Panoz GT2 fun-run

The start and the first lap were both a little dicey, but thankfully uneventful.

I was challenging Vedran for 5th on lap 2 when I was caught by Darius who had started the race from the rear of the field. Vedran went off at the top of the hill and came back onto the track off-pace, which forced me to make an evasive maneuver. Darius used Vedran as a pick, and I spun when I made contact with Darius as a result of coming back on track myself trying to avoid Vedran. The spin was unfortunately all on me though, because looking at the replay I left the track myself swerving to avoid the slower car, and (according to the rules) subsequently forfieted my right to the position.

It was a quick spin though, and luckily I got back under way in 7th just ahead of Omar. I gained a spot a lap later when a car ahead went into the pits, and clicked off laps until lap 9 when I caught up to Jason's bumper, as he had apparently just spun, only to watch him quickly begin to disappear again.

Goran was really beginning to challenge me hard for 6th beginning on about lap 13. I just managed to keep him behind me through lap 17 when we both gained a spot from another car pitting, but on the next lap he got the run he needed on the back straight and took 5th.

I hounded him pretty hard for the remaining 5 laps, but my tires were done from overdriving the car in doing so. That was great Goran! It was a very hard-fought and very clean duel we had there, and I really enjoyed it.

Congrats to Tommy for the podium and to Garth for the top 5.

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Congratulations to the Top 3... I had a lot of fun today!!!..Great last 5 laps battle with Rick Napp...He was chasing me and passed me, then I was charging and had a real close moment, I passed him on T-1, I brake, and brake, and brake...locked the front left tire, he turn and we touched, because of the force and inertia of the cars, his Panoz went to the sand, I waited for him a few turns later as it was his position, really well earned, so I gave it back to him...We battled hard, and it was fun...I had no setup, so I loaded the one I used at "Sebring", loosened the front, add more wing, shorten the final gear ratio and there I went of to practice 3 laps and did Qualy......I was surprised how good and stable it was, well, kinda as I I was "Drifting" yeah :)

Anyways, hope you all have a great weekend and see you some around in Saturday and Sunday...

Best !
OG...

My first race at Race2Play and it was really good.
Had a little misfortune in t2, which put me at the back of the grid. Gave my best after that and the result was nice fun-run.

First race with these cars and I am very pleased with the results. I wasn't necessarily the fastest today but I think I was the most consistent and that probably gave me the win :).

I qualed 3rd but due to an infraction by the 2nd place driver, I moved up one spot and one row on the grid.

I got a decent start as the others around me just kept spinning their tires. Once I knew that my car had the momentum, I eased off the throttle and let the tires finally grip the track and it allowed me to take 1st away from Jason down through turn 1. I soon gave the position up to him on the straightaway before the 1st chicane because the car felt really off due to the low air pressures. Once I let him by, I tried to file in behind him before the chicane. To my surprise, he decelerated a lot quicker than I thought he would and I managed to bump him a little bit which sent him forward through the chicane. No harm, though, but sorry for doing that Jason...there was no intent there :).

So, for the next few laps, I just sat back and followed Jason around the track while the others behind me battled with themselves. I noticed that he was pushing the car pretty hard so I just did my best to save my "stuff" while at the same time, keep him in my sights. About a 1/4th of a way in, Jason spun out coming out of the 2nd turn and I was back in the lead. Fortunately for me, the guys behind me were falling back due to their own fighting so I was able to just cruise the rest of the way to victory.

While I am happy I got the win, I am also very pleased how well the car handled. I did not feel a major difference from how it handled at the beginning compared to at the end. Very neutral, stable, and relatively fast...a combo that is pretty hard to get in sim racing or just racing in general....I think these are my new favorite cars in rFactor :).

well, i wanted to make it, but i just couldn't as i had other things i had to do. It's good to see conor driving rFactor again. Also congrats TC on the 2nd place, i knew you would turn it around. second place to conor is like winning in most races. :)

Congrats to the podium guys! It was a fun race. I had some stuff to take care of and didn't know if I was even going to make the race. Got back just in time to make the grid with no qualifying but at least I made it. Starting from the back and not having much time in these cars I just wanted to keep my nose clean and try to keep it between the white lines. Start was ok picked up a couple spots but at the start of lap 2 Patrick must have missed his brake point and hit my back and I spun into the grass. So from there it was just trying to work my way back up. I finally worked up to Omar who was in 8th at the time and we had great battle swapping postions and running very close. I had gotten around Omar but he was right on my bumper and at the beginning of lap 21 he came into T1 pretty hot and pushed out into me after I recovered Omar waited for me and let me back around him. Just want to say thanks to Omar and thats it's nice to race with guys like that. Well it was a fun and exciting race thanks all and see you next time.

I had a blast. I qualified 7th, which I really wasnt expecting. I had just setup my G25 pedals with my DFP wheel just before the race, and was off my pace from the practice the night before. I got a hell of a start, and settled into 4th quickly behind my new team mate Tommy. I wasnt looking to push too hard, as I was still learning the new brake pedal. I could catch up to Tommy a few times, but took it easy and planned on just staying behind him. Jason made a mistake, putting me into 3rd. The race itself was not all that eventful, but a solid place for me, so I am not complaining.

Dave, love the "second place to Conor" remark, so true!

"second place to conor is like winning in most races. :)"

Pressure was on to make a good first impression for the new boss, as I don't want the free supply of hair gel and 3 Musketeers to dry up. That's what real drivers get paid, right?

Was surprised to keep Conor and Jason in sight for the early laps, had the overwhelming impulse to go balls out and try to keep up, I was comfortable and definitely had a couple more tenths available, and they hadn't shifted into spaceship mode yet. But I knew from testing that I would fry the front left badly and ruin the latter half of the race if I did so, so I guess there are some advantages to getting older.

As it turns out things started to get a bit greasy after lap 12, and with Garth awfully busy behind me I just brought it home.

Ecstatic with second, didn't get punted or disco'd. Really wish Garth hadn't got tapped out of 3rd and Chris would have kept 5th, so it woulda been 3 in the top 5!

Was just informed that the correct phrasing is "more seasoned". Not "getting older".

Gotcha ;-)