The Lionheart Retro Series in iRacing headed to Japan for the Twin Ring 175 recently. Here is your race report.
We are back racing in the Lionheart Retro Series in iRacing as round 14 visited Motegi for the ButtKicker Twin Ring 175. Written by Darren B of Simrace247.com.
Top 5 on the grid
- #99 Sirois: 31.350
- #8 Taylor +0.121
- #Campbell: +0.122
- #39 Cohn: +0.165
- Nunez: +0.174
Here we go, old skool F1 Lotus 79 around Twin Ring Motegi, green flag. A clean opening lap and the drivers start to get the cars up to speed. Campbell starts to hound Sirois for the lead and goes for it on lap 2 as the high speed train chases. Taylor did not have a great start and drops to P10. Team Simrace247 driver Nunez punches himself up to the lead. His tail is up after his victory at Charlotte in the speedway series, Campbell pounces and takes the lead, they are bunching up with some fierce racing.
Cohn makes his move and goes for the lead, Fowler comes to the party, the elbows are out with many of the drivers. We are only at lap 9 and you would think its the last lap, great clean racing. The wide track invites people to take more chances, but will it pay off by not having incidents?
Lap 15 top 10
- Campbell
- Cohn
- Fowler
- Sirois
- Rodriguez
- Nunez
- Graaf
- Guyon
- Malone
- Hardin
The inevitable happens on lap 19, yellow flag. Mikes and Nunez are involved, with mikes losing control of the car and Nunez has nowhere to go. With the yellow out, the majority of drivers come down pit road. Lap 24 gets the drivers racing under the green flag, Guyon hits the front on lap 26 as the charge continues. The field is now starting to get stretched as the top 8 is covered by 1,2 seconds, with Sirois in P9 2 seconds behind Rodriguez in P8.
Richie Hearn is having a great race and works his way up to P2, the former IndyCar driver always gives it 100% and in the sim racing world he makes no compromise. He goes for the lead and switches it up with Guyon, Graaf and Jenkins are starting to dice for P3, Jenkins and Ragan are looking feisty in P3 & P4.
Lap 40 top 10
- Guyon
- Hearn
- Ragan
- Jenkins
- Campbell
- Rodriguez
- Herrick
- Graaf
- Sirois
- Fowler
That gap is getting bigger as the top 8 have broken away from the pack, Guyon to Sirois is now 4.5 seconds. Jenkins now takes the lead, how many different leaders have we had now, exceptional racing. Guyon comes into the pits on lap 43, and some of the front runners follow suit on lap 44. here we go, the race on pit road begins. Richie Hearn has run out of fuel, has he got enough speed to coast in on fumes? You bet he can.
Mike Rasimas has made up 17 positions in the race and sits in P6, back out front Rodriguez leads with Campbell in close quarters with Sirois 5 seconds behind. Fowler in P4 is tailing Sirois, wil lhe go for the move and get some clean air or will he keep the fuel saving going in his favour? Sirois comes into the pits at the end of lap 62. Rodriguez comes into the pits at the end of lap 63, its a race of fuel at the moment, who can make it last, Campbell and Fowler come in at the end of lap 64.
After the frantic pit stops, the leaderboard shuffles up, who has gained, who has not? Rodriguez and Campbell are out front, with as gap of 3 seconds back to Guyon, that top 7 have closed up.
37 laps to go top 10
- Rodriguez
- Campbell
- Guyon
- Ragan
- Jenkins
- Herrick
- Graaf
- Fowler
- Sirois
- Cohn
Guyon and the chasing pack are closing in on the leading cars. The battle of fuel is what is coming with the chasing pack working those calculators furiously. The lead cars have now got the chasing pack in drafting range, Graaf and Herrick pit in with 31 to go. Guyon comes in a few laps later, and slams on the anchors with tire smoke pouring out. Ragan and Jenkins come in on the following lap, YELLOW FLAG!
Taylor has the backend of the car get loose wrap around at high speed sending him into the wall at high speed, that was a big one. While the yellow is out, nearly everyone comes into the pits. 23 laps to go, green flag, lets go. its elbows out, and a dangerous time as it is close to the chequered flag, 4 wide racing. Ragan takes the lead, Campbell responds, its getting dicey through the pack, be careful guys.
20 laps to go, the gloves are off, Fowler takes the lead. The drivers are going for every move available now with more 4 wide racing. The carrot is dangling and everyone is chasing, superb racing, Rodriguez takes the lead, its switching up so fast for the leading car, the top 9 are covered by 0.750. Ragan squeezes his way up to P2, that was super close and now takes the lead, Campbell bites back, 13 to go.
This is outstanding racing outfront, the yellow comes out, it Hearn. He scuffs the outer wall on the final turn and sends his car into a spin. With 8 laps left, its a shootout to the flag, green flag waves, who wants it?
Campbell leads, here comes the hunters chasing its prey being the lead car. Cohn and Campbell are fighting for the lead, 4 wide, 5 to go and a high speed crash. The yellow is out, its done to the flag. The big crash involved Ragan and Fowler testing eachothers patience, with Hardin, Jenkins and Graaf end up being the casualties.
Victory in the ButtKicker Twin Ring 175
After a dramatic finish to the race that ends up seeing the drivers cross the chequered flag under yellow, Sean Campbell has won the ButtKicker Twin Ring 175. Speaking in HyperX victory lane ” Its great at Twin Ring Oval and its awesome as i am very glad to get a win here” said race winner Campbell.
ROUND 14 – ButtKicker Twin Ring 175 Presented by Next Level Racing
Finish | Team | Driver | Start | Laps | Interval | Laps Led | Inc | Pts | Bonuses/Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #26-RSR By ButtKicker |  Sean D Campbell | 3 | 113 | – | 41 | 0 | 62 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 2 | #10-RSR By ButtKicker | David R. Rodriguez | 8 | 113 | -0.329 | 33 | 0 | 57 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 3 | #39-AAR W/ GRAAFix LC | Marc Cohn | 4 | 113 | -0.766 | 4 | 0 | 52 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 4 | #99-Raven Lavoie Motorsports |  David Sirois | 1 | 113 | -1.458 | 2 | 0 | 50 | (+1) Start on overall pole (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 5 | #68-GRAAFix LC Motorsports | Mike Rasimas | 23 | 113 | -1.753 | 0 | 0 | 46 | (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 6 | #53-4D Sim Racing | Craig Forsythe | 19 | 113 | -2.278 | 0 | 4 | 43 | |
| 7 | #20-Mad Werx Motorsports | Chris Fowler | 7 | 113 | -2.670 | 3 | 0 | 43 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 Incidents |
| 8 | #19-Elite West Racing | Christopher Ragan | 11 | 113 | -3.104 | 4 | 4 | 40 | (+1) Led a lap |
| 9 | #28-4D Sim Racing | Luke Daniels | 24 | 113 | -3.538 | 0 | 4 | 37 | |
| 10 | #40-4D Sim Racing | Jim Herrick | 15 | 113 | -4.039 | 0 | 4 | 35 |
