John:The missing tyre marks is a fairly common GTL problem with some add on tracks. I'm sorry to tell you, but if you continue with GTL, you will run into it again. Normally they're not completely gone - you will get a blotch where they used to start, maybe one or two in between, and one where they ended, like yesterday. I had practiced at 17:00 without headlights, but ended up switching them on in the race, as the small patches of tyre marks were very easy to miss otherwise.
It has been discussed here in the forum before, but unfortunately there's apparently no solution. It's as you described; all looks normal in practice, but in qual and race, the marks are missing. You can check beforehand if it will be a problem on a given track though: fire up a quick race offline - if it's a 'problem track', you will see it there too.
The race:Had a hard time picking a car for this. Cougar was my fastest option, but didn't want to use it again already. Camaro 2nd quickest, but frustrating to drive here; kept spinning off, and had a hard time matching my own fastest time. Went back to the Mustang, which I used to learn the track. Much easier to drive, so despite my best time being 0.5 secs slower than the Camaro, my average lap times during the race would most likely be faster. First timed lap improved my former pb, and when I then beat my fastest Camaro time after some more practice laps, the choice was a given.
Surreal experience to see Ziu qualify with a lap that was 3.5 secs faster than my own time - which was a new pb for me, and in the same car no less!
Kept my 6th place after the start. Had Bob in close attendance behind me on the first few laps, but then he gradually slipped back. Guys ahead were disappearing too, so quickly a very lonely race. Only distractions were lapping a couple of cars, and surprisingly seeing Ziu rejoining after an off, late in the race. Any hopes of passing him, maybe if his tyres were completely shot, were soon quashed, when he disappeared again (he would have been quicker, even if driving on the rims..)
Got my 6th upgraded to 5th when Ati retired. Grats to the podium & Ziu.
Cheers,
Erling