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Low activity in the Forum. As it's showed in the bottom of the page, last post is 4 days old...

Anyway, since we are very close to the last crucial checkpoint of ISM 2011, beside the replays that sure are incoming, it would be nice knowing the feelings and the sensations of the participants at the fast-day of the last and decisive week of race... Which aspirations, targets, doubts, hopes, do you feel?

Come on, show us your thoughts ...

[2nd Checkpoint!]

2nd Checkpoint!

15 replays for a 2nd enthusiastically week of ISM 2011!

Two drivers decided not to wait anymore discovering quite definitely their potential: we are talking about Bonzai Joe and Duplode whose times appear from another planet compared with their opponents. Astonishing BJ's times with P962 and Acura (respectively +1,5 and + 4 seconds on Duplode  ) and awesome performance for Duplode with Audi  (+2,5 seconds ahead the Danish  ). But their sums of times are that speaks clearly: BJ leads with a bit more than 3 seconds on Duplode, but behind the Brazilian the 3rd one in general classification, 1st week leader SuperBrian, is out of view being more than 45 seconds from the vertex! 

The previous leader improves with P962 and Audi, while lack of time impedes him to send a new time for the Acura race. He stays anyway on the provisional podium but probably only because Zak McKracken has still not send a time with the only PG car of ISM 2011. The Hungarian ( at the moment only 5th in general classification but ready for a big jump) sent in fact very appreciable times with P962 and Audi,  and his sum of time for these cars is about 14 seconds lower than SuperBrian's sum of times for the same cars. Really also a pity for Zak he sent his times only few hours after the 1st checkpoint, having forget the correct deadline: they would have been the best ones in absolute with the first two cars, and he would have 2 PSP more.
Meanwhile AbuRaf70 takes the provisional 4th place in general classification. The inoxidable Argentine improves on all tracks with his usual technic that leads him to reach his best only in the very final of race. Quite high his current sum of times (15 seconds more than SuperBrian), but we are pretty sure we'll find him more close to the podium next week.

But we have also to talk about the big surprise of this 2nd checkpoint, Gutix, who sent only a light improvement with the P962, the unique car he used in this ISM edition until here. The ZakStunts 2010's champion seems staying at the window looking the efforts of his opponents. Did he choose to see before their tactics? Extreme self-assurance about his potential? Maybe. But sure he's gifting a lot of PSP to BJ and Duplode: 4 the PSP caught from the Danish and 3 for the Brazilian, while only 0,2 the Gutix's booty. It's true, if a driver will result first in all three races (obtaining obviously the best sum of times) he got at least 3,5 points more than others, and maybe this is what Gutix is thinking. But, if at the next checkpoint the PSP gap will increase further, winning all the races could not be enough.

Wow, really a crucial week that is incoming!  And we can't also excluding definitely we won't have other landings from South America, right?

Still 26 hours and we'll know if Mr. Nielsen picked the "provocation"... 

The second week started with a good activity. 
I have only to mind you that, at the 2nd checkpoint, PSP will be assign to a driver who have sent a time in the first week only if he will send a new time... 

[First Checkpoint!]

First Checkpoint!

Here we are, five drivers on the track and 10 replays sent: first psp got and... a lot to think...

About 36 hours to the first Checkpoint and soon we'll know who will catch the first PSP: 1 point, 0,5 points and 0,2 points for the first three drivers in each race.

I think that the first CP is the most difficult in order to guess the best result. I don't speak about the best chronometric result in absolute, but the best result thinking at the economy of the race.
Discovering too early own cards realizing a very fast time can be counterproductive; on the other side, a slow start could mean losing important points for the final score.
Let's see what happens tomorrow night... 

The combination of a video card breakdown in my "main" PC and general busyness means I will be lucky if I get to do any decent lap this week   But I will try to at least try the track...

That's really a pity! Sure you don't need I mind you that you probably lost your chances to win last edition just due to your low number of Bonus Points got in the first part of the event... 

Oops, the track is already becoming tyred...      The challenge to catch the first PSP (Provisional Standings Points) is open... 

Gentlemen, start your engines... 

A little info related the cars involved in the event.
As usual there will be fast cars with different features. Past editions have seen a good rotation about them. Even this year I established to change at least 2 cars respect last year. One of this change regarded the Porsche 962 which I considered to alternate with the Jaguar XJR9. But the current ZakStunts race which sees an almost full standings of Jaguar XJR9 is pushing me not to include it in ISM 2011 edition so not to oblige the participants racing 2 consecutive races with the same car. So I'm thinking to confirm the presence of the Porsche 962, due to 2 considerations: 1) the "IMSA track" is suitable only for P962 and Jaguar; 2) since last ISM edition there wasn't a "P962 race" (neither a podium in Zak Stunts in 2010).
So the choice is almost unavoidable. But the aspiring masters won't be deceived: in every case the IMSA race will be an exciting race, probably the most dazzling challenge of this edition, be sure about it...   

Btw, a bit more than three days to the start...

Just some news waiting for the start:

1) Info & Rules page has been updated: now Scoring Rules are explained exhaustively.

2) This is the list (in alphabetical order) of the aspiring masters who confirmed their presence at the moment: AbuRaf70, Bonzai Joe, Duplode, Gutix, SuperBrian, Zak McKracken.

3) The track has been completed. Last tests and some little modifies occured in the morning.

About this 3rd point, well, it's not easy to reach the right balance researching at the same time the precise degree of difficult (strong engagement for top drivers but not a too hard and grinding race), fun and emotions. Much more with the daring formula "Three cars - One track". Anyway, I'm quite confident I reached a good level result.  
I also hope that drivers will find the track one more time original as the past ones, and it will be great if they will have the same feelings BJ expressed at the end of the past edition (in the ISM 2010 topic):

Racing on the tracks, I had a general feeling of novelty, like "even after all these years and all these tracks, I don't get bored with Mark L. Rivers tracks". You are a very creative track designer and you make use of all the possibilities in the game.

I also hope that the new site design fits better the demand to accede in a faster way to the information desired:

Everything also seemed to run smoothly. Maybe you could put track download links and a simplified scoreboard right on the front page?

OK,that's all for now: 10 days to the start... 

[ADMISSION.]

According with the nature and the spirit of ISM, the event is open for a limited number of drivers, that is the strongest Stunts drivers on the stage, able to show the best skills for an exciting and serried competition.

ADMISSION. Differently from the last years, there won't be a qualify session or an eliminatory round. The selection will be done by the results obtained in the current ZakStunts championship. More precisely, ISM 2011 will be open to all the drivers have conquered at least a podium in ZakStunts season 2010.
Though, there will be 2 wild-cards reserved for two absolute starrings on Stunts stage: the hystorical pioneer of Stunts Racing world on the WEB and living legend between the Stunts contests' managers, Zak McKracken, and the Stunts driver who many experts consider the best one everseen, Ayrton, undefeated in the last years and double ISM champion. Obviously, the wild-cards will be assigned them if they won't climb on the podium in the last race of ZakStunts season 2010.

FORMULA. Even the formula of the race will be different. The competitors will have to race simultaneously with three different cars on the same track, which will be designed so to offer diverse solutions to reach the finish line. The winner will be the driver who will obtain the highest score, counting:

1) Race Points (earned by the final ranks of the three single races);
2) Provisional Standings Points (assigned for every race correspondently to specific checkpoints during the event);
3) Total Time Points (assigned for the two final best sums of times).

DATES. The ISM 2011 will start the 3rd of January 2011 and it will finish the 29th January 2011. There will be three checkpoints correspondently to the three Saturdays nights (8, 15, 22) among the start and the finish.


For a more detailed explanations about the Formula and reading all the rules (English and Spanish) you can check the official site, already on-line: just click on the image below...

It will be. Even if, just one month ago, I was sure there won't be a 5th edition.
Absolute lack of time due to work engagements and not a very good mood after a very cold welcome reserved for this topic were the reasons.
But two weeks ago, listening the soundtracks of the Stunts' videos I realized in the past years, I understand that there's enough embers under the cinders to give life to a new edition of ISM.
Sure it will be a more "easy" edition than the past ones, a bit less itemed, due to a big engagement at work (PMI Certification is my target in the first semester of the new year) and other stuff. But the quality of the event and, I hope, the enjoyment of the participants will be at the usual standard.
Soon more info.

It would be nice for me host the event for the 5th consecutive year. But, at this moment, no assurance about it. Let's see what it will happen in next months...   Btw: bye all! 

Well, good playing or not, let me exult for my favourite football team I support since I born...

Nation Cup, First place in the national Major League and Champions League in the same year is not a usual result...