Monday, September 21, 2009

Season 2 Week 2 results

Silverstone is the first of our European circuits and all the teams seemed to be prepared for the race. Qualifying times are all pretty even with Zoomy taking pole.

HiWind got an awesome start that launched him from 4th to 2nd, right behind Zoomy. They both had so much speed going into the turn 2/3 chicane that they both slid off the track allowing both Crazy and Tex to get by. They both quickly rejoined the track with Zoomy still ahead of HiWind. Up ahead, Crazy and Tex were neck and neck finishing lap 1. Going into turn 1, Tex had the outside line while Crazy hugged the apex. Tex got a little wide and when he came back onto the track, he came together a bit with Crazy which slowed them both down enough to let Zoomy get a run on both of them.

He caught them going into the turn 2/3 chicane, which is not usually a good place to pass, but he had so much speed that he couldn't give that up! He went blasting by Tex on the inside to get the apex to turn 3 but Tex appeared to have not seen him because he turned into the side of Zoomy's car spinning himself out.

Zoomy went blasting by Tex, probably didn't even feel the hit, and had such a run on Crazy that he couldn't slow down enough and tapped Crazy's bumper turning him around. Zoomy still couldn't slow down enough for turn 4 and slid off the track as well! Meanwhile, HiWind, who had had a bit of trouble getting back on the track at the hairpin, was able to catch up and get by both Crazy and Tex, moving into 2nd place.

Everybody kinda settled into place until lap 4 when HiWind dropped a couple of wheels off the track just after the turn 2/3 chicane causing a lazy sideways slide. Crazy was able to make the pass but HiWind recovered quick enough to get ahead of Tex, who was in fourth. HiWind pressured Crazy pretty good for 2nd place but that's how the race ended up. Zoomy was in first place, Crazy second, Hiwind third and Tex fourth. Zoomy had the fastest lap of the race so he receives the bonus point.

Silverstone race results

Our next race on the schedule was the Zandvoort Grand Prix. Qualifying was a little more spread out with Zoomy taking pole once again, with both Tex and Hiwind about one and a half seconds back. Crazy's lack of seat time showed up here with him another couple of seconds back from them.

The start was clean with HiWind getting another tremendous start. He couldn't capatalize on it though as both Zoomy and Tex got good starts and were side by side going into turn 1. Tex was a little bit ahead of Zoomy so HiWind slotted in behind Tex, maybe hoping to be able to get by Zoomy as well. Crazy was close behind and hot into the corner! His car understeered into the rear corner of HiWind turning him around. Crazy got by leaving HiWind facing the wrong way on the track!

His advantage was short lived tho' as his cold tires caught him out at the T4 hairpin. He gassed it too much and spun coming out of the corner. HiWind got back by, moving into third place, while Crazy was getting turned around. And that was pretty much the race. :) Zoomy pressured Tex pretty much the whole race. He got loose coming out of the T4 hairpin as well, so that lost him a bit of time, but it didn't hurt him too bad and he was able to close back up for the last lap but didn't have anything to get by Tex for the lead. Both HiWind and Crazy had their moments during the race but neither was able to advance their positions.

The race finished with Tex in 1st, Zoomy 2nd, HiWind 3rd and Crazy 4th. Zoomy received the bonus championship point for the fastest race lap.

Zandvoort race results

We move inland about 200K northeast towards the TT Circuit Assen, the site of our next race. Qualifying was kind of a mixed bag with Tex taking pole and Zoomy only a tenth back. Both Crazy and HiWind struggled a bit, clocking times about 4 seconds off the pace.

The start saw HiWind making his usual start launching past Zoomy to vault into second place, right behind Tex. This left Zoomy susceptible to the 'chrome horn' of Crazy which he used going into turn 1. This coming together forced Zoomy wide onto the grass while Crazy gathered it back up and motored on. It didn't cost Zoomy too much time as he was able to save it and rejoin the track quickly. Things sorted themselves out shortly tho' as Crazy had a bobble coming out of the left had De Bult corner and Zoomy got into the back of him, turning him around.

HiWind, still running second, lost it at the long left hand sweeper leading up to the S/F line and Zoomy was close enough to take advantage of HiWind's mistake, moving into second place. The rest of the race went without major incident with Tex in 1st, Zoomy 2nd, HiWind 3rd and Crazy 4th. Tex receives the bonus point for fastest lap. It's worth noting that both HiWind and Crazy improved on their qualifying times by over a half a second during the race!

Assen race results

The Oschersleben GP is next at Motopark Oschersleben in northern Germany. A very challenging track for all the drivers. Tex was able to secure pole position with the only time under 1:30's with 1:29.84. Zoomy was a half second behind with HiWind and Crazy in 3rd and 4th respectively.

Zoomy and HiWind both got a good start in the race and got out in front of Tex. Crazy, working on a three race hitting streak, dove deep into the corner and while getting ahead of Tex, he tags HiWind in the rear quarter panel getting him a little sideways and making him get off the throttle. He gets straightened out just as Tex is going by and they have a little bump as well!

HiWind prevails and stays out in front of Tex. Both drivers race towards the 180 degree Hasseroder hairpin where they find Crazy in the runoff area trying to recover from an off track excursion. HiWind appeared to be distracted by the car on the side of the track as he left the door open for Tex to get thru at the corner.

Tex took advantage and was able to get by at the exit of the corner, setting off to track down the leader, Zoomy. HiWind was pushing hard and went off the track at the triple, rejoining the track at Kurve 4 where Crazy was just passing by. They hit hard as HiWind came back onto the track with Crazy getting the worst of it by being shot off out into the kitty litter.

Tex was pushing hard and caught up to Zoomy at the Sachsen-Anhalt Kurve, or better known as the f%&^!#g corner right before the S/F line. The two drivers raced down the front stretch with about a half second gap between them. They touched coming out of Kurve 4 with Tex getting into the back of Zoomy, getting him loose but he was able to recover and maintain his lead with Tex close behind.

Lap 3 was more of the same close racing action until that last damn corner (again) when Tex got loose coming out of the corner and gave up some time to Zoomy. He was able to correct his car and get back into the chase quick enough that he caught Zoomy, on lap 4, going into Kurve 4. Zoomy got off line at the McDonald's Esses and that left the door open at Kurve 6 for Tex to get beside him setting up the pass at the Shell Esses. Tex had the inside line on the right hander but Zoomy didn't want to give up the track so he tried to go wide thru the corner and didn't have enough grip to make it stick. Two of his wheels got off the track and his car looped around on him allowing Tex to take the lead.

Zoomy got back on track in time to keep second place but he was too far back to challenge for the lead again and that's the way the race finished. Tex was in 1st place, Zoomy in 2nd and HiWind was in 3rd. Crazy retired at the end of the 3rd lap with 'transmission' troubles for a 4th place finish. Tex adds to his points total from the race with the fastest lap bonus point.

Oschersleben GP race results


It's a short jaunt south as we head to the Hockenheimring where we'll be using the National circuit for our race. Qualifying showed mixed results with Zoomy taking pole position by almost a second in front of Tex in 2nd place. HiWind and Crazy were both a couple of seconds back from each other in 3rd and 4th respectively.

HiWind got an amazing start and was in the lead going into the 1st corner. He battled with Zoomy to keep the lead and was successful until they got to the tight hairpin before the parabolika curve where Zoomy did a bump and run to get by. HiWind stayed in second with Tex close behind in third. Crazy went wide to avoid the melee and it cost him the most as he got slowed down by the runoff area.

The front three pulled away and were battling neck and neck with no more than a second covering them. Zoomy still had the lead going into the second lap with Tex pressuring HiWind, sitting right on his bumper. Tex got a big run on HiWind coming out of the hairpin just past the parabolic curve. He was able to get up along side him but he was on the outside so he couldn't get past HiWind for the pass but as they were going thru the corner, HiWind gassed his car too much causing the tail end to slip out and throwing him off the track. He was able to get back on the track without spinning out but Tex had already gone by into second place.

Tex pushed hard to catch up and got close but couldn't get past Zoomy for the lead. On lap 3 Tex lost the back end of his car coming out of the hairpin and was able to save it and get back on track without losing too many seconds to the leader.

The start of lap 4 saw both Zoomy and Tex get loose at the Parabolic Entrance, neither one gaining or losing position but allowing the gap to close up and also allowing HiWind to close up the gap between them and himself as well.

Tex was beating on Zoomy's bumper trying to get by without any luck at all until lap 5 when Zoomy once again got loose at the Parabolic Entrance and Tex was able to get up alongside him. As they started to race along the Parabolic, Tex dropped two wheels off the track and spun out to the infield.

He spun once again trying to get straighted out allowing HiWind to close up and get by for second place. Tex got his car pointed in the right direction and on the track in third place, just ahead of Crazy.

It was an exciting race from start to finish with multiple leaders and drama throughout the race. There was even a bit of a post-race drama when HiWind was DQ'd for going the wrong way on the track. Because of this development, Tex was elevated to second with Crazy assumed third. The fastest lap went to Tex for the extra championship point.

Hockenheim race results

Season 2 Week 1 standings
Tex - 43 + 3 bp = 46 pts
Zoomy - 44 + 2 bp = 46 pts
HiWind - 29 pts
Crazy - 29 pts

Season 2 driver totals
Tex 96 pts
Zoomy 82 pts
HiWind 66 pts
Crazy 56 pts

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