UKGPL Season 42 (Spring 2023) 1955 GP - Hockenheim - May 16

[Pete Bennett]

Grats to fellow Vanwall driver, Doni, for nabbing P4.

[Phil Thornton]

Sorry for the tap on Lap 4 Evil Clive. My fault, I've submitted an incident report. It was great racing until that moment 

Having waited for Evil Clive to rejoin (who promptly shot off the track a couple of corners later, sorry mate, I can imagine the expletives aimed in my direction as you went off  ), I had lost the tow to Leo and Clive Loynes. I kept them in sight for most of the race but the gap would not come down. I needed them to trip each other up but it never happened, they are much too good for that. The gap was pretty constant at about 10 or 11 seconds but with 5 laps to go they they put the hammer down and disappeared. Grats on the win Leo and a great recovery drive Clive (Loynes) after you ran wide on lap 3 and invited me through.

[Leo Menegucci]

Drats!

Leo fooled me into passing him just where I didn't want to!

Congrats Leo, it was a good race.

That was a great chess game Clive  

I had a great tow in both long straights at qualifying, timed perfectly. The race was a cat and mouse game, with Clive chasing me to the end. I could set up the perfect position at the final lap. Fun!

[EvilClive]

Aha! so it was Phil    I was a little perplexed when my Merc suddenly bumped forward entering the Stadium section, I actually wondered if I had found a lump in the kerbing. The nudge was just enough to push the tail into a half spin, from which I recovered to pass the gentlemanly Phil. However, within two corners it was clear that something was deranged on the rear end. I struggled on for another lap, but the car was only just controllable on the straights....corners were just out of the question. Apologies to all the drivers who came across a silver roadblock on my single limping lap before I quit to avoid any more problems.   So much damage from what was NOT a large contact.

Let's call it fair retribution for Monza Phil 

So for the first 4 laps it all looked good I was in no rush to try anything so early on a circuit where last lap slipstreaming will decide the podium, just as Leo and Clive proved. The Merc was quite capable of living with the Lancia's speed and in fact I had geared it so high that I was constantly lifting on the long straights to avoid getting too close. It looked like being 20 laps of fast slipstream racing.

Grats to Leo, Clive and Phil and all finishers.

Also hard luck to Pete who actually surprised me in qually with the outright speed in his Vanwall 

[fpolicardi]

Well, a fifth on the grid will bring hopes for a nice race towing the leaders, but soon a wide entering the Motodrome put me behind in the clunch of Francesco, Pete and Doni with a great battle for 4th after the exit of Evil. We all managed to not touch each other for many laps braking for T2 and T3. Later Bob, recovering from a early spin, added himself to the company and helped me to form a little gap on Pete, Fran and Doni. The plan was to work together to increase the gap, but on braking for the hairpin I was caught by early brake of Bob and rear ended him, very sorry Bob. Both had an off so I was again behind Fran, Doni and Pete, BUT, as Pete mentioned, when he spun at the hairpin his car hit mine and I spun in the grass loosing the chance to battle for 4th. Bob was right on my back and soon passed me on towing. The plan was again to have fun and to let him the position anyway before the end to repair to my previous mistake, BUT again I was caught by Bob braking at the hairpin and this time I threw myself on the grass to not hit him again. I touched the barrier and the car lost power so during the last lap I was risking to be catched by Tom that had had his misfortune, but the gap remained almost the same till the end, maybe Tom too had lost power.

[Doni Yourth]

Goodness me!  There was so much action going on that I hardly know where to start.  I'll only just mention some key points as to fully describe everything, I'd be here at the keyboard til sundown.

Fine battle up front for the win with Leo pipping Clive by a whisker.  Well done, gys.  Phil a good P3.

I had company all the way from flag to flag with numerous give-n-take passes of my comrades.  Pete & Fulvio & Fran & Bob & Tom & Axel.  There was a nose-to-tail train of six all jockeying for position.  Sorry to lose Clive and Dave.  Bad luck there, gys.  Pete the victim of a glitch in the stadium section.  Bugger!  Axel a spin into a DNF.  The two Ferraris of Bob & Tom showing considerable pace especially from Bob.  Some impressive pace there, Bob.  Both fell to some misfortune to drop them from the chase for P4.  The last four laps had Fran & I sparring with everything in doubt right up to the stadium on the last lap.  There, Fran ran a touch wide to get onto the grass and allow me to skip through for P4.  Lucky boy.  Luck, too, in that the race wasn't a couple more laps as I think that Bob would have made it a threesome battle.  My poor old heart couldn't have stood it.