The Rollercoaster Ride Of Robin's iRating (Pt. 2:) & S1, 2021 Season Review

Ending On A High Note I never thought I'd ever make this blog, but in a massive contrast to April 2020, I'm now at 1198 iRating and thought that it was high-time for an update.

As a flash reminder, in February 2019, after my very first podium and two 4th places after it - I was at a personal all-time high record of 1187 iRating.

A year after setting the record, I was in a vastly different place - 749 iRating, slowly (but surely) grinding my way up through the 700's, 800's and beyond.

Come the same time in 2021, and I'm yet again in a different world - and doing SO better than I was previously - so well in fact, that I beat my personal highest iRating record of 1187 on a number of occasions - the first being by over 10 iRating - achieving 1198 iR on the 26th February, 2021 - sounds impressive - but how on earth did I do it?

The last race I reported on in my previous blog (of this type) was Belle Isle - where I had just hit 1022 iRating - the first time hitting 1K iR since 2019. Unfortunately, things would only go south from here.

Before that though, I'd have fun in an Unofficial Week 13 series called "Battle Of The Small Wings" in my much loved Dallara F3 (no iRating/Safety Rating affected).

In terms of official events, I'd race in two races, once on Friday and Saturday:

Fri: Ferrari GT3 Challenge @ Brands Hatch (for the nostalgia of the Ferrari GT3 Challenge) - (7th) - 1037 (+15 iR)

Sat: Formula 3 @ Watkins Glen - Chosen as a "follow up" series to the Skip Barber, that weekend saw my first official Formula 3 race - and I loved everything about it - the sound, feel, lack of ABS and responsive steering (9th) - 1050 (+13)

I'd then go to University until 3rd October, before momentarily returning back to home to grab something I needed, before heading back to Uni - I did have time for one two races though -

Formula 3 at Suzuka - 13th - 1044 (-6 iR) and the still the most Bizarre race of my career, Le Mans in a Supercar all by myself.

Returning Home & Week 13

Amid raising COVID cases, Boris (Johnson) announced that there'd be a "corridor" for University students to return home - this being between the 3rd and 9th of December. I'd come home on the 8th, after sorting my MOT, an assignment and a lecture.

Unfortunately I'd be home too late to be competitive in Tuesday's race (too tired) and waste Wednesday doing something not worth while. (Video Idea For YT Channel Failed)

From Thursday to Monday I'd compete in an unofficial Week 13 series for GT3 cars to celebrate the launch of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.

Highlighting Long Beach

A Bad Start To The Season Week 1 would roll around on the 16th of December. Since I had never done any GT Sprint racing (And loved the Lamborghini to BITS) I took a bite of the VRS GT Series - soon realising I'd have to make a pit-stop - which caused all sorts of calamities, I decided to "Never Again" the VRS GT (Sprint) series.

I was ideally looking for something like the Ferrari GT3 Challenge for the Lamborghini/multi-car/multiclass - but I found out that no such thing existed.

7 iRating lighter in the first 48 hours of the season was not a great start.

One series I did enjoy getting my teeth deeply into was the Formula 3 Series - only running two races (W1 & W3) last season, I wanted to complete a full season with it as I believed it was a step up/upgrade from the Skip Barber (I raced in the previous season I competed in)

Formula 3, S1, 2021 Oh boy was the S1, 2021 F3 Season crazy! Every single round, I'd experience something new...

As a quick-fire summary (without the verbose), here are my iRating's for the season:

W1: 944 (Attempt 2) - 10th

W2: 953 (Raced on my birthday - wahey!) - 11th

W3: 849 (Attempt 3) - 6th

W4: 913 - 5th

W5: 973 - 5th

W6: 942 (DNF)

W7: 923 (Attempt 2) (Jump start the first attempt) - 6th

W8: 1046 - 7th

W9: 1026 - (Attempt 2) - 5th

W10: 1122 - (Attempt 2) - 3rd

W11: 1184 - 3rd

W12: 1077 (Attempt 3) - 1st --> 1st

Well, I made over 100 iRating that season so...there's a positive!

W1 - Laguna Seca: iRacing Freezes before the race. I'm forced to shut down the sim. A loss of 109 iRating and I was back in the 900's. Ouch.

Attempt 2 would redeem me to 944 iR (after being 928)

(Attempt 2) Qualified: 11th

(Attempt 2) Finished: 10th (Attempt 2 IR): 944 iR

W2 - Sebring: My fault this time, I kept on cutting the exit of the penultimate corner (chicane onto the long straight). This gave me multiple slow-downs, and hence shuffled me far below where I should have finished.

Quali: 8th

Fin: 11th

IR: 953

(Not ruining the flow of the F3 Season, but I did an EES race with Joost and got a boost of +7 iRating, going up to 960 iRating as a result of it)

W3 - Nurburgring GP:

Attempt 1:

I jump-start and then am rear-ended coming into the pits to serve my penalty

Attempt 2: I get a good start but get caught up in a start pile-up, car is massively damaged Attempt 3: Was my lucky escape, finishing 6th from a (then) record 7th place start. After everything that had happened, I finished my Nurburgring Nightmare and indeed the year with 849 iRating - a gain of +43 iRating from the previous race - putting me at 806 iRating after the second (attempt) - my worst iRating of S1, 2021 by quite a long way - and hopefully it stays that way.

(Attempt 3 Q): 7th

(Attempt 3 F): 6th

IR: 849

(Not ruining the flow - had mixed success in the Road Atlanta EES Weekend - did one on Sat and one on Sun - gained +9 IR on the Saturday one - TOT: 858 IR, but lost -11 IR on the Sunday one

TOT: 847 IR)

W4 - Donington Park - Donington was an absolute treat and a half - great feeling and sounding car at a great circuit - ending this with a personal best finish of 5th place (from 14th!!) and with a single incident point, it truly was a day to remember. iRacing gifted me 66 iRating, I was back in the 900's again...big cheers to me!

Q: 14th

F: 5th

IR: 913

W5 - Catalunya, Spain - After getting the University Of Wolverhampton Racing Team Livery (haven't taken it off since, except Valentines day) - I hit the track and had another belter, finishing 5th in WLV Colours. It was probably one of the best races of the season

Q: 9th

F: 5th

IR: 973

W6 - Zolder

After weeks of success and inching closer to 1K - a feat last achieved in December 2020.

I chose to race on Tuesday. I wanted my iRating early. After qualifying 8th, I was in for a good race - and after battling for the podium steps/top 5 for a portion of the race, on lap 11 it'd all unravel into a heap of shit. No censoring it - It was horrible.

He (3rd at the time) came down the inside of me down the hill and into the chicane, out-braked himself and locked up, getting it stopped much quicker then I could. I bumped into the back of him - he'd spin across the chicane and one way or another, I'd get caught up with him again, this second contact breaking my steering/suspension. I was out from battling for third, and there was nothing I could do - racing is a mean bitch sometimes - and this wild F3 season has thrown everything my way. Not content with the pain of crashing out of the top 5, I also got slapped with 31 iRating being taken away. I would not be trying this one again - bought the incident on myself, and I have no-one else to blame but myself. (or the guy I hit, but I was the one who hit into him - he was just Late On The Brakes)

Q: 8th

F: DNF

IR: 942 Following this was The Daytona 24 Hours, where I'd not manage to complete a lap due to the car being disqualified before my stint. My iRating was not touched.

W7 - Detroit (Belle Isle)

My habit of doing Tuesday's race (first day of the iRacing Week) continued into Week 7. After jumping the start and knowing I'd have to serve I penalty, I'd retire before even crossing the start-finish to start the first lap. I'd attempt the very next race - this time with an appalling 866 iRating to my name

Attempt 2 went much better (naturally) - qualifying 6 places higher (10th) and would finish a respectable 6th place. Just like a yo-yo, I was back into the 900's - 923 on this occasion.

(Attempt 2) Q: 10th

(Attempt 2) F: 6TH

(Attempt 2) IR: 923

Okay, this time I AM going to ruin the F3 flow - because it's worth it

VRS Endurance - Imola

I wish I listened to my own advice during this race, but I didn't....

"You cannot out-perfect perfect"

During Saturday's race of the VRS Endurance race at Imola I absolutely fucking ACED my first double stint. Not only did I ace it, but I truly believe that I perfected it - I had a perfect stint.

After not starting a race since steam powered cars roamed the streets, to get in, be more than competitive with the field (hovering just outside of the top 10 by the end of my second stint - from 34th on the grid) with only 7 incidents in 2 hours I was beyond chuffed with myself - I had a huge blast and came out of the car grinning from ear to ear.

As I was more on the consistent side, I was also able to save a lap or so of fuel, pulling the car into the pits at the end of my second stint (and handing it over to Angel) in 3rd.

Although we'd finish 11th (Angel was under some HUGE pressure), I had one hell of a day and was now at 971 iRating....on the verge of hitting 1K....again.

Sat Q: 34th

Sat F: 11th

Sat IR: 971

Unfortunately, Sunday's race....wouldn't go quite as well as the previous one did.

With a slightly higher SOF (Strength Of Field)/level of competition progress up the field was much, much slower - and whilst I was avoiding all the incidents last time, after two hours I'd amassed 16 Incidents.

It was not as fun as previously - picking up incident after incident - knowing that off of the back of yesterday's success.

I'd hit 1001 iRating again - but in the most bittersweet way possible - I didn't want to hit 1K during this race - maybe a race that I did well at or deserved to hit the achievement.

Sun Q: 35th

Sun F: 17th

Sun IR: 1001

(Back to F3)

W8 - Road America

We return once again to my wild Formula 3 Season. With 2 iRating separating me from the noobs, I once again chose to race on Tuesday.

I qualified 8th...again (running theme) and had a decent start, before spinning at turn three due to cold tyres.

After cursing at myself a bit, I'd get the car restarted and head into turn four...where I was then rear ended (or clipped), spinning me around again. Less than 20 furious laps later, I would come home in 7th. Sounds mediocre starting from 8th - but after falling to 12th, it wasn't a half bad result.

Q: 8th

F: 7th

IR: 1046

Next was EES at Silverstone - I had a night stint so I don't remember a single thing (as it was dark)

Q: 40th

F: 33rd (21st In Class)

IR: 1026

R9 - Okayama

Still being relatively close to 1K, I once again did Tuesday's race....and as expected it went rather wild.

After getting used to my "Slippery Sock Syndrome" (new socks/lint/low grip) Okayama began well, qualifying 13th, getting a good start from 13th, before getting in a big battle for 4th/5th by the 2nd lap...which ultimately ended with me flipping upside down/getting flipped (interesting physics)

Q: 13th

R: DNF/22nd

IR: 960

I'd do practice for the second race, but immediately felt guilty that I'd gone from upside down in the wall, to having another crack at it - thinking back to Zolder when I crashed (not on lap one) and didn't have a second attempt - but then I remembered my three attempts at Nurburgring and gave it another shot on Wednesday, a new day - a new start. (Attempt 2)

This would be a really, really solid drive from me, picking it up from the gravel bed and then coming home 20 laps later to finish 5th - less than a second behind 4th

-0.168 seconds was the gap

Q: 11th

F: 5th

IR: 1026

W10 - Brazil

My most recent race to date (almost) - Once again I (foolishly) opted to go for the Tuesday race - 1026 still being decent, but I wanted to jump up further - maybe break a record, but the only thing I'd end up breaking is my entire car.

And I were to be involved in a pile-up

W10 - Brazil - Attempt 2

I eventually persuaded myself to give Interlagos another shot - the thoughts of "What If" were too strong and since I had achieved lap-times in practice of those near the front and I was taken out in a big-multi-car pile-up, I think I owed it to myself to see how well I could do.

In Open Practice, I was competitive as before, but come qualifying I was about to get the shock of my life....

I ONLY WENT AND SLAPPED IT ON POLE!!!!!

I did a 1:30.172 - Not far off my all time best of a 1:29! I was beyond surprised - I knew there were fast guys who were able to achieve 1:29's and I was guessing that I had qualified near my average of 5th or so

The race would go immaculately, getting a good start off the line (no jump!), battling for 1st for a couple of laps before settling for 3rd place (2nd spinning, but gathering himself and catching up/passing.

This race would give me a total of 1122 iRating - The 4th highest I'd ever been - and highest I'd ever been since my debut season - specifically Laguna Seca, the final round of the season. The race was clean and I only got x3 incidents (for off-tracks) throughout the entire race. The start can be seen here.

Q: 1st

F: 3rd

IR: 1122

(Not going to ruin the flow - had EES (European-ish Endurance Series Race at Twin Ring Motegi. Was very foggy, wasn't the best on my side - lost -7 and went down to 1115 iR because of it)

W11 - Road Atlanta

I don't know if it was because I was bored, or because I was fairly competitive, but I'd race on Tuesday - wanting to see if I was skilled (in my split) or just lucky (On Thursday)

After qualifying 7th, I knew I was in for a fairly normal race...but what I DIDN'T expect was after 20 laps of hard battling that I'd finish 3rd - a my first back to back podium in any (single) series! This also marked my second most successful season in iRacing after getting three podiums in the Skip Barbers (1st at Donington, 2nd at Montreal/Canada and 3rd at Mosport). If I get a podium at the final round at Monza that'll match my best season to date.

The race was even more exciting with plenty of overtakes, action and incidents.

Now at an iRating of 1184 - I'm at the edge of breaking my all-time Personal Best iRating - I'm going into the unknown! I my iRacing account is about to see never-seen-before numbers - but that relies on both Monza and Bathurst going well.

Q: 7th

F: 3rd

IR: 1184

Following this race was Bathurst - and I'm well aware this blog is plenty long enough - so I'll just link to it instead

But we started the Bathurst 12hrs in 8th and finished 15th - driving the widest GT3 car in sim - this is no easy feat - and I was absolutely chuffed with the team and the result

Q: 20th

F: 15th

IR: 1198

Blog here:

https://www.kabortmotorsport.com/post/kabort-s-wild-bathurst-12hrs