Race 02: Atlanta Motor Speedway (24Feb17)

[jeromef1]

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Race Length: 81 Laps
Race Name in Game: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Pre-Race Interview:
1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?

2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates? 

3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?

 

[ThePatsGuy]

1. Last week was a complete shitshow for the 19 team. Had such a good car, great strategy, but couldn't finish the deal due to driver error and straight up tough breaks. 
2. I practice as much as I need to. Once I feel good I stop. There's no point in trying to get an extra hundredth of a second in practice, cuz all I need is a good handling car in order for me to be fast. 
3. I like this track a lot, it's Texas except with more bumps. I feel pretty good about my car in race trim, but I definitely can improve on my quali trim. Track position is going to be very important as all the cars will be very close to one another in terms of speed, and passing is going to be very difficult. 

 

[AaronWebb85]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Pre-Race Interview:[/font]
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?[/font]
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The night started off poorly with getting wrecked in the Heat race causing me to go to LCQ. Luckily I was able to score the final transfer spot into the main race. Though it was a bit controversial as I had a bit of contact with Meattyloaf in doing so (Sorry Meatty!). The main race was a bit back and forth with getting caught up in a race high 5 incidents, none of which I was at fault. I was in good position though with around 18 laps to go, when teammate Hootius and I got together sending me into the wall. I had managed to keep it straight, but slowed so much that the oncoming cars spun me around. Unfortunately for me, all the cars stayed going on track and I lost the draft, falling 20+ seconds behind. Was able to get a few cars on fuel strategy and finished just out of the top 10 in 11th. Frustrating that I could have finished much better if not for the late incident. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates? [/font]
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I am going to try to get in more practice this year. I typically get in 1- 2.5 hours before race session starts, however I am going to try to get in a teammate practice session at least one other night of the week. With my schedule it almost always has to be the weekend though. So far our team is working very well together, bouncing setup ideas off each other. We may all be looking for different things from the car, but can help get to a good place. Even working on racing lines can pay off! Hope every team is trying to share info![/font]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?[/font]
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Really looking forward to this race! I think it will be very close throughout the field as most everyone seems to be running 29.1-29.3. I'm hoping for a lot of green runs, but I am thinking this may be a race we are pacing as much as racing. We shall see. Hoping for a top 5 this week to make up for my poor start in round 1.[/font]

 

[XSYSE]

1. Last week went better than expected after a poor qualify run (17), bounced back with a 5th in Heat 2. Hung in the back most of the race taking tires and fuel each stop which payed off in the end with a fuel only stop which moved me from 12th to 5th, until the last lap turn 3 when I ran out of gas, taking (9th).

2. I'm trying to get at least 3 hours total prior to the race day. Our team is starting to work together more and more knowing it will be a whole team effort to get someone in the big show everyweek.

3. I like the track a lot but I'm not finding the speed I need. Right now I know I'm on the outside looking in, but will work to find the tenths I need to have a shot at making the race.

 

[Sean420cali]

1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?
Qualifying was crazy, I bump drafted Wardude's #88 Car, it shot me up 30 feet in the air that was weird lol. Finished 2nd in my heat. The main was a race of strategy it was hard to pass with everyone's cars jumping around a lot. I was a little gun shy about bumping my teammates hard after what happened in quali. We played are cards a little better got out front as a team and had a big gap on the other drivers. We were looking to go 1,2,3,4 but myself and Aaron had mishaps that cost us both big. When you missed the pit entrance braking and spinning to avoid taking out your teammate Hootie and are going through the grass with 8 to go with no draft it's not going to end well haha. But on to the next race

2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates?
I think the data being shared between "Damn kids, get off my lawn" has made all four of us faster. Each session we practiced their has been a different guy with the quick time. We study each others lines, share pit adjustments, try each drivers set ups.With one common goal to put a Hendricks Chevy in victory lane each and every week regardless of who it is.

3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?
I think the field will be real close in speed similar to Texas and Chicago. I have found that I can consecutively run a 29.0 lap after lap tonight while practicing with Wardude. I'm not sure what the pole time will be. I think a lot of it depends on getting your 2 stop adjustments in and getting enough time to put down a couple flyers. But with 20 plus cars on the track getting a clean perfect lap may prove difficult.

 

[Hootius]

1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?
Considering I won, I guess Daytona went well lol. I hate restrictor plate racing. It is boring and it seemed like almost every time I tried to pass someone that wasn't a teammate, they came across my nose or pinched me into the outside wall. The race itself was very aggravating, and all of my success was due to luck. When I was wrecked in the Heat races, I lucked out that damn near everyone else behind me wrecked too and got me into the main without being in the LCQ. Then in the main, we took a gamble with pitting with 21 to go, giving up track position in hopes that it would stay green, and while under green we would only have to take 1 can of fuel against everyone else having to take 2 cans pitting with 13/14 to go. Luckily enough, it stayed green and the plan worked. Then my last bit of luck was my fuel pit was .6 sec faster than Wardude's, and that got me off of pit lane in front of him (I was behind him entering). All in all, I am glad I got the win, but in no means do I think that I was fully in control of my own destiny there.

2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates?
I feel that part of my success in my PRL career so far is the fact that I have many opportunities per week to lay down not only practice laps, but full fuel run practices also. My wife and kids all go to bed around 8pm, and all I currently play is racing games, so I take advantage of my opportunity. When I practice throughout the week, I like to try around 10-12 different set-up combinations to see what I need in certain situations. As for my teammates, it has been fun so far. Opening their eyes to my out of the box testing has helped them find different set ups that work better for them, while keeping us all fast and confident going into Atlanta.


3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?
I sponsored this race not only for pun reasons, but because I feel comfortable and confident on the 1.5 mile cookie cutters (even though I do find it a little boring at points because you can pretty much just run flat out). While I may have been at the right place at the right time to take Texas in S1, I also qualified 3rd and had the fastest lap of the race, so it wasn't like I was completely undeserving of that win. In a full set up league, I had 2nd place finishes at Atlanta and Texas (also a dc while in 2nd at Texas for the 2nd race), and swept both Charlotte races, so the confidence is there (that confidence also carries over to the D shaped 1.5 milers too). I don't expect to win (that is just unrealistic with the speed in this league), but I do expect to be fast and a Top 5 as long as I can keep my nose clean and hopefully not get caught up in anyone else's troubles. I feel very strong in my full fuel run speed and my driving consistency, so I am rooting for the fewest amount of cautions as possible.

 

[Meattyloaf]

1. I'd rather leave it in the past. It was disappointing.

2. I try to put in at least 2 hours a week but hoping to put in a little more throughout the the week. Due to Brian coming and going from the team and him missing the fist two races and the addition of bud we haven't had much chance to collaborate so far in working with one another. Right now though we are currently swapping setups trying to find the right one and helping one another in the heats and quilifying. Hopefully as the season goes along and everyone gets back on track we can start collaborating more for practice.

3. Atlanta is not my best track but I enjoy the racing there. If I can get turn 1 down I should be pretty competitive this weekend something that I haven't felt at a mile and a half track since Kansas last season.

 

[L33iZzle]

1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?
I'll leave it in the past just like Meatty.

2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates? 
It varies. Some weeks are more than others depending on my schedule, but the collaboration with my teammates is great. We can all share information and all care about one main goal in the end and that's getting Forward Byte the win.

3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?
I love all tracks (besides restrictor plate tracks) so I'm looking forward to a very strong run this weekend in the Hootie's 125. I believe if everything goes right, I'll have a good shot at pulling off the win, along with my teammates.

 

[ZeKe_h30]

1. Pretty well considering the competition we have on any given Friday night. 8th is always going to be a good night, no matter which track we are running. I'm just happy to race most of the time.

2. Maybe a few hours a night. I have quite a bit of free time during the nights, and if I'm not playing something else, Nascar has been my go to game since it has come out. Even if I'm not practicing the specific track we are going to run, just running in hosted lobbies is decent practice, and I'm on there as long as I can be before too many dickheads put me in the wall, and I have to step away for a couple hours. Unfortunately I think our chemistry could improve, not in that we don't like each other, we just have room to grow. It's tough to find a line between taking this way too seriously, or not seriously enough. I don't want to be a tyrant, but I would like to see our team do good. Big 1-Up for Bubba last week, who gave me a hell of of a boost to put me back in the race during the heat. I won't soon forget that. I think we will do fine, as long as we are having fun, that's really all that matters, but I say that as 2 of my teammates did not have the best week. =/

3. I like most all of the tracks on here, but this track is worrisome for me. The pole sitter here runs sub 29's for 105 AI, which is complete horse shit. So for me, it's a nerve wracking week trying to find the speed that I might not even need. Every week is like that though, I have no idea if I am going to show up and get blown away, or show up and be fast, but this track seems to really demand attention. I hope the racing is good though, I think this track is wide enough that we might see some 3 wide situations, and if people are able to hang on to their cars, this could be a good race.

 

[vWardude]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1. How did your race go last week at Daytona?[/font]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Daytona was a rocky ride but all was good when Team Get off our lawn crossed the line(For 2 9 of us at least). From qualifying 8th and starting on the outside 2nd row of the heat to getting knocked back to 9th after the first lap of the heat. I fought back to 7th with an important last lap pass to start me on the inside of the 2nd row for the LCQ where I was able to not only get myself advanced to the main but I was able to let teammate Aaronwebb85 drop below me for the final transfer spot. The race itself went well, starting 15th I slowly worked my way up and with a final good pit strategy I pushed teammate Hootius to victory while taking 2nd.
[/font]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]2. How much practice do you try to put in each week? What kind of collaboration are you having with your teammates? [/font]

Since day 1 of season 1, I make it a point to get on at least 4-5 night a week for an hour or two to insure I'm looking good for Friday. I have yet to miss a main and I've only had to race in the LCQ twice for the final transfer spots so I'm happy with my race prep. Team Get off our lawn is working together amazingly, we share pit setups, try and run each other's lines to see where we are at and we improve every day. I like the chances of our team getting not only a team championship but also a individual championship.

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]3. This week begins the real racing at a non restrictor plate track with the Hootie's 125 at Atlanta. How do you like this track and how do you think you will stack up to the competition this week?[/font]

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I love these 1.5s. I've been a little slower than I want to be this week but I've improved that time and found a different groove each day. As this second I'm around a top 5 car but I'm looking to improve my chances to a top 3 car before the race tomorrow night. Our whole team is fast so I like the odds of us walking away with another victory and a couple of us in the top 5 if not all of us.[/font]

 

[Hootius]

Qualify: 1st Career PRL Pole!!!
I was very fortunate the way it worked out. Aaron drafted off of me for a couple laps, then we swapped. On the last lap of qualifying, I started a little further off of Aaron to get a real big run. Just so happened he caught a good draft from the cars in front of him also, so I got to lay down the fastest lap I've ran all week. Happy that Aaron got to start along side of me on the front row.

Race: 2nd
Lead the first 23 laps thanks to some solid early pit times. Once I lost the lead, I was apart of a great 5 car battle with Aaron and I on the high side, giving the Toyotas on the bottom as much as we could (that was a lot of fun for those few laps). Once the slew of cautions kept coming, I knew it would come down to playing pit road right. I worked my way up to 2nd then the caution came out with 20 to go. From there it was simple, pit then and that was it. Track position would be key for the rest of the race. I lucked out just barely missing CJ when he was turned, or else 2nd place would have not been in my future. On the last lap I was tucked behind KDawg since that would be my prime spot to steal a win if he and Lee made contact. Alas they didn't lol Lee and I got into a tussle headed to the finish line, we both crossed pointing in very wrong directions for an entertaining conclusion to the first annual Hootie's 125 lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCySWGcHX1A

 

[AaronWebb85]

Q: 2nd
Was able to get hooked up with my teammate Hootius and we were able to give each other a good draft lap and lock out the front row.

R: 7th
Disappointing, considering the pace I showed in the race. Ran up in the top 5 most of the race, but a late race incident caused me to restart in the back for the final restart. Was able to use my fresh tires to fight my way back into the top 10 to salvage a decent finish out of it.

 

[vWardude]

Q: 11th
I was able to get a nice tow from teammate Sean420cali. The whole team was able to qualify in the 1st-4th positions but Sean had disconnected before we got to see his time publicly(He later worked his way from dead last to 4th in the heat to make the main, amazing job by him). In the heat I started 1st, I held the lead for a few laps before racing seemed to tighten up and I started to back off before trouble happened, but I backed off too much and found myself in a battle with bush for the last spot which I took(5th)
R:5th
The result of the race was good, I'll take it and move on Vegas but I was disappointed overall for the night. I felt I had a top 3 car last night but I just couldn't make it up to the front pack, I was desperately trying because I saw what was going on up there and it looked like a ton of fun the way they were racing. I started 11th and within a couple of laps I had worked my way to 7th before the caution came out. From there I couldn't avoid the 3-4 car wrecks ahead of me until late in the race, I was running 8th when a few cars ahead of me wrecked and I was able to squeeze by and that lead to my top 5 finish. I expect myself to improve on my default run for Vegas to get a better starting spot from the heats for the main.

 

[Sean420cali]

Q 1st, The true pole sitter lol, But a disconnect gave me no time and I couldn't figure out how to share the video recording in time put me 21st with no time. It was weird deal but oh well. I was worried with the flooding at my house that I was gonna have issues racing all night. I drove my ass to get a transfer spot in the heat race that made me happyI was like "please internet gods don't disconnect on me again you're playing games with my heart "lol

R 10th
I'll try to take the positives out of a bad finish. Track position was everything tonight it was hard to pass, with everyone was fighting for the bottom groove and running flat out through the turns. It was a tail of two races for me half of it getting caught up in wrecks or stuck in the back on restarts trying to work my way through the field. The other half catching the lead group and working my way to the front. I was getting sick of having people two by two from a 6th on back getting stuck losing time to the leaders. So I went on a different pit cycle to get upfront in the clean air. It worked for a while I lead multiple times,but I didn't want to pit and have everyone stay out behind me and start the cycle over again. I thought fresh tires vs old tires would make more of a difference at the end and I needed more guys to pit with me with 12 to go that didn't happen. Drove from 13th up to 7th, but on the final lap I hit the wall off of turn two and lost three spots came home 10th. I have not gotten the finishes so far that show my true pace. But I had afun time racing with everyone
Except Buschwack How do you wreck someone on ur inside down the back stretch for the lead? He drove across two lanes to slam me into the inside wall on a straight away. We all make contact in the corners it's part of racing I get that.