Fun-run: Elise Challenge

Got Pole, but a poor start let Tommy in front. I was trying to find a way past and on lap 5 thought I had a run into turn 3. However it wasnt quite on and Tommy went off (sorry Tommy it was my fault). I waited for Tommy but at that point we were well out of it, back in 8th. I really drove hard from there to try and get something out of it. After a few passes and a few mistakes by people, took 2nd and was closing in on Len for 1st but ran out of laps.

Congrats Len fine win!

Thanks John i tryed to remain calm when i seen you closing in. Only if u could see my facial expressions how intense it was for me to stay ahead a few more laps. you guys would laugh lol.Great Racing all.

Grats Les, first R2P win :-)

good race you guys
congradulations to Les
really fun track!
good job to the podiums!

Good race. I felt I had several quality laps. Last night my best was 1:07.5, but tonight I had several laps in the 1:06's.

Sorry about making contact while side by side in the last turn JT. I should have braked a little more and kept to the right. I slowed down on the next lap and let JT pass me.

I had an accident with another racer on lap 16 that cost me 14 seconds. No big deal.

After watching the replay it looks like just about everyone experienced mishaps.

I tried to catch Russ at the very end of the race but didn't quite pull it off. I hope me being hot on your heels made it fun for you Russ!

Fun race...lots of contact, but that's almost expected in cars that run this close.

Qualified third, but got swamped at the start and found myself back in P6 by the end of the first lap. Some offs by cars up ahead gradually moved me up into P4, chasing William Cody for P3, while John Dixon chased me for P4. Had some fun times trying (in vain) to keep John behind me, and had a small bit of unintentional side-to-side contact while attempting a re-pass on the exit of T3 after John had passed me on entry. Sorry about the tap, John, but it looked like it didn't hurt your run at all.

After John got past me and William, I put my head down to try and get by William for P3. He spun coming out of T4, and I inherited a podium finish (my second in 2 races).

Fun race; I'm looking forward to the next one.

William Cody's official press release:
"Today's race was very difficult and we certainly didn't have the best car for the race. Furthermore, our day was hindered by the fact this was my first time at the Oschersleben circuit. So, without any setup data to work with, we managed to find something in the Forem Lotus Elise to work for the race. Starting with a clean slate and only 5 or 6 laps under my belt I was able to qualify 7th.

My team director and I pondered over the tire selection. As Spec Elise is so well known for the frantic starts, I was thinking a soft compound would be best to get out of the pack and into a top position in the early going. However, the nature of the circuit is very tight and it would likely wear the fronts down at a considerable rate. With mediums on, I was hoping to make it unscathed at least through the first turn.

I had a sensational start and was able to move up two positions in the first corner. I was forced to take some agressive lines to defend my position but was able to pull a gap. I was lucky to inherit P2 on lap 5 and was maintaining a good pace. In my mirrors I could see Gary Miller and John Dixon battle for P3 and was counting on them to slow oneanother down or crash out.

Despite my efforts to preserve the tyres, in the later stages we started experiencing graining on the rears and the car deeloped some unpredictable oversteer. To finish P4 in a car that was only as good as P7 or worse is a good result for the team. We'll take some data back from this track and the others and hopefully we'll be even more competitive in the next race."

i completely mis setup my car. i thought it was an hour race, so i was running med tires and an hour's worth of fuel.

i also didn't get a lot of setup time, so i was left with a car that was loose under power. which ended up biting me.

i qualed midpack, and was up to 8th when i spun on turn 4? the tight 180 bridge between the tracks. that spot would continue to bite me.

after a bad pass by someone who took off part of my rear wing, i was really loose. between the hard rear end, no downforce and lack of patience, that same turn would get me 3 more times.

so i ended up dead last.

but i still had lots of fun. if i had driven a little better on that turn, i could have finished 1/2 way up easy. just gotta not over drive it. again :)

fun race, i look forward to the next one

Anyone know where I can buy treaded Rally tires for my Elise? I spent as much time off the course last night as on it.

Much like last weekend's Rhez race, my only chance against the local fast guy at a track where it's impossible to pass would be to qual well and try jump out in front, and see what happens.

Quallied 2nd, got the holeshot, led the race. Wow, just like on Saturday. One of the very few advantages I have for using 3 pedals and a shifter I suppose. Don't know how or for how long I can keep Dixon behind me.

Guess I didn't have to worry about it, 1/4 race in as noted John got into the back of me in T3 and into the gravel we went. Ah well, thanks for the gesture John, class act. Fun leading while it lasted.

So we rejoin, it's race salvage time, a couple laps later going into T1 another tap by John from behind, we both go into the gravel trap again. Hey, my car is getting really dirty at this point!

Running back up thru the field again, pass for 5th pos inside into T3, we drag race it on the short chute to T4 which puts me on the outside, I take the long way around the outside but get tapped on the inside right rear, into the tire barriers I go. S'ok, racing incident, but that's 3 now.

Back up thru the field again, and come up on Nickolay Schmick entering T4, and this I'm really sorry for. I was carrying too much speed and tapped him from behind, pushed him straight into the runoff of the original course.
Sorry Nick. Many apologies.
Yeah I got beat-on a bit, but I really didn't want to do that to anyone else.

So I guess the race went 2 -> 1 -> 8 -> 10 -> 5 -> 10 -> 5.
I'm dizzy.

@Tommy
Didnt realise I hit you into turn 1. Its probably worth my saying that you were warping quite a bit for me. I think this race probably took place on a US server and me being in the UK tended to see a few warping cars, which makes collision detection very suspect.