Samuel Reiman Sim Racing Blog #4

Samuel Reiman continues with his sim racing blogs here at simrace247.com. Keeping the community up to date with his events in sim racing. Blog #4

We have seen Samuel Reiman taking part in sim racing and other motorsport events. Usually, he takes part in the Lionheart Racing Series, but this blog is something a little different.

This time he turns his attention to Formula 3, a great class of open wheel race car that is very rewarding. Formula 3 may not be the pinnacle of open wheel racing, but rest assured, some of the best racing to be had has involved these cars.

Here in Blog #4, we get an insight into recent events with Samuel.

Usually, Formula 3 races on iRacing turn out to be virtual demolition derbies. But if you make it through the carnage, every now and then you get a cracker.

Such was the case this Wednesday when I lined up 6th on the grid in a 22-car field for a 20-lap race at Montreal.

When the lights went out I got straight onto the throttle and I was up into 5th before we got to Turn 1. Meanwhile, the pole-sitter had overshot Turn 1 and had subsequently compromised his line through Turn 2, so I was able to follow the leaders by him and up into 4th place.

The No. 3 car now led the field while the No. 14 and the No. 8 car were arguing over second with myself behind them. However, things changed as we came to complete Lap 2 as the No. 3 spun out of the hairpin, and now the scrap in front of me was for the lead.

The No. 8 was evidently the faster car, but it was the No. 14 with the top spot. Eventually the No. 8 found his way by but since they had been racing so hard, I held station in third as I had no pressure from behind and wasn’t convinced the battle was over. I gave the No. 14 a lap in front to see if he was going to mount another challenge, but he couldn’t and so one lap later I made my pass up into second.

I probably didn’t have the pace to win anyway, but taking that lap behind the No. 14 was probably a bad decision as the No. 8 had used that time to open up a bit of a gap, and by the time I was in 2nd, I had lost his slipstream.

A couple of laps after this the No. 14 almost rear-ended me entering the hairpin, so I didn’t put up a fight when he tried to challenge me in the final chicane and I opted to hold station in third.

For the middle part of the race, I kept myself about a second back of the No. 14 racing at about 95 percent, just trying to keep my engine and tyres cool.

At the start of Lap 16, I dialed it back up a bit.

My strategy worked out perfectly and I was tucked right back up beneath the rear wing of the No. 14 starting the final lap. The Formula 3 car does not have DRS on iRacing so I was going to have to do it the hard way.

Coming out of the third chicane (the one where Jenson Button passed Sebastian Vettel for the win in 2011), I got a run on him and positioned my car up the inside as we went under the bridge. I emerged from the corner in second but there was still the hairpin and the final chicane to go.

In both instances, I positioned my car on the inside of the track, slowed up enough to let him have his line, and yet was able to power out enough both times to hold onto the position and cross the line in second place.

I have yet to win a Formula 3 race on iRacing, but this race was certainly an indication that I’m heading in the right direction.