November 20 takes the SBMRL to Singapore to race in the heat under the lights.
Aside from two key moments, Austin didn’t see the cars touch 6th gear, and the track in Singapore will likely see more of the same.
The track starts out with a relatively simple two stop corner. The cars at the back of the starting grid will get up enough speed to possibly need to downshift, but the front runners will take it in stride. A relatively short drive to the sharp Republic Boulevard corner will be one of the key spots on the track, as that corner is followed by the longest straight. This is the only place where 6th gear is realistically possible and it will require a fair amount of planning and luck to hit it just right.
After the long straight come a series of tight, 90 degree turns that will likely see some passing as cars get bunched again. The stretch leading into the back turn at Crossroads could see some cars go through in 5th, but it’s a risky maneuver given how tight the turn is. That said, it’s the last place for speed on the track, as the third sector looks slow in the approach to the front straight.
Starting order will be as follows (* indicates grid penalty applied):
- Captain Slow (WT)
- The Stig (WT)
- Barb (RM)*
- Nero (BT)
- Danger Wheel (GT)*
- Stanley Washington (YT)
- Ice (BT)
- Mater (GT)
- Jaap Snellrijder (RM)
With Barb’s penalty putting both White Team cars on the front row, expectations will be extremely high for a strong race. The Blue Team also looks poised to take advantage of a penalty, meaning Nero’s unfortunate fall at the end of the race in Austin could be redeemed from a strong starting spot.
If he’s lucky, Captain Slow could find himself already in turn one with a fast start. Last month’s front runners, Jaap and Mater, will have the full length of the front straight to go before they even approach it.
Car Customization
As a reminder, all cars will have the option of configuring their cars however they see fit prior to the race in Singapore. In Austin, all cars ran under the standard configuration.
Each car will be allotted 20 wear points to distribute across the 6 categories. A minimum of 1 wear point must be allocated to each area. See the Race Day Basics page for details (at the bottom) of the different wear point categories to assist in your planning.