After my first ever engine blow up in a Fez during quali I decided that I would thrash the pit crew later for shoddy workmanship but drive a little more conservatively in the race.
At the start I got involved in the melee before Eau Rouge and eventually got going behind Mike's lotus, he was taking it very steady but so was my graphic card!!
As soon as I got close, the frame rate dropped to dangerous levels and it was more like a slide show than a moving picture. I was hoping that if i managed to pass him it would smooth out again ( I'm not implying it was in any way Mike's fault, it is definitely my graphics card).
Instead I found myself lurching in a series of still frames towards the dreaded earth banks, and was fortunate to return to the tarmac in one piece, but some 20 secs behind.
Set off after Mike with a now steady picture, and settled down to reel him in lap by lap. I think there was an epidemic of bird flu proportions as cars seemed to be dropping like flies in front, I even had Hristo in my sights for a while.
I passed him when he did the Malmedy Macarena and closed right up to mike with some 5 laps left to go and a sniff of 4th spot. then the frame rate dropped again just as we went through Eau Rouge ( a really good place to lose visuals!!) I thought I was going to rear end Mike and tried to aim where I hoped he wasn't. I missed Mike but clipped the inside of the exit and spun.
Well that really p*****d me off, I can tell you!!! The red mist descended and i decided that as I was running last I might as well see how fast i really could go....so I pushed the needle ever closer to the red line in each gear for the next few laps. Well swipe me with a kipper, after a race of 3:20ish laps I pull out a 3:17'5 on a far from perfect lap. Something I perhaps should have done from the start??
Last lap going down to Stavelot and there is a white flag and Syd's Fez crawling along on the inside
? so I ended up 4th anyway and with the 25 bonus points for fastest race lap...................
Grats to John Napo and Mike for sticking in there and taking the podium...tough luck Syd :O(. I've been there and done that last lap no fuel scenario, it is just soooo frustrating.
Evil.