[Wally]

RACE RESULTS
SEASON STANDINGS

Penalties
Race 1: Freezer (-4) for narrowly running into the back of Will (+4). The rest was a chain reaction.
Race 2: Grubbet (-8) for running into the rear/side of Grat (+8) and knocking Phil.8 off-track (+8).

Round Points
StanDaam    75.5
Will    73
Jeremy    68.5
Matthew111    62.5
Bacchulum    59.5
Guybrush Threepwood    58.5
Wally    54.5
Grat    50.5
Phil.8    50.5
Freezer    48.5
Gratulin    47
Rolz    40.5
Chap111    40
Simone    40
Grubbet    39
Mael    35.5
Schmittez    15
Marty    9
christopheraser    6


Congratulations to StanDaam on the round win, and StanDaam and Bacchulum on the race wins.

Season Podium
With EdWood missing Monza, Bacchulum takes the lead narrowly from StanDaam, with Jeremy right up there as well in 3rd.

1. Bacchulum, 297
2. StanDaam, 295.5
3. Jeremy, 295

Struggle Street Racing Crew regain the team's lead from Achilles Heels by just 1 point, with Caterpillar Racing very close behind in 3rd.


Ballast Changes
Average: 1:39.159

P1: StanDaam (1:37.607, 1.552): 59 -> 97
P2: Jeremy (1:37.979, 1.180): 109 -> 138
P3: Chap111 (1:39.442, -0.283): 2 -> 0
P4: Will (1:38.002, 1.157): 70 -> 98
P5: Simone (1:39.080, 0.079): 22 -> 24
P6: Gratulin (1:40.242, -1.083): 17 -> 0
P7: Freezer (1:38.566, 0.593): 58 -> 72
P8: Matthew111 (1:39.026, 0.133): 150 -> 153
P9: Guybrush Threepwood (1:38.423, 0.736): 172 -> 190
P10: Schmittez (1:40.623, -1.464): 20 -> 0
P11: Grat (1:39.772, -0.613): 113 -> 98
P12: Mael (1:40.682, -1.523): 59 -> 23
P13: Wally (1:39.919, -0.760): 31 -> 13
P14: Grubbet (1:39.159, 0.000): 0 -> 0
P15: Rolz (1:39.348, -0.189): 101 -> 96
P16: Bacchulum (1:38.899, 0.260): 51 -> 57
P17: Phil.8 (1:38.485, 0.674): 93 -> 109
P18: Marty (1:39.243, -0.084): 125 -> 123
P19: christopheraser (1:41.034, -1.875): 20 -> 20


Average: 1:39.357

P1: Bacchulum (1:39.055, 0.302): 57 -> 64
P2: StanDaam (1:38.710, 0.647): 97 -> 113
P3: Will (1:38.723, 0.634): 98 -> 113
P4: Wally (1:39.357, 0.000): 13 -> 13
P5: Jeremy (1:39.198, 0.159): 138 -> 142
P6: Matthew111 (1:39.417, -0.060): 153 -> 152
P7: Grubbet (1:39.909, -0.552): 0 -> 0
P8: Guybrush Threepwood (1:39.706, -0.349): 190 -> 182
P9: Freezer (1:39.030, 0.327): 72 -> 80
P10: Phil.8 (1:39.408, -0.051): 109 -> 108
P11: Gratulin (1:40.811, -1.454): 0 -> 0
P12: Rolz (1:39.356, 0.001): 96 -> 96
P13: Grat (1:39.706, -0.349): 98 -> 90
P14: Mael (1:40.600, -1.243): 23 -> 0
P15: Simone (1:39.254, 0.103): 24 -> 26
P16: Chap111 (1:38.792, 0.565): 0 -> 0
P17: Marty (2:35.138, -55.781): 123 -> 123

[grat]

Breaking with the tradition, I post my race report tonight as opposed to tomorrow morning---even before results are up.

PRE-RACE: I am heavy. Very heavy. And my weakest spot of all is tight, slow chicanes. Not many hopes.

RACE 1: after an anonymous quali, I start somewhere like 14th. Decent start, but then I get into the traffic jam at t1. I try to stay out of trouble by parking my car on the exit of the second turn waiting for the guys ahead of me to disentangle one from another. But Gratulin and Christopher behind me were a bit more in a rush, so I manage to get damage despite not moving. I have to say: more than anything else, this seems to be a bit of a problem with AC damage. How come I get touched lightly at 3km/h from behind and my rear wing is horribly damaged for the rest of the race? A puncture could be,... but the wing?

Anyway: I manage to restart and get into a decent 6th position (or 7th?). I reach GB ahead of me and I have a decent chance at passing him and the guy ahead of him, but he spins and I can't avoid him. Now I have both wings damaged. I spend the remaining 5 laps defending my position. I almost manage, but then on the last lap we touch and that's about it.

RACE 2: the start is basically identical to race 1. But this time I touch with Grubbet (I think: sorry if it is not you) while moving. The result is the same though: aero damage. I fight for position with him for 4 or 5 laps, including a three way braking for t1 with GB. But my damage is pretty big and I eventually have to concede the position. I go for repairs at the end of lap 7, but when I get out I am basically last...

SEASON: this was my last race of the season. In general, I was very pleased with my times. I made many mistakes (one of which costed the race to a few of you at Mugello---sorry!) but I had a good pace in most races. This was my first experience with open wheelers, so I am quite happy. On the other hand, between a 100kg+ car in most races and me still having to learn how to deal with traffic the right way, I basically got to results. All in all, I have learned a lot about driving and racing, which is what matters the most.

Thank you, Wally, for the great organization once again! See you in January.

[Wally]

In race 1, I didn't come out of the T1 mishap too badly - just lost a little time, but took no damage after only some minor collisions. But then in the 2nd chicane, a freak accident - Marty's PC crashed and launched his car driving the wrong way straight down the track, torpedoing my car! I had a mass of damage giving me understeer and leaving me capable of no better than a 1:44.2. I trundled around, getting picked off here and there, and finished 13th, annoyed at another race with damage.

Race 2 was much better. I took it carefully, avoided any accidents, and settled into a rhythm chasing the much heaver Matthew. I eventually passed him after he ran a tiny bit wide. From there, the rest of the race was pretty much sandwiched between Simone and Jeremy. I couldn't really gain on Simone, but Jeremy was constantly pressuring me from behind, so I knew I couldn't make any mistakes. I had a few narrow misses as kerbs kicked my car a bit, but held it together.

On lap 15, I passed Simone who had a big accident with Freezer between the two lesmos, and was still holding Jeremy off, who would get close but then fall back on the straights, weighed down with his ballast. I was mostly just focussing on keeping enough of a gap to him so he couldn't get a good tow, as we were doing nearly identical lap times, but with the ballast, we had speed at different parts of the track. After 5 previous races of pretty average results, I was pleased to finish 4th, my best result.

[Freezer]

Qualified 6th and got a clean jump and then T1 happened.  I actually had about 5 contacts but got going again without any obvious damage.  Got going but as we ran down to the next chicane I was coming alongside Simone when he moved over a bit squeezing me to the grass, more contact and we spun.  From there (in 15th) I was able to chase down a few people and haul myself back up into 7th.

R2 qualy saw me with a bit of extra weight but the car was still pretty good and a started in 4th.  Managed to grab two spot on the first lap and was now in 2nd and doing consistent laps.  Gratulin managed to get by after a few laps.   Gratulin and Stan pitted two laps earlier so I pushed hard but on the last lap realised I would be line ball on fuel so had to short shift a bit and loose some time.  Car ran out of fuel as I rolled into pit lane!
Back out in third but now with Will within a second.  We pushed hard for a number of laps and were pretty even on speed.  Eventually Will got a run out of the second chicane, I tried to hang wide as we went through Lesmo 1 but there was a slight touch of wheels and I went around. (my fault) and then I got clobbered by someone (Simone - Sry couldn't get out of the way quick enough) coming through at speed.  Spent the last 4 laps driving a very wobbly car to come home 9th.
Bit of a good result gone begging but good racing anyway. 

[Wally]

SEASON: this was my last race of the season. In general, I was very pleased with my times. I made many mistakes (one of which costed the race to a few of you at Mugello---sorry!) but I had a good pace in most races. This was my first experience with open wheelers, so I am quite happy. On the other hand, between a 100kg+ car in most races and me still having to learn how to deal with traffic the right way, I basically got to results. All in all, I have learned a lot about driving and racing, which is what matters the most.

Well done Grat, you did really well. You had a lot of skill and speed to earn all that ballast! Wear it with pride

[marty]

Funny to see me being the only car in race 1 with no contact, I did get through all the carnage at t1 then also avoided a spinning freezer mid track before the second chicane. My Pc then crashed and luckily seems my car didn't end up mid track and collected by all others, as I needed to force close AC to get out. It happened again in qualy 2 just after crossing the line on my outlap so I figured best to stay away and avoid causing others issues if it happens again in the race.

[Wally]

Funny to see me being the only car in race 1 with no contact, I did get through all the carnage at t1 then also avoided a spinning freezer mid track before the second chicane. My Pc then crashed and luckily seems my car didn't end up mid track and collected by all others, as I needed to force close AC to get out. It happened again in qualy 2 just after crossing the line on my outlap so I figured best to stay away and avoid causing others issues if it happens again in the race.

Your car torpedoed straight into me going the wrong way down the track! It looked kinda funny in the replay - not so funny at the time

[marty]

Interesting that in the results it didn't count as a contact, if you have a replay file id like to see what happened there to the car. I lost the image braking into the second chicane so not sure how it ended up going the wrong direction.

[Phil.8]

Must be a mistake me as round winner, I more likely came last this round

[Will]

Seeing as no-one has mentioned it I'm thinking it just me, but...

I got 27.5 points this round for finishing P4 and then P3, plus 4 points re. collision when in Spa I got 50 points after finishing in P8 and P10 and no collision points given.

Likewise others up top for round points seem to have earned more than possible eg. Rolz on 71 points this round for finishing P15 and P12.

[Wally]

Fixed! There was an error in the spreadsheet for this round. It only affected the round points in this post - the standing are still correct.

[Wally]

Interesting that in the results it didn't count as a contact, if you have a replay file id like to see what happened there to the car. I lost the image braking into the second chicane so not sure how it ended up going the wrong direction.

I'll tell you what happened. Your car was off the track to the right of the second chicane, just sitting there, facing away from the traffic. Then it turned around, and shot back into the traffic in a straight line until it hit my car, then it snapped back to where it had been parked off the track. Just a bad disconnect packet-loss confusion.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Once again both races I sustained damage from people running into me and from then on it was a bit of a struggle.

Race 1 someone collected Jeremy right in front of me which left me stranded and the rest of the field running into me.  The car was pretty much uncontrollable and I had a spin or two trying to get around, which unfortunately on one of them Grat collected me so apologies Grat.

Race 2 I was all but beside someone on lap 1 going into the first Lesmo when they broke over to my line and hit me off the track causing me damage that was difficult to control.   I caught up to Matthew and had a good battle but when I followed him into the pits I thought I was going to run into the back of him so tried to swerve but the wheels locked up and sent me into the wall.   Totally my fault that one as I just expected him to drive flat out in which you can do here.

Either way I think the last race where I haven't had someone run into me was Zandvoort.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm back in the pack but it just seems like the driving standards are the worst they've ever been with people cutting others off running into the back of others, running people out of track and just foolish moves in general.

[Wally]

I think the speed and agility of these cars catches people out. You have less time to think and react in a tight situation. Fast open wheelers are not easy to race.

I do agree that more caution needs to be taken.

[Gratulin]

I think the speed and agility of these cars catches people out. You have less time to think and react in a tight situation. Fast open wheelers are not easy to race.

I do agree that more caution needs to be taken.

The problem is that people will begin to drop out if it continues this way. Too many nights are ruined in the first couple of corners of races at the moment.

I, for one, have taken to just exit to pits and start again so that I at least get a night of fun driving. Last night I kept driving in Race 2 even though I had damage from hitting Phil who unfortunately had been hit by someone trying to overtake ahead of him in the first chicane on lap 1! In hindsight I should have just beemed back to the pits and enjoyed driving a few laps at normal pace. Better than limping around for 18 laps.