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NASCAR Driver (Pro V)
 
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Post 25 Feb 2017, 3:18 pm

First, thanks to Kal for getting us started and a special thanks to Chris for stepping in when Kal couldn't continue.

Even though I didn't win, this was one of the more satisfying races for me. I'm not comfortable running from the back - I don't have the patience for it. Except this time. At the start of lap 3, I was in 11th place with a good amount of wear. Enough to win the race?

Nope... I couldn't get a clean ride: There was too much traffic and I was blocked in the Amphitheater. I did see that possibility in the Amphitheater and actually had the forced pass ready to go. Then I chickened out and went the safe route. Too bad... the forced pass would most likely have won the race. On the whole, though, getting third from way back and against this field feels pretty good.

I also had a ton of luck on the dice in this race. I think I rolled about a dozen times, mostly naked, and made them all. Dumb luck.

Sorry about the crash out, Rando. If you'd pulled off that chance roll, you'd have beat me.

On to Watkins Glen and a shootout for the championship!
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Post 25 Feb 2017, 3:59 pm

I think I screwed up out of the Triangle on lap 3. If I hadn't I would have had 1 and maybe 2 wear left by the Paddock. I wouldn't have won, but maybe 3rd or even 2nd. (I think I would have had Rando and Mike covered)

Overall another fun race, though. Good job to Mike for that come from behind strategy. And Rando with the all-or-nothing roll. It would have been interesting had he made that. And the top 8 cars were basically nose-to-tail going through The 90 on lap 3. That's a strong field.

But I can't complain about finishing only 2 spaces behind the winner and always in the hunt.

As always, thanks to the RM(s). Kal, for the first few innings and Chris in relief.
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Post 26 Feb 2017, 12:59 pm

This was a fun one to watch play out - mega-thanks to Chris for jumping in for me. I love running these but have found myself with way too little time. I will RM again, but probably not for a while in the Grand Prix since it requires staying roughly in sync with the rest of the circuits. Keep on the lookout for an exhibition later this year. Have some pretty huge life events coming this summer, in addition to my busy work schedule. :)
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Post 26 Feb 2017, 2:20 pm

Apologize my rudeness for not giving Doug & Turyko their dues. You both ran fine races and Doug, if not for that failed dice roll you would've brought it home a turn sooner, I suspect.

Keep us updated, Kal!
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Post 27 Feb 2017, 8:39 am

My long-winded thoughts -- thanks to some review of the tape.

The thing about this track that I love is that you really want both wear and a big car so it can be challenging to set-up for. I did think it was interesting how many cars took a 140 top speed.

My plan for attacking the track was to try to get in front of people heading into corner 2. Between corner 2 and 4, it's hard to pass anyone and also hard to run next to people. With the big accel and decel diving inside in corner 1 will likely be better for me than taking the line. Try to be as clean as possible in the last 4 corners of the track. Spending wear in the wrong place there can mean wasting wear. Spending it well can be the difference between of a whole turn.

Strategically, I wanted a middle strategy. I do not like racing from the front here because I think it is hard to hold a lead. But I thought I could run a faster lap with more wear then with a 80-80 car. So, my car set-up was based on a nice line I thought I had for a middle strategy. 60 accel, 60 decel, 160 top speed, 60 start speed, 7 wear, 3 skill.

Sitting on the grid. The car directly in front of me is Chris Long with a 80-80-160 car but only 13 wear. The car inside me is Dave B with a 60-60-160 but only 16 wear (he over spent on skill I think). The only 160 cars with a good amount of wear are behind me. The rest of the cars in front of me have a 140 top speed.

Chris blocks the line after corner 1, which puts him outside me, and then behind after corner 2. I spend a wear in corner 4 to end up inside Dave, which gets me to the line before Triangle and in front of the pack down that straight.

This was the best possible scenario after the first half of a lap. Now there are 2 groups, 5 leaders and 7 back-markers with me in the lead of the 2nd group. I can't be happier with where I am. The cars behind me will have to deal with each other and hopefully get in each others' ways. The cars in front I can chase down by being faster on straights and more efficient coming in and out of corners with my 60 accel and 60 decel.

At least, that was the plan. Thankfully, it worked out.

I start gaping the trail pack through Ampitheater. Everyone but Dave got stuck in the Hairpin and then his lack of wear started affecting his drive as he got stuck in Ampitheater without spending wear.

The lead 5 have strung out as I exit the last corner of lap 1 right behind Jim but a turn behind Gio and Turyko who lead the race. Everyone in front of me has 11-13 wear and I have 12, but they all have 40-40-140 cars to my 60-60-160.

I pass Jim through the first corner. I can go inside effectively because of my 60-60 car. We both spend 2 wear but I am inside and get the line through corner 2 forcing Jim outside for the pass.

Still roughly a turn behind Turyko and Gio after exiting the Triangle for the second time, but Fabio and Tim are right in front of me. I get to the inside line and force Tim outside because of my higher top speed. Then blow through The 90 for 2 wear to pass Tim and Fabio who bled wear earlier this lap and are now a wear or 2 behind me even after spending less than me in that corner.

I exit onto the start finish line at the end of lap 2, right behind Turyko who has 4 wear to my 3. Gio is a turn ahead of both of us but has 1 wear left. The story of this lap was that I could catch and pass the leaders while spending the same amount or less wear they were.

Again, I am able to use the inside move to get through the first corner inside Turyko and then push my accel to get to the Bridge ahead of him.

I'm only 2 spaces behind Gio after I exit Triangle. Gio has no wear left and had to go 60 through the corner. Turyko is stuck in Triangle. I push my accel and pass Gio the next turn.

Rando was a car I was worried about, but he used 6 wear through the the last 4 corners of lap 2. He passed some people doing that, but did not gain any ground on me. As I exit Triangle, Rando is 4th but still a turn behind me and now effectively has only 1 more wear than I do.

Coming into The 90, I late braked down to 80 to try and save my last wear. I would have finished the race a turn sooner if I had made the roll. But not making the roll was effectively the same as spending a wear here or slowing down last turn. I really did this to stay out of reach of people rolling lots of chances. Turns out I didn't need it.

That said, I win by 1 space. The result may not have been in much doubt for the last half of lap 3 but it was close. With front runners Gio and Turyko (and Jim) in 2nd and 4th (and 5th) and back-marker Mike passing people across the line into 3rd. All 5 of us within 2 spaces of each other. If Rando makes his chance roll in the last corner, he would have likely been 3rd instead of Mike and would have represented another car to come up from the back pack.
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Post 01 Mar 2017, 4:10 pm

lucidphoenix wrote:My long-winded thoughts -- thanks to some review of the tape.

...Rando was a car I was worried about, but he used 6 wear through the the last 4 corners of lap 2. He passed some people doing that, but did not gain any ground on me. As I exit Triangle, Rando is 4th but still a turn behind me and now effectively has only 1 more wear than I do...

...If Rando makes his chance roll in the last corner, he would have likely been 3rd instead of Mike and would have represented another car to come up from the back pack.


Well, glad a threw a fair bit of concern into the race winner. Thanks Doug for the insightful analysis. I learned a thing or two.

Had I guessed right in the penultimate corner and not been trapped, then I would have been outside of 3-wide going into final corner (and Mike still behind me). Spend my last wear in that corner to move into second (absent T or G rolling successful chance), then I'm just one space behind Doug, he's at 80, me at 100. With two rolls needed (and 1 skill) to get to 180 to perhaps win the race. Instead, crash and burn. Sigh.

The chance roll which didn't work out for me, well, my analysis there was that worst case I spin, losing only a position or two. But if I made it, gain two positions and many more season standing points than I might lose. Didn't figure to roll that crash (adjusted 8%). Truth is, I would probably do that again.

I have yet to complete this track after 3 attempts. It's the only track which has such a hold over me. Yikes. Yet, I perversely kind of like this track. Congrats to all my fellow racers who bested me (again).
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Post 04 Mar 2017, 10:55 am

Here's the verbatim prediction I sent to Race Steward Chris Hancock on January 14th, after move 27 (around the end of lap 2), as to how the race would end:

I think I will finish 4th.

Doug will win.
Giovanni second, Turyko third (unless he spins or crashes while rolling dice to duel Giovanni)
Me 4th.
Jim O 5th
Dave B 6th
Chris L 7th
Mike P 8th (nice comeback from last)
Fabio 9th (a bad roll in there, sorry Fab)
Tim B 10th (can't do better with those broken brakes)
Marshall 11th
John W 12th (but he might make two rolls to finish 10th)"

==============================================================

Well, had I not rolled dice, I would have finished highly. Oh well.