Round 5 Portland International Raceway - Sun Mar 7, 2021

A slightly more enjoyable handling car this time round letting me at least stay on the track better. DPi passing was good with only 1 silly move trying to pass in a blind spot into the hair pin, that caused front steering damage for me. Luckily it was so minor it actually improved the turn in for right turns so didn't repair it, but it was still a collision that could of been avoided. That turn exits onto the back kink/straight for god sake.

My my my the standards of GT3 seem to be slipping.
I don't care if I'm making it challenging to pass, nudging me in the rear then thinking you can pass into the next corner and keep nudging, I ain't yielding for anyone that wants to drive that way.
Then right at the end a blue flag car cuts across my nose, on the straight at full chat and defends T1. Whole front of the car damaged and can no longer chase down the car in front who was only seconds ahead. Finished where I started but was running 3rd at one point before being tapped in the rear.

Only 1 more to go.

There easy to do once you get your head round the file naming:


File naming assistance can be found on the S397 forum here I started this post to try and help and ask others to pass on their knowledge after struggling with the GTE pack for weeks. I can guide when your ready.

 

That's quite generous of you Eike. If I can sit on it, I would be much obliged. I'll be moving soon so I'll be disconnected from the world for a bit. Generous of you.

 

Unlucky race also this time.

On the second lap, when the group was still all compact, I was hit by Tom Parton at the first corner, a rather useless overtaking test in the early stages of the race! I leave last because I am turned in the wrong direction ... I can not maneuver and I am forced to cut the chicane ... for this I get a DT!

I witness some unpleasant actions during my comeback, with the car slightly damaged, even my partner Rizzo risked being thrown out by Gutierrez who did not brake at the first corner (but luckily it went well) I was behind lapped and I witnessed the scene!

my championship was very unlucky… but there is also a need for more attention from the drivers!

 

@Andrea Ricci I was not attempting to pass you into T1. You braked way earlier than I was expecting so it was either Punt you from behind or pull out from behind you and try to slow down before the corner. Either way, I waitied for you and also lost a load of time to the rest of the field.
Also, having watched the replay, you spun into the wall, you only cut the chicaine once you had turned the car around and could have still made the corner fine. Thats why the game gave you a drive through.

 

What a race! After discovering that ABS is allowed on the DPI's, I think I dropped a second from my lap times. Awesome quali session which actually progressed how it should have been. Not bad for an hours practice, and an epic setup from @Alex Moore.
Warmup lap was odd, but got everything up to temperature, and then the weirdest start I've witnessed at SRO where the leader seemed to go over the line before starting (like a car length in front). Either way, launched the car and made up to fourth behind the 2 HSR cars, before an almighty punt from behind. Looks like @Filip Fojt isn't used to starting from further down the grid. No waiting either, but I guess the pit stop he made at the end of the first lap made up for it.
So, a damaged car, 10 seconds down on the rest of the field, with Alex pushing for a last-first challenge (congrats btw!). Decided to switch to fuel save an maintain the gap, hoping that a shorter final stint with some fresh boots and a fixed car would make for an exciting finale. Still pushing, but with a little coasting, a little lower fuel mode. Then came the most entertaining long term fight I've had on track. Fojt seemed to be trying to get past like I would get out of his way, but on track, when he'd killed off what was going to be a fantastic result.... Nah. I wasn't unfair, and when he earned the space, I gave him it, but it was incredible fun defending and having the car beneath me to do it, not to mention when he did get past, he seemed to lose his nerve when lapping GT3's, throwing it off the road no less than 4 times in my view and giving me the place back.
Got to the end of my fuel and pitted, with a shockingly quick repair job, I was back out and now with a fixed car and enough fuel to run rich to the end. That took more out of the tyres, however, and I started getting greedy with passes, which eventually led to Filip getting the place.
All in all, great race, loved playing team games with the GT3 HSR guys as well as a couple of laps around Pete, and Alex is just a weapon in these downforce cars. Look forward to seeing that dark gold machine leading the way more often!

 

@Eike Sky I am sorry for that first braking when I hit you. However there was some weird moving on start procedure by some drivers. I'd say they started too soon, even you hit me a bit trying to move right, however finally the T1 mass was my fault since I lost the braking point. Sorry again. I didn't wait since I got instantly Drive Through penalty and my car was broken, wheel on side etc.. Anyway we had some fun in the rest of the race, switching positions so many times I could tell you fixed the car in box since your race pace improved after the pit stop significantly I had no idea it's possible to fix car that quick, so I disabled repairs. However whole race I had feeling you are really lucky with GT3, I was always struggling behind loosing time in traffic.

 

if we are all compact, I brake based on how the one in front brakes so as not to go on him.
if in the column we all brake as if we were alone there would be a disaster!
I don't want to make controversy ... but races are not won in the first laps ... especially the long ones!

 

As I say, I wasn't expecting you to brake as early as you did. I did break earlier than I usually would anyway.
You just caught me out.