Report as put on the SCCC blog (from there for my perspective only):
Season 3, Race 3: LX6 & Kyoto National: 40 long laps! I knew ahead this was going to be a hard race, simply because I never had truly raced with the LX6.
Despite being limitted with my training time for this challenging combo I managed to 'prequalify' myself in the pack of the field, doing low 1:58s. 'Prequalification' is being done by the very useful
Sywix Tool. This tool monitors the online PBs of pilots subscribed to the league. In order to have a high racing level on the raceday every pilot needs to do a minimal of 20 laps before being able to participate during the race. It's a good way to introduce a 'forced form' of training, track-and car awareness and to add some level of competition during the training time. Or a good way to mislead your opponents by performing slow there... but do a blast of a true qualifying lap!
Anyway, with a 100% filled tank, required to complete the 40 race laps I knew I could do 1:58s. With a low filled tank I could do average 1:57s. So my tactic was simple: show up on the race, drive consistent the same reasonable times and avoid crashes. I was mostly worried regarding crashes for the first 3 laps and somewhere midway the race, due to a weakening concentration. I must say my expectations on the race got furfilled. I started very slow and careful, braking early, constantly checking my mirrors, ect... I had started as 4th and after the first 'oval turn' I was in 2nd position, a perfect start it was. However, due to my over carefulness I dropped back to place 5, regained place 4 then shortly after as Hanziboy made a little error. A dozen of laps later I gained 3rd spot by an error of Kane, but I lost it again at a very fast Kane easily gaining time on me, as he was doing 1:56s, while I was doing my planned 1:58s. In the first half of the race my tactic was decent, but not truly succesful as little progress had been made and my opponents made no or minor errors. I followed my tactic, despite making myself an error in lap 22, it started to pay off. At this moment Xtian was around 35 seconds ahead of me, Kane second on around 27 seconds and Jyuetsch was third around 5.4 to 8.7 seconds ahead of me. I know it very detailled as I kept a close eye on the distance between us, knowing he was my main opponent and only chance to gain a spot. We were doing around the same laptimes until suddenly... he went into the pits to fuel up. Third position was mine and the race continued. Jyuetsch ended 5th after his pit stop and was more than 50 seconds behind me. While Scatter and Hanziboy where battling, also a round 30-35 seconds behind me, I knew that position 3 was secure as I was making barely any errors and doing reasonable 1:57s (as fuel dropped) and low 1:58s - just as planned!
Lap 35 to40 was very exciting. Xtian and Kane where battling for place 1 and I tried to push my car a bit more, doing low 1:57s and improving my PB with 42/100s... again showing that I could have been faster during this race if I just had trained a lot more. Anyway, it's not maybe nice, but it's a race afterall... inside I was silently hoping that the battle for first spot would demand a victim, so I could gain the second, or who knows... the first spot. The battle for spot one was very nice and fierce during lap 38 and 39, and Kane seemed to be gaining the upperhand, until he suddenly went into the pit! I was totally surprised and pushed everything I had. I was 47 second behind when he pitted, so it would have been véry close for me to get in front of them... and be véry hard to keep him behind me. Until suddenly, surprise number two: Kane: 45 second time penalty for speeding in pit lane! Right away I stepped of the throttle avoiding the risks I was taking. The gap was 14 seconds only, the second spot was mine!
It must be noted that Kane drove very fast, and was a true gentlemen by allowing me to pass him in the last turn on the last lap, wherefor my thanks and respect for this symbolic act.
Overall the race was a bit lonely for me, but it had great moments and was a rather tactical race. For sure it was a gentlemen race which was overall pretty fast.
I did what I had to do; show up and finish as high as possible. I used my strong point; not being super fast, but very consistent. Proof of that is doing 7 times the same last split of 1:19:56!
Good race everyone... Hopefuly I can attend race 4 as well at 12 oktober 2008 on the Aston Cadet Rev track with the UFR/XFR doing 2 x 24 laps !
Qualify Result: 1. U4IK ST8
2. Xtian
3. Jyuetsch
4. ScccGiannic
5. Hanziboy
6. Slo_Scatter
U4IK ST8 was disqualified from the qualify session because of not enough laps on Sywix and starts last position.
No Pole point and start last as penalty.
Race Result: 1. Xtian
2. Sccc Giannic + Highest Climber
3. U4IK ST8 + Fastest Lap
4. Hanziboy
5. SLO_Scatter
6. Jyuetsch
Championship Standings: (not yet official)
1. Gnomie: 54 points
2. Xtian: 52 points
3. sccc|GianniC: 35 points
Pictures: Lap 1, Turn 1: sccc|GianniC and rest of field behind him. Xtian not taken in picture due to being ahead of sccc|GianniC.
sccc|GianniC, using every inch of the track.
sccc|GianniC in battle for 3rd position with Kane, showing the high and fair level of the racing.