tesla uberman sleep

 

I come to underwater The dark above The light below I cannot breathe I cannot swim But inaction will lead to the end What do I do then When no one tells me no So I race to the last This is the start of the Death Drive Another disuse of the scientific method An insignificant defiance of arbitrary laws Empowered through entropy Determined by doubt For forward failure

I ran 44 races total this past year. At the start of the year I even did a simultaneous three different series in three different leagues. It was too much workload and my performance suffered. And then late in the year I had a 5 race consecutive win streak that culminated in taking the Racin Nexus Super GT Championship. So all in all a great learning year and probably my best annual result tally.

I didn't do very well in the final race of the year at Brno with the Blancpain GTs. I just could not turn on the speed I had in practice and qualifying. I was still up in P2 during the last few laps, but I couldn't defend my position against the faster guys coming up from behind and had to settle for P4 at the finish.

I also just signed up and sent my livery for the next event at Oldschool Endurance League. We will race F40LMs in Fuji for 3 hours. I hope to participate and do well in this upcoming race, if only to make up for my DNS in the previous round when my video card called it quits.

event horizon deleted scenes

Racin Nexus Blancpain GT Series - Round 2 at Hockenheim

After the big crash at Watkins Glen any race without incident will be an improvement. I kept it clean this time and got 2nd place out of 12 runners and I am very satisfied with the result. I was fastest again in practice and got the pole position and the fastest race lap so I definitely had the speed to win this one. I just lost my nerve and couldn't turn on the speed when I needed to. 

Maybe race winner Marino Brozinic in the Ferrari also had the better strategy overall. He fueled up and nursed the tires all the way to the end without pitting while I took 1 pitstop and lost some time being stationary. I also had a poor start and lost 2 positions immediately. I need to make better starts otherwise all the work to get pole position is just wasted.

lucid decapitation

Racin Nexus Blancpain GT Series - Round 1 at Watkins Glen

It was all going very well, I was fastest in the Practice session and I also got Pole Position. Unfortunately I got punted off by Arlindo TC in the first lap and should have died really. It was a big crash but the marshalls flipped my car right side up and I was able to return to the pits and get repaired. With damage all around the car body and both front and rear wings needing to be replaced I had to wait in the pits for a long time. I was able to rejoin the race somehow still in the lead lap but it was only a matter of time before the leaders would lap me.

I was down to 10th and so it was a recovery drive but with an impaired car. I got some positions back with some DNFs ahead. I was up to 5th and fighting Nedic Mitar for 4th place. I had tried a couple of overtakes but he was able to defend. I had another opportunity but then he closed the door and I didn't back off this time and we collided. It was a compounded incident with a backmarker and I ended up hitting the wall and having to pit again for more repairs. After my second pitstop I was able to chase down Nedic Mitar and take the 4th place just one lap from the finish.

It was and wild and wacky race but at least I know I have the speed to win against this grid in these cars. I just have to stay out of trouble and I can get a good result. I think a podium finish was even possible here if I didn't have the incident with Nedic Mitar. It should have been a big DNF so I am happy to get the 4th place.

are we the baddies?

 

Racin Nexus Blancpain GT Series - Preseason Test Race at Brno

Was downed by stomach flu this week and had to rest a few days. I was not able to practice and lost the feel for the Lambo. Got only 3rd in qualifying, made a few errors during the race, and finished 5th out of 10 runners. I also ran out of fuel and had to coast to the checkered flag. If I had been able to practice I think I could have challenged for the victory. Anyway, it was just a preseason test so no points lost nor gained. There should be enough time this week to recover from the tummy bug and put in some practice laps to get ready for Round 1 in Watkins Glen.

remastered ejection

I thought I was done racing this year, but Racin Nexus Blancpain GT Series just opened up and I decided to register. I have been testing the Lamborghini Huracan and I think I can get up to speed. I don't know though if I will practice as intense as I did for Super GT. I practiced so hard for that series I crashed my video card and injured my foot. Maybe I will take it easier this time around. 

it was a dark and stormy night

 

We did it! Racin Nexus Super GT Championship is ours! It was a small grid (4-7 drivers) and I think I had a car advantage (mid-engine configuration, possible setup exploit) but I practiced a lot and was confident coming into every race. Thanks to all participating drivers and to our admin Djuricic Dragan. More power Racin Nexus League!

I dedicate this series championship to Driver61 Sim Racing channel on Youtube. Sometime around 2019, I started watching Scott Mansell's instructional videos. I applied the lessons I learned from that and moved up the grid, from being a career backmarker to a legitimate podium threat. Now I have won another series and I hope to continue fighting at the front.

I was able to replace my videocard without any problems. My car is as good as it ever was and ready to race. I don't know if there is any series I can join before the year ends though. For now I will just enjoy the downtime. There is a little pain in my right foot (capsulitis symptoms) so it will be good to take a break.

dead sure

A few hours before the big event, OEL 4 Hours of Misano... I am doing some practice laps when suddenly my videocard fails. I hope that it is a one time thing, restart the pc, and load up the rFactor. A few laps in and the same failure occurs. Ok that is it, something has gone wrong. 

I try a few things; re-installing drivers, switching up cables, a quick cleaning of the internals. The problem persists. I cleanup my hard drive and free up some space. I disable some background apps. Didn't seem to help at all. Done all I can for now so I decide to just follow my sleep schedule and wake up fresh before the race.

I think it could be an overheating problem, so I open the case up and place a fan to direct air through it. I log on and enter the track and all seems to be going well. Until the videocard crashes again and I give it up. I send a message on the Discord saying that I am withdrawing from the race. It is not good to run in this condition.

I got two days or so to try and fix this or maybe replace the videocard, before the final round of Racin Nexus Super GT. I could still fail to win this series if I DNS or DNF in this last race. A shame to lose the overall victory after winning the first 4 rounds.

extant sextant

 

Round 5 Racin Nexus Super GT Series - The streak is over. I  have never been so disappointed with a 3rd place. Anyway, I still have a healthy points lead in the overall standings and can take the series victory in the final round at Hockenheim. It will be a wet race though, and I don't know if my setup advantage will translate in the rain. 

It was a tough race at Norisring. I was slower at the hairpins; I think it's because I am driving a mid-engine car and just couldn't swing the tail out and rotate as fast as the others. All the other drivers had front engine cars. It could also be why I have been faster at the sweeping high speed corners of the previous rounds. So maybe the advantage I had that got me 4 consecutive wins was a disadvantage here at this tight and short street track.

I also wasn't able to practice as much here compared to the previous rounds. I have had to divide my practice time here with preparations for the OEL 4 Hours of Misano big event. In racing there is a saying that you are only as good as your last race. I must continue working to improve my performance.

time idioms

 

I signed up for Oldschool Endurance League (OEL) 4 Hours of Misano event. As of this writing, eight cars have registered; we all will be using a Porsche 911GT for the race. I can already feel my back and shoulders hurting after doing some test laps to setup the car. Misano is an ok track, with some challenging compound corners with mutliple apexes. I just find the scenery a little boring and I don't know if we will have time slip and run in the dark. My best lap so far is not as good as the fast guys, but my focus for this endurance race is getting the pitstop strategy right. 

Of course, preparation for this big event has cut into my practice runs for Racin Nexus Super GT Series. I don't know if I can keep up my winning streak there. And the next track for this series is Norisring where there are no high speed sweepers where I gain most with my setup exploit. Anyway, there are only two rounds left for Super GT. I think I have enough of an overall points advantage to take the series championship even if the win streak ends.

pic from OEL Discord

Feargrin's knee

Round 4 Racin Nexus Super GT Series - Due to anemic attendance, the series has been shortened to 6 races. The race here at Hungaroring was shortened to 20 laps as well. I won the race, so that's 4 wins out ot 4 rounds so far with only 2 races remaining. It's looking good for the series victory.

Next up we are at Norisring, a very short and tight street track and a bit different from the previous venues. More than 15 drivers registered for this series but only 5-7 show up during race day. The lack of motivation has put a damper on the competition. I'll just keep on practicing as hard as I have been and try to keep the streak going, even if the tone of this series has changed.

overcast empyrean

Round 3 Racin Nexus Super GT Series - And it is a hat trick of victories with another win here in Okayama. Momentum is on my side and I have to keep on going now. I need to keep this up in the next round at Hungaroring. 

I wasn't able to practice as hard for this race this past week, as outside world duties got in the way. But it was enough and I got the victory. I also got pole position and fastest race lap. I have more stuff to do in the outside world again this coming week, so I will have to find the time to get ready for the next race. 

I must have found some setup trick to have this pace. I was clearly faster than the fast guys; drivers who were usually ahead of me in previous Racin Nexus events. But it is not just about speed. Consistency is also a key factor and I have made the least mistakes of the frontrunners. Maybe the fast guys aren't as motivated this time around, as they have been running in the front for so long. I don't know. I have never experienced this kind of dominance myself. Now I must work harder and not be complacent.

when the 2D perspective projections of parallel lines in 3D space appear to converge

Round 2 Racin Nexus Super GT Series - I win again! I also got pole position and led every lap from starting lights to checkered flag. I didn't get the fastest race lap though, so it is not a grand slam. But it's great that the intense preparation is paying off. I haven't practiced this hard since Man Vs Track Challenge at SRO. I am also able to focus as I am not racing in any other series right now. I kept it clean and consistent, stayed ahead of the fast guys, and pulled away from the rest of the grid. 

I'm starting to think I may have found a setup exploit. Maybe I am just driving better. But I remember I also did a lot of testing with this mod some two years ago. All those laps over different Japanese race tracks... I feel very connected to this car. Next up is Okayama, one of those Japanese race tracks where I did some extensive testing. So again I feel confident for the upcoming race. I just need to put in the practice laps. I hope to get the hat trick to start the season.

stand up chameleons

 

Round 1 Racin Nexus Super GT Series - Victory in Portimao! Yes nice! All the practice laps I had put in paid off. I had a good qualifying session and started in pole position. During the race the upshift paddle was glitching and I had some several missed shifts but I was able to contain the panic and keep the lead until the pitstops. At the end of the pitstop cycle I regained the lead and stayed there until the end. No big mistakes apart from the missed shifts. I didn't get the fastest race lap but I kept it consistent for the win. 

Now I gotta follow through and get another good result in the next round in Brno. I have raced there before and with the good baseline setup I have I feel confident for this next race. Time to focus and do another intense practice week.

just another fart into the wind

Testing has gone well so far. I won the preseason race at Zandvoort, but we were only three guys who showed up to race. Who knows what will happen when all the participating drivers attend? Still I put in the offline laps, a fever drive that might bring me to the promised land. As the world ages, it takes me along with it to the end. I try to be clever and search for despair but I fail. Stale it becomes for most us. Take a ride with me, I will take you through the vanishing point.

as bright as a black hole

I didn't know the LFR Radical Series was Fixed Setup when I signed up. I tested the car, tried the Fixed Setup and ran in the preseason race, but I just couldn't connect with it. I felt hamstrung driving that car and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. I tried to get the admins to make some changes to the setup but I was ignored. So in the end I withdrew from the series.

Instead, I will return to Racin Nexus League with their Super GT Championship. I'm gonna race with a Honda NSX. Two years ago I had been doing extensive testing with this very same mod, so I have a very good idea how the car will handle. 

The 12 race schedule will take me to the end of the year. Maybe I can get some podiums, but the Racin Nexus grid is very fast and skilled so I don't know yet where I will be in the pecking order. It is just nice to be busy again and have a goal in mind, after the long summer break.

The Ne'er-do-wells

 

sentience -> sapience -> science

 

I'm signed up and all systems are go for LFR Radical SR3 Series. I'm gonna run with Rebellion SD AutoSports. I've done some initial testing at Circuit de Catalunya to get to know the car and now have a base setup I can work with. Soon I'll do some practice at the circuits on the schedule. There are two or three circuits I haven't been to and I will probably do some recon at those places. The rest of the schedule is at F1 tracks I am very familiar with so I think I can do well in this series.

I've been on a long break from competitive racing and the time seems to have slowed down. A day feels like forever, and whenever I don't have to prepare for a coming race I fall into some sort of apathy and anhedonia. I hope to get out of this rut. I need to feel the pressure and the excitement again.

memories of the future

 LFR DTM Series Review

Congratulations to Cleisson Cordero, LFR DTM Series Champion. An up-then-down series for myself, taking 7th in the final standings. After a terrible opening round in Nurburgring, I hit a streak of podiums, moving up to the 2nd place in the standings at that time. And then another bad race at Adria (a track I had never run on before), followed by the big brain fart in Zandvoort (lost the points due to the penalty), which caused me to do a voluntary race ban in Red Bull Ring = 0 points for the next three rounds. I had good pace and was looking at another podium in the series finale at Hockenheim until I botched the pitstop, hitting the pit call button instead of the pit speed limiter button; I had to do a stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pits. (I have re-assigned the buttons on my controller since then.) I fell down the order and had to fight back to get 10th place and the final point of the series.

Still, it was great fun to be fighting at the front of a big grid. We had 20 or more drivers at every round, my first time to experience this even though I have been sim racing for many years now. So I hope to continue at LFR League, even if it is mostly a Spanish speaking group of drivers and I feel a bit left out of the chatter.

ists and phobes

pic - Santiago Barrios

Round 6 of LFR DTM2015 Series at Zandvoort - I came into this race hoping to find the pace I lost in the previous round. I have raced here before and the Practice week goes without any problems. I qualify 5th about 1 second behind the fast guys. I avoid any problems at the start and I am able to overtake and get P3. The guys ahead come in for their pitstops and I am in P1 for 1 lap, just before my own mandatory stop. I rejoin the race in P4 and it is another battle for the podium spot, but this time I am attacking and not defending. I get a couple of attempts but can't take the spot. I finish in P4.

And then comes the brain fart. During practice I had been using a shortcut to get into the pits faster during inlaps. On my cooldown lap after checkered flag, I decide to use this shortcut. The shortcut puts me ahead of the backmarkers who are still racing their final lap. I block someone and almost cause an accident, but I don't think it affected the final results. Anyway, this was totally unnecessary as I should have just parked and pressed ESC like I normally do. So I will get penalized for this stupid move and I hope it is not too harsh. 

the plot armor thickens

Round 5 of LFR DTM2015 Series at Adria, a track I've never raced at before. The first laps of practice are about learning the layout. And I don't like it all. A couple of short straights and mostly slow corners, hairpins, and chicanes. I feel sluggish and lazy around here. I can't find the pace at all.

True enough, during the free practice session I am down in the doldrums, about 2 seconds off the fast guys. Early on it's clear that the podium streak is over. I qualify P19 out of 24 cars. Seems like I am slowing down too much for the tight turns, or I am late on the power at corner exit, or both. Such a wild and wacky race, too, with a restart needed because of numerous incidents. When the race finally got underway I am in the thick of it and get hit and spin around, dropping to dead last. I recover up to P13 but out of the points.

I hate this feeling, not being able to extract my maximum, knowing there is more speed but I just couldn't find it. On to the next.

space doubt

Round 4 of LFR DTM 2015 Series at Zolder. Another race, another 3rd place. But I was closer to the fast guys this time. That's three consecutive podiums after a disastrous Round 1. I had a good practice week despite the fuming distraction. I was able to learn the track and tweak the car and got to within 1 second of the fastest times. Unfortunately I couldn't hit my best lap during Qualifying and lined up for the start in P6.

I did a good race overall, some little mistakes here and there but I kept it on. In the opening laps I had to overtake some guys ahead which came to a battle with Jose Montilla. He defended well, but I got through with a serendipitous move through the first 2 corners. That got me 3rd position and a few seconds back from the two fastest guys. I could somehow keep up with them for a while but as the time came for pitstops they had pulled away. I led 1 race lap because of the pitstop shuffle. After the mandatory stops were completed I was back in 3rd but further behind the leaders. 

I lost the rhythm and was down on pace in the last few laps. Juan Cano closed up the gap and I had to fight for the third place (again) during the final lap. We were side by side in the braking zone for the second chicane when we touched. It was a slight hit, but it was enough to send him spinning into the gravel trap. So I hang on to the 3rd place, but maybe not in the best way. 

The series standings have not been updated but I think with the podium streak and some drivers absent I move into 3rd place overall.

Concorde Fallacy

pic by Iker Vera

It's Round 3 of LFR DTM 2015 Series and we are at the legendary Spa track in Belgium. I have raced here many times before and with my car setup optimized from the previous round, the preparation for this race was straightforward and trouble free. I was able to hit my pace instantly and put in consistent lap times. I was in the top 5 during the practice session, a bit behind the fast guys, but that is also because it is long lap. I also had a lower top speed compared to the grid; while most of the drivers setup their cars for the high speed sectors, I was running a bit more wing for the twisty middle sector.

I did not hit my best lap during qualifying and lined up in 7th position for the race start. I was able to avoid the trouble in the first corner and slowly battled my way up. What I gave up in overall top speed I made up in cornering speed and stability. After some drivers ahead made mistakes and an early battle with Sebastian Aguila, I found a way past into 4th position before the pitstops. After the pitstop shuffle I moved into 3rd place. In the endgame I had to battle again with Iker Vera, and just like the previous race in Brands Hatch, he was faster but I was able to hold on for the podium finish.

livery and pic by Shoking01

noctivagant alley cat

 

pic by Iker Vera

Round 2 of LFR DTM 2015 Series at Brands Hatch. I've raced here a few times before and got some good results. Familiarity with the track allows me to immediately concentrate on car setup because I don't need anymore to learn the line and the brake points and all that. During the practice week, checking my pace against the grid, I find myself just behind the fast guys but ahead of the chasing pack. I qualify P3 in a session full of traffic and trouble. 26 cars looking to set a fast lap on a short circuit within 20 minutes. That was wild.

I lose two places immediately during the race start. Look at how close we lined up at the start! I have to improve my drag racing skills. I can stay close to the two guys who overtook me, but the two fast guys ahead go off into the distance. Soon one overtaker makes a mistake, and then the other, and I am back through into P3. We pulled away from the midfield as this happened, and I have a big enough gap to complete the mandatory pitstop and stay in P3.

At this point in the race we are catching up to the backmarkers, and some seem to ignore the blue flags. It makes for tricky times in this tight race track. I'm not able to hit my best pace and the guy behind me closes up the gap. I have to defend the P3 for a few laps, it was thick but eventually I am able to take the podium finish.

kitkat vs tictac

Well I took a break from the racing and it was good to rest and recover. But after a few days I started to feel uneasy and anxious, like I was procastinating or neglecting to do something important. It was weird to just hangout and watch movies and tv shows, and to go out at night and binge drink and chat with people face-to-face. Seems like I don't have peace of mind if I am not preparing for the next race. 

So I signed up for LFR League DTM 2015 series. Eight races, more than 20 drivers registered. Gonna drive the AMG Mercedes for Scuderia R4G3. The car is easy enough to drive and I was able to find a baseline setup quickly. Funny thing is, we used this mod over at Racin Nexus. Of course in that league it was modded to the Racin Nexus style torture test, and the car I drive now is nothing like that previous one. In the Racin Nexus version, I had to tame the oversteer. With LFR version, the understeer is so bad it feels like a FWD car sometimes. 

As I am writing this, the first round of LFR-DTM at Nurburgring has just concluded. I qualified at my pace, starting P9 out of 24 cars. Unfortunately I got into some incidents and finished 13th and out of the points. It's always tough with such a big grid. One error and you lose a lot of positions and it is very hard to fight back. I have to get better when running with a crowd. Also, the last few series I raced in were with single seaters, and now I get confused with just how big this car is and how I am not seated in the center. I need to work on my spatial awareness and all that.

Anyway life goes on and there will be more racing in the coming weeks. I hope to make up for this terrible performance in the next rounds. It could be I just need to shake off some rust after my short break. After such a wild and wacky race, things can only get better.

unofficial results - pending sanctions

The sample size of the universe negates any personal significance

Soon paranoia becomes the fickle mistress

between the self and the mind

Then comes the mania followed by fear

And pretentious philanthropy ain't far behind

It is just sad

That now you feel empty and hollow and abyssal

Still waiting for the final dismissal

dive dive dive

 

Congrats to Enzo Castillo, LFR GPE Series Champion. I finish third overall, scoring points in every race. I was lucky to win the wild and wacky opening race and had the points lead through the early rounds. But inevitably the fast guys got settled in and I couldn't keep up with the pace. Jean D'Apremont in particular won 4 of the last 6 races to take 2nd place overall after a slow start to the season. 

Thanks to all participating drivers and admins of LFR League. It was fun to be a contender even if I was a bit off the pace. I got some podiums just by driving clean and consistent and coming through when the guys up ahead ran into problems. 

And with that, it's time for me to take a break from competition. I am feeling tired and burned out after this foolish attempt to do three different series simultaneously. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

junk junction shown

 

Congrats To Djuricic Dragan, Racin Nexus F1 1995 series champion. He was also the host and the one who prepared the mod and tracks so big thanks to him. This was another Racin Nexus torture series and only Dastice Ivan could somehow keep up with the leader. Stefano Coletta gave up after only two races and even before the series was half over only 3-5 drivers would show up on race night. 

I finished second overall, but I never did figure out the car. I only got those podiums because of the low attendance. I was nowhere near the pace during the races. It didn't help that I was active in two other series while this ordeal was going on. I lacked focus and preparation and I am not satisfied with my performance in this series. Also, having so many series going on seemed to devalue the significance of each race.

So now only the LFR series remains. After that, I am thinking of taking a break from online racing and focus on learning this new sim racing program I have installed: Asseto Corsa. Of the popular racing sims available right now, AC is the one that I can run on my old 32-bit PC. 

all hail the algorithm

 

There was a huge response when signups opened for Rebellion League - IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. I think there are over 80 drivers signed up now. With most of the drivers signing up for the GT division, I decided to move to the Touring Car division and run a Honda Civic. I show up for the test race at Daytona and was doing alright, just getting to know the car and remembering how to drive a FWD car fast. More drivers enter the server and when the grid got bigger than twenty my rFactor started to crash. On the third failure I decided to bin it. I remember last December I tried to race with a big grid and had an rFactor crash just as we had started the formation lap. It seems my vintage PC can't handle big grids. Anyway I have withdrawn my entry to this series.

corpse diamond

 Series Complete - SRO Hasta La Vista rFactor

full results here

Congrats to Fabio Lozio series champion. I finished 4th overall after a lackluster campaign. With two other series going on, there was just not enough time to prepare enough for the races. It was wrong to commit to three different series all happening around the same time. Sure it was fun to do those three races in three days extravaganza weekends, but the performance suffered. And now I am feeling burned out. I don't feel like I have enough energy to finish the other two series.

Anyway that is it, no more rFactor series planned over at SRO. Thanks to Ken Jagger and SRO for all the years of rFactor racing. 

siberian summer

 

I signed up for another series, this one with Rebellion League. It's the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Multiclass racing with GTs and TCs on US Tracks. Gonna run a Porsche Cayman in the GT class for the LFR Team. With 3 different series already active I must be crazy to signup for a fourth. But this one won't start until after the SRO series has concluded, and with the current Racin Nexus series just two rounds to go. So I think there will be time enough to prepare for the races here. Plus, I have raced before on all of the tracks on the schedule and it will mostly be about optimizing the car.

I had been invited before (by Eitha Racing Team) to participate in Rebellion League, but I had to decline because of my commitment to Racin Nexus. I just lurked in the Rebellion Discord channel and saw that they had a great Season 2, with about 20-30 drivers per race. Multiclass racing with such a big grid... I couldn't say no this time when asked to join by LFR Team. I guess LFR were impressed by my performance in their GPE series. 

non photo blue

anyway thank you Racing Gods it was only your power that made me win

 

the last one look

 

[04:05] <Alaster> but it is her manner 

[04:06] <Alaster> that destroys memories

[04:09] <Alaster> so she remains

[04:10] <Alaster> the only despair

[04:15] <Alaster> all other costs fade away

[04:16] <Alaster> in a moment of jet lag

Racing towards the Vanishing Point

 

Just signed up for the Grand Prix Evolution Series at LFR (Live For Racing) League. It might not be wise to join another series with two already active, but I like the mod which is based on the revered Geoff Crammond's GP series. The races will be run on Saturdays, so with Racin Nexus on Sundays and SRO on Mondays I will have to somehow handle a couple of back-to-back-to-back, three events in three days extravaganza. There will be a few back-to-back weekends as well. 

With the unfamiliar grid and the new mod, I have no idea where my place will be in the pecking order. At least the car is easy to drive (especially compared to the current Racin Nexus F1 1995 mod) and I know most of the tracks on the schedule. Anyway, I feel the positive vibes that I usually have at the start of every new series. Now I just have to find the time to practice and setup three different Formula cars.