FH5, Series 42, Week 2

Treasure hunt. Near-miss skills on motorway. 300FPs to add to my expanding pile of them.

The weekly in the Ultima Evo was a nuisance to begin with because I fiddled about building the car first and then found that you had to spend money on it. I did an engine swap and immediately swapped it back. The drag race was awful, with the car shifting sideways by two lanes during the course of the race.

HA. Drifting, which revealed how out of practice I am. I seem to have done most of the work while some other player scrounged off me.

I one-shotted all the PR stunts this week and PB’ed the Stadium speed trap. Was variably rewarded as usual.

Eventlab (1). El Toro Scramble. This was really just a version of El Pípila. Not a fan of the obstacle course section which is why, I suppose, it was a solo effort. There was one section where it would be easy to sail off to the right instead of keeping left. This is where there needed to be props to block the way, but the decorative elements were mostly judiciously used. SWS was rubbish.

Eventlab (2). Castle Courtyard. Ariel Nomad vs. Tankpool. I went with the former. The circuit felt incomplete as if it was a sketch for an idea which needed polishing. There were jump-like sections where it was better, I think, to go through the tunnels. The crossover points weren’t quite the disaster I expected them to be, although I did come close to getting broadsided on the first lap. I wasn’t sure whether I could cheat a little where the map opened out, the course bearing to the right before looping back. Not terrible, but not great, either, and the reward was that ridiculous Barbie kiddie car.

I took a photo inside the stadium. I got more clothing. Ah, fashion, the highest priority in motor racing.

I managed to one-shot the HW PR stunt in the F40 Competizione, although it was a close-run thing as the car sailed perilously close to the trees on landing. Rubbish SWS.

I also used the F40 for the RA PR stunt. One-shotted again and another rubbish SWS. As usual I started my approach from the riverbed.

I did the Trial several times this week because I wanted to see what the different eligible Corvettes were like. I started in the 1970 Corvette while everyone else was in the 1995 model. Started at the back round Mulegé and managed a 4th place, although it was really a battle for 2nd. Tristan managed to stay ahead of humanity. Bahía de Plano did not got well because although I started at the front of the human grid, I got knocked out of a checkpoint. I could see that as I was never going to catch up and that the team was going to lose, quitting was a better option.

And thus I did Mulegé again, starting at the back and coming 4th after a late overtake on Teagan. I started on the second row of the human grid for Bahía de Plano and came 6th because the player in 4th lost a place to Antonia. However, we got another win. Job done.

I then switched to the 1967 Corvette Stingray. Another back row start round Mulegé, another 4th. Iffy handling for want of decent tyres. I was on the front row of the human grid round Bahía de Plano. Another 4th. Speed helped, handling didn’t.

The 1953 Corvette had more scope for building. I started on the second row in Mulegé and came 2nd, but there wasn’t enough race for me to catch Pablo. Team loss because other players had fallen to the back (poor driving?) I was on the second row again for Bahía de Plano. Managed a 4th and we got a team win, but two drivatars ran off into the distance. The last circuit was Horizon Mexico. For the third time I was on the second row and came 5th, but there was something weird because at one stage the drivatars at the front vanished and I was in 3rd. Team loss because the rest of the players fell behind, which I attributed to incompetent driving.

I tried the Trial one last time in the 1960 Corvette. I started on the second row round Mulegé and came 3rd. The handling was sketchy through the technical sections of the map. Team win. I was on the front row for Bahía de Plano and came 2nd for a second team win.

I’d probably stick with the 1970 Corvette, but think the 1953 Corvette deserves another outing with better teammates.