SimRacing.org.uk

NOT SURE IF A SERVER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THIS RACE - SO IT MIGHT NEED TO BE RESCHEDULED

The UKGPL  summer break seems to have crept fast. As I’ve cleared by Sunday evening to race & there is no championship outing the next best thing is a fun race. Something slightly different, an endurance race at Silverstone in the 67 cars. That will be a 75 minute race, but with 15 minutes qualifying so we don’t finish too late. PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER START TIME OF 9.15

Free choice of chassis but I would ask the Works drivers do not take the Lotus or the Eagle.

Rather than full Pro settings it will be intermediate with a maximum of one reset is allowed per race & must be followed by a compulsory Stop & Go in the pit lane within two laps of the Reset.

Race List = IGOR
Server = UKGPL3
Race date = Sunday 18-08-2013
Time = 21:00 UK time (21:00 GMT)
Track = Silverstone
Race length = 50 Laps
Variant = 1967
Damage Model = Intermediate
Qualifying time =15 minutes

Replay = HERE (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season25/FunRaces/)

No Problem,UKGPL_8 will be ready at 21:00 for 15 min Quali and 50 laps int race

Might give this a go.

One question, are you allowed to half fuel and use your shift-r for a refuel mid race?

The green button disappeared just as I was about to hit it, so started from pitlane (1 lap down grrr). Had some fun chasing down and passing backmarkers for a while but wasn't getting the consistency I needed to make up lost time, then sideways into the bridge and shift-r and pitstop and out into a group and I have no idea who I'm racing against because prib doesn't work so rather than mess anyone up I retired.

Well that was an interesting night of Ferrari chasing. Surprised to get Pole with a 1:28:xx, but happy nonetheless. Ronnie got the jump on me from the flag and was first through T1. He appeared to go a little wide, but brought it back on track. I had got better traction out of T1, and was overhauling him. Sadly I was in his blind spot and he came over on me and the contact sent us into big spins - not sure it was avoidable.

After that it was just a case of charging down on back markers and passing. Some were kind enough to spin as I got near and made it easy. Billy made for a challenging overtake on 2 (3?) occaissions as I celebrated the first passes with spins of my own.

By mid race I was in a race to charge down Andy in P4, and I gradually got the gap down from 14 secs to about 3 when my engine blew up. As I'd already used my shift+R, that was it for me....

Congrats to finishers and esp to anyone not in a Ferrari :-)

Arf

Sorry about the contact Arf. I made the better start and and was always going to come across onto the racing line. Never expected you to be going for a pass on that side of the track. As you say it made it a long chase of a race for both of us. As for me I got disconnected while in a safe second with 3 or 4 laps to go. Better luck for both of us next time I hope. Grats to the podium.

Arf - I though I let you pass without much of a fight? Although we were racing for position there wasn't much point trying to defend against a driver who is much quicker.

They might not be everyone's favourite but I quite like these long races where concentration becomes almost as important of speed. Obviously not so much fun if you end up going round by yourself. I had some good battles with Dave Curtis & Maddog that kept me occupied. The last few laps Martin & I ended up swapping places several times due to unforced errors. Was rather surprised to bring the car home in 4th!

For the record Ronnie - I see the Shift R as a 2nd chance & its not the intention that people run a short fuel strategy. That's said, nobody checks your fuel gauge although it would backfire if you crash out before half distance.

Billy. I wasn't criticising, just trying to say I had to work to get myself into the position to overtake, so you weren't as slow as you thought!

Thanks to Billy for organising and to all of you for a unique race for me.

I turned up late and took Billy's suggestion a little too literally for this race ( I may not be the slowest driver, but I am quite sure I am not the fastest either!!  ::) ) So, I not only passed up the Lotus and Eagle, but walked past the Fezza and Brabham as well.... paused at that nice white car with the tasteful red stripe and thought for a moment of a misty world where wandering heroes in strange clothes and carrying long curved swords, came out of the hills to do honourable battle with the round eyes  :drool:..... But I did not surrender to the siren call and walked on to find a barrel inspired car with a monster engine from Maserati. Beyond it I could see a wierd machine with an even more monstrous engine, but my courage failed me at that point and I settled for the Cooper.

In my innocence I thought that others of the fast guys would forego the delights of Maranello and Aussie Jack as well, and turn up with something similar to my selection.  :no: So I found myself in a car that might not entirely be suited to the wide and fast expanses of Silverstone!!!!  :sweatdrop:

Qually, as usual was on race fuel and I ended up towards the rear of the grid, sandwiched between two red things with only a couple more cars behind. History has taught me that in the pack, at Copse on Lap 1, at Silvy is a dangerous place to be, so I was quite content to let cars behind pass me on the run to the first corner. Still 50 laps to go, so plenty of time to race.
I think everyone behaved and all negotiated T1 safely, but before T2 I saw cars airborne.......move up 2 places.  ;)

From then on I gradually warmed my tyres ( OK! actually I worked the devil out of them) as I chased down cars only to watch them ...run wide  and let me pass???  I think I only made a single overtake in the whole race!!!!

 I surprised even myself when I reached 3rd spot with Andy and Axel just ahead and I thought OK the work starts here. Andy was in a Fezza and Axel in the Lotus!! these 2 are going to be tough to pass in this Cooper. I tried to find somewhere that the Cooper had the upper hand over Andy's Ferrari for a several laps and it seemed it would have to be under braking....but he had more grunt out of the corners and pulled away, just enough, each time  :(.  although he did seem to be struggling with grip with each lap that passed ..................then he ran wide at Stowe and I was through....woohoo!!! 2nd  :w00t:

Another place gained and still actually had not overtaken a single car on the track???!!! and I am in 2nd...work that out???

It must have been my lucky day because no sooner had Andy run wide at Stowe and let me through to chase Axel's Lotus ( surely I would struggle to get past that flying machine???) and Axel tries to climb a tree with his car at the very next bend!!! :eek:     1st place .........not even half distance........a comfortable lead??? in a Cooper??.........it won't last someone is bound to catch me in a faster car once they settle down and start concentrating.
From then on to the end of the race I just tried to maintain concentration and keep the tyre temps under control, but the laptimes consistant. I did a fuel check at 25 laps to be sure I had not misjudged and everything looked fine, so pushed on. Then I thought my luck had run out when Rocket Ronnie reappeared on prib. I knew he was in a Fezza and that he had gone off early in the race, but now he was climbing back through the field "on a mission".
But with about 10 laps to go he vanished and I was left to cruise to the finish with a comfortable lead, deliberately avoiding trying to lap anyone else and risk an incident when there was no need to.

I still cannot believe how incredibly lucky I was in that race!! The Cooper was almost certainly NOT the car to have.....from where I was on the grid I should have been out of contention for the podium anyway!! and I only overtook a single car ( for a position gain) on the track throughout 50 laps of racing....and I end up 1st???  GPL never ceases to amaze me  :-\ :-\ :-\