10-02-2014, 12:01 AM
[big]QUALI[/big]
I knew it was going to be really tight in the top, and that it also could be hard to find room for hotlaps. I was first to leave pits and my first laptime was 1:07.7. Only 3 tenths slower than my PB, so that was a good start. But then I couldn't improve it. The track felt less grippy than in practice. I was trying low fuel, and race fuel but I couldn't improve. Marcel was only 0.08 slower than me, I think, and he could improve anytime. So it wasn't good enough for pole. Towards the end, I finally managed to improve to a high 1:07.5. It was just a little slower than my PB, and luckily enough to put me in pole position for 6th time in a row. And for this track it was really important.
[big]RACE 1[/big]
A good start for me, and I think Marcel was busy trying to hold Robert or DJ behind so I instantly got a small gap. No one breathing down my neck as expected, and that really helped me to relax and concentrate on putting in some fast laps. My two first flying laps was both 1:07.7 and I think my four first laps were all below 1:08, so that was a really good start for me and I saw the gap increase. The rest of my first stint was low and mid 1:08's and when my pitstop arrived I had a quite comfortable gap. I saw Marcel pitting the same lap as me, end of lap 13, and I left pit with pretty much the same gap, I think. It was a good stop, 48 seconds. My second stint was mostly about lapping cars, and my laptimes were not very good, but I knew Marcel had to do the same so I was not very concerned about that. No problems and I finished 1st
[big]RACE 2[/big]
A good or a bad start, I don't know... All I knew was that I had Marcel on my left side and DJ right in front, and I was going to take it easy in T1. Unfortunately I had some bad luck when two or three cars in front collided and one of them spun and crashed into me. I was pushed out on the grass but quickly recovered. Maybe I lost 3-4 positions but towards the end of the lap I was already 6th again, behind Robert and Marcel. Robert made a bad exit at the final corner and lost all speed, so I could easily overtake him. Soon I was right behind Hectari in 3rd, who had already been passed by DJ and Marcel. I stayed behind him for one lap, and then he let me past or had a bad exit at final corner, I don't know. But I was 3rd and a a few seconds behind the leaders. Already a very good race, much better position than expected after only a few laps. But I decided to push and try to catch DJ and Marcel. Lap 8 I was right behind them and for the moment I was happy with that position. I was thinking about how to get past them... obviously pitting earlier or later. I still had quite good tires, so maybe the best thing had been to stay out a few more laps, but I decided to pit at the end of lap 12, if not both DJ and Marcel was going to do the same thing. Marcel did, but DJ continued one more lap. I braked a little too late for the pit entry and lost one second or two... Then I missed my pitspot just slightly (really bad brakes on these machines), and got a 49 sec stop. Marcel left pit before me and when trying to get away I had no gear (don't know what happened tbh), and lost maybe two more seconds. Joined track in front of Mel Fisk, and I took the defensive line for T1. But his speed was too high and he was first into T1. That first lap was really painful and I lost a lot of time
Robert also got past me because of my bad pitstop. Next lap I managed to overtake Mel on the s/f straight, fortunately. I was a bit frustrated but continued to push. Soon, I catched Rob, and I decided to try to get past him as soon as possible. He made the same mistake in the final corner as last time, but not as bad this time, but I got slipstream on him and took the inside... However, he was still a little in front of me but for T1 he braked too late and slided out on the grass :-\ At the next corner one more surprise was waiting for me... DJ on the grass and I got past him too, and now I was 2nd. I couldn't see Marcel at all but after all a 2nd place was really, really good. With two more laps I touched the curb on the outside of the final corner and spun. But I only lost a few seconds and I could keep DJ behind... pheew :
:-\
That final race was really action packed and very uncertain from start to finish. Very exciting
In summary, I lost race 2 in the pit... I was right behind Marcel but after my pitspot I was several seconds behind. Robert got past me, and Mel on old tires got past me too... That's where I lost the race. Fortunately 2nd place anyway
I knew it was going to be really tight in the top, and that it also could be hard to find room for hotlaps. I was first to leave pits and my first laptime was 1:07.7. Only 3 tenths slower than my PB, so that was a good start. But then I couldn't improve it. The track felt less grippy than in practice. I was trying low fuel, and race fuel but I couldn't improve. Marcel was only 0.08 slower than me, I think, and he could improve anytime. So it wasn't good enough for pole. Towards the end, I finally managed to improve to a high 1:07.5. It was just a little slower than my PB, and luckily enough to put me in pole position for 6th time in a row. And for this track it was really important.
[big]RACE 1[/big]
A good start for me, and I think Marcel was busy trying to hold Robert or DJ behind so I instantly got a small gap. No one breathing down my neck as expected, and that really helped me to relax and concentrate on putting in some fast laps. My two first flying laps was both 1:07.7 and I think my four first laps were all below 1:08, so that was a really good start for me and I saw the gap increase. The rest of my first stint was low and mid 1:08's and when my pitstop arrived I had a quite comfortable gap. I saw Marcel pitting the same lap as me, end of lap 13, and I left pit with pretty much the same gap, I think. It was a good stop, 48 seconds. My second stint was mostly about lapping cars, and my laptimes were not very good, but I knew Marcel had to do the same so I was not very concerned about that. No problems and I finished 1st
[big]RACE 2[/big]
A good or a bad start, I don't know... All I knew was that I had Marcel on my left side and DJ right in front, and I was going to take it easy in T1. Unfortunately I had some bad luck when two or three cars in front collided and one of them spun and crashed into me. I was pushed out on the grass but quickly recovered. Maybe I lost 3-4 positions but towards the end of the lap I was already 6th again, behind Robert and Marcel. Robert made a bad exit at the final corner and lost all speed, so I could easily overtake him. Soon I was right behind Hectari in 3rd, who had already been passed by DJ and Marcel. I stayed behind him for one lap, and then he let me past or had a bad exit at final corner, I don't know. But I was 3rd and a a few seconds behind the leaders. Already a very good race, much better position than expected after only a few laps. But I decided to push and try to catch DJ and Marcel. Lap 8 I was right behind them and for the moment I was happy with that position. I was thinking about how to get past them... obviously pitting earlier or later. I still had quite good tires, so maybe the best thing had been to stay out a few more laps, but I decided to pit at the end of lap 12, if not both DJ and Marcel was going to do the same thing. Marcel did, but DJ continued one more lap. I braked a little too late for the pit entry and lost one second or two... Then I missed my pitspot just slightly (really bad brakes on these machines), and got a 49 sec stop. Marcel left pit before me and when trying to get away I had no gear (don't know what happened tbh), and lost maybe two more seconds. Joined track in front of Mel Fisk, and I took the defensive line for T1. But his speed was too high and he was first into T1. That first lap was really painful and I lost a lot of time
Robert also got past me because of my bad pitstop. Next lap I managed to overtake Mel on the s/f straight, fortunately. I was a bit frustrated but continued to push. Soon, I catched Rob, and I decided to try to get past him as soon as possible. He made the same mistake in the final corner as last time, but not as bad this time, but I got slipstream on him and took the inside... However, he was still a little in front of me but for T1 he braked too late and slided out on the grass :-\ At the next corner one more surprise was waiting for me... DJ on the grass and I got past him too, and now I was 2nd. I couldn't see Marcel at all but after all a 2nd place was really, really good. With two more laps I touched the curb on the outside of the final corner and spun. But I only lost a few seconds and I could keep DJ behind... pheew : :-\That final race was really action packed and very uncertain from start to finish. Very exciting
In summary, I lost race 2 in the pit... I was right behind Marcel but after my pitspot I was several seconds behind. Robert got past me, and Mel on old tires got past me too... That's where I lost the race. Fortunately 2nd place anyway