The handicap system certainly kicks in on this track and the Eagle was really out gunned by those Brabs and the Fezzas, in fact by almost everycar on the track!!
I had a setup from a previous 66 race here and I thought it would be OK, well it was once I remembered how to drive the ruddy thing, because I think I crashed on my first 5 out laps in qually.
![Undecided](https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/Smileys/srou/undecided.gif)
I confess that I broke my own rule of qualifying on race fuel in an attempt to get somewhere near the sharp end of the grid, although the times on the front row looked a bit ominous!!
The lack of grunt in the Eagle off the line, cost me all the places that I had gained in qually and I stayed very wide into T1 holding my breath and watching my mirrors. From what I could see in my mirrors it looked like everyone was very gentlemanly and all got through??
Once things settled down I found myself behind Andreas and frustratingly I could see the lead bunch just ahead, but I just could not find a way around Andreas to get at them!! His car had so much more grunt out of the corners, but was slower than me through the corners. So gradually the leaders crept away and despite being all over his gearbox in the corners Andreas simply powered away on any straight!
![taz](https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/Smileys/srou/taz.gif)
Sorry Andreas but I had to really pile on some pressure to force an error that would give me the chance of a pass, and it had to be somewhere around the hairpin so that I could build a defensive cushion before the long straight. Things were getting desperate as faster cars ( Greg and Martin) closed up from behind and I was a sitting duck ( as opposed to a soaring Eagle!) on the straights.
Eventuall Andreas wobbled through the tight Esses after the hairpin and I Had to go for it so I nailed the gas and got through just as we entered the L/R/L/R section.
The gap grew steadily after that and although I was almost holding the leaders in 4th, I could not close the gap without risking everything. So I was surprised to collect a podium spot, but wished that we had just a few more laps as Jethro was being reeled in in the last 5 laps and that could have been interesting
![Wink](https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/Smileys/srou/wink.gif)
Grats to Ronnie and Jethro and commiserations to Arfx3 who I could see was having a royal battle with Ronnie all through the race.
A shame that Tris did not contest the final races as that would have made things much more difficult ( and fun
![Wink](https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/Smileys/srou/wink.gif)
)