From Ross Cado, FFE Owner and Driver
On Sunday evening, I brought the SK Sim Racing Ford F-150 across the World Wide Technology Raceway finish line in 13th place, after clawing my way back up the running order following getting caught up in an early crash. At a track like Gateway where it is rather difficult to pass, establishing track position early on is at a premium. Fortunately, I qualified my #12 truck in the 7th position and showed muscle early on, maintaining that position.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ASLGatewaystart.png)
I was involved in a minor jam when the #21 truck slowed right in front of me after a missed shift, and the #55 truck ran into my rear bumper in a chain reaction. Other than that, the early going was shaping up to look rather promising. I gave up a spot to the #17, but was widening the gap between myself and the truck behind me.
The first yellow flag of the race flew at lap 17, and I thought it was would be prudent strategy to take two right side tires, which fared well once we went back to green flag conditions. The previous occurrence repeated itself, as I restarted 7th but quickly surrendered that spot–this time to the #27 truck. The caution again came out, but we went went green again in short order. But what happened on the next restart would prove to be my undoing.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ASLgatewaywreck1.png)
“Playing it safe” vs. being aggressive is a dichotomy that I think has been detrimental to my development as an iRacer. Too often I’ve made calculations such that perhaps I should bide my time in the back of the pack, or that I should be aggressive and stay near the front at all costs. But there really is no safe place on a racetrack in that regard. I mention this because it was, in fact, the leader who caused the crash on the restart of lap 29, in which I was caught up. Several other drivers were a part of this crash as well.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ASLGatewaywreck2-1500x798.png)
As for me, I had accrued over two and a half minutes of damage, which I could not fix in time for the subsequent restart. Fortunately, another yellow flag followed, which allowed me more time to work on repairing the damage, but what immediately followed was a painfully lengthy green flag run. What made this long run agonizing was that the damage to my truck severely inhibited the aerodynamics on the long straightaways. I slugged around in the high teens in the running order, and then I gradually moved up the running order as other drivers came in to service their trucks under the green flag. I figured that since my race was sullied anyway, then I might as well stay out and lead a lap in order to earn a bonus point.
Finally relenting, I came down pit road on lap 76 to take tires and fuel. As if falling victim to others’ mistakes in this race weren’t enough, I reprised my role as my own worst enemy when I forgot to check my settings to indicate that I wanted to change tires. Having given up so much time with that error, I checked only my right side tires, which were then changed, and then I was down and away.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/image.png)
Twenty more green flag laps followed, and then the first iteration of my saving grace came when the yellow flag was waved again on lap 95. I fixed more damage. The remaining two cautions, both meriting green-white-checkered restarts, allowed me to fix more damage. Having a more aerodynamic truck at this juncture, I was able to overtake more trucks. The final green-white-checkered had me regaining four spots. However, coming to the checkered flag, the #93 truck blocked to defend his position, which allowed the #33 truck to scoot by and grab another spot from me. I regret not taking the outside line through that final corner, but in that moment, 1) I didn’t have faith that I would overtake the #93 in that manner, and 2) I wasn’t aware that the #33 was so close.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/image-1-1500x534.png)
In the end, I finished 13th. After so many laps of practice and a race nine laps more than the scheduled 100, I was nevertheless glad to finally be finished with Gateway. These repetitive sub-par finishes are frustrating because I know that I can perform better than the final results show. I would much prefer to rely solely on skill behind the wheel, rather than some deus ex machina after being taken out by someone else’s mistake.
![](http://fastforwardesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ASLGatewayfinish-1.png)
I will press onward to Lucas Oil Raceway and keep trying to turn this season around.
Ross Cado #12 Race Stats
Started: 7th
Finished 13th
Laps Led: 3
Fastest Lap Time: 34.152 (Lap 4)
Incidents: 12