Just finished my first online race on the PC.
Signed up for a community but they won’t let you race until you prove yourself in what’s called a PitSkill race. It works out what rank you should be in after a few races completed and what category you should be in.
So I submitted my entry this morning and practiced this afternoon before dinner. Logged on at 7pm. 30 minute practice, 15 minute qualifying and a 30 minute race. 19 entrants.
Fixed my tyre pressures and fuel during practice for the race and ran some times around 12th. Was chuffed with that but didn’t read too much into it because practice is exactly that, I wasn’t putting it on full beans.
Qualifying started and I set a few banker laps which got me to again 12th. Waited until near the end of qualy and went out with minimum fuel and adjusted tyre pressures to heat them up quicker.
Got a pretty good lap in but was aiming for a last shot after the chequered flag dropped. Was on an absolute flier and just dipped a wheel into the gravel and lost all the time I gained. No chance of improving so just drove back to the pits.
Qualified 8th.
Race started after a formation lap and I kept my position despite a few side by side moments through the first half of the lap and then it settled down. Spinner on second lap, got me up to 7th and I started reeling in 5th and 6th. Got to within 0.2 of 6th and pretty much stayed there for the entire race. My fast lap was three tenths faster than the guy in front. Couldn’t find a way past at all. Last lap, 5th place slowed dramatically. Ran out of fuel.
Finished in 6th of 19 and no incidents, all laps were valid and got bonus safety points for my safety rating.
Absolutely pumped. Saved the replay to analyse what could have been done better.
Apologies for that wall of text. Just so excited about how that went. It honestly couldn’t have went any better for a first experience.
TL;DR - First online race on PC, went well. Had to share. Adrenaline still pumping.