Round 6: Monaco - Circuit de Monaco (07Nov18 @ 9pm EDT)

[AaronWebb85]

Last Season's Results: 
1st: Darklol
2nd: Sucuri
3rd: Tron4949
Pole: Darklol (01:23.718)
FL: Darklol (01:12.964)

 

[moogleslam]

I'm a little frustrated right now, and with my love of Monaco, it's the worst time to be frustrated.  I did my first laps here Sunday night in TT.  Struggled with setup, balance, etc, and only managed a 1:10.0xx if I recall correctly.  Before I get to why I'm frustrated, a question:  I saw from the TT setups that most of you are just taking the setup from the top driver on the global leaderboard.  Plasma, I think you had the quickest time from my friends list when I checked.  Are you (and everyone) typically running your TT setup in the league race?  I can't do that; I can't even run it in TT!  The ballast is way too much for me, and the oversteer makes it undrivable (which is why I need a new wheel).

Anyway, the next day my racing rig arrives.  Get it all set up, and it feels good, but after two nights of racing on it, I can't even get close to my Sunday time, and I didn't even think that time was particularly good... which is why I'm frustrated.  Maybe I messed with too much; I actually found an FOV calculator for this game, and it was quite a few clicks different from what I was running, plus my monitor height is different, and I've tried to adjust in game cockpit height as well.

I won't, but I did actually think about just giving up on sim racing for a month until I get my desk built, get my rig in its final position, and get my Fanatec upgrades after Black Friday.  I really can't have my rig be for all my other computer use right now because I haven't got mounts for keyboard/mouse and my makeshift options are not comfortable for prolonged periods of use, so part of the headache is also having to move everything back and forth between my desk and rig; monitor, keyboard, mouse, headphones, microphone.  It's definitely making me want to go wireless on everything, though maybe my ultimate solution is to get a second keyboard and mouse with a KVM switch.  The plan for the monitor is to actually have an arm that allows it to swing between desk and rig.  Alternative is if I can overcome my VR nausea (highly unlikely), and then I'll do all my sim racing with that, and I won't even need a monitor arm.  I bought the Lenovo Explorer on sale for $99 a couple of weeks ago, but it was defective so didn't even get to try it.  Waiting on a replacement.  Side note; the just released Samsung Odyssey+ basically managed to remove the screen door effect entirely, in what might be one of the biggest leaps forward in VR since the Rift was released.  

#firstworldproblems

 

[Normand]

Big probability i wont be there for the race as i will be working and not sure i will be back in time.

 

[moogleslam]

Big probability i wont be there for the race as i will be working and not sure i will be back in time.

Thanks for letting us know.  I'm working on getting a Reserve lined up.

 

[Zephyr]

i might not make it either

 

[moogleslam]

i might not make it either

You guys are all just scared of this circuit, right?

 

[Zephyr]

i might not make it either

You guys are all just scared of this circuit, right?

no. its probably my most competitive circuit. im celebrating my birthday that night

 

[LAcadien]

I wont be there. my wife had a big sugery yesterday and she need me around. Have fun. See you at Montreal.

 

[moogleslam]

@Zephyr - happy birthday! Get any new sim racing toys?

@LAcadien - all the best to your wife; hope she has a speedy recovery.

@Everyone - had the qualifying been dry, what was your target lap time?

 

[kub]

Totally taking the blame for what happened after T1 Lap1. I panicked when I saw Ferrari and Renault right behind me. I didn't know where to go and blocked Sucuri which caused the big crash. My apologies.

 

[Plasmaraider]

My view of the race, a lot to say, but imma just leave the video here
Race starts at 26:26
https://youtu.be/jEPy0E6h6Vk

 

[moogleslam]

Could be a short one..... but probably not knowing me

It's Monaco.  My love.  Also unfortunately a circuit where something has always gone wrong for me in the past.  With two weeks since our last race, I could have had a lot of time to practice, but I actually did the least practice I've done all season.  Two reasons.  The first is that I now have my racing rig, but it's a very temporary setup until I finish some other things, so I'm moving all my gear between my desk and rig.  It's a pain.  The second reason is just that Monaco, despite my love for it, is mentally and physically draining.  I was looking forward to this race more than any, but just not the practice part of it so much.

Qualifying

Heavy rain.  I'd rather have had it dry because I felt fast and I REALLY wanted to see where I stacked up against everyone else.  The rain was interesting though, and it was my first laps on a wet compound since I did a 5 lap unranked multiplayer race at Silverstone when the game came out.  It took me a little while to get a time on the board, and I didn't get in a good groove until I was on my third front wing, but then I was improving a lot with each lap.  I fell apart at the end a bit though.  I had 3 consecutive laps where I was up by over 2 seconds mid way through the lap, but found a way to mess up each time, including two consecutive corner cuts at the chicane after the tunnel for my final two laps of the session.  6th on the grid in what I suspect is probably my worst Monaco qualifying ever.

Race

Start wasn't great, and then Megaman had a little glitch in front of me where his car jumped slightly, so I lifted, and this let Mudd through on the inside.  Turn 1 was clean though, and I felt I'd survived the hard part.  

Heading up the hill with Megaman & Mudd in front of me, I saw them quickly veer to the left, and then I saw why.  A Sauber was sideways.  I quickly tried to take the same path of avoidance that Megaman & Mudd did, but by the time I arrived at the scene of the accident, the gap was gone; The Sauber was moving backward into the armco barrier and I had no where to go.  I hit the armco and Sauber simultaneously, and my entire front wing and left wheel were gone.  Race over.

Of course, all that happened in the span of a second, and I had no time to react, never mind slow my car down to avoid the chaos. 

Another entry in the "crazy things that happen to me at Monaco" series

LAP1Series Video:

[youtube]GYInGmuyYEo[/youtube]

 

[patlessard]

I ended up in the same pile of cars after turn 1, it's always mayhem in that up hill part

Didn't have time to react either , after going thru a ghosting car I tought I had escape it all but there were other solid cars .

The battle with Iceman and Dark was really something to Watch ! .5 s between them for about 20 laps    no touching , no

bumping unlike other battles    Good job guys !

 

[moogleslam]

I saw from Plasma's video that we lost 4 drivers in 3 seconds. Wonder if that's a PRL record

In order: Sucuri, kub, moogleslam, Pat.

Amazingly, no other drivers retired over the rest of the race.

I'd love to see some more perspectives, particularly kub & Sucuri, and then anyone else that was near the back to see how they dealt with it.

 

[Darklol]

I ended up in the same pile of cars after turn 1, it's always mayhem in that up hill part

Didn't have time to react either , after going thru a ghosting car I tought I had escape it all but there were other solid cars .

The battle with Iceman and Dark was really something to Watch ! .5 s between them for about 20 laps    no touching , no

bumping unlike other battles    Good job guys !

Thanks Pat ! If you have that on record I would definitely love to see it. Iceman did an amazing job placing his car on the right place and it was just impossible to overtake. Iceman is a very experienced driver and knows the track very well and its also easy to fight someone that knows what he is doing as I was expecting him to place his car in some parts of the track to make it hard for me and that is exactly what he was doing and that exactly what I would have done in his position. Props to him for driving an amazing race and took advantage of my long pitstop.

 

[iceman153]

I ended up in the same pile of cars after turn 1, it's always mayhem in that up hill part

Didn't have time to react either , after going thru a ghosting car I tought I had escape it all but there were other solid cars .

The battle with Iceman and Dark was really something to Watch ! .5 s between them for about 20 laps    no touching , no

bumping unlike other battles    Good job guys !

Thanks Pat ! If you have that on record I would definitely love to see it. Iceman did an amazing job placing his car on the right place and it was just impossible to overtake. Iceman is a very experienced driver and knows the track very well and its also easy to fight someone that knows what he is doing as I was expecting him to place his car in some parts of the track to make it hard for me and that is exactly what he was doing and that exactly what I would have done in his position. Props to him for driving an amazing race and took advantage of my long pitstop.

Thanks for the praise, all I did was make my car as wide as possible, you did an amazing job keeping the pressure turned up to 11 for so long!  I'm not sure how you were able to stay on my gearbox for 20 laps and not make any mistakes, seriously hats off.  You definitely had way more pace on the supers, i think you would have finished 15-20 seconds ahead of me easily if you had gotten past.  To be honest I felt like i was hanging off the edge of a cliff by my finger tips the entire time, with you standing above me trying to stomp on my fingers.  

I should post my video, at least of the start anyway as I had a perfect close up view of what happened there.   I came out of that in P2, and was managing to keep pace with dark somehow, i think we were both still in rain mode from quali.   Until i think around L6-7 and he lost some wing in swimming pool, i closed up one him, i could see he was struggling, but never had a chance to have a go anywhere.  He stopped on L11-12 for a new wing, and i knew this was my chance, so I came in the next lap.  I was planning on stopping around 15-16, but i figured both our tires would have the same wear issues, and I'd guarantee track position this way.

He ended up coming out just behind mudd, who was 5 seconds behind me when i exited the pits.  took a lap or two of him pressuring mudd before mudd made a mistake and let him by, at this point he was 7.5 seconds behind.   it took him maybe 10 laps to catch me, and once he did he was just glued to my gearbox.  The scariest parts were passing backmarkers, i felt like those gave him his best shots, but as long as i got good exits from portier and rascasse he had no way to pass.

So after 20 odd laps of intense pressure, not making any real mistakes, and keeping my front wing intact, on the very last lap at the chicane i got a corner cut warning by literally millimeters, it looked fine on the replay, and that resulted in a 3s penalty which put me behind dark after we crossed the line...   I think that is easily the most drained, both mentally and physically I've been after a race, i wasn't even mad, dark deserved the win just as much if not more.   

 

[patlessard]

I ended up in the same pile of cars after turn 1, it's always mayhem in that up hill part

Didn't have time to react either , after going thru a ghosting car I tought I had escape it all but there were other solid cars .

The battle with Iceman and Dark was really something to Watch ! .5 s between them for about 20 laps    no touching , no

bumping unlike other battles    Good job guys !

Thanks Pat ! If you have that on record I would definitely love to see it. Iceman did an amazing job placing his car on the right place and it was just impossible to overtake. Iceman is a very experienced driver and knows the track very well and its also easy to fight someone that knows what he is doing as I was expecting him to place his car in some parts of the track to make it hard for me and that is exactly what he was doing and that exactly what I would have done in his position. Props to him for driving an amazing race and took advantage of my long pitstop.

Sadly I couldn't record last race , I couldn't start the damn thing  ...

 

[iceman153]

My Start.  
[youtube]2jbWiJqvaxo[/youtube]

 

[Fruitsalsa]

My Start.  
[youtube]2jbWiJqvaxo[/youtube]

Thanks for the video, we get a better sense of what happened at the front from that perspective!

Also, props to Moogles for being so calm after being taken out 15 sec after the race start

 

[moogleslam]

My Start.  
[youtube]2jbWiJqvaxo[/youtube]

Thanks for the video, we get a better sense of what happened at the front from that perspective!

Also, props to Moogles for being so calm after being taken out 15 sec after the race start

Ha, just saw this as I was about to unpin the topic.  Yeah, can't imagine anything happening on track to get me very worked up, even a first lap DNF at my beloved Monaco.  I'm pretty chill in life..... but maybe I'm just dead on the inside