iRacer Profile: Tomaz Bastos

A wise man once said “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”  Since winning the 2013 S1 Division 3 Cadillac Cup title, life — in the form of completing his studies in agronomy — has happened to Tomaz Bastos.  So if you were expecting him to pick-up where he left off (winning six of 15 races to beat Marcos Morros Josa and Alessandro Costa to the D3 Caddy title) in the Cadillac CTS-V’s new arena — the iRacing.com Global Challenge, you would be disappointed.

Although Tomaz hasn’t raced much — indeed at all — since April, he’s hardly been inactive.  The Carioca has been using his free time to practice in the Williams-Toyota FW31 . . . with some help from his brother Pedro Gabriel who is looking to qualify for the iRacing.com Road Pro Series.  So once life settles down a bit for Tomaz Bastos, look for him to re-new his passion for sim-racing  . . . and for his name to re-appear near the top of the stats sheets.

Q: How long have you been sim racing?
A: Since when I subscribed to iRacing in April 2012, so I have about one year on sim-racing.

Q: What attracted you to iRacing?
A: My brother Pedro Gabriel was the one who attracted me to iRacing. He registered in iRacing in 2010 and at the time I played FPS games, but gradually he was convincing me about the qualities of iRacing and I became a fan of this racing simulator

Q: What are favorite iRacing cars/tracks?
A: My favorite car in iRacing is the Cadillac and the track is Spa-Francorchamps.

Q: What do you like most about iRacing?
A: The competitive atmosphere  and the fact that we race on laser-scanned tracks.

Q: What would you change about iRacing?
A: What I would change I believe is already being done, which is to improve the tire model and the damage model.

Q: How many hours a week do you spend on iRacing?
A; About 5-10 per week.

Q: Tell us about the paint schemes on your helmet/car(s).
A; My helmet’s painting was inspired on the Ayrton Senna’s helmet and the car I used to drive (the Cadillac) is my team’s paint, Fusion Motorsport, made by the Brazilian iRacer Sergio Roda Junior.

Bastos batted over .500 in qualifying in Season 1, taking eight poles in 15 races.

Q: What other sim racing activities (Forza, Gran Turismo, rFactor, etc.) do you enjoy?
A; I have rFactor 2, Game Stock Car and others installed on my computer, but the only racing simulator that I use is iRacing.

Q: What are your favorite video games?
A; I used to play America’s Army 2, but now I’m only in iRacing.

Q: Do you do any real world racing? Has iRacing been of any benefit?
A: Unfortunately, I don’t.

Q: What is your most memorable iRacing moment?
A: When I won my division in Cadillac Cup and received an email from Sean Siff saying that I have won the grand prize of a signed Cadillac replica racing helmet for this achievement.

“I won my division in Cadillac Cup and received an email from Sean Siff saying that I have won the grand prize of a signed Cadillac replica racing helmet for this achievement.”

Q: What is the iRacing moment you’d love to forget?
A: The times that I ended up with somebody else’s race.

Q: What car/track would you like to see iRacing add to the service?
A: As a F1 fan I would like to see Monaco, even knowing it’s quite difficult, and one of the 2013 F1 cars, with KERS and DRS.

Q: What person, living or dead do you most admire?
A: In the world of motorsport I would say Ayrton Senna.

Q: What’s your favorite real world racing series?
A: I like F1 and now I’m really enjoying the Pirelli World Challenge.

Although F1 is Bastoz’ favorite series, he also keeps close tabs on the Pirelli World Challenge.

Q: Name the title of the most recent book you read.
A: Jardim das Aflições, written by Olavo de Carvalho.

Q: Name of your favorite movie/TV show?
A: Homeland.

Q: How many of your close friends are iRacing members?
A: None of them.

Q: Has competing with iRacers all around the world influenced your opinions/outlook on life/world events? How?
A: Actually, no.

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