Week 13 Round-Up

So that's it, another Week 13 is done and dusted for the season - the last "big content release" for the next three months.

I, personally, had a right blast racing in the Week 13 GT3 Challenge and am weirdly sentimental that this weird week has come to a close - it's like a birthday (ish) - it only comes a couple times a year so are a celebrated occasion.

This Week 13, I also made a friend whom I raced against in Saturday and Sunday's races and hopefully I'll bump into him again during the new season, but with the soppy story out of the way, let's have a look at how my "most successful Week 13 since last season" (me driving the F3 Car and Chevvy GTE during that time) has gone. Tuesday 9th March, 2021

After being one of the last drivers on track in S1, 2021 (being in the last Formula 3 Session before everything switched over to W13) and completing the penultimate lap of S1, 2021 of any driver on the service, Week 13 began.

After deciding to save money by not buying either the Formula Renault 2.0 or the Pro-Mazda PM-18 for ONLY Week 13, I decided to wait it out one night and race in the Week 13 GT3 Challenge which officially started at 13:00 on Tuesday, 9 March- but due to the update needing to be downloaded/implemented ("downtime"), it turned into 7pm that Week 13 properly went live.

This was clearly the right decision as I woke up only a couple of hours before the downtime began.

During the down-time, I decided to try dirt/oval cars on road courses…which went….interestingly…

After the downtime it was about 7pmish, so I made my Week 13 debut in the 7:45pm Watkins Glen GT3 Challenge race.

I’d qualify 10th and by lap 4, I had gained two positions - promoting myself up into 8th and stayed there for the remainder of the race. It wasn’t the most exciting race in the world, but I’ll take a 0x race any day of the week.

The timing was beautiful - Since it was a Tuesday, I also had the MOFO race that evening - which went PHENOMENALLY well - not taking anyone out (instead, myself being taken out of race 2) and finishing 6th overall in race 1 - giving myself a pole position start (a first in MOFO History) before finishing the second race outside of the top 10 due to the previously mentioned incident.

Truswell ran the special livery after complaints

Wednesday 10th March, 2021

The first attempt at Wednesday’s race would end with me getting booted after my internet went down for exactly ten seconds.

I’d have lunch and attempt the 2:45pm race and finish 7th, - 0.048 seconds behind 6th – it was a thoroughly enjoyable race on the new circuit even if I had started exactly 7th.

Thursday 11th March, 2021

I’d like to forget Long Beach (Thursday’s) races as quickly as possible. Long Beach started with a traffic jam at the hairpin before getting rear-ended into a half spin. In a Lambo you are looking at, at least a 1.5k point turn.

The second race went slightly better, finishing 8th after a slightly less violent traffic jam at the start and avoiding getting rear ended, although someone ahead of me did crash at the hairpin causing start chaos and me having to wait for the guys ahead to sort themselves out.

Friday 12th March

Road Atlanta could not have gone better – after a surprise front-row start (an unexpectedly fast lap) I’d stay in second the entire race, putting in consistent lap-times – but just consistently slower than the leader.

I’d finish in an impressive second place – my first proper podium during Week 13 (I finished on the podium in Class the previous Week 13)

On the slowing-down lap, The leader and I drove in formation and had a good little chat.

Saturday 13th March

Come the Weekend, I was in high spirits – I wanted to end W13 on a high – and Watkins Glen Cup wasn't the world’s most difficult circuit.

Watkins started SO SO well, qualifying 4th, dropping to 5th after the first lap but re-collecting my composure after lap 5 when drivers began to fall off the track. By lap 9 I was in the top 3 and staying in 3rd from lap 9 until the penultimate lap (one before white flag)

On lap 12, a backmarker would miss his braking point for the chicane and plough straight into me, his low Ferrari pitching my Lambo sideways against the wall before rolling onto its roof. I’d finish 6th after towing, only 10 of 25 entrants would finish.

I’d try again (A later attempt) but after qualifying 6th and having a spin, I had enough and retired.

Sunday 14th March, 2021

All things considered, yesterday’s race at the Hockenheim National B didn’t go all too badly – I just slightly messed up my second lap (took turn one quicker) and started 5th.

A Merc spun in front of me – but P5 (me being P4) wasn’t affected by the spin and launched down the inside with all the extra speed he had. I know I should be happy with P4 – but it’s always the cases with “what could have been”

This W13 has been probably the most successful Week 13 since last season – that being my most successful to date.

Monday 15th March, 2021

Week 13 could have seriously ended worse to be honest - a race from 6th, to 4th to 5th (on the final lap) wasn't the worst of results I've ever had.

Roll on next season and I’m very much looking forward to making my iRating Jump Around again.

Tuesday 16th March, 2021

All my anxieties and doubts all came flooding out at 01:35am whilst writing this blog - I've got this blog to finish, the previous one where I left it at Watkins and the pictures from Oulton Park and Snetterton (later on on Tuesday) to finish as well as an assignment due for my most disliked/worst module - I guess I'm sort of glad it's due first (to get it out of the way) but still - much to do, little time!