Blog A Day - Day 16: Fantastic Finish To A Wonderful Week 13!

And as quickly as it began, I round the final corner at the Nordschliefe to finish yet another Week 13.

It's been an absolute blast with plenty of thrills, spills and action - and I'm even MORE excited to see where I'll be next Week 13 in March '25 - and the content that will bring.

Symkhana

For one final time, my alarm blared nice and early - it will be SO nice to wake up naturally - and later next week - and in two weeks I won't have to wake up for work (or racing!) at all!

The final race of the Symkhana series was at Phoenix Rallycross Track.

Once again, the series had absolutely pitiful attendance - one other driver joining me just as the race-session began.

As quickly as he arrived, he did a few laps of practice, and then left me...alone.

Come the race - it would just be me, myself and I.

I wouldn't finish. 8 laps on a rallycross track alone is just not my type of fun.

Had there been competitors and cars flying left, right and centre, certainly.

But the others make it fun - and when there's no others, there's no fun.

13th Week Ridiculousness

With the GT3 Challenge headed to Thruxton, the day's only GT3 activity saw the 13th Week Ridiculousness (Last time I'll have to spell that, phew!) head to Daytona - in a very fitting schedule, everything ended exactly where it began.

In my last qualifying session of Week 13, I qualified 8th - a solid session, and a good set-up for the race to come.

After a good, clean getaway, I was up into 7th after P6 was spun on the opening lap.

Lap 2...didn't go quite so well - after taking to the grass to avoid car in the middle of the track at Turn 1, I started the following lap down in 13th. Time for a comeback - and a comeback I would have!

The positions were coming thick and fast - as I took to the grass, someone behind me collected the stranded car, but passed me. They'd quickly retire due to damage.

Next up was P11 - who I managed to pass around the outside of Turn 1, before also passing a very broken Ferrari (P7) who was punted at turn 1 by the car behind him just moments earlier.

Meares in 8th thought the grass down at turn 2 needed a trim, so took an alternative line through turn 2 on lap 4, gifting me 9th.

Starting the following lap, P8 ahead (Urquizu) out-braked himself at Turn 1, going deep and losing 8th to me - almost losing 9th in the process, but only just holding on.

Next up was 7th - the position I was in before avoiding the stranded car - the only problem was that it was 9 seconds up the road. Time to get my head down.

In a dul-attack from P6 & P7, P5 was punted pretty heavily, all four wheels on his Porsche pointing in different directions - despite an attempt to continue, Mandizha would spin again, and retire.

In the final three laps of the race, I'd come under pressure from 8th behind.

He'd find a way past at the start of lap 9/12 - just as I found my way past Lambert who also thought the Daytona Infield needed mowing.

Despite the position loss, I'd remain where I was due to Lambert's off-track adventure.

To my utter surprise, P6 ahead would pit (to retire) on Lap 10/12 - I don't know for what reason - but I'll take it!

It had been a thrilling race - and I was once again under pressure - this time from the pink NSX of Lambert.

It was a great battle to start the final lap - he had the pace, I had the slip-stream behind - I just needed to stay on his tail for just one more lap.

As we came to rounded the final corner, one more twist - P5 ahead was slowing on the apron (flat bit under the banking) - we both roared past him - me underneath Lambert's wing as we went.

I went higher up the banking.

Lambert went higher up the banking.

I dipped down for the undercut....

he dipped down. Okay, that's two moves - I got to work for this one.

I went back to the right - he's got it. I had lost all the momentum - it was going to be tight - I just didn't have the momentum nor slipstream. He took 4th. I took 5th.

In the end, I lost 4th by 0.055 seconds - quicker than the blink of an eye - and I believe it's my closest - if not one of my closest finishes I've ever had.

Funny Weather Series

With Daytona finished, there was just one race left of Week 13 - the Funny Weather Series. I managed a podium here every day bar Saturday (didn't race) - could I continue the streak?

Of course I could. It was the Nordschliefe in the pouring rain in an unranked split (not determined by iRating).

As usual, I'd skip qualifying, and head straight to the race.

Unusually however, I opted to start the race on the track/with the rolling start - I started on pole (in GT4 Class) and only had x2 GT4's and x2 BMW M2's behind me - sorry, scratch that, one GT4 behind me, the other decided to start ahead of me.

The biggest concern was the 17 GT3's up ahead - if one of the top few went off - with so little grip - there could be the potential for quite some chaos.

Come the race, it was a surprisingly clean start from all - a few GT3's finding "alternative racing lines" (one through Courage Curve!) but nothing out of the ordinary for Funny Weather. One of the most crucial victims of the "first-lap-melee" was Nixon - the GT4 that started ahead of me - he crashed out at Hatzenbach, returning my pole/1st back to me.

By lap 2, I had retained the lead - and only 10 GT3's remained in the running.

On top of this, the two other GT4's crashed out (with each other) on the opening lap - so with a 50 second gap behind, I had one job - to keep it on track.

And I did so.

By the start of the final lap, just 7 GT3's remained, 2 GT4's (seperated by 1 minute, 7 seconds) and two BMW M2's - one most impressively in 8th overall.

It was the perfect way to end a fun and chaotic Week 13 - doing so many series was a bit crazy, but only just manageable.

As I said at the start, I'm eagerly awaiting to see what next Week 13 brings - content, series, where I'll be in...life, iRating - it's exciting times - and a finish I'm chuffed with.

Next up? It's Season 1, 2025.

Admittedly, starting the season at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) isn't the best way to start the season, but it's good to get circuits like that out of the way quickly.

Yes, it's a fast, flowing circuit, it's just not one of my favourites.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, I make my oval debut - more on that tomorrow! But for now, it's thank you and goodbye week 13 - you've been amazing. Definitely enjoyed 13th Week Ridic- you know what I mean!

Tomorrow's Blog: "A Moving Blog: The Story Of Me Moving Out"