Rocking Out At Rudskogen! (W13) + Plans for 2023!

Week 13 - Day 2, Rudskogen

It's become apparent that the practice session I partake in prior to the race is often very telling on where I'll line up (in qualifying) in that day's race, despite being 10 - 12 hours later, and with an entirely different grid of people.

Thus far in Week 13, I've always stayed up until midnight to catch the first practice session of the day, before waking up to compete in the 11am session later on in the morning.

At Lime Rock Park, in the midnight session, I finished the practice session (before the race) in 12th (6th when I left the session) - come the race, I qualified 4th.

Come Rudskogen - the midnight session ended with me in a miraculous 2nd place - come qualifying, it was an identical story.

Lime Rock

Midnight Fastest: 44.542 (46.556 Ave.)

Quali: 45.135 (-0.6 sec quicker)

Race Fastest: 44.653 (47.212 Ave.)

Rudskogen

Midnight Fastest: 1:15.949 (1:19.000 Ave.) (Fastest: 1:15.694)

Quali: 1:16.516 (-0.6 slower) (Pole: 1:15.582)

Race Fastest: 1:15.897 (-0.3 off pole lap, 0.2 off fastest midnight)

I knew I had pace. In the midnight practice session, I was in the Top 5 fastest times - even on a full-fuel setup - during a quali-run, I made it into the Top 2. After a 6th (midnight practice session) led me to start 4th at Lime Rock, I knew I was in a very good position.

Race-Day

I always keep my relative off during qualifying (to minimise distractions) - but according to sources, I was on pole for one and a half laps, before I dropped to the second row (3rd)...but I wasn't to worry, as I was on a faster lap still.

On my second qualifying lap, I pumped out a 1:16.516, which was enough for 2nd - thankfully on the clean side of the grid (racing line) - pole being a lap-time faster than I had ever achieved.

Seconds turned into minutes turned into hours as I waited for qualifying to finish - seeing who could still beat me...but as the clock hit 00:00 - it was confirmed that I'd be starting 2nd. Oh My God.

As gridding began, I refilled my car with fuel, and joined the grid...my heart was pounding and had my heart been any weaker, it would be likely that I'd have a heart attack!

There's very little you can do in that situation - as much as you tell yourself to "calm down" - in that instance, it did very little.

Eventually, the moment we had all been waiting for. Red Lights Appeared, I revved "don't fucking jump it" my mind is racing...Green.

Despite jumping to the gun quicker, the left side of the grid had a slightly better getaway, and on braking into to turn 1, I was side by side with P3, but braked slightly later, and was P2 heading into Turn 2.

Starting lap 3, P1 had pulled out a healthy lead - and I was under pressure from P3 - so much under pressure in fact, that he dived down my inside on the brakes into turn 1.

Down the "Big Hill" from turn 3 - turn 4, we were perfectly side-by-side, but come turn 5, he backed out and did the undercut - despite a puff of smoke from a touch of our tyres, we both made it through the next chicane cleanly, P3 in front - P4 wanting some of the action too - he also sent it, and got exactly as he asked for - P3.

Admittedly, the race died down from there - the average laps speak for themselves:

P1 - 1:16.198

P2 - 1:16.429

P3 - 1:16.943

P4 - (Me) - 1:17.238

I was AT LEAST 0.2 off the pace of the top 3 - and the gap only further increased and increased.

The leader and myself were both in no-man's land - my two laps in 2nd had given the leader a MASSIVE lead, and P2 & P3 only overtook me a couple (4 or 5) of corners apart (both in a very technical section) so were nose to tail as P4 passed me.

As P2 & P3 battled (only further increasing the gap to the leader), I sat pretty in 4th - a big gap further still to 5th behind me. Even if I had finished in 4th, it would be one better (position) than I had finished at Lime Rock.

Lap Chart (End Of):

Lap 1 - P2

Lap 2 - P2

Lap 3 - P4

Lap 4 - P4 (Beginning to lap backmarkers)

Lap 5 - Lap 11 - P4

On-Track, I'd finish P4, 3 seconds behind P3 - but the stewards had a little surprise for me...

It turned out that the leader, after having a FIELD DAY up in front (Fastest Lap: 1:14.690 - Lap 8) until the very last lap, where he'd get two wheels on the grass, go for a quarter-spin and be overtaken by P2.

In the end, a flawless race without any mistakes played MASSIVELY into P2's favour - even if his pace/lap-times weren't matching P1's, P1's couple of errors cost him dear - and quite possibly even the win.

Around the last corner the leader (up to that point) got on the accelerator a little early and ran wide. On Track, he finished P2/2nd place, but the stewards later gave him a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage (not serving a slow-down penalty in the race-period) - the pole-sitter (and then leader) would eventually finish in P7 with his penalty applied - losing the lead, win and podium/Top 5 within the space of the second half of the final lap.

Final Result

1st - Daniel J. Byrne (AUS)

2nd - Gaetan Imhoff (BENELUX)

3rd - Robin Truswell (GBR)

--

10th (1st in F4 Class) Jose Silva H

11th (2nd in F4 Class) Javier B. Ferreiro

13th (3rd in F4 Class) Andrew Duddell

14th (4th in F4 Class) David Duddell

Next Up: Oran Park...

Or well, it would be...if Oran Park hadn't been demolished and replaced with a housing estate in 2010.

Instead I'll be testing out the new Toyota GR86 which has been eagerly eyeing me up since Tuesday evening.

Ironically - The GR86 is at Okayama on Thursday, before the F3 series goes there on Friday - and it's a very good circuit for testing and battles - it's got long straights for the top-speed, (slipstream/overtaking too), tight corners for testing how it handles and the brakes, and tight enough to punish mistakes.

Although, if I do enjoy it, that DOES give me a major problem...what DO I race in?

2023 Plans:

1) Ferrari GT3 Challenge? (Again?) - Deadly at times

2) Formula 3? (Again?) - Deadly at times

3) GT3 Challenge? (Again?)

4) GT4 Challenge? (Again - In Aston this time?)

5) Toyota GR86 Cup?

6) Formula 4? (IR04)

THERE ARE TOO MANY GOOD SERIES!!!

1) - The Issue with the Ferrari GT3 Challenge is that I've seen how detrimental to my iRating it can be - and I can drive the Ferrari in VRS GT Endurance Series and indeed the GT3 Challenge Series

2) The same stands with the F3 Series - one small trough and months and months of work can be undone in a matter of hours.

And I'm only enjoying F3 at the moment because I'm doing well, but the same applies to all series - I just want to try something new and that I haven't done before.

I've already done a season of F3, and picked up a bunch of podiums - and know that it's an absolute hit (when it goes right) and thus far, Week 13 is proving likewise.

3) The issue with the GT3 Challenge is that I did it back to back for four seasons (because I enjoyed it so much) - and I always want to try something new that I haven't done before - and sure, I could do another season and enjoy it - but what if I'm missing out on doing a different series - like F4 where I'd have more fun?

4) GT4 Challenge in S2, 2022 would be a good shout as that would be around the same time the Nurburgring Endurance Championship would come back (if it does) - and I'd be driving the Aston for both GT4 and NEC.

5) I don't know anything about this series and I am yet to drive the car

6) Formula 4 (IR04) might be the answer - different enough to count as it's own series, but similar enough that the skills are transferrable - and they even have a fixed series!

The answer might be F4 in S1, 2023 and then Aston GT4 in the GT4 Challenge in S2, 2023 (Mar. 2023) - but I could have literally just written my fate!

Thanks for reading and see you out there if you're a member!