PS4 AOR GTSL Season 15 Xmas Cup | Rd.2 | Gr.4 | 26/11/20

[HRacingGreen]

Feeling much more confident than last night after some laps today. Can actually get into and stay around the 29s on Stint 1, and found a whole load of consistency too. Still not looking forward to it, but might not be the unmitigated disaster it threatened to be last night

 

[SolidNinjaSnake]

I already thought I'd struggle here and now I've seen where I'm starting on the grid haha. Certainly should make things more interesting though I think! Good luck all for tonight.

 

[corey_butler]

can't get into the lobby,
When I ask to show lobbies with friends nothing appears. Any ideas?

 

[Wedgybo]

Have you closed the game application and tried again?

 

[Wedgybo]

If you have and still can't find it. Just put in the room ID: 0475-4257-6430-5292-3972

 

[GKRT_PinkiiBoii]

Also make sure you have RoninGT-Delaney on your friends list

 

[jutngo]

Thanks for the great racing tonight chaps. Didn't maximise points scoring for the team unfortunately, too many errors. Sorry about that Bl99dy. But I did really enjoy the racing. Thanks again dudes.

 

[Browneskiii]

My best group and the whole night was ruined on lap one. I wouldn't mind too much if it was gr2 or Gr1 as I suck in them, but Gr4 is the one I knew I have pace to win at.

Recovered to get decent points, but I feel I lost another win there, a double podium is always nice, but can't help but be disappointed in myself, the double edged sword of setting such high standards for myself I guess.

Sorry if anyone felt that I was a little aggressive at times, tiredness and disappointment don't mix well!

Congrats @HRacingGreen on the double again, and to @leedamastr and @Ashracer2011 for the podiums.

 

[HRacingGreen]

Haven't been so pleased with a result since the Dragon Trail win in S13 to be honest.

Made a good start but was a little cautious into T1, and was super lucky to avoid the same fate as @Browneskiii as @Delaney slid across the track. The first stint was very intense, battling with my team-mate @yannikbrandt a lot as well as @SolidNinjaSnake and @leedamastr. Was some very fun racing and quite aggressive. I decided to go for the undercut 2-stop by coming in on L6, trying to get closer to @jutngo ahead and overtake @SolidNinjaSnake who was battling on the podium with someone I forget who it was now. Miraculously, the free-track and fresh tyres gained me so much that I emerged in P1 after the stop. Spent the rest of the race keeping it on the track and being wary of the alternate strategy from the recovering Browne and the impressive pace of Lee.

Made my second stop on my scheduled L17, adding a splash of fuel and coming out *just* behind Solid, John and Browne. I made a nice move at Kidney to pass the battling pair straight out the pits and quickly caught Browne who was on older tyres. Managed the race from that point, and took home a win I was thrilled with, after being so despondent yesterday.

Was definitely an unfortunate circumstance for Browneskii, and a blessing for me. I would of course have preferred to be battling for the win than drive off with it. (Although to say it was your win is a little harsh I was pretty fast myself and I think it would have been close)

Sprint was exciting. Was getting caught up in the battling early on and could see a few guys getting away ahead as I was bottlenecked with a lot of other cars. Went super bold and decided to pit on L4, concluding that I'd rather jump everyone and have to defend on dead tyres than lose more and more time in the traffic. I had a couple of laps of clean air before I caught back up t the pack, passing Delaney and @Heinehegn with a nice move. By Lap 7 the last cars were pitting (it seemed those who went for free track gained, as well as me on my undercut. Free air was the main ingredient for being fast, rather than tyres) and I slotted into a comfortable 3s lead. I had @Ashracer2011 behind me who I feared would charge after me quickly on my dead tyres, but it never came and I even eased away slightly. Ended up as a suprisingly comfortable win.

Was really pleased with this result, I'd focused so much on being smooth in the practice leading up to the race today and it paid off. Made my tyres last to do the strategy the situation required in both races and didn't really put a foot wrong. Really happy to keep my (unusual) 100% record here at Brands since my return, I guess I just have a knack for FWD Gr.4 here and my usual eye for dealing with traffic definitely came in handy (I remember Lee exclaiming "How the hell are you in 5th already?!" after a few laps in the Feature race lol). Championship lead looking healthy as well, and another good chunk for the Team's as well.

Congrats to Browne, Ash and Lee on the podium finishes, looking forward to next week's race

 

[Ashracer2011]

Feature race 5th- Starting at the back never bodes well in FR Gr.4s, but nonetheless it is where the short straw was this week... After a fairly okay start the main mission was to avoid any carnage which Delaney seemed to cause himself away after Turn 1, that was a close one avoiding! The rest of the race unfolded really in a slow and painful plot through the field, by this point the usual suspects from the previous rounds top 4 had made off into the distance as those crucial places further up the field helped them get clear sooner... myself and Mik trying to find our way over, under or round anyone we caught up during the race, but frustratingly this meant that it lost further ground to the leading pack as we battled past. Ultimately I caught @jutngo and @Yannik, after seeing Yannik was defending like he was the last soldier protecting her majesty, I settled in after passing Jutngo and focused on hustling Yannik into a possible mistake rather than taking a big risk of passing him as he had a penalty which you probably should of got rid of within 1 lap of getting.

The grid idea I don't really think was the best for my race.... but if I'd been further up then I'd have a different opinion potentially, so I can't knock it for being something different.

Sprint race 2nd - best of the bunch race, had some interesting battles with Wedgy and Mik, in the scottish sandwich, lots of fun! Managing to go around the outside of Wedgy was great, but also big respect to Wedgy for making it possible as he could of squeezed me quite easily off. After getting clear of the Jackie Stewart fanclub I came flying up behind Minion into the final sector, thinking quick I saw he braked early so in good Stirling Moss fashion I went up the inside and powered out of the corner next to him, a key move to make as Brownskii was beginning to bare down behind, unfortunately all the battling meant that @HRacingGreen's early stop gave him a clear track use some pace and get clear, by the time I'd recovered back through I thought that it wasn't worth the risk of throwing it off the track trying to make time up and recover the 3s Harry had for a lead, my best hope was to keep Brownskii who was close behind and see if HRacingGreens tyres went off or he made an error somewhere neither happened, so congrats Harry & Brownskii on the win & podium.


Hopefully with some more practice I'll be able to move up with pace a bit more, 2 weeks back racing after 6 months of no driving on here takes a while to get use to things again. G923 is definitely an upgrade despite it looking the same as a G29 it's a noticeable improvement.

 

[Wobbuffet]

After a great night's racing, same as last week here is some of the main highlight action shots from both races, once again spread over 3 posts and in thumbnail form for ease of access.

Feature race start & T1:

Opening lap action:

A rare sight BEMMS 1-2 (with Jutngo leading Bl9ddy):

Battles and action a plenty:

 

[Wobbuffet]

Feature action continued:

Group of 4 battling in the final laps:

Moment HRG won the feature race:


Start of Sprint race Jack leading the field into Druids:

 

[Wobbuffet]

(Sprint action continued)
Jack and Meg1s battling for the lead:

Battles aplenty, plus someone thinking of 3 wide at Hawthorns?!:

Drivers fighting each other tooth and nail:

Moment HRG won the sprint & battles to the line for final positions:


And thats all she wrote.

 

[Wobbuffet]

My best group and the whole night was ruined on lap one. I wouldn't mind too much if it was gr2 or Gr1 as I suck in them, but Gr4 is the one I knew I have pace to win at.

Recovered to get decent points, but I feel I lost another win there, a double podium is always nice, but can't help but be disappointed in myself, the double edged sword of setting such high standards for myself I guess.

Sorry if anyone felt that I was a little aggressive at times, tiredness and disappointment don't mix well!

Was definitely an unfortunate circumstance for Browneskii, and a blessing for me. I would of course have preferred to be battling for the win than drive off with it. (Although to say it was your win is a little harsh I was pretty fast myself and I think it would have been close)

Just to add my take on the feature and your comment afterwards Browneskii, sure I think we all understood where you were coming from and your frustration, but I think it did HRG a bit of a disservice. (I mean we're all been there and are wise enough to know the game by now)

Looking how the feature played out strategy, fuel & all that between the you guys if you hadn't had that incident then of course HRG doesn't win by 6 seconds or whatever it was, but with you doing a 3 stopper not taking fuel and HRG doing the 2 and taking fuel with pace working out pretty similar, if all things being well I reckon it would've worked out you 2 would have been battling for the win in the final laps with nothing between you but with HRG leading.

And in those circumstances theres no real way for any of us to know who would have won, I know you lost a good 10 seconds in that incident Browneskii but by equal measure HRG was stuck for a good chuck of the opening laps in traffic allowing you to catch up a bit to him, unfortunately though the feature was just a case of bad luck for you tonight.

Whereas HRG had a bit of good luck as while Delaney was sideways he nearly hit HRG as well in the rear which would've sent him into a spin guaranteed - it was very fine margins.

But as we all know thats how these races can go sometimes, besides if your being fair to HRG he had some bad luck as well last season to say the least whereas things went reasonably well for you Browneskii, obviously none of us like to see circumstances and luck be a deciding factor, but what I think or at least like to believe when I've had a night like yours that between championship contenders the rule is, generally things (ie: luck) should even itself out over time.

So as while tonight wasn't your night Browneskii, who knows it might not be HRG's next week.

Lastly to mention the sprint after I left the lobby I suddenly had a strange feeling of deja vu after seeing that race, and then it hit me HRG pretty much pulled off the exact same trick on us all back in S13.

Thats one thing we should all really remember HRG is not afraid to go bold on strategy at times, the funny thing is though had a few of you just ahead of him pitted that lap he likely stays out instead, as at that time I suspect with the position HRG was in he probably felt had to do something, other wise he might not have finished in the top 3 in the sprint let alone win it.

Anyway congrats to HRG on the win double, very well done to Browneskii on the double podium and well done to Ash & Lee on there respective podiums.

 

[HRacingGreen]

Lastly to mention the sprint after I left the lobby I suddenly had a strange feeling of deja vu after seeing that race, and then it hit me HRG pretty much pulled off the exact same trick on us all back in S13.

Honestly I was really surprised nobody saw it coming! I was thinking secretly to myself "surely I won't get away with this, people are gonna cotton on and remember last time and cover me off" and nobody did

I wasn't complaining.

Thats one thing we should all really remember HRG is not afraid to go bold on strategy at times, the funny thing is though had a few of you just ahead of him pitted that lap he likely stays out instead, as at that time I suspect with the position HRG was in he probably felt had to do something, other wise he might not have finished in the top 3 in the sprint let alone win it.

Definitely was the case, I have to be bold sometimes and both of these first rounds I've done it and its paid off, which has been really satisfying for me.

And in those circumstances theres no real way for any of us to know who would have won, I know you lost a good 10 seconds in that incident Browneskii but by equal measure HRG was stuck for a good chuck of the opening laps in traffic allowing you to catch up a bit to him, unfortunately though the feature was just a case of bad luck for you tonight.

For sure, with traffic and the variations in strategy, I think its impossible to say how much a T1 incident dictates a result. A good race despite it for sure.

 

[Browneskiii]

Looking how the feature played out strategy, fuel & all that between the you guys if you hadn't had that incident then of course HRG doesn't win by 6 seconds or whatever it was, but with you doing a 3 stopper not taking fuel and HRG doing the 2 and taking fuel with pace working out pretty similar, if all things being well I reckon it would've worked out you 2 would have been battling for the win in the final laps with nothing between you but with HRG leading.

That 3 stop wasn't intentional tbh, the plan all along was an early 2 stop, but by lap 13 when everyone was fighting, I realised that P2 was the absolute best I could have had and I felt pitting then was the best chance I had for that.

But considering how the early laps went, with HRG losing a few positions to SNS and then yannik being ridiculously aggressive and even pushing his own team mate off track, I can't help but feel I'd have been ahead and then without a fuel stop, even if I wasn't, I would have been after the second stop. The Scirocco was by far the best on tyres though, but I know my defending is good enough, especially combined with brands being hard to overtake.

It's more disappointment than anything tbh, this week was the first week since my comeback that I actually felt like I was faster than everyone, I was more than confident about coming through for a potential win, and even if it was a normal quali plus race I know I had the pace for it too. Like I said, Gr4 is my strength and pretty much any other group, I'd have taken the results as a double podium both from the back is a good result but it just happened to be the one time I seem to have the outright pace is the time luck plays it's part.

 

[Delaney]

Temp. results are up.

 

[GKRT_PinkiiBoii]

Temp. results are up.

You need to add your points to your team.

 

[HRacingGreen]

You need to add your points to your team.

Delaney is a wanderer these days, he has no team...

 

[Wobbuffet]

That 3 stop wasn't intentional tbh, the plan all along was an early 2 stop, but by lap 13 when everyone was fighting, I realised that P2 was the absolute best I could have had and I felt pitting then was the best chance I had for that.

But considering how the early laps went, with HRG losing a few positions to SNS and then yannik being ridiculously aggressive and even pushing his own team mate off track, I can't help but feel I'd have been ahead and then without a fuel stop, even if I wasn't, I would have been after the second stop. The Scirocco was by far the best on tyres though, but I know my defending is good enough, especially combined with brands being hard to overtake.

I can understand why you went 3 stop in those circumstances then, obviously theres no doubts that it cost you a chance of winning, but equally if you didn't have that incident then it becomes a different race not just for you but for all those that were just ahead and behind you, as SNS & Yannik would then have had to pass you first to get to & pass HRG, so it would've changed things and its highly unlikely the race plays out exactly the same for those 3 drivers as well, because you would've been there bang in the middle of them. (SNS, Yannik & HRG)

Moving on just something I want to raise with you, I had a look at your twitch stream earlier and was outraged when you said I didn't know the stig!

I'll have you know I had been watching top gear for donkeys years (don't watch it anymore since Clarkson and co left), so of course I know the stig, it was just when I was looking at your car livery last night the view I had was from using the chase cam looking backwards, and with the low angle of that view, it wasn't exactly easy to see what the 2 white bulbous figures were on your bonnet, all I could tell was that they had xmas hats on and were wearing what looked like big black shades.

So using the logic its a xmas livery and using that train of thought, I came to the conclusion that they probably were snowman, so when you said it was the stig and I looked at your car again using the same view, I was like 'ah now I can sort of see it', its just a reminder for everyone that a perspective/viewpoint can make a big difference to how we see and perceive what things are in the world.

Anyway Browneskii with your liveries, you've gone from 3 stick(wise)men to 2 stigs, surely the natural progression for your next livery has to be '3 stigs and a baby'.

And I vote for these 3 stigs to be on your bonnet:

special shout out though for these other alternate stigs:

(surely the last one is @Meg1S favourite stig)

You need to add your points to your team.

Delaney is a wanderer these days, he has no team...

At least Delaney gave @SolidNinjaSnake one of the best teamname's I've ever seen.