If this is Arf's favourite circuit, it certainly is not mine. For whatever reason this is a circuit where I just cannot get a car to work.
Maybe it is my setup or maybe it is just my driving, but I find that to be anywhere near competitive I am driving beyond my comfort zone....considerably beyond for much of the time!!
Somehow I got myself up to about 6th?? on the grid and had already decided that I would simply try and maintain a steady pace and hope for retirements ahead. The first two laps were quite steady as everyone appeared to be cautious on cold tyres, but as the pace slowly increased ahead I was drawn into laptimes that were probably faster than I wanted to go. I was trying to stay with Arf's Fezza whilst watching a very threatening Baab in my mirrors.
I suspect that Baab was scared to get too close because my Brabham was all over the road as I struggled to keep control, sorry about that, but I was trying VERY hard. It could not last and I clipped a couple of kerbs too hard and I think GPL decided that I should suffer some suspension/steering problems. As I fought to keep the car going ( generally ) in the right direction the sliding about raised the rear tyre temps to stupid levels.
I has just about decided that I should let Baab pass and settle for a more sensible drive to the end when I really got things wrong on the exit of the long T1. The hot tyres had called enough and I was approaching T2 going sideways...the wrong sideways!!!! Somehow I wrestled the Brab around and got it to turn in but I bounced over the inside kerb and it spat me across the track and another huge bounce over the kerb on the inside of T3.
Any semblance of control over the car was an illusion at this point LOL and I went straight off into the gravel as Baab swept past.
To make a bad situation worse..I made a complete hash of getting out of the gravel and ended up dead last.
The suspension had suffered more damage and I almost threw in the towel right there, but just decided to try a few laps more.
I could see Phil and David ahead but for 2-3 laps I made absolutely no impression on them. I was adapting to the strange handling and had to take some slightly different lines to make things work and suddenly I was closing fast. Maybe there would be some fun racing with a couple of cars to soften the blow of bad race by yours truly. Just as I caught up with them David decided to blow his engine and Phil got very sideways out of the final uphill turn and I passed them both without contest.
The sight of 2 cars a little way ahead suckered me into trying to improve my position even further......I always enjoy chasing down a target
Al and Ronnie were having a right battle and I slowly reeled them in as I fought a car that did not want to brake in a straight line or turn in when I wanted it to.
Once again, I was hoping for some close racing as I got within striking range of Al and Ronnie. Maybe the sight of my Brabham almost out of control in their mirrors, scared them, I don't know, but The moment that I caught them Al shot off towards the inside of one of the hairpins and just one corner later Ronnie ran wide and I had a free pass..again!!.
I caught and passed a limping Baab and Bartosz who had tested the gravel trap to come home in a position I just did not deserve given my performance.
I still do not like this circuit. I don't know why as all those sweeping corners and elevation changes should make it my ideal track.
Grats to AA, arf and Tom for taming this track.....maybe I need to do some serious practice around here and find out where I am losing 2 secs a lap??