Round 4: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 19 Laps - 8:15 Sunny - 30/5 WELCOME to Season 15!! As always please take 2 mins to read the following so you have an understanding of what is expected on race night. If you have any questions, or want clarification on any of the rules or regulations please ask! ROOM OPEN : Most room captains will 'try' to have rooms open by about 7:50 AEST. Please be on time, or let the room captain or div thread if you may be late. If all agree, the room may wait for you, Within reason. Please remember we have drivers from NZ, and later starts mean a much later night for them. QUALIFYING : 8:20 AEST for 10 mins. If a driver joins while qualifying mode is active, room captains will need to grab a quick photo of qualifying results, cancel the race and then set grid by host. In practice mode, once 10 mins has been reached, finish the lap you are on and park up off track. (Qualifying mode should be used so the room can be set to x0 tyre/fuel for qualifying) YOU MUST START ON YOUR QUALIFYING TYRE AND PITS ARE CLOSED DURING QUALIFYING RACE START TIME : 8:30 AEST (once qualifying has completed) LAG ISSUES / ROOM RESTARTS : This is up to the room host/captains. If there is a Disconnection (or cars stuck on grid) at race start, it is sporting to try to get them back in, which may mean a new room to be set up. I always look at 1 or 2 starts if required due to DSC, but as it gets later everyone needs to be aware of getting things going. Please be as reasonable as you can with this.... SIGHT ISSUES: Ensure that you can see everyone on track. Before qualifying, exit to lobby and spend 30 seconds in spectate mode, scroll through the list of drivers on track and make sure that you can see their car. If you can't see somebody (and they are confirmed as being on track), exit the lobby, re-join, and check again. FALSE START CHECK : Please note that the start type is Grid Start with False Start Check Please practice this so you know what to expect. Simply, you hold the brakes on until the lights go from all lit, to none lit TURN 1 LAP 1 : This has the potential to ruin someone's night if we don't use our heads! Should be everyone's goal to get through the first phase with ZERO contact. Give room and run in your 'lane' till you have space to run the normal race line. If your unassisted tap causes someone to spin, you need to redress. TRACK LIMITS : As we are running with 'track limit penalties" OFF, we will run with our usual Raceonoz track limit regulations. This means you MUST have at least 2 wheels on the ripple strip OR white line that defines the track limit. If you do make a mistake and have to run outside the limits, be aware that you are not allowed to gain any advantage. There is a lot of run off and tarmac on the inside of corners that you need to be careful not to extend track limits onto. The main ones are, cutting T5, running wide at T18 and the final chicane T19-20. CONTACT : Is to be avoided at all times..... If you rear end someone and gain an advantage, YOU ARE EXPECTED to give the spot back. Side by side 'rubbing' is racing, within reason, but all drivers are expected to give racing room. If you bump someone and they end up off track or teleport back to the corner entry, you must wait for them to rejoin and get back up to speed. Show each other RESPECT! It is difficult enough to drive the car at the limit on your own, without someone squeezing you within a millimeter of the grass. So be patient and show respect to your fellow drivers. If you are redressing contact, please do so out of the way of other cars, off the racing line, or if there isn't much room, off track. TYRES : Racing Mediums (mandatory - unlimited sets) & Racing Softs (not mandatory - 1 set ONLY) PIT ENTRY : Please attempt to follow the pit entry lane. Failure to do so may result in a penalty (especially in the instance another driver is affected). The entry lane runs off the exit of T19 BEFORE T20. If you cut across the green astro turf, you will be penalised. Please be careful not to cut in sharply if running wide at T19 as you will impede other drivers (unless no other drivers are around). PIT EXIT : Please attempt to follow the pit exit lane, Penalties will be adjudicated in similar fashion to Pit Entry. Please be aware of cars approaching out of the hairpin. Be careful when exiting that you don't move across the track impeding incoming cars. For cars coming out of the hairpin, please give room to drivers as they exit the pits. NOTE: Pitting is NOT COMPULSORY (a BANG LAP will show an ideal pitstop later in the week) BLUE FLAGS : Please observe blue flags, and move out of the way of faster cars if you are being lapped. Failure to observe blue flags WILL result in a penalty STEWARDS GROUP AND RACE PROTESTS : This season the steward will be @Hatfield. If you have reason to protest, please SAVE YOUR REPLAY, and then let him know via a PM. DO NOT BLOW UP IN THE FORUM OR IN THE ROOM CHAT. There have been multiple incidents where the replays from drivers have been different, so its true that sometimes things are not as black and white as they may seem. You have until MIDNIGHT, Monday night to register your protest via PM. Stewards will ask for video evidence from both drivers or room captain to make any decision. SAVE YOUR REPLAY : If the room host can ask all drivers to save their replay would be good before exiting the room.....once they exit out and the option goes, it cant be retrieved! PARKING UP : If you are unable to continue to race, please enter the pits and leave your game paused without selecting tyres (or no tyres) so that your car stays parked in the pits. Parking up off track activates yellow flags in the sector, and even though penalties are off, we have reports of penalties occurring for passes happening near the parked car. FINAL NOTE: Could all drivers please confirm their attendance for this Sunday by 'liking' this post in your division. If you are unable to attend, please post in reply as much in your division. This way we can figure out our reserves or if the room can start early in advance. (ALSO IF YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT ATTEND, PLEASE POST SAYING SO, SO THAT RESERVES CAN BE ORGANISED IN ADVANCE) If you do not post in your room thread or psn chat that you cannot attend, a spot may not be held for you for the following weeks race
So I tried manual gears for a practice race last night and I was able to save enough fuel to make it 19 laps (even though I did 18). I wasn't exactly comfortable and my left hand was really sore but I did it. The tyres were buggered and the car became an absolute dog to drive, but it wouldn't have been possible with automatic gears. I know that much so hopefully I can get a better result than the previous 3 races.
Put in a final qualifying lap that slot me in next to @gtkingx with the plan to keep him in sight as long as possible. Lap 2 T1, @TUBBSTER22 misses his marker and T-bones gtking, gifting me 2nd (@Apex_64 & @GasMonkee78 has contact on L1, and Gas spun to the rear) Lap 2 out of T16 I run wide and in my attempt to keep 2 wheels on the ripple strip, and the boot in it, I spin to 2nd last. So begins the fight back. Keep my head down and start catching and passing guys all while trying to save fuel in a few spots. Soon after passing groover for 3rd, my tyres hit the cliff and groover catches back up and mounts an attack. I manage to defend until his tyres hit the cliff and I start breathing again. But by now, apex has pitted from the softs and made his way back up to battle with groover. Groover and apex have a battle for a few laps, allowing me to open a 4sec gap with 2 laps to go by the time apex clears groover for good. By the final lap, apex is all over me. I know he has the tyre advantage of fresh mediums to my worn set, so I try to leave no door opened for very long and I keep him behind until T18 where he gets an overlap. I brake well for the final chicane and then lose sight of apex. Unfortunately he had run out of fuel. Hard luck. A podium that didn't start the way I wanted, but what a hell of a race! Congratulations gtking and tubbs on the top steps
