Please post your race comments here.

As for me... this was my worst race of the series and not just in terms of finish.

Build/Bid: I figured this one could be run from the back with success so I went with extra flexibility using an 80/60/160 car. I saw no need for a 180 top but I do wonder if that setup would be worth trying. I don't think anyone built a 180 in all three divisions. A bid of zero put me where I wanted to be - last.

Lap 1: I went off script almost immediately and for the life of me, cannot remember why. Instead of sitting back, I challenged Rando at the first corner, had to late brake, and missed the roll. I then compound my error by doubling down and spending wear like a fool throughout the lap. Ugh...

Lap 2: Another mistake. I meant to plot 140 in T16, burn 2 wear, and sit in 3rd. I would probably have then chanced the Int'l Horseshoe in a race in which I had nothing to lose. Somehow I dropped a 120 card instead. I never double check my card once it's down - maybe I should start doing that .

Lap 3: I thought I was in decent shape for a possible 3rd until I just missed that forced pass on Russ (T33). I would've made it but for his block . I didn't bother blocking Rando's forced pass next turn - I had nothing left to fight for and he was making an awesome comeback. Thanks for leaving me the slip after that, Rando.

Track: I enjoyed this track quite a bit. There were plenty of decision points and it seems open to different strategies. I think the addition of the Bus Stop chicane was the right choice but perhaps worth trying a race without it. Imagine flying along the back stretch at 200 mph!

Stephen - You ran a terrific race. Congrats on the win and the division title!
Rando - I've never seen a comeback like that before. Awesome!
Kevin - If only you'd made your start push. Stephen would not have run away with the win if you'd been up there battling. Other than that piece of bad luck, you ran your typical error-free race.
Russ - We can always count on you to battle hard. Damn you, Russ, why do you have to battle hard?!
Kathryn - You keep getting better, even if your car is backwards half the time .
Kelly - You had a rough go of it with that undersized car. I hope you enjoyed the season and your first foray into live play.

Regardless of the outcome, and as usual, I enjoyed the game and the company!


Until next time,
Mike

I so enjoy reading Mike's posts, so I'll try to follow his format, somewhat.

Build/Bid: Quickly decided 60/60/160 was the minimum car. So the rest of testing was determining the mix of wear/skill/start and bid. Decided I had to save on my bid and hope that I could weave thru at the beginning. I really wanted 7w /lap but couldn't afford that, so I looked for places to save wear. With 7 racers, I strongly considered a zero bid, but I generally don't have the patience for it.

Lap 1: Kevin's mis-shift made the beginning much easier on me. I was anticipating using 2w and a forced pass to get to the lead. First lap went as planned, using 7 of my 18 wear.

Lap 2: Managed to save a wear on "In" by over-braking (1sk) off of the home straight. That was my 2nd and last die roll of the night. (The first was to push the start - 2sk.) Russel spent wear and caught up with me and briefly took the lead, but I felt pretty secure with my wear advantage.

Lap 3: Avoided the over-brake even though it was planned. With a nice lead, I didn't want to jeopardize the health of my car. It would have been a much different lap if I'd had pressure. (Mike - I rarely check my card. It happens, but not much. I think I checked my card on every turn, just to make sure.)

Track: I feel like I'm still trying to decide what tracks I like. I like when I have a plan, so if I can find a plan I like, then I "like" the track. I course, if someone else has the exact same plan (see Lime Rock Park) and out-drives you around the track, it might not go well regardless.

Group: Fun group to race with and we moved at a very good pace. Thanks for the friendly atmosphere. Rando - awesome comeback from the 2nd lap spin. You likely clinched a spot in the finals. Great driving!

Finals: Hopefully the 3-4 of us in the finals can make a good showing. See you at Bridgehampton!

Mike post's excerpts:

Stephen - You ran a terrific race. Congrats on the win and the division title!
Rando - I've never seen a comeback like that before. Awesome!
Kevin - If only you'd made your start push. Stephen would not have run away with the win if you'd been up there battling. Other than that piece of bad luck, you ran your typical error-free race.
Russ - We can always count on you to battle hard. Damn you, Russ, why do you have to battle hard?!
Kathryn - You keep getting better, even if your car is backwards half the time .
Kelly - You had a rough go of it with that undersized car. I hope you enjoyed the season and your first foray into live play.

Regardless of the outcome, and as usual, I enjoyed the game and the company!


My added thoughts -- Stephen, gosh, you owned this thing. Congrats. And I ditto all the other nice, complimentary comments he made.

My thoughts:
First lap went pretty much according to my script, I was content enough to run from the back, conserving Wear.
Turn 18 started my problems -- my mental issues. I plotted slow (I thought) but had to late brake anyway. grrr.
T19, had to use my -3 chip on a chance to not get stuck in the slow corner. grrr
T22, I took the non-aggressive plot, which was a huge mistake. Should have spent 2W not 1. Huge mistake -- leading to the next one.
T23 -- what a stupid move, to try a naked chance and forced pass! STOOPID!!! What, a 25% probability of success? I should never have tried it, just should have accepted that I'm not getting out of the corner. Of course it didn't work -- thankfully I only spun instead of crashing.
T25 -- I'm 11 spaces back. Ack!
T26 - 31, I'm slowly catching up..
T33, down to a 2-space margin
T34, now I'm fully desperate to not get corner stuffed, and desperate to qualify to the finals -- so I again take that wild naked roll-fest of naked chance / naked forced pass. This time, I get lucky!
T35, I'm in 4th, and I'm wear boss, and only 3 spaces behind 2nd & 3rd.
T37, I'm poised to pass.
T38, I'm tied/ahead of Russ!
T39, tactical mistake, I should have plotted 140. Back to 4th.
T42 -- three abreast -- and I make my move. I was astonished nobody else plotted 140. It was now or never (again), so I made it my now! Into second, and that's where I finished.

I must confess that after my spin, I was in a foul temper. It probably showed a bit in the Zoom feed, and I apologize for that. Not great sportsmanship...

As of Sunday night, if I understand correctly, I'm in the finals! Lucky me!

Thanks again Mikey, and -- I LOVE MY DOOM-BUGGY!!! :)

I would have liked to finish the race, but wanted to stay in the front pack, so I was testing most of my last few turns just to get back to 140mph after my engine broke!

Just wanted to thank everyone for having me in the race this season.

Special thanks to Mike for organizing and taking the time for putting the race summary and comments up.

Thank you all for a great season, I had a lot of fun. Good luck to everyone in the finals!

Kelly