rFactor 2 Round 3 Townsville Street Circuit - 2024-02-11

Can't make this one. Have fun guys.

 

Just wondering if there's a prize for the first car to end up on it's roof?
It would be nice to win something and I think I've got this one in the bag

 

@Jonas Lagesson
I have to apologize to you, I didn't do it on purpose, I was pushing hard, I didn't expect you to brake so early, I didn't consider that your tires were worn, it's a shame I ruined your race, I think I deserved a penalty

 

another difficult race, this time without a win. my congratulations Matteo!!
42 seconds of repair on the 2nd pit stop, which was not needed at all, did not notice that a full repair was assigned by default. The damage was very minor and did not interfere with maintaining a fast pace. Thank you all for the race, I hope to see you in 2 weeks at another new track for me! I really hope that there will be a normal entrance to the pitlane, and not this nightmare like today

 

About the race, I made an excellent start, I started on soft tires to make only one pit stop due to the terrible pit entry, so I tried to save the tires as much as possible, and I guessed the right strategy. See you nect race

 

At first I wasn´t sure if i got a little punt or accelrate little to early but looked at the replay and there was a little punt but I didn´t got any damage and my race wouldn´t ended diffrent so it´s ok.....as long u hand me over a nice setup
grats to the Victory @Matteo Dentella

 

Felt like a bit of a battlefield this one, tough to keep it off the walls and avoid spinners. There seemed to be quite a few casualties but well done to all finishers and especially the podium.

My race was pretty good, managed to stay out of trouble on hard tyres for the first 2/3 rds of the race. But I also had a stop and go after my pit stop, not sure where the pit speed was being timed from so I was extra careful for that. Anyway, lost a few extra places but was on soft tyres which was nice to have a bit of grip. Apologies to John for the taps towards the end of the race, I was asking a bit too much of the brakes on these cars, forgetting Im not in a GT3, and managed to spin twice :-(

Anyway, looking forward to the next round, see you all there.

 

race already compromised after 200M, a slight contact I don't know who, I hit the wall with damage to the steering, the car became difficult to drive I tried to get to the scheduled pit but a mistake ended the game badly ended worse

 

Twitch VOD

I angled myself on the grid to point left and got a pretty good start. The gap closed to the left so I went right and followed @Matteo Dentella up the inside line of the track heading to the first turn. I am assumed that someone might have touched the side of my car as I saw someone spin in the mirrors but I was unscathed.

In T2 @Kahel Grahf must have missed his braking point and came steaming up the inside of a lot of cars using Matteo to stop. He let us both by on exit (Thanks Kahel!). I followed Matteo for a number of laps and tried my best to keep up and not burn my tyres at the same time. Then I spotted blood in the water with a few sideways moments, backing it into the turns... the race was ON!

On lap 3 I saw an opportunity and went up the inside into the last turn but I misjudged the braking and went across Matteo's nose. Looked like they tried a cut back but my car was there. I wasn't happy with how I got passed so I lifted on the straight to let him by. Unfortunately this let @Giuseppe Baldoni through at the same time. Later that lap Giuseppe ran wide coming onto the back straight and I pounced to get through. The battle with Matteo would resume....

Lap after lap I chased, hoping the lapped cars would be caught in an awkward place for me to catch up. Lap 12 and I see a white car swerving into the barriers on the straight.... it's @Kiril Kirilov ?! What happened?! Through to 3rd!!

As I got closer to Matteo I could sense places to get a run, but this was allowing @John vd Geest to catch up! On Lap 18 John had enough of looking at my rear and took chance into the left right chicane, I didn't see it coming till it was too late. The gap he was aiming for closed and I got a little nudge, I could go anywhere and had to take the right hander like normal. I just hoped I didn't get damage.... Matteo was getting away so I had to do all the catching again! @Roman Granatovich had pitted so this was now a battle for the race lead!!

Matteo's tyres looked terrible and I could see he was vulnerable. Lap 22 and near the end of the lap I could see a couple of lapped cars ahead, this could present an opportunity!! Matteo back backed up coming into the right hander after the back straight and I moved to the inside. Unfortunately I got my braking all wrong on the less grippy line and some locked tyres would mean I hit Matteo on corner entry. Backed off hoping not to spin him around and John pounced and was through to 2nd. Kiril (a lap down) came to join the party too!

Lap 23: Coming up the first turn @Gilles da'Silva got his braking all wrong and did a handbrake turn facing the wrong way. Matteo went to the outside, John went to the inside but got spun around. Thankfully I was able to get through with only a little nudge. Back to the battle between Matteo and I while John recovered in the background. Kiril was fast behind and I was tempted to let him uplap himself to see if I could get a chance at Matteo. Coming onto the back straight he seemed to lift, I set up the corner wide and got as close as I could to the right hand turn inside wall to get a run. Sure enough I was finally alongside and outbraking him into right hander! I'd finally got a passing move done!!! That was a signal to Matteo that now it was time to pit, I needed to put some fast lap times in now I had clean air for the first time in the race!

Lap 27, my tyres seemed to have had enough of the abuse I was giving them so into the pits I came. I hate this pitlane, it has to be the worst invention known to racing!! I came down the narrow pit lane contemplating my next move. For some reason I thought it was a great time to look down at Twitch chat..... BIG MISTAKE!! My rear hit a tyres stack and I was spun around. Thankfully no one else was coming to pit as they would have had the pitlane blocked. Too late to unclick damage I had a longer stop than planned then I spun up to get going.... then exited the pit. DRIVE THRU FOR SPEEDING!! FFS!! Now I have looked at the replay and I think it either happened on entry when I passed the pit entry line, changing down a gear with the limited on pushed my speed briefly to 41kph. OR when I dropped the clutch to get away, my speed went above 40kph even with the limiter on.

Down to 4th and kicking myself for the mistake, I tried to make the most of the fresh tyres and put some good laps in clean air. I could see some lapped cars ahead and knew I wanted to come in before I caught them. Unfortunately I misjudged it and caught them before the end of the lap. We went through the fast left, then the right then the lapped car seemed to BRAKE on corner exit nearly making me rear end them!! At the time I was so angry! I was aiming to pass them off the racing line to the right but their car went right so I had to try duck left to avoid. If your car gets loose.... don't brake, especially when you have a car coming up to you. Manage the slide with the throttle and counter steering. I was not expecting a car to brake on corner exit and nudged their rear. Also.... please please please.... if you are blue flagged, stay on the racing line so the lapping car knows where you will be. It is their responsibility to make a safe pass. If every lapped car does different things when a lapping car approaches, it makes things extra difficult! Personally I do not expect ANY lapped cars to move offline if I am coming to lap them. I came in for my drive thru...

*deep breaths*

Down to 5th with a lot of time to make up and I was being lapped. I had the genius plan of letting them through and maybe they could get me through the cars ahead, plan foiled when they ducked into the pits.... DAMN!!!

First came upon @Oli Bateson who hadn't pitted so I was able to get up the inside on the brakes on lap 32. Getting deja vu.... here is the leader.... but now in 3rd place and in front of me?! Didn't I see them just pit a few corners ago?! As much as I'd hoped I couldn't keep up with @Roman Granatovich's pace and I was left to catch up from 4th.

Lap 40: I was catching a seemingly wounded Kahel, his tyres looked AWFUL! 2-3 seconds a lap faster and I hoped I couldn't be held up too much. Again I chose my favoured passing place, the end of the back straight, pulled to the inside, but again screwed up my braking and ran into his side. I would like to publically apologise because that was all on me! I dunno what it was about that corner yesterday but the success rate of my braking was NOT GOOD. Now up to 3rd with not much hope of closing the gap, I just needed to keep it off the walls. 5th place was closing but then it seems got spun around by a lapped car so I was free to the end...

That race was painful, physically and mentally. I want one race where I don't make silly mistakes. I am not sure Sandown will be that race!!

 

Sorry about the few contact on this race... notably at the start of the race.
Combinaison of both trying to avoid someone crashing on my left (distracted) and cold brake... still, could have been avoided, probably wasn't careful enough.

 

Apologies to those caught up in that spin.
In particular to John, as he came off worst and it probably cost him a chance at the podium.
Very sorry.
I was (miraculously) running in 9th when I got 'love-tapped' right off the circuit, across the grass forming the chicane. No problem with the contact, but I was annoyed to be on the grass. Due to the shape of the chicane, I skidded straight across the little field and back onto the track right in front of Marek again. 'Give Back Position' said rFactor! That annoyed me too! I immediately gave up the position and was probably quickly passed by Marek's team mate as well.
By then I had the dreaded 'red-mist' and soon red-misted myself into a wall. Damaged the steering and had to pit.
That's when I discovered my wheel profile had changed!
I pressed 'pit stop request' button and instead got driver names!
Had to stop, but couldn't call for a stop and worse, couldn't find the 'pit speed-limiter' button either . . . so got a penalty.
Took the penalty . . . but still hadn't found the pit speed-limiter button . . . so
got another penalty . . . and so on . . . and so forth . . .
Eventually, after 5 pit stops, stop & go's or drive trough's in 30 minutes, I called it a day
Thinking back on it though and I honestly don't know if my wheel profile had changed or if I was just stupidly pressing the wrong buttons!
Anyway, at the end of the day, no matter how frustrating, the enjoyment always outweighs the annoyances. So, hope I didn't annoy too many people too much by entangling you in one of my ballet displays
Congratulations to all survivors and particularly to the podium.
Loved this Townsville circuit - as in it's a work of art to look at - brilliantly built - but it's a bugger to drive

 

I agree, great looking circuit in the sim, with lots of details