22nd-Feb-24, 08:05 AM
Race Report Part One - Nascar Team Race
We welcomed 25 racers to the Barn for our February Digital Wednesday. There were WHO debuts for Brian, Jez, Tim and Scott - although all had strong slot racing pedigree. Plus Russell and Steve P were back for a first taste of our digital racing after appearing at the HO Nascar Wednesday two weeks ago. Mike's Digital Driving School was busy! And we were missing a fair few regulars too - John & Alex, Ethan & Nathan, Jeremy, Pete, Stephen, Tracy and Matthew all sent their apologies...
Simon's track was fast - and that made some innocuous-looking corners quite a challenge for all our racers. Each of the six teams would feature one of our seven top-rated drivers and would be captained by one of our younger racers. There would also be a digital debutant to train up and look after. As 7 o'clock approached, team line-ups were announced, strategy planned and the first drivers limbered up...
The first of three 20-minute segments was a straight Scalextric digital race - no simulations, just overtaking and driver-change pit stops to negotiate. The room hushed as the countdown began and the six colour-coded Ford Tauruses launched off the line. There was early trouble for Team One - captained by Isaac and featuring Alex, Rob and Scott - their Green John Deere Ford requiring a rapid re-programming off-track. They were back in the race, but had lost nearly five laps to the leaders. Out front were the two Walker brothers - Oliver leading Team Five and Ryan Team Three. It was nip and tuck between the two, Oliver, Dean, Andy Phillips and Brian eventually finishing first, the Yellow DeWalt car just a lap shy of the 100-mark. Ryan, Simon, Steve C and Russell were a lap back with the Orange Tide Taurus. Daniel's Team Six were third, Isaac & Co recovering well to fourth and five laps off the stint winners. Team Two - led by Ollie - were fifth on 90 laps and Team Four - Ash, Andy Player, Mike McCann, Mike P and Steve P - rolled in sixth and twelve laps off the pace. Teams swapped cars - first place with sixth, second with fifth etc - and we were ready to go again...
Race Control added in a fuel simulation for the second 20-minute segment - rookie racers immediately aware that they had some pit stop technique to learn on the job. And learn they did - all the teams working well together. Scott obviously had fine teachers in Isaac, Alex and Rob as their team bounced back from those Segment One car issues to reach 100 laps and negotiate 12 pit stops with the Red Wood Brothers Ford. They were a country-mile (aka 9 laps) ahead of Ollie, Mike D, Kev and Jez in second, who had a lap advantage over Oliver's Team Five in third. That meant Isaac's team lead Oliver's by five laps overall going into the final segment. Of the rest, Ryan's quartet were next after finishing fourth in the segment, followed by Daniel, Terry, Duncan and Tim, who were third best with the fuel simulation. The team of five again rolled in sixth - eighteen laps adrift in the segment and 25 laps off the race lead...
The final 20-minute segment was a nervy one for the two teams battling for the race win. In the end, everyone was eclipsed by Ollie, Mike D, Kev and Jez who coped best with the double trouble of Fuel + Tyre simulations - the Red Citgo car taking a second segment win. Their score of 92 laps was four laps better than the chasing pack, led by Ryan, Simon, Steve C and Russell. Those two teams finished on 273 laps - Ollie's team taking third overall thanks to being ahead on the road in that final segment...
Tied on 87 laps for the segment were the race leaders - Isaac's Team One - and Daniel's Team Six. That was enough to give Isaac, Alex, Rob and Scott victory by seven laps - Oliver's team dropping two more laps in the final 20-minutes, but enough for runner-up spot overall. In fact, they were beaten in the segment by the Tail-End Charlies - Ash, Andy, Mike, Mike and Steve redeeming themselves with an excellent final stint. Here are all the stats (click the image to make it bigger)...
It was smiles all-round - and shiny medals for the race winners...
Congrats to everyone for a great race and bravo to all our rookie drivers for passing their first digital racing test. The Tauruses - ten years and a month into their WHO Digital careers - would live to race another day, although some would need TLC from Mike...
Next up, twenty-two racers would take part in the Pioneer Legends pairs race...
We welcomed 25 racers to the Barn for our February Digital Wednesday. There were WHO debuts for Brian, Jez, Tim and Scott - although all had strong slot racing pedigree. Plus Russell and Steve P were back for a first taste of our digital racing after appearing at the HO Nascar Wednesday two weeks ago. Mike's Digital Driving School was busy! And we were missing a fair few regulars too - John & Alex, Ethan & Nathan, Jeremy, Pete, Stephen, Tracy and Matthew all sent their apologies...
Simon's track was fast - and that made some innocuous-looking corners quite a challenge for all our racers. Each of the six teams would feature one of our seven top-rated drivers and would be captained by one of our younger racers. There would also be a digital debutant to train up and look after. As 7 o'clock approached, team line-ups were announced, strategy planned and the first drivers limbered up...
The first of three 20-minute segments was a straight Scalextric digital race - no simulations, just overtaking and driver-change pit stops to negotiate. The room hushed as the countdown began and the six colour-coded Ford Tauruses launched off the line. There was early trouble for Team One - captained by Isaac and featuring Alex, Rob and Scott - their Green John Deere Ford requiring a rapid re-programming off-track. They were back in the race, but had lost nearly five laps to the leaders. Out front were the two Walker brothers - Oliver leading Team Five and Ryan Team Three. It was nip and tuck between the two, Oliver, Dean, Andy Phillips and Brian eventually finishing first, the Yellow DeWalt car just a lap shy of the 100-mark. Ryan, Simon, Steve C and Russell were a lap back with the Orange Tide Taurus. Daniel's Team Six were third, Isaac & Co recovering well to fourth and five laps off the stint winners. Team Two - led by Ollie - were fifth on 90 laps and Team Four - Ash, Andy Player, Mike McCann, Mike P and Steve P - rolled in sixth and twelve laps off the pace. Teams swapped cars - first place with sixth, second with fifth etc - and we were ready to go again...
Race Control added in a fuel simulation for the second 20-minute segment - rookie racers immediately aware that they had some pit stop technique to learn on the job. And learn they did - all the teams working well together. Scott obviously had fine teachers in Isaac, Alex and Rob as their team bounced back from those Segment One car issues to reach 100 laps and negotiate 12 pit stops with the Red Wood Brothers Ford. They were a country-mile (aka 9 laps) ahead of Ollie, Mike D, Kev and Jez in second, who had a lap advantage over Oliver's Team Five in third. That meant Isaac's team lead Oliver's by five laps overall going into the final segment. Of the rest, Ryan's quartet were next after finishing fourth in the segment, followed by Daniel, Terry, Duncan and Tim, who were third best with the fuel simulation. The team of five again rolled in sixth - eighteen laps adrift in the segment and 25 laps off the race lead...
The final 20-minute segment was a nervy one for the two teams battling for the race win. In the end, everyone was eclipsed by Ollie, Mike D, Kev and Jez who coped best with the double trouble of Fuel + Tyre simulations - the Red Citgo car taking a second segment win. Their score of 92 laps was four laps better than the chasing pack, led by Ryan, Simon, Steve C and Russell. Those two teams finished on 273 laps - Ollie's team taking third overall thanks to being ahead on the road in that final segment...
Tied on 87 laps for the segment were the race leaders - Isaac's Team One - and Daniel's Team Six. That was enough to give Isaac, Alex, Rob and Scott victory by seven laps - Oliver's team dropping two more laps in the final 20-minutes, but enough for runner-up spot overall. In fact, they were beaten in the segment by the Tail-End Charlies - Ash, Andy, Mike, Mike and Steve redeeming themselves with an excellent final stint. Here are all the stats (click the image to make it bigger)...
It was smiles all-round - and shiny medals for the race winners...
Congrats to everyone for a great race and bravo to all our rookie drivers for passing their first digital racing test. The Tauruses - ten years and a month into their WHO Digital careers - would live to race another day, although some would need TLC from Mike...
Next up, twenty-two racers would take part in the Pioneer Legends pairs race...
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