rFactor 2 Round 4 Long Beach - Sat Aug 20, 2022

That was nerve racking!!

Finally getting a clean lap in qually (T1 was hard to judge a track cut).
I got to the grid, found out I couldn't see the lights so I had to just go when the car behind did. I dropped the clutch and nearly stalled it and had to dab the clutch again. Couple laps later I checked my stream and it was viewing the wrong driver (not me!), so while distracted I went straight on at T1 and let the entire field through. Around the same time I got a drive through for track cuts which I thought I could take more liberties with in the race, I guess not!

Trundled through the pits and ended up near last. Seemed a few more people were falling down the order due to penalties. I was so cautious into T1 & 2 so scared of getting another DT. I was using a new HUD and couldn't judge the fuel so ended up putting in more than needed (better than not enough!).

In latter stages I was trying not to burn tyres (I was fine in the end, but Catalunya has scarred me!). Catching Rocco but just not fast enough then too my surprise they pitted!

With all my mistakes and foul ups, I was very lucky with that win! I can't really believe it!

 

My stream
Windows update screwed up my OBS game sound for trackside cams so they are muted the entire stream

 

That was fun to watch, Neil. Still can't figure out what you were doing that let you get thru that first sector with so few warnings (and penalties), except i thought i was also getting warnings for crossing over the poorly defined pit exit lane. But obviously not! Maybe it was my more shallow entry?

Well done on the win!

Seemed really promising at the beginning. Got a great start and managed to follow Johnny thru the first few corners for a BVR 1-2, that held until Johnny made a mistake and handed me P1. With about 7 sec back to Rocco, if i remember right, i was thinking this race might just come together for me. Then after 2 or maybe 3 "calculating" messages i was told i had a drive-thru. I thought they were going to give us more info about that shit? Like what we might be able to do to avoid the actual penalty?

Anyway...

OK, so "0" in the settings meant "default" and "default" meant 2 or 3 warnings before the penalty. Knowing that, i assumed there'd be a lot of others collecting the dreaded drive-thru, so on with the race and try to find a way to avoid the "calculating message". And i thought they said we were going to be able to reposition that damn thing?

Anyway...

I've got some room behind, so i try different approaches to T1 (the only way to avoid a warning at the fountain seemed to be not even touching the curb). I tried slowing down to the point where i was more than 1.5 sec off my pace heading toward the fountain. OK, no warning. Tried increasing my pace a bit and eventually, even giving up 3/4 sec going into the corner, driving right down the center of the track, but actually accelerating thru T1, i got another warning -- in that little bend where the only way you can be "out of track limits" is if you jumped the walls.

i don't have a replay, so i'm not clear on the sequence here. But I was still fuming about either having to serve my 2nd drive-thru, or maybe it was just another warning, but when i came up on Rob in Sector 2 i totally blew it. Got a bit too deep, if i remember right, and my brakes locked on one side sending me out of control right into his path and then the barrier. Like i said, I don't have a replay, so my deep apologies, Rob, if we had any contact there.

Limped back to the pits for 246 seconds of repair.

2 laps later i approached T1 and Rob had just had a moment. There he was, just properly and considerately well-aware still, waiting for me to pass by, so i went inside, across the curbs at reduced speed i assume (no replay) and was immediately assessed another drive-thru.

So... Let me try to recall my thinking at that moment...

F*** WTF Are you kidding me?!? Sh*t WTF Damn. Sh*t I only have 3 beers in the refrigerator. This is going to need more than 3 beers to reconcile tonight. Screw it, i'm going to the liquor store. ESC. YES, i want to quit dammit! Click.

Not your fault, John. I had fun and we were all in the same predicament. i even had a plan i thought would work until i let my concentration down and crashed and needed the repairs. So it really is on me.

Grats again Neil!

 

coming out of my 3rd DT, I took a stop and go for excessive speed in the pits so I decided to retire.

 

After my first one at the start of the race when I thought penalties were off I tried absolutely everything in T1.

Wide from the kerb, on the kerb, outside line... nothing seemed to work without a calculating message. I was overly cautious in T1 for the whole race after and I got lots of "calculating" messages so I just made sure I was slower up to T2 hoping that it wouldn't catch for a penalty. I think the track does need some adjusting to fit in with the cut rules perhaps.

There was also a horrible bump in T1 which felt like a cut in the track mesh or perhaps one of the white lines wasn't full wrapped to the track. It wasn't like you went over a bump, it was like your car hit something sideways and it was uncomfortable.