NEWS Oct-Dec 2007

25 Nov 18.45 

After Chulk, Mark L. Rivers writes his name on the winner's book!

It’s finished! The great challenge for the 2nd title of the unique official NORH Stunts contest on the WEB is finished! No surprises in last week: the title goes to Mark L. Rivers who writes his name afterward Chulk on the winner’s book! But the Italian wanted also strongly the victory in this race to legitimate, more than he did during the season, the title, having to race on a track not designed by him. And so, even the title was almost sure, he improved again his time lowering until an unthinkable limit until last week: 1’20”50! No further improvements instead for Chulk and Duplode, while Krys TOFF sent a final time really appreciable, above all for the 1st half of race, as we can consider checking the analysis. So let’s start for the last time to a trip inside this wonderful a dazzling race! Quite linear 1st section for all drivers, even if Chulk, Duplode and Krys TOFF insert the 4th gear only afterward to land the first jump, while Mark insert it immediately, on top of the first ramp. So on top of the 2nd ramp (where powergear starts) Mark leads for 0”15 on others, not a big gap, but at this level all counts. A very high and long jump for Chulk just after to insert the “magic” 6th gear, determines a longer trajectory than others, and so this is the standing at first intermediate: Mark (who closes more than others toward the loop) leads with 25”15, 2nd Krys TOFF and Duplode (same time for both, 25”50), 3rd Chulk (25”80). Just after the 1st intermediate, we find the first little guide error of the winner, who passes a bit too much far from the loop. It’s the first of five little guide errors he made during the lap. Instead, Chulk and Duplode have driven really in a perfect way until the Finish! Krys also drove perfectly but showing his great NORH skill only until the half of the lap. And now, 2nd section. Mark, Krys and Chulk follow the track, jumping normally the bridge while Duplode cuts the large 180° so to re-enter on the track just before the L/R corkscrew: difficult to say if this cut is really rewarding, maybe it’s a more safe way (less crashes) than approaching the large curve, but the speed wherewith the brazilian escapes from the corkscrew is sure lower than others. Meanwhile, other two little errors for Mark during the 180°, two times with the wheels on the grass even if only lightly. And Mark makes another mistake placing again the wheels on the grass just before the ramp that permits to all drivers to re-gain the powergear. But then we find the great divide that determines a lot the final result of this race. Powergear for all from the ramp who leads to the pipe but three different choices for the four drivers: left side of the pipe for Krys and Mark, right side for Chulk and, very unusual strategy error for him, Duplode chooses the middle! Yes, while Chulk, Mark and Krys choose to cut the aerial tract placed after the pipe, re-entering on the track between the final ramp and the tunnel, Duplode follows the track transiting on the elevated curve and losing so a lot of time. The standing at 2nd intermediate (end of the pipe): 1st Mark with 48”00, 2nd Krys (really great half race for him!) with 48”70, 3rd Chulk with 49”05 and 4th Duplode (the only who had to brake before the intermediate, in order of the choice made) with 49”50. The brazilian ace drives in a perfect way on the elevated curve arriving to insert the 5th gear just before the L/R corkscrew, but it won’t be enough… Meanwhile, how do the other three drivers approach the re-entering on the track? Krys TOFF doesn’t succeed to close the curve on the grass and he has to leaves the gas very soon reaching so the asphalt with the 3rd gear (but maybe had to insert the 2nd one…) losing really a lot of speed, while Mark leaves the gas very near to the re-entering and so approaches the tunnel with a full 4th gear. And Chulk? Well, availing the angle permitted him being jumped on the right side of the pipe, he re-enters on the track keeping the powergear!!! And he succeeds to control his car in the subsequent tract, passing through the left barrier placed just before the L/R corkscrew! Wonderful, really wonderful! Quite similar trend for all drivers from corkscrew until the 3rd intermediate (even if Chulk maybe loses a bit on the sharp curve that introduces in the tunnel…), reached with the following standing: 1st Mark with 1’04”50, 2nd Chulk with 1’05”60, 3rd Duplode with 1’09”45 and 4th Krys with 1’11”35 (too much speed loss previously). Race still open until here for Chulk and Mark, but again different choices determine the final result! Quite linear tract for all until the final hill but then Chulk and Krys choose cautiously to follow the track jumping toward the bank-road curve, while Duplode and Mark choose to cut the final tract aiming directly to the finish! Krys doesn’t succeed to keep the powergear while Chulk conserves it, anyway both lose 2” – 3” on the other couple. Who did result the faster? A fantastic Duplode, who drives again perfectly on the last tract too! Mark makes his last error choosing a bad angle that causes a little speed loss before the hill: Powergear reached, but jump very short, risking to land on the side of the hill that would mean a sure penalty! Anyway, in order of the angle chose, he doesn’t succeed to close the line toward the finish and his race ends a bit later than it could be. Wow, what an intense and dazzling challenge!! And what a wonderful season has been!! I sure hope that next year many other drivers will join to the NORH contest, even if, as you probably know, it won’t be admitted to SDR. Anyway, the passion that leaded the NORH drivers to facing with so high engagement this year, sure will be the same the next one, and this means that we’ll have another marvelous season managed by Krys TOFF! So, waiting for a new start, we can say one more time: long live to NORH races, long live to Stunts!

25 Nov 18.45  

Wonderful podium for the last amazing race of a great season!

We can say it: “The Arenas” has not been a classic year ending race with the games already closed. It has been a real hard and engaging challenge between drivers who raced for fun and for the win! And, as it’s obvious in these cases, the show has been great, and also the podium: Mark L. Rivers legitimates the title, conquered one month ago, winning ahead an awesome Duplode (first 2nd place for him in career for this specialty!) and a fantastic Bonzai Joe who is returning to a splendid condition after the long pause! Really a wonderful race who appears even greater if we check the analysis. But before this, let’s talk about the results of other drivers! Fourth is arrived Chulk, without improvements in last week, maybe not very motivated to find a faster replay in a race by now with many significances for him. But the final 2nd place in classification is really a great result, and if we check the final SDR Ranking, we can see that Chulk is the driver who caught the highest number of race points in the 2 seasons: chapeau. And now we have to talk about the last three places. Usually the fifth position is a not very rewarding place, but this time it’s not so: succeeding to stay ahead Krys TOFF and SuperBrian (6th and 7th, without further improvements in last week) AbuRaf70 succeeds to catch a 5th place that vales gold for him! In fact, the esteemed and loved argentinian driver succeeds to obtain a wonderful third place in the general classification, a result that has really a sweet taste, for him and maybe for his main opponent in the season too… But let’s return to the podiumers’ races! We have said “awesome Duplode” and this is not exaggerate: best first, second and fourth section inflicting heavy gaps (above all in section 1 and 4) to his opponents!!! Yes, at 1st intermediate the brazilian ace leads with 1”20 on Bonzai Joe (2nd) and 2”00 on Mark L. Rivers (only 4th behind Chulk) and the gaps rise to 1’35” for BJ (2nd) and 2”95 for Mark (still 4th behind Chulk) at intermediate 2! And what about the section 4? Partial times say this: 1st Duplode with 13”55, 2nd BJ with 16”35 (+ 2”80) and 3rd Mark with 16”50 (+ 2”95). Total time of these 3 sections? Duplode 48”30, BJ 52”45, Mark 54”20. Abyssal gaps for a really awesome Duplode!! But, sure you ask, how does it possible he didn’t win, what did it happen in section 3?? And now we have to talk about the mysterious 3rd section… Since BJ sent is impressive 1’11”60, Mark thought that the Danish ace had cut the track correspondently to the access to the 2nd Arena. But it was wrong. BJ made a fantastic line, driving his car really at its limit, skimming the perfection (+ 3”75 on Duplode), but following a normal line, the same line of the brazilian driver. Anyway Mark didn’t know it and so he concentrated all his efforts on that cut. An impossible long jump, an impossible cut. And when he was almost sure to desist… the “miracle” happened! Yes, Mark cut the track jumping from the ramps situated at intermediate 3 to the access of 2nd Arena, keeping the Powergear: really incredible but real, watch his replay to believe it!! And if you’ll watch that replay you’ll see that the jump has been preparated (with a big investment of time) since the middle of the two fast chicanes placed in the water. To arrive to the ramps with the right degrees and the right slide, Mark lunges the trajectory in the middle of the chicanes, reducing forced the speed (this explains better the gap of 1” from Duplode between 1st and 2nd intermediate…), but sliding as he wanted to approach the ramps to try to make the jump desired, availing the usual strange shake that ramps provide when you approach them on the border. And this is the standing at intermediate 3: 1st Mark with 53”20 (3rd section partial time: 15”50), 2nd a wonderful BJ with 54”65 (18”55  +3”05) and 3rd is Duplode with 57”05 (22”30  +6”80). But now sure you ask: how did Duplode succeed to rescue 3” on Mark and BJ in last section? Well, Mark (evidently exultant for his “magic” cut…) didn’t see the possibility to avail the loop completely to reach and keep the powergear so to pass on the grass near the up/down corkscrew. He cut anyway the corkscrew but flying on it, after availing only the first tract of the loop. Many seconds gain on drivers who chose to jump from the loop to the corkscrew, but sure not the best way possible. Instead BJ and Duplode made the best choice, but with a little but determinant difference: while the danish driver passes on the right of the final ramp of the elevated tract, the brazilian succeeds to pass on the left and this means… he succeeds to keep the powergear for all the final tract!! “You sure are wrong”, you said, “last sharp corner placed just before the finish can’t be done with powergear!” Do you think so? Well, you have only to see the replay to be sure that I have not said lies… Incredible and dazzling final for the great race of Duplode! And sure incredible and dazzling final for this race and this great season!! Thank so much to all have take part, racing on SDR too, to the great show called Stunts world racing! One more time we can say: Long live to Stunts!

18 Nov 18.10 - Mark L. Rivers, the hands on the title

Chulk and Mark L. Rivers: the season is arrived to its last act and the two great NORH drivers are one more time side by side to fight a fair battle for the final victory!! Even if we have to say that the Italian seems to have by now his hands on the title: the two pretenders, in fact, succeed to improve both over 3% their previous time demonstrating all their engagement and their skill, but the argentinian champion doesn’t succeed to get more bonus points than his opponent (a whole bonus point for Mark at CP3, 2 bonus points in total, and half bonus point for Chulk at CP3, 1,5 in total). So Chulk must hope only in a precise final classification of the race to rescue his current gap (6 points, counting the 0,5 bonus points of this race): he must win and Mark L. Rivers mustn’t get more than a 4th place. And we have to mind that Mark (like Chulk) doesn’t miss a podium in all official NORH races, 15 until here. Really a desperate mission for Chulk. Duplode and Krys have sure the potential to beat the italian driver. But did the brazilian find the best line for this race? Maybe not, seeing the current unusual high gap from the leaders… And will the french have enough time so to leave from his current race over 20”? Let’s see. Anyway, we can’t exclude other outsiders. We have a Bonzai Joe (great NORH skill showed in the past) who are exhibiting a wonderful condition in RH race and we can’t forget that another specialist, Zak McKracken, has declared recently that NORH races could be in his aim in this period. Maybe it’s better for Mark not to think to have the title already in the pocket, a very bad surprise could be behind the corner for him… So a last dazzling week wait all us who love this great specialty, and maybe also all love the taste of the challenge, so palpable in this great fair battle!!! See you, for the last time, next Sunday!!

18 Nov 18.10 - Awesome outset for a great Bonzai Joe!!!

Sensational, astonishing, shocking outset for Bonzai Joe!!! The danish ace goes down on the track for the first time in this SDR season (welcome back!) and his result is absolutely breathtaking: first provisional place atomising the previous record!!! Yes the great BJ reaches a wonderful 1’11”60 leaving a more and more amazing Duplode (2nd) so far, although he lowered his previous time more than 3%: more than 6” the gap from the danish “rocket” and the brazilian revelation! Really devastating the race of BJ, who takes part for the 3rd time in a SDR race (previous races: R1/2006 “Speed” and R2/2006 “Steering”)! About the others, Chulk conquers the provisional podium overtaking for 0”10 Mark L. Rivers (4th) who didn’t improve (a "bit" engaged in NORH contest… ;)). Fifth is AbuRaf70 who lowers again his time fortifying his provisional third place in general classification on Krys TOFF (6th) who didn’t send a new replay. SuperBrian (7th) closes the group but he’s now very near to his teammate. And now we are at the last week of race! Will anyone succeed to approach the monster BJ’s time? Maybe Duplode who is hunting his first victory? Or Chulk who maybe want to get a last satisfaction in SDR? And what about Mark L. Rivers? Will he want to legitimate his title trying to beat current leader? But there’s a third place in overall that asks a name: AbuRaf70 or Krys TOFF? Sure BJ’s outset made more complicated the things for Krys (and more easy for AbuRaf70): he has to arrive 4th to be sure to rescue the 1,5 points that he need to overtake AbuRaf70 in general classification, but now it seems not so easy having to rescue a lot of seconds (about 10”) on current 4th (Mark L. Rivers)! But a good teamwork by Damage Inc. could simplify him the life… Wow, really a great final for this season!!

18 Nov 18.10 - Mark L. Rivers, the hands on the title

Chulk and Mark L. Rivers: the season is arrived to its last act and the two great NORH drivers are one more time side by side to fight a fair battle for the final victory!! Even if we have to say that the Italian seems to have by now his hands on the title: the two pretenders, in fact, succeed to improve both over 3% their previous time demonstrating all their engagement and their skill, but the argentinian champion doesn’t succeed to get more bonus points than his opponent (a whole bonus point for Mark at CP3, 2 bonus points in total, and half bonus point for Chulk at CP3, 1,5 in total). So Chulk must hope only in a precise final classification of the race to rescue his current gap (6 points, counting the 0,5 bonus points of this race): he must win and Mark L. Rivers mustn’t get more than a 4th place. And we have to mind that Mark (like Chulk) doesn’t miss a podium in all official NORH races, 15 until here. Really a desperate mission for Chulk. Duplode and Krys have sure the potential to beat the italian driver. But did the brazilian find the best line for this race? Maybe not, seeing the current unusual high gap from the leaders… And will the french have enough time so to leave from his current race over 20”? Let’s see. Anyway, we can’t exclude other outsiders. We have a Bonzai Joe (great NORH skill showed in the past) who are exhibiting a wonderful condition in RH race and we can’t forget that another specialist, Zak McKracken, has declared recently that NORH races could be in his aim in this period. Maybe it’s better for Mark not to think to have the title already in the pocket, a very bad surprise could be behind the corner for him… So a last dazzling week wait all us who love this great specialty, and maybe also all love the taste of the challenge, so palpable in this great fair battle!!! See you, for the last time, next Sunday!!

18 Nov 18.10 - Awesome outset for a great Bonzai Joe!!!

Sensational, astonishing, shocking outset for Bonzai Joe!!! The danish ace goes down on the track for the first time in this SDR season (welcome back!) and his result is absolutely breathtaking: first provisional place atomising the previous record!!! Yes the great BJ reaches a wonderful 1’11”60 leaving a more and more amazing Duplode (2nd) so far, although he lowered his previous time more than 3%: more than 6” the gap from the danish “rocket” and the brazilian revelation! Really devastating the race of BJ, who takes part for the 3rd time in a SDR race (previous races: R1/2006 “Speed” and R2/2006 “Steering”)! About the others, Chulk conquers the provisional podium overtaking for 0”10 Mark L. Rivers (4th) who didn’t improve (a "bit" engaged in NORH contest… ;)). Fifth is AbuRaf70 who lowers again his time fortifying his provisional third place in general classification on Krys TOFF (6th) who didn’t send a new replay. SuperBrian (7th) closes the group but he’s now very near to his teammate. And now we are at the last week of race! Will anyone succeed to approach the monster BJ’s time? Maybe Duplode who is hunting his first victory? Or Chulk who maybe want to get a last satisfaction in SDR? And what about Mark L. Rivers? Will he want to legitimate his title trying to beat current leader? But there’s a third place in overall that asks a name: AbuRaf70 or Krys TOFF? Sure BJ’s outset made more complicated the things for Krys (and more easy for AbuRaf70): he has to arrive 4th to be sure to rescue the 1,5 points that he need to overtake AbuRaf70 in general classification, but now it seems not so easy having to rescue a lot of seconds (about 10”) on current 4th (Mark L. Rivers)! But a good teamwork by Damage Inc. could simplify him the life… Wow, really a great final for this season!!

14 Nov 08.15 - Double interview: AbuRaf70 and Duplode!

While the wait for the conclusion of this race becomes hot, I think to make a pleasing thing to all publishing two short interviews with two real starrings of this SDR season: AbuRaf70 and Duplode! You can accede them from Archive page. Good reading!

11 Nov 15.40 - Unbelievable!!! Three drivers in 0"05!!! Now Chulk hopes...

Unbelievable standings at CP2!!! Three drivers in 0"05 with Duplode and Chulk paired at 1st place and Mark L. Rivers, 3rd, just 5 centiseconds behind them!!! Could we imagine a standings more shocking than this!? Absolutely impossible, above all because this is a NORH race and we are fighting for the title in the last race! But in add to be dazzling, the classification at CP2 means a lot in order to the season! With this result, Duplode and Chulk get both a whole bonus point while Mark doesn't get bonus. So the argentinian champion cancels the gap accumulated at CP1 (about bonus point that Mark got) and can look to the future with more hope! Chulk's road has been clear traced by now, he has to follow 4 precise steps, 2 for CP3 and 2 for the Finish. Which steps? About next Sunday, Chulk has to reach 2 targets: 1) to lower his current time over 3% (so to catch bonus points) and 2) stay ahead Mark. In this way, Chulk would get at least 0,5 bonus point more than Mark, condition needed to rescue the 5,5 points in general classification. If these targets will be reached, Chulk will have other 2 steps to do on the road toward the title for next and last Sunday, that is for the Finish: 1) He must win the race and 2) Mark mustn't get more than a 3rd place. Even if he can do personally only the first of these last 2 steps, it's clear that the title is not unreachable and not very far. About Mark, his strategy for CP2 was not good, but anyway not weighty. In fact, even if he reached a lower time, not lower than 3%, the situation would be the same afore described. Anyway Mark has now a clear aim for CP3: to stay ahead Chulk. If this won't be, Mark will have a last chance for the finish, that is: to win the race or at least to get a 2nd place. Sure Mark will aim to close the game next Sunday, but we can't forget that a serious variable overhang on him and this fantastic final of season, and this variable is named Duplode! And who can say that there won't be other variables as any outsiders? Whatever will be the final result, it will be a wonderful final of a wonderful season, so, stay with us to live the "magic" atmosphere of this great specialty!

11 Nov 15.40 - Again Duplode, again a fantastic performance!!

Again Duplode!!! The brazilian driver results again 1st at CP2 lowering his time over 3%, catching so other 2 bonus points in add to the one got at CP1!! Mark L. Rivers (2nd) also lowered over 3% his time (0,5 bonus point for him), but not enough to be ahead Duplode that doesn't seem by now only intentioned to overtake SuperBrian (good improvement but still 6th): he strongly wants to catch his first official victory in a standard RH race! Let's see what will happen, while next Sunday, we'll know if Duplode will catch other 3 bonus points (as AbuRaf70 in Geometry) trying to get a marvelous en-plein! While Chulk didn't improve (anyway still 3rd), it's turning on the fight for the final 3rd place: AbuRaf70 (4th) overtakes Krys TOFF (5th) defending the thin gap (1,5 point) in general classification! If no one of them will catch other bonus points, the argentinian and the french can't arrive pair. Krys have to get at least 2 points more than AbuRaf70, and this means, for example, Krys 4th and AbuRaf70 5th. Will be the argentinian able to defend his position at CP3 too and, above all, at the Finish? Really stunning and surprising this final of season! And... are we sure that there won't be other pleasing surprises like outsiders not even on the track....? Let's see!

04 Nov 15.45 - Mark L. Rivers tries to defeat final Chulk's attack!

Specular provisional standings of last race for CP1: Mark L. Rivers leads on Duplode, Chulk and Krys TOFF! Choosing the same strategy adopted in "Risk" (that is to avoid that Chulk gets a large number of bonus points), the italian driver shots a very strong time that permits him to stay ahead his main opponent at CP1 also getting a whole bonus point! And Duplode's race furnishes to the italian driver a further reason to smile: the brazilian ace, last winner in the season, results faster than Chulk, who therefore remains without bonus points for the moment. We have to mind that Chulk needs to get 5,5 points more than current leader to win the title. And this could happen if 1) he'll win this race, 2) Mark L. Rivers won't get more than a 3rd place and 3) Chulk will get at least 0,5 bonus point more than the italian driver. In this way two drivers will be pair and Chulk would win for an higher number of victories (4 against 3). Sure Chulk will push hard at CP2 to catch the bonus point at stake (as he did on "Risk"), but maybe he had to push a bit more for CP1: 0,5 bonus point could be very important for him! Let's see what will happen! Meanwhile sure we have to spend some words about the track. It seems I failed quite clearly the prediction about final time, that is a bit large than it seemed to me seeing the track from the map. But I didn't fail to individuate the two real critical points, that is the access to the pipe, and the final tract: really engaging and dazzling! Track is really great for this final round and I think this race will be also more tight than I thought, with the drivers who will be very near each other, sure even Krys TOFF, the designer: wonderful condition for a final great show! So, we all wait with big trepidation next CP to know the new provisional standings while a watchword is pealing: "Right pedal down"!

04 Nov 15.45 - All behind a striking Duplode!

Duplode leads the provisional rank at CP1 with an absolutely fantastic time! The brazilian driver seems to have reached soon a very good feeling with the track realizing a striking 1'23"35! He inflicts almost 2" to Mark L. Rivers (2nd) and almost 5" to Chulk (3rd)! Maybe it would be enough to size his great performance, but if we take a look to the other drivers, the wonder increases: Krys TOFF (last winner in the season, 4th) at 10", AbuRaf70 (5th) at 15" and SuperBrian (6th) at over 16"... Really a great race for Duplode who, getting a whole bonus point, seems strongly intentioned to catch the 5th final place overtaking in last race his main opponent, SuperBrian (who has only a thin vantage, 2,5 points in classification)! Looking the scoreborad, it seems that drivers are racing really in two different arenas with the first three encased in about 5" and the second three enclosed in about 5" too but with a larger gap. Anyway, the track has some critical points where a not correct approach risks to cause a large loss of speed increasing a lot the final time. And the short period from Start to CP1 maybe has not permitted to any drivers to make many trials. This could be the cause of the divide on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, not succeeding to get bonus points, Chulk delivers officially the title to Mark L. Rivers: 18 points the maximum score by now reachable by the argentinian, 19 points the gap in general classification. It has been a fair and estimable challenge, and only 2 bad results for Chulk ("Tetris" in last May and "Funny" in last month) have impeded to have still a pulsant dispute! But now we have to see what will happen in this dazzling and surprising race! Next Sunday we'll know if more drivers will be able to find the right approach to pass from Arena 1 to Arena 2! ;)

31 Oct 21.15 - The most waited NORH race of all times: let's go for the title!

The most waited NORH race of all times, that will assign the title at the end of this fantastic season, is going to begin! And the track is really special! “Everglades”, this is its name, is an adapted version of an old track, designed by Krys TOFF, that arrives 2nd at 2003 Track Design Contest. Krys TOFF has realized the modifications too so to make the track suitable for a NORH race. So this is the 1st SDR track not designed by contest manager, and this means I had not to try it during the building. Really I haven’t put yet my wheels on the track so this preview is based only on what I can see through Track Blaster.

Well, Everglades is a track quite different from the previous ones, sure a bit more difficult. Maybe the designer wants to begin to lead NORH drivers towards another kinds of tracks that we’ll see next year when he’ll manage the only official Stunts NORH contest on the web... ;)  Seeing the track through the map it’s quite difficult to guess the length, but I think that a quite good time could be around 1’10” – 1’15”. But we’ll know it soon! Meanwhile… let's go for a “virtual” lap! A long straight characterizes the beginning, reaching very soon the Powergear, and overleaping without trouble (but in a dazzling way!) two Up/Down corkscrews. We can keep the magic 6th gear for a long tract, availing opportune bank-roads and a fluent tract with some consecutive large curves before to reach a loop that we should leave behind without many troubles but with a bit of adhrenalin…. A short straight (at 245 Mph all becomes short…) and then an obligatory bridge (water…) just before a large 180°: good-bye Powergear (even if someone could cede to the temptation to keep it…) but not for a long time. In fact, after another fluent tract (not long like before), we’ll re-find it thanks to a ramp. Anyway, this time it won’t be easy to manage, I think. Above all, we will have to see if jumping from the ramp at 245 Mph it will be possible to land before the access of the near pipe (or tube, as you like), that includes a classic obstacle (could it be without an obstacle? :D). Anyway, even if we will able to insert the car in the pipe at maximum speed, avoiding then the obstacle placed in the middle, we will have soon to push very hard on the brake because an elevated corner is waiting for us: shakes… Another straight (with tunnels and barriers) and then a L/R corkscrew. Possible Powergear? Not this time, because a slow curve on the left will oblige the drivers to insert their car in a tunnel and in a last straight that leads to a last elevated corner: after all that drivers have encountered until here, and missing only about 15” seconds to the finish line, I think they will approach this elevated curve with much trepidation … How will be the final? Fast and quite complex. Difficult to describe why, but I can say that drivers will reach a hill in full 4th gear, maybe already in 5th gear (I have not to explain what this mean, isn’t it?), and they will have to choose: follow the conventional track (having trouble to control their rocket-car landing on a bank-road curve) or cut it aiming (blindly) the finish, taking many risks trying to avoid a probable penalty… Simple question: how many complete trials will a NORH driver succeed to make on this track trying to win…? ;)  Come on NORH drivers, start your engines and show one more time your great passion in the last race of this wonderful season!

31 Oct 21.15 - The last race: who will exit as winner from The Arenas?

Here it is the last RH track of the season, THE ARENAS! It will be (so I hope!) a mix of fun, pleasure to drive and wish to win thanks to known Indy’s features and a track full of dazzling, engaging and (as usual! ;)) original tracts! Seeing the track from the sky, we can see soon that there are two big elevated and blinded arenas (“Would you say that is it the reason of the name?!” :D) placed in a large sea and linked only by two tight stripes of asphalt. But let’s start for a usual virtual patrol-lap! Set free the “horses” of your Indy but only for a short tract of the first “link” that lead at the first arena: you have to approach at your best a tight chicane so to exit with the possible maximum speed. The reason? You have to enter in the porthole of the first arena almost in 4th gear if you want to avoid to land far on the track losing too much speed…. After the first two curves, the first arena is characterized to the necessity to reach and keep a high enough speed so to exit by the egress in a particular way… Which way? Well, you’ll know it! (I can only say that tract will be the most difficult of the entire track… ;)). And then we are on the tight road that connects the two arenas! Water on the left, water on the right, and two fast chicanes to approach while the speed is over 210 Mph… But before to reach to porthole of the 2nd arena, we have to approach a strange and dazzling jump: Powergear is absolutely needed but… only partially…(?!)… You’ll see! And now the 2nd arena: strong brake just after the entrance, but then we find a crucial tract where the ability to keep high the speed between different kinds of curves will be essential for a top performance. Weird and dazzling jump from a Loop to an Up/Down Corkscrew (really original and funny, I think!) and then we’ll be launched towards the exit and the last tract of the track! What will we find outside the 2nd and last arena? Water, obviously, but a very fast tract too (Powergear? Let’s see…), where we will have to manage our Indy carefully until the finish line… That’s all! Come on Stunts drivers, start your engines, let’s make a great show on this final track and, above all, enjoy with it!

29 Oct 19.15 - A great Duplode sets hurdles the Chulk's walk to the title!

Another crashing victory for Duplode, the 2nd in his short but already very brilliant career as Stunts driver!! The brazilian ace makes a real masterwork leading the race from the beginning until the end, demonstrating one more time his mastery in this specialty! And the value of his perfomance increases if we think that he has quite easily beated the two drivers who are hardly fighting for the title! This reminds the last race of F1 championship in 1997, Jerez de le Frontera, when M. Schumacher and J. Villeneuve were fighting for the title (and all we know how it finished). An incredible grid characterized that race: three drivers (M. Schumacher, J, Villeneuve and H.H. Frentzen with the same, identical time!!! But, just behind them, Damon Hill placed in 2nd row his crappy car with an incredible short gap: only 0”021!! (And, if I’m not wrong, there was still the old qualifying system, that is all drivers started for their qualifying lap only with a just useful fuel). Well, maybe Duplode has realized a better exploit, beating Chulk and Mark L. Rivers, so engaged for the title! Duplode’s victory sets hurdles the walk of Chulk toward the title. The argentinian champion (2nd) succeeds to arrive ahead Mark L. Rivers (3rd) rescuing so only 2 points and reducing the gap to 5,5 points. Sure all is still possible: if Chulk will win last race and Mark will arrive 3rd, this means that 5 points will be already rescued; bonus points and eventual outsiders could complete easily the gap. But sure, if Chulk resulted 1st in this race, now the gap would be really thin: only 2,5 points. For the final podium, Duplode has completed his rescue on Krys TOFF (not a big engagement for him in this race because… well, check the final result of RH contest to know why! ;)) reaching the French driver at 78,5 points. It seems that it will be easy for Duplode to gain the 3rd final place, but… we can’t underestimate the “old lion” Krys, even because the last race will be disputed on a track quite different from previous. So dazzling final challenge even for the podium!

But now, as usual, let’s take a look to the video and the analysis! Seeing the positions at the intermediate, it seems a race quite linear: all drivers occupy the same position for the whole track. But, seeing the gaps during the race and the different choices made by drivers about the lines to choose, we can do a dissimilar consideration. Until 1st intermediate all drivers (we won’t talk about Krys engaged on another track… ;)) are very near as it was predictable: Duplode leads on Chulk for 0”05 and on Mark for 0”25. But then there’s the great divide: Duplode and Chulk choose to cut the bridge on the left while Mark chooses (unfortunately for him) the right. He didn’t considerate (very macroscopic error) the possibility to choose the left, because he thought there were three Stunts element that he would have skipped, but that is wrong, as his three opponents (even Krys chose the left) have demonstrated. Passing on the right of the bridge was not so penalizing as it can seem because it was possible landing on the track, not losing speed, exactly like passing on the left. Maybe the difference can be 0”50 – 0”75. But in the best Mark’s attempt (as you can see in the replay or in the video), he lands on the grass, losing a lot of speed. Fantastic speed, instead, keeped by Duplode and Chulk, with the brazilian who succeeds to cut the hill after the bank-road curve a bit better than the argentinian (a bit later his steering at the moment of the cut). Mark cuts in a good way the hill but with a slower speed due to the previous tract. And so, this is the standing at the half of the race: Duplode leads on Chulk for 1”05 and (tadà..!) 3” on Mark, an abyss…. But then, the Italian driver succeeds to drive quite well, and, even if the positions won’t change, at least he reduces with honour the distances. Third section without big difference about the lines chosen, except for Chulk, who choose to cut the 3rd intermediate lunging the path, and losing a bit of speed due to a jump quite short and keeping the 5th gear instead to insert the 4th. Anyway this is the standing at 3rd intermediate: Duplode leads on Chulk for 0”75 and 2”30 on Mark. And now we approach the last section! Duplode cut a bit too much on the right reducing the angle of the last curve and making more difficult his steering toward the finish. In fact, the brazilian ace has to brake a lot on the hill before to insert his car on the last short straight. Anyway, he administrates very well his large gap accumulated previously finishing with a great 1’16”10: chapeau. Meanwhile Mark guesses a better trajectory overtaking the lake (a bit on the left than Duplode) approaching with a larger angle the last curve: this permits him to rescue a lot finishing in 1’17”20. And Chulk? As aforesaid, due to the previous line at 3rd checkpoint, Chulk arrives at the loop with a slower speed than other 2 opponents, landing over the little lake just for a bit. Then he succeeds to make a good last curve landing on the track for the last short straight, but… a very little incertitude causes a little slide on the left and the argentinian champion drive on the last short tract on the grass. A little error, but maybe big enough to lose the victory and 3 very important points too for the title. Anyway, Chulk gets a 1’16”95 who permits him to remain ahead Mark (02”5 the final gap between them) continuing to keep alive the challenge!

And now the last race! As you can see on correspondent topic, it will be very special, with the 1st track not designed by contest manager! Dazzling, exciting, breathtaking: these are only some adjectives to describe this last race, a race where Chulk must win to conquer the title and where Mark (in negative trend after a 1st, two 2nd and a 3rd placements) will have to keep a big careful above all about bonus point. But the real incognita will be the final result of Duplode! His result will be determinant for the assignation of the title and this makes really particular his race! Well, that’s all! Now we have only a short time to control if it’s all ok on our Indy, and then… go for “Everglades”, the last track active from next 1st November!

29 Oct 19.15  - The ROAR of the "old lion": first win in SDR for Krys TOFF!!

It was clear that it would be finally arrived and in fact it’s arrived: first great victory for Krys TOFF on SDR!! The French ace, shakes off all his recent dull performances triumphing on “Funny” with one of his favorite car, and contest manager is really happy to count him in the restricted pool of winner of SDR races! But about this race, we have to say a lot, so… let’s go inside it!

Krys makes a great performance leaving the 2nd, Mark L. Rivers, almost at 2”, while the 3rd, Duplode (first SDR podium for him!), arrived almost 4” later the winner! Just behind SuperBrian (4th) and a bit more distance the couple of argentinian drivers, with AbuRaf70 (5th) for the 2nd time in the season ahead his teammate Chulk (6th). With this result, Chulk can by now say “Goodbye” to the title, because his gap from the leader is now 19 points. Minding that a winner can get a maximum score of 21 points (as AbuRaf70 got in “Geometry track”), only a missed participation of the current leader (but maybe neither that) could impede him to conquer the title. Anyway, mathematically there are still possibilities, so we must postpone any proclamation after the finish of the last race. Instead, there are 2 other challenges really open! Krys TOFF reduced a lot his gap from AbuRaf70 for the 3rd place (only 1,5 points the new gap!) while Duplode has approached a bit SuperBrian (who has overtook CTG) for the 5th place (2,5 points the new gap!): this will make very interesting the last race! But let’s talk more deeply about this race now!

Amazing, really amazing this penultimate race of the season! It could seem only a funny race, a nice interval before the last appointment, but it became week after week a really amazing and involving race! Above all, because weird bugs have characterized it! Which? I absolutely don’t know how it could be happened, but three drivers (Krys TOFF, SuperBrian and Duplode) have cut (in two different ways) an abnormal tract of the track (after last intermediate) not taking any penalty time! I checked their replays re-driving with replay handling last 2 seconds of the races, and… effectively final time will be reported in Stunts evaluation page without penalty! It seems that Stunts internal check system had a temporary failure while their cars cut the track in that points… Anyway, their replays (and their times) have to be considered valid in order to the specific SDR rules. Since Gutix succeeded, thanks to a Stunts bug, to finish a race after 9” (“Choices” – May 2006 – you can read the related News in Archive page) I introduced the following rule: “Tricks and shortcuts are allowed, but replays will be accepted if car will have transited in correspondence of the intermediates indicated on the map (yellow, violet and red lines). Penalty time will be added at race time.” Having the three drivers’ car transited on all intermediates, and not having Stunts internal system attributed to their race any penalty time, even if they he have cut an abnormal tract of the race their time has to be considered valid. But if we take a look at the replays and the analysis, we could find some interesting consideration to do!

AbuRaf70 transits with the best time at 1st and 2nd intermediates: great race for the more and more skilled argentinian driver! He reaches an impressive speed, making a wonderful serial of jump around the loop! But the fastest 2nd section is for the winner! Only 5th at 1st intermediate (with a quite high gap, 0”65) Krys TOFF makes a fantastic tract rescuing a lot on AbuRaf70 (only 0”15 the new gap). Meanwhile the gaps of other drivers continuing to rise: 0”40 for Mark L. Rivers (3rd), 0”75 for Chulk (4th), 1”25 for Duplode (5th, the only that didn’t jump from the loop) and 1”65 for SuperBrian (6th). At the hairpin just before the 2nd intermediate, all drivers choose to follow the tract passing through the tunnel, except for Mark L. Rivers who cuts the track just skimming the highest part of the hill. A good choice seeing the results at 3rd intermediate reached by the drivers through various lines as the track permitted them: the Italian driver transits 1st with 0”40 on Krys TOFF, 0”70 on AbuRaf70, 0”85 on Chulk, 2”75 on Duplode and 3”70 on SuperBrian. And we now arrive at the last section, that we could define “the black hole” of Stunts internal check system. SuperBrian opens a door between the last two hills cutting immediately toward the finish element, followed from Krys TOFF, who asked me to report, in case of victory, his public thanks to his teammate for his good teamwork! The result is absolutely weird: 10 consecutive Stunts elements skipped and no penalty time! About Duplode, he opens a 2nd door correspondently at the last tunnel: he flies on it cutting immediately on the right, sliding out of control until the finish line. The result? Three consecutive Stunts elements skipped and no penalty time! Thanks to these phenomenal bugs (but someone had to try them to could avail them and this is part of a race) the three drivers gain a lot (above all the duo of Damage Inc.) on the others (AbuRaf70, Chulk and Mark L. Rivers), and only a guessed final slide on the last hill permits to the Italian driver to limit his gap arriving 2nd even if at almost 2” from the winner.

Wow, really an amazing race! But now, let's go with the last track of this season: The Arenas! Check the correspondent topic and try it: beginning from the 1st November, it will be a last stunning event of this contest!  

21 Oct 14.45 - Duplode in action, 1st with great time! But pretactic rules...

An intense week for Duplode who succeeds to take the lead after multiplying attempts, coronated by a great final time: 1'17"75 !! While Krys TOFF assays the track with a patrol lap, the brazilian ace shakes off last colorless weeks (except for CP1 of this race) and reaffirms his high NORH skill, minding all that who wants to win has to keep in count him! And sure this vales for the driver engaged for the title! Btw, they didn't sent a video this week, as it was predictable... Their previous time were really strong and evidently they didn't succeed to lower them over 3%. Not having so possibilities to get important bonus point, maybe Chulk and Mark L. Rivers preferred not to discover their cards... But did they dress their helmets in last week? Did they already realized a great time (maybe faster than current Duplode's time?!) that will put on the table for next Sunday? Disquieting question for the drivers who are fighting for the title, but this is part of the unavoidable pre-tactic... One thing is plain: the fight for the final 3rd place in the championship could affect very much the end of the season, and we could really approach the last race of the season with two drivers divided by a very thin gap... There're no doubts: next week will be a thrilling week for all them and for all the passioned of this wonderful specialty! And, it will be very important keeping on mind the following advice!

WARNING! Deadline is postponed: same day but at 23.59!

21 Oct 14.45 - Thin fight for the title but Duplode surprises all!

While Chulk and Mark L. Rivers fight controlling each other, Duplode takes the lead surprising all in this very tight race! Very good time by the brazilian driver who goes down under 67" conquering a whole bonus point too! Behind him we find Mark L. Rivers (2nd, 0,5 bonus point not very bad for him in order for the championship), Chulk (3rd for only 0"20 improving for 3,01%: bad strategy?) and SuperBrian (4th) who didn't sent a new time. All these 4 drivers are in only 1"20: really a tight and dazzling race! A bit more far, 5th, AbuRaf70 with a good improvement (-2,33%) that permit him to break the 70" barrier, and 6th Krys TOFF who didn't improve. And now we aim to the finish! What we will se next Sunday? Chulk has to try to win if he wants to keep open a window on the title, while Mark could try to close here the dispute arriving ahead his main opponent. But both will have not to forget that Duplode sure will want to try to win his first official race (not keeping in count his victory in WSC with IRC rules). Also SuperBrian who is trying to get a place in Top 10 of SWR in order of ISM 2008. And sure Mark and Chulk can't forget AbuRaf70 (2 podiums in last two races) and Krys TOFF that maybe will want to stop his negative stripe remembering to all his great skill (also availing a car he likes very much). Sure an intense week for all, sure a dazzling final Sunday! Oh, btw:

WARNING! Deadline is postponed: same day but at 23.59!

14 Oct 15.15 - Chulk is back to his standard and now he really frightens!

After the dull performance of last week, Chulk comes back to his level and now he really frightens Mark L. Rivers! The argentinian champion reaches a strong 1'18"50, conquering the 1st provisional place and a whole bonus point. And the result of his main opponent contributes to lift the value of his new time: trying to impede that Chulk could take the bonus point, the italian driver succeeds to improve his previous time, but only lightly (-0"45), and this seems to tell us that maybe he's very near to his limit. If it's so, Chulk could really reduce a lot his gap in general classification, above all if he'll succeed to catch the other 2 bonus points at stake. In this way, winning the race and leaving the 2nd place to Mark, Chulk could rescue 5 whole points, and this means that last race would begin with the two top drivers divided from only 2,5 points! What a fantastic final for a wonderful season! But let's stop a moment, now... There are still 2 weeks of race and we have to keep in count the result of the others drivers, that, as we know, could affect furtherly the fight for the title! So... next Sunday will be another crucial Sunday on the way that lead to the title: stay with us! 

14 Oct 15.15 - SuperBrian SuperStar: 1st without opponents!

Fantastic race for SuperBrian until here: after the 2nd place behind Chulk at CP1, the danish driver makes a monstruos lap taking so the provisional lead and a whole bonus point!! Stopping the chronometer at 1'07"95, the driver of Damage Inc. seems to be without opponents: Chulk is 2nd (0,5 bonus points) and Mark L. Rivers 3rd but with times 2" higher than current leader! About drivers with times higher than 70", good improvement for AbuRaf70 (4th lowering his previous time for 4%) while Duplode seems to have taken a free week. But we have to register the outset of Krys TOFF: first attempt by the french driver and a "standard" time (1'16"10) that place him at 6th provisional place. But keeping on mind the fight for the final 3rd place in the championship, we are sure that we'll find him in a different position at the end! Weel, it seems a race that could be open to all final result! So... maybe next Sunday we'll see a large pre-tactic, but maybe some drivers will want to show all their skill demonstrating not to have fear of the others... Let's see what it will happen!

07 Oct 15.20 - Slow-motion outset for Chulk: 3rd and no bonus points!!

The news is really clamorous: Chulk, engaged in the fight for the title and needful for the highest number of available points to rescue in general classification, opens the race with a very slow time (1'29"60) that doesn't permit him to catch bonus points, having got only the 3rd provisional place!! From the other side, Mark L. Rivers, having fear that his main opponent could get the 1st place so to be in a position useful to catch many bonus points, pushed as he never did in the past for CP1, reaching a thunderous 1'20"00 that permit him to stay on top getting also a whole bonus point. Exactly in the middle between the two drivers engaged for the title, Duplode with 1"24"95 (0,5 binus point). And now? Mark L. Rivers seems to be in a better position than Chulk, even if for current leader it will be difficult to get other bonus points, having shooted so high for this CP. About Chulk, he knows he must win this race to continue to hope to win the title, but he also knows he have to try to catch bonus points in last two CP. If he want to catch at least 1,5 bonus he have to reach a time that permit him to stay at least in 2nd position next Sunday. Instead, if he will want to catch all bonus points at stake for him (that is 3 bonus points) he have to stay 1st at CP2. And sure Duplode (and why not? Krys TOFF) could affect remarkably the things. Hard work for who loves predictions, and big wait for next CP... ;)

07 Oct 15.20 - A serried battle: 4 drivers in 1"20!

Really funny and nice this race seeing the provisional classification at 1st Checkpoint: four driver in 1"20!! Chulk is the fastest with 1'12"60, after a first trial exactly 4" slower, 1 bonus points for him; then we find a determinated SuperBrian, 2nd with a very good 1'13"05! The danish driver precedes the couple who usually gives life to an intense battle on SDR tracks: Duplode (3rd with 1'13"65) and AbuRaf70 (4th with 1'13"80). Stop here? No because there's a fifth driver who raced for CP1. We are talking about Mark L. Rivers who maybe are thinking to have already win the title so to race in very relaxed way... But as he knows, he have to keep open his eyes because Chulk could really rescue in general classification (thanks also to a possible teamwork), and the argentinian ace seems to believe in it... For the moment contest manager can be satisfied only for the very good comments about the track that other drivers have sent him in private way. :)  But at next CP he sure will try to be a bit high in provisional classification... ;) See you next Sunday!

30 Sep 22.00 - Penultimate race, unbroken risk, looking for strong hearts!

A track not properly difficult, without real critical points… A not very used car but quite easy to drive… What does it mean all this? RISK! Yes, the risk will be the real main element of this race, the ninth race of the season, the penultimate one! From the beginning to the end, drivers will have to push their Coronet Pulsar as fast as they are able to drive it, making no so many calculations during the race if they will want to put their wheels ahead their opponents. Anyway, here it is some info about the track. Fast beginning and maximum speed (200 mph) reachable after only 10-15 seconds before to an exciting blind jump. First reduction of speed (important but not dramatic) correspondently to a decided change of direction before to fly (real flight…) into the second section of race. Again high speed (not very easy to keep for 2 obligatory cuts that will lead drivers to put their wheels on the grass) before the 2nd drastic (a bit more than previous) change of speed correspondently to a brutal dirt chicane placed between a tunnel and bank-road. Third and last fast tract where drivers will have to avail some cuts and bank-road to reach and keep a very high speed (it will be easy, no fear) before to arrive at the final. A not very quiet final, characterized from a brutal brake (that driver will have to begin just after to have left a loop/ramp needful to jump over a little “lake”) and a brutal turn (more than 90°) on the right to insert the car in a more elevated small straight (not completely flat…) before the finish line… So, we all will see who will be able to drive his Coronet Pulsar STi-R risking continuously for about 80”: looking for strong hearts… ;)

30 Sep 22.00 - Funny race! But "funny" doesn't mean "easy"...

Nice and funny race: this is the best way to describe the penultimate race of the season! Aboard your Coronet Pulsar STì-R, a car not very much used but quite easy to drive, drivers will have to race on a track with unusual ways to choose as it's wonted in SDR. Start and immediately a triple choice for everyone: believe me, it won't easy understanding very soon the fastest... Anyway, the three ways will become again only one very soon, just before to approach the 2nd section of the race. In this part drivers will have to cross (ortogonally...) a loop before to avoidi, as smart as possible..., the subsequent up/down corkscrew... Very tight hairpin (Cut or not to cut? This is the question...) and then 3rd section. A long, but not very quiet, straight tract where drivers will have to steer and jump almost at maximum speed (200-210 mph?) between ramps, hills and left/right corkscrews. An then the final, where it will be quite difficult to guess the right way to approach it, cause a tunnel just in a bad place... Some trials to test the track made 10 days ago seem to indicate a race about 70"-80" long, but... as usual, let's see! Sure it will be a funny race, but... we have to mind that there's still so much at stake for some drivers and the maximum engagement will be necessary to put own wheels ahead the others. Remember, "funny" doesn't mean "easy"...

25 Nov 18.45 - Mark L. Rivers, 

Chulk and Mark L. Rivers: the season is

25 Nov 18.45 - Awesome outset for 

Sensational, astonishing, shocking out

18 Nov 18.10 - Mark L. Rivers, the hands on the title

Chulk and Mark L. Rivers: the season is arrived to its last act and the two great NORH drivers are one more time side by side to fight a fair battle for the final victory!! Even if we have to say that the Italian seems to have by now his hands on the title: the two pretenders, in fact, succeed to improve both over 3% their previous time demonstrating all their engagement and their skill, but the argentinian champion doesn’t succeed to get more bonus points than his opponent (a whole bonus point for Mark at CP3, 2 bonus points in total, and half bonus point for Chulk at CP3, 1,5 in total). So Chulk must hope only in a precise final classification of the race to rescue his current gap (6 points, counting the 0,5 bonus points of this race): he must win and Mark L. Rivers mustn’t get more than a 4th place. And we have to mind that Mark (like Chulk) doesn’t miss a podium in all official NORH races, 15 until here. Really a desperate mission for Chulk. Duplode and Krys have sure the potential to beat the italian driver. But did the brazilian find the best line for this race? Maybe not, seeing the current unusual high gap from the leaders… And will the french have enough time so to leave from his current race over 20”? Let’s see. Anyway, we can’t exclude other outsiders. We have a Bonzai Joe (great NORH skill showed in the past) who are exhibiting a wonderful condition in RH race and we can’t forget that another specialist, Zak McKracken, has declared recently that NORH races could be in his aim in this period. Maybe it’s better for Mark not to think to have the title already in the pocket, a very bad surprise could be behind the corner for him… So a last dazzling week wait all us who love this great specialty, and maybe also all love the taste of the challenge, so palpable in this great fair battle!!! See you, for the last time, next Sunday!!

18 Nov 18.10 - Awesome outset for a great Bonzai Joe!!!

Sensational, astonishing, shocking outset for Bonzai Joe!!! The danish ace goes down on the track for the first time in this SDR season (welcome back!) and his result is absolutely breathtaking: first provisional place atomising the previous record!!! Yes the great BJ reaches a wonderful 1’11”60 leaving a more and more amazing Duplode (2nd) so far, although he lowered his previous time more than 3%: more than 6” the gap from the danish “rocket” and the brazilian revelation! Really devastating the race of BJ, who takes part for the 3rd time in a SDR race (previous races: R1/2006 “Speed” and R2/2006 “Steering”)! About the others, Chulk conquers the provisional podium overtaking for 0”10 Mark L. Rivers (4th) who didn’t improve (a "bit" engaged in NORH contest… ;)). Fifth is AbuRaf70 who lowers again his time fortifying his provisional third place in general classification on Krys TOFF (6th) who didn’t send a new replay. SuperBrian (7th) closes the group but he’s now very near to his teammate. And now we are at the last week of race! Will anyone succeed to approach the monster BJ’s time? Maybe Duplode who is hunting his first victory? Or Chulk who maybe want to get a last satisfaction in SDR? And what about Mark L. Rivers? Will he want to legitimate his title trying to beat current leader? But there’s a third place in overall that asks a name: AbuRaf70 or Krys TOFF? Sure BJ’s outset made more complicated the things for Krys (and more easy for AbuRaf70): he has to arrive 4th to be sure to rescue the 1,5 points that he need to overtake AbuRaf70 in general classification, but now it seems not so easy having to rescue a lot of seconds (about 10”) on current 4th (Mark L. Rivers)! But a good teamwork by Damage Inc. could simplify him the life… Wow, really a great final for this season!!

14 Nov 08.15 - Double interview: AbuRaf70 and Duplode!

While the wait for the conclusion of this race becomes hot, I think to make a pleasing thing to all publishing two short interviews with two real starrings of this SDR season: AbuRaf70 and Duplode! You can accede them from Archive page. Good reading!

11 Nov 15.40 - Unbelievable!!! Three drivers in 0"05!!! Now Chulk hopes...

Unbelievable standings at CP2!!! Three drivers in 0"05 with Duplode and Chulk paired at 1st place and Mark L. Rivers, 3rd, just 5 centiseconds behind them!!! Could we imagine a standings more shocking than this!? Absolutely impossible, above all because this is a NORH race and we are fighting for the title in the last race! But in add to be dazzling, the classification at CP2 means a lot in order to the season! With this result, Duplode and Chulk get both a whole bonus point while Mark doesn't get bonus. So the argentinian champion cancels the gap accumulated at CP1 (about bonus point that Mark got) and can look to the future with more hope! Chulk's road has been clear traced by now, he has to follow 4 precise steps, 2 for CP3 and 2 for the Finish. Which steps? About next Sunday, Chulk has to reach 2 targets: 1) to lower his current time over 3% (so to catch bonus points) and 2) stay ahead Mark. In this way, Chulk would get at least 0,5 bonus point more than Mark, condition needed to rescue the 5,5 points in general classification. If these targets will be reached, Chulk will have other 2 steps to do on the road toward the title for next and last Sunday, that is for the Finish: 1) He must win the race and 2) Mark mustn't get more than a 3rd place. Even if he can do personally only the first of these last 2 steps, it's clear that the title is not unreachable and not very far. About Mark, his strategy for CP2 was not good, but anyway not weighty. In fact, even if he reached a lower time, not lower than 3%, the situation would be the same afore described. Anyway Mark has now a clear aim for CP3: to stay ahead Chulk. If this won't be, Mark will have a last chance for the finish, that is: to win the race or at least to get a 2nd place. Sure Mark will aim to close the game next Sunday, but we can't forget that a serious variable overhang on him and this fantastic final of season, and this variable is named Duplode! And who can say that there won't be other variables as any outsiders? Whatever will be the final result, it will be a wonderful final of a wonderful season, so, stay with us to live the "magic" atmosphere of this great specialty!

11 Nov 15.40 - Again Duplode, again a fantastic performance!!

Again Duplode!!! The brazilian driver results again 1st at CP2 lowering his time over 3%, catching so other 2 bonus points in add to the one got at CP1!! Mark L. Rivers (2nd) also lowered over 3% his time (0,5 bonus point for him), but not enough to be ahead Duplode that doesn't seem by now only intentioned to overtake SuperBrian (good improvement but still 6th): he strongly wants to catch his first official victory in a standard RH race! Let's see what will happen, while next Sunday, we'll know if Duplode will catch other 3 bonus points (as AbuRaf70 in Geometry) trying to get a marvelous en-plein! While Chulk didn't improve (anyway still 3rd), it's turning on the fight for the final 3rd place: AbuRaf70 (4th) overtakes Krys TOFF (5th) defending the thin gap (1,5 point) in general classification! If no one of them will catch other bonus points, the argentinian and the french can't arrive pair. Krys have to get at least 2 points more than AbuRaf70, and this means, for example, Krys 4th and AbuRaf70 5th. Will be the argentinian able to defend his position at CP3 too and, above all, at the Finish? Really stunning and surprising this final of season! And... are we sure that there won't be other pleasing surprises like outsiders not even on the track....? Let's see!

04 Nov 15.45 - Mark L. Rivers tries to defeat final Chulk's attack!

Specular provisional standings of last race for CP1: Mark L. Rivers leads on Duplode, Chulk and Krys TOFF! Choosing the same strategy adopted in "Risk" (that is to avoid that Chulk gets a large number of bonus points), the italian driver shots a very strong time that permits him to stay ahead his main opponent at CP1 also getting a whole bonus point! And Duplode's race furnishes to the italian driver a further reason to smile: the brazilian ace, last winner in the season, results faster than Chulk, who therefore remains without bonus points for the moment. We have to mind that Chulk needs to get 5,5 points more than current leader to win the title. And this could happen if 1) he'll win this race, 2) Mark L. Rivers won't get more than a 3rd place and 3) Chulk will get at least 0,5 bonus point more than the italian driver. In this way two drivers will be pair and Chulk would win for an higher number of victories (4 against 3). Sure Chulk will push hard at CP2 to catch the bonus point at stake (as he did on "Risk"), but maybe he had to push a bit more for CP1: 0,5 bonus point could be very important for him! Let's see what will happen! Meanwhile sure we have to spend some words about the track. It seems I failed quite clearly the prediction about final time, that is a bit large than it seemed to me seeing the track from the map. But I didn't fail to individuate the two real critical points, that is the access to the pipe, and the final tract: really engaging and dazzling! Track is really great for this final round and I think this race will be also more tight than I thought, with the drivers who will be very near each other, sure even Krys TOFF, the designer: wonderful condition for a final great show! So, we all wait with big trepidation next CP to know the new provisional standings while a watchword is pealing: "Right pedal down"!

04 Nov 15.45 - All behind a striking Duplode!

Duplode leads the provisional rank at CP1 with an absolutely fantastic time! The brazilian driver seems to have reached soon a very good feeling with the track realizing a striking 1'23"35! He inflicts almost 2" to Mark L. Rivers (2nd) and almost 5" to Chulk (3rd)! Maybe it would be enough to size his great performance, but if we take a look to the other drivers, the wonder increases: Krys TOFF (last winner in the season, 4th) at 10", AbuRaf70 (5th) at 15" and SuperBrian (6th) at over 16"... Really a great race for Duplode who, getting a whole bonus point, seems strongly intentioned to catch the 5th final place overtaking in last race his main opponent, SuperBrian (who has only a thin vantage, 2,5 points in classification)! Looking the scoreborad, it seems that drivers are racing really in two different arenas with the first three encased in about 5" and the second three enclosed in about 5" too but with a larger gap. Anyway, the track has some critical points where a not correct approach risks to cause a large loss of speed increasing a lot the final time. And the short period from Start to CP1 maybe has not permitted to any drivers to make many trials. This could be the cause of the divide on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, not succeeding to get bonus points, Chulk delivers officially the title to Mark L. Rivers: 18 points the maximum score by now reachable by the argentinian, 19 points the gap in general classification. It has been a fair and estimable challenge, and only 2 bad results for Chulk ("Tetris" in last May and "Funny" in last month) have impeded to have still a pulsant dispute! But now we have to see what will happen in this dazzling and surprising race! Next Sunday we'll know if more drivers will be able to find the right approach to pass from Arena 1 to Arena 2! ;)

31 Oct 21.15 - The most waited NORH race of all times: let's go for the title!

The most waited NORH race of all times, that will assign the title at the end of this fantastic season, is going to begin! And the track is really special! “Everglades”, this is its name, is an adapted version of an old track, designed by Krys TOFF, that arrives 2nd at 2003 Track Design Contest. Krys TOFF has realized the modifications too so to make the track suitable for a NORH race. So this is the 1st SDR track not designed by contest manager, and this means I had not to try it during the building. Really I haven’t put yet my wheels on the track so this preview is based only on what I can see through Track Blaster.

Well, Everglades is a track quite different from the previous ones, sure a bit more difficult. Maybe the designer wants to begin to lead NORH drivers towards another kinds of tracks that we’ll see next year when he’ll manage the only official Stunts NORH contest on the web... ;)  Seeing the track through the map it’s quite difficult to guess the length, but I think that a quite good time could be around 1’10” – 1’15”. But we’ll know it soon! Meanwhile… let's go for a “virtual” lap! A long straight characterizes the beginning, reaching very soon the Powergear, and overleaping without trouble (but in a dazzling way!) two Up/Down corkscrews. We can keep the magic 6th gear for a long tract, availing opportune bank-roads and a fluent tract with some consecutive large curves before to reach a loop that we should leave behind without many troubles but with a bit of adhrenalin…. A short straight (at 245 Mph all becomes short…) and then an obligatory bridge (water…) just before a large 180°: good-bye Powergear (even if someone could cede to the temptation to keep it…) but not for a long time. In fact, after another fluent tract (not long like before), we’ll re-find it thanks to a ramp. Anyway, this time it won’t be easy to manage, I think. Above all, we will have to see if jumping from the ramp at 245 Mph it will be possible to land before the access of the near pipe (or tube, as you like), that includes a classic obstacle (could it be without an obstacle? :D). Anyway, even if we will able to insert the car in the pipe at maximum speed, avoiding then the obstacle placed in the middle, we will have soon to push very hard on the brake because an elevated corner is waiting for us: shakes… Another straight (with tunnels and barriers) and then a L/R corkscrew. Possible Powergear? Not this time, because a slow curve on the left will oblige the drivers to insert their car in a tunnel and in a last straight that leads to a last elevated corner: after all that drivers have encountered until here, and missing only about 15” seconds to the finish line, I think they will approach this elevated curve with much trepidation … How will be the final? Fast and quite complex. Difficult to describe why, but I can say that drivers will reach a hill in full 4th gear, maybe already in 5th gear (I have not to explain what this mean, isn’t it?), and they will have to choose: follow the conventional track (having trouble to control their rocket-car landing on a bank-road curve) or cut it aiming (blindly) the finish, taking many risks trying to avoid a probable penalty… Simple question: how many complete trials will a NORH driver succeed to make on this track trying to win…? ;)  Come on NORH drivers, start your engines and show one more time your great passion in the last race of this wonderful season!

31 Oct 21.15 - The last race: who will exit as winner from The Arenas?

Here it is the last RH track of the season, THE ARENAS! It will be (so I hope!) a mix of fun, pleasure to drive and wish to win thanks to known Indy’s features and a track full of dazzling, engaging and (as usual! ;)) original tracts! Seeing the track from the sky, we can see soon that there are two big elevated and blinded arenas (“Would you say that is it the reason of the name?!” :D) placed in a large sea and linked only by two tight stripes of asphalt. But let’s start for a usual virtual patrol-lap! Set free the “horses” of your Indy but only for a short tract of the first “link” that lead at the first arena: you have to approach at your best a tight chicane so to exit with the possible maximum speed. The reason? You have to enter in the porthole of the first arena almost in 4th gear if you want to avoid to land far on the track losing too much speed…. After the first two curves, the first arena is characterized to the necessity to reach and keep a high enough speed so to exit by the egress in a particular way… Which way? Well, you’ll know it! (I can only say that tract will be the most difficult of the entire track… ;)). And then we are on the tight road that connects the two arenas! Water on the left, water on the right, and two fast chicanes to approach while the speed is over 210 Mph… But before to reach to porthole of the 2nd arena, we have to approach a strange and dazzling jump: Powergear is absolutely needed but… only partially…(?!)… You’ll see! And now the 2nd arena: strong brake just after the entrance, but then we find a crucial tract where the ability to keep high the speed between different kinds of curves will be essential for a top performance. Weird and dazzling jump from a Loop to an Up/Down Corkscrew (really original and funny, I think!) and then we’ll be launched towards the exit and the last tract of the track! What will we find outside the 2nd and last arena? Water, obviously, but a very fast tract too (Powergear? Let’s see…), where we will have to manage our Indy carefully until the finish line… That’s all! Come on Stunts drivers, start your engines, let’s make a great show on this final track and, above all, enjoy with it!

29 Oct 19.15 - A great Duplode sets hurdles the Chulk's walk to the title!

Another crashing victory for Duplode, the 2nd in his short but already very brilliant career as Stunts driver!! The brazilian ace makes a real masterwork leading the race from the beginning until the end, demonstrating one more time his mastery in this specialty! And the value of his perfomance increases if we think that he has quite easily beated the two drivers who are hardly fighting for the title! This reminds the last race of F1 championship in 1997, Jerez de le Frontera, when M. Schumacher and J. Villeneuve were fighting for the title (and all we know how it finished). An incredible grid characterized that race: three drivers (M. Schumacher, J, Villeneuve and H.H. Frentzen with the same, identical time!!! But, just behind them, Damon Hill placed in 2nd row his crappy car with an incredible short gap: only 0”021!! (And, if I’m not wrong, there was still the old qualifying system, that is all drivers started for their qualifying lap only with a just useful fuel). Well, maybe Duplode has realized a better exploit, beating Chulk and Mark L. Rivers, so engaged for the title! Duplode’s victory sets hurdles the walk of Chulk toward the title. The argentinian champion (2nd) succeeds to arrive ahead Mark L. Rivers (3rd) rescuing so only 2 points and reducing the gap to 5,5 points. Sure all is still possible: if Chulk will win last race and Mark will arrive 3rd, this means that 5 points will be already rescued; bonus points and eventual outsiders could complete easily the gap. But sure, if Chulk resulted 1st in this race, now the gap would be really thin: only 2,5 points. For the final podium, Duplode has completed his rescue on Krys TOFF (not a big engagement for him in this race because… well, check the final result of RH contest to know why! ;)) reaching the French driver at 78,5 points. It seems that it will be easy for Duplode to gain the 3rd final place, but… we can’t underestimate the “old lion” Krys, even because the last race will be disputed on a track quite different from previous. So dazzling final challenge even for the podium!

But now, as usual, let’s take a look to the video and the analysis! Seeing the positions at the intermediate, it seems a race quite linear: all drivers occupy the same position for the whole track. But, seeing the gaps during the race and the different choices made by drivers about the lines to choose, we can do a dissimilar consideration. Until 1st intermediate all drivers (we won’t talk about Krys engaged on another track… ;)) are very near as it was predictable: Duplode leads on Chulk for 0”05 and on Mark for 0”25. But then there’s the great divide: Duplode and Chulk choose to cut the bridge on the left while Mark chooses (unfortunately for him) the right. He didn’t considerate (very macroscopic error) the possibility to choose the left, because he thought there were three Stunts element that he would have skipped, but that is wrong, as his three opponents (even Krys chose the left) have demonstrated. Passing on the right of the bridge was not so penalizing as it can seem because it was possible landing on the track, not losing speed, exactly like passing on the left. Maybe the difference can be 0”50 – 0”75. But in the best Mark’s attempt (as you can see in the replay or in the video), he lands on the grass, losing a lot of speed. Fantastic speed, instead, keeped by Duplode and Chulk, with the brazilian who succeeds to cut the hill after the bank-road curve a bit better than the argentinian (a bit later his steering at the moment of the cut). Mark cuts in a good way the hill but with a slower speed due to the previous tract. And so, this is the standing at the half of the race: Duplode leads on Chulk for 1”05 and (tadà..!) 3” on Mark, an abyss…. But then, the Italian driver succeeds to drive quite well, and, even if the positions won’t change, at least he reduces with honour the distances. Third section without big difference about the lines chosen, except for Chulk, who choose to cut the 3rd intermediate lunging the path, and losing a bit of speed due to a jump quite short and keeping the 5th gear instead to insert the 4th. Anyway this is the standing at 3rd intermediate: Duplode leads on Chulk for 0”75 and 2”30 on Mark. And now we approach the last section! Duplode cut a bit too much on the right reducing the angle of the last curve and making more difficult his steering toward the finish. In fact, the brazilian ace has to brake a lot on the hill before to insert his car on the last short straight. Anyway, he administrates very well his large gap accumulated previously finishing with a great 1’16”10: chapeau. Meanwhile Mark guesses a better trajectory overtaking the lake (a bit on the left than Duplode) approaching with a larger angle the last curve: this permits him to rescue a lot finishing in 1’17”20. And Chulk? As aforesaid, due to the previous line at 3rd checkpoint, Chulk arrives at the loop with a slower speed than other 2 opponents, landing over the little lake just for a bit. Then he succeeds to make a good last curve landing on the track for the last short straight, but… a very little incertitude causes a little slide on the left and the argentinian champion drive on the last short tract on the grass. A little error, but maybe big enough to lose the victory and 3 very important points too for the title. Anyway, Chulk gets a 1’16”95 who permits him to remain ahead Mark (02”5 the final gap between them) continuing to keep alive the challenge!

And now the last race! As you can see on correspondent topic, it will be very special, with the 1st track not designed by contest manager! Dazzling, exciting, breathtaking: these are only some adjectives to describe this last race, a race where Chulk must win to conquer the title and where Mark (in negative trend after a 1st, two 2nd and a 3rd placements) will have to keep a big careful above all about bonus point. But the real incognita will be the final result of Duplode! His result will be determinant for the assignation of the title and this makes really particular his race! Well, that’s all! Now we have only a short time to control if it’s all ok on our Indy, and then… go for “Everglades”, the last track active from next 1st November!

29 Oct 19.15  - The ROAR of the "old lion": first win in SDR for Krys TOFF!!

It was clear that it would be finally arrived and in fact it’s arrived: first great victory for Krys TOFF on SDR!! The French ace, shakes off all his recent dull performances triumphing on “Funny” with one of his favorite car, and contest manager is really happy to count him in the restricted pool of winner of SDR races! But about this race, we have to say a lot, so… let’s go inside it!

Krys makes a great performance leaving the 2nd, Mark L. Rivers, almost at 2”, while the 3rd, Duplode (first SDR podium for him!), arrived almost 4” later the winner! Just behind SuperBrian (4th) and a bit more distance the couple of argentinian drivers, with AbuRaf70 (5th) for the 2nd time in the season ahead his teammate Chulk (6th). With this result, Chulk can by now say “Goodbye” to the title, because his gap from the leader is now 19 points. Minding that a winner can get a maximum score of 21 points (as AbuRaf70 got in “Geometry track”), only a missed participation of the current leader (but maybe neither that) could impede him to conquer the title. Anyway, mathematically there are still possibilities, so we must postpone any proclamation after the finish of the last race. Instead, there are 2 other challenges really open! Krys TOFF reduced a lot his gap from AbuRaf70 for the 3rd place (only 1,5 points the new gap!) while Duplode has approached a bit SuperBrian (who has overtook CTG) for the 5th place (2,5 points the new gap!): this will make very interesting the last race! But let’s talk more deeply about this race now!

Amazing, really amazing this penultimate race of the season! It could seem only a funny race, a nice interval before the last appointment, but it became week after week a really amazing and involving race! Above all, because weird bugs have characterized it! Which? I absolutely don’t know how it could be happened, but three drivers (Krys TOFF, SuperBrian and Duplode) have cut (in two different ways) an abnormal tract of the track (after last intermediate) not taking any penalty time! I checked their replays re-driving with replay handling last 2 seconds of the races, and… effectively final time will be reported in Stunts evaluation page without penalty! It seems that Stunts internal check system had a temporary failure while their cars cut the track in that points… Anyway, their replays (and their times) have to be considered valid in order to the specific SDR rules. Since Gutix succeeded, thanks to a Stunts bug, to finish a race after 9” (“Choices” – May 2006 – you can read the related News in Archive page) I introduced the following rule: “Tricks and shortcuts are allowed, but replays will be accepted if car will have transited in correspondence of the intermediates indicated on the map (yellow, violet and red lines). Penalty time will be added at race time.” Having the three drivers’ car transited on all intermediates, and not having Stunts internal system attributed to their race any penalty time, even if they he have cut an abnormal tract of the race their time has to be considered valid. But if we take a look at the replays and the analysis, we could find some interesting consideration to do!

AbuRaf70 transits with the best time at 1st and 2nd intermediates: great race for the more and more skilled argentinian driver! He reaches an impressive speed, making a wonderful serial of jump around the loop! But the fastest 2nd section is for the winner! Only 5th at 1st intermediate (with a quite high gap, 0”65) Krys TOFF makes a fantastic tract rescuing a lot on AbuRaf70 (only 0”15 the new gap). Meanwhile the gaps of other drivers continuing to rise: 0”40 for Mark L. Rivers (3rd), 0”75 for Chulk (4th), 1”25 for Duplode (5th, the only that didn’t jump from the loop) and 1”65 for SuperBrian (6th). At the hairpin just before the 2nd intermediate, all drivers choose to follow the tract passing through the tunnel, except for Mark L. Rivers who cuts the track just skimming the highest part of the hill. A good choice seeing the results at 3rd intermediate reached by the drivers through various lines as the track permitted them: the Italian driver transits 1st with 0”40 on Krys TOFF, 0”70 on AbuRaf70, 0”85 on Chulk, 2”75 on Duplode and 3”70 on SuperBrian. And we now arrive at the last section, that we could define “the black hole” of Stunts internal check system. SuperBrian opens a door between the last two hills cutting immediately toward the finish element, followed from Krys TOFF, who asked me to report, in case of victory, his public thanks to his teammate for his good teamwork! The result is absolutely weird: 10 consecutive Stunts elements skipped and no penalty time! About Duplode, he opens a 2nd door correspondently at the last tunnel: he flies on it cutting immediately on the right, sliding out of control until the finish line. The result? Three consecutive Stunts elements skipped and no penalty time! Thanks to these phenomenal bugs (but someone had to try them to could avail them and this is part of a race) the three drivers gain a lot (above all the duo of Damage Inc.) on the others (AbuRaf70, Chulk and Mark L. Rivers), and only a guessed final slide on the last hill permits to the Italian driver to limit his gap arriving 2nd even if at almost 2” from the winner.

Wow, really an amazing race! But now, let's go with the last track of this season: The Arenas! Check the correspondent topic and try it: beginning from the 1st November, it will be a last stunning event of this contest!  

21 Oct 14.45 - Duplode in action, 1st with great time! But pretactic rules...

An intense week for Duplode who succeeds to take the lead after multiplying attempts, coronated by a great final time: 1'17"75 !! While Krys TOFF assays the track with a patrol lap, the brazilian ace shakes off last colorless weeks (except for CP1 of this race) and reaffirms his high NORH skill, minding all that who wants to win has to keep in count him! And sure this vales for the driver engaged for the title! Btw, they didn't sent a video this week, as it was predictable... Their previous time were really strong and evidently they didn't succeed to lower them over 3%. Not having so possibilities to get important bonus point, maybe Chulk and Mark L. Rivers preferred not to discover their cards... But did they dress their helmets in last week? Did they already realized a great time (maybe faster than current Duplode's time?!) that will put on the table for next Sunday? Disquieting question for the drivers who are fighting for the title, but this is part of the unavoidable pre-tactic... One thing is plain: the fight for the final 3rd place in the championship could affect very much the end of the season, and we could really approach the last race of the season with two drivers divided by a very thin gap... There're no doubts: next week will be a thrilling week for all them and for all the passioned of this wonderful specialty! And, it will be very important keeping on mind the following advice!

WARNING! Deadline is postponed: same day but at 23.59!

21 Oct 14.45 - Thin fight for the title but Duplode surprises all!

While Chulk and Mark L. Rivers fight controlling each other, Duplode takes the lead surprising all in this very tight race! Very good time by the brazilian driver who goes down under 67" conquering a whole bonus point too! Behind him we find Mark L. Rivers (2nd, 0,5 bonus point not very bad for him in order for the championship), Chulk (3rd for only 0"20 improving for 3,01%: bad strategy?) and SuperBrian (4th) who didn't sent a new time. All these 4 drivers are in only 1"20: really a tight and dazzling race! A bit more far, 5th, AbuRaf70 with a good improvement (-2,33%) that permit him to break the 70" barrier, and 6th Krys TOFF who didn't improve. And now we aim to the finish! What we will se next Sunday? Chulk has to try to win if he wants to keep open a window on the title, while Mark could try to close here the dispute arriving ahead his main opponent. But both will have not to forget that Duplode sure will want to try to win his first official race (not keeping in count his victory in WSC with IRC rules). Also SuperBrian who is trying to get a place in Top 10 of SWR in order of ISM 2008. And sure Mark and Chulk can't forget AbuRaf70 (2 podiums in last two races) and Krys TOFF that maybe will want to stop his negative stripe remembering to all his great skill (also availing a car he likes very much). Sure an intense week for all, sure a dazzling final Sunday! Oh, btw:

WARNING! Deadline is postponed: same day but at 23.59!

14 Oct 15.15 - Chulk is back to his standard and now he really frightens!

After the dull performance of last week, Chulk comes back to his level and now he really frightens Mark L. Rivers! The argentinian champion reaches a strong 1'18"50, conquering the 1st provisional place and a whole bonus point. And the result of his main opponent contributes to lift the value of his new time: trying to impede that Chulk could take the bonus point, the italian driver succeeds to improve his previous time, but only lightly (-0"45), and this seems to tell us that maybe he's very near to his limit. If it's so, Chulk could really reduce a lot his gap in general classification, above all if he'll succeed to catch the other 2 bonus points at stake. In this way, winning the race and leaving the 2nd place to Mark, Chulk could rescue 5 whole points, and this means that last race would begin with the two top drivers divided from only 2,5 points! What a fantastic final for a wonderful season! But let's stop a moment, now... There are still 2 weeks of race and we have to keep in count the result of the others drivers, that, as we know, could affect furtherly the fight for the title! So... next Sunday will be another crucial Sunday on the way that lead to the title: stay with us! 

14 Oct 15.15 - SuperBrian SuperStar: 1st without opponents!

Fantastic race for SuperBrian until here: after the 2nd place behind Chulk at CP1, the danish driver makes a monstruos lap taking so the provisional lead and a whole bonus point!! Stopping the chronometer at 1'07"95, the driver of Damage Inc. seems to be without opponents: Chulk is 2nd (0,5 bonus points) and Mark L. Rivers 3rd but with times 2" higher than current leader! About drivers with times higher than 70", good improvement for AbuRaf70 (4th lowering his previous time for 4%) while Duplode seems to have taken a free week. But we have to register the outset of Krys TOFF: first attempt by the french driver and a "standard" time (1'16"10) that place him at 6th provisional place. But keeping on mind the fight for the final 3rd place in the championship, we are sure that we'll find him in a different position at the end! Weel, it seems a race that could be open to all final result! So... maybe next Sunday we'll see a large pre-tactic, but maybe some drivers will want to show all their skill demonstrating not to have fear of the others... Let's see what it will happen!

07 Oct 15.20 - Slow-motion outset for Chulk: 3rd and no bonus points!!

The news is really clamorous: Chulk, engaged in the fight for the title and needful for the highest number of available points to rescue in general classification, opens the race with a very slow time (1'29"60) that doesn't permit him to catch bonus points, having got only the 3rd provisional place!! From the other side, Mark L. Rivers, having fear that his main opponent could get the 1st place so to be in a position useful to catch many bonus points, pushed as he never did in the past for CP1, reaching a thunderous 1'20"00 that permit him to stay on top getting also a whole bonus point. Exactly in the middle between the two drivers engaged for the title, Duplode with 1"24"95 (0,5 binus point). And now? Mark L. Rivers seems to be in a better position than Chulk, even if for current leader it will be difficult to get other bonus points, having shooted so high for this CP. About Chulk, he knows he must win this race to continue to hope to win the title, but he also knows he have to try to catch bonus points in last two CP. If he want to catch at least 1,5 bonus he have to reach a time that permit him to stay at least in 2nd position next Sunday. Instead, if he will want to catch all bonus points at stake for him (that is 3 bonus points) he have to stay 1st at CP2. And sure Duplode (and why not? Krys TOFF) could affect remarkably the things. Hard work for who loves predictions, and big wait for next CP... ;)

07 Oct 15.20 - A serried battle: 4 drivers in 1"20!

Really funny and nice this race seeing the provisional classification at 1st Checkpoint: four driver in 1"20!! Chulk is the fastest with 1'12"60, after a first trial exactly 4" slower, 1 bonus points for him; then we find a determinated SuperBrian, 2nd with a very good 1'13"05! The danish driver precedes the couple who usually gives life to an intense battle on SDR tracks: Duplode (3rd with 1'13"65) and AbuRaf70 (4th with 1'13"80). Stop here? No because there's a fifth driver who raced for CP1. We are talking about Mark L. Rivers who maybe are thinking to have already win the title so to race in very relaxed way... But as he knows, he have to keep open his eyes because Chulk could really rescue in general classification (thanks also to a possible teamwork), and the argentinian ace seems to believe in it... For the moment contest manager can be satisfied only for the very good comments about the track that other drivers have sent him in private way. :)  But at next CP he sure will try to be a bit high in provisional classification... ;) See you next Sunday!

30 Sep 22.00 - Penultimate race, unbroken risk, looking for strong hearts!

A track not properly difficult, without real critical points… A not very used car but quite easy to drive… What does it mean all this? RISK! Yes, the risk will be the real main element of this race, the ninth race of the season, the penultimate one! From the beginning to the end, drivers will have to push their Coronet Pulsar as fast as they are able to drive it, making no so many calculations during the race if they will want to put their wheels ahead their opponents. Anyway, here it is some info about the track. Fast beginning and maximum speed (200 mph) reachable after only 10-15 seconds before to an exciting blind jump. First reduction of speed (important but not dramatic) correspondently to a decided change of direction before to fly (real flight…) into the second section of race. Again high speed (not very easy to keep for 2 obligatory cuts that will lead drivers to put their wheels on the grass) before the 2nd drastic (a bit more than previous) change of speed correspondently to a brutal dirt chicane placed between a tunnel and bank-road. Third and last fast tract where drivers will have to avail some cuts and bank-road to reach and keep a very high speed (it will be easy, no fear) before to arrive at the final. A not very quiet final, characterized from a brutal brake (that driver will have to begin just after to have left a loop/ramp needful to jump over a little “lake”) and a brutal turn (more than 90°) on the right to insert the car in a more elevated small straight (not completely flat…) before the finish line… So, we all will see who will be able to drive his Coronet Pulsar STi-R risking continuously for about 80”: looking for strong hearts… ;)

30 Sep 22.00 - Funny race! But "funny" doesn't mean "easy"...

Nice and funny race: this is the best way to describe the penultimate race of the season! Aboard your Coronet Pulsar STì-R, a car not very much used but quite easy to drive, drivers will have to race on a track with unusual ways to choose as it's wonted in SDR. Start and immediately a triple choice for everyone: believe me, it won't easy understanding very soon the fastest... Anyway, the three ways will become again only one very soon, just before to approach the 2nd section of the race. In this part drivers will have to cross (ortogonally...) a loop before to avoidi, as smart as possible..., the subsequent up/down corkscrew... Very tight hairpin (Cut or not to cut? This is the question...) and then 3rd section. A long, but not very quiet, straight tract where drivers will have to steer and jump almost at maximum speed (200-210 mph?) between ramps, hills and left/right corkscrews. An then the final, where it will be quite difficult to guess the right way to approach it, cause a tunnel just in a bad place... Some trials to test the track made 10 days ago seem to indicate a race about 70"-80" long, but... as usual, let's see! Sure it will be a funny race, but... we have to mind that there's still so much at stake for some drivers and the maximum engagement will be necessary to put own wheels ahead the others. Remember, "funny" doesn't mean "easy"...