The Fastest Backmarker

Well, I was able to hold on to 9th place in the Driver Standings, but Minardi lost the 4th place in the Team Championship. Both Marussia drivers put in a great performance in the final race, with Edex getting the podium finish and denying Arek the Drivers Championship, and Juris B beating me to 7th place and getting the 1 point they needed to advance in the Team Standings. So, congratulations to Antonio Hreljanovic, I think the first rFR Drivers Champion to defend his title. Congratulations to Mclaren, Antonio and Sexy Brigadeiro, Team Champions. Sexy had that late season podium streak to secure third place in the Driver Standings.

It was an excellent season with the Drivers Championship coming down to the final race. Attendance was not as good as in the past (even I missed a few rounds) but still usually with a dozen or so drivers in every race. I wonder though if we are going to use a new mod for Season 14.

Meanwhile, during the offseason, I'm gonna try out the F1 2013 game. After seeing the rise of FIA Esports Grand Prix I have become curious about the Codemasters engine and the 2013 version was what was available to me. I've done some test laps, and I still need to fine tune the steering response. But the graphics are amazing, and the classic F1 cars section looks interesting, and with the voices of both David Croft and Murray Walker the whole package really exudes authentic F1 product.

rFactor Racers Grand Prix Series - Season 13: The Final

So, it is down to the final race in Brno to decide the Driver's Championship of rFR Grand Prix Season 13. Only 6 points difference between the leaders, Arek Kulak and Antonio Hreljanovic. It's gonna be a tense week of practice and an even more pressure packed race event. With Gustavo Montenegro's recent podium streak / victories, he has pretty much secured his 3rd place in the standings and Mclaren's victory in the Team Championship.

As for myself, I am still fighting for 9th overall, and Minardi is looking good for 4th in the Team standings. Too bad, I had to miss some races because of my disastrous dalliance with Endurance Racing over at HSO, and connection problems at the start of the season. Definitely, 8th place and over 100 points total was within reach.

The last time we raced at Brno I had a huge accident. This track is one of the few places where I have not recorded a finish. It will be good to end this down season with a high.

Course of Strad

NEURASTHENIA

Another DNF in the HSO WEC series. After almost 1 hour of intense racing I got involved in another lapping incident. I got punted off, spun, and hit the wall a few times. If there was a larger runoff space I might have saved it. I was able to make it back to the pits and get repairs, and rejoined 10 laps behind the nearest guy. The car just didn't feel the same and I couldn't get up to the speeds I hit in practice. And so, being concerned that I was just being a nuisance on the track, after about 90 total minutes, I decided to park it.

Years ago, I would have carried on. But back then, with the cars we were racing with, the speed difference wasn't so great compared to the leaders. And I was younger, stronger, and crazier back then. I was getting lapped every 7-8 laps during the start of this race and I felt that it was just not worth it to be a mobile chicane. At least, the dead pedal I installed worked well.

I'll probably skip the final round of this series. I need more training before I try an endurance race again. And maybe I'll run a faster car next time, too. Anyway, it was a good learning experience.

Nick Bourne

For Round 6 of 1982 World Endurance Championship over at HSO, we head to the revered Fuji race track in Japan. The old 80's layout here is a bit different to the 21st century Formula One circuit that I am used to, and since I am running a BMW M1 in this event, the car and driving experience is dissimilar as well. I plan to practice, practice, practice in the coming days to try and get fit for this big event.

The last endurance race I did in Mugello I had to park it because my body broke down. I don't want that to ever happen again. I modded a dead pedal to my rig, to address the leg cramp problem that occurred the last time. Now the issue is my dodgy internet connection. I hope it holds all throughout the six hour race.

So, I will have to miss another round of the Grand Prix Series over at rFactor Racers. And just as I had moved up to 10th place in the points standings there, too. It is a schedule clash, and there is nothing I can do about that. Online Simulation Racing, as it is, is already something only a few people enjoy. When you add the Endurance factor, then it really becomes special. That's why right now this race is my priority.

instigate inaction

Another endurance race, another DNF. I parked it after 54 of the 191 laps, just over a quarter of the race distance. As soon as the pace lap started I lost my nerve, then it was all shaky and skittish as I ran about 1 second slower per lap than I did in practice. The downshift paddle started acting up, refusing to shift gears arbitrarily, and I just couldn't establish any rhythm.

Somehow I make it to the first pit stop, but the short break didn't help me at all. I come out and rejoin the race and a few laps later I finally get involved in a lapping incident, the sight of a blue flag and a bunch of faster cars in my mirrors made me lift off the throttle at the wrong time and I get punted in to the grass. I try to recover but there was enough damage to affect the car's handling.

Suddenly I become aware of the aches and pains that I've been overlooking. My wrists had become jelly while my neck and shoulders were stiff. My lower back felt warm and my eyes were drying out. But the biggest strain was on my left leg, it felt like it was going to cramp at any moment, something I have never experienced before. It was from having to hover my left foot over the brake pedal. And then I remember I had a dead pedal in my old rig.

Anyway, I decided to pit in to repair the damage. Sitting there for a minute or so, feeling my body breaking down and knowing there were so many laps ahead until the checkered flag, I decide to give up. If I had kept going I would have just been a nuisance on the track and would have ruined the race. I have to improve my fitness and make modifications to my current rig before I try another endurance race.

Fadeaway Dunk

And we are back in the BMW M1 for Round 5 of HSO 1982 World Endurance Championship. It's been months since my last endurance race, after skipping Nurburgring (driver failure) and Spa (no cars available). We will race at Mugello Circuit in Italy for 1000km (191 laps), a track I have never seen before. I also don't feel fit enough to be honest, so I will have to ramp up the practice for this event.

At least I am familiar with the car, setting it up shouldn't be difficult. And it looks like Mugello is a nice flowing track with high speed corners so I hope it will be easy to learn. I haven't finished a race at all in this series and that has to change.

The drawback of running in this event is that I have to skip another race in rFR Grand Prix Season 13. Oh well, that season is lost anyway with that DNS and DNF in the opening rounds. I don't dwell on it.

lesser life forms

A DNS and then a DNF, ain't a good way to start a racing season. But that is exactly what has happened. Round 1 in Bahrain, my connection was busted so I couldn't even start. Round 2 in Spa, after such a good practice and qualifying (where I beat my teammate), I got beached on a verge and suffered a subsequent engine failure. After such a good performance during the preseason, I am now on the backfoot. Could it be any worse? As a racing driver, part of my job means to look ahead. So, I try to remain positive, despite these last two weeks of disaster. From here, I can only go forward. It still sucks, though.

hey guys wonder joints

rFR Grand Prix - Season 13 Preview

Yes, I am back in the Minardi for another season of rFactor Racers League Grand Prix! I am still riding high from Season 12 where I finished a personal best 7th in the overall standings. I hope to build on this performance and score more points and finish even higher in the Championship. Maybe I can even get that elusive podium. I have been driving the same car for several seasons now and it's like an old friend to me. I feel very confident when I am out on track with it and I know very well which setup values to change to make it do what I want it to do. It is a distinct advantage against all these new drivers coming in.

I also had an excellent preseason, and in all 4 races I finished 6th or better (but no podium) against a varying grid. I have a lot of data on how I will perform with the two kinds of tire compounds available and with the fuel strategy. I also feel very warmed-up as essentially I did not take the summer break and instead kept working. So I have a very upbeat feeling for this coming season and I expect to fight in the midfield.

The Drivers

Arrows 2000

#10 - Jeffrey Backer
#29 - Dragan Tanasic

Caterham 2014
#77 - Markos Zervos
#88 - Julio Ronaldi

Ferrari 2016
#19 - Arek Kulak
#68 - Andreas Fischer

Force India 2015
#22 - Can Yildiz
#99 - George Simeonidis

Marussia 2014
#13 - Edijs Batars EDEX
#87 - Juris B.

McLaren 2015
#11 - Gustavo Montenegro
#27 - Antonio Hreljanovic

Mercedes 2016
#2 - Eduardo Méndez
#5 - I'Gor Grigorovich

Minardi 2000
#14 - Logan Johnson
#42 - Alaster Langsom

RedBull 2016
#23 - Nikolaus Steven
#41 - Vince Wertenbach

Renault 2006
#30 - Peter Mobsy
#69 - Gatis Stalsans

Renault 2016
#7 - Sven Dirks
#78 - Kimmo Savolainen

Williams 2015
#15 - Gabriel Marcos
#17 - Yuri Matias

Reserve Drivers (alphabetical order):
- Edilson Medeiros
- Fabio L
- Igor Milinkovic
- Kenneth Ragland
- Levent Orhan
- Matthias Mueller


We have a full grid to begin this season, 12 Teams, 24 Drivers, plus 6 Reserve Drivers and possibly even more new and returning Drivers waiting in the wings. I expect the first few races to be jam-packed, and scoring points will be tough even with rFR's generous points scoring system. I am not anticipating the usual thinning out of the grid as the season wears on, either. It seems the word has gone around that rFR League has some great racing that is being run by very professional admins and more and more new drivers are signing up to participate.

Antonio Hreljanovic is the reigning Drivers Champion, and he returns to Mclaren with longtime teammate Gustavo Montenegro (our superadmin who pretty much does everything to make the Season happen). They were second in the Team Championship and this season they will use the black 2015 livery. Last season's Team Champions, Arek Kulak and Andreas Fischer remain in the coveted red cars of Ferrari. It looks like it will be another epic battle between Antonio and Arek for the top spot. Peter Mobsy and Gatis Stalsans, who finished third in the Team Championship last season, also retain their pairing as they switch to Renault 2006 from Jordan. Mercedes have a very strong driver pair with Eduardo Mendez (aka Joe Mclaggen) and Igor Grigorovich, and can be expected to fight for race wins and the top position in the standings. Also watch out for the veteran team of Sven Dirks and Kimmo Savolainen running the Renault 2016 colors. Some newcomers including Vince Wertenbach and Dragan Tanasic have shown their speed in the preseason. I am teaming up with Logan Johnson in the Minardis, and our main competition looks like the Marussias of Edijs Batars and Juris B along with other midfielders like Gabriel Marcos, Can Yildiz, and Markos Zervos.

The Races

As usual with rFR, where the race tracks are determined by both drivers vote and admin choice, the season is another mix of old and new tracks. We will return to some consensus favorites, including Spa, Istanbul, and Austria. We will also have some old school tracks like Estoril, Magny Cours, and the season closer at Brno. But what I am really excited for is Round 3 in Laguna Seca. I have raced here before, but with GTs, so I am curious how an F1 car will handle the infamous corkscrew.

And that's it for our rFR GP Season 13 Preview. 

Death of the Party

rFR Grand Prix Series - Season 12 - Final Standings

Congrats Antonio, rFR Season 12 Drivers champion! Congrats Arek and Andreas, rFR Season 12 Team Champions! A great season for me, I finish with my highest points tally (100) and highest position in the final standings (7th) in rFR League. 

It was an exciting and challenging competition, many of the old regulars did not contest the whole season, while new drivers kept coming and going. After my big crash at Brno I was able to keep a streak of top ten finishes despite the fluctuating grid. So, in the latter half of the season I was able to climb up a few positions in the standings. 

Now, it is a one month break before Season 13 begins. But there will be test races every week so it is not really vacation time. Season 13 will feature 2 tire compounds and refueling, so a lot of strategy will come into play during the races. 

As always, I hope to improve and be able to challenge the fast guys. At least, I have further proof of my reliability and consistency. 

times we forget

A big crash at Brno and it is my third DNF this year (if you count the two endurance events I have done with HSO). My last DNF with rFR League? It was more than a year ago when I disco'ed at Spa in Season 10. Back then, they gave me the last point as I was classified 15th despite running just 1 lap. It's the same here again, as I was in 15th place when Gatis Stalsans punted me off at the start of Lap 3.

So now I am down to 10th place overall. Considering my own pace relative to the grid, and the grid size and attendance rate, I can be in 6th place overall. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... but that is why we race. At most, I've lost 4 places in the standings because I can't seem to put it together on race day. It seems I can't find any rhythm at all this season. I am able to extract my best lap during practice, but when the moment comes I am a bundle of nerves and I just can't perform at my best.

Well, we are past the halfway point of Season 12, and there are 7 rounds to go. There are still a few chances to score some decent points and maybe even get that elusive podium finish. Maybe I am just in that part of the story where everything seems to go wrong, and then the hero is able to bounce back and win in the end. I try not to be discouraged.

it's kicking in now

Do I feel guilt? Do I feel shame? If so, why? Am I really getting away with it? Sometimes, I thank the Racing Gods for making me inept with the whole romance/relationship/sex bit. I wonder how I could have dedicated myself to all this online simulation racing bullshit if I had been lucky in love.

The Outside World relentlessly programs me, but I also persist with my own coding. I keep saying to myself that I am borne of the Wild Country, that I am safe and ahead of all the malware generated by these sickly sycophants surrounding my Self. This Failsafe Device requires that I remain vigilant.

Good luck with that. You know the monster Feargrin grows beyond than the capacity of his cage. Vainglory's severed head continues to send command lines. Foolhardy still broadcasts on the public address. Quacksalver quibbles like an interlaced ghost. Only Automaton shows signs of deterioration.

DO NOT LEAN ON THE CONTROLS

Unfortunately, the Ghost of Sebring demands that I withdraw from the big race at The Green Hell. Right now, I do not have enough skills for a competitive race at the fabled track, so let alone the motivation. Sometimes, your talent level will only limit your desire. This makes no enemies, therefore can be seen as unfriendly. Do your laundry.

How long has it been since I started racing? Fighting with cars made of light and mathematics, against drivers from all over the world... Seems like nobody in the immediate area cares about what I do. It is just a hobby or a distraction to them. I guess, from the outside looking in, it really appears that way. Boohoo sobsob sobsob sobsob boohoo it goes: the train of thought.

WARNING : Time Dilation
WARNING : Cognitive Dissonance
WARNING : Mercy Paradox
WARNING : Insignificant Change

It's best to withdraw now, while it's still a week before the event. If any driver or team takes the car I had previously reserved, they still have plenty of time to setup and practice for the race. Tough to admit, but Nordschliefe has beaten me for the moment. Maybe someday I'll get in shape and try to tackle this track again. Contrivance can convict Lady Luck.

autosavant

Wow, good for you. Still addicted to these feelings called

Empathy
Wisdom
Intellect
Charm
Dexterity
Strength
Fortitude
Power
(gross)
Luck

What other conclusions have you found? Their Validity requires Vanity. Always remember that any madman needs a messenger to materialize. Like silly Sisyphus and his sycophants who seem certain to accede anyway. These echoes collect and coalesce, making a voice heard only in the infernal internal imburnal. It changes my mind whenever I think of her. This confirms why Documentation is Evil. Shut up, you fool!

Round 2 - Pace Petroleum 6 Hours - Results

Well it was better than Round 1 at Monza, but not so good overall. I only made it just past the 3.5 hours mark and then the left front brake disc exploded. I could have tried to keep the car going, but I had spent most of the afternoon being lapped and I was tired of making way for the faster cars to pass.

The first hour heralded a flurry of blue flags. The pace difference to the fast guys was just too great and wave upon wave of them came up from behind me. I couldn't establish any rhythm at all as they caught up to me at different parts of the track. I was a bundle of nerves and I decided to pit early to try and calm down.

The second hour wasn't much of an improvement. I began feeling pain in my left shoulder and my right knee, so I scaled it back and cruised around, not pushing my body or the car. In my second pitstop I stepped out of the car and smoked a cigarette to relax. I was in my customary last place anyway.

By third hour there were a few retirements and the line had strung out, so there were brief sequences of 2-3 laps where I could hit the pace I had in practice. I was beginning to make up the time I lost for the previous long stop. I pitted again and did some stretching to prepare for the fight back up the order.

I regained my confidence and the feeling for the car and hit a string of good laps and that's when the brakes failed. Maybe I stressed the car too much in my eagerness. Maybe the mod needs some adjustment for endurance racing. I expect another patch before the next round. It is probably the biggest, most important and most dangerous race of the year; 44 laps of the Nordschleife, Nurburgring... The Green Hell.

(pics from HSO Website)

Pos	Driver	Car	Laps	Gap	Grid	+/-
1	Jon Maycock Rob Swindells	1.4* Lancia LC1 Spider	260	6h00:47.30	3	+2
2	Jan Kowalski Juha Bos Michael Drechsler	1.4* Lancia LC1 Spider	258	+ 2 laps	1	-1
3	James Knowles Raul Jereb Timo Vermeersch	2.7* Porsche 956	253	+ 7 laps	2	-1
4	Mick Chapman David Jaques David Jundt	4.0 Sauber SHS C6	250	+ 10 laps	9	+5
5	Alberto Ibanez Jason White	4.0 Ford C100	249	+ 11 laps	5	0
6	Pascal Mikula Pascal Kalide	3.0* Porsche-Kremer CK5	247	+ 13 laps	7	+1
7	Filippo Marazzi	3.0* Porsche 935 (G5)	220	+ 40 laps	15	+8
8	Matthias Weber Jacob Fredriksson	5.3 Nimrod NRA-C2B	174	DNF	11	+3
9	Yves Plaçais	1.4* Lancia Beta Turbo (G5)	146	DNF	12	+3
10	Claudio Augusto Philippe Henrique	4.0 Rondeau M382	138	DNF	14	+4
11	Andre Lagunzad	3.5 BMW M1 (G5)	118	DNF	16	+5
12	Martin Lacina Michal Janak	4.0 Ford C100	109	DNF	6	-6
13	Richard Wilks	5.3 Jaguar XJR-5	90	DNF	10	-3
14	Jason Whited Bruno Chacon	2.7* Porsche 956	88	DNF	4	-10
15	Raul Jereb	3.0* Porsche 935 (G5)	58	DNF	17	+2
16	Dana Schurer	1.4* Lancia Beta Turbo (G5)	52	DNF	13	-3
17	David Jundt	4.0 Sauber SHS C6	43	DNF	8	-9