Technical Track Race [Race 9 of 20]

Here we are, back after a short hiatus from the flu. Today's race will be a 10-minute time trail for Class A cars. I'm doing the old timing due to time constraints.

The track is a new discovery for me and I find it pretty challenging. Rights and lefts with short straights, counter-clockwise:

TEAM ORDERS:
Fords
1/4 body float only
fresh tires

Alfa
1/2 body float only
fresh tires

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RESULTS [Race 9 of 20]:

Car                              Laps           Offs            Points

Alfa #2                        179                0                 3              
Shell Ford #8               181                0                 5                
Gulf Ford #11              170                3                 1                  
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Team Claude, for the win.

There's nothing stopping the Shell Ford. Every tuning I have given it improves the performance, and it's continuing to build a solid lead. At about lap 35, it came completely off-track on the back stretch, landing on its side, only to then bounce back onto the track and into the slot. It wasn't a quick off/on either. It was well through the crash and happened to find itself back on the track and settled in the end. As I was able to resume racing without having to put the car on the track, so it's not considered an Off.
The #8 was just behind the Alfa through the chicane, but made it up on the rest of the track. In the big picture, a two lap lead over 10 minutes really isn't all that much.
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Want to know a great thing about this Alfa? Since I've owned it it has been on its top about a dozen times, some quite violently, and the 3-legged mirror has held up great. I expected it to go flying like all the Carrera parts did, but it hasn't. Of course that means it'll fly off the next time I look at it.

I love driving the Alfa. The way it leaps onto straights and dives into corners is a lot of fun. Anything technical, and it flies right through it. The chicane was a piece of cheese for that car, and it never came close to coming off. Since there was no 180º turn on the track, less offs were expected, but I really didn't think it would be this good.
The track itself is starting to show a hint of a racing rubber being laid down. There's a distinct shade change starting to happen in the curves. I imagine it'll be more noticeable by the end of this 20 race season.
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Something about my wife's car isn't acting right. I call it my wife's car when it's not doing well. When it's kicking butt, it's mine.

10 laps, on the other hand, is a big deal. The Gulf Ford struggled throughout the race. The first off happened early, before the tires were even up to grip, which usually takes about 20-30 laps. I'm starting to think that something significant is causing the #11 to come off track so often. It clearly has trouble staying on, and now feels significantly different from the Shell Ford. I admit I've done less to that car than the others, as it has needed less. But maybe I should rebuild it and see about what's throwing it off the track.

Car                              Points              Total
Shell Ford #8                 5                       34      
Alfa Romeo #2              3                       26      
Gulf Ford #11                1                       26