I really didn't enjoy three of the only four races I've done in this car, all in the Pro Series, and only had fun at Road Atlanta because it was very busy and I wasn't dead last like I was everywhere else.
So it was a bit of a surprise to find myself on the front row, and with a car that felt reasonably good (for a Falcon). I'd tried a few practice starts at the end of praccy but was very much in unknown territory on the outside of the front row, and it showed - I fed the clutch in too slowly and it bogged down, and to my horror everyone else seemed to get good starts, and Mike, Oily, and Ade all came storming past.
Followed them for a few laps until Oily had a moment in the twisty bits and I cheekily forced the issue, not knowing if I'd get a better chance. After a few laps Ade had a tank slapper coming over the second crest and I nipped by him too, but try as I might I couldn't really make much of an impression on Mike and Adam Miles.
I figured Mike would be conserving tyres like I was, and Adam would be going hell for leather and planning to stop, and whether he planned it or not, after two offs at the end of the back straight Adam pitted for tyres leaving Mike and I in a good sized lead. I knew I had to keep pushing but also keep protecting the tyres as Adam would certainly be able to make up much of the gap on fresh rubber. The gap to Mike had stabilised and then to my surprise he went off at turn 2 and I was suddenly in the lead, just a few seconds ahead and with Adam rapidly catching both of us.
The laps ticked down and Adam passed Mike and was reeling me in. I was just about managing the gap but the front tyres suddenly got much worse with a little over 2 to go and I slithered off in the penultimate corner, brushing the barriers and letting Adam by. Distraught, I got back on the track just in front of Mike, with no real idea if the car was okay or what state the front tyres were now in. It felt odd but was still drivable and I defended like crazy to hang on to second place over the last couple of laps.
Pleased to get 2nd but annoyed with myself for not at the very least forcing Adam to pass me on the track.
Was good fun though with action all the way through.
With the new build I'm just struggling to change down gears in any of the cars and it's making me feel very uncomfortable with my driving. My solution tonight was to map look left to the clutch, so on downshifts I pressed look left (clutch) and the down shift paddle at the same time. It wasn't very comfortable, but it meant I could change down gears with success at least.
The V8 appears to be one of the harder ones to get the blips right in, along with the Radical. I wonder if me having mapped my paddles to the U and D keys (to avoid the dreaded double shifts) is helping as it effectively ensures a longer minimum control activation period.
I only missed a couple of downshifts in that race, thankfully.
but I just cant handle this TinTop machines, I brake, turn the wheel but it just goes straight on, its bloody pathetic! :/
You can't brake and turn in the Falcon. It's big and front heavy and trying to trail brake doesn't work and destroys the front tyres to boot. You get it stopped, get it turned in, get it settled and then get back on the loud pedal.