Round 6 Results - Pukekohe

First off, a big welcome back to longtime Efnet and avid sim racer Fernando Mattos. His return could not have come at a better time for our club.

I was pleased to see that 'Nando qualified right in the middle of the Japanese  [AI] drivers , pretty impressive for his first experience with the cars.

Qualifying was very exciting with the top three drivers separated by 2-3 milliseconds late in the session. I really had to focus to move from 3rd to 1st on my last lap with a PB of 1:11.356. Pat Sweeney and Mike Campbell were distinguished by 0.001 sec after the dust settled. 

I managed to eek out a small gap in the lead with Fast Lap on Lap 3 but was off line through the T2/T3 chicane complex and the curbing sent me for a ride that ended in the gravel. I rejoined P15, worked my way to P4 with 3 or 4 laps remaining chasing Kenichi Okuyama (AI) and a probable podium but repeated my Lap 4 mistake and plummeted down through the order again, this time to P12 where I finished. It was FUN working my way back through the field and exciting when I understood late in the race that I could catch P3 if I put in good laps.

Mistakes are obviously much more consequential with 15 cars on the grid but at the same time, more fun, as working past the AI isn't easy and there's a lot of 'em, lol.

It was interesting to see the AI defending their positions and that some of them DNF'ed. They are far from perfect but they are consistent on lap times and are certainly better to race with than the few infamously self-centered drivers we've had pass through our virtual paddock. Even when the AI do something outlandish, I can live it with, adds variables and unknowns, that are completely missing with 10 of us let alone 6 or less; adds an element of luck.

We only have data from two races but I'm inclined to leave the AI set to 100% for consistency's sake and will try to get under their times early in the week as a reality check.

Hutton and I both voluntarily moved to the back for Race 2 when we could have started near the front because of the inversion but for me, at least, it made for a funner Race 2. I was pretty well expecting to relinquish the points lead as a result but it looks like I hung on to that. It's a joy to be at the back of the grid with 13 cars in the windshield view. Imagine the glory days of rFactor and Efnet when we had to turn away drivers because the server only allowed 42 cars. 

I was literally ON Mike's bumper exiting T8 on the final lap with Mr Campbell taking a well-deserved victory by 0.210 sec to complete the double-win and take the Overall for the weekend.

We head to Japan next where we will remain until the conclusion of the championship.