A Rocky Return to iRacing (Pt. 2: A Struggle On Race-Day)

Whenever anyone starts anything new, there will always be teething issues - things which need to be tweaked, fixed, sorted and adjusted - and for the first month since returning to iRacing - there's been a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

Race 1 - FalkenTyre Sportscar Challenge (22/05/2024)

Spa Francorchamps

The FTSC race at Spa was a very safe bet - a track I knew, in a car I knew, on a large track requiring the very best of internet signal - it was a good test - but sadly my computer wasn't up for it.

The best way to describe it is like having signal on a map - the better signal you have, the more accurate your car will be.

Having little to no signal, my car was flickering as it picked up the smallest traces of signal and lost it again - which for others can make my car look like it's flying and flickering in and out of view - not ideal if you're trying to race an opponent.

With no cars around me, I was able to qualify 13th in GT4 Class - slowest of those with a lap-time.

Come the race, a large pile-up down into Eau Rouge (not radillion) knocked out at least 3 opponents ahead of me, with a further one (7th) spinning later on in the opening lap in front of me, losing me three positions.

Ironically enough, I ended up back where I started. (14th) - from here, I gained one further place from a retirement and continued to hunt down the driver ahead (11th) - a Top 10 was definietly on the cards!

From Lap 3, myself and 11th (Chris Mounce) had an incredibly fun battle which turned into a battle for the Top 10 on lap 9/12.

On Lap 10, another competitor crashed out - promoting me to 9th - and Chris 8th.

By the end of it all, I managed to get past Chris on the penultimate lap and hold him off right until the bus-stop before he tried to go down the inside of me at the Bus Stop Chicane - and just as I did so, I dissapeared, yet still felt the impact and came home to finish 9th in class behind Chris in 8th.

overall, despite the start pile-up putting me way off the leaders, it was a good fun race - but taught me that I needed to put my WiFi adapter somewhere a little closer to the source of the signal (i.e, on top of the table)

Following this it was Week 13 where everything goes out of the window.

Race 2 - Evolution Sim Racing (League Race) (23/05/2024)

Interlagos

After playing around with my internet for a bit, I minorly improved my internet connection, but it was still incredibly patchy.

After starting the first race from the pits (to avoid hitting other cars during the start), I decided to start race 2 from the grid...which went...terribly.

Partially being down to luck (or lack thereof), not knowing the league's start procedure and my internet still being a little "ropey" lead to quite the forgettable start at Interlagos.

Race 3 - FalkenTyre SportsCar Challenge (12/06/2024)

Oscherslaben

After moving my WiFi adapter onto the top of my desk, I started to get better signal and the flickering (from both my side and the opponents' side) was reduced massively.

With a new season upon us, I decided to race in another season of the FalkenTyre Sports Car Challenge - new season, new luck right?

I qualified 14th in class - right in the middle of the pack. The video above shows my first corner of the season...things can only go up from here right?

Race 4 - Evolution Sim Racing (13/06/2024)

the sun was in the sky, my internet connection had never been better and the first race of the season was upon us.

After going from 47th - 36th in the opening sprint, I was hoping to make some good progress further up the grid for the feature race...

Well that was the plan at least... I hadn't even made it half a lap before I was caught up in a monster pile-up at turn 3/4.

These things happen, it's a part of life and racing - but it's happened now and I can't change the outcome.

I'm not fighting for any championship or points - I'm just racing for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Next week is Watkins Glen (and in ESR it's Fuji in the wet) so we'll see how everything pans out.