Week 13: The Story So Far...

Midnight, 5th December 2023

Midnight. In the blink of an eye, Week 13 begins once again.

Every year, iRacing has 4 Seasons (1-4) of 12 Weeks of official racing, which adds up to 48 weeks in the year.

Every 13th Week (every 3 months), iRacing "hosts" Week 13, a chance to relax post-season and recuperate for the new season.

This week allows iRacing to incorporate new features and new content - meaning iRacing is constantly updated with new features and new content every 3 months, like breathing new life into a 15-Year old sim.

During this week, iRacing "hosts" both official and unofficial (fun) races/series.

Instead of the track changing weekly, it changes daily.

One of these (much loved) series is called "Battle Of The Small Wings" (or Battle Of The Little Wings) and puts a handful of open-wheeler cars up against one another.

During this season's Week 13, it was the Formula 3 VS Formula 4 VS Lotus 79 (oooh)

I scored x10 (Week 13) Podiums in the F3 in BOSW/BOLW

This was rather fitting as it was the Dallara's 5th birthday on the service on the 3rd December, Week 13 only startingtwo days later.

Week (Day) 1: Oulton Park (5/12/2023)

(Midnight Pratice: 6th, FL - 1:27.501)

(Qualified: 6th, FL - 1:27.459 (-0.6 Off Pole)

(Race: 4th)

Race AL: 1:29.552 (Average Lap)

Personal FL: 1:27.309

---------------------------------------- Winner AL: 1:29.001 (-0.5)

Race FL: 1:27.469 (-0.160)

Oulton was... a tough pill to swallow.

After qualifying 6th, I had a good clean start and took the lead after the top 5 all flew off at Hislop's.

From here, I led 2 laps but it was a messy old race from me - I made many unforced errors - errors simply down to being under pressure - from in front and behind.

One mistake in particular was getting a wheel (or two) wide at the penultimate corner and got into a half-spin.

If it was any consolation, the top 3 were all above 2000 iRating - so it could have been a case of "it was only a matter of time - but with the SOF being 1800, that would have been a mighty podium/win

Week (Day) 2: Okayama (6/12/2023)

(Midnight Pratice: 3rd (class), 1:26.376 (x2 Lotus 79's)

(Qualified: 4th, FL - 1:25.693 (-1.25 Off Pole)

(Race: DNF)

Race AL: 1:29.552 (Average Lap)

Personal FL: 1:27.309

----------------------------------------

Winner AL: 1:29.001 (-0.5)

Race FL: 1:27.469 (-0.160)

Time just doesn't stop - it feels like only yesterday I returned home from a Spanish holiday (late October), and now I'm here, in early December racing in Week 13.

Time continuted to...do its thing and before I knew it, it was the following day.

In qualifying, I improved on my position (started 6th at Oulton), moving onto the second row... but sadly...it'd all be for nothing after...well, words cannot describe the anarchy that unfolded!