Couldn't devote time to try all the cars and (re)learn two tracks, so just picked two cars I hadn't used yet.
Generally I'm quite inept in US heavy metal, which was highlighted in race 1 - Clive getting the same car round two full seconds quicker has me scratching my head...
Qualified 4th, behind Kurt, but got better off the line and slipped into 3rd before T1. Up front, Geoffers & Clive were in a class of their own and soon disappeared. Behind me, Kurt was replaced by Dom, who inched closer over the following laps. Then the sound behind me changed, announcing that a new player had arrived. It was Matt, in a monstrosity of a car
Much quicker in a straight line, so he just powered past on the main straight. Couple laps later, I inadvertently let Dom through, when I went wide. The two gents stayed tantalizingly close up ahead, nurturing the thought that it should have been possible to keep them behind. Then fate started tossing curve balls it seemed. First Dom got a tank slapper, veering off track and apparently damaging the car enough for retirement. I chased after Matt, getting closer towards the end. Not my stellar driving it seems, but rather that he was running out of fuel, only just making it to the final turn on the final lap. Very cruel indeed. Thus I finished a not quite deserved 3rd. Grats to Geoffers & Clive, commiserations to Matt & Dom.
Liked driving the AMC for race 2, but still chocked to find myself quite close to Geoffers, with a clear gap to the rest of the field - that's not natural
Over the first half, the gaps to Geoffers in front & Clive behind slowly stretched. Just as I was pondering the fact that Geoffers seemed unperturbed by the tyre wear that was starting to slow me down, a dust plume up ahead announced he had gone off. Thus I was gifted the lead. Pit board showed a gap of 6.6 secs, and I was very worried about what it would show a lap later - how fast would it drop ? Could I hold on to the finish ? Gap had increased however, to 11 secs, and continued to grow over the following laps, so I could slow a little and not risk doing something stupid. Didn't know at the time that it had taken Geoffers so long to get out of the gravel, dropping him all the way to 5th. One heck of a recovery drive, to still finish 2nd!!
Grats to Geoffers & Matt - along with commiserations to the former; a very small mistake that proved very costly indeed.