Was just about to start this thread, but was writing my extra long race report .

About this times race. Had really not so much changes to test for this race. Didn't have the time to test my setup so was worried if the tires would last for the whole race. Had managed to do a setup where the tire temp was around 79 for 8 laps wich i was able to do. So decided to go with that.

Qualifying:
Got home in the nick of time and had 5min until the end of quali. Managed to do two time laps and i think those were good laps. Got to the 5th place in the grid.

Race:
Well wasn't expecting much as wasn't sure how my setup would work in the long run. Tried to be as smooth as possible and i guess it worked. Had some really good fights in this race. In T1 it was allready really tight just maintained my position there and had little touching with Max-piaggi and for the first lap really close to him. He then went to the pits as he had a DT for jump start. So up one position. Then on L3 on T1 side by side with Exodus, i braked a little too late and went wide. Trying to get closer to exodus for a lap. So BBO managed to get right up my tail and then we had a go in T1 in  L5. Now BBO did the same as i couple of laps earlier and went slightly wide and i managed to keep my position. By now Gag and Exodus had gained a slight cap to me, so started to worry about the tires and also checked the tires from the two of them in front. Saw that Gag had really hot tires, but Exodus' looked really good. Thought that this might be my change when they start trying to pass each other. And i was rigth on lap 6 in the back straight managed to catch up to them while they were side by side, but i got bagged there so that couldn't try any move on that straight. Slight touch in the end of the straight with Exodus with a little bit of lag (could have ended much worse). Gag gained a little time while we were thouching, but we managed to take it right back on the same lap in the fast part as he had his tires heating up. So the grand final for this three car showdown happened on the main straight on lap 7. Now Exodus left me just enough room to get inbetween them both and with better speed i managed to be the first car in T1. Just really amazing that we didn't crash, usually with three cars it just ends in a great big ball of fire  . I had a bad exit from T1 and Exodus got to my side once more, but with a better line i managed to hold my position for the next braking, little help from Gag as he passed Exodus again.

Really an exellent race. I had tons of fun with these tight battles. Hope to have some more in the upcoming event's...

Ps. Really unlucky with the disconnection Exodus, dunno how it would have ended as your tires looked better in the early part of the race.

Really disappointed, just went out too fast and burnt my tires and never really recovered from it.

Even at the end they were just red hot and I couldn't smooth things out to cool them so when I got 5th after the pit stops I was a sitting duck and lost 2 places before the end.

Did have a great battle(s) but I just couldn't do anything to defend or come back, should have started slower and smoother instead of nailing it out of the box, just got over excited 

I had a lot of troubles in this car. Went off the track a couple of times, with a red left front tyre.
Did pit around lap 6 and then the repairs started, tyreshift and so on. The field was now so close, that I would come out just in front of this fast field. I didn`t like that option and i quitted the race

Well before the race i found some very good pace and with Bernd's set, i found that taking care of the set really paid off.  I decided to let everyone battle it out in the first 5 laps and i watched as everyone's tyres went hotter and hotter. I was driving hard like that in the week and noticed that the tyres then never cooled down after 4 laps.

I just constantly monitored the tyres and max temperature i ever let the tyres get to was 80. Kept them around 78 for the first 10 or so laps.

Had a good battle with Jouman, Gag and BBO.  Was feeling very good in the first few laps as was easly running wide and catching back up to the drivers in front as my grip was better. I realised i should of done some more race practice during the week as i was really struggling to pass people.  I saw Jouman dissapearing off into the distance and once i got into 2nd place i started trying to catch him. A lap or two before my disconnect i had my tyres dropping to around 73 degrees so was going to start pushing the odd hot lap to close the gap down a bit on Jouman or to at least secure 2nd place.

Well it wasn't to be with my connection last night. Have re-installed my network card and will test it this week and see if i can get it more stable.

Awesome clean racing, has revived LFS for me. Thanks all!!

Yeah, i noticed as well and yours were also looking good, but i think your gap was too big and i saw your pace at the end of the race was pretty good!

BBO arm is the one i twisted to get that set.Worked really well for me!  Thanks again Bernd!


See you all at Blackwood for some more excellent racing 

Quali:
Tbh I'm a bit dissapointed this time.
I spend a lot of time creating qualy and race setups in the last weeks.
I was doing 1.57.6x three days ago, Saturday then 1:57.58
On Sunday 1 hour before the race I went online did just 2 laps and a new pb 1.57.57
but
in the real qualy I had in my first outing a slow driving Biaggi in my way (he was trying to give room but I lost some time there) Then back to the pits new tires and oh no to much fuel.

During the next flying lap I had a yellow flag just in front of T1 that slowed me down.
I tried another flying lap but again someone spun in front of me.
When I then headed back to the pits I noticed that I didn't have enough time for a 3rd outlap and so I had to live with only the 7th place.


Race:
Knowing that my setup was really great I was optimistic for the race.
Passed ATC Dadge in T1 as there was some small traffic jam in front.
Then I had to keep an eye on my tires to not overheat them in the first 3 to 5 laps.
In the slow T3 turn of lap 2 I got a little hit from Dagde and tried to move to the left but then 3j came also a bit to fast and dang the next hit.

In lap 5 after closing the gap on Jouman and Exodus I was abit afraid (I also had a warning from the last round, so I didn't wanted to crash someone) of getting touched / or touching Jouman when I tried to pass him and run wide in T1 and heated my tires a bit while drifting and then Dagde was again on my back. For the next 2 laps he tried to pass me left and right and left and right and in lap 7 he finally passed me.

Then I was shortly stucked behind Exodus and gAg but passed them both at once in T4 of lap 9.
(looked a bit like Heidfeld did with Kovalainen and Räikkönen in Silverstone this year)
I felt great while doing it, and this was def. the highlight of the race for me

Then Exodus gave me a hard time trying to pass me left, right, left, right. As he was also driving my setup it was hard for me to fight against him. In lap 12 (he was still on my back) I was on the 2nd place and did my pit stop like planned. I came out on the 10th place but the others also had to pit so np.

In lap 13 I noticed that I lost almost 5 seconds on ATC Dagde (who was the next one in front of me) because of the battling with others. I closed the gap in the next 2 laps and tried to pass him but run wide in the 2nd last turn of Lap 15 and he was away.
In lap 18 I got him again and tried another passing move in T1 of L19.
But I totally misjudged the braking point and my speed and run again wide in T1 and again overheated my tires a bit more and he was again away.

But I closed again the 2 seconds gap and tried for the last 2 laps to pass him here and there but he was clever enough to not let me by. Was some nice and clean figthing I experienced during this and throughout the whole race. I really enjoyed it.  

Had a little bit of practice for this one, decided on a different qualifying setup (from setup field) compared to the race (base setup in TDC forum). I’d done quicker times before so my grid position was only OK.

In the early laps it was close racing between me, Pingo, HASSE and Three Jump with positions swapping frequently. After 7  laps it transpired that Pingo and I got a little ahead. I had Pingo right behind me giving pressure while I had to often drive defensively into many corners, luckily I had a slight advantage on the fast corners where I avoided a passing attempt on the long straight. This was not easy as my tyres started burning up. Alas, after 9 laps I understeered into an easy pass for Pingo at T1.

Decided to pit at start of lap 19 and passed someone in their pit box, but didn’t take notice of who it was. Just as I was about to set off again I saw them come along the pit lane so I thought ‘Here comes a Massa manoeuvre’, but instead of pulling out on a driver I ran over the mechanics
I was looking for them at the side of me not realising they were a lap down and had slowed down, and then I got a speeding penalty. DAMN
By the time I had done that I had dropped 2 positions, made one back to finish 8th. Good close racing though