A bit disappointed with my lack of pace in this one BUT...in spite of a number of duels and a horrible traffic situation through the first lap, I had a clean race with no damaged wings, no spins, and no collision incidents with other drivers. Taken with the solid points for 5th, I won't complain about it too much. This race was a great example of further improved driving skills, and I was very happy to demonstrate that on my home track. I just wish I had been able to use the tweaked setup that I came up with later that day...it was a whole 2sec faster!!!! ARGH!!! Favorite moment of the race was that back and forth I had with benny before his race started going downhill.
Also, you may notice that there isn't a text commentary to go with the video this time. Going forward, I'm probably not going to be doing one anymore because it takes too much time on top of editing the video. I try to edit the videos in such a way that it makes events pretty clear, so I think it will be okay, and it will save loads of time leaving it out.
RD F1 2012 Random Fun Series
Starts: 8
Finishes: 7
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P2
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0
Points: 90
League table rank 5th of 15
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RD F1 2012 Club Stats
Starts: 12
Finishes: 11
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 2
Wins: 1
Points: 129
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RD Lifetime F1 Games Club Stats
Starts: 25
Finishes: 22
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 7
Wins: 1
Points: 264
Been a while since I've made a post about this project. My summer was pretty chaotic and I wasn't able to really dedicate the right kind of time and attention to it, so I left it be, lest the quality of the finished product suffer. Things have finally slowed down some, and I got the primer on the lower half of the other leg finished. Hoping to keep the ball rolling a bit more consistently now!
Click the 'Custom Halo Reach Spartan' link below to see more posts about this project, or 'Custom Figures' to view posts about all my custom figure projects.
Qualifying: Run 1 Options, 1 hot lap. No time set, as I accidentally cut the final corner and invalidated my lap. Run 2 options, 1 hot lap 1:41.595. Would be moved up to P4 for race start due to a grid penalty for Crafty gun. On my in lap, benny is sideways at the bridge, but yellow flags aren't yet out...I don't see him until it's too late. I am undamaged and unpenalized, but I watch half of poor benny's wing fall off.
Race: Lap 1 Not my best start as I accidentally hit the look back button instead of KERS and drop to P5 coming around the first turn. Two cars run wide at turn 2 and I find myself running P3. In trying to leave space for COALHILL at the bridge, I experience a traction problem and eventually lose the position to him going down the DRS straight. Coming up to turn 12, he moves back over on me and I have nowhere to go...I don't think we touch but I do some minor damage to my wing courtesy of the outside wall. I get back P3 as we go through turn 13-14. Benny is right on my tail as we cross start/finish. Benny loses it and drops back, then Crafty gun goes into the runoff at the hairpin, leaving me with a little breathing room. Lap 3-4 Battling with Earmack. Lap 5 Finally get the pass for P2 when Earmack makes a mistake and runs wide at turn 2. Lap 6 Pass Giles while he's pitted to take over P1. Lap 10 Tires are going off (I can tell by the way I'm losing time to car behind), and then I have a slide coming around turn 13. Bump the wall, but no serious wing damage. I do lose my gap over Crafty gun and Giles though, and they both get past, dropping me to P3. I have to pit at the end of the lap, and I'm concerned with how early I'm having to make the stop (5 laps early). According to original strategy my crew puts on primes and I return in P6. Lap 12 Take over P5 from benny when he hits pit lane. Lap 14 Pass Dementino while he's pitted for P4. Lap 19 Pass Van Challis while he is pitted to take P3. Lap 20 Wheel to wheel with Van Challis through turn 4-5 and he makes an excellent pass. Drop back to P4. Lap 22 Van Challis has made a mistake at turn 2 and I retake P3. Lap 29 Catch Crafty gun while he's pitted for P2. Lap 33 I've been maintaining about 5sec over Crafty gun, and am planning to pit at the end of the lap when I get a right rear tire puncture. Crafty gun goes past around turn 14, then Earmack goes past when I pit. Return in P4 on fresh primes. Lap 34 My own teammate, Grosjean AI, pulls over in front of me and slows way down...I see this and am on the brakes but can't avoid getting into the back of him and lose my front wing. Pit for a new wing and Dementino gets past. Return in P5. Lap 45 Catch Earmack while he's pitted for P4. Lap 51 My worn tires lose traction and I have a small slide at turn 4, but I'm able to get back underway without losing the position. Earmack has now closed to within 3sec. With about 4-5 laps remaining, it's going to be a battle with me on worn primes and he on options! Lap 52-56 Battle with Earmack for P4 that literally comes down to the final turn! I had opened up some space on him and was actually using mix 1 to try and nurse tires for a safe finish when I had another slide in the same spot as before. I get back underway with no damage but Earmack is literally right behind for the whole last lap, and had I not timed that move into the final turn perfectly I would not have beaten him. Finish +1 lap in P4.
The incident with Grosjean AI probably cost me the podium, or at least a real chance at it. That said this is the best race I've had for a while. I'd a say a true return to my 2011 form, and against an overall faster field. That fight with Earmack was so good, and I was very happy to bag 12pts. Can't complain!
RD F1 2012 Random Fun Series
Starts: 7
Finishes: 6
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P2
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0
Points: 70
League table rank 4th of 15
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RD F1 2012 Club Stats
Starts: 11
Finishes: 10
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 2
Wins: 1
Points: 109
-------------------------------------
RD Lifetime F1 Games Club Stats
Starts: 24
Finishes: 21
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 7
Wins: 1
Points: 244
Team: Sauber
Participants: 8+4 Intermediate AI
Qualifying: P6 (moved up to P5 due to a grid penalty)
Race: P6
Qualifying: Run 1 on options, 1 hot lap 1:36.719. Run 2 Scrubbed options, 1 hot lap. Improve to 1:36.341. Will start in P5 due to a 10 place grid penalty for Crafty gun.
Race: Lap 1 Nice clean start with a good jump. Maintain P5 into turn 1, then take the slippery turn 2 apex a bit wrong and go sliding toward outside but fortunately don't make contact with the car beside. Keeping about a second over SinFoolio and benny, then dyn0sp3ctrum goes into the pits (penalty?) and I find myself P4. Lap 2 Chasing down Earmack for P3 and widening my gap over cars behind. Lap 3 Earmack becomes a victim of slippery turn 2 and slides, letting me past to claim P3. Lap 4 Battling with Earmack for P3. I don't get onto the inside quickly enough out of turn 13 and Earmack gets the pass on the inside, but has come into turn 14 too hot and overshoots, letting me back past. He gets the inside again coming down start/finish and makes his pass stick for good. Drop to P4. Lap 5 Earmack gets wide at the tricky left hander turn 9-10, but recovers before I can get past. The chase ends with a throttle mistake out of turn 13 that starts me sliding. I recover, but watch Earmack disappear into the distance. Lap 6 Fighting off Crafty gun. Lap 7 In the thick of dueling with Crafty when my controller disconnects! Fortunately doesn't result in a fatal crash and I get back underway having dropped to P6. Lap 10 Catch dyn0sp3ctrum while he's pitted for P5. Struggling with grip on my worn tires + the slippery track. SinFoolio has made up almost 2sec on me over the lap, so I pit early for fresh options. Come out P8, right behind benny. Lap 11 Take benny on the inside at turn 10 for P7. Lap 12 Wait too long to brake at turn 1 and go into the runoff. Drop back to P8. Just as I'm getting another crack at him...another controller disconnect!!! Once again lucky to not have a fatal crash and get back underway still P8, but dead last of human drivers. At this point the disconnects have cost me 1-1.5 of a lap. Lap 19 Get the tiniest bit wide around the slippery uphill turn 11. Front right touches the curbing and starts me sliding. Can't recover and take front wing off in the wall. Pit for repairs and decide to change tire strategy, asking for primes. My pace has been fairly quick so I'm hoping two long runs to the finish will catch me up to the car in front in time to jump them in the closing stages. Resume still P8. Lap 29 Slippery turn 2 + loss of some aero grip behind Alonso AI results in a slide. Fortunately front wing does not get damaged and I'm able to continue still P8. Lap 38 Braking mistake at turn 9-10 starts me going sideways, but I catch it with no harm done. Lap 40 Final pit stop, for primes, from P8, about 7sec behind benny. Wondering if I will ever catch him, but not giving up in the slightest. Lap 45 Running in P7 now after SinFoolio wrecked his car. Continue to have good pace on primes and I've clawed my up to within the delta when benny makes his pit stop. I move up to P6, just ahead of him as he comes out, on options. So, another options vs primes battle, like last race. Lap 46 Benny has caught up now that his tires are up to temperature. He gets the pass around the outside into turn 14 and I'm back to P7. Lap 47 Benny goes wide into the runoff at turn 8, and I take back P6. He tries to take the outside at turn 13. We make slight contact when he turns in on me, and I think he ends up having a traction problem when he tries to re-enter the track. I punch mix 3 briefly to take advantage. Lap 51 I've been maintaining about 12-13sec over benny when my engineer tells me I need to go to mix 1 to save fuel. This is in spite of using the 'normal' fuel strategy and hardly using mix 3 at all. Will benny catch me now? Is he already saving fuel? Lap 55 With the pressure heaped on, I maintain the gap over benny and finish +2 laps in P6.
In almost all ways this was an epic finish almost better than a win. 2 wheel disconnects and a busted front wing, and somehow I survive and push and in the end defeat my direct rival. YES!!!
RD F1 2012 Random Fun Series
Starts: 6
Finishes: 5
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P2
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0
Points: 58
League table rank 5th of 14
--------------------------------
RD F1 2012 Club Stats
Starts: 10
Finishes: 9
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 2
Wins: 1
Points: 97
----------------------------------
RD Lifetime F1 Games Club Stats
Starts: 23
Finishes: 20
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 7
Wins: 1
Points: 232
Team: Red Bull
Participants: 14
Qualifying: P9
Race: P7
Objective: 11th or better PASSED
Qualifying: Run 1 One hot lap on options 1:28.772. Run 2 One hot lap on options. Improve by about 4 hundredths to 1:28.733, but only good enough for P9
Race: Lap 1 got a great start, but unfortunately myself and an HRT go for the same spot at the same time and make contact. I get in the wall and lose my front wing. Pit for repairs and get back underway in P14, dead last and a ways behind. I also ask for primes to see if I can run until the rain comes since chance of rain is 47%. Lap 2 Overcook it into turn one on my cold tires and lose my shot at TheHemps. Coming into turn 14 I pass a very slow Benny to take P13. A bit too near to crashing for my taste though! TheHemps is up next, and he loses it coming out of the final turn, allowing me to shoot past for P12. Lap 5 Tiny mistake with the curb puts me in the wall and I've lost another front wing. Almost to the pits, and still running in P11 after someone disconnected, when I get into the gravel and TheHemps passes. Pit from P12 for repairs and the team gives me new primes. Back underway still P12. Lap 6 Benny is in pursuit and I have to slow for a blue flag at turn 6. I'm back on the gas as soon as the driver is past, but Benny has closed and gets a pass on the inside at turn 9. Once again dead last in P13. Then Benny makes a mistake through turn 11-12 and gets sideways. I pick the outside to go past since I think he is headed for the inside wall, but he comes back across still out of control and we collide. I have only a bit of front wing damage and get past him as he's still maneuvering to right himself following the collision. Not the best way to get back P12! Lap 21 After a disconnect and two race ending crashes I've moved up to P9 when I have a little spin just as I'm about to head into the pits. Pit from P9 and ask for options hoping to make some hay before the rain. Return still P9. Lap 31 A retirement has moved me up to P8. Pit for inters at the end of the lap as the first two sectors are pretty wet, but rain is still light. Return still P8, but then the call comes over the radio that heavy rain is coming in a few minutes. Should have chosen wets... Lap 33 Spin and tap the wall, as I'm not getting enough traction from inters. Minor damage only so I carry on, but I have to pit for wets at the end of the lap. Come out still P8. Lap 46 Moved up to P7 after another disconnect. Pass Earmack while he is pitted to take P6. Lap 47 Should have pitted for inters on the last lap as I am now struggling for grip on the wets and Earmack has caught up. He hits me at turn 13 and I spin off into the gravel, but I am able to get back underway still P6. Pit for inters and come out P7. Lap 52 Stayed out one lap too long and inters have lost grip. Pit for options and come out still P7. Lap 54 Finish 4 laps down in P7.
RD F1 2012 Weekly/Practice Fun Series
Starts: 1
Finishes: 1
Best Grid: P9
Best Race: P7
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0
Points: 6
Random Fun Series
Team: Sauber
Participants: 7+5 Intermediate AI
Qualifying: P5
Race: P5
Objective: 11th or better PASSED
Apologies for the really poor video this time. Technical difficulties meant that the recording of this race was pretty much lost. Fortunately I was able to salvage my duel for 3rd with FrenziedSine in the opening laps, albeit crudely. The damaged video would play back in one of the players on my laptop, so I basically pointed my video cam at the laptop screen and recorded that. Sorry about the blaring TV in the background. The race came undone for me when FrenziedSine tapped me in the rear coming around the first turn and I got sideways. That was bad enough, but I was relatively undamaged until I got sideways in the marbles trying to get back on track in a very slippery turn 2, the second slide putting me in the wall and taking off my front wing. Almost the best racing that I had was unfortunately lost, a real battle for the ages with Benny for P4 after clawing my way back within reach of him. On what would end up being the last lap, my tires gave up and I lost P4 to Benny, limping over the line a lap down with all 4 of my tires punctured. Guess I pushed a little too far on tires that had been off track a wee bit too much. Ah well. I figure P4 was the "best available" to me. Might have been able to keep P3, but who knows. Lag ruined things for Frenzied and I both, but it was still really fun, even though I got frustrated. Those two battles were EPIC. If only my tires could have held on just a little longer! Still and all, a solid 10 points.
Here is Benny's video that captured the action. Honestly his POV is probably the better one lol. Where I got the pass on him isn't in there (he came out of his final pit stop just in front of me and I was able to make a move on him while his tires were cold), but the battle footage starts at the 08:21 mark. It is especially epic when you note that he is on options and I am on worn primes! He finally goes past me at around 22:44 as I'm having trouble getting around with at least one tire punctured at that point.
RD F1 2012 Random Fun Series
Starts: 5
Finishes: 4
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P2
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0
Points: 50
League table rank: 4th of 13 (3-way tie)
--------------------------------
RD F1 2012 Club Stats
Starts: 9
Finishes: 8
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 2
Wins: 1
Points: 89
----------------------------------
RD Lifetime F1 Games Club Stats
Starts: 22
Finishes: 19
Best Grid: P2
Best Race: P1
Podiums: 7
Wins: 1
Points: 224
Fair warning ahead of time, I am using my blunt honesty voice here, but it is in no way meant to sound attacking or belittling to my racing friend. Just being totally honest about what I think.
Anyway...After our most recent club race at China, one of my best racing friends and I had a difference of opinion about the employment of defending. I'm not even going to escalate the issue by calling it a disagreement, because no one was mad, there was no arguing, and the legality of my defending maneuvers was not in question.
To sum it up, my friend feels that defending is something that is saved for the closing stages of a race to protect a "earned" position. He feels that it is cowardly to employ defending tactics against a clearly faster driver that you happen to get the upper hand on in the first say two thirds of a race. He thinks the strategic roll over is what a driver should do. He went on to tell me that even in real life defending, especially in the early stages of a race, is not respected and considered spiteful. I am amazed as I have never heard this before in my life. There was also mention about not making moves offline because of things that might happen with lag and what could happen when you unlag.
My honest opinion is that I have every right to employ legal defending tactics in any and all stages of the race. If I'm only making the one move that the rules stipulate, and I'm not shoving you off the track, there is no problem. If you want to get around me, you're going to have to race me. That is racing. I am NOT going to roll over just because the attacking driver is "faster" and it's the first two-thirds of a race. I'm going to fight you tooth and nail, ESPECIALLY if I'm in a podium position, as I was against this friend I'm having the difference of opinion with. And I'm not sorry about it. Aggressive? Maybe. Legal? Definitely. And I say there is nothing unsporting about it so long as its WITHIN THE RULES. Period. If you really are faster you might get me eventually anyway, but I'm not going to hold the door open for you to waltz right through. As for the lag situation, I am not going to stick like glue to the racing line and not try to defend just because of what lag may or may not do to a pursuing driver behind me. It is far too unpredictable for me to try and control it, and once again, I'm not rolling over for you just because of lagging. More often than not I end up paying for the lag because the driver behind slams into me and plows me off track without ever knowing it, so I call that pretty much even in the end if not a massive disadvantage to me because I can't defend at all at any point in the race.
