The 10:15 Race

I've been on track to get into Black Adder Motorsport for a while now. There was only one thing remaining. Being in a race/ spotting for a team member, before I could become a full member. This is about how I had an awful race in that pursuit.

I got the FR500S a few days ago and I've just been running laps and trying to get the hang of it. it does not really help, that the track I need to practice on is the tough Mount Panorama Circuit. Great combination for a disaster.

I thought I would get into a public practice session, just to see if I could leach some better lines and braking markers from others on the track. As luck would have it, I see Mark's name popup in that session. I couldn't hear any of the conversations, since my engine volume was very loud compared with the chat volume.

Someone on the chat broadcast said, 10:15 race, I assume that's Australian time and most of the people disappear. Including my teammate. this is when I have a brainwave and decide to jump in. I've been doing 2:38s with and occasional 2:36. So I know my pace is no where close to the bunch, but I also know that this will get the condition of having raced with a team mate out of the way.

Wrong reason to join a race in a car that you have not mastered and at a track that's fresh.

Mistake number 1

Once I jumped in, I see some of the guys are marked in Pink. No clue why, I assume its a different license level or something. I decide to start on pit lane, since I did not want to get involved in an incident. While sitting in the pits I realise its a rolling start. Duh.

Mistake number 2

Once I get going, I seem to be catching the pink guys pretty quick. I realise they are in Pontiacs. Yikes, this is a multi-class race. Want to keep out of their way, but the power of the Mustang makes it difficult to pass all 3 cars at the same time. I do not want to ruin their fight for the podium. I pull out and let them go. Not before I made some dumb move. Double duh.

Mistake number 3

The race went on and I was wondering how many laps were remaining. I think I also spun the car, needing a pit stop. That's when I realised that this was a time based race. Triple duh.

Ok, I pit and get most of the repairs done and head out with a fresh car. 5-6 minutes in the pits waiting for this. Once I am out, I treat this as a practice session. In all of 25 minutes, I had done under 5 laps till then. 2 laps more, I put in a 2:38 and with it my best lap of the race.

Disastrous Race

Part 1

Part 2

 

 Part 3

More practice needed. But, for now, I have finished that last condition that was pending.

To add insult to injury, I was running the BAM v6.0 version, that I had not run even 5 laps previously. I'll stop now.

First time at Lime Rock Park.

Well, its a new track this week to learn Lime Rock Park. To be honest, I had not heard of the place till I saw it in the tracks owned in iRacing. Its one of the free tracks they give you with the subscription. I am still running the Mazda (and will continue to do so for the next few months) till I am ready to graduate to the next level. Mustang FR500S, but that's for another time.

The first video that you see here is the fastest lap from my run the first time at LRP. Its just here as a reference, so that I can (or even you can) look back at it and laugh in a few months.

Practice lap time: 01:03:657

This second one is the fastest I've gone on day 1 at LRP. Across all sessions. I can see that I am a couple of seconds off what is considered a fast lap-time. But, fast times will come, for now, its just learning time! My fastest 8 lap average was 1:04.471, which is almost one and a half seconds off my fastest. The consistency is what I am hunting for at the moment.

Fastest lap time: 01:03:065

Wait a minute! What I just realised, after digging out the first timing was that I was in the 01:03 already. So, didn't improve as much as I thought I did.

Time to hit the sack, snooze!

Safe driving in a race

This video shows hows lifting off the throttle for a split second will let the danger by and continue the race. I'm in a Mazda MX-5 and its a "Fixed Set Up" event, which means, all the cars are on the same setup.

My initial thought was to attack and make up the gap to the next car, since the car that ran wide was already on the outside. Better sense prevailed.

What I've seen is that most people just do not want to come off the gas and keep it pinned. Even when they see a crash coming together in the distance. 

Small precautionary steps can go a long way.

Let me know what you think.

Drive safe,
Abhi

As it stands for now, I am a Class D license holder I guess.

Got upgraded to D class license tonight. Its a good feeling to be out of the Rookie's class.

Next target is C class. But, I think I will look at learning some of the new tracks and cars before I join races and complete the requirements to the next licence upgrade.