poor qualy meant I started well down the order, good battles first couple of laps and then felt like chassis loosened up as I was near the 600km rigidity bubble.. slightly slower pace than practice meant relying on 1 stop to get by the guys in front. looks like the podium guys had a similar strategy so grats on the good race!
So this was gonna be it…the big one! El Grande! Four drivers in the running for the championship…Mario, Hat, Tank and myself. Did a bit of prep re: lines, times, pit strategy during the week and was happy with all. Quali'd 3rd, so no complaints there (Nice pole @flashfirst). Just needed to get away cleanly. (@Tanktex, sadly, couldn't make it.) Now I'll preface the first corner by saying I think the internet owes me an apology…I know it's all we've got, but fair suck of the sav! (Watching the replay of start from @pinoy350 roof cam reverse, and Bob's front facing roof cam, you can see what a gun start @G1bby3lit3 got). I thought I'd broken my accelerator or something, but clearly G1bby got to see the start before anyone else, and jammed it up the middle making it 3 wide with @Hatfield and myself going into T1. Tricky yes, but at this pace there should've been plenty of room…I gave Hat and G1bby racing room by going around the outside. Hat over shot the corner and ghosted, and G1bby turned in too soon, clubbing the inside armco, bouncing off and hitting me, forcing me into the outside armco…and almost to a dead stop. I lost momentum and was then overtaken by @bluexr8, @Stumbles, and subsequently @l33793360 (Bob) as well, thus relegating me from 3rd at the start to 8th by the second corner. To say I had smoke and flames belching from every orifice is an understatement! I managed to squeeze back past Bob at Grand Hotel Hairpin…just…"ok" I says, "head down adronaught…" Hung in there, trying to breathe for next lap and a half, then there's trouble at the chicane…Mario tagged the wall, ghosted letting Hat through, and then turned solid by the time G1bby got there…it was a mayhem! Bob got a better run through it and passed me up the inside at Tabac. Next lap G1bby did the same…my bad, I slid wide. By now all I could see was Flash and Hat's little blue arrows driving away from the carnage. "Must beat Hat", lol! "F@*# it! I'll stick with my strategy", I says, "head down adronaught, you've got nothing to lose now…" A few laps ticked by and then on Lap 5, as if by divine intervention, Stumbles moved across coming out of Piscine (Swimming pool) allowing me to pass and get on with things…you're a proper gentleman Stumbles, and I won't hear of anyone speaking lowly of you…that's sportsmanship right there chaps (or maybe team orders, lol! @NAACS can be a hard task master). Either way, thank you man…I held position behind G1bby and Bob for the next few laps, and we all caught up with blue at end of Lap 7, into Lap 8. Then disaster struck again! I'd briefly turned my mic on to tell G1bby he was lagging as he lag punted blue, and Bob by default as he was close behind, and then myself who was travelling close to Bob. I was going slow and on the brakes Bob but I couldn't see the apex for the smoke, and couldn't avoid you sorry. Stumbles and Ad2mny also 'hit' G1bby's ghosted car at Beau Rivage (T2, slight kink half way up the hill from T1)…WTF? How does that work fellas? G1bby realised he was all over the shop and graciously departed the room in a most sporting gesture…but the damage was done dammit! I shouldn't complain as I was now in 3rd, but Mario was breathing down my neck, and I was trying to make it to the end of lap 13 to pit for tyres and 4 litres of fuel (2 stops? Yes! I ran a 2 stopper in practice today and ran an overall time of 1.09:50 so I looked at it as a way of trying to catch Flash and Hat). Got away from Mario and managed to pit as planned, albeit 20 secs behind the leaders. Hammer time…lol! Stumbles, a bloody champion in my book, let me by at Massenet (T3 at the top of the hill). I was gaining on @SPL-Racing through the tunnel because I had fresh rubber on and he was sliding around out wide, but it was not fresh enough to beat him down the left side to the chicane, or to pull out of the move…SPL left the door wide open and then slammed it shut. I was pinched into the armco and pretty much stopped, letting Stumbles by, and again in a gesture of true kindness let me by at La Rasscasse Fine French Restaurant (T17). Studying the replay, the pass was not really on and I apologise for clobbering you SPL. I'd have shut the door in exactly the same way. It took another lap nearly till I got past at Portier coming into the tunnel. Back to 7th. Head down…planned to pit again on Lap 26. Tyres and 4 litres of fuel. Lap 17 I caught (and clobbered) @Ad2mny at the hairpin (sorry bud, I was not trying to push you out of the way…), and eventually passed him in the tunnel of love…just…thanks for bailing out bro. I accidently grabbed 3rd instead of 5th which made things more exciting, lol! Back up to 5th and feeling racey…passed Mario as he exited the pits, but with him sporting fresh rubber I knew it wouldn't last too long. I was trying to hold out till Lap 26 to pit again. But in 4th, and pulling away slightly, as Mario had cold tyres, I passed Bob as he was pitting…now up to 3rd, again…"Head down adronaught". Lap 23 I was losing my groove a bit and clobbered the chicane allowing Mario to catch right up with me…and now he could smell blood dammit! (It's funny what adrenaline/panic can do to a human) I braked too late at Massenet, got a little air and ran wide, falling evermore into Mario's clutches…ran wide at Mirabeau (T5) and let him in…dragged him back to the hairpin and…dabbed the handbrake to leave room but just bounced the tail end off him and parked up firm onto the foot high rumble strip…what an arse! On Lap 25, and despite being in 4th, with another stop to make it was all going pear shaped. I pitted a lap early to try and mitigate the time loss to the leaders, losing 3 places and coming out 42 secs adrift, but with fresh Michelins on (we are in France after all, badoom ching! Thx for the inspiration for that one blue. The check's in the mail), I had it all to do, and then some... Put my head down and tried to make hay with fresh tyres, but couldn't match practice times from earlier this arvo, despite not being caught up in traffic (NAACS and myself both ran 33's) the time just didn't come…hmmmmm. Passed blue when he pitted at end of Lap 28. Back to 5th. Ran a PB time Lap 30 (1:37.898), but as I was exiting the chicane Bob was exiting Piscine (Swimming pool)…so far behind…bollocks to internet lag and shenanigans I say! Now I could only hope for 4th at best and still had to catch Bob to make that happen. Lap 34, as I exited the chicane I could see Bob was just entering Piscine…I was gaining with fresher tyres but would it be enough? "Don't give up adronaught", I says. Lap 36 I set a new PB (1:37.877). On Lap 39 I realised I was gaining on a slower car (turned out to be SPL), and not gaining on Bob at all…dammit f#*@ing! Caught up with SPL at Tabac, and he let me by coming out of Swimming Pool on Lap 40 (most sporting of you...thanks man), but Bob was too far away to contemplate reeling him in…sob! "Just bring it home adronaught", I says, "You can't win them all". It's always easier in hindsight to say "Oh I would've done this, or should've done that…", and I made a couple of pretty crucial errors (that would've cost me around 10 secs) that's true, but I can't help but think the shamozzle at the start, and subsequently being caught in traffic cost me a run at the title this time around (checkout a replay of the start from all angles if you think I'm being a sook ). Ah but that's internet racing for ya, or so they say… On that bombshell (sic) I'd like to say congrats to the podium…Flash for pole and the win, and Hat and Mario for places. Also Mario for fastest lap. But, and I haven't done the math, I believe this places Hat at the top of the heap for the championship. Well done old bean! (Old age and treachery…lol!) This was my first season in any form of online racing league, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and the friendly rivalries, so much so that I must congratulate all involved in the ROOZ organisation for their time and commitment to the sport of lounge room racing. Who'd have thunk armchair sports could be so captivating and enthralling?! So well done chaps, good ! I'd like to thank all the drivers in Div 4 also for giving it a red hot go, and not being c@*#smokers in any way, shape, or form. Well done! Thanks also to @garyw61, Hatfield, and @Sickskillz01 for hosting throughout the season, and special thanks to Stumbles for posting results ASAP, sending me links to replays when I was too emotional to remember to save them, and for being a bloody good sport! Cheers gentlemen, and bring on Season 7!
Well done Hatfield!! My race did not go very well. Qualified 11th dead last. Got 1 hot lap in and could not improve on my time. Found my way up 1 place around the outside of SPL in turn 1, but was faced with a wall of cars impossible to get through up the hill and SPL got back past top of the hill. SPL found himself out wide in the right before the tunnel as Gary shut the door on him, and he lost some drive rubbing the barrier on exit. Up the inside I go making the pass stick in the chicane. SPL was all over my rear and the occasional bump let me know he was just waiting for an opportunity. Suddenly on lap 2 mario dropped back behind me and gibby fell back to Gary doing the good ole psn shuffle. I could see Gary was looking to pass but was being very wary of the lag spikes. Gibby moved up ahead of adro before Gary got a chance to have a go and all 3 started to stretch away over the lap. Mario got past SPL up the hill after turn 1 lap 4. SPL fought back at the top of the hill but had to drop back. Mario came alongside me in the final turn but somehow I managed to outdrag him on the straight and he dropped back at turn 1 lap 5. He kept checking my temperature for the next couple of laps. Gary and stumbles were tantalisingly close just ahead but a mistimed brake marker into the chicane had me right in the bad zone, so I slowed right down to let Mario through. Stumbles also clipped the exit barrier so he moved up past him as well. Now it was my turn to ride a bumper. Very hard to find a place to pass here. Mario got a free pass past Gary and the latter fell back towards our battle. I clipped the wall in the Piscine section and SPL jumped at the opportunity but outbraked himself running very wide and I recovered the place. Lap 8 Gibby was confirming his lag in the message box, and as he unpaused Stumbles slammed into the side of his previously ghosted car. I came up on Gibby and even though he was ghosted I still slammed into his side causing major damage to my front wheels and allowing SPL to zoom by. SPL fell victim to the chicane, running in too deep allowing Stumbles to get by and I caught back up. I clipped the final turn and then the exit barrier of turn 1 and started to think my race was over. I was already struggling for concentration and after a sloppy lap I told myself to focus an at least try and catch SPL and Stumbles. I started gaining on SPL but was still pretty sloppy. Stumbles had some great pace, and by the time I'd caught SPL he had opened up a huge gap and was closing on Gary. A spin by SPL in the chicane lap 11 allowed me to get past. Just up ahead Stumbles clipped the jutting out at the Piscine section causin transmission damage and undoing all his hard work. He stayed out wide to let us through in the final set of rights before the pits as he recovered. While SPL had his hands full with Stumbles I took the opportunity to try open a gap. We all passed adro as he pitted lap 14 but Stumbles bumped SPL then rubbed along the inside barrier at Massenet slowing drastically then running wide letting adro through with a toot of the horn. Contact with SPL and the barrier entering the chicane however dropped him back behind Stumbles and I was really opening a gap. I wasn't making any impression on Gary though, but he decided to pit this lap and I moved up to 6th. I had found some consistency in the low to mid 40's and just concentrated on not making mistakes. Adro caught up to me by lap 17 as we passed blueXR8 in the pits. I managed to hold him up for a bit giving him a drift show but he was on a mission getting by in the tunnel. Next up blueXR8 passed by on the start/finish straight lap 19. My tyres were nearly shagged and I couldn't fight back. I ran to mid distance with Gary just catching me at Piscine and pitted with tyres on 7/8 6/7. I came out in 9th with no-one in sight. Lap 29 Gary and Stumbles did their second stop and I moved up to 7th. Now it was just trying to maintain my gap. I was watching my minimap, and as I come onto the back straight into the tunnel Gary was just coming around the hairpin, and I managed that gap doing my best lap of the race (1:39.394). With 8 to go Gary started closing the gap. I knew all I had to do was 1:40's and he'd run out of laps before he could catch me. Here comes the stupid mistakes. With 5 to go the little errors were starting. I ran just a little wide in the Piscine section, clipping that jutting barrier and bam dead stop, damaged transmission and front right. Gary was now right on me. I tried my hardest to be as wide as I could but it was only a matter of time, or so I thought. Lap 39 it looked like it was all over until a fishtail and spin from Gary at Casino dropped him back. I tried to take advantage of the open track ahead but started to struggle and another mistake lap 41 saw me outbraked myself into turn 1, putting it in to reverse to get off the barrier, Gary zoomed by as the car seemed to struggle to get going. First Gary got by then Stumbles brushed by my disabled car. I quickly went to 2nd then back to 1st and it took off again. Flashfirst started coming around to lap but I just made it across the line before he caught me and so I trundled home 9th.
Ahh, season 6 - done and dusted. Congrats to Hatfield on the championship, well done mate, consistency pays off. Cote-d-azur... Who picked this??? lol. I got into the high 38's in practice and thought "this could go alright". (memories flooding back of season 8(??) in GT5 where I won my only championship). Quallied mid-pack and made my way up to 3rd for a while after Gibby and Mario's chicane blunder. Then the mistakes started and I was back in 7th or 8th in the space of a couple of corners. I had no idea on pit strat and a team message just before the race made my mind up for me, but too many mistakes made it null and void anyway. @Adronaught I saw your pace in practice and didn't want to hold you up, did the team thing I nearly didn't pass you after the altercation with SPL at the chicane but was already committed, so let you back through again. @Ad2mny Those last few laps, all I was thinking was "catch Jamie... GET PAST JAMIE, but you held on well, a pity about the turn 1 bingle. I felt sorry as I went past. On a brighter note, I finished 8th, my highest finish all season, lol. Dunno about season 7, might be fully immersed into Project Cars, see what happens.
I would like to shout-out a big well done to the boys who kept on sticking it out and coming each week to race despite the pace or consistency they may have been lacking this season. A shout-out to give a pat on the back to drivers like @Blue XR8 @Stumbles @Ad2mny @SPL Racing who didn't miss a round.
Well done @Hatfield on your championship win. Very deserving win. My apologies for the lack of racing at the end of the season. Between work, slot cars and being sick I have been unable to attend. Hopefully I can be readily available for next season.
next car poll is up guys, 1 week before we go to the next stage of voting.... http://raceonoz.com/forums/index.php?threads/poll-race-car-for-season-7.1768/ Will also get a new entry thread for season 7 up today Stu
say what? was the lobby grip set to realistic or low? anyways would've had a better shot at podium if not for the lag crash with gibby and bluexr8 which allowed mario to catch right up and pass us.. was keeping the gaps similar to the podium guys in the second half of the race with exception to flash who had better pace overall.
Just to be perfectly clear re: my comments on first corner at the Cote...I'm in no way having a crack at @G1bby3li3, @Hatfield, or anyone else...just speaking it from my eyes. I've been impressed with both of you blokes' driving skills and hope to be consitent enough, and fast enough to rub panels again next season, be it in comp mode or social mode. Good luck with Div 3 next season Hat, and all the best with your looming exams G1bby. Cheers gents
Congrats on the championship Hat and thanks to everyone for the great racing all season. I didn't have the time to practice in this car and get my head around it so I was never going to be competitive but still managed to have some great battles with @garyw61 @Ad2mny and @Stumbles week in week out. Although my time is limited throughout the week I wouldn't rather be doing anything else than racing with you guys on a Sunday night whether I'm at the front or the back of the grid. Cheers
