Apologies to Geoffers and everyone else for being confused at the start of Qualifying
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Once again I had not read the race post correctly ( how can such a thing happen???) and somehow in my head this was a double header with Class A cars in the first race and Class B cars in a second race. If my single brain cell had been awake at that time in the evening, I should have realised that 2 races of 14 laps with a 2:40 lap time was just not going to happen
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Add to that Arnold's total incompetence in loading the Simca Abarth 6 speed car, then installing a Fiat Abarth 1000 TC setup from the Zandvoort race. It took me at least 15 minutes of gearbox rebuilding and ratio changes before the "unavoidable error" was spotted!!! Shortly afterwards Arnold was spotted too, vaulting over the perimeter fence and heading for the coast!!!
So, when I tried to help Geoffers by pointing out that he had the wrong car, I should have been checking which ruddy rollerskate I was sitting in!!!
Did not try to get force quali as the setup that was rapidly cobbled together was untried, and so was my ability to drive it. Got a reasonable start and found myself mid field by T3 in a car that was definitely not meant to be there. But hey!! go with the flow and drive the whell nuts off the thing. I held up Bob for a couple of laps and eventually ambition exceeded ability and I ran onto the grass allowing everyone to get past.
I took my rightful place at the rear of the field just planning to finish the race and gradually the laptimes improved as I found better lines and better gears. Then passed Matt's car parked in the road?
and expected him to recover and catch me, but I see now that he had a disco ( hard luck Matt)
My fuel had been quickly calculated from a couple of qualifying laps as we went to the grid, but now that I was hustling this noisy little box around some 3 secs a lap quicker, it became obvious at around 12 laps that I would not make the finish at that pace. Backing off for 4 laps also showed that the damage had been done and I would be at least a lap short even if I let Ziu lap me.
After Ziu went past I dropped to tickover mode and crawled along, but as Erling was closing I opted to quit and get out of the way.
Grats to the podium and the finishers. next time I will read the race post properly...honest I will!!