G2_Wolf speaks on Virtual Racing Season victory

GGL had a chance to speak with Dakota “G2_Wolf” Watterson, winner of the Virtual Racing Season, about his practice and gaming habits, and views on the VRS. Wolf has been racing in Trackmania Nations Forever for quite some time and readily shared some details. Let’s get into it.

GGL: First, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Dakota Watterson: Hi, I’m Dakota, 16, and a student.

GGL: How does it feel to have won the GGL Virtual Racing Season?

Watterson: I’m quite surprised considering who my opponent was for the finals. Seeing an ingame rank in the single digits is pretty intimidating, even for me.

GGL: Will you be able to make it to the Daytona 500 using the trip that you won?

Watterson: I’ll probably be going. I mean, why not? It’s a free trip.

GGL: How often did you practice Trackmania Nations Forever to secure your win?

Watterson: For the qualifying ladders, I didn’t really practice at all. During the finals brackets, I spent maybe 30 minutes practicing the maps for each match, and spent a couple hours practicing for the Finals match.

GGL: How long have you been playing Trackmania Nations Forever? Did you compete in ESWC events or qualifiers in Trackmania Nations?

Watterson: According to Xfire, 228 hours on Trackmania Nations Forever. I’ve been playing on and off since it came out, and I played a bit in the original Trackmania Nations. I didn’t compete in any ESWC qualifiers though. I found out about the 2008 qualifiers after they had already started, and I would’ve been unprepared anyways because I was just coming back from a couple months break from TMNF.

GGL: To what do you attribute your success in VRS?

Watterson: Skill, obviously? And a bit of luck of not having my toughest opponent until the Finals.

GGL: What do your parents/family/friends think about your gaming habits? Have they ever tried to stop you?

Watterson: My parents don’t really like me spending so much time on the computer. Most gamers can probably say the same thing about their parents though.

GGL: What are your future Trackmania Nations Forever plans?

Watterson: I haven’t really thought about any plans for TMNF. Just keep racing and improving, and maybe at some point in the future consider ESWC.

GGL: Any shoutouts?

Watterson: Clan uBp for letting me use their server for matches during Digital Games and VRS. They also sell servers for cheap too, if you need one for any games. WarriorNation for letting me be in their clan for various other games I play (we’re recruiting to try to start a Trackmania Nations Forever section if anyone’s interested).

GGL and Bosch for hosting an awesome tournament. And of course, Mahmood for doing this interview, otherwise you’d never see any of the things I just said.