VICTORY @ VIR!!! (DML SIMX-5 Race Review)

It's the 30th August, 2023 and it's the penultimate round of the Delta Motorsport League (DML) SIMX-5 Championship at Virginia International Raceway.

I don't like VIR - it rarely comes up in race calendars - and when it does, I'm either busy or have a bad experience.

Since 2019, I've only officially raced at VIR twice (Once this year in FalkenTyre and once last year in the SCCA Run-Off Series) - and only raced it a couple of times in leagues - one such time being in the inaugrial round of the FRL (Formula Racing League) iMotoring Monday series.

Practice

Practice started like any other week - someone set a lap-time (to beat) and then everyone in the server would try and beat it.

Driver	Time	Lap
​R. Truswell	​1:44.865	3
T. Pretorius	1:43.044	​4
​R. Truswell	1:42.275	4
​T. Pretorius	1:42.197	5
R. Truswell	1:41.085	5
​H. Nickisson	1:41.063	6
R. Truswell	1:39.899	8
H. Nickisson	1:39.627	9
J. Cronk	1:39.074	11
S. Weber	1:38.438	​9
S. Weber	1:36.899	​12

Qualifying

Practice very much laid out the expectations for qualifying - as in practice, Weber and Robert shared the front row, followed by Truswell and Cronk (inverted from practice).

Race 1

In all fairness, Race 1 started very well with pole-man Weber getting a diabolical start - leaving me and Robert (who started in P2) to drag-race down into turn 1.

Having the inside, I took the lead - and lead for (an impressive) two laps, before Robert overtook me around the outside of the cut-through (using shorter layout of VIR).

After being passed, I pushed too hard (to keep up with Robert), lost the back end at the final corner and went flying off wide - dropping to 5th from 2nd.

Truswell taking an alternative racing line...

Things went from bad to worse as I briefly took 4th from pole-man Weber - but spun on exit of the cut-through. I finished 5th - but with a reverse-grid race coming up, I had a chance at redemption

Race 2

For the second race running, I had an absolutely phenomenal launch - battling Hurley (P3) heading into Turn 1.

After 2 laps sitting behind Hurley, on lap 3 I made my master move - braking earlier into turn 1, before pulling the cut-back as Hurley went deep into T1.

At the end of Lap 6 - I almost made exactly the same mistake I made in Race 1 (see image), but just about got my car stopped in time.

Hurley had an impeccable run through the last corner - and by Turn 1, (Lap 7) had taken the lead.

From then on, Hurley, Robert and I had an almighty fight for the lead, before Hurley got wide on the exit of the cut-through and wiped himself and Robert out on re-entry.

With two laps to go and Cronk less than 2 seconds behind, all I had to do was bring her home - and that's exactly what I did!

It was a well-earnt victory - and one hell of a way to end DML's back-to-back leagues.

with the exception of Evolution Sim Racing, the Delta Motorsport League was one of the last weekly leagues I was competing in.

FRL (Formula Racing League)

League Day: Monday

Finale: 21st August (x2 Wins)

QRT (Quantum Racing Team)

League Day: Tuesday

Finale: 30th May | 11th July

DML (Delta Motorsport League)

League Day: Wednesday

Finale: 28th June | 30th August (After FRL's)

(x1 Win)

ESR (Evolution Sim Racing)

League Day: Thursday

Finale: 31st August (x1 AM Win)

VRG (Virtual Racing Group)

League Day: Thursday

Finale: 11th May

(x2 AM Wins)

I'd finish the DML championship in 5th - I missed a fair few races - but still finished in a good position.