Friday Night Fun (and other stuff too)

VM Classic Series - Round 3 - Sebring Short - 30 laps

Here goes nothing.

First the good bits. I made B lobby, qualifying 22nd, from a total of 52, which meant 9th on the grid. All 13 cars were covered by only 0.6s!!!   

Now for the rest of it.


Everyone makes a solid, if slightly cagey start, making there way through the first 3 corners with minimal contact.



Why drive when you can fly?! There's less friction. (This guy caused major problems later on)


By lap 5, everything had settled down and I found my rhythm regularly hitting the 19s, in 6th place just behind a Celica and a 911. It's clear these were the two I'd be racing.


I was however slightly nervous of the "undercut". Many pitted at the earliest opportunity, particularly this Dart and CRX.


Anyway, unlike the previous two races, I pitted early to cover off the undercutters. I did it easily and came out right behind the Porsche... again. Wish I had stayed out longer. I was now 10th, but a net 5th or 6th once everyone pitted. Then...

DISASTER!

A knocking noise... on the window behind me. My sister. Who had forgot her door key           
My options. Leave her sat on the wall in the rain. Or stop.

I stopped, to the loss of 30 seconds (I watched the replay back).

P13 of 13. 15 seconds behind 12th. 10 laps to go.


Meanwhile up-front, the ever varying mix of cars were having some great racing. Until, in two separate incidents, the floating car from earlier would lag spike into the Mustang, the Datsun and the leading Saab. Happy, they were not.

I'm now 10th.


Queue spirited, never say die driving, equalling my qualifying lap... 3 times (Not a fluke Si)    I finish only 7 seconds behind 9th, closing 8 seconds in 10 laps    The Porsche I was behind before stopping finished 4th. I had the 5th fastest lap time. Gutted. In hindsight though, I finished only one place down on where I started. There's always a brighter side.   

Next stop. Atlanta. Car should suit it, but I do not.

Brill pics as always Daniel   Shame about the 30 secs loss, still a good result but could have been awesome after the unfortunate lag issues

Very nice pictures Dan But I've got a tip for you: let your sister stand in the rain next time   

SmellzLikeBacon wrote:Very nice pictures Dan But I've got a tip for you: let your sister stand in the rain next time   

      

nice update daniel.

Thanks everyone.   

To use a proper racing drivers excuse, "I'm not really that happy with the result, but I can be pleased with my performance."   

The King of the Ring is now the jester wearing a dunce hat.

After a two week absence, I returned to VM Classics and "The Ring."

Made A lobby, though 15 seconds (that's not a typo) slower than pole.

Started 12 of 13.  Up to 9th.  Then disaster struck.  I rolled.  On lap 1 of 6.

Cast your minds back to the Evo's when Gaz turned his car into a billboard.  That exact kerb.  Over I went.

Lap 2.  Pushing hard again, I got 200 metres past that kerb, and on my roof again.  

As a consolation, two others rolled too, so I wasn't alone.

I finished the race though!  Never give up.

P.s. there will be no photos

Awww no photos I may have mentioned it before but that track sucks so I'm sure it is 100% the stoopid tracks fault for the roll and not any error on your part Kudos for carrying on though and not quitting out ^5

I'm sure the kerbs explode on that track. I was hopeful of catching 12th, but when I rolled again I saw the funny side of it though

The final round of the series, I made A lobby once again, but no photos yet again.

In all honesty my qualifying lap was a good 0.4 quicker than my average pace, meaning I spent 36 of the 38 laps hot lapping... or cold lapping as I put it, off the back of the field. By lap twenty-something I'd lost the will and concentration, clipped a kerb and rolled, which summed up race. But still 12 of 12 in A lobby... not B lobby.

Missed two races, ended the season 18th of 50 plus drivers. Not bad. A great series, definitely recommend it.

They're working on moving the series to Xbox One so you guys (and Lucy) should look out for it.

Cool nice going Daniel 18th is a brilliant result

not bad going at all daniel

REPRESENT!!!


So the last VM series I entered, I ran a cycling livery.  It didn't really represent the club in anyway other than the web address.  This time though.  Things are different.


Pixel Purple the whole way.  The series in question.  Stock Hatch.  But they aren't stock.  Turbo'd, cage'd, lightweight, B class racers.


Small B class cars on small circuits. Camino Veijo Reverse, Tsukuba and Maple Valley are all included on the calendar. HAVING A CRISIS With only 31 entrants making the top half could actually be difficult.  We'll see.  (low numbers.  proof FM4 is really flagging now)


I missed the first race, but the second is tonight and I shall be there... hopefully, if my number boards ever arrive!

Looks good Dan, looks a great series good luck.

Looks brill Daniel Good luck, just adopt my motto 'anything better than last is progress'

Sweet paintjob

nice, fly guy.
all the best for the series.

Virtual Motorsports - Stock Hatch - Series 7 - Round 2 - Hockenheimring National (the middle one) - 26 laps

So I qualified in A lobby, but I take no pride in that. Only 23 people turned up. I qualified 5th overall, but am the first to admit I out qualified even myself. I managed a 41.6. I didn't even manage a 42.5 in practice. (1st place ran a 40.7, whilst 2nd ran a 41.2... you can fit a lot of cars in those gaps)


I managed to hold on to my fifth place from the start.


The only two cars ahead of me were either Chevy Sparks or Ford Fiestas. There aren't many Mazdas in the series at all. Either unpopular or just a bad car. I like it though.


Lap 2... my fifth became sixth as Elysium got by. (What is it about pink and/or purple on cars that makes them look so damn good)


Wheelwash was in my lobby, so no doubt there will more photos to come. This was the battle for 2nd place.


I then had to fend off the attention of Badger's Renault, which I did... just. He pitted on lap 8. There after I could focus on the track in front rather than behind, and started pumping in quick (and clean) laps. Managed a clean 41.2. Quicker than qually.


I pitted on lap 14, and exited in no-mans land, and just hot lapped home to a 6th place.

A good series. Could be miles better with closer racing. I don't think the circuit helped though, too wide and fast for little hatches.

Next stop, Camino Veijo. Hopefully that will be more fun

you got taken by matt (rsr elysium), he`s got a decent hot lap in him every now and then but as a racer he`s terd on fp5 anyway. i like him though he makes me chuckle in the lobbies, he`s so dry and droll but amusing with it.

Matt hey? First name basis are we. And he's a Yorskshire lad (by the sounds of it). Does Si have a bit of a for Matt.

Yeah, he is quick, and he just swept by me. Just couldn't stick with him. I'll try and ruffle his feather next time then. See what happens.

Virtual Motorsports - Stock Hatch - Series 7 - Round 3 - Camino Veijo Reverse - 36 laps

My favourite circuit of the series, and the whole game was the venue for round 3 of the Stock Hatch series. A small line up of 21 drivers made the grid. I made A lobby as I qualified 4th, the first car that didn't have a Chevy badge or a Hello Kitty on the door.


Off the line the three Kitty's (Flex, Elysium and Riwaly) got clear.


I managed to hold on to the 4th place, just about fending off Cerberus and Nick James


A little further back Lobster and Smith decided it was time for a tandem drift session.


My target for the race was to split the three Kitty's. After a few laps of Elysium and Riwaly battling, I managed to join in and pick off Riwaly. Now all I had to do was keep it... for another 20+ laps.


Mr Wheelwash with yet another Hello Kitty Chevy. (Man. They get everywhere)


I was now 3rd and chasing down Elysium who had already glanced the wall a few times, before taking a bigger bite out of it. Tiny error = big crash. Seriously unlucky. I'm now 2nd, with a clean track up to Flex. I knew catching him would be nigh on impossible, so it was about putting in quick laps, with no errors...


... However, I did make a few thanks to the pressure Cerberus, who eventually pounced.


I pitted around lap 20 ish, coming out behind Cerberus but still in front of Riwaly. I set about keeping Cerberus in sight, which I was just about doing even though I was now lapping quicker than qualifying, until Cerberus lagged out on lap 27. I'm now 2nd.


Oh yeah. And Flex won... again. I finished 2nd, with Riwaly 3rd. Operation split the Kitty's; successful.

Next race, Infineon NASCAR. Yay... NOT

Nice going Daniel...miss that track in 5

Well done Dan

Virtual Motorsports - Stock Hatch - Series 7 - Round 4 - Infineon NASCAR - 31 laps

Following my favourite circuit of the series was one of my worst. I like the place, but can't drive this layout. Give me the longer versions any day. Anyway, moaning aside a bumper turn out of 24 drivers were present. I was dreading qualifying. My qually lobby has the guy who normally gets pole (Flex) and last time out I was with in 4/10ths of him... at Infineon 1.3 seconds back Needless to say it was my worst qually so far... but I still made A lobby. 8th on the grid of 12.

There were a few glitches so not all the paints loaded, but it was a good race.


Needless to say Flex had pole, took the lead, and off he went.


Whether you had a paint or not, the racing was good from the outset. Lipporkorv (spelling?) chasing down his team-mate, Elysium.


End of lap 1, I got a great run coming out of the 'S's and dived for the inside of Wheelwash. 7th place.


Lap 2, after minor contact between Elysium (green) and Lipporkorv (Kitty), NickJames joined the fun to make it three wide through the 'S's.


I got the run on the Chevy's and again went for the inside. 5th. Could it be too good to be true. It was. Lipporkorv got me back immediately and Elysium half a lap later. Back to 7th.


Meanwhile up front, Flex was being kept honest by newcomer Scary. Well done that man.


Whilst Elysium and NickJames were steadily pulling away from me, even though they were nose to tail. Talk about humiliating for me.


BanjoUnplayed chasing down Wheelwash & Riwaly.


The lonely Lobster.


Needless to say, Flex won again (4 in a row), and you all know what his car looks like by now, so here's another shot of mine instead.

Oh and I'm currently 5th in the series. Not bad thus far.

Next it's Maple Valley Full Reverse