During practice the car was horrible. Loads of understeer that I couldn't drive around. Used my, well, Psuedos actually, Brno setup, just a little less camber and gearing change.
In Qually I put on soft fronts, which I hadn't tested beforehand because I thought they would never last the race. Suddenly, the car was sooo much better. Finally it went where I wanted it to go, without pumping gas and brakes, trying to coax the thing to change direction as was the case with med/med tires. I got a decent lap, 50.990, but *of course* Ruskus had set a 50.989
Took another 5 laps worth of fuel and got the pole. Then Ruskus disco'd, so I guess the .990 time would have been enough anyways.
Race was going well. I thought it was "in the bag", that I'd finally get my first win. I was in first (of the GTCs) with a 4 second gap or so, that wasn't shrinking, maybe even growing slowly. I was taking it easy, making sure there were no screeching sounds from the left front in T1, T3, ...well, all the right handers
I felt everything was finally going like it should, everything was stable, I was calm, car worked great and tire wear, though over 20 on that left front towards the end of the first stint, was still manageable, Ruskus wasn't gaining. It actually looked like you had more tire problems then I did.
I stayed out an extra lap or two, to make absolutely sure I would not run out of gas like at Brno. Not sure how much effective gap I had to Ruskus when I came in, as he had pitted earlier, but when I came out not only Ruskus but Paul968 zoomed past on the straight, while I was still in the pit lane. To top it all off, I made my first serious mistake in the race that very lap, letting a GT1 through at the long (double) right, and I ended up in the kitty litter.
I got so angry with myself I was sweating like a pig. How could I take such a good rhytm and such a very good race position, something I've very much wanted since I joined the first race here, and just...well, trash it like that. Was I cursed, or was I just the biggest tool around? I don't mind loosing a race, or a duel, but I was *really* getting tired of making these stupid silly mistakes, that nullify all (most, at least) my efforts up to that point. Feels like almost every race I've done so far it's the same old story. Looking good, then kapow.... Okay I'll stop bitching now.
Driving in that mindset wasn't very easy, I can tell you that
Calmed down a few laps later, and it seemed Paul was starting to have problems after a bit. I was inching closer from 8, to 7.8, to 7.7, to 7.5, to 7.6, but then all of a sudden 6.8, then 5.5 and now I could see him. That felt invigorating and the chase was on. If I wasn't going to win, maybe I could have a great duel for 2nd. I'd pick a good race over a good position any day of the week, so maybe my luck was good after all
But I guess Paul wanted to help his team mate (me) out, because he left so much room I couldn't pass it up. In fact, he left the whole track to me, sliding off after that long double righthander.
Oh well, no battle for 2nd then.
Ruskus was about 5 secs ahead, not many laps to go now-- What the heck, I'll push. The left front didn't like that, wear number climbing rapidly, but I was catching Ruskus, albeit slowly. 4 secs, 3 secs, closer, closer. Oh no, times up, I'm still 2 secs down. In my eagerness to catch up with a last ditch effort, I of course tried too hard and was bouncing off the curbs, not catching Ruskus at all.
When we crossed the finish line, I was surprised it wasn't over, one more lap to go still. Ooh, floor it! By the end of that lap I wasn't quite close enough, but maybe, just maybe if I get the best exit ever onto the start/finish straight, that Vertigo is slower on the straights compared to my Fezza, combined with the slipstream....I can hope. Here comes the turn, just a little more speed going in then usual, sliding... eeek, aaand throt...nooo, right tires are off the tarmac in the sand
No drag race to the finish line either.
So, not quite what I hoped for, but still, that second stint was exciting, just watching the tenths roll this way and that. Sowly catching up to first Paul and then Ruskus.
How you guys pit so fast I don't know. You bribe the pit crew or something?
EDIT: Whoa, I'm really writing short novels now. Practicing for it at least. Wonder if anyone will ever read allt hose ramblings.
Sorry about that. Though if it were a novel, I'd call it: "Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory".
