International Stunts Master 2011

[Mark L. Rivers]

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...

[zaqrack]

the hystorical pioneer of Stunts Racing world on the WEB and living legend between the Stunts contests' managers, Zak McKracken,

Naaah, you are being too kind, I am melting away.
Count me in!

drivers: ZCT114 is your last chance to gain admission to ISM2011. Race really hard, it is worth the battle!

[Duplode]

Just in case: this is my official sign-up  

[Mark L. Rivers]

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... 

[Mark L. Rivers]

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...

[Mark L. Rivers]

Gentlemen, start your engines... 

[Mark L. Rivers]

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

[Duplode]

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...

[Mark L. Rivers]

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... 

[Duplode]

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... 

Oh, certainly. Missing the first week of ISM is like going to the World Cup in the "group of death" and then resting the key players for the first two games. Suicidal if you're not A...

[Mark L. Rivers]

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... 

[Mark L. Rivers]

First Checkpoint!

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

[BonzaiJoe]

Shit, 10 hours late ... but Gutix is sleeping.

[CTG]

Shit, 10 hours late ... but Gutix is sleeping.

Bonsai Tree won't win ISM 2011.

[BonzaiJoe]

No, but Bonzai Joe will.