Mazda Magic, Part II

Laguna is not my favorite track. I don't like all that steep banking; the rolling in and rolling out really increases the complexity of the corners, and not in a way that's fun for me.

But last Tuesday I raced the Mazda with aslightly modified version of Ricardo's Mazda setup and had a fantastic race. (All I'd done to Ricardo's wonderful setup was to add a few notches of front wing to help the car turn in better.)

These days my iRating seems to be high enough that iRacing's automated race control keeps sticking me in races full of aliens, with whom I haven't a hope of actually racing. I wasn't gridded anywhere near the front, but after the first lap shuffle I wound up with a fellow named Dennis Griffen right behind me. Dennis and I were about the same speed; I had an advantage in some corners, he in others, but he was quick enough to put pressure on me the entire race.

I was pushing myself quite hard but trying to stay clean, and although he got alongside a couple of times, Dennis was never quite able to make a pass stick. He was driving very cleanly, which made it fantastic. The only contact we had was when he bumped me from behind once entering the corkscrew after he got a good run out of Turn 6 and I, being a little inconsistent as usual, braked a little earlier than usual at the top of the hill. But the contact was clearly unintentional and he apologized right then and also after the race. What a pleasure to race with people like this!

We had a terrific fight right through until the penultimate lap. The whole race (except for that one blooper) I'd had an advantage through Turn 6, that nasty banked corner before the hill going up to the corkscrew, so most of the time Dennis was never close enough to threaten me at the corkscrew.

But this time he got another good run through Turn 6 and I messed up and went wide on the exit, so I had to lift a little. Going into the corkscrew he was right on my tail and, under pressure, I left my braking too late. I skittered off the outside, shortcutting the corkscrew. Not by much, but just enough to get a furled black flag for a second or two. I had to slow down to clear it, and Dennis was through.

Damn and blast!

But it was a great battle, and we both had a terrific time.

I'm really getting to like this Mazda!