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03-07-2010, 12:40 PM
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#101 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Tuesday, October 18th - Season 2 (cont'd)
There's been a car that's had a rather conspicuous absence from my garage thus far; the Dodge Viper. That absence was resolved today, as I was awarded the following from representatives of Dodge after today's podium ceremony:  2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR The ACR (American Club Racing) version of the car is basically a Dodge Viper on steroids, and is just barely street legal. It includes street-legal racing tires, two-piece brake rotors, and significant aerodynamic improvements (all those flanges and ripples at the front of the car). Weight is also decreased by about 200 pounds over the normal version, yet still mounts the same V-10 600 horsepower monster under the hood. I've also received the following discounts recently, which I believe I have failed to document:
Author's Note: It may be a little bit before I return to regular racing action, but I'm not sure exactly how long. I've got an idea to replace my busted Garage post on the first page. This game is largely about the cars, and I feel remiss not detailing them in a way where their pictures, specs, etc are not readily available. Hopefully I'll have that resolved soon.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-08-2010 at 04:42 PM. |
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03-14-2010, 12:58 AM
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#102 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Season 2 - Offseason Report
This was a busy off-season for me, much more so than last year when all I really did was get my garage and living arrangements taken care of. For starters, I am no longer just an independent operator/driver. I have officially formed my own race team/company; Double Tap Racing (named after a bit from one of my favorite movies, Zombieland). I even designed my own team logo:  I couldn't do it on my own, though. Like any other company out there, I needed investors, and I've got two good ones. First off we've got Ferdinand. He's basically been a silent partner all along, with Luis operating as his proxy. The second, and more considerable investor, is my favorite "eccentric bazillionaire," Dat King (the oddball who gave me my Lamborghini Reventon). Dat King Enterprises signed up as an investor right off the bat, and included a considerable "signing bonus," but more on that later. I've also come to realize that all of these cars awarded to me by the various manufacturers haven't exactly been 100% free. Part of the deal is an agreement to perform some off-season testing, as the various manufacturers value the opinions of professional drivers when it comes to the new ideas they're considering implementing. So a bit of travel was involved in that, and there were even a few spot appearances at auto shows and the like, which was a nice little surprise. All told, I cleared $47,085.00 over the winter doing this sort of thing. The time trial events slowed down as well over the winter, but did not come to a complete halt. Time Trial: Saab on Maple Valley Car: 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X Track: Maple Valley Raceway (Loudon, NH) - Full Circuit Reverse Best Lap: 1:49.223 Position: #900 Total Entries: 4,828 Percentile: 18%  Taking the Saab Turbo for a spin around Maple Valley.
I was a bit hesitant about this one. I didn't hold Swedish cars in very high regard after my earlier experience with the Volvo S60, but actually found the Saab turbo to my liking. Granted, this car is no heavyweight (Category E), but the all-wheel-drive gives a planted feel without being detached from the road, and it actually has a decent power-weight ratio as well. I liked it so much that I've added it to my personal "to buy" list. Time Trial: Touareg on Camino Car: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg R50 Track: Camino Viejo de Montserrat (Montserrat, Spain) - Full Circuit Reverse Best Lap: 1:19.010  The breathtaking view at Camino Viejo. This one was a lot closer to home, but much more recent as well, so I don't have the final standings yet. The Camino Viejo track features some breathtaking views, and I wish I had the opportunity to race here more often, but the car left something to be desired this time around. I just can't get excited about racing in SUVs. More to come...
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-14-2010 at 12:59 AM. |
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03-14-2010, 03:34 AM
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#103 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Season 2 - Offseason Report (cont'd)
I also acquired a number of new cars over the off-season as well, which I will detail here. I mentioned in my previous post that Dat King signing on as my primary sponsor also included a "signing bonus." That signing bonus is below. And I will once again reiterate that I am positive the man is completely bonkers, and has more money than he knows what to do with. Here is what I was awarded just for signing on with him:  2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Yes, that is a Bugatti Veyron I now possess. For the uninitiated, allow me to explain. The Veyron was, from 2005 to 2007, the fastest production car on planet Earth! It's engine is basically a mated pair of twin-turbocharged V-8s, which means it is effectively a V-16 quad-turbocharged behemoth that generates 987 horsepower! It has an advanced all-wheel-drive system so the driver can at least pretend to control the raging monster within. It will go from zero to 60mph in 2.6 seconds, zero to 100mph in five-and-a-half. It has ten radiators and a rear wing that automatically deploys at 200mph just to keep the thing from taking flight. It is absolutely, positively bonkers. And it is not a track car. As you might imagine for a car weighing in at just under 4,500 pounds, it handles like a brick. It is a pure speed machine with a price tag of 1.4 million dollars. Don't expect to see me in this thing on the track anytime soon. My sponsors also brought in our first real, purpose-built racing car:  2009 #2 Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore VE Holden is an Australian GM-subsidiary, and a major player in Australian racing. This particular car never had a chance to perform in race conditions, and was procured directly from the Toll Holden racing team (hence the livery). It's not quite NASCAR-level power here, but still 620 ponies is plenty to try to control. I imagine we'll strip off the Holden livery and put something of our own on when the time comes to race her. I had mentioned earlier that I was starting to participate in more car auctions. I've mostly been bargain-hunting in the auction circle, but did manage to procure the following cars. And I think I got pretty good deals on all of them:  2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe I did a bunch of testing around the Nurburgring in Germany over the winter (weather permitting), and one of the cars I immediately liked was the BMW Z4 M Coupe. It's rear-wheel-drive and has a lively 3.2-liter V-6 engine that kicks out enough horsepower to keep things interesting, without going over the edge. I was able to acquire this particular one for $42,000.00, which is the normal list price for the car, but this one already had the following modifications on it (plus it's white, which if you ask me is the perfect color for a BMW):
 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport It's not the fastest production 'Vette out there (that distinction falls to the ZR1), but this one is an absolute dream to drive. Despite being rear-wheel-drive and having a big 6.2-liter V-8 in the front, the car feels perfectly balanced. You can really toss this thing around into and out of corners, and it never complains, just asks for more. I'm definitely considering this as a replacement to the R8 has my primary A-class racer. This particular one has won seven races, and I bought it for $60,000.00 even. Again, that's the list price, but it's easily worth that much again due to all of the improvements the original owner made:
 2008 Alfa Romeo MiTo I tested the MiTo late this season, and really liked it. It's a fun, lively little hatchback that you can really toss around in the corners quite a bit. I simply could not pass this thing up at only $5,628.00. Plus I've always loved Alfas. They always seem to drive well, and I love the look of them from the front. This particular one is actually the winner of a dozen races, and includes a Green Cotton Air Filter (street). It also provides me with the following discounts (note that these are all at 20% now, as I already have these due to the Brera Italia Independent):
 1968 Pontiac GTO Hardtop I don't anticipate racing this thing at all, but it makes such a wonderful, muted rumble I just couldn't pass her up for $19,200.00. And she's worth well over twice that, especially with the following:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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03-17-2010, 12:30 AM
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#104 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Monday, February 27th - Season 3
Well, a couple of interesting things have happened in the last couple of days, before the new season even kicked off. For starters, I have been informed that I will not be participating in the Class B World Championships this year. Instead, I'll be competing in Class A. Crap! I'm happy about the opportunity and all, but I spent a lot of time and money getting the Lotus Exige Cup 240 ready for competition, and now all of that effort has gone to waste. What's worse is that now I'm scrambling to get a car ready for competition at the Class A level. Unfortunately, my time leading up to the first race in the Championship (on March 11th) will be pretty much consumed with an interesting little warm-up event in Italy: Event: Amalfi Class E Series Rating Category: E-class Restrictions: None # of Races: 4 (3 heats each) Total Event Prize: $56,745.00 Over the course of the next week and a half, we'll be racing in heats over each of the 4 stages of the long Rally di Positano track in Amalfi, Italy. You may recall that I was in a similar event at Fujimi Kaido in Japan early last year. These single heat races are one-on-one affairs. Win your first race and you're in the top half of the bracket. Win your second and you're guaranteed a 1st or 2nd place finish. Win your third and you win it all. The Competition: Code:
There's some interesting cars here I'll be lining up against, including some older models that you don't run into very often like the '92 Lancia and the '80 Renault 5. I brought my Alfa Brera and my Renault 206 with me, unsure of which one I was going to compete with. But after a few practice runs it became clear that the Brera is what I should be racing in. The 206 is nimble, but it can't match the Brera for speed and stability. Tuesday, February 28th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Amalfi Class E Series Race #1 (of 4): Rally di Positano (Amalfi, Italy) - Stage A  First-Place Prize: $14,625.00 ($4,875.00 per heat) # of Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 1.82 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Peugeot 206 RC) The first stage of Rally di Positano weaves it's way along the Mediterranean coastline below the town of Amalfi, then makes a sharp turn at the west end of town and begins to weave it's way back and forth up a sharp incline in a series of switchbacks. I got a really good jump on Rossi off the line, jumping out to a nice little lead that I was able to maintain throughout the run. No drama at all and a nice way to kick off the new year. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875. XP Gained: 2,500 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Muller (1992 Lancia Delta Integrale EVO) Muller was able to stick with me off the line much better than Rossi was, but the superior horsepower of the Brera soon kicked in and I built up a nice lead while running down the scenic coastline. I was able to maintain that lead to the finish line.  Speeding down the scenic Amalfi coastline. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875.00 XP Gained: 2,500 Hotlap: 1:49.025 (top 1% of 209,984 recorded times - #1,455 overall) Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (1980 Renault 5 Turbo) More of the same in the 3rd and final heat of the day, as I was able to move out to a comfortable lead in the run along the coastline, then maintain that lead during the uphill climb portion of the stage. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875.00 XP Gained: 2,500 (2009 Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent gained Level 5) Heat Results: Code:
Race Result:  I forgot to take down the overall results and standings. Wednesday, February 29th - Season 3 I'm in a bit of a bind with the Class A World Championships coming up. I need to find a car and get it as ready as I can before the 11th, but I'm pretty much stuck here in Italy until then. So I do the best with what I have available to me, and arrange for some practice time at the Mugello Autodromo Internazionale in Mugello, Italy. The track in Amalfi is unlike anything else out there, and Mugello is much closer to the tracks I'll be running in Class A. I've made arrangements for three of my cars to be delivered to Mugello: the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro, the new 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, and the 2005 Ford GT. All three I see as cars with potential to race in A-class. The R8 turns the best lap times, but that's really to be expected as it's already fully upgraded. I'm rather disappointed to see that the Grand Sport, also upgraded to a 600 Performance Index, is only just as fast as the Ford GT, which I haven't touched. The safe bet here is to enter the R8, but I was really unhappy with how it performed in the Coupe Road Test event late last year (though I did win 2 out of 3). Instead I decide to enter the GT. The 'Vette just doesn't have the horsepower that the other two do, and there's a lot of room for improvement on the GT. Thursday, March 1st - Season 3 Today it's back to Amalfi and some practice time on Stage B. This one is a bit trickier than the first stage, and it bites me in the ass early on. It starts by continuing the switchbacks up the cliff-side, then a long, high-speed run across the clifftop. At the end of that run, however, there is a very sharp hairpin that catches me unawares. I end up bouncing the Brera's front end off of the tire barrier there hard, doing some minor damage to the engine and front end in the process. Unfortunately that means my practice time is over as I spend the rest of the day making repairs. Friday, March 2nd - Season 2 (Race Day) Event: Amalfi Class E Series Race #2 (of 4): Rally di Positano (Amalfi, Italy) - Stage B  First-Place Prize: $11,115.00 ($3,705.00 per heat) # of Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 1.62 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Peugeot 206 RC) This was a really good race for the first two-thirds of the heat, with my Brera jumping out to a small lead but pretty much running neck-and-neck with Rossi throughout, swapping the lead a couple of times. Unfortunately the hairpin at the east end of the course bit me again. I screwed up and didn't start breaking in time. I ended up locking them up but to no avail, burying the nose in the same tire barrier I hit yesterday. By the time I got back up to speed Rossi was long gone.  A less-than-graceful dive into the rubber. Result: Defeat Prize: $3,315.00 Repairs: -$233.00 XP Gained: 1,900 Heat Results: Code:
A first-round loss means I'm doomed to the bottom half of the table. Heat #2 vs. Evans (2009 Vauxhall Corsa VXR) This one was pretty much no contest, as I powered away from Evans' underpowered Vauxhall right at the line and never looked back. A clean entry into the east-end hairpin ensured my victory. Result: Victory Prize: $3,705.00 XP Gained: 1,900 (Driver gained Level 32) Heat Results: Code:
Victory here means the last heat will be for a disappointing 5th place finish. Heat #3 vs. Esposito (2009 Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent) Though we were both driving Breras in this one, the improvements I've made to mine carried the day. I jumped out to a small lead at the outset and was able to gradually improve it over the course of the run, avoiding disaster along the way. Result: Victory Prize: $3,705.00 XP Gained: 1,900 Hotlap: 1:30.891 (top 4% of 198,971 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Race Result: 5th place Saturday, March 3rd and Sunday, March 4th - Season 3 With a couple of days off from the racing at Amalfi, I've had the Ford GT shipped in. Upgrade: Race Transmission Price: $14,700.00 Effect: Shift Time -0.11 s Rating: A-568 (up 11 from A-557) -One of my only complaints with the Ford GT is its ridiculously long gears, which may be great for top speed but suck for track racing. So I spend some time installing a six-speed sequential racing gearbox with interchangeable gearing ratios. Upgrade: Sport Tire Compound Price: $5,000.00 Effect: Grip +0.07 Rating: A-578 (up 10 from A-568) -More grip is never a bad thing, so I spend five grand on a supply of Goodyear street-legal soft compound tires. Monday, March 5th - Season 3 Stage C at Amalfi is actually a little bit scary.  It's mostly a downhill affair, and works its way into and out of the town a couple of different times, making for some very narrow racing areas and tight turns. I spend the day getting familiar with the run, so I can hopefully avoid a repeat of the disaster that was Stage B.Tuesday, March 6th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Amalfi Class E Series Race #3 (of 4): Rally di Positano (Amalfi, Italy) - Stage C  First-Place Prize: $14,625.00 ($4,875.00) # of Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 1.94 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Peugeot 206 RC) I jumped out to a small lead over Rossi, but his ultra-maneuverable Peugeot allowed him to close the gap up during the first bendy urban section. After that he stayed very close to my back bumper for the first half of the run, then at the two-thirds mark finally managed to slip a nose underneath and made an inside move to the lead. After that it was game-on, with my Brera right on his back bumper and bumping him every opportunity I had. I finally managed a pass before the final turn, but running hard I bounded the Brera lightly off an outside retaining barrier and just beat Rossi to the line by less than a tenth of a second! Battling it out on the streets of Amalfi. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875.00 Repairs: -$403.00 XP Gained: 2,500 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Muller (1992 Lancia Delta Integrale EVO) Muller and I were neck-and-neck early on, and ended up bumping one another moving through one of the particularly sharp left-handers in the early section of the stage. This sent me wide where I bounced off of a wall and ended up trailing him. A rather aggressive line on my part paid off at the one-third mark, however, allowing me to carry momentum onto one of the brief straights and slip back into the lead. And this time I stayed there. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875.00 Repairs: -$219.00 XP Gained: 2,500 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (1980 Renault 5 Turbo) There was a lot less drama to close out the day than we had seen in earlier heats. Weber was able to stay close through the earlier bendy bits, but was never able to seriously challenge me for the lead. Gradually I worked my way out to a small but comfortable lead and stayed there. Result: Victory Prize: $4,875.00 XP Gained: 2,500 Hotlap: 1:50.911 (top 2% of 196,056 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Race Results:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-17-2010 at 12:33 AM. |
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03-17-2010, 02:14 AM
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#105 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Canada eh
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mmmmmmmmmm Veyron, drool.
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"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it." - Rogers Hornsby |
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03-19-2010, 11:30 AM
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#106 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Travis: The Veyron is definitely a thing of beauty. One of these days I'll go find a kick-ass paint scheme for it.
Wednesday, March 7th - Season 3 I'm back in Mugello today to do some tuning and get in some practice time on the Ford GT. In particular I spend time shortening the gear ratios with the new, adjustable gear box. Gone are the GT's factory-spec long-ass gears. Thursday, March 8th - Season 3 Back to Amalfi today for the final stage of the Rally di Positano track. This is also the longest of the four stages, running east in a twisting fashion into the heart of the seafront town, then back west along the coastline to the finish. Friday, March 9th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Amalfi Class E Series Race #4 (of 4): Rally di Positano (Amalfi, Italy) - Stage D  First-Place Prize: $16,380.00 ($5,460.00 per heat) # of Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 2.10 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Peugeot 206 RC) This one was close throughout. While I was able to jump out to a small lead at the start, Rossi was right on my back bumper for the majority of the race. Fortunately though, his maneuverable Peugeot and my powerful Alfa necessitated two different racing lines, so while it was a hard-fought race it was also a very clean one, and we never so much as bumped. I was able to hold him off and emerge victorious. Result: Victory Prize: $5,460.00 XP Gained: 2,800 Hotlap: 2:09.930 (top 14% of 194,265 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Muller (1992 Lancia Delta Integrale EVO) This one again was close throughout, with me leading by a car-length for the majority of the run. But a mistake on my part at the end proved fatal. I drove the Brera too deep into the next-to-last turn, giving Muller just enough of an opening to take advantage and pass me for the victory.  Losing the lead on the home stretch at Amalfi. Result: Defeat Prize: $4,875.00 Repairs: -$268.00 XP Gained: 2,800 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Johansson (2003 MINI Cooper S) Upset over my earlier defeat, I jumped out on Johansson to a decent little lead, but shortly thereafter cut a corner a little too close, bouncing the front nose off of the retaining wall and allowing the Swede to catch up. The tight streets of Amalfi aren't a place that lend themselves to big leads. After that I settled down, holding my line and emerging with the win. Result: Victory Prize: $5,460.00 Repairs: -$122.00 XP Gained: 2,800 Heat Results: Code:
Race Result:  Event Result:  An overall 2nd place result earns me a bonus of $12,900.00 The folks at Alfa Romeo are also pleased with me and have offered me a discount on future Displacement upgrades. My benefactors have also procured another race car for Double Tap Racing:  2006 Ferrari #62 Risi Competizione F430GT The Ferrari F430GT is the racing-version of the regular 430, which was Ferrari's primary sports car before being recently replaced by the 458 Italia, and was designed for international GT2 competition. This particular car was obtained from the Risi Competizione team, but I'm sure we'll strip off the livery and replace it once we're entered in a suitable competition and secured a sponsor. Saturday, March 10th - Season 3 There's no time to relax though. As soon as things are concluded in Italy we're packing up and heading off to the first race in the Class A championship, which will take place in Sebring, Florida. Here is the competition we'll be facing in the Class A World Championship this season: Code:
Sunday, March 11th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #1 (of 7): Sebring International Raceway (Sebring, FL) - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: $31,200.00 Laps: 5 Race Distance: 18.50 mi Starting Position: 2nd The GT managed to hold pretty much even with everyone at the start of the race, but unfortunately I was on the outside line for turn 1 and was shuffled back to 3rd place, then got bumped in turn 3 by Evans' Porsche and emerged in 4th. While I certainly have plenty of experience racing here at Sebring, my lack of practice time here with the GT was really showing, and I spent much of the first lap just trying to hold onto my position, only to overshoot in turn 15 and be overtaken for 4th by Weber's R8. Then on lap 2, disaster struck. I was braking and down-shifting, getting ready for the notoriously-difficult hairpin at turn 7, when Johansson completely overshot the braking point, ramming hard into the back of the GT. This allowed those still behind to catch and pass both of us. Shortly thereafter, the engine in the GT started to smoke and to miss (the mid-engine placement means that getting rear-ended like that can damage the engine). With all of that damage I was no longer competitive, and could only limp my way through the rest of the race, finishing dead last.  Taking it in the rear at Sebring. Result: 8th place Prize: $3,900.00 Bonus: $2,000.00 Repairs: -$1,355.00 XP Gained: 16,000 (Driver gained Level 32) (2005 Ford GT gained Levels 1, 2, and 3) Hotlap: 2:30.164 (top 25% of 629,261 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
I confronted Johansson in the garage after the race, and he was mildly apologetic but implied that I was over-braking into the turn. As if that excused his actions. Despite my miserable performance, the folks from Ford still saw fit to increase the following discounts I have with their suppliers:
 2008 Porsche #45 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR This is a racing version of the modern iteration of the Porsche 911. It's still rear-engine, so I'm not sure how much I'll be using it in races. Rear-engine cars are quite tricky, and I find myself much more comfortable with mid-engine racers instead. This particular one was acquired from Flying Lizard racing, hence the livery.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-19-2010 at 01:09 PM. |
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03-19-2010, 01:12 PM
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#107 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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The previous post has been fixed.
Also, I'm making a slight modification to my house rules. Given that I now have a racing team, I'm going to allow overnight travel so long as I'm not using the same car the next day. The premise here is that the car itself is sent ahead of me and prepared. As an example, I could have sent the GT to Sebring for the 1st race in the Class A World Championship, then caught an overnight flight on Friday night and actually had some practice time on Saturday. You really need some practice time in order to be able to race competitively at a certain level, no matter how good your car is. This change will only apply during the early, championship portion of the season, since this is the only time when I know ahead of time about a separate event.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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03-23-2010, 12:33 AM
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#108 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Monday, March 12th - Season 3
Today is a travel day for the team. I try to drown my sorrows over the miserable performance at Sebring in tiny airplane liquor bottles. Our destination is Germany, where we return to one of my favorite places on the planet. Event: Nurburgring Class D Series Rating Category: D-class Restrictions: None # of Races: 4 (3 heats each) Total Event Prize: $74,880.00 I've signed up for another 3-heat, staged event, this time at one of my favorite tracks, the Nurburgring. I've mentioned before how much I love this track, and I got very familiar with the place with all of the testing I did over the past winter. I should do well against this lineup: Code:
After a little consideration on my part, I decide to go with the Mitsubishi GTO. I considered the Renault Sport Clio V6 and the Volkswagen Golf R32, but there is already an R32 in the field and I'm concerned about the Renault not having enough grip to keep up with the all-wheel-drive Audis. Tuesday, March 13th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Nurburgring Class D Series Race #1 (of 4): Nurburgring Nordschleife (Nurburg, Germany) - Stage A  First-Place Prize: $17,550 ($5,850.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 3.10 mi No sooner had we arrived in Germany and gotten the GTO race-ready, then it was time to head out to the track. But I was still confident due to my familiarity with the place. My only concern was how the decade-plus-old GTO would fare against the modern Audi S4. Stage A starts out on a long, high-speed straightaway, then gets into a few tight bends around the pit road entrance. After that there are some more gradual bends, and finally another straight to finish the stage. Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Audi S4) I was pleasantly surprised to see the GTO keep pace with the Audi S4 off the line, and even worked it's way out to a (very small) lead on the long opening straightaway. I got off into the grass a little bit on the bendy section near the pit entrance, but managed to fend the Italian off and maintain my lead. After that, with a little more comfort in how the GTO was going to handle the corners here, I pushed my way out to a small lead and, despite banging the passenger side door on one of the guardrails, emerged victorious. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 Repairs: -$299.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Evans (2003 Volkswagen Golf R32) A much stronger effort on my part this time. The GTO was able to pull away from the R32 on the opening straightaway, and I did much better through the bends this time. But I did still manage to scrape my driver-side door on one of the rails (the 'Ring can be an unforgiving place). Still, a victory is a victory, though ironically what felt like a stronger run was actually a little slower than my first. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 Repairs: -$10.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (2004 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro) An even better run this time around. I powered the GTO to a big lead on the opening straightaway and stayed there. This time I managed to keep my nose (and doors) clean too.  Flying down the opening straightaway at the Nurburgring. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Hotlap: 2:18.872 (top 30% of 93,518 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Race Results: Code:
Wednesday, March 14th - Season 3 It's back to work on the Ford GT today. We're fortunate that we won't need to be traveling at all during the current event, giving me more time to get the GT up to snuff. Upgrade: Race Springs & Dampers Price: $13,200.00 Effect: Ride Height -0.82 in Rating: A-583 (up 5 from A-578) -I spend all day working on the GT's suspension, replacing the factory parts with a fully adjustable Ground Control setup. This will allow me to tweak damper, toe, camber, and all sorts of key settings when tuning for the next race. Thursday, March 15th - Season 3 Track time today on Stage B of the Nurburgring track. Stage B starts pretty early on with a sharp right-hand turn, then a very long high-speed section with only gradual turns (with a set of low-speed turns in the middle). It finishes up with some bendy bits, especially a really tricky left-hander. After a half-dozen runs or so I feel I've got it pretty much down pat. Friday, March 16th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Nurburgring Class D Series Race #2 (of 4): Nurburgring Nordschleife (Nurburg, Germany) - Stage B  First-Place Prize: $16,965.00 ($5,655.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 3.10 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Audi S4) My opponent had a little bit of trouble off the line this time around, allowing my GTO to jump out to a nice little lead. We rubber-banded a bit throughout the run, but he was never able to get close enough to seriously threaten my lead.  Keeping the opposition in the rear-view mirror. Result: Victory Prize: $5,655.00 XP Gained: 2,900 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Evans (2003 Volkswagen Golf R32) A really good, clean run on my part meant Evans never really stood a chance. Result: Victory Prize: $5,655.00 XP Gained: 2,900 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (2004 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro) Not to belittle the opposition, but another really good run on my part meant that Weber had very little hope of keeping up. I was perhaps a touch too conservative in a few of the corners, but all the same the Audi just didn't have the beans to keep up with my GTO. Result: Victory Prize: $5,655.00 XP Gained: 2,900 (1997 Mitsubishi GTO gained Level 5) Heat Results: Code:
Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-26-2010 at 12:54 AM. |
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03-26-2010, 02:08 AM
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#109 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Saturday, March 17th & Sunday, March 18th - Season 3
I've got the weekend off, so it's back to work on the GT to get it race-ready. Upgrade: Race Brakes Price: $15,900.00 Effect: Efficiency +2% Rating: A-584 (up 1 from A-583) -I install a set of fully-adjustable Wilwood brakes to help cut down the GT's stopping distance. Upgrade: Race Front Anti-Roll Bars Price: $3,709.00 Rating: A-584 (no change) -A set of Hotchkiss adjustable anti-roll bars in the front should help minimize body roll. Monday, March 19th - Season 3 Track time back on "The Ring" today, as we prepare for tomorrow's race. Stage C at the Nurburgring is dominated by a long, fast stretch that really tests a car's high-speed maneuverability. Coming out of that section, it's back into the bends, with two particularly drastic 180-degree turns to deal with. Tuesday, March 20th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Nurburgring Class D Series Race #3 (of 4): Nurburgring Nordschleife (Nurburg, Germany) - Stage C  First-Place Prize: $19,890.00 ($6,630.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 3.10 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Audi S4) Rossi's Audi was able to stay pretty much on my back bumper through the early bends in the run, but the turbo in the GTO really kicked once we got to the high-speed section and I was able to open up a small lead. A really good job through the first of the 180-degrees allowed me to extend that lead and gave me plenty of cushion for the win. Result: Victory Prize: $6,630.00 XP Gained: 3,400 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Evans (2003 Volkswagen Golf R32) A nearly flawless run on my part left Evans no real hope of keeping up. I jumped out to a big early lead and stayed there. Result: Victory Prize: $6,630.00 XP Gained: 3,400 Hotlap: 2:35.539 (top 2% of 85,490 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (2004 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro) I jumped out to another hefty lead and pretty much dominated the race again. I did have a scary moment, though. Some of the curbs on the 'Ring are pretty steep, and can cause you to lift your wheels if you hit them with too much speed. At the end of the fast section I got the GTO up on two wheels and very nearly rolled it, but managed to recover and take the checkered flag.  A scary moment at 120mph+ Result: Victory Prize: $6,630.00 XP Gained: 3,400 Heat Results: Code:
Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
Anything but a dead last finish should give me the overall victory. Wednesday, March 21st - Season 3 Back to work on the GT: Upgrade: Race Rear Anti-Roll Bars Price: $3,709.00 Rating: A-584 (no change) -A set of Hotchkis adjustable anti-roll bars in the rear completes the set. Once I'm done making the modifications, I ship the GT back to the home shop in Barcelona, since that's where the next leg in the World Championship will be held on Sunday. Thursday, March 22nd - Season 3 Practice time today on the fourth and final stage of the 'Ring. This can be a tricky one. You start out going through a number of back-and-forth turns that require controlled slides in order to keep your speed up yet still stay on the track. After that things open up a little bit, finishing up with a pair of lefts followed by a gradual right that leads to a "shoot," where you emerge from the trees and onto the open plain for the last run, which is straight as an arrow back to the start/finish line. Friday, March 23rd - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Nurburgring Class D Series Race #4 (of 4): Nurburgring Nordschleife (Nurburg, Germany) - Stage D  First-Place Prize: $20,475.00 ($6,825.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 3.70 mi Heat #1 vs. Rossi (2004 Audi S4) A bit unusual, but my first run of the three was actually my strongest this time around. Even Rossi's Audi couldn't keep up with the GTO this time around.  Emerging onto the final straightaway of the Ring. Result: Victory Prize: $6,825.00 XP Gained: 3,500 Hotlap: 2:33.720 (top 30% of 85,745 recorded times) Heat Results: Code:
Heat #2 vs. Evans (2003 Volkswagen Golf R32) Another solid run, and Evans proved incapable of hanging with me. Result: Victory Prize: $6,825.00 XP Gained: 3,500 Heat Results: Code:
Heat #3 vs. Weber (2004 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro) More of the same. I really feel like I've got this place down, and it's going to be a shame to have to leave. Result: Victory: Prize: $6,825.00 XP Gained: 3,500 Heat Results: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:34.471 2nd place: Weber - 2:44.714 Race Results: Code:
Event Results:  Event Bonus: $38,400.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
A clean sweep of the event earns me a nice fat bonus check. The folks at HKS Turbos are also quite pleased with the GTO's performance, and have offered me a discount on their single and twin-turbo setups in the future (Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru). Also my sponsors have seen fit to procure another race car for Double Tap Racing. And since we're in Germany, they've acquired a BMW racer from Rahal Letterman Racing:  2009 #92 Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2 This is the full-blown racing version of the latest BMW M3, with a race-tuned V-8 cranking out 491 horsepower. I'm a little leary of a front-engine racer, but they tell me that the weight distribution is perfectly balanced between front and rear. We'll see. Shortly after finishing with all of the post-race pleasantries, I board a flight for Spain. Stage 2 of the Class A World Championships is the day after tomorrow.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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03-27-2010, 02:42 AM
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#110 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Saturday, March 24th - Season 3
Track time today on the full Grand Prix Circuit at Circuit de Catalunya, about 20 miles north of Barcelona proper. After actually getting to spend a night in my own bed (a rarity), I spend the day turning laps and getting the GT dialed in. In particular I work on the suspension and cutting down on body-roll. While there are a couple of high-speed sections in the track at Catalunya, handling is the most important thing. By the end of the day I'm more comfortable than I have been thus far with the car. I still feel like there are improvements to be made, but I should be much better off than I was in Florida. I'm also contacted by the fellows at BMW about participating in one of their manufacturer events over the next couple of weeks, and I accept. I don't have time to gather all of the details, but I do know that the first race will be held at Mugello in Italy, so make arrangements at the shop for the M3-GTR and Z4 Coupe to be transported to Mugello immediately. Sunday, March 25th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #2 (of 7): Circuit de Catalunya (Montmelo, Spain) - Grand Prix Circuit  First-Place Prize: $27,300.00 Laps: 5 Race Distance: 14.46 mi Starting Position: 2nd I held my own against the rest of the competition this time as the green flag dropped, and remained in 2nd place as we entered Elf. The GT got a little loose as we rounded Repoil, but I held on, then fought off a challenge by Taylor's Viper as we moved through SEAT. However, by the time I emerged from the turn Davis was putting some serious distance between his Z06 and the rest of us. That 'Vette of his is an absolute rocket ship. I went a little wide in turn 7, dipping into the grass and allowing Taylor to make the pass that he failed to earlier. By the time we came back around to Repoil on lap 2 I was right on Taylor's back bumper. I then drove in hard into turn 5, sticking my nose underneath and emerging back in 2nd. I was still in 2nd place on lap 3 when Taylor badly overshot La Caixa, pretty much taking him out of the running, but I now had Evans' Porsche and Weber's Audi all over my back bumper. Weber made a hard push on lap 4 and I went a little wide in turn 5, allowing him to make the pass. But I was not going to let that stand. On the 5th and final lap I had a good run coming off of turn 3, moving me right up to Weber and to the inside. As we moved through Repoil I gradually allowed the GT to move to the outside through the turn. Weber had no choice but to back off, and I finished off the race in 2nd place. Retaking second place from Weber at Catalunya. Result:  Prize: $25,350.00 Repairs: -$1,021.00 XP Gained: 14,000 Hotlap: 1:57.163 (top 32% of 646,387 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
A nice 2nd place finish gets me off the bottom line of the table and into the mix with the rest of the also-rans, but Davis is looking unstoppable so far in his Corvette. I've obviously got a lot of work to do yet on the GT if I'm going to challenge him for the title. But today was still a vast improvement over the disastrous results in race #1. That night I'm back in the air again, catching a late flight to Mugello for the next event. While I'm in the air, I also discover that I've won one of the online auctions I've been involved in lately. Most of the time I get outbid on these, and I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't largely a waste of time, but at least this one has proven fruitful. The latest addition to my collection:  2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X The Turbo X was a limited-run special edition version of the popular Saab 9-3 sedan. It's nothing sexy compared to a lot of the other cars now in my collection, but I drove it in a time trial over the off-season and rather liked it. It's got a nice, planted feel to it. Two-hundred-eighty turbocharged horses means it can get up and move pretty good, too. This one lists for $27,000.00 but I landed it for only $12,000.00. Monday, March 26th - Season 3 I land in Mugello late at night, and first thing in the morning get the last of the details for the upcoming event. Event: BMW Owner's Club Rating: B-class Restrictions: BMW vehicles only Total Event Prize: $44,655.00 # of Races: 4 The competition: Code:
Considering the cars that I'll be facing, and the fact that the M5 and the newer M3s are seriously fast, I spend the day testing the two cars I own which I figure are best suited to the task: the M3-GTR and the Z4 M Coupe. The Z4 holds its own against the GTR surprisingly well, but in the end I decide upon the latter. If for no other reason, than I am quite comfortable with it after running that endurance event in it last year, right here at Mugello. Tuesday, March 27th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: BMW Owner's Club Race #1 (of 4): Mugello Autodromo Internazionale (Mugello, Italy) - Club Circuit  First-Place Prize: $11,310.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 7.16 mi Starting Position: 2nd I spun the rear wheels on the GTR a little bit at the drop of the flag, then got blocked on the outside by Rossi as we approached the first turn, allowing Muller to slip by me on the inside and dropping me back to 3rd. But on the last turn of lap 1 I was able to dive to the inside of Muller and regained my 2nd place position. After that I set after Rossi and quickly tracked him down at the north end of the track. A really good run off of the tricky turn 3 gave me the extra speed I needed, and I passed Rossi for the lead on the ensuing short straightaway. After that I felt myself slip into the zone, as my extensive time here last year came rushing back. I was not seriously challenged for the lead the rest of the way.  Making the pass on Rossi at Mugello. Result: Prize: $11,310.00 XP Gained: 5,800 Hotlap: 1:03.081 (top 2% of 516,919 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Wednesday, March 28th - Season 3 Travel day today. We head to Silverstone for the next BMW club race. Thursday, March 29th - Season 3 Track time today on the tricky National Circuit at Silverstone. I had serious problems the last time I ran this course in the Coupe Road Test event last year, finishing an embarrassing 7th, so I spend extra time making sure I can get the GTR around the place cleanly. I pay special attention to the tough double-apex turn at the south end of the course. Friday, March 30th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: BMW Owner's Club Race #2 (of 4): Silverstone Racing Circuit (Northamptonshire, England) - National Circuit  First-Place Prize: $10,920.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 6.56 mi Starting Position: 2nd A much better start this time around allowed me to get a little bit of a jump on Rossi. I had him to the inside of the first turn and nudged him out of my way for the early lead. After that the race was surprisingly uneventful. Silverstone isn't the sort of place where you can really run away from anyone, but the GTR had enough under the hood and I had enough skill behind the wheel to keep everyone else in my rear view mirror. I'm still driving a little too deep into the roundabout at the southern end of the track, but not badly enough to cause me to lose time as a result.  A German armoured column invades southern England. Result: Prize: $10,920.00 XP Gained: 5,600 Hotlap: 1:03.025 (top 59% of 381,999 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
Saturday, March 31st - Season 3 Travel day. We head across the Atlantic to America for the remainder of the event. First up is Maple Valley in New England. Sunday, April 1st - Season 3 We've got an extra day between events this time, so I spend a Sunday doing some more work on the GT. Upgrade: Street Weight Reduction Price: $1,200.00 Effect: Weight -82 lbs. Rating: A-592 (up 8 from A-584) -I've got to find a way to get more speed out of this thing if I'm going to have any shot at Davis, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to drop weight. So I yank a few non-essentials and replace the battery with a lightweight Recaro version. Monday, April 2nd - Season 3 Practice time today on the Short Circuit at Maple Valley. You may recall that Maple Valley is a high-speed course, so I'm hoping the GTR's speed should give me the edge. Still, there are a few high-speed bends that give me a little bit of pause, and could prove tricky in the rear-wheel-drive BMW. The good news there, though, is that we're all in rear-wheel-drive BMWs. Tuesday, April 3rd - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: BMW Owner's Club Race #3 (of 4): Maple Valley Raceway (Loudon, NH) - Short Circuit  First-Place Prize: $11,895.00 Laps: 6 Race Distance: 6.96 mi Starting Position: 2nd I got off to a decent start at the drop of the green flag, but Rossi quickly slipped to the outside and bumped me, then blocked me as we headed into the first turn, preventing me from passing. It was the middle of lap 2 before I could get in a spot to attempt a pass, and I managed a good run on him as we headed for the sharp turnaround at the north end of the track, but he held is line to the inside and I was unable to overtake. But I stayed right on Rossi's back bumper, then slid out from behind, winning a drag race down the home straightaway and beating him into the first turn on lap 3. Once I was able to get out into the lead I was gradually able to stretch it out to a nice comfortable cushion.  I love the smell of burning brake rotors in the morning. Result: Prize: $11,895.00 XP Gained: 6,100 (Driver gained Level 35) Hotlap: 42.779 (top 8% of 386,994 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
6th place or higher in the last race and I'm guaranteed an event win, but I'd much rather have the sweep. Wednesday, April 4th - Season 3 Another travel day. We head clear across the U.S. to Sedona, Arizona for the last race in the event. And as luck would have it, that's where the 3rd leg of the World Championships is being held as well. Thursday, April 5th - Season 3 We've got allotted practice time today, and it's a good thing too, because tomorrow we'll be running the reverse Club Circuit at Sedona Raceway Park. I've run this circuit before, but never reversed, and it takes me a little bit of time and experimentation before I'm able to do so cleanly. But just the same as the normal direction, the key to fast lap times remains the same; the back stretch. The back stretch contains some bends and a pretty steep hill, but if it can be taken flat out or close to it, you can really cut down on your laptimes. By the end of the day I'm pretty comfortable with that back stretch, though I do need to feather the throttle in spots in order to maintain control. Friday, April 6th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: BMW Owner's Club Race #4 (of 4): Sedona Raceway Park (Sedona, AZ) - Club Circuit Reverse  First-Place Prize: $10,530.00 Laps: 3 Race Distance: 6.06 mi Starting Position: 1st (I now start in 1st in races where my car has the highest Performance Index  )Starting the race in the lead, no matter how small, was certainly nice for a change, and I maintained that narrow lead through the first half of lap 1. But, as I suspected, I was really able to extend that lead on the back stretch. While I didn't take it flat out, it was close enough and obviously everyone else was checking up, since they rapidly began to disappear from my rear-view mirror. Victory this time proved to be a piece of cake.  Leading the pack through the first bends at Sedona. Result: Prize: $10,530.00 XP Gained: 5,400 Hotlap: 1:16.369 (top 2% of 202,321 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Result: Event Bonus: $22,900.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
A pretty good performance, all around, if I do say so myself. And apparently my sponsors agreed. Just wait to see how they chose to reward me this time...
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 03-27-2010 at 02:45 AM. |
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04-05-2010, 12:36 AM
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#111 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Friday, April 6th - Season 3 (cont'd)
After the race and the podium ceremony, Luis informed me that I had a message awaiting me from my European benefactors. Once I actually read what was in the envelope, my jaw nearly hit the floor. There was a brief letter of congratulations on my performance thus far, and a rather impressive looking envelope from Ferrari as well. Contained therein was the "deed" to my newest toy:  2005 Ferrari FXX The FXX is anything but ordinary, even by Ferrari's standards. The first thing that is unusual about it is the way that ownership works. Technically I own the vehicle, but Ferrari keeps and maintains it. They then make it available to me (and the 29 other FXX owners in the world) on special track days and other events. It was made clear to me in the envelope that the FXX would be made available to me for racing events, given enough advanced notice to arrange for transportation. They damn well better, since ownership of a FXX carries with it a $3m price tag, but I'd still rather have it on-hand in my garage in Barcelona rather than Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy.
The car itself is quite extraordinary. Basically it is a mechanism by which Ferrari gives its best (and wealthiest) customers a taste of what it is like to drive a Formula One car. Much of the technology contained in the FXX is pulled straight from Formula One, including the gearbox which comes straight from F1 and allows for gearshifts which take less than 100 milliseconds. The engine is a bored-out version of what Ferrari puts in their Enzo, cranking out 789 horsepower in a car that weighs in at only around 2,500 pounds. That gives it the greatest power-to-weight ratio of anything that I own, by far. I cannot weight to get my hands on this thing. And on a slightly less-exciting note, I also received notification that I'd won another online auction:  2009 Lotus 2-Eleven The Lotus 2-Eleven is a dedicated track-car manufactured by Lotus. In typical Lotus fashion, it's key performance factor is it's weight. Weighing in at a downright skinny 1,636 pounds, it is by far the lightest car in my arsenal. This light weight and dedicated track characteristics mean the car really feels like it's on rails. You can pull some maneuvers in these things that just aren't possible in a lot of other cars.
The power is provided by a track-tuned, twin-screw supercharged 1.8-liter V4 that puts out 273 horsepower, an impressive number for such a small, lightweight engine. This particular car came with the following modifications as well:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 04-05-2010 at 12:54 AM. |
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04-06-2010, 12:49 AM
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#112 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Friday, April 6th - Season 3 (cont'd)
I also make arrangements to send the Mitsubishi GTO to Japan. I've signed up for an event that kicks off on Monday, so another overnight flight will be necessary after Sunday's race. Saturday, April 7th - Season 3 A little bit of scheduling fortune means that we get to stay in Arizona for Sunday's Class A World Championship race, so I spend the day turning laps on the Sedona Full Circuit in the Ford GT. While I do a pretty good job of kicking ass at the Club Circuit here, the Full Circuit has given me trouble in the past. The transitions between the speedway and the club circuit sections can be particularly troublesome. The place also involves quite a bit of high-speed braking, so I spend some time moving the brake balance back on the GT as well. Sunday, April 8th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #3 (of 7): Sedona Raceway Park (Sedona, AZ) - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: $27,300.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 16.52 mi Starting Position: 1st Starting at the front of the pack for the first time in a championship race was nice, and a good solid launch on my part means I managed to keep my lead at first, with Davis' Corvette and Taylor's Viper close behind. Taylor managed to get to the inside as we made the first transition, though, and edged me out for the lead as we entered the tunnel and headed for the club section. But a good exit on my part from the west-end hairpin and a clean line through the subsequent "notch" gave me enough momentum to move back into the lead. After that things settled down for a bit, and Davis and I pulled away a bit from the rest of the pack. I continued to lead until the return tunnel entrance on lap three, when I swung too wide on the turn (as I've done before here), bouncing off of the wall and losing enough speed to allow Davis to make the pass. I finally caught back up with him on the east-end hairpin. I took a steep approach into the turn while he took a shallow one, and we ended up coming together right at the apex, but because I was on the inside I was able to emerge from the skirmish with the lead. However, the tunnel-entrance turn bit me in the ass yet again (someday I'm going to figure that damn thing out), and I went too wide allowing Davis to retake the lead. Things went from bad to worse after that, as I pushed the rear wheels a little too hard on the last set of turns before the speedway, losing rear grip and spinning out completely. By the time I got back up to speed Taylor, Weber, and Evans had all passed me and I had to settle for a 5th place finish.  Losing control in the Sedona desert. Result: 5th place Prize: $13,260.00 Bonus: $6,800.00 Repairs: -$1,815.00 XP Gained: 14,000 (2005 Ford GT gained Level 4) Hotlap: 2:22.083 (top 24% of 568,889 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
Today was a frustrating day, to say the least, and I am thoroughly annoyed with myself. That race was mine to win and I blew it. At the very least I could have just accepted a 2nd place finish and probably moved into 3rd in the overall standings, but instead I had to push things a little too far and was lucky to salvage fifth. If there's anything to take from this, I suppose it's that I can indeed give Davis a run for his money with the GT now. But it's probably too late to make a difference. At least the folks at Ford aren't thoroughly disgusted with me. My discounts with their in-house Valve and Displacement shops are now up to 30%. After the race I catch an overnight flight across the Pacific to Japan. Monday, April 9th - Season 3 We're in Japan for the first time this season, where I'll be participating in the Asian Elite Open over the next week or so. Event: Asian Elite Open Rating: D-class Restrictions: Vehicles manufactured in Asia only. Total Event Prize: $24,180.00 # of Races: 3 I'll be using the Mitsubishi GTO again for this event. If I had more time I'd probably look to pick up something different, perhaps one of the new Mugen Civics, but there simply isn't enough time right now. The competition: Code:
The first leg will be held on the short track at Tsukuba Circuit, so I spend the day there turning laps. But it doesn't take long before I feel I have the GTO dialed in pretty well, especially since I just drove it a couple of weeks ago in Germany. Tuesday, April 10th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Asian Elite Open Race #1 (of 3): Tsukuba Circuit (Shimotsuma, Japan) - Short Circuit  First-Place Prize: $8,385.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 3.88 mi Starting Position: 1st Perhaps sensing my frustration over what happened over the weekend, the GTO responded really well today. I jumped out to a decent lead right off the starting line, and stayed out in front of the pack all day, hitting all of my marks and generally making short work of the competition this time around.  Hitting my marks at Tsukuba. Result: Prize: $8,385.00 XP Gained: 4,300 Hotlap: 47.952 (top 1% - #4,270 of 359,618 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Wednesday, April 11th - Season 3 I've got a day to spare, so it's back to work on the Ford GT. Upgrade: Sport Displacement Price: $6,580.00 Effect: Power +12 hp Rating: A-597 (up 5 from A-592) -There's not much more I can do to improve the handling characteristics on the GT, so it's time to give it some more power. I go a different route than I have with other cars and overbore the engine block, install a balanced stroker crankshaft and heavy-duty rods. This results in an extra three-tenths of a liter of displacement and twelve more horsepower. Thursday, April 12th - Season 3 Practice time today on the short, West Circuit at Twin Ring Motegi. After a dozen laps or so I'm pretty comfortable, and I've even got the GTO handling the southeast "notch" pretty well too. Friday, April 13th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Asian Elite Open Race #2 (of 3): Twin Ring Motegi (Motegi, Japan) - West Circuit  First-Place Prize: $7,800.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 4.40 mi Starting Position: 1st I didn't get the best jump this time around at the start of the race, and had Takahashi's Subaru near my back bumper for most of the first lap. I handled the notch well enough, but overshot the last turn at the southern end of the track, slipping off into the grass and surrendering the lead to Takahashi. Despite my best efforts it took me until the notch on lap three to pull back even with him. I outbroke him on the inside heading into the turn, bumping him off only to have him come right back into my own fender on the second half of the notch. But I held my line and regained the lead, holding on the rest of the way for the victory.  Ever-so-close to Takahashi at the south end of Twin Ring Motegi. Result: Prize: $7,800.00 XP Gained: 4,000 Race Results: Code:
Saturday, April 14th - Season 3 Travel day today. We head back across the Pacific to New Hampshire to finish up the Asian Elite Open at Maple Valley. Sunday, April 15th - Season 3 Practice laps today on the Short Circuit Reverse at Maple Valley. Normally I fare well here, but today the understeer that is inherent in an all-wheel-drive car is making the sweeper at the southern end of the track troublesome, and I have a hard time keeping the GTO off of the outside retaining wall at the start of the front straightaway. It takes me a little time (and a little cosmetic body-work) but I eventually figure out a way to compensate, swinging a little wider on the sweeper than normal and letting the car naturally slow down, then gunning it once I feel the requisite amount of grip back in the tires to hold the line. Monday, April 16th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Asian Elite Open Race #3 (of 3): Maple Valley Raceway (Loudon, NH) - Short Circuit Reverse  First-Place Prize: $7,995.00 Laps: 4 Race Distance: 4.64 mi Starting Position: 1st I got off to a decent launch this time around, and was leading the race somewhat comfortably until the end of the 3rd lap. I slipped a little too wide at the end of the sweeper and scraped the retaining wall as I entered the home stretch, then missed a shift when I was downshifting and did some damage to the twin turbos as the RPMs spiked. Fortunately the damage wasn't very severe and I was able to hold on for the win.  My mortal enemy, the outside retaining wall at Maple Valley. Result: Prize: $7,995.00 Repairs: -$400.00 XP Gained: 4,100 Hotlap: 45.232 (top 2% of 450,648 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Results: Event Bonus: $12,400.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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04-12-2010, 11:10 PM
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#113 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Tuesday, April 17th - Season 3
Travel day today, as we head to England for the middle leg of the Class A World Championships at Silverstone. Wednesday, April 18th & Thursday, April 19th - Season 3 I've got a little time to spare, so I make some final refinements to the Ford GT. Upgrade: Upgraded Rear Tire Width Price: $4,000.00 Effect: 325/40R19 Rating: A-600 (up 3 from A-597) -I drop four grand on a set of slightly wider rear wheels, hoping that the extra grip will help prevent what happened at Sedona from happening again. Upgrade: Street Driveline Price: $1,000.00 Effect: Weight -2.4 lbs Rating: A-600 (no change) -An alloy-steel driveshaft will help reduce driveline inertia and overall weight without affecting the GT's Performance Index. Friday, April 20th - Season 3 I've been a good boy lately, and haven't purchased anything truly expensive yet. At the urging of a couple of friends, I am convinced to finally splurge a bit and treat myself to something nice, something I've wanted since I first laid eyes on it; the brand new Ferrari 458 Italia.   The Ferrari 458 Italia, photographed later during a scenic drive down the Spanish coast. The 458 Italia is Ferrari's latest mid-engined V8 supercar, and is the successor to the unforgiving 430 Scuderia. I've driven the Scuderia before, and have found it to be unforgiving to a fault. But what the Scuderia seems to lack, the Italia has in abundance. It's high-strung V8 (the type of engine Ferrari is best known for) puts out 560 horsepower and winds all the way to a screaming 9,000 RPM. The handling is superb thanks to a double-wishbone suspension in the rear and a multi-link setup in front, making it surprisingly forgiving for a mid-engine rear-wheel-drive screamer. The interior is both functional and luxurious, and was designed with input from seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher. And, well, just look at it. The Italians build the most beautiful cars in the world. Of this there can be no doubt.
The price tag for my new toy, you ask? A mere $250,000.00  Saturday, April 21st - Season 3 There's not much time to enjoy my new toy, however, as I've got a race to run tomorrow. So it's back to the track with the Ford GT once again. This time we're back at Silverstone, and by the end of the day I'm comfortable, but not entirely happy. Silverstone has some bends and high-speed sections that the GT does well on, but it can be a bit tricky getting through some of the really sharp corners, particularly the two 90-degree left-handers at Vale and Abbey. Sunday, April 22nd - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #4 (of 7): Silverstone Racing Circuit (Northamptonshire, England) - Grand Prix Circuit  First-Place Prize: $33,150.00 Laps: 6 Race Distance: 19.14 mi Starting Position: 1st I got off to a good start at the line, holding onto the lead at the start of the race as Davis' Corvette and Taylor's Viper jockeyed for position behind me. Surprisingly up front also was Evans, who was apparently pushing his Porsche quite hard. Still, I held the lead until the 90-degree turn at Abbey, where I drove in too deep and had to let off in order to hold the track, allowing Evans to slip in front for the lead. Things remained that way until lap 2 at Stowe, when I was finally able to catch up with Evans and pass him using the inside line on the high-speed bend there. At that point Davis had apparently decided he was done screwing around, and his Corvette proceeded to take up residency on my back bumper. I held him off through the rest of lap 2, but drove a little too deep into the Copse turn at the start of lap 3, surrendering the lead. After that it became clear that I had the 2nd best car on the race track. Davis worked his way out to a comfortable lead that I was not able to close, and Evans and the others weren't able to challenge me for 2nd place until the very end. I got a little sloppy at Brooklands on the last lap, allowing Evans to catch up and challenge me, but with the inside line through Luffield I was able to run him off and maintained the second step on the podium.  Reclaiming the lead (however briefly) at Silverstone. Result: Prize: $29,250.00 XP Gained: 17,000 Hotlap: 1:59.858 (top 14% of 539,480 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
As much as it pains me to admit it, the overall win here is out of the question. Any fool can see that Davis is going to walk away with the title. But that leaves four of us (Taylor, Weber, Evans, and myself) all fighting for the biggest pieces of table scraps that come with 2nd place. I'm not satisfied with the way things have turned out, there's no doubt about that, but I would consider a 2nd place overall finish something of a moral victory. Once the race festivities have concluded I catch a chartered flight back home to Barcelona. Time to sleep in my own bed for once.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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04-15-2010, 02:08 AM
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#114 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Monday, April 23rd - Season 3
I've come back to Barcelona, because this is where my next event will begin, the Mid-Engine Elite Open. Event: Mid-Engine Elite Open Rating: B-class Restrictions: Rear-wheel-drive, mid-engine vehicles only. Total Event Prize: $22,620.00 # of Races: 3 We've got three more relatively short races on tap over the next week or so. The good news is that I finally get to use the Lotus Exige Cup 240 I spent so much time on last season. The competition: Code:
Obviously mine isn't the only Lotus Exige in the field, but I'm hoping that all of the time and money I spent on this thing last year will give me the edge. Muller's Ferrari and the other Lotus' could present a challenge as well. The first race will be tomorrow at the Ladera Test Track on nearby Montserrat, so I spend the day turning laps there and re-familiarizing myself with the Lotus. I had forgotten how nimble this thing feels. Tuesday, April 24th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Mid-Engine Elite Open Race #1 (of 3): Ladera Test Track (Montserrat, Spain) - Full Circuit Reverse  First-Place Prize: $7,605.00 Laps: 3 Race Distance: 3.63 mi Starting Position: 1st (Author's Note: I forgot to save the replay of this race, so forgive me if the details are a little sketchy.) Despite having a really good day of practice here yesterday, things turned sour on the very first turn of the race. I was taking the right-hander at speed, the same way as I had done all day yesterday, but for some reason this time the back end just lost all grip, I kept turning right and smacked the right front fender on the inside wall. I figure one of the other cars, Muller's Ferrari perhaps, must have taken all of the air (and therefore the downforce) off of my back wing. I was in 7th place before I got back up to speed, and with this being such a short race any shot I had at victory was pretty much gone. I did manage to work my way back up to 4th place before the last turn of the race, but spun again there trying to cut inside of Weber for 3rd. I spun out just short of the finish line, and only barely managed to beat Watanabe to the line for an embarrassing 6th place finish.  The Lotus showing off its spiffy new paint job before the start of the race at Ladera. Result: 6th place Prize: $2,730.00 Repairs: -$269.00 XP Gained: 3,900 Hotlap: 55.950 (top 29% of 286,326 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
A disappointing way to start, to say the least. Wednesday, April 25th - Season 3 Travel day today. I head back to the desert of Arizona for the next leg of the event. Thursday, April 26th - Season 3 Track time today on the Club Circuit at Sedona, where I've always done well in the past. And I feel like the Lotus can really excel here. It should do particularly well because it's so maneuverable, which will allow me to keep my foot to the floor through the bends on the back-stretch, where you can make some serious time. Friday, April 27th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Mid-Engine Elite Open Race #2 (of 3): Sedona Raceway Park (Sedona, AZ) - Club Circuit  First-Place Prize: $7,020.00 Laps: 2 Race Distance: 4.04 mi Starting Position: 1st I got off to a really good jump at the drop of the green flag, hardly smoking the tires at all. This gave me a nice little lead heading into the first hairpin, and I was able to extend the lead by keeping on the accelerator all throughout the back-stretch. The second time around, I did have to life a little on the back-stretch, and even got the driver-side tires off the track temporarily, but by that point I had enough of a lead that it really didn't hurt me.  Leading the pack into the first turn at Sedona. Result: Prize: $7,020.00 XP Gained: 3,600 (2006 Lotus Exige Cup 240 gained Level 1) Hotlap: 1:16.881 (top 1%, #4,213 overall of 269,576 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Fortunately form wasn't followed just about anywhere in the results today, and things were shaken up quite a bit. Despite the miserable performance back in Spain, I'm now in 2nd only 3 points behind Rossi. Saturday, April 28th - Season 3 Travel day. We're heading back to jolly old England to finish off the event. Sunday, April 29th - Season 3 Track time today on the International Circuit at Silverstone. This is the tricky version of the course, with the extremely sharp hairpin turn at the south end of the track. But I get accustomed to getting the Lotus around here relatively quickly. I got a lot of valuable experience here last year in the Miata event, and this is exactly the sort of track that Lotus built the Exige Cup for. Monday, April 30th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Mid-Engine Elite Open Race #3 (of 3): Silverstone Racing Circuit (Northamptonshire, England) - International Circuit  First-Place Prize: $7,995.00 Laps: 2 Race Distance: 4.50 mi Starting Position: 1st Another decent launch allowed me to work the Lotus out to a reasonable lead through the first part of the track, but my line through the southwest hairpin left something to be desired, and the lead I had evaporated. Fortunately Rossi and Muller were largely occupied with one another as we headed back towards the starting line, and I retained my lead. Rossi was right on my back bumper heading into the double-apex turn at the southeast end of the course on lap 2, and tried me to the outside, but I held the inside line and was able to power away from him on the ensuing straightaway. My line through the hairpin was much better the 2nd time around, and I emerged victorious.  Being challenged late in the race at Silverstone. Result: Prize: $7,995.00 XP Gained: 4,100 (2006 Lotus Exige Cup 240 gained Level 2) Hotlap: 1:33.355 (top 35% of 285,776 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Result: (tied)Event Bonus: $5,800.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
I certainly would have preferred to win the event outright, but I can't be disappointing with having to share 1st place after that disaster at Ladera. I'll take it. After the race I'm notified that the following discounts have been bumped up to 20%:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 04-15-2010 at 11:49 AM. |
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04-18-2010, 02:47 AM
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#115 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Tuesday, May 1st - Season 3
Despite the success I've had in the smaller events, this season does have to be considered a disappointment thus far due to my struggles in the Class A World Championship. It has become obvious to me that I selected the wrong tool for the job. The 2005 Ford GT just doesn't give me a good enough chance to win. This is the sort of error that I do not plan to make again. While nothing is written in stone, I've been told from a couple of reliable sources that I can expect an invitation to the R3 World Championships next year. That being said, I've decided to make sure I pick the correct car this time. So I've arranged for a number of cars to be shipped to the Nurburgring in Germany. I spend the day testing them all to get a baseline and figure out which is the fastest. The cars I've had sent out are the following: 2009 Holden #2 Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore VE 2008 Porsche #45 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR 2009 BMW #92 Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2 2006 Ferrari #62 Risi Competizione F430GT 2005 Ferrari FXX ...and for giggles I have them bring out the new 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia as well. Below is my best lap time with each car, as well as a few notes: 2009 #2 Holden Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore VE (lap time 8:20.930):The Holden is just too twitchy, especially under acceleration out of the turns, and I end up spinning it out repeatedly. This one is not under consideration. 2008 #45 Porsche Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR (lap time 7:52.489): Either I'm getting better at driving rear-engined cars, or the Porsche is a very well-balanced vehicle. Getting into the turns with speed can be a bit tricky, but with all of the weight in the back end accelerating out of the turns is a piece of cake. 2008 #92 BMW Motorsport Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2 (lap time 7:54.558): The BMW is a bit harder to control than the Porsche, as you would imagine from a front-engine rear-wheel-drive car. But the brakes on the BMW are absolutely superb. My time was a little slower due to spinning the wheels sometimes on corner exit, but I could drive much deeper into the corners than I could with other cars. 2006 #62 Ferrari Risi Competizione F430GT (lap time 8:00.345): As you've probably figured out by now, I love Ferraris. I really do. But I can't see myself racing in the F430GT. Its just too damn twitchy, and its a constant battle to keep the front end and the back end trying to do the same thing. 2005 Ferrari FXX (lap time 7:38.049): The FXX can be a little difficult to control (though nowhere near has bad as the Holden or the F430GT), but it is so damn fast that it more than makes up for its shortcomings. While the Porsche and the BMW are intriguing possibilities, and could make for good back-ups, I plan to run the FXX in next year's event. As far as I know, no one has driven a FXX in a professional circuit before, so Ferrari should jump at the possibility of additional publicity. Oh, and I manage a 8:10.678 lap in the Italia. Wonderful car (but a lower class). Wednesday, May 2nd - Season 3 Length travel day today. We head halfway around the world to Japan for the next leg of the Class A World Championships on Sunday. Thursday, May 3rd - Season 3 I've got another event lined up for after the upcoming race that will keep us in Japan for a little while, but more details on that later. Just know that I've got something lined up and I do a little shopping today to make ready for it.  2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR I've always liked Lancers, and after testing a number of different versions I decide to buy a slightly older Evolution 9, rather than the newer Evolution 10. The 10 is a bit too heavy for my tastes. I get an Evolution 9 in very good condition for $23,000.00 Friday, May 4th - Season 3 The upcoming event will take place on the mountain-side track of Fujimi Kaido, so I spend the day today making test runs there with the Lancer. I decide that some more grip is in order (probably by way of some serious weight-reduction), and some more pickup is required from the engine as well, particularly for the steep up-hill sections of Fujimi Kaido. Saturday, May 5th - Season 3 Back to the immediate task at hand. I spend the day today turning practice laps at Suzuka Circuit in the Ford GT. I've had a good deal of success here in the past, so I'm hoping that tomorrow will represent a change in my fortunes as far as this event is concerned. Sunday, May 6th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #5 (of 7): Suzuka Circuit (Suzuka City, Japan) - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: #31,200.00 Laps: 5 Race Distance: 18.05 mi Starting Position: 1st I had a pretty clean start at the drop of the green flag, and led the pack through turn 1 and into the 'esses,' but ran into problems there. I'm not sure if it was due to sharing air with Davis' Corvette or what, but the GT just refused to hold it's line. I swung off briefly into the grass and emerged back in 4th. Evans' Porsche was to my inside as we hit the Gyaku Bank, but he swung wide and nudged me off the track again, shuffling me all the way back into 7th place. I slipped to the inside of Johansson's Mercedes for 6th at Degner, but Miller (in the other Ford GT on the track) proved to be a tough pass, and we were into the esses on lap 2 before I could put him down for 5th. By that point I was a full 4 seconds behind the 2nd-4th place cars of Taylor, Evans, and Weber. After that my laps did clean up and my lap times did improve, but I was too far behind to seriously challenge for the lead. I did at least manage to catch and pass Evans at the very end, putting an aggressive move on him in the Casio Trangle on the final lap to steal away 4th place.  Trailing the pack early at Suzuka. Result: 4th place Prize: $19,305.00 Repairs: -$1,241.00 XP Gained: 16,000 (Driver gained Level 36) (2005 Ford GT gained Level 5) Hotlap: 2:12.872 (top 35% of 523,061 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Standings: Code:
The good news is that I was able to take sole possession of 4th place from Evans by virtue of my late-race move on him. The bad news is that I lost ground to both Taylor and Weber for a spot on the podium. With only two races left to go, catching Weber should be do-able, but surpassing Taylor at this point is going to be a long shot. After the race I'm awarded a discount on single- and twin-turbos from Hahn Racecraft. They do after-market turbos for Buick, Ford, Panoz, Pontiac, Saleen, and Shelby. Also, my sponsors have procured another racing-version of a production vehicle for us to potentially use in future races (this one is rated R2 though, so it isn't a candidate for next year's championship):  2007 Chevrolet #4 Corvette Racing C6.R This is the foll-bore GT1 racing version of the Chevrolet Corvette, and it puts all over 'Vettes to shame when it comes to pure performance. The highly-tuned 7.0-liter V-8 engine puts out 593 horsepower and a massive 639 foot-pounds of torque, making for an outstanding power:weight ratio.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 04-18-2010 at 02:49 AM. |
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05-31-2010, 12:48 PM
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#116 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Time to get this thing moving again...
I'll be remaining in Japan for the next couple of weeks, as I've agreed to participate in another heat-competition. This time we'll be racing up and down the scenic mountain roads of Fujimi Kaido. Event: Fujimi Kaido Class C Series Rating: C-Class Restrictions: None Total Event Prize: $76,635.00 # of Races: 4 There's some decent coin to be made here, and the field is dominated by Japanese drivers: Code:
Sasaki's NSX-R could probably beat the rest of the field in a straight line without breaking a sweat, but he's going to be at a disadvantage on the winding, twisting roads of Fujimi Kaido with his rear-wheel-drive. All-wheel-drive cars like the Skylines and Subaro S204 will have the advantage here. This is why I bought the Lancer. I'll spend the next few days getting it race-ready. Monday, May 7th - Wednesday, May 9th - Season 3 Upgrade: Sport Weight Reduction Price: $1,800.00 Effect: Weight -275 lbs. Rating: C-414 (up 34 from C-380) -I strip out all of the accessories and non-essentials and put in some Bride lightweight parts. All told, we shed nearly 300 pounds. Upgrade: Sport Ignition Price: $2,880.00 Effect: Power +11 hp Rating: C-425 (up 11 from C-414) -NGK capacitive-discharge coil pack, heat-range-optimized spark plugs, and grounded ignition wires will optimize the Lancer's timing and give her some extra power on the steep, up-hill climbs of Fujimi Kaido. Upgrade: Street Driveline Price: $630.00 Effect: Weight -4.1 lbs Rating: C-425 (no change) -I install a Rallyart alloy-steel driveshaft to decrease driveline inertia and overall weight. Thursday, May 10th - Season 3 Today is spent performing practice runs on Fujimi. The Lancer feels like it's right at home here, and it's all-wheel-drive gives it the grip it needs to handle the bends and twists in a fast, composed manner. Friday, May 11th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Fujimi Kaido Class C Series Race #1 (of 4): Fujimi Kaido (Fujimi, Japan) - Stage C Reverse  First-Place Prize: $17,550.00 ($5,850.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 2.20 mi. Stage C Reverse is a stage that is comprised mostly of a winding climb up the mountain on some of the widest portions of the track, which makes it one of the easier sections. It only gets tricky when you cross over the apex at the top and begin a brief descending section on the other side. Heat #1 vs. Sasaki (1992 Honda NSX-R) The extra horsepower and grip on the lancer really came in handy, as I was able to pull away from Sasaki's NSX at the beginning and maintained my lead throughout the run.  Running away from Sasaki's NSX on the scenic uphill climb of Fujimi Kaido. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Hotlap: 2:04.758 (top 1%, #557 overall of 300,130 recorded times) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:04.758 2nd place: Sasaki - 2:09.847 Heat #2 vs. Takahashi (2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II) I didn't have as clean a run this time around, clipping one of the guardrails early on which allowed Takahashi to hand with me for a little while. But eventually I was able to pull away and won the heat without serious incident. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 XP Gained: 3,000 (2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR gained Level 1) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:06.076 2nd place: Takahashi - 2:09.379 Heat #3 vs. Watanabe (2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR) Lancer versus Lancer didn't prove to be much of a contest today. Despite clipping the same guardrail early on, I was able to pull away from Watanabe's Lancer for an easy victory. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 XP Gained: 3,000 (2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR gained Level 2) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:05.759 2nd place: Watanabe - 2:11.532 Race Results: Code:
Saturday, May 12th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Fujimi Kaido Class C Series Race #2 (of 4): Fujimi Kaido (Fujimi, Japan) - Stage A  First-Place Prize: $18,135.00 ($6,045.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 2.30 mi. The first two-thirds of Stage A is relatively flat (at least compared to the rest of Fujimi Kaido) and heavily wooded, winding it's way on a narrower track. The last third then gets a bit more steep and goes through a series of switchbacks near the end of the stage. Heat #1 vs. Sasaki (1992 Honda NSX-R) I jumped out to a small early lead on Sasaki, but his NSX did quite well in the early portion of the track, and he challenged me for the lead as we approached the exit of the woods. I was able to hold him off, though and stretched out to at least a small cushion once we hit the steeper portion and the switchbacks near the end.  Sasaki keeps things interesting in the woods of Fujimi Kaido Stage A. Result: Victory Prize: $6,045.00 XP Gained: 3,100 Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:14.584 2nd place: Sasaki - 2:16.919 Heat #2 vs. Takahashi (2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II) I overdrove a couple of early bends and clipped a couple of guardrails, allowing Takahashi to stick with me through the early portion of the run. I was finally able to pull away just a little bit at the very end, but overall I was disappointed with the run. Result: Victory Prize: $6,045.00 Repairs: -$156.00 XP Gained: 3,100 Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:15.653 2nd place: Takahashi - 2:17.454 Heat #3 vs. Kato (1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec) I spent a large portion of my first two runs driving with one eye on the rear view mirror, allowing what was going on behind me to distract me from the road ahead. This run I made a concerted effort not to do that and was rewarded with my best run of the day by far. Kato never really stood a chance. Result: Victory Prize: $6,045.00 XP Gained: 3,100 (2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR gained Level 3) Hotlap: 2:13.584 (top 28% of 296,296 recorded times) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:13.584 2nd place: Kato - 2:18.739 Race Results: Code:
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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06-01-2010, 12:17 AM
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#117 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Sunday, May 13th - Season 3
I've got a few days to kill before the Fujimi Kaido event resumes, so I decide to do a little shopping while I'm in Japan. Eventually I'm able to find what I'm looking for:  1994 Nissan Sylvia K The Nissan Sylvia K (known as the Nissan 240SX in North America) is a fun little car that I've always wanted the opportunity to mess around with. It's definitely a low-end vehicle (I found this one in good condition for only $5,000.00), but it was an early tuner favorite back in it's day, and after tooling around with it for a little while I can see why. The steering is pretty responsive, and there's very little opportunity to get it completely out of control despite the rear-wheel-drive. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is a decent little whiner too that generates 205 horsepower. I can have some cheap fun with this thing.
Monday, May 14th - Season 3 I spend the day running the Sylvia K up and down Fujimi Kaido, trying to get a feel for it and to figure out what sort of modifications I want to make. I struggles a bit on some of the steep up-hill sections, but particularly dangerous is the downhill handling, where I do have to manage a bit of oversteer. Tuesday, May 15th - Season 3 Upgrade: Race Differential Price: $5,120.00 Effect: Differential 2-way Rating: E-249 (down 1 from E-250) -To manage the oversteer on the Sylvia K I install a Kaaz race-spec two-way limited slip differential. Ironically enough this costs me more than the car itself did. Wednesday, May 16th - Season 3 Back to the task at hand. I spend the day making practice runs on Stages B and D of Fujimi Kaido to get ready for the next two days of heat competition. Thursday, May 17th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Fujimi Kaido Class C Series Race #3 (of 4): Fujimi Kaido (Fujimi, Japan) - Stage D Reverse  First-Place Prize: $17,550.00 ($5,850.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 2.60 mi. Stage D Reverse is comprised primarily of uphill climbs through the newer, wider section of the track. With plenty of room to maneuver, this section is more about power than anything else, though there are a couple of tricky switchbacks at the end. Heat #1 vs. Sasaki (1992 Honda NSX-R) The power of Sasaki's NSX allowed him to stay with me for about the first two-thirds of the run, but eventually the better overall oomph of the Lancer and the ignition upgrade I gave it took it's toll. Despite clipping a couple of guardrails, I was still able to win pretty easily. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 Repairs: -$257.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:08.612 2nd place: Sasaki - 2:12.110 Heat #2 vs. Takahashi (2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II) Takahashi actually faired a little bit better than Sasaki did this time around, in part due to the all-wheel-drive on his Skyline, but it still wasn't enough to overtake me on an overall smooth run that was my best of the day.  Beating Takahashi off the line at the base of Fujimi Kaido. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Hotlap: 2:05.976 (top 48% of 286,218 recorded times) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:05.976 2nd place: Takahashi - 2:11.798 Heat #3 vs. Watanabe (2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR) Another relatively easy victory this time around. I did bounce the front left fender off of one of the guardrails, but other than that my Lancer had little trouble beating it's younger but heavier descendant up the mountainside. Result: Victory Prize: $5,850.00 Repairs: -$110.00 XP Gained: 3,000 Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:06.560 2nd place: Watanabe - 2:15.402 Race Results: Code:
Friday, May 18th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Fujimi Kaido Class C Series Race #4 (of 4): Fujimi Kaido (Fujimi, Japan) - Stage B  First-Place Prize: $23,400.00 ($7,800.00 per heat) Heats: 3 Heat Distance: 3.10 mi. Stage B is the longest section of the Fujimi Kaido track, and is another one that is comprised mostly of uphill climbs. The stage starts with a number of sharp climbing turns, then a hairpin turn and a long climbing straightaway before a series of switchbacks at the very end. It is also the most scenic of the stages, with a stunning waterfall in the early portion of the stage and the climbing straight offers an amazing view of Lake Kaido. Heat #1 vs. Sasaki (1992 Honda NSX-R) Sasaki gave me what was definitely my hardest challenge of the event here. He stayed all over my back bumper for most of the stage, and briefly took the lead as we approached the waterfall. I was able to cut inside him shortly thereafter to regain the lead, but was never able to put any real distance between us.  Surrendering the lead (briefly) as we pass the waterfall on Fujimi Kaido. Result: Victory Prize: $7,800.00 XP Gained: 4,000 Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:59.396 2nd place: Sasaki - 3:00.614 Heat #2 vs. Takahashi (2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II) I had a much better, steadier run this time around which didn't give Takahashi the opportunity to stick with me, even though he posted a better time than Sasaki did on the previous run. Result: Victory Prize: $7,800.00 XP Gained: 4,000 (2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR gained Level 4) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:55.658 2nd place: Takahashi - 2:59.779 Heat #3 vs. Watanabe (2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR) An even better run this time around left Watanabe with almost no chance to keep up. Result: Victory Prize: $7,800.00 XP Gained: 4,000 Hotlap: 2:55.025 (top 1%, #1001 of 286,996 recorded times) Heat Result: 1st place: Tolliver - 2:55.025 2nd place: Watanabe - 3:03.767 Race Results: Code:
Event Results: Event Bonus: $39,300.00 Event Final Standings Code:
It's nice to know I can still be dominant when I can get away from Davis and his Corvette. The folks from Mitsubishi are pleased with my performance as well (Fujimi Kaido has become something of a proving ground for Japanese manufacturers) and I am offered the following discounts (all of these are now up to 20%):
Saturday, May 19th - Season 3 Tomorrow is Stage 6 of the Class A World Championship event, and we'll be racing on the newer version of the New York Circuit. This is the one with the artificial chicanes and barriers as additional obstacles. This one is also in the opposite direction from what I've run in the past; south from Times Square, then north to Central Park, west to Columbus Circle, then back south to the finish line. I spend the day running practice laps with the Ford GT, getting reacquainted with it, and by the end of the day I'm pretty comfortable. I'm not sure if I've got enough to challenge Davis, but that's pretty much a moot point anyway. Right now I'm just fighting for a spot on the podium when we conclude the event in two weeks. Sunday, May 20th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #6 (of 7): New York Circuit (New York, NY)) - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: $31,200.00 Laps: 9 Race Distance: 16.36 mi. Starting Position: 1st Things started off well enough, and I got through the first 180 at the south end of the course holding onto my lead, but then I clipped the barrier on the 2nd set of northbound chicanes, losing speed which allowed Taylor's Viper to catch me as we headed along the southern edge of Central Park. The pack was hot on my heels as we headed around Columbus Circle, but contact between Taylor and Weber's Audi there gave me a little bit of breathing room. But then everything went to hell at the start of lap two. I drove the GT too hard into the turn and bounced off of the outside retaining wall, and right into Davis' passenger-side door, causing a big pile-up. By the time that mess was sorted out, practically the entire field had body damage, and I was fortunate to emerge in 3rd place. After clipping the south retaining wall again on lap three, I finally cleaned up my laps and set my sights on tracking down Weber's Audi. By the start of lap five I was all over Weber's back bumper, and was finally able to complete the pass on the first southbound chicane at the end of the lap. By that time Davis already had a 12 second lead, and I knew there was no hope of catching him, so I just concentrated on running clean laps, taking second place and avoiding further damage to my car.  The start of an eight-car pileup in lower Manhattan. Result:
Prize: $27,300.00 Repairs: -$9,649.00 XP Gained: 16,000 Race Results: Code:
Event Bonus: $14,000.00 Event Standings: Code:
Second place may be the first loser, but there is some good news to come out of today's race. Evans' disastrous outing has taken him out of contention for the podium. It is unlikely that I'll be able to make up 4+ points to overtake Taylor for 2nd, but if I can beat Weber in two weeks in France, I should be guaranteed a spot on the final podium.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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06-01-2010, 06:52 AM
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#118 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Glad to see you're back DK.
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06-01-2010, 03:55 PM
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#119 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Glad to see someone is still reading this nonsense.
 Also, FYI, I've added a "wish list" to the companion Maxwell Tolliver's Garage thread.
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) |
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06-07-2010, 01:53 AM
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#120 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago
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Monday, May 21st - Season 3
We spend the day heading across the Atlantic and back to Barcelona. Unfortunately Davis and that damn Corvette of his is chasing us across. Here's what we've got lined up for the next couple of weeks: Event: Eight-Cylinder Supreme GT Rating: A-Class Restrictions: 8-Cylinder engines only Total Event Prize: $26,520.00 # of Races: 3 The Opposition: Code:
For all of the V8 faithful out there, this is the event for you. We're up against Davis' 'Vette yet again (I'm going to have nightmares about that damn car), and Muller's F430 could give us some problems as well. Tuesday, May 22nd - Season 3 The good news is that I'm not handcuffed to the Ford GT for this event, so my options are open. I spend the day running test laps at the first track of the event; Camino Viejo de Montserrat, in the Ford GT as well as my Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. I also make arrangements to test out a Corvette Z06 while I'm here. If I can't beat 'em, maybe I should join 'em? At the end of the day, though, I decide to go with the Grand Sport. It doesn't have the horsepower (436 hp) of either the GT (562 hp) or the Z06 (505 hp), but it handles like a dream compared to the other two, especially the GT. For a rear-wheel-drive car it feels especially planted and much more under control than the GT has for the past few months. Wednesday, May 23rd - Season 3 More track time today strictly with the Grand Sport, and by the end of the day I've shaved a quarter-second off of my best time from yesterday. I'm really feeling comfortable now. Thursday, May 24th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Eight-Cylinder Supreme GT Race #1 (of 3): Camino Viejo de Montserrat (Montserrat, Spain) - Full Circuit Reverse  First-Place Prize: $9,555.00 Laps: 3 Race Distance: 5.40 mi. Starting Position: 1st I spun the tires a little bit at the drop of the green flag, allowing Davis' to challenge me right out of the starting blocks, but he ended up swinging wide through the initial 180-degree turn at the northwest corner of the track. I built up a small lead as we headed south, but Davis closed up the gap again on the hairpin at the southwest corner, and was all over my back bumper as we headed back north towards the start-finish line. He remained there through the first part of lap two, but again I was able to gain a small lead on the southbound portion of the lap, and this time I had a much smoother time with the hairpin, allowing me to keep my small cushion. Lap three was smooth as glass, which is a good thing because Davis' 'Vette remained close enough that any slip up on my part would have allowed him to take the lead. Fortunately I had no such slip.  Corvettes go wheel-to-wheel at the start at Camino Viejo.
Result: Prize: $9,555.00 XP Gained: 4,900 Hotlap: 1:08.662 (top 5% of 295,339 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
It's nice to know I can take on Davis' Z06 and come out on top. Today also further validated my opinion that choosing the GT for the Class A World Championships was a mistake. Friday, May 25th - Season 3 Travel day today. We head for the Italian coastline to Amalfi for the second leg of the event. Saturday, May 26th - Season 3 With a scheduled off-day, I spend the day tinkering with my new toy, the Nissan Sylvia K's. Nothing earth-shattering here, and I could have done this on-line, but I prefer the personal touch when it comes to my cars. Upgrade: Street Tire Compound Price: $2,000.00 Effect: Grip +0.06 Rating: E-269 (up 20 from E-249) -I set up the Sylvia with some high-performance street tires from Bridgestone. Sunday, May 27th - Season 3 Track time today, turning laps on the tight, twisting roads of Amalfi. This is going to be pretty tricky for all of us tomorrow, trying to tame all of the horsepower we'll have under our hoods on a course that is really more suited for compacts and hot hatches. Still, by the end of the day I've gotten pretty comfortable and found a spot that I can really work to my advantage. And I even have some fenders left by the time I'm done, too! Monday, May 28th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Eight-Cylinder Supreme GT Race #2 (of 3): Amalfi Coast - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: $9,555.00 Laps: 3 Race Distance: 3.45 mi Starting Position: 1st I strap in today, hoping to give myself a nice victory for a birthday present. The part that I found yesterday that I can take advantage of is right at the start of the lap. As you head south-west along the coastline, a portion of the track wiggles and forth, but I aim right down the center and manage to keep control of the car at the end where the steep rumble-strips put me up on two wheels briefly. After a sharp right-hander shortly thereafter, I have a nice little lead on the rest of the pack. But this is not the sort of track where you can just run away from people. I get the back end a little loose in a couple of spots on the return trip north-east, and by the time I reach the northeast hairpin Davis and Muller are right up on my back bumper. The story remains the same on laps two and three; I work my way out to a lead at the beginning of the lap, then gradually give up that time. But lap three is the strongest for me, and I am first across the line by well over a second.  Close-quarters racing around the northeast hairpin at Amalfi.
Result: Prize: $9,555.00 Repairs: -$331.00 XP Gained: 4,900 Hotlap: 1:06.923 (top 13% of 295,761 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
We hop an overnight flight back to Barcelona. We've got only a two-day turnaround before the final leg of the event on Wednesday. Tuesday, May 29th - Season 3 It's straight back to the track today, this time on the National Circuit at Circuit de Catalunya. I've made no bones about the fact that this is not my favorite configuration here (I much prefer the full-length Grand Prix circuit that the F1 guys use), but these sorts of things aren't up to me. Still, by the end of the day I'm pretty tired, but feeling comfortable with the Grand Sport here. Wednesday, May 30th - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Eight-Cylinder Supreme GT Race #3 (of 3): Circuit de Catalunya (Montmelo, Spain) - National Circuit  First-Place Prize: $7,410.00 Laps: 2 Race Distance: 3.70 mi. Starting Position: 1st I spun the tires pretty badly off the line here, allowing Davis to overtake me to the outside on the opening straightaway before the west hairpin. I stayed right on his back bumper and tried to make a run to the outside on the "hump" turn on the north end of the track, but ended up clipping his rear bumper and skidded off into the gravel trap. Being so early in the race, the pack was still pretty bunched up and I fell all the way to 7th before I got back up to speed. I forced my way past Miller's Caddie and into 6th in the east hairpin, and then overpowered Johansson's BMW for 5th on the home straightaway. Weber's Audi was my next target, but was quite a ways ahead of me and it took me most of the second and final lap to track him down. I finally did so, getting a nose underneath him through the last two turns, then powered my way to a 4th place finish.  2nd in the conga line at Circuit de Catalunya.
Result: 4th placePrize: $4,680.00 Repairs: -$704.00 XP Gained: 3,800 (Driver gained Level 37) Hotlap: 1:19.864 (top 40% of 430,676 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Results: (tied)Event Bonus: $6,800.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
Unfortunately my slip-up here in the last race means I had to share the top of the podium with Davis, but as I said before I'm just happy to know that he can be beaten in that Z06 of his. Double Tap Racing's sponsors are also pretty pleased with me as well, and they've procured another race car for us to play with:  2008 Nismo GT-R
What we have here is the Nismo (Nissan Motorsport International Limited) GT-R, the racing version of the Nissan GT-R. This is straight from the Japanese GT500 series of race cars, which tend to be lighter on power than their American and European counterparts, but have exceptional handling. This one is still in the livery of the Xanavi #23 team from a couple of years ago, but we'll do something about that if and when we get to race it. Thursday, May 31st - Season 3 Today is pretty special as travel days go, because today we arrive someplace I have yet to race. Our destination is also truly a Mecca of auto racing; Le Mans, France, home of the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans. For those not in the know, Le Mans is one of the most famous racing circuits in the world, and actually utilizes a number of public roads that are open for the majority of the year. It is a large course by modern standards (8.48 miles to be exact) and features one of the longest straights in road racing, the Mulsanne Straight. That straight used to be completely uninterrupted, but as car speeds got faster and faster this became more and more dangerous, so in 1990 a pair of artificial chicanes were added to force drivers to slow down. But crazy high speeds can still be reached there (at least by road course standards). Friday, June 1st - Season 3 A beautiful early June day in western France, and I still spend a part of my day in a garage. What the hell is wrong with me? Upgrade: Street Clutch Price: $810.00 Effect: Shift Time -0.05s Rating: E-272 (up 3 from E-269) -I replace the Sylvia K's clutch assembly with a high-performance disc and plate from Exedy. Saturday, June 2nd - Season 3 Tomorrow's race is part of the festivities that surround the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which means I wasn't able to get out on the track yesterday with the 24 hour guys doing a lot of their practice and recon runs. But today I was able to turn some laps on the fabled course, and oh what fun it was. The Dunlop Curve and the Esses at the beginning of the course require some throttle control (third and fourth gears on the Ford GT), but aren't too much trouble, and it's a blast gunning it out of Tetre Rouge and onto the famed Mulsane straight. I took it easy the first couple of times until I got familiar with the severity of the chicanes there (you really need to go all the way down to second gear to handle them properly). The turns at Mulsane, Indianapolis, and Arnage are all sharp but manageable with heavy braking. The Porsche curves are again an exercise in throttle control, but I can see the Ford Chicanes at the end of the lap causing some trouble, as they are very tight and offer little room for error. Sunday, June 3rd - Season 3 (Race Day) Event: Class A World Championship Race #7 (of 7): Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans, France) - Full Circuit  First-Place Prize: $25,350.00 Laps: 2 Race Distance: 16.96 mi. Starting Position: 1st I got off to a good start today, keeping things under control at the drop of the green flag and keeping my lead through the early portion of the course and onto the Mulsane Straight. That straight is truly exhilarating under race conditions, and I had the GT up over 180mph before I had to start braking for the first chicanes. I did a good job through the chicanes and the sharp Mulsane turn at the end of the straight, but I screwed up when I got to Indianapolis, driving it too deep and into the gravel there. I bounced the nose off of the wall (fortunately the gravel had taken care of most of my momentum), but Davis was past me and into the lead before I got back on track. Still, I was OK with that, since my real target today was Weber. Finish ahead of him, and I was guaranteed a spot on the podium for the championship. Taylor was up on my back bumper soon in his Viper, and slipped past me for 2nd place when I went off into the grass briefly in the Porsche Curves, but then I was motivated to get moving when I saw Weber's Audi in my rear view mirror. As we got into the 2nd lap, Weber was pushing me hard, and we both had good entries onto the Mulsane straight and passed Taylor before the first chicane. Weber obviously knew what was at stake just as well as I did, because he dove hard to the inside of the 2nd chicane, briefly passing me. But I kept a fender on him and we banged our way all through the turn. I finally got the upper hand again as we exited, and I was back in second place. After that he continued to press, and I spent a lot of energy on the next straights blocking. After that Taylor finally interjected himself into the equation, passing Weber in the Porsche Curves for 3rd place and in the process finally giving me a little bit of breathing room, which I was able to use to finish the rest of the lap without incident. Epic podium-position battle at Le Mans. Result: Prize: $21,450.00 Race Bonus: $11,000.00 Repairs: -$1,295.00 XP Gained: 13,000 Hotlap: 4:31.610 (top 45% of 521,553 recorded times) Race Results: Code:
Event Results:  Event Bonus: $39,850.00 Event Final Standings: Code:
And so ends this year's Class A World Championship. I can't say I'm pleased with the end result (anything short of victory is ultimately a failure), but today's race was a lot of fun. I haven't had a white-knuckle, grit-your-teeth race that intense in quite some time! It was an absolutely blast, and I cannot wait to come back here and race again. And still, having a spot on the final podium can't be all bad, right?
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Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty) Last edited by DataKing : 06-07-2010 at 02:08 AM. |
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