Dear fellow sim racers,
It is with some regret and pain in my heart that I start to see all the posts about the upcoming GTI endurance race this coming Sunday knowing that it marks at least one season where I will not get to show the ECCI colours in that great group of fellow riders and friends! But most importantly it also marks the end of a participation in that series that I really treasure doing with my friend Steve.
Steve and I initially meet at RSC when he was giving away unofficial information about an upcoming ECCI product and from there we started racing together online using GTR1 and Skype. One of the first comments was of course, “I am not very fast…” after which he literally lapped me at will  But it was great fun! Of course, soon after the idea emerged about trying to race others as well, but being on two different continents did not help finding one that suited us both. But luck got us to notice the http://www.tmcarthur.net site which seemed to have every thing we wanted. Good clean endurance racing and a good mix of monarchy control and freedom of speech. Good memories of the various slogans that used to float around: Endurance racers do it longer…. Where smoking *is* allowed” etc. So we asked if we could join, and they actually said what fine! So we joined our first race on the 1st of October 2005, almost 2 years ago to the date. Race 6 in GTR-endurance Season 1!!!
My memory is not the best about all the details but I can promise you that the emails and atmosphere leading up to the race was thick with anxiety. Steve of course made a great Q and was way up at the front. On the rolling lap he then had the misfortune of having his cat just up on his lap, making him suddenly crash on the first official race lap he ever did online  I was not laughing that the time, but afterwards…LOL.
Looking at that list of participant from that first race back then I still see a bunch of familiar names here at R2P today: Todd Weiss, Enis Dauti, Pete Bunce, Jay Warren, Tim McArthur, Ray Vachon, Tom True , David Fish, Scott Whitestine etc.
And this list of familiar names just keeps growing if you look at the participant in S2 and S3.
Now, as a team we certainly have had both our proud and less proud moments. We have had amazing races with close driving for more that 2 hours straight and we have had races where we just cruised along somewhere in the middle of the field but always, it was a matter of getting through the races, as we were gathering points for the team competition. Steve managed to secure the driver championship once in the GT-1 class and in the same year we also won the team championship in the black ECCI Ferrari that was our trademark all along. I even managed to get a victory myself. I also Q 2nd once at Suzuka behind Wilfred the king of GT-1 back then only to miss my braking point into T1…. Maybe my worst moment here.
Later we all made the transition to R2P and continued our racing here, but as season 5 was closing down it seemed to written between the lines that S6 would have to be done without our participation. I just want to stress that I am extremely grateful for all the experiences that you all have given me on both tmcarthur.net and here. A nicer bunch of people cannot be found anywhere else. Of course we have had our differences about season rules, car choices, dictator rulings etc, but almost always in a good tone and with a smile. I would really have liked to meet some of you in real life like at Sears Point trying to wreck Tims car.
This is getting way to long now for anyone to read except Steve, so to all of you who also just glanced to the bottom of this loooong post, I actually just wanted to thank Steve Smith for 2 years as team captain and sticking with me throughout more than 4 season here. The number of emails we have exchanged about skin design, setups, fuel strategies, general nonsense etc is staggering and I have enjoy every one of them. LOL, and all your posts, especially at Tmcarthur.net….. It was a CRAZY place.

I certainly don’t see this as the end of our team participation here, but for now, a committed participation that is of course need in series like GT-I were not present and it seemed like we needed a brake. Hopefully somehow we can return to join the fun in the future. We have not raced our last race together yet Steve!!!!

Until then I (we?) will just have to meet a this forum and participate in various events as time allows.

Thank you all again for all the fun!! Now enjoy the race on Saturday

Mr. Stegger,

It is with a very saddened heart and great melancholy that I read this post and respond. Speaking with you online and straining to listen to your dulcid tones ( that I never could hear well enough. TURN YOUR MIC UP!! EHehehehehehehehe. My wife always loves listening to you and Pete speak. She has a thing for British accents.) through many a practice session I will truly miss.

I'm sorry to read you are not going to make the season that I attempt my comeback after a 2.5 season forced hiatus.

But, I can speak from experience when I say ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I wish you ( and Steve ) the absolute best and hope to see Team ECCI on a server ASAP. Anything less is unsat.

Take care of yourself and see you around.

Fish

Take care, be back soon!

I met you in GTR I think, we soon excahnged MSN's where you told me about 2.5 hour enduro races. I was like WTF, you gotta be kidding me lol.
Well after some time I find this place. After half a year or so I was determined to at least try and go do the GT-I. Finished successfuly and was pleased with that :). Like something was complete in my life hehe. It's something special really and I'm looking forward to this season, especially with a bunch of great guys here.

Enjoy your hiatus, see you soon.

Marc, I had the chance to speak with you a few times on the "vent" Oh yes...b/4 R2P with much enjoyment and what still blows me away to this day is how fast you are and you don't even own a car. Take Care...Cya soon on a track near us :)

Jeff

Truly a sad day for us here. Mr. Stegger represents what we should all aspire to be. An awesome driver and an even better man.

It's been great fun Marc! GT-I will definitely sound different on TeamSpeak without you there. I hope you can find the time to be a guest driver sometime. Looking back, I can't belive how long it's been already. We've never had an incident on track I don't think! That's rare. I know why your are taking a break. Have the time of your life with your family my friend. Time goes by so quick.....I really hope to see you on track some time in the future! Peace.

A nice read there Marc. Enjoy your time, just dont be a stranger :-)

Enjoy the rest, Marc, we'll all miss you around here. Just in case you get itchy fingers, there's a long list of Euro evening events with your name on 'em :)

And Fishy, Marc's accent is Danish!

I the few times i raced you head to head over the last 2 years, you were always very sporting but very tough to pass. I understand where your coming from though, those long races pretty much take the whole day away, it's a huge commitment, which is why i have been gone for 2 seasons. At and GTR2 didn't run well on my system.

Anyway, good luck, and we'll see you back soon, i'm sure of it :)