AC GT3 @ VIR - Sun 18 Aug 2019

[jayk]

@Raresch you didn't make me leave the race mate, and that incident was not your fault, I was so close to you and I do brake later into that turn, but i was trying to get really close to try and get you into the next straight as I was under pressure too. I realised i couldn't stop in time and just moved of the track to try and not bump you off. I think you got away it luckily and I didn't effect your race much.

I really struggled, It was so hot and I was quite laggy, going to change internet provider! The car handled like dogshit on heavy fuel really awful.

 

[Raresch]

thank you, @JoelK, for the setup. I would not have been so competitive without it. I was scared at first seeing it had back ARB at 3, which should have slid a lot, but it was just perfect. It oversteered only if you pushed her too hard, and even then, it was pretty easy to recover.

 

[Victor M Fernandez]

Thanks a lot, man. I have to practice more long stints, instead of fast quali laps.
I wasn't really giving you space Well, I did, somehow. I saw you went really long on the outside. Then I tried to leave space, in case you entered oversteer so that you will not crash into me. Then I saw you were way on the outside and tried to accelerate to take advantage of your mistake, but my end started to slide so I had to slightly counter-steer. Then we were side by side and I was on the outside approaching T2, so I didn't know how to brake there on the outside. And instead of causing an accident or going out (which was the only way I was picturing that corner in that moment) I said: "If I cached him once, I will do it again". And how wrong I was ) In the next lap or so I lost the rear in the second to last corner (nr. 17 on the map john power provided) and that was it.

I think both of us should practice more long stints Consistancy will help us not to lose what we have hardly gain previously.
At any rate, so fun racing with you.

 

[Kek700]

Watched the last 3 laps, none the wiser to what was going on.
All I saw on the last lap was two lappers, 2 blue flaggers, a spinner, a few off track excursions, I was racing two others, I think.

@Raresch you been listening to all the advice too
well, could not catch you at all.

You need tooo sloooow down.

 

[Asterix]

Good race for me - better finish than expected, but still disappointed not to be closer to the front.

Qualy was poor - a full half second off PB - didn't get many clear laps and when I did I'd blow one of the last corners.

Good start - faster than both the Lambo and Nissan in front but then I bottled the first corner - why? The only time the Porsche has correct temperature tyres is at the start. The fronts never stay warm. So the handling is actually out for the first lap until the fronts cool and start to understeer, it's built into the set up. When they're hot and grippy, it turns in too much and the back end keeps going. So I bottled the first corner rather than be aggressive and risk a spin and taking others out.

Everyone else around me was on Softs except @Istvan antal who I later discover was heavy on fuel but also on Meds like me. Settled into the race and was being held up by Istvan with @BP & @pattikins right behind me ready to pounce. Problem was I was way faster from the first corner all the way through to Oak Tree, and from Roller Coaster to Hog Pen - all the places you can't get past - on the straights, he was just faster. It was only a mistake at the last corner that finally gave me a chance to get ahead but by then we were miles behind the leaders. Once free myself and Brandon pulled away having a great battle - again, he suffered as I just had. Faster than I on the twisties, slower on the straights and up the hill. I made a few mistakes (keeping that car on the road at full whack and racing is tough - fast laps on your own is relatively easy by comparison) and Brandon got by, for half a lap, as he then went too deep at the Roller Coaster and I got the position back again.

Was then on my own until pitting - Boxed in 3rd position but knew that I'd been held up quite a lot by back markers and would lose lots of time against Istvan, unless he'd had the same issues. I boxed 3.2 seconds ahead of him, had the same or faster pace until he boxed but was held up enough on two occasions that he came out 2 seconds in front of me - very frustrating. Didn't help with the confusion of my own pit stop where I had to completely back off to avoid conflict with @HF2000 who I was trying to lap - we boxed at the same time and he hadn't realised - not his fault at all but I couldn't risk a fight right then so just backed out of it completely until he worked out what was going on.

Anyway - Istvan with a clear track was much faster now being light on fuel on fresh softs, but I didn't get the chance to race with him behind as I reckon it would have been interesting given where I was fast/he was fast. That's racing though.

Then it was just an exercise in getting the car home - Patrick was 15 odd seconds behind, so kept on eye on that while avoiding BM's as best as I could - to be fair most were excellent, just the times when they weren't, they probably took a good ten seconds out of my race. I either made a mistake due to not knowing what they were going to do, they'd look like they were going to back off, but would then commit to the corner in front - the Porsche is on a knife edge at the best of times so any unexpected change of direction and it gets really unhappy. Or I just backed off and waited until a straight and flash lights, or actually warn them verbally.

5th - way better than expected knowing I had to do two stints on Meds, they were yellow, nearly red after just 22 laps, so it was a full pit stop taking ages. Amazed I kept it on track for the full thing at a reasonably competitive pace. Was fun and interesting.

Cracking pace at the front, grats to the podium and many thanks to @JoelK for hosting and my fellow racers for racing.

 

[dhmotor]

https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/multiclass-watkins-glen-sun-25-aug-2019.172299/
Here you go

Haha, well I guess I'll have to join in since you are so kind. Thanks for organizing and the friendly help!

 

[Raresch]

You need tooo sloooow down.

that's also a tip. slowing down would give me time to respond to mistakes, so it's good you loose less time when you are 0.3 slower, but consistent, instead of pushing every time and going off multiple times.

 

[JoelK]

Really nice race of you guys, I made some costly mistake that I need work to minimise in future. The last turn bump collected me on lap 8 or 9 and I lost 10 sec in that.Some how I managed to recover from that and comeback to battle for lead, sadly last corner had to collect @Maciej Strzeboński also, could had been really fun with a three way battle to end.

Good defending by you @JoelK did not managed to get many runs on you. When I finally catch you my softs started to lose the best grip but still I had faster car on that point but on lap 40 and 41 you suddenly match my lap time. On lap 42 I plan to make move on you on final lap but lost front end grip following you in turn 10 it is little annoying for I made same mistake when folow @Maciej Strzeboński on the same place. But Great drive by you @JoelK I could see you struggle with tyers the hold race but you still managed to finish on top of podium. The last move on you when you think you force me out of track it was me that outbraked myself so was my mistake.

Yeah thought so, because I too kinda outbraked myself as well and barely made the corner, then I saw you going off in my helicorsa which made me wonder that was I the cause of it

 

[Frank van der Heide]

I had a dillemma during quali (this was actually my 2nd online race, so excuse the noob question)). I was in my fast lap and i saw a faster car coming up behind me. Do i stick to my own fast lap (and thus hinder the faster car behind me) or do i break off my fast lap? My 'fast' lap may look like an outlap to cars that do 4 secs faster laptimes than me. I broke off my fast lap a few times because of this ending up at P21 for the race.

 

[Asterix]

I had a dillemma during quali (this was actually my 2nd online race, so excuse the noob question)). I was in my fast lap and i saw a faster car coming up behind me. Do i stick to my own fast lap (and thus hinder the faster car behind me) or do i break off my fast lap? My 'fast' lap may look like an outlap to cars that do 4 secs faster laptimes than me. I broke off my fast lap a few times because of this ending op at P21 for the race.

If you were on a fast lap and hadn't made a mistake, then you have as much right as anyone to hold your line.

What annoys me is when someone is technically on their fast lap but they've made a mistake bad enough to compromise their lap, slowing themselves to then interfere with someone behind.

I try and plan the gap to the person in front. If they are 2 seconds slower on average, then I'll build a 4 second gap by slowing before the last corner. If they then make a mistake that puts them back into my path and they don't yield, I get annoyed.

 

[GEO147]

Good race for me - better finish than expected, but still disappointed not to be closer to the front.

Qualy was poor - a full half second off PB - didn't get many clear laps and when I did I'd blow one of the last corners.

Good start - faster than both the Lambo and Nissan in front but then I bottled the first corner - why? The only time the Porsche has correct temperature tyres is at the start. The fronts never stay warm. So the handling is actually out for the first lap until the fronts cool and start to understeer, it's built into the set up. When they're hot and grippy, it turns in too much and the back end keeps going. So I bottled the first corner rather than be aggressive and risk a spin and taking others out.

Everyone else around me was on Softs except @Istvan antal who I later discover was heavy on fuel but also on Meds like me. Settled into the race and was being held up by Istvan with @BP & @pattikins right behind me ready to pounce. Problem was I was way faster from the first corner all the way through to Oak Tree, and from Roller Coaster to Hog Pen - all the places you can't get past - on the straights, he was just faster. It was only a mistake at the last corner that finally gave me a chance to get ahead but by then we were miles behind the leaders. Once free myself and Brandon pulled away having a great battle - again, he suffered as I just had. Faster than I on the twisties, slower on the straights and up the hill. I made a few mistakes (keeping that car on the road at full whack and racing is tough - fast laps on your own is relatively easy by comparison) and Brandon got by, for half a lap, as he then went too deep at the Roller Coaster and I got the position back again.

Was then on my own until pitting - Boxed in 3rd position but knew that I'd been held up quite a lot by back markers and would lose lots of time against Istvan, unless he'd had the same issues. I boxed 3.2 seconds ahead of him, had the same or faster pace until he boxed but was held up enough on two occasions that he came out 2 seconds in front of me - very frustrating. Didn't help with the confusion of my own pit stop where I had to completely back off to avoid conflict with @HF2000 who I was trying to lap - we boxed at the same time and he hadn't realised - not his fault at all but I couldn't risk a fight right then so just backed out of it completely until he worked out what was going on.

Anyway - Istvan with a clear track was much faster now being light on fuel on fresh softs, but I didn't get the chance to race with him behind as I reckon it would have been interesting given where I was fast/he was fast. That's racing though.

Then it was just an exercise in getting the car home - Patrick was 15 odd seconds behind, so kept on eye on that while avoiding BM's as best as I could - to be fair most were excellent, just the times when they weren't, they probably took a good ten seconds out of my race. I either made a mistake due to not knowing what they were going to do, they'd look like they were going to back off, but would then commit to the corner in front - the Porsche is on a knife edge at the best of times so any unexpected change of direction and it gets really unhappy. Or I just backed off and waited until a straight and flash lights, or actually warn them verbally.

5th - way better than expected knowing I had to do two stints on Meds, they were yellow, nearly red after just 22 laps, so it was a full pit stop taking ages. Amazed I kept it on track for the full thing at a reasonably competitive pace. Was fun and interesting.

Cracking pace at the front, grats to the podium and many thanks to @JoelK for hosting and my fellow racers for racing.

Good result for a car you had little experience with. A 5th there in those conditions is as good as a podium in your normal 650 for sure.

 

[GEO147]

I had a mare in quali. Couldn't get a clean lap and then when I had a chance to put one in I blew turn 1 twice.

 

[Frank van der Heide]

Anyone perhaps who has a replay file of the race that i can get? For some reason I have only a replay file of quali, but not of the race. Is it something we can share?

 

[Victor M Fernandez]

Anyone perhaps who has a replay file of the race that i can get? For some reason I have only a replay file of quali, but not of the race. Is it something we can share?

Here it is
https://we.tl/t-9lnjo4cfz8

 

[BP]

Really enjoyed this one and very happy with the result, was pushing pretty hard for most of the race. Last time this combo was done back in March 2019 (60 mins race), I got 14th out of 24 and was 3 laps down. This time, in a field that was bigger and arguably stronger (with the fastest guys doing their fastest laps 1 second quicker than the previous race), I pulled off 7th out of a full 30 car grid and stayed on the lead lap in a 75 min race! I'd call that progress!

As @Asterix said, we had quite a battle on our hands for a bit...although I'm sure if he was in a car he's more at home with it'd be no contest, as he's usually has much more pace compared to myself . Those 911's are too fast for a 650s on the straights though: I'd be right on his bumper by Oak tree, but the back and front straights would space us right back out again...as for that braking blunder, that was such a rookie mistake...as I saw you were approaching so fast, I completely missed the marker because I was busy looking at the mirror.

Lesson learned: Ignore mirrors until AFTER you mess up, not before

Also exchanged positions often with @pattikins , but by pit stop time he pulled out ahead for the rest of the race...I really messed up my stop though: I arrived in the pits literally centimeters behind one of the Z4's who was pitting as well (abusing AC's auto pit-limiter), which ultimately blocked my view of my pit. Due to the server reset we did earlier, I thought my pitbox was farther up the road and could slowly reduce speed/increase space...but it moved to about 2 seconds after pit entry so I ended up blowing right past it and had to reverse (which I also overshot), costing me at least 7 seconds

Lesson learned: Alonso: "I think you have to leave a space...all the time you have to leave a space"

My other stupid mistake was around lap 30...I was approaching @HF2000 who was a lap down at the time and I wanted to get really close by Oak tree so I could ask him to let me by (@Axel Moebius was right on my tail), but I got too anxious (I was worried about Axel in his GT-R getting the jump on me on the back straight) and closed up just before South Bend instead...then he approached the corner a little slower than I would so I almost ran into him...went off-road to avoid collision and Axel ended up passing me anyways. Managed to somehow keep from spinning in the grass and didn't lose too much time all things considered, but the damage was done.

Lesson learned:

I'll get there eventually...on to the next race!