Worlds are done! A lot of preparation went into this race, but that didn’t result in the success I had hoped for. I qualified in the 1/8th final, bumped to the 1/4 final, then was running in 6th or 7th when I broke coming into the last fuel stop. Had I run to the end I believe I would have finished 5th. I had a terrible beginning to the race, and was far back, and was slowly working my way up. With a perfect start, such as the one Dylan Rodriguez had, I could have at best bumped to the semis, but that would have been it. I didn’t have the speed to make the main. Let’s take a look at the progress since I decided to try to improve my driving, and where I am at now.
I don’t know where I finished, because I broke, but my speed was OK for 20th-25th place. That’s not what I was looking for. I wanted to make the main. I had moments where I had the speed, but I didn’t have the speed in the mains. When the conditions were just right for my setup and my driving, my best lap was actually just a few tenths off the very best, and I wasn’t too far off overall either. But anything a bit different, and it increased to that famous 1 second again. But to be on the pace in lap times was good!
I knew from the 2nd day on, that this worlds would be extremely difficult. And that’s because this race required bucket loads of talent. Every time you hit the track it was different. And not only that, during the run it would change, due to the watering. Depending on the time of day it would also change differently, as it dried. Ever changing conditions require talent, because as a driver you have to constantly adapt. You can’t build on the previous run, or even the previous laps! And if you have been reading this blog, you will have read about that before. A talented driver can adapt, a non talented driver has to rely on skill, and skill you build up by practicing. And even after a lot of practice it takes a skilled but non talented driver longer to adapt. In stable conditions, by preparing well you can do really well. In ever changing situations, it is very hard, and requires a lot of luck.
Where I am at now
The best thing at this race was how I managed my nerves. I held it together pretty well. 1st qualifier I drove too conservatively, and was 40-something. 2nd round, I was one of the few who went faster, as the track was slower. I forced myself to push the pace outside of my comfort zone, and even though I crashed twice, I still managed to finish 13th. The 2nd day I was at a disadvantage with the track, and the last day was equal, and I improved again. In the mains I bumped from the 1st time, with pressure from the rest of the field in the beginning. In the 2nd main I had such a terrible start, and was so far behind, that it never really got exciting, but I held it together, and managed to get up to mid pack, with a chance of finishing 5th, but I unfortunately broke in pit lane, entering it for the last time. Part of the reason for the bad beginning was the fact that I had to stand at the other end of the driver stand, and I kept making silly mistakes! But nerves, they never became a problem
The good thing about my driving was consistency, and the fact that in the right conditions I was able to match the fast lap times. I was more aggressive than before, and made some good overtaking moves throughout the week. I didn’t catch someone and then slow down and match their pace, I made moves. I didn’t crash much, and didn’t have any problems until I broke in the 2nd main. Engine was perfect every run too.
How I Need to Improve
Consistency hasn’t been a problem for years, what I need to do now is be more aggressive, be on the gas more, be faster, but not out of control. Learn to enter corners faster, maintain more speed in corners, and exit them faster, without blowing it. In practice it’s one thing, in racing is where it counts, and where it’s hard to do. So what I need to do now is practice being more aggressive, and racing more aggressively, crash out or be fast. I may sacrifice some races over the next year, but it’s the only way I can become faster. I need to hit that lap time, that’s the goal. Then we move on from there. The car is fast enough, it can handle it, now I need to drive it right.
THEQuagraine 