As previously reported, we got a little out of synch with Robert Graf‘s progress through the DOM/GNL series of simulated NASCAR races using the iRacing simulator. Therefore rather than a single race report this time, he presents two, covering the round 6 race at Las Vegas and round 7 at Richmond.
To read the two race reports, please click “Read More” below…
Race Report Round 6 – Las Vegas:
“This was hard work. At the start it was obvious that in this race there wouldn’t be much yellows. But only 2 of them? I would have never believed that. So, i could’t win anything on the yellows then, each position had to be gained on the track. Running green from lap 36 to lap 180 meant pitting twice under race conditions, which is a challenge with those old and worn tires. I didn’t get the second one right and spun on the entry of the pitstraight. I only lost a couple of seconds there, but couldnt regain them on the track and had to accept 21st place.”
Race Report Round 7 – Richmond:
“Not Bristol this time, but Richmond. Since Bristol has some technical problems in iRacing at the moment, we switched to Richmond instead, as did the World Series of iRacing. I qualified this time, but not on purpose. I had this setup issue I wanted to fix, so I used the qualify for a last minute test run, which put me in 28th spot on the grid, instead of 38th.
Race started good, but not for long. Yellow after Yellow came out, 14 it would be at the end of the day. First, I was running just outside the TOP20 for about the first half of the race. I had to be very gentle on the brakes, because my car locked its front wheels rather easily. So I couldn’t get anything going in the turns and had to wait for wall rides of my opponents to get them on the straights.
In the second half of the race I had gained some places, won some from accidents and bad pit stops and was running even in the TOP10 for a brief period. But my braking problem could not be solved on the track and so I had to give way to the cars behind me, who were, rather boldly, diving to the inside to outbrake me into the corners.
After my last pitstop I was running 14th. I was slow, but with 20 to go was not in the mood to give anything up. And I was hoping for more yellows, since the pace was fastening as usual at the ende of a race. I got more. A bit more than I wished for, because the last one with just 2 to go, was my fault. I braked late for turn 3 and got into the rear of the car ahead of me. The car was quite trashed afterwards, but I managed to limp to the finish in 18th place and last car on the lead lap.”