Assetto Corsa Competizione | Season 14 Round 6 | GT3 Endurance @ Watkins Glen

[EuroVapeSim2]

That was some really fun racing tonight, super chuffed with P2 in the first race, got a lucky overtake out of the last corner on @SharkyOB and I just managed to keep ahead for the rest of the race.

 

Race 2 was a bit messier for me, some flashes of good racing and some self inflicted mistakes.

 

I'm also at fault for the bump at the start of race 2 @Meers I was concerned about the car on my left and jinked right before the braking zone in T1 and bumped you, luckily you didn't collect anyone else as we were all still packed together. Completely on me that one sorry.

 

Here is a clip of the double overtake down the back straight, if only I didn't bin it the next lap I could've been on for another good result. 

 

 

[EuroVapeSim2]

 

5 minutes ago, Meers said:

 

Oof I was very close to collecting you there, could've ended up being 2 incidents between us in a couple laps.

[milko]

That was a pretty awesome night's racing, thanks guys and sorry to those that didn't make it this week. 

 

Race 1 for me was strange, I didn't have much serious pace all night but I could consistently do mid 1.56 and somehow went from 8th to 3rd without really doing a serious overtake, what with people trying to go three wide through Courbe de Signes or running out of fuel in front of me.

 

 

Race 2 was just incredible for the amount of close-quarters racing and madly scary incidents I got through unscathed. Primarily this ...I hesitate to call it an overtake on @Valver but anyway:

 

 

Yeah, I'm just gonna call that "brave" I think. Also a little bit foolish, I'm just glad I didn't actually hit you and well done on staying out of my way mate, that was good awareness and skill. 

 

I also had this slightly exciting moment with @Meers and I can't even remember which race it was now.

 

 

[milko]

(I genuinely hadn't intended to make a move on that corner with @Valver by the way, it just happened as part of the evasive action. God knows what I was trying to do with the gear changes in that clip as well. Just an all-round peachy bit of racecraft)

[Valver]

Sorry to all I involved in this - was a bit overambitious on my part.  Would still try it again though...

 

 

[Valver]

The Highlights videos from tonight's two sprint races.

 

 

 

[Meers]

That must have been the best races I have had with you guys ever! 🥰

 

Don't care that I lost my 2nd place in the first race to @EuroVapeSim2. Don't care that he, @SharkyOB, @Yannik and @milko scrapped with me for positions and managed to overtake me. I don't care that I shpun in the first race to avoid a crash with Cillian. Oh and I don't care about that DT penalty either.

 

 

I WAS COMPETITIVE FOR A CHANGE!!! And it was bloody amazing!  

 

Might also have something to do with my new rim (it's so precise!) and the endurance race experience I had last week. Shit teaches you to focus, yo.

 

Paul Ricard is a brilliant track. And convinced now that GT3 doesn't need the chicane on the long straight.

 

But they really need to fix the track limits here. 

[Yannik]

Man, the two races could barely have gone more different for me.

Race 1 felt alright until I got caught up in the crash at the end of the long straight, only got 1.3 seconds of damage but apparently enough to lose some downforce thanks to the hit to the right front. After that, I was off the pace and the track, getting a drive-through as well. Almost killed @SharkyOBwhen he came out of the pits and I did not see him - pit exit is really damn dangerous at Paul Ricard!

 

Race 2 was completely different and so much more enjoyable. Just hard, but clean racing all around, especially with @Meersand @milko. Trying to get enough separation in the first sector in order not to get overtaken on the straight was crucial, but what really saved my bacon was the Porsche's acceleration, especially out of the final corner. Made it possible to set up some overtakes into T1. Very happy with P3 after that! That was racing as it's supposed to be - hats off, guys, extremely enjoyable battles there

[Erik]

Two uneventful races for me, but I'm happy with how good my car was and laptimes were excellent considering I hadnt practiced more than an hour. My fastest lap in race 2 was 1:54.0 and I nearly turned 1:53 multiple times just to make a mistake in the final corner. I cant thank enough all the sponsors, Aston Martin, Thrustmaster, Logitech, nVidia, Laphroaig, wouldnt be here wihout you. It looked very, very close from P2 to P8 in both races!

 

Looks like I will miss the next race in Snetterton. But if someone wants to stream it I should be able to watch it. 😉

[Meers]

37 minutes ago, Yannik said:

Race 2 was completely different and so much more enjoyable. Just hard, but clean racing all around, especially with @Meersand @milko. Trying to get enough separation in the first sector in order not to get overtaken on the straight was crucial, but what really saved my bacon was the Porsche's acceleration, especially out of the final corner. Made it possible to set up some overtakes into T1. Very happy with P3 after that! That was racing as it's supposed to be - hats off, guys, extremely enjoyable battles there

 

Likewise, Yannik! Loved our scraps for position! 

 

I made another clip of your overtake on Milko and me:

 

 

[milko]

haha, but wasn't it @EuroVapeSim2 for that one? now you have to find a Ferrari doing it.

 

I thought you had a shot at passing me back into T1 @Meers, you can see it in the hightlights where you got almost alongside and then pull in behind again. It was definitely a way better chance than I had for my Valver move!

[Meers]

19 minutes ago, Erik said:

Two uneventful races for me, but I'm happy with how good my car was and laptimes were excellent considering I hadnt practiced more than an hour. My fastest lap in race 2 was 1:54.0 and I nearly turned 1:53 multiple times just to make a mistake in the final corner. I cant thank enough all the sponsors, Aston Martin, Thrustmaster, Logitech, nVidia, Laphroaig, wouldnt be here wihout you. It looked very, very close from P2 to P8 in both races!

 

Looks like I will miss the next race in Snetterton. But if someone wants to stream it I should be able to watch it. 😉

 

Unfortunately my laptop hasn't got a drip of performance left to also stream a race. Maybe if someone else would do the streaming, @mrben09 and @kiroquai could do the commentary? 😜 One of my colleagues would be interested in watching that.

 

You're so bloody fast, Erik. After last week's endurance I've got a taste for more, but I need to up my pace drastically. I had time for a bit more practice last week and I think I've improved somewhat. But keeping up with you is nigh-on impossible (for me at least). And as I said before, my new rim makes me feel connected to the car even more now, which definitely helps. I'll keep working on it.

 

 

1 minute ago, milko said:

I thought you had a shot at passing me back into T1 @Meers, you can see it in the hightlights where you got almost alongside and then pull in behind again. It was definitely a way better chance than I had for my Valver move!

 

Yeah but I'm not of the lunge-ing kind (is that even a word?). I'll go for a gap if I'm 100% sure I can make it and not take out the car I'm trying to overtake.

[milko]

1 minute ago, Meers said:

Yeah but I'm not of the lunge-ing kind (is that even a word?). I'll go for a gap if I'm 100% sure I can make it and not take out the car I'm trying to overtake.

 

I don't think it would have been a lunge at all, you were almost level with me and had the inside.

 

Also @mrben09 weren't you supposed to be back with us now? No euro football last night! Apart from that one with the French and Belgians I suppose.

[Meers]

And what happened to you during the race, @Count Buffalos? Saw you standing still in the pits.

[Meers]

3 minutes ago, milko said:

I don't think it would have been a lunge at all, you were almost level with me and had the inside.

 

Yeeeeaahhh well, I'll keep it in mind the next time we're exchanging paint mate. 😈

[Count Buffalos]

I lost the will / was overly annoyed after the end of straight incident in Race 1 really. I then hit@SneakyNinja a couple of time in I Race 2 (in exactly the same place no less) and quit out of mortifying embarrassment. I can’t say that I had much fun really!

[milko]

3 minutes ago, Meers said:

 

Yeeeeaahhh well, I'll keep it in mind the next time we're exchanging paint mate. 😈

 

I would've yielded and tried to return the favour into the next chicane, I was totally preparing to do it when you pulled back in.

[kiroquai]

Looks like you guys had a great time! I love Paul Ricard as a circuit - they could do with getting rid of the wavy lines and replacing them with gravel, grass etc though. Signes is a beast of a corner. Good to see ol' veteran Meers fighting at the pointy end again too!

 

I'm currently in temporary accommodation waiting for my new place to be finished (and for solicitors to hurry up and do their jobs to get things signed) so won't be able to even practice with the ol' pad for a while, but I'll be back

 

6 minutes ago, Meers said:

Maybe if someone else would do the streaming, @mrben09 and @kiroquai could do the commentary? 😜 

 

'Good day and welcome to the Heineken Edam Windmill Snetterton Endurance presented by the Netherlands. Your field today consists of Meerman and others - some of whom are quicker and some of whom are slower. I will be referencing each driver as Meerminus and Meerplus for this reason.

 

We will shortly be going over to Mrben09 for his report on the Spyker Stroopwaffel Philips Qualifying Session. However, at this time may you all rise and remove any hats'.

 

 

[SneakyNinja]

1 minute ago, Count Buffalos said:

I lost the will / was annoyed after the end of straight incident in Race 1 really. I then hit@SneakyNinja a couple of time in I Race 2 (in exactly the same place no less) and quit out of mortifying embarrassment. 

 

No complaints this end mate. "Rubbin' is racin'" after all. I was having a shocker anyway, I was 1.5 seconds a lap off my practice pace and completely lost the rear at the end of the straight and knackered my car - something I've not done in several seasons. Then I lost all confidence in the Merc so was even slower.

 

At least I didn't harpoon @Meers this time  

[Count Buffalos]

Yeah, the Merc is a bit prone to a sudden loss of grip in high speed corners isn’t it? I did the same thing in quali. 

[SneakyNinja]

1 minute ago, Count Buffalos said:

Yeah, the Merc is a bit prone to a sudden loss of grip in high speed corners isn’t it? I did the same thing in quali. 

 

Yeah. At least with the 911, you *know* it's actively trying to kill you. The Merc acts all nice until you trust it, then BAM!.

 

Don't think I'll be using it next season.

[milko]

2 minutes ago, SneakyNinja said:

 

No complaints this end mate. "Rubbin' is racin'" after all. I was having a shocker anyway, I was 1.5 seconds a lap off my practice pace and completely lost the rear at the end of the straight and knackered my car - something I've not done in several seasons. Then I lost all confidence in the Merc so was even slower.

 

At least I didn't harpoon @Meers this time  

 

I did wonder what happened to you, especially in race 2 when I was chasing Meers and co, you were gaining about 0.5s a lap on me unless I did everything as well as I could, seemed like there was no hope of escape as you got to within a couple of seconds and then suddenly you... weren't. Similarly in race 1 there was a bit where I was frantically doing the maths about how much time left in the race vs your rate of gaining on me and you'd been vastly quicker in practice than I could manage.

[SharkyOB]

Good night for me and it would've been even better if I hadn't messed up my fuel in race 1.  Hate to tell you @EuroVapeSim2, but I let you past after turn 1 as I was aggressively fuel saving at that point, I actually had the engine turned down to 12 (which is warm up lap/safety car setting in the Ferrari) so had absolutely no acceleration out of the corners.  Wasn't enough though, had to pit with a lap to go and then almost got final destinationed by @Yannik as I came out the pits!  Was able to pass him before the end of the lap though as his Porsche (along with @Count Buffalos Merc) had been well and truly Valvered earlier in the race.  In the end 6th wasn't too bad.

 

Race 2 was much better and 2nd is all I can hope for in a world where our resident alien exists.  I started 4th, but Meers in front of me was a bit slow away at the start, so I was able to get alongside and sweep round the outside into turn 1 to end up in 2nd.  I was a bit nervous a few laps in as @Yannikwas catching me, but his battle with Meers ended his challenge and I was able to fully focus on watching Eric disappearing serenely over the horizon.

 

 

[SneakyNinja]

2 minutes ago, milko said:

 

I did wonder what happened to you, especially in race 2 when I was chasing Meers and co, you were gaining about 0.5s a lap on me unless I did everything as well as I could, seemed like there was no hope of escape as you got to within a couple of seconds and then suddenly you... weren't. Similarly in race 1 there was a bit where I was frantically doing the maths about how much time left in the race vs your rate of gaining on me and you'd been vastly quicker in practice than I could manage.

 

I can't explain why I was doing 1.55's in practice, then 1.57 in qually. I got back down to 1.56's in the race but then race 1 was over when I damaged the aero. Don't know what happened in race 2.I could see I was closing the gap to you and was looking forward to a scrap but then I lost pace and can't explain why.

 

I saved the replay so I'll have a look.

[Meers]

33 minutes ago, kiroquai said:

'Good day and welcome to the Heineken Edam Windmill Snetterton Endurance presented by the Netherlands. Your field today consists of Meerman and others - some of whom are quicker and some of whom are slower. I will be referencing each driver as Meerminus and Meerplus for this reason.

 

We will shortly be going over to Mrben09 for his report on the Spyker Stroopwaffel Philips Qualifying Session. However, at this time may you all rise and remove any hats'.

 

 

 

🤣 I love the choice of sponsors there!

 

We have the most outdated national anthem ever, though. And that's a shoddy translation by the way - we're of German blood (Duits = German), apparently. And why am I of German blood at all? I'm Dutch! And I've never honoured the king of Spain, ever.

 

31 minutes ago, SneakyNinja said:

At least I didn't harpoon @Meers this time  

 

I was keeping an eye out for you. Gaz. 😜

 

24 minutes ago, SharkyOB said:

Race 2 was much better and 2nd is all I can hope for in a world where our resident alien exists.  I started 4th, but Meers in front of me was a bit slow away at the start, so I was able to get alongside and sweep round the outside into turn 1 to end up in 2nd.  I was a bit nervous a few laps in as @Yannikwas catching me, but his battle with Meers ended his challenge and I was able to fully focus on watching Eric disappearing serenely over the horizon.

 

Well done mate. On the podium is where you belong. We just need to add more ballast to Erik's car next time.

 

I was a bit slow off the mark, aye. But I absolutely loved being the Dutch meat in that Irish / English sandwich though, at the end of the first straight! 😜

 

 

4 cars wide, it's almost a parade. Wonderful!

[Erik]

18 minutes ago, Meers said:

You're so bloody fast, Erik. After last week's endurance I've got a taste for more, but I need to up my pace drastically. I had time for a bit more practice last week and I think I've improved somewhat. But keeping up with you is nigh-on impossible (for me at least). And as I said before, my new rim makes me feel connected to the car even more now, which definitely helps. I'll keep working on it.

 

Thanks, lets do some practice together soon. Poke me on discord or something, or here. About year and a half ago I was in a phase where I felt I couldnt get any faster. Trying to replicate alien streamer laps, watching drivers faster than me drive in game, nothing worked. They didnt seem to do anything differently yet were seconds faster. I was stuck at laptimes like 2:22 in Spa and 1:50 in Monza. Couldnt see what others were doing differently and I thought it was about being inhumanly precise and brave, catching car at limit of grip every corner. Possibly controllers. If that sounds familiar, be adviced that no you do not need to be alien precise or robot consistent to improve a second or two, rather work on fundamentals: slow in, fast out, use all of the track, have smooth inputs. Approach the limit from below, not above. 🙃 What I think really helped me was racing with people who were equally fast and a bit faster.

 

For this race it helped me a lot that I had been here before, so I knew exactly what kind of laptimes myself and drivers as fast as or a bit faster than me could do. I reached them almost immediately and after raising the car a little it felt very safe and consistent, so I didnt feel pressure to shave away those final tenths.

 

Snetterton is completely new track to me so its unfortunate I cant race. I'll try to turn some laps in practice still!

[EuroVapeSim2]

34 minutes ago, SharkyOB said:

Hate to tell you @EuroVapeSim2, but I let you past after turn 1 as I was aggressively fuel saving at that point, I actually had the engine turned down to 12 (which is warm up lap/safety car setting in the Ferrari) so had absolutely no acceleration out of the corners

I had a feeling something was up as that was my worst corner of the whole track and all of a sudden I was beside you, that explains it alright.

 

 

I noticed my worst corners is the acceleration phase out of tight corners, I feel I can never get car placement right and I'm late and inconsistent on the throttle, I struggled at the tight turn before the run onto the back straight (virage du camp) and the last corner (virage du pont). I will have to focus practicing more corners like these ones, I see a hairpin in Snetterton I know already I'll struggle with.

[SneakyNinja]

26 minutes ago, Erik said:

 

 About year and a half ago I was in a phase where I felt I couldnt get any faster. Trying to replicate alien streamer laps, watching drivers faster than me drive in game, nothing worked. They didnt seem to do anything differently yet were seconds faster. I was stuck at laptimes like 2:22 in Spa and 1:50 in Monza. Couldnt see what others were doing differently and I thought it was about being inhumanly precise and brave, catching car at limit of grip every corner. Possibly controllers. If that sounds familiar, be adviced that no you do not need to be alien precise or robot consistent to improve a second or two, rather work on fundamentals: slow in, fast out, use all of the track, have smooth inputs. Approach the limit from below, not above. 🙃

 

An alien AND a mind reader! That's EXACTLY where I am at the moment.

 

Thank you for the pointers - having something to focus on really helps. 

 

[Meers]

5 minutes ago, Erik said:

Thanks, lets do some practice together soon. Poke me on discord or something, or here.

 

Sure! I'll see if you're around next time I get the opportunity to practice. 😎

 

5 minutes ago, Erik said:

About year and a half ago I was in a phase where I felt I couldnt get any faster. Trying to replicate alien streamer laps, watching drivers faster than me drive in game, nothing worked. They didnt seem to do anything differently yet were seconds faster. I was stuck at laptimes like 2:22 in Spa and 1:50 in Monza. Couldnt see what others were doing differently and I thought it was about being inhumanly precise and brave, catching car at limit of grip every corner. Possibly controllers. If that sounds familiar, be adviced that no you do not need to be alien precise or robot consistent to improve a second or two, rather work on fundamentals: slow in, fast out, use all of the track, have smooth inputs. Approach the limit from below, not above. 🙃 What I think really helped me was racing with people who were equally fast and a bit faster.

 

I think I've got all those fundamentals fairly sorted, but the trick is that you have to be consistent with them. Every now and again I make mistakes and of course that is minimised with lots of practice, which I don't really have these days. 😅

[mrben09]

1 hour ago, milko said:

 

I don't think it would have been a lunge at all, you were almost level with me and had the inside.

 

Also @mrben09 weren't you supposed to be back with us now? No euro football last night! Apart from that one with the French and Belgians I suppose.

 

Yes I should have, but still don't have the man cave back in one piece since we got the work in the house done. It's all being sorted this Sunday, and I will provide photographic evidence. But there's so little of the season left and I haven't touched the wheel at all, that I will be a little nervy of being even more reckless than usual  I'm very conscious I have a trophy to hand out for a season I have had no involvement in ,so submissions welcome. 

 

However, in other news, having discovered Quake some weeks ago, I've now spent a few evenings watching a television with my wife. Quite the experience. That Netflix thing is good. There's a documentary called Squid Game. Gets a little tense in the bake off section where they make shaped cookies but overall quite educational regarding other countries attitudes towards competitive gaming. So in short it appears there is more on telly than Sky Sports, who knew ?