Round 1 Results - Kyalami

Results are posted.

Almost a repeat of the Official Test weekend for me but with a new purple livery for the #26 Go Pro Evol Trueno.

I spent an inordinate amount of sim time with a variety of cars plus many laps here in the pre-season put me at an advantage, albeit it took the focus and evolution of a race weekend to really improve my lap time and consistency. The other laps surely helped a great deal with feel for the car and how it reacts. Even if I'm lapping with other rF2 cars, the very core of their responses are based on the same physics and it seems beneficial to drive harder cars.

Teammate Rich Coffey set the pace Saturday night but I could see that pole would be in the 54s. It took me till the last 30 minutes or so of practice to figure out that two not only one of the 90 degree-ish lefts needed to be taken in 3rd gear and to get somewhat comfortable with both of them; 2nd gear was easy, 3rd gear not so much but is what it took to get in the 54s.

I was a little worried during Race 1 as I've been regularly having problems with the screen freezing for some tenths of a second since I installed Windows 10. It has happened with every car and every track with rF2. I haven't done any iRacing since the change so I don't know if the malady extends to that sim. Thankfully, I don't "warp" and end up farther up the track, I get a still screen where from action resumes after t amount of time. A week or two ago, Coffey went from a few car lengths back to a few car lengths ahead when it happened.

I was able to eek out a 1-2 second lead over Pat and Mike but a freeze removed about 0.6 sec at one point. My PC cooperated enough and Mike Campbell and Pat Sweeney fought enough that I was able to get away for a satisfying win.

Race 2 was more fun, though. I don't remember how we ended up where we did but maybe 1/3rd of the way in, we were pretty much nose to tail with a reverse order of the Race 1 result; Pat, Mike and then me. With laps running out and unable to get close enough out of T16 to draft and get alongside for T1, I made the mistake that probably sealed my fate and possibly Mike's by pulling alongside him entering Sunset (T6) which forced us to be both be slower which helped Pat's lead. Poor racecraft on my part. Sure, I got a run on Mike but unless I completely cleared him the move would put me on the outside of T7 where I'd probably lose the position. I should have focused on getting a run out of T16.

Regardless, we had a great battle that reminds me of the best times with rF1 and ended with the race decided by 0.353 second back through 3rd place. Pretty great for our first serious outing with these cars.

Next week @ very familiar and much simpler Barbagallo should tighten up the field appreciably.

Well done to Tom & Pat on their wins. Its going to be an interesting & fun season from the looks of it. Had some brilliant fun chasing & hounding Pat in race 1 & 2 also some good dicing with Tom in race 2. These cars feel great.

On a side note, I saw Bobby Lee was racing Raceroom last weekend so I sent him a message mentioning the new season. He didn't answer. Even the old blood is shying away...