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Car:	LMP2 HPD ARX-01C or GT2 Ford GT
Track:	Okayama Full
When:	Sunday 30th October
Practice:	17:40 (80 mins)
Qualifying:	19:00 (30 mins)
Race:	19:30 - 21:00 (90 mins)
Start:	Standard iRacing double file rolling start
Resets:	One

Password:

>>>> see above <<<< (#post_event_password)

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There will be a hosted practice session on the Saturday evening before the race - hosted by our partners at Legends League / TWFR.

The session will run from 18:00 UK time with 3 hours of practice and then 20 mins qual & a 25 min race.

Not sure if I'm going to make it tonight, it's gonna be close...

Couldn't hand over my dad duties in time again :(.
Have a good race.

My best GT race up until lap 46, where I forgot to brake into hairpin and went at terminal velocity into tirestacks.  8)
Managed to get to pit for a 2min required repairs, went out on track again, but had to come back for the 4min optional repairs, to get the car drivable.

Was a very nice race guys, hope to see all and more next race  :)

Race report on the team website...
http://www.teamshark.org.uk/Pages/News.aspx (http://www.teamshark.org.uk/Pages/News.aspx)

This race can be summed up I think by looking how I did in the GT race.  I got on the podium  ;D

....I also span the car 11 times, the first time hitting the wall and needing a trip to the pits.    

Swapped places a few times with Pete who was also have a few issues keeping the thing going in the right direction.  I have about had it with this car I think.

Grats to all finishers, and thanks to HPD's. you guys were very patient.

Trouble was I was 2 laps behind you :( I know I'm one of the slower guys at the virtual racing lark but I used to reckon I could get to within 2 seconds or so of the fast guys but I'm like 4 or 5 off in this car.

I abused my tyres something stupid in the first stint, locking up far too often in the braking zones. Comparing tyre wear between the 2 stints backed this up however at the end of the 2nd stint the car was almost undrivable for a man of my limited talents, especially in the slow corners where there just was no grip at the back.

Well.....i was not looking forward to this at all, slow tight corners and the GT40 for most people = SPIN
i had a quick practice at silly oclock Sunday morning and i was no impressed at all, sure i can go round
but not with a fast time, and it was just going to be a chore.

So for all intents and purposes i was nothing going to bother, i am really out of love for iracing at the moment.
But i saw UK-Pete in practice and thought i best show my face.
I did a few laps with a slidey set up which i don't like at all.... then swapped to a old set up i had which made the car heavy
but drivable.
No need to qualify really as i aint going to be as fast as the front lads and it is a long race so stuck a 1:31.208 with full fule
seems it stuck to the track better with full fuel so happy bunny...i have a optimal of a second less but can't seem to put it in.
But i was very happy with my spot.

Race was going fine, catching up with Ramio long race and no rush, then lap 9 up hill onto back straight OMG the THING stepped out slightly.......then SNAP
Sent me hard into the wall rear end first...the car was UN-driveable worse i have ever had it...i said a few words......
I never expected it there at all.
So i got a tow thinking that was it.........i must have the best crew in the world as they fixed it after 2 mins or so.......well its a long race
and in true Tortoise fashion i set off after the Hares.......who had well and truly gone !!

So i was in last place for quite a while thinking oh poo  :P
I kept seeing Ramio hitting the kittly litter at the end of the back straight with his bucket and spade lol
but i was not on the same lap as anyone  :o
Ramio pitted and i pitted again the next lap at least then i got new tyres and full gas to get me to the end of the race
and i could just think of getting to the end.

Well other people must have had problems cos i see people 45 secs away but on the same lap, so i swore again.....keep plugging away
and lap after lap i got there in the end and ended up with a very happy 4th....
Best i had ever hoped for was a 3rd so i am more than happy with the result.

Well done to Gary for taking the win
Julien for 2nd
Adam 3rd

Well done and big thanks to the HPD drivers for giving us room and not forcing anything upon us...well me anyway i had no problems.

I do always try and give you the better line if i am not racing for position but the Ford GT is a bike like taking a Grate Dane for a walk
Some times it goes where it wants and sometimes it is best to just follow and not try and fight it  :laugh:

Thanks again.

Andy G

www.teamtortoise.co.uk (http://www.teamtortoise.co.uk)

Shame the turnout was rather low, although I'm not sure I would have liked to run this track with 30+ cars! Hopefully this week's update to the NTM will improve the enjoyment factor and we can get a decent attendance for the last race at Daytona.

As usual I had over-estimated the number of laps we would fit into the 90 minutes and thought I would need to get to lap 35 before pitting to be safe. As a result I was saving fuel right from the start and kept the fuel setting at 4. A mixture of this and caution when lapping the GTs meant that Simon was able to keep rather closer than I liked but when he was forced to pit on lap 33 I knew I should have an easier time for the second half of the race. This indeed turned out to be the case and the gap grew to nearly 40 seconds before I had a silly spin with only a few minutes to go. But that only cost a few seconds and I was able to cruise to the finish. At the end I still had 4.5 kg of fuel left so I guess I was overdoing the saving :)

Yeah I was on fuel setting 8 in the first half which was clearly the only reason I wasn't too far behind. Then after pitting slightly earlier than I would have hoped I had to whack it down to 1 for the rest of the race until a few to go which is why you then extended your lead a fair bit. I think in hindsight a fuel setting of 4 or 3 would have been better for the hole race instead of a race of two halves. I actually found it a bit easier with the fuel setting down as I could use the accelerator pedal more aggresively with less chance of spinning off. I was also trying to compensate for not going as fast down the straights on fuel setting 1 by braking later. I managed to get not too far away from my full pace doing that, but it took me a while to work it out properly so I lost a bit trying to brake and accelerate like I had on fuel setting 8.

Another good race for me!!

The start was a joke as my line didnt seem to go and had to brake as the HPD infront of me seemed slow to go and 2 GT2's were past me before the green lights came on  :o  

Anyway got past Adam quite quickly and was chasing Russell untill he had a spin and that was that really. Kept it neat and tidy not pushing to much as had a big lead and brought it home.

I dont have Daytona track so thats it for me this series. Shame i missed a few at the start and shame the numbers have fallen but i hope we keep going with something next season.

When 1 or more HPD's don't start the race, the lines gets truncated, but you still should stay behind your class pole-sitter until green or maybe until startline?

Good race and win Gary  :)