Demolition Derby @ Racers Island

Racers Island Raceway blog
Racers Island in-world (+TPer to all tracks)

I got the just before they've started. Well, it wasn't a big deal - it's not like a racing series, or something that slould be taken serious, just a group of racers decided to have some fun on Saturday evening.
The Demo Derby fun is directly proportional to the amount of participants, and Racers Island, as one of the biggest racers venues in Second Life, generates plenty of fun! Well, just so you know readers, there's never enough of racers at the derby.
So - no analysis, no overview, just some pictures to show you what you've missed if you haven't joined us there. Check these shattered prims and flying avatars out! Don't you want to be one of them?!

PREFABRICA Scooter race and Bike race @ Lunar Mist

Lunar Mist in-world
It's yet another Saturday, and you should be a freak if you haven't dreamed about spending it somewhere at the beautiful sim, with some techno tunes playing in your speakers streamed by the Lunar Estates DJ Graza live, beautiful ocean around, lots of palms and other trees, luxury yachts at the slips... and YES, of course, some action! What could be more amazing than racing surrounded by all this beauty?

So, right after I've finished the post about the race at 2RAW, I've headed to Lunar Mist - now they're having races on a regular basis, everybody can join at 6 PM. What vehicles we'll be driving is always a surprise for everyone till the last day - but one thing is obvious: they are provided for free! So come over and have fun with us!

What was today... Today were scooters and bikes.


At the 1st race, we were using free scooters by PREFABRICA (find them on Marketplace here) that have different plate textures and only 1 gear. A good thing about this one is that they are very low-lag, so Diane is going to arrange races on them frequently! I just love watching white scooters sliding through the Lunar Estates roads... it's something you should see and even try, if of course you're not apathetic to beautiful things.
6 participants, 10 laps.
Ought to say, closer to the end of the race I even dared myself to turn graphics up (turn on alpha, trees and other things I had disabled through the Advanced menu) - the driving was so smooth and lagless I could could afford myself to finish 1st and enjoy the beauty around me.  And take some pictures in action, too!

After that, I've found out... no, first I've crashed, then I got back into SL and found out we'll be racing on MC Vipers - yes, that bike I've reviewed a week ago! MC Motors provided free demos for those who hasn't got Viper - you know, those ones that disappear when you stand up.
I've decided to switch graphics to low, but not to turn anything off - just to enjoy myself while driving. Got the 1st place anyway...
So I guess it's time for me to retire from the races at Lunar Estates and rather come there next time just to watch. There's less lags than before, what is a great thing - more fun from driving, so everyone, please feel free to come over next Saturday, because it's fun, it's glamour (not a bad thing!), there's great prizes to win also! For example, I won a mesh car by MC Motors - it's a gorgeous Hydra RX-27, guess you'll find a review for this vehicle here soon...

See you there next Saturday! Also, there's something you won't find at other sport events - a following party, yes! And I ought to say, the residents of Lunar Estates are the ones to party with. Sadly, I couldn't join them - there was another fun race, at Racers Island, the first Demolition Derby I was going to watch there... So I said goodbye to the party people and headed there!

TXT Racing Series Summer 2012 - the points

4th race of the series - 6/30/12:
Millennium Sands - 50
cameron Geordie - 45
Ρσмρσηία ﾚεΜσгţ (Excess Lemmon) - 40



Total series points (up to the present day, 6/30/12):
Millennium Sands - 200
PhiloSophical Vervain - 81
flea Fang - 81
Ρσмρσηία ﾚεΜσгţ (Excess Lemmon) - 80
cameron Geordie - 77
Dalton Aiten - 45
Durron Sockington - 40
Rosie Varnish - 40
Stoney Maloney (Hagbard Hyx) - 32

TXT Racing Series Summer 2012 - 4th race!

2RAW progresses every day. We try, we fail, we try again and succeed, and it never stops.
Same with racing.

Today's race definitely wasn't the biggest one, but I must say - it was one of the most beautiful races I've ever seen in Second Life. And an unpredictable one, too!

Lining up

Unfortunately, there was one loss - it was Dr. Möbius (lowrez), who crashed right after the start, so there were only 3 racers. The con is obvious - every participant left us with a trophy!

Millenium Sands has showed a great self-possession again. Cameron Geordie, who got into the fight for the 1st place with her, shot ahead and was going 1st at the first laps, but nevertheless Sands didn't let him get too far away from her, and it paid off - she took the leadership in a couple of laps and started drawing out.

Due to the fact Geordie lost a few seconds, he and Ρσмρσηία  ﾚεΜσгţ (Excess Lemmon), who was a few seconds down too, got into a fight for the 2nd place, in which Geordie was leading almost all the time - LeMort was hitting the walls a lot. Once she took the 2nd place, but stuck in the wall very badly on the 14th lap - and Geordie passed by increasing the gap between him and LeMort to 6 seconds.
Then there was a moment when Geordie started catching up with Sands, but it didn't last too long.
Closer to the end of the race, every racer got about 15 seconds room towards each other - then Geordie hit the wall on a high speed on the 23th lap and dropped down in the time, taking himself right before LeMort passed by. The competition between him and LeMort has restored, until the very finish that was unknown exactly who's going to win. But after all Geordie finished second - with only 4 seconds gap between him and LeMort.


I cannot skip the qualifying round, too, where all the racers have showed the impressive results - the difference between their times was amazingly small, you'll see it in the stats.
Great job everyone, and congratulations winners - one step closer to the win of the series!


Race director: K.T. Burnett (KayT)
Race director assistants: Firefly Pau, Urantia Jewell, M (mmmm Whybrow)

Grid positions/Qualifying times:

Pole Position. Millennium Sands  53.777
P 2. Dr. Möbius (lowrez),  54.066, -0.289 - retired
P 3. cameron Geordie,  54.123, -0.346
P 4. Ρσмρσηία  ﾚεΜσгţ (Excess Lemmon),  54.343, -0.565

Final Results:
1st. Millennium Sands, 25 laps. Total Time : 1362.574
2nd. cameron Geordie, -29.427 seconds.
3rd. Ρσмρσηία  ﾚεΜσгţ (Excess Lemmon), -33.132 seconds.
Fastest race lap: cameron Geordie, 53.256

Race overview:
According to what we have seen at previous races, that was pretty obvious that Millenium Sands won't have a lot of opponents - as always, it was more interesting to follow what happened behind her. But apparently Cameron Geordie would have had a chance, if he have been more accurate at the turns, same can be addressed to Pomponia. High speed needs to be handled - you lose way less letting off at the turns than trying to pass them scratching the wall. However, that was a pretty unpredictable one at first, when Geordie took the leadership - if he kept this up, Sands would probably have to redouble her efforts!

Round 7 - Drift Series Race @ Racers Island

Racers Island Raceway blog

Racers Island Drift Results blog

Racers Island in-world (+TPer to all tracks)

Practice session

Watching redneck pickups crashing against each other is definitely fun, but hey, let's not forget about glossy and stylish sport cars that are real delight for the eye! Luckily, I was just in time for the race at another place - probably the most popular racers stop, Racers Island, at the Tokyo Drift track.

The practice was lasting for a half an hour after the sim was closed, but finally all the racers have gathered at the lounge for queueing at 6 PM. At first there were 6 participants, then turned out one more - Zev Titanium - just didn't get on the queuer before it was closed. However, he impressively handled the speed, especially at the turns, what provided him the pole position!

Before the race

Since it was a drift race, the determinant was how good are you in handling the steering wheel on the turns, and I must say, it's some kind of art. What can be more gracious than perfectly performed steering at the hairpin?

But of course, the perfection is inconstant in this world, and even the best of the best do mistakes that let those who were going close to them pass them by, and your task is to take a chance when you see one (if you're behind) or collect yourself and get back on the track as quickly as possible.

The start

At the beginning of the race, all the racers were close to each other, like it usually is... except for one participant, who took an advantage of his pole position and the clean track up ahead - of course I'm talking about Titanium; also Yuriko Nishi and Nella Boccara have been left behind. The rest started the fight for the 2nd place, where Shaft Laval and Eddie Mathieson were leading at first, then Brave Ashbourne took the leadership and started catching up with Titanium.

Closer to the middle of the race, most of the racers already got rooms and paced themselves... 

Ashbourne wasn't too close to Titanium, who was going 1st - about 1-2 seconds down - but on the 20th lap he finally got him. (That's the price of a little mistake in any competition) What about others? Mathieson kept up with Biggs Braham, who was 3rd, at first, but, in the end of the race, gave ground and finished 4th. Boccara realised on the 22th lap she can't compete being 2 laps down and dropped out.

After the race

This was the 1st of any serial races I've watched at Racers Island - and guess it's not the last one. All the competitors are seem to have an experience in racing, some more, some less - but everybody have, so it was really exciting to watch - when it's not predictable who will be the winner, you just don't want to miss a single moment.

All the stats and points are also posted in the Racers Island Drift blog, so I'm moving to the pictures - it would be a crime if I didn't take pictures of them!

Race director: Eddie Mathieson

Winners podium of the month

Racers, as followed: Yuriko Nishi, Brave Ashbourne, Eddie Mathieson, Shaft Laval, Biggs Braham, Nella Boccara, Zev Titanium; pictures have been taken during the qualifying

Lined up:

The race:

R.I.R. Offroad Race @ Screaming Eagle Ranch offroad track

R.I.R. website

Screaming Eagle Ranch offroad track

The week is almost through - time to race!

And we're back at Screaming Eagle Ranch, to have an offroad race today. Just reminding you that the place is owned by Eagle Clawtooth, one of R.I.R. most successful racers who's racing talent is uncontroversial. Turned out he's a great tracks builder too!

Before the race; racers are queueing

The grid was formed randomly, and Clawtooth was on the 1st place. Who wants to guess without scrolling down to the results who won the race? Clawtooth always knows how to remain his position, even though Garth Moonites was showing some really good results during the practice session. 

Lined up

I'll never get tired of saying that I love this kind of racing - where else the cars, right after repairing, all nice and clean (even if pickup trucks) turn into a moving pile of prims after the 2nd lap? Well, not all of them. Badguy Boozehound, Garth Moonites and Bobcatt Nielson, one of the newcomers, have showed themselves as careful drivers, unlike Cracker Chrome, Mastermind and Astrid Blackadder who have scored a full ride and messed up their cars on first laps.

Careful driving usually pays off, but there are always exceptions. 

Cracker probably confused his pickup with a tank and was going straight ahead, but he also has showed a good reaction - and finished with 2 laps down. Third!

Clifford was doing fine through the practice and even the beginning of the race, but something happened during the race - halfway he's spent nuzzling into the hill.

Astrid had some difficulties too - only later, in a private interview, I've found out she's used to drive bikes, that's why she was climbing hills a lot. That immediately reminded me of my own driving experience - I used to do only bike races until May 2012, and I know how hard it is to move to the 4-wheeled vehicles - it's absolutely different physics, different feelings while you drive. No worries, everything comes with experience!

Well, it was a pretty quick race, only 20 laps, and it was more of a friendly competition - everybody had fun wrecking redneck cars, hitting each other, jumping over the canyons. Aggressive, but not negative. Newcomers were there too, they've possibly tried a new kind of racing for themselves. 

And the real races are up ahead!

And - some stats:

Grid:

1. Eagle Clawtooth

2. cracker Chrome

3. mastermind17 Resident

4. Garth Moonites

5. Bobcatt Nielson

6. badguy Boozehound

7. Clifford Market

8. Astrid Blackadder (Astrid Kaufmat)

Race overview:

Frankly, there were no big changes noticed through the race - mainly everybody were going at a certain distance from each other.

Eagle Clawtooth was going 1st through the whole race. Badguy Boozehound, who caught up with him in no time, also remained 2nd till the finish line. 3rd place was taken by Clifford Market in the beginning of the race, but on the lap 7 an accident mentioned above dropped him out of the competition and cracker Chrome who was going behind Market inherited his position and held it through the rest of the race. Garth Moonites kept up with him and was going 4th almost through the whole race.

Astrid Blackadder and Bobcatt Nielson were the only ones who actually had some kind of competition for the 5th and the 6th place. Blackadder started losing the fight after the 10th lap when she dropped behind.

Final Results

1st. Eagle Clawtooth, 20 laps. Total Time : 643.392

2nd. badguy Boozehound, -14.354 seconds.

3rd. cracker Chrome, -2 laps.

4th. Garth Moonites, -2 laps.

5th. Bobcatt Nielson, -3 laps.

6th. Astrid Kaufmat, -5 laps.

7th. mastermind17 Resident, -6 laps.

8th. Clifford Market, -12 laps.

Fastest race lap: Eagle Clawtooth, 30.758

A couple of improvements I've decided to make

Last race report I've wrote on Monday, 25 (a couple of days ago, check it out) had a little different format from the one I've usually made - a more journal one, with the pictures along with the text, not separated with that. Frankly, I like it more, and since I haven't heard any objections from my readers against it, I think I'm going to make all the posts like this from now on. No, I won't remake the old posts, only the new ones will have the such look.

Also, I think you've seen all the racers and other people related to the racing in Second Life enough. Besides, I have it in my plans to interview most of them eventually, so the whole information about racers and their cars will be available separately. So there will be group pictures mostly: the race (pictures in action) winners podium, before/after the race and such.

Thank you very much for being with Compete With Me!, stay tuned - more up ahead!

Kay T. Burnett (KayT)

R.I.R. Mini Cooper race @ Dover Speedway

A new track is always an event. A new track with a race going on it is a dream. A new track with lots of newcomers racing is a sensation!

There, in R.I.R., Badguy and Doobeedoo definitely know that. That's why, due to the fact there were no scheduled races, they made a fun Mini Cooper race at the new track, beautiful Dover Speedway, that looks even better than on the promo picture Doobeedoo passed on in the group notice. 

Dover Speedway. Practice

Racers were racing not just for the prize pot, as usually - the winner was going to be rewarded with the full version modifiable Mini Cooper and a racing suit, plus additional L$100. Of course, the track was full of newcomers, most of whom have just started their racing career today. Please remember the new names you'll see here names - you'll never know where and in what circumstances you'll meet them.

View from the stands. Practice

Some of R.I.R. veterans joined the race too, but it was stated that only the new racers are counted, so they were there just to join the fun. But when Doobeedoo reminded that it's a race mainly for newcomers, a couple of racers decided to withdraw - that were Saphyre Cyberstar and Mr Sweets. Very honorable decision, racers!

Other veterans decided to race with new ones. Why not indeed? If it doesn't count anyway.

Well, since new racers are just about to get to know all the twists and turns of the art of the race, the start was a little messed up. Everybody got their grid position in a random order generated by the queuer. But Eagle and Grosmanteau were going to start from the end of the grid regardless - Grosmanteau made it even "harder" for himself on the other side of the oval to start a half-lap down (why I say "harder", not harder? Because this wasn't a real challenge for him anyway, with his driving skills - rephrasing what Saphyre said, he is a winner of the race by default, unless he starts 3 laps down). But some newcomers hardly could line up. One of them even had started the race by accident. Well, could happen with anyone!

Lining up. Notice Grosmanteau on
the other side of the track

After a while, the race has been finally started. Some of new racers got confused and didn't start immediately after the signal, one of them even started a lap down, some - a quarter or a half a lap down. Not everybody got along with the track and the car right away, some were bumping the walls or each other continuously, some were going on the lower gears, there was even a racer who dropped out just because realised that can't handle the car good enough. We all know: even a try brings an experience!

The race. Find Doobeedoo

Of course, newcomers came short of the veterans. Grosmanteau and Eagle caught up quickly, along with Sharon Densmith.But there were a couple of new racers who proved that even if you're new in something, this doesn't mean you can't show a good result. I take my hat off for Zalex Rajal, who started from the gate 9 (probably was 8 after a few changes, but doesn't make a big difference anyway) and firmly kept up with the veterans, even made the fastest lap of all, also Astrid Blackadder (Astrid Kaufmat) with her amazing laps. I think each of them has a big future in racing. Other newcomers, please prove me wrong and keep on racing!

And yes, they were the first 3 finishers amongst newcomers! That's obvious that the actual first 3 was taken by R.I.R. regular racers - Grosmanteau DeCuir, Sharon Densmith and Eagle Clawtooth - but obviously that is not a big accomplishment. What Zalex, Astrid and Christo done, that is a real achievement!

The winners. No, Compete With Me! doesn't have her phone number

That was definitely fun to watch, and I bet it was fun to race as well for everyone who took part. I wish each of newcomers a lot of success in their racing future, and would like to remind that it doesn't matter how long have you been racing - but it matters how serious you are in what you're doing.

Thanks everyone! 

Also, here's an announcement: Badguy and Doobeedoo are going to arrange another fun run - for new racers only, no R.I.R. regular racers will be allowed to participate. So, pretty soon we'll have an opportunity to witness the start of the prospective new racing stars careers. Don't know how about you, but I'm already excited! What can be more unpredictable than this? (Yes, yes, I'm taking my words about the racers with the pit-stops back, at least you can assume there who will be on the winners podium there.) So I'm looking forward for it!

As always, some stats and pictures. Oh yea, you noticed I'm placing pictures right in the text? I've found this feature on Blogspot not a long time ago and I myself like it very much, but I'd like to know your opinion, my awesome readers. If you don't like it, don't hesitate to let me know!

Race director: badguy Boozehound

Starting positions:

Random, generated by the queuer. All mixed up in the end, but at first it was something like this:

Pole Position. Snake Eyes (Lulu69 Miles)

P 2. Devlin 'Wolf' Delwood

P 3. Saphyre Cyberstar  <=dropped out of the race

P 4. Astrid Blackadder (Astrid Kaufmat)

P 5. Kalonia (Discotraxx)

P 6. Christo Follet

P 7. Sharon Densmith

P 8. Clifford Market

P 9. Zalex Rajal

P 10.  M尺 ŠωЄЄƬŠ (SweetTooth Firehawk)  <=dropped out of the race

P 11. Eagle Clawtooth

P 12 (but actually half-track away). Grosmanteau DeCuir

Race beginning time: 3:46 PM SLT

Number of laps: 55

Race overview (new racers only):

Lap 1: 4. Astrid Blackadder, TBL -2.023 * 5. Zalex Rajal, TBL -4.695 * 7. Kalonia, TBL -8.514

Lap 2: 2. Astrid Blackadder, TBL -3.358 * 5. Zalex Rajal, TBL -6.177 * 7. Christo Follet, TBL -12.043

Lap 3: 2. Astrid Blackadder, TBL -3.821 * 3. Zalex Rajal, TBL -4.640 * 7. Christo Follet, -1 laps

Lap 5: 3. Zalex Rajal, TBL -7.332 * 5. Astrid Blackadder, TBL -10.845 * 7. Christo Follet, -1 laps

Lap 10: 4. Zalex Rajal, TBL -8.399 * 5. Astrid Blackadder, -1 laps * 7. Christo Follet, -1 laps
Lap 20: 4. Zalex Rajal, TBL -10.911 * 5. Astrid Blackadder, -2 laps * 7. Christo Follet, -3 laps
Lap 30: 4. Zalex Rajal, -1 laps * 5. Astrid Blackadder, -3 laps * 6. Christo Follet, -4 laps
Lap 37: 4. Zalex Rajal, -1 laps * 5. Astrid Blackadder, -3 laps * 6. Christo Follet, -5 laps
Lap 46: 4. Zalex Rajal, -1 laps * 5. Astrid Blackadder, -5 laps * 6. Christo Follet, -6 laps
Lap 54: 4. Zalex Rajal, -1 laps * 5. - * 6. -

Final Results (R.I.R. veterans, newcomers):

1st. Grosmanteau DeCuir, 55 laps. Total Time : 753.643

2nd. Sharon Densmith, -6.161 seconds.

3rd. Eagle Clawtooth, -1 laps.

4th. Zalex Rajal, -1 laps.

5th. Astrid Kaufmat, -5 laps.

6th. Christo Follet, -6 laps.

7th. Clifford Market, -7 laps.

8th. Discotraxx Resident, -19 laps.

9th. Calliope Ahren, -27 laps.

10th. Lulu69 Miles, -46 laps.

Fastest race lap: Zalex Rajal, 11.934

You know some of them already. And you'll hear about some of the others in the future.

And some more pictures from the race. I dare you to recognize anybody (except Eagle):