"A challenge for you then Fit, beat my times."- Spiny Anteater

[Fit4aking]

.....Challenge for you then Fit - I only did the spec-races about a month or so ago. Go out and beat my times.....  

Seems Spiny stuck his head in the front door of the Speedshop and issued me a personal challenge.  I'll have to take this into consideration and start practicin with that thing some more.

[Spiny Anteater]

Just kiddin' you Fit - it's just i found that everyone seems to fear the Cobra, so it's surprisingly easy to get high up on the scoreboard I found it great fun to drive too, and it does teach you throttle control.

(PS: Hope I didn't come across as big-headed then, it's just that the Cobra seems to be the only car I have a good time with )

Anyway, hope you have fun with it - sounds like you enjoyed yourself last night

[Fit4aking]

I'm almost always up for some light hearted fun.  A personal challenge is good and if nothing else I'll improve my times.  I think that I have a few really fast Tuscan S times (assuming they still stand) I may toss the ball back to your court with that.  I'll try to beat your Cobra and you try my Tuscan S.

[Spiny Anteater]

You're on, once this monster Motegi Challenge is on I'll go get myself a Tuscan I have a feeling I'm going to have to be on top of my game here

[Fit4aking]

One Down.  But just barely.  I beat your Sunset Penninsula time (unassisted) by 0.130sec.  It took about an hour of playin and I found that I had to run laps consistantly in the 95 second range to average out better than you and I pulled it off.  I'll tackle Road Atlanta after a break. 

Looks like I'm the one that needs to step it up here.  I doubt my TVR times will stand.

[Spiny Anteater]

Looks like I'm the one that needs to step it up here.  I doubt my TVR times will stand.

Not at all - if I remember rightly that puts you in the top 100 on these boards making you officially a Cobramaster

Good work though - did you find hitting the rev limiter in top gear as annoying as I did? And well done on not using assists - I'm still stuck with ABS and the braking line

[Fit4aking]

I tried the ABS but it increased the braking distance and threw my braking landmarks all off.  I'm sure ABS would help the lockup on at least 2 of the turns but I'll take 26th overall.

The limiter was my emeny and then I embraced it and we became friends.  I was just layin on the limiter and the top speed was around 153 (which happens quite fast).  Playin with the throttle I was able to run a 155 just off the limiter and maintain it from the last turn through to the exit of pit row.  I know that 2mph isn't much but over the course of 6 laps and that long section I'll take it.

Trying to run as fast as you is gonna be a game of inches not feet.  I doubt that I'll shatter any of your overall times but like Vin Diesel said "it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile winning is winning".

Maple Valley should be interesting as I have to shave off around 24 seconds to get close to you.  the other two is only 9-12 seconds.  I'll be busy this evening.

[Spiny Anteater]

1 down, 4 to go Managed to beat you on Sunset Infield, but I think that Silverstone time is going to be another proposition. And, of course it looks like I have to try Sunset in the Cobra again

As for trying to shatter my times, 26th is very, very good - it means that you can say there's only 25 people in the world better than you there . Just remember that the Cobra series is far and away my best set of scoreboard times so you are competing to my strengths on this , - if we were to run a series to your strengths I think I would struggle. To give you some idea, the only other scoreboards where I'm top 100 is the spec Focus boards, and now Sunset Infield in the Tuscan. Looks like you've helped me out setting the TVR challenge. Now, to book a slot at Silverstone

[Fit4aking]

Ah, Road Atlanta.  One of my favorite tracks besides Laguna Seca and I did alright.  That 9:02:149 was a high mark.  I figured on havin to start out on a 95 second opening lap and hope to maintain 90 second till the end for a close time.  On my second try I ran a low 89 second lap and then promptly stuffed it at the start/finish line on lap 5. Dammit.  Finished it out for the sake of the prize money ( and to see exactly how fast I could take the last turn (117 mph corner entry in 4th gear, then wide open).  Ran it again for the hope of stringing together a few 90's.  It all fell into place.  Opening lap ran a 93.3xx, 2nd lap was a 88.028, every other lap was a sub 90 and I ended up with 9:00:102.  2.047 seconds ahead and good enough for 49th overall.  I think I can go a little faster, a bit more consistant, and that will lower the overall but I still want to finish the other 2 tracks.  Not looking forward to Maple Valley, the Cobra may slither but she aint a twisty mistress.

2 down, 2 to go.

[Spiny Anteater]

2-2 now.

I had a go at that Silverstone time of yours and managed to edge you by about a second - good enough for position 50 on the boards. That was a nervous one though - do you find yourself willing the car down the last straight hoping you'll just be able to edge the target time.

First time I came into Becketts too hot on the second lap and slid off into the Superdirt. Cost me about 5 seconds to get back on track plus a bit more to re-pass Rossi - ended up with an 8:55.

Second time around I made an awful start meaning Rossi got the jump on me, but I made it past him in Becketts (a little bit of contact there but nothing serious, although it wasn't a move I would have pulled in online racing), then it was low 1:27's and high 1:26's all the way to get an 8:47

That's a good time on Road Atlanta - nice one. I see I've dropped out of the top 100 there now 

As for the Maple Valley race, while I was running it I remember thinking that they couldn't have picked a more ill-suited car and track combination, then suddenly I was 12th (dropped a couple now) so obviously a few others thought the same as me. I think I can honestly say that I left maybe 2 seconds on the table for the whole race compared what I would have achieved if everthing had run perfectly - I really can't see how the top guy is 10 seconds faster - he must be very, very good.

As you say, 2 down, 2 to go...

Edit: Make that 4 down I'm so annoyed at myself though - I stuffed up the first corner of the last lap at Road Atlanta and lost a couple of seconds - coulda had my first ever top 10 if I hadn't done that. Grrrrr.

The final sets of times were:
Sunset Infield: 6:17.250
Silverstone: 8:47.826
Road Atlanta: 7:21.125
Mugello: 8:03.266

Afraid I didn't note down the lap times though

[Fit4aking]

Had a bit of time to get on to Maple Valley.  Proud to say that I was able to beat your 14th fastest time by just over 2 seconds.  Pulled out a 10:02:xxx.  Didn't write down the exact times but I had a hard time stringing 6 laps together fast enough to beat you.  I failed miserably the first time I tried.  Second time I was off by exactly 1 second, to the thousandth.  I had to push through the dang thing 3 more times before I could figure it out.  Lap one was a high 102sec followed by a series of low 99's and one very mysterious high 98.  Getting that car around that track is a chore.  The elevation changes play hell with the rear end and the big sweeper is set up right inbetween 3rd and 4th gear.  3rd seemed too high but was managable, 4th is a bit low and a little wheelspin turns into a nice push very close to pit wall.

Only Laguna Seca remains and I couldn't get any times to show on the leaderboard so I didn't know what to shoot for.  Maybe tonight.

3 down, 1 to go.  (I didn't look but I bet you murdered my times)

[Spiny Anteater]

There was definitely something up with Live last night - it finally got sorted about 10.30pm GMT after which I did half an hour of online racing with Hop, but I couldn't get the scoreboards either and was told I was banned from the AH.

That was an awesome time you set at Maple Valley - I think I will probably need a lot of runs to be able to beat that. Top 10 is a great achievement - well done.

As for murdering your times, I definitely wouldn't say that. Looking at how your Silverstone time compares to your others I'd say you could easily improve on the other three. For the record the gaps are 5 seconds (Sunset Infield), 1 second (Silverstone), 8 seconds (Road Atlanta) and 10 seconds (Mugello). I honestly beleive if you were to go back to the TVR series you could comfortably hit the top 100 in your first 2 runs (and I'm only saying 2 in case you spin out on the first )

[Fit4aking]

I saw you went back and put a hurtin on my Road Atlanta time.  Several seconds faster is gonna be tough to go back and beat. 

I gave Laguna another shake today and I couldn't get my head into it.  I tried twice and decided to hold off till I was mentally prepared to tackle that track in that car.  I haven't seen my name in the single digits of anything Forza related ever, so this was a good challenge to prove to myself that it can be done.  Perhaps Tuesday but I have a 6 speed to rebuild and reinstall in an A6 this week.  When real life gives me a break (or I need the stress relief) I'll be beating your time before you know it.

[Spiny Anteater]

...I haven't seen my name in the single digits of anything Forza related ever...

That makes two of us then. (EDIT: That's a lie. I did once smash my GT40 so badly at Fear corner at the Nuerburgring that the top speed was 6mph downhill - it was too badly damaged to go uphill - that's single figures and Forza related )

I wouldn't worry about the Road Atlanta time - the challenge was to beat my times and you did so to me that is 3 tracks completed for you - just Laguna to go. It's just that Atlanta was bugging me because I went off second to last lap and ended up grass tracking from the first corner to the chicane - not easy in a Cobra

I really want to run Laguna again too because there were a couple of minor offs in there (nothing major, probably lost about 3 seconds overall) but again it's bugging me. However, as the challenge was to beat my times as laid down, I'll hold off until you beat it (and as far as I can tell, it's a question not of "if", but "when").

I can't help being tempted to retry the MV race too just so I can also claim that elusive single digit position

[Fit4aking]

Oh My God I finally did it.  I got your Laguna time by just under 6 seconds.  I went off in the last turn and I swore I had lost it all together.  I was runing within .200 of my fast time of 1:32:032 the entire race.  I even managed to pull off a 1:34:9xx on the opening lap.  Whew!

Glad that's over.  Nice Challenge though Spiny I had some frustrating fun doin it.  Perhaps it will motivate me to pick up some time on other races.