whole field can get online and make sure everyone can see one another - BEFORE starting quals and eventually the race.

We seemed to have a reasonably stable room until Gary left to reset and from then on it seemed to go downhill for some.

Perhaps for future rounds we should do a quick check before qualifying to make sure,
a) everyone is present on track (which we generally do)
b) each driver can see the entire field on-track
c) there doesn't seem to be any major lag issues (which can be tested during last minute practice/room testing)

In the event of a room reset, these should be re-checked before racing commences.

Hatfield did the right thing and posted he was running late and we decided to wait. Had it not been for the PD issues he'd experienced upon trying to join the initial room (which were out of his control), we probably would have had little issues. It was only after the room reset where things seemed to go pear-shaped - and looking back we should have made sure that everyone could see everyone else on track.

Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?!?!?

Onwards and upwards.

thanks for that Floodsim yeah I'll guess I'll do the same as you did if I'm confronted with the same situation again now I know that what happened is a possibility etc

You wouldn't believe how close I was to following you into the sand on Turn 1! It was a matter of millimetres, I was all over that concrete apron! Luckily the Mazda decided to turn in at the very last minute or else we would have been having a beach party! And the short battle we had was awesome as usual, I think I got a good switchback move on you out of the tunnel and up the hill!

Race wise it wasn't great. Only managed 8th in qualy, got a good start, and made up a spot, but got muscled back to 10th or so by halfway through the first lap. Made up spots with a few good passes including the switchback on Stumbles and an inside move into turn 1 & 2 on Saved I think. Also a few people spun here and there gifting me a position. i think I made it as far as 6th by the end of the first stint. I pitted end of lap 12 which was a lap earlier than everyone else, but i think I went in too fast and got reset. After the pitstops, I was further behind and down a spot. Mid second stint I was in a good battle for 7th-6th-5th with Stumbles & Gary when I muffed up the tunnel and spun, putting me back into 9th. I went long on the second stint and was happy when i saw the majority of people in the pits end of lap 25. So lap 26 I ducked into an empty pit land, making sure I braked so I didn't get reset..

Coming out of the pits i was surprised to have lost yet another huge chunk of time to the guys ahead. For the last stint it was a matter of not trying to come last, which I still managed to do! LOL. Couldn't work out that last stint, was very weird. Even though I did my fastest lap in it.

Oh well, onwards and upwards. From here I think I will just be happy NOT to finish last!

What a night hey! Was struggling in qual and was sitting about 5th/6th but decided to pit for new tyres for one last shot which paid off to get second on the grid. Start was terrible, thought I jumped so lifted off, but Groover did jump and got penalised, and Skywalker had issues so we all got away bad together.
Spent the whole race with Groover, not being able to break each others slip stream. I pushed longer on pit strategy (14/27) and the fresher tyres at the end made the difference. Was watching Doogle in the mirrors the whole time also who couldn't quite get the slipstream but I knew any mistake and he would have me. Well deserved podium dave.
Great lap times from all, we have a quick division and don't discount the benefit of running in clean air at the front to help your race pace which is helping Groover, Dave and myself at the moment.
Congrats to TF22RAPTOR on a great first race, and groover for his fair and professional driving.

Having trouble signing into PSN at the moment, will keep trying

we're all down mate. Whole PSN

Everyone is raptor. Check shout box on forum home page

Raptor, watch the shoutbox on the main forum page.

Looks like the PSN is down worldwide...
At 8pm if it is still down the mods will call this week postponed...stay tuned!