Current conditions are cloudy, breezy and a little on the gusty side, westerly. Maximum wind speed in the last 10 mins has been 22kts out in the track.
Temperature: 25C
Pressure: 942.9mbar
Coming up today we've got:
13:05 MASTERS Training #1
14:20 CHALLENGERS Training #2
15:30 MASTERS Training #2
All times are local - PDT
The race hangars are now in situ and the pilots have flown in from north Las Vegas to the motor speedway, ready for Training
if you're tuning in from around the world, let us know where you're at!
Here in Las Vegas, we're getting amped for a massive season finale. This is it, the culmination of seven races' worth of sweat, angst, highs, lows and technical tweaks.
Bonhomme is leading the World Championship by a clear eight points, but there's still a chance for Matt Hall to swoop in and claim the Championship. Mistakes happen, flying conditions change and almost anything can happen on Race Day.
The Masters are set to start testing their lines in the track in about 15 minutes. Conditions looking blustery, but generally good.
Le Vot getting ready to go out for his first Training session here in Las Vegas... Here's the official start list:
1. Le Vot
2. Velarde
3. Besenyei
4. Chambliss
5. Goulian
6. Ivanoff
7. Muroya
8. Dolderer
9. McLeod
10. Lamb
11. Sonka
12. Arch
13. Hall
14. Bonhomme
Le Vot's first run is looking smooth and clean, that's a great start out in the track ahead of this weekend for the French pilot. 58.872
SCO for Le Vot in Run 2 and so Velarde heads into the track... clean in the first three splits but it's double trouble in the last split as he gains 2 lots of penalties for incorrect passing of an Air Gate at Gates 8 and 10
Another double penalty punch for Velarde in his second run, but Besenyei is in the track now and it's a sea of red as the penalties mount up... 9 extra seconds on the clock!
Le Vot is the only pilot so far to have put in a clean run.. Chambliss out in the track with a slightly new setup and getting to grips with that.
Goulian's time looking good - 53.095, only just superseded by Muroya with 52.489
It's a REALLY quick track out there. The faster the track, the less time to recover from mistakes.
Lamb sets a new bar in Training with a clean 51.809... looks like the pilots could potentially go sub-50s this weekend out in the desert? Dependent on flying conditions, of course. Still gusty out there, around 21kts on the track.
- Pylon Hit!
Oops! Pylon down, Sonka clips Gate 3 and he's way off his racing lines. He's opted for a SCO.
Matt Hall just heading out. Top 3 fastest in Masters Training 1 so far:
1. Lamb 51.809
2. Muroya +0.680
3. Goulian +1.286
- Pylon Hit!
Matt Hall clocking up two pylon hits - one in each run! A mediocre time in the 55s and 56s... Unusual for the Australian but he's obviously testing his lines and limits out there... he's going full throttle this weekend and it needs to be a perfect performance. This is what Training is all about.
Bonhomme last out for Training 1.
53.770 for Bonhomme +2s penalty for incorrect passing of an Air Gate... that's placed Bonhomme in fifth on Run 1!
53.413 and a clean run for Run 2, and he stays in fith. Lamb fastest, followed by Muroya, Goulian and Ivanoff. Hall in 6th, followed by Sonka.
- Pylon Hit!
Masters Training 2 has kicked off, and Le Vot is back in the track. It's a slower pace this time around, no clean track runs yet and he's way off the pace. Pylon hit in first run, and an unfortunate DNF for Run 2 - he was going too fast through the Start Gate and had an issue with his smoke.
Le Vot in need of a boost. Let's hope Las Vegas delivers something.
Great performance from Velarde - 52.413. It's the close of his first season but he's shaping up as a rising star of the Class of 2015.
Besenyei solid in second run but still around 2-3s off the fastest pace so far today.
Chambliss unable to rival Velarde's run in Training 2, Goulian having a go right now in the track but the splits are 0.148s off Velarde's pace...
Goulian looking a bit edgier out there and he's just shy of Lamb's track record in Training 1, with 51.881
Muroya appears to be testing his lines but it's not yielding great results so far... two penalties and counting... But Muroya is back in the track and it's clean
Just slipping off the pace through the last couple of Air Gates there and Muroya slips in behind Goulian's first place with 51.881
Conditions are blustery but stable... wind is around 20kts and it hasn't changed since Training 1 this morning. Still SW to W
Neither Ivanoff or Dolderer have found any great speed in the track; Dolderer currently in 7th and Ivanoff 4th with +2s penalty. McLeod up next.
Lamb's done it again – Hux his tech has been helping to work the magic out there! Lamb 50.592 and a new track record.
Sonka looking for some extra pace in the track right now. He needs to beat Arch this weekend to take that last spot on the podium in the overall World Championship.
This week’s “Up To Speed w/ Neal Reid” takes a look at how the #airrace planes & equipment travel from site to site: bit.ly/1FolIlDby Las Vegas Speedway via twitter 10/16/2015 9:04:57 PM
First training in Las Vegas, 7th place. Tough wind conditions make the track really challenging...by Martin Šonka via twitter 10/16/2015 9:50:01 PM
