rFactor 2 Round 6 Matsusaka (Suzuka)

thx for series, got better to the end.
Took hards on this one just to have no stress. Meds would have worked too i guess.

 

If you have server replay when you get a chance, thanks

 

Really enjoyed that race, I was reasonably competitive. Apologies for clipped your rear on the pace lap start Karl.
Good job all, some really quick lap times at the front. I have an exciting finish with my team mate Neil Wood

 

well done Barrett Erickson for taking the championship, consistency pays off again, and robin for sealing the teams championship for us.

 

Congrats @Barrett Erickson, Grats Toni for the win, loved these cars and tracks..

 

Stream VOD (after a new Win10 install, I knew I forgot to check something. Trackside cam sound wasn't enabled )

Might as well begin with a season review.

I liked the idea of this series but restricted with car choice because of cockpit views in VR.

Round 1 Fuji
I was way off the pace and trailed at the back. FFB on my new direct drive wheel was causing real problems (judders) through the fast sweeping turns. There were a lot of these at Fuji so I couldn't push. Had a lonely race at the back, nearly came to grief when someone tried to overtake me like I was invisible. I was hoping this was not how the next 5 races would go.

Round 2 Okayama
Felt a little better here with less fast sweeping turns. I spun early on and stalled the engine. In my rush to press the starter button, I pressed the "kill FFB" switch instead. Having a VR headset on makes this very difficult So for about 3/4 race I had to learn how to drive all over again with NO feel in the wheel, not even a centering spring. My arms were hurting because they were tensing to keep the wheel still. There was even a little pit strategy in this one, but this came into play later in the season.

Round 3 Chang
I think for the first time I felt a little competative. Missed a turn 1 incident by the narrowest of margins and worked my way up to the dizzy heights of 3rd. I had committed to a pit strategy with fuel and kicked myself for it, because no one else stopped. I ended up a distant 5th.

Round 4 Sugo
I was hoping that this didn't include the "mickey mouse" chicane at the end. What it got replaced with is a very bumpy last turn. The field was away and spread out on pace lap while the rear of the field were still negotiating the final turn. I felt I could attack this racetrack but this didn't help me be fast. Starting my usual 7th and coming home another 5th. Thankful of my spotter this round to help with a few diving up the inside in the tight twisties.

Round 5 Autopolis
This one was pretty fun for the first half. It didn't help at the start with someone getting their braking wrong at T1 and nearly coming to a stop on the apex leading me to hit them. Slowing down to the let them pass and the rest of the field were gone. I chased Ken for so many laps trying to figure out where to pass. Some heavy defense and many mistakes at the hairpin I still couldn't capitalise on. Stuck to my pit strategy and when Ken pitted I knew it might be close on exit, but I wanted fresher tyres later on in the race. I emerged to an empty track and was lonely for the rest of the race. Oh look.... another 5th place!

Round 6 Suzuka
I was aware of how many fast sweeping corners there were at this track. I turned the damping up on my wheel to compensate for the juddering I'd had all season. Tried to follow the pack ahead early on but found myself dropping back. People on hard tyres were seconds faster and pulling away. Car crashed ahead so I was up one spot at least, my team mate Ben shadowed me for the first half of this race. I learned from earlier races and kept my strategy open, I didn't intend on pitting the medium tyres unless I really had to. The crashed car was coming back through the field and I had to think a lot about where I wanted to place my car and still stay ahead. I knew I had a lot of weak corner exists and one of which was onto the big back straight which left me vulnerable in 130R. Thankfully there was only one real attempt at passing me there and I could stay wide and have in inside for the chicane. This went on for about 20 mins or so. My car was so unstable coming into the hairpin, I couldn't brake while turning, only in a straight line. I knew I could defend going into it but this left me vulnerable on exit speed. Lap after lap I defended the hairpin and tried to make my apex. A "passing move" was tried around the outside, but instead of being on the outside line, the car turned in like my car was invisble and collided with me pushing me onto the kerb. My car wasn't going to suddenly disappear from the apex. Writing this review, and thinking about Fuji, I now understand why. The driver pressed the loud pedal on exit and spun.

For the rest of the race I tried to keep things together.... I was up to (yes you guessed it) 5th place! Ben was not far behind and seemed to be getting the hang of Suzuka. I braked WAY too late at turn 1 and went off the track. I then let the leader through but misjudged it. Thought he was way closer, but seemingly not, I slowed way too much. Ben was then right on my tail. I had to keep things tidy for the rest of the race but it was good to be in formation with my Dr Pepper team mate within a second over the line to finish the series.

Review
I grew to like these cars with their faults. These Japanese (one Thai) tracks had a certain style to them. I was way off the pace and glad the series is over. Will be glad to get out the closed cockpit for some open wheel racing in upcoming series.

Thanks to the drivers that stuck with this and the admins for giving us this series to race.

 

Helps to have video reference so my brain doesn't have to remember it all