2011 S3 Race #1 Suzuka GP...

Post your toughts here...

Horrible Qual, so I started at the back and took off really, really smooth... Got turned in T9 (Lap1) by someone letting me by ... When you let by, please let by completely... I hope you guys had fun. I didn't...
Out for vacation next week so I'll miss Yokohama and possibly Iowa as well... So it's a bad season start indeed ....Thank you !

Pierre Bourdon wrote:Post your toughts here...

Horrible Qual, so I started at the back and took off really, really smooth... Got turned in T9 (Lap1) by someone letting me by ... When you let by, please let by completely... I hope you guys had fun. I didn't...
Out for vacation next week so I'll miss Yokohama and possibly Iowa as well... So it's a bad season start indeed ....Thank you !

That's too bad Pierre. I thought you were goung to use the 1 fast tow.

Qual: I had an off at the Spoon curve on my 1st lap that invalidated it, so took it a lot easier on the second resulting in probably .5 sec off where I could have been. All in all I'll take it, not too ba.

Race: I had a good start, not gaining, not losing too many spots either way. Then I settled in a got right on Grant's tail for 7 laps or so. I was faster through the S curves, but he was faster through the high speed straights, probably all down to wings. I ran with the big wings as I was running my Mid-Ohio set. I started the race with 9.0 gallons of fuel, with the plan of not taking tires or fuel on the pit stop. Around lap 9, Chad came blasting up, and passed me rather handly, and was between Grant and I for a lap, so I did what I was considering for a few laps prior. I pitted to see If I couldn't get passed Grant with the pitstop, as I couldnt manage it on the track. I was glad I spent the last few laps of practice doing pit entries as I don't think I lost much if any time running at too slow a speed going in or coming out. When I came back out, I was in 7th I believe, on the f3 screen, but I was already gaining on the drivers in front of me. After the outlap, I was able to lay down some blazing laps (ok, good for me at least ), and started picking up spots as others started to pit. I crept up the scoring pylon, until the fateful lap when Gary ran out of fuel, as I passed him in pit lane, I was shown in first! Now this is not where I expected to be after all the pitting was done. I was hoping to pick up the spot on Grant, not pass the whole field. At lap 20, with everything sorted out, Ernesto was about 5 seconds down, but I knew he was faster, by quite a bit, as he had pulled away from Grant and me, in the early going. So I checked my fuel, Gary ran out, but it couldn't happen to me could it? Well, as I crossed the line with 9 laps to go, I checked F4, uh-oh 9.2 laps of fuel, is that enough? I was thinking. Ernesto is a little behind, and Terry was almost 20 seconds behind, I figured I better start trying to save a little. So for laps 20-27, I lifted earlier, and got on the gas just a little smoother. Trying to save fuel, I ended up putting some of my fastest laps in, funny how that happens. During this time, Ernesto had caught up to me, and was just a mistake away from pouncing. At the chicane, on the 28th lap (might have been 27th, not too sure now), I got a little loose putting down the power, and by the end of the front stretch, Ernesto was on the inside in the catbird seat. I tried to keep up, but there were no openings, so I took an unlikely second in the first race of the season, and as I crossed the finish line, my motor started spluttering, asking where the fuel went!
All in all, an awesome race for me and my gutsy pit crew, who are not getting any bonuses this week, because they did no work.

Everyone I was around did a fantastic job of respecting each other on the track. Thanks!

TL,DR: Lucked into 2nd place, and I'll take it!

Great race recap Roger. Great race for you and everyone. It was really fun to watch errrrrr admin I expect next week to be a great race as well. There was at least 2 or 3 fast drivers that couldn't make this week... and our field should be much bigger next week.

Got a meeting in the Race Director Office with Josh... Seems like he broke a direction arm on the pace lap and was just trying to reach the pits the best he could, with not much response from his wheel... Apologies accepted and sorry for his luck too... And Nice recap Roger !

I hope more drivers will sign in the forum in the future... Change of air is welcome !

Cya All in 2 or 3 weeks, depending when I come back from my trip...

Pierre Bourdon wrote:Got a meeting in the Race Director Office with Josh... Seems like he broke a direction arm on the pace lap and was just trying to reach the pits the best he could, with not much response from his wheel... Apologies accepted and sorry for his luck too... And Nice recap Roger !

I hope more drivers will sign in the forum in the future... Change of air is welcome !

Cya All in 2 or 3 weeks, depending when I come back from my trip...

Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, it would be great to have more drivers signup here. Have a good trip!!!