Finally getting better - maybe

[D_Man]

I just had to post this :D

I did a new PB at the Glen in the Lotus yesterday of 1.05.15 and was really stoked taking over half a second of my previous PB. So today I decided to see if I could finally break into the 1.05s in the Ferrari. After setting new PBs of 1.06.07 and 1.06.05 I went back out and was lapping with low 1.06s when BANG 1.05.57 followed by 1.05.98 and 1.05.59 :monkey:

This means more to me than my Lotus PB yesterday :)

Dave

[WCvXd]

Sounds like you have broken your plateau and are moving on the next. Congrats! Thats the way things always worked for me. I would reach plateaus and not get any pb's for quite a while, and then all of the sudden, pb's would just pour in until I reached another plateau. Its really strange but if you keep track of it, you will probably notice this for yourself. Right now, im on a huge plateau. I havent had any overall pb's in quite a while, but I am improving my slower cars pb's a little. That is allowing me to slowly drop my Monster rank which is somewhere around -180 or so now.

[WCOutlaw]

Awesome news Dave, congrats... I felt as though I've been on a huge plateau myself, but recently, I've started driving all sorts of track/car combo's - and having a lot of fun relearning the tracks and cars... I then focussed hard on a few tracks, Monza was one in particular, and I'm no longer able to drive it now, BUT, I finally got a 1:27:99 which broke me into the 1:27s - only just, but it's there... :D and I know how to do it now, another barrier broken... hehe. I've been at the same stupid Rank for the longest time - -17.79 or whatever it is - but I'm waiting to upload my new times, because I want to conquer the Ring first and really knock my Rank down some...

I also ran Watkins Glen today, I took the Honda out, and BRM - did high 1:06s with those cars, which I thought was quite respectible - BUT, after driving the slow cars, I really thrashed the Eagle round, got a 1:05:38 first proper lap round, then next I got a 1:05:14!! incredible how the slower cars helped me there...

Also ran Kyalami some tonight and got some good times - BRM was a 1:22:6x I think, which I was happy with...

I've fallen out with the BRM now though, after Spa and Rouen, which I've failed to get a decent lap at either yet... although the one good time I got was a 3:24 at Spa - which is OK... :)

I'm working towards getting a Monster Rank now - got a lot accomplished - been doing 1-4 laps at each track in each car, getting quite a good time and moving on...

The big step for me is driving the Ring - I'll need a couple days off first though, because I've started getting back and shoulder pain from being so tense - that Monza fest I had really burnt me :P hehe...

I don't have many left now to do - All cars at Ring I have to drive and get a respectible time with - I'm aiming for 8:10-8:15, which will help from my existing PB of 8:23...

Silverstone I'm confident of improving my overall PB, but I just can't at the moment - I drove the Honda HARD round there, and got a 1:30, I thought that could help me with Lotus, so I tried again with the Lotus and just couldn't drive it... so I'm having odd moments...

Anyways, I've rambled enough now :) I'm off to surf for a break, been at it for about 3-3 1/2 hours straight online in Vroc

[DC_Tox]

Hey mates,

you're all in my buddy list and I use your time as a reference. But I noticed that many of you didn't upload the player.ini since long.

Please do it....for me :D

PS: I've reached that 110 (+115 to be exact) during this week-end...Now the wife is back so I can relax, finally ;)

[WCOutlaw]

I'll be uploading my player.ini soon, as soon as I break the Ring, I'll do it - within the next couple of days... Today I am resting for now, may do some GPL later, but taking it easy on my back/neck (previous injury flaring up, just needs some time to heal again)...

Congrats to you too Tox, was great to finally race you yesterday - I don't think it'll be long before we see you amongst the rest of us...

Good racing!

[D_Man]

Thanks guys ;) I just got home after being in Melbourne for a couple of days. I don't enjoy flying and 4000 kms in 2 days is more than enough for me :(

Great to see you get a 1:27 at Monza Phil -^ I'm sure you will slay that Ring time ;) BTW, I am stuck on 1.06 exactly at the Glen in the Eagle, so I should do something about that - although I wouldn't get close to your time in it :rolleyes:

I am going to try to improve my Spa and Ring times next, but with my wheel still spiking and jerking around, it might be a bit tough :D

Time for bed now I think

Dave

[D_Man]

Well I did some laps of the Glen in the Eagle and got a 1.05.85 which I am very happy with :) Only 4 more cars to get under the 1.06 mark - but that just ain't gonna happen &(

Dave

[WCOutlaw]

Congrats Dave, your goal isn't even a dream of mine, I don't think I'll be able to get the BRM, Honda and Cooper under the 1:06 mark... maybe one of those cars, but I think Honda is my enemy...

I'm not too worried about Spa, but I need to attack the Ring this week in a very serious way (every car), and I feel after that I need to try and improve my times at Mexico, Silverstone and Kyalami... as I think I'm over my average capability there now, and I think I could improve those PBs, maybe even Zandy too, oh, and Rouen :P

But that's in the future, shortly I'm going to begin my war on the Ring... I spent 50 minutes on it last night, and didn't get one lap complete - a mixture between trying too hard and just not being into it...

[D_Man]

Hehe Phil, I am doing some work on Spa now trying to get the feel back. My best was a low 3:21 with four stuff-ups that cost me a couple of seconds at least. I figure a low 3:19 or high 3:18 is my goal there.

I'm leaving the Ring until I have holidays in a couple of weeks. Then I can out in some serious laps :D

Good luck with your goals. I suspect you will be well into the negative 20s or even the 30s by the time you are finished -^

Dave

[WCOutlaw]

Hehe Dave, thanks, I've just finished the first good lap at Ring I've managed - I had a slow spin (recovered right away though) and got an 8:22 - which demoralises me, as I thought I was driving pretty hard, which leaves me thinking that I'm only capable of an 8:20 :S which isn't as fast as I really thought - this was the Lotus too...

I got 2 new PBs in the Lotus (3:18:xx at Spa) and Eagle (1:28:13 at Monza) which will lower the chassis rank for those down...

Just need to get some good laps in at Ring now - just taking a half hour break, as I was shaking after running a few Vroc Pro races for TNT (Tuesday Night Thunder) and then the lap at Nurby... whew! heh...

Masta, and the right sweeper after it are key corners at Spa - as well as the Chicane at start, Eau Rouge - other than that, it's all regular - those are the key turns...

Tip - the sweeper after Masta (the fast kink) is a LOT faster than you may think... come in tight, and let it drift a little wide (still in 5th) and drop it to 4th whilst slowing for the tighter turn, may need to drop to 3rd and then boot it out - watch out for the bushes on the left on exit...

Good luck mate...

[DC_Tox]

Originally posted by WCOutlaw
I've just finished the first good lap at Ring I've managed - I had a slow spin (recovered right away though) and got an 8:22 - which demoralises me, as I thought I was driving pretty hard, which leaves me thinking that I'm only capable of an 8:20 :S which isn't as fast as I really thought - this was the Lotus too...

Naaa.. you can be much faster than 8:20.... If I'm in the 9:04 with a lot of spins and bad driving you're surely in the < 8:00 range.

Just take a break before The Ring, it's killing you if you're too tired to keep enough concentration... ...I know what I'm saying mate ;)

[D_Man]

Phil, I definitely think you have an 8:10 or better Ring time in you. Judging by your times at the other tracks, I wouldn't be surprised if you did an 8.07 or 8.08 ;)

BTW, I broke 3:20 at Spa for the first time last night with a couple of bad corners (namley Malmedy and Masta). I was pretty happy with the other corners. I would have had a 3:18 if I didn't get a bit sideways in the middle of Malmedy which made me tentative going into Masta and I slowed more then I should have.

I think the problem with Spa is that the long straight bits give you too long to think about the next corner :(

Dave

[DC_Tox]

Well done Dave at Spa -^

My daily score was a sub-9:00 at The Ring:
8:56.8, that puts me also at < 107% (106.949 to be exact...:))

I just seem to be unable to finish a lap without messing up at some point, although I'm definitely not pushing hard (I feel like I could go easily below 8:30, if only I could cut & paste together the best parts of my Ring replays...^_^ ).

For a while The Ring will stay there, at least until I get a sub 107% in the 5 remaining races: Watkins, Monaco, Zandvoort, Rouen & Mexico, where I'm in the 110%+ because I just drove there to have a rank...

[WCvXd]

Tox, you are under 9:00 already?!?! Are you cheating or something?!? What kind of hacks are you using?!?! Pass them my way! ;)

Thats awesome to be under 9 that fast. Youve only been playing at most a month now?

[Ashwin91]

Looks like we got a fast learner here:o :D ;) .

[D_Man]

Hey Tox, slow down you're making me look bad ;)

Just kidding around, great to see you progressing so well. You look like being another candidate for the sub-alien ranks with John, Paul and Matt. Mysh is knocking on the door too after languishing around the 6 mark for a while :D

I'll be happy if I get to -10.

Dave

[WCvXd]

Myshkin at the 6 mark? He's around -33...he's an uber-alien as well!

[D_Man]

Hehe, that's what I meant John ;) He was stuck on 6 for ages and then finally got such a fright when I caught up to him that he took off like a scaulded cat :D

I said he was knocking on the door of you sub-aliens because I consider aliens to be those lower then -80 and sub-aliens from -50 to -80 :HB:

Anyway, you're all too damn fast for me :)

Dave

[DC_Tox]

Originally posted by WCvXd
Thats awesome to be under 9 that fast. You've only been playing at most a month now?

Yep, but I spent the last week on the Ring only...:D

I'm trying to play only GPL now, it seems that's incompatible with NFS-PU, that seems very arcadish in comparison to GPL and distracts me from the REAL car control skills...

[Myshkin]

Hi guys,


-^ @ Tox, you're doing great!

-^ @ Dave, that's a great time at WG!

Unfortunately I am still a little burned out after that little competition I had going with Speckypete a couple of months ago. I've only run once race since the last Dixie race, which was a pickup at Kyalami a week ago... 1:22's in a Ferrari so I am about 1 to 1 1/2 seconds off my lap times of a couple of months ago. I remember thinking that I might be able to break 1:20 in the Lotus there right before I took a rest :(

I keep expecting to see John or Paul go sub 8 mins at the Ring. You guys are so darn close... Matt too (.11 secs off!!!) :bow: . Maybe it's just me, but my two goals for lap times right now is sub 8 at the Ring and -50 handicap, if I can get going again. I may have taken a few steps back though... might work on Challenge Rank or something.

If I manage to get my butt in gear, I'll see you all out on VROC sometime this week. :hyper:

:trink: :AAAHHH:

[D_Man]

Thanks Mysh - hehe Pete loves a target ;)

I thought that John had already broken the 8 minute barrier. He told me on VROC one day - unless my memory is deceiving me :rolleyes:

Off to Mexico - tyres tyres and more tyres :help:

Dave