iRacing Season 4 Mazda - Road Atlanta (Full) - Nov 30

[Simon Gymer]

You get loads of time to slow down Ken. I've also had quite a few times where it tells me that and I just ignore it and then it goes away without a penalty. I think if you spin and cut a chicane for example but you happen to go really slow coming to a stop or something it will come up with the warning, but if you just keep going it will go away without penalty. I like to live dangersouly so I often ignore those warnings, especially when I've lost out cause I "cut the course".

A great finish to the season for me to finish 3rd. With Brian way too quick for anyone else, I attempted to keep Brendan honest. Mid-way through I seem to have got the gap down to 2-3 seconds, but I'm sure he was just toying with me cause I just couldn't reel him in and ended up 6-7 seconds back. Managed to get under 1:20 in the race on the penultimate lap which was pleasing and certainly the practice I had on the server before qually helped me no-end this week, compared to my usual lack of practice.

Shame to see so many drop-out/crash-out/unable to attend as it's a great track and suits the Mazda actually Being quite wide there's quite a lot of room for racing even though there are an awful lot of very difficult corners. Still not a fan of the pansy car that is the Formula Mazda, so I can't say I'm sorry to see the back of it.

Hopefully someone will run an IndyCar series somewhere so I can drive my favorite car again as I'd hate to lose the single seater stuff. After 10~ seasons of GTR/2 I can't say I really want to do the Vette/Mustang series, especially as I don't have the Mustang anyway. I really want to carry on with the IndyCar preferably, but the F1 will have to suffice for the time being. It's good, but not as good as the IndyCar, it's slightly too frantic in comparison.

I will spend some time with the Vette to see whether it's something I really want to do before deciding.

[Brendan]

Phew, 2nd place was far beyond what I expected, or deserved.  I hadn't turned a wheel at RA before last night and my last ever visit was this https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4875#event1405  

I really struggled during qually and a 19.2 was a long way off my optimum.  Anyway, had a good start and after Dave's uncharacteristic demise I went side by side with Ken through the esses.  Luckily I had the inside line for the left hander and got through ahead, very relieved that there was no contact.  Ken had another go at the chicane and I fully expected to lose out, but again I managed to keep the optimal line for the exit.

After a few went missing from my F3 screen, I was left with Simon approximately 4 seconds back.  Got this upto 6 at one point but it came crashing down to under 3 after a combination of lapping and my waning concentration.  I had a stern word with myself though, and tried to focus on putting some decent laps in which was enough to get the gap back over 5 secs.

And that's how it finished.

Grats to Brian on a great win (fantastic pace) and to Simon for keeping it interesting.

Oh, and nice to see my old GPL buddy Kruger (Nihad) back on track, it's been too long.  

[IanBassi]

Very pleased with 6th place,  kept it on the track, and out of the wall.  Nice to finish the season, with a race finish.

Thank you to all the hard work the admins and Popabawa put in to organising this season.  Even though I have been at the back of the grid most races, I have had a great time, and really enjoy the rollercoaster season I have had

Roll on season 5

Ian

[Simon Gymer]

Wow, just seen the final championship standings. How on earth am I 2nd?! Completely undeserved, with a flukey win at Daytona, two very helpful drop scores and considering there are at 6 guys consistently faster than me in this car. Well done to Mike on the win and of course to the great Team Shark on the team title, suck it up Legends.

Thanks to Pops for the hosting and organising and for all the attendees for the honest racing.

[Ken Murray]

So much for trying to drive conservatively - sorry Ken    :'(

No prob Pete, that's racing. I'm used to it by now, I seem to have a magnet on the front of my car that attracts anything spinning near me!!

[Ken Murray]

That's a shame Ken.  At first glance, the enduro isn't my cup of tea either, but the interest being shown suggests there may be some good racing to be had.  .I hope you, and Spanner, and all others who are undecided, can give it a go.

We'll see. Sunday nights are actually much better for me, but 90 min races are just too long. I only do this for a bit of fun and haven't got the motivation to get through races that length. I can see the attraction for people more dedicated than me and I'm not knocking the series, it's just not for me.

The Mazda really suited me. Short races, limited setup adjustment. Just choose your wings and go!!

[Mike Wrightson]

I do hope that some sprint racing can be arranged next season, whether it's Skippy or Star Mazda it would be a shame to lose the open wheelers.

[Brendan]

^^^ What he said ^^^

[Burtoner]

Good race from me, started from 6th place which was very decent. Noticed Dave go off at t2.. lap 4, I hit a spinning Peter, sorry m8, by lap 5 was up to 4th, not sure what happened to Ken..
Was right behind Pete, Simon when few laps later James got a run on me at last corner, but I overtook him at the 1st corner, nice fight that was
I held James off till he made a mistake later in race and i was 15secs clear, by that time Simon was already 10sec ahead and held on to finish 4th, one of my best finishes of the season, that but me in top 10 for the end of season championship

Need more races like these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmhvwu-5sp0&hd=1

[Kruger Enge]

Even though I managed only three laps in the race, having had practice and quali before, this was about the most fun I`ve had in iRacing

Haven`t had Star Mazda until few days ago so this car at this track was a first time for me. I fell in love with the car and regret I didn`t join the fun earlier.

When I first started the practice, I was doing 23 laps and in quali I managed 20.7 lap (I think). With a bit of practice I think I could have joined the 19 brigade. Pushing the car to get competitive time, my respect for Huttu grew realising what he had to do to get 24ish lap in real  I7d probably shit my pants right there at T1.

Most of all, it was so great to see so many familiar names and share the track with you lot.It feels much more like home I will give my best and try attending more races in season five.

Cheers all

Kruger

[mr_oily]

Just a quickie to say thanks all - my days that is one hell of a track! That's the MX-5's, the Williams and the Star Mazda I've driven around here recently and all have been great fun - even if the performances have varied on my part!

For the first time in a long time, wheeling the car out in practice last night I actually felt instantly at one with it - totally relaxed and loads of feel. Unfortunately I will insist on buggering about with setups and i seemed to make things more difficult for myself as time went on, until I eventually lost my way. I also seem to be tightening up again - caught myself with white knuckle syndrome at certain points of the race as I held on to the wheel much more than was necessary, always a bad sign!

Bit of a mental start with so much bunching *cough* Gizmo *cough* going on, made incredibly nerve wracking by my FPS dropping to 38 in the first twisty section any time another car was close by...not fun at all! Once the front few found a rhythm though I settled in for a really enjoyable race.

Had a quick go of your setup Brian and all I could do was take my hat off to you and switch back to my original one immediately! I'd love to be able to drive the car that loose but definitely beyond me at the moment. Fair play on a great drive, different class yesterday!

Had a great little battle with Rob so cheers for that - no silly stuff and plenty of racing room on both parts while some hard moves went in, look forward to more of the same dude. Shame my little excursion on the grass at T1 saw me drop back a good 10-12 seconds or that could have been a race long battle as our pace seemed fairly close.

Made a couple of mistakes and the concentration was definitely going around lap 20 but a quick brown pants moment on the curb snapped me back into life and in the end I felt like I could keep going quite happily.

Nice to see Kruger on the grid finally, welcome mate - hope racing with you is a regular thing (and a little longer lived next time ).

Must say a thanks to Pops as always, great choice with this one - as the other chaps have mentioned, I really hope we can slot some sprints of some kind in between the enduro stuff. Being totally selfish that would be my perfect timetable, serious stuff at the weekend leaving me the week to do Club England on a Wednesday and ACHF on a....well...Friday.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Bit of a mental start with so much bunching *cough* Gizmo *cough* going on

Really? I was being very restrained compared to usual as I was trying to conserve fuel, not being absolutely certain I really had enough.

[mr_oily]

I promptly stuffed it up into turn 2, braking at the wrong place on the wrong line.

Ah it might not have been you at all then Dave, I assumed it was you from the comment above!

Haven't actually checked the replay, all I know is that you front chaps in what seemed like many many blue cars were going damn slowly for the first couple of laps....unless of course it was my blistering race pace kicking in .

[Simon Gymer]

I tried Brian's setup too. Undriveable for me. Went back to my setup after that (which I think was one based on Watkins Glen). How you drive it with that low downforce that close to the ground feeling very loose (firm rear, soft front) is beyond me, but heck that's why you're really quick and well the rest of us aren't.

[Kerr]

My setup for this track is nothing near what others use.

It's strange how you have to drive this track. You have to be on the power going through most of the corners which is not always the easiest thing to do when you use your right foot for everything!

The setup seems loose until you get the grasp and confidence to push it then it actually becomes stable.

T1 is a killer but I find that if I give it a little braking and drop to 5th, turn, give the throttle a jag on turn in then get the throttle to the floor very early it does go round easier than trying to roll around.

Road Atlanta in one of the gems in iRacing's track list.