I had a real good run going here, I was iRated fourth and was running fourth, right behind the top three… The guys in first and second tangled, collected the third - and the fourth. I’m the red car with wheels locked trying to get slowed down. I just couldn’t make it down to that lower lane! If I had, I would have won the race, I had a four-second lead over the guy in fifth-place.
#1 and #3 tangle as I desperately try to get slowed down...
Yet again, I started from pole. Yet again, my tyres gave up and I dropped to second-place. It’s kind of hard to be too dissapointed about it, but I still haven’t got a win yet! My laps led total has gone way up though just lately and I think it’s only a matter of time before I get a win on either the ovals or roadcourses. Anyway, I didn’t qualify before the event, but still had my 16.092 from a few days ago. This, as I said above, gave me pole position.
It wasn’t much of an interesting race (which is why honestly, I’m glad I don’t win all the time) until the guy in second place started to catch me as my tyres went off. I’d just started to try a higher line when he caught me and it actually seemed that with worn tyres I was slightly faster there again than I was at the bottom of the track. I just let him go and really, that was it! I ran around in second-place (a lap ahead of the third-placed person) until the chequered flag.
I had no incidents (no, not even a scrape with the wall) and my fastest lap was 16.092 (yes, the same as my qualifying lap from days earlier), set on lap two.
Just lately I’ve felt pretty fast and for the third time ever (but the second time in two days!) I was on pole for this race. I’d set a time of 16.092 the day before and thought that was good enough.
So I started on pole and actually led most of the race, but by about lap twenty-five (of fifty) I’d really started to feel the wear on my tyres. I came out of a turn and slapped the wall pretty hard. I’m not sure what damage I had done, but it completely changed the handling of the car. I now found myself having to run the high line around South Boston and almost unable to hold a low line at all.
Eventually over the next seven or eight laps, the person in second-place managed to close the gap and start to get his nose alongside. As I continued to run the high line I actually noticed that it is quite a competitive line when the tyres are worn as he had quite a bit of trouble getting by and clearing my car. When he did eventually get by, on lap thirty-three, I settled in and continued to run hard, finishing in second-place.
So I had a good run. I made one mistake with my wall contact and that probably didn’t alter where I would have finished. I think my tyres were fried and honestly the guy behind seemed faster. My fastest lap was a 16.062, set on lap two.
The Rookie Legends car is a very good educational vehicle for the Advanced Legends because both cars will break traction at the same speed and often in the same place. The Rookie car is obviously less powerful and this means the problems you might experience in the more powerful car, you have already felt - albeit in a more subtle fashion - with the less powerful one.
The Advanced Legends car is a tough oval car that requires you to spend almost as much time turning right as left. This nimble car can really chew you up and spit you out on the tight ovals it normally races on. It is very easy to clip the wall when exiting the turn because you simply run out of racetrack while trying to keep the car pointed the right direction.
On most of the ovals, you will only need to use 4th gear, but on Lanier and Oxford (currently - this may change when the sim changes as I would probably damage the engine eventually), you will find that using 3rd gear may allow you to hold a better line in the turns. Of course using 4th does make the car easier to control, so if you have just graduated to the Advanced car from the Rookie, I would suggest using 4th gear. I have a habit of taking a shallow entry into most ovals with this car and taking a wider exit along the wall, I haven’t noticed myself being terribly slower than those of similar ranking in races. The suggested line of course is for a late entry, lower line in the center of the turn and a smooth, fast, exit.
The exception to the rule, is Lowe’s. The fastest way to go around this track seems to be 2nd gear in the turns and 3rd gear down the straights. Also, you will find that trying to make yourself a little ‘out of control’ into the turns can often give you a wonderful power-driven slide that takes you the full length of the turn. Lowe’s is also the only track of the four that I use any of the brake pedal.
Below you can see a video of the ‘Legends Ford ‘34 Coupe’ car on the two oval tracks that form part of the ‘Summer 2008 B’ series. Those tracks are: South Boston, Virginia and Lanier National Speedway, Georgia.
Click here then click “watch in high quality” if required.
Below you can see a video of the ‘Legends Ford ‘34 Coupe’ car on the remaining two oval tracks that form part of the ‘Summer 2008 B’ series. Those tracks are: Oxford Plains Speedway, Maine and Lowe’s Motor Speedway, North Carolina.
Click here then click “watch in high quality” if required.
The Rookie Legends car is a fairly easy oval car compared to most, but do not underestimate it. You can lose control and you can hit the wall. Driving this low powered version of the Legends car (officially named “Legends Ford ‘34 Coupe - Rookie”) is all about momentum, you drive while trying to lose as little speed as possible.
On most of the ovals this car races on, you will not need to use 4th gear. If you do use 4th you will find the car easier to control, but you will also find the car is more difficult to keep low in the turns and will often run wide on the exit. Give yourself a nice, smooth, lower line in the center of the turn and simply try to make sure you keep good speed.
Below you can see a video of the ‘Legends Ford ‘34 Coupe - Rookie’ car on the two ovals tracks that form the ‘Summer 2008 B’ series. Those tracks are: South Boston, Virginia and Lanier National Speedway, Georgia.
Click here then click “watch in high quality” if required.
