SimRacing.org.uk

The mechanics will be preparing the cars for maximum speed as the Works drivers head to the flat out blast of Spa in the Belgian countryside. Hristo Itchov's dominance has taken a break recently with Ronnie Peterson and Attilio Artiglietti challenging at the front. Let's hope everyone has saved some tokens for a quick chassis, you'll need it gents.

Race list	iGOR
Server	UKGPL_GPG
IP address	62.195.32.131
Date	14-10-2012
Race time	Race starts at 21:30 UK time
Qualifying time	Between 30 and 60 minutes, starting no later than 21:00 UK time
Track	Spa
Mod	67
Damage model	PRO
Race length	15 laps
Replay	Available here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/replays/Archive/Season23/Grads_Works/S23_Grads_Works_R07_2012_10_14_Spa.rar)

Reserve drivers please note; you must leave the server with 35 minutes of qualifying left, for a total of 5 minutes, to allow full timers to join.

The red zone will be fully moderated for lap 1 only. For this event the red zone will be from the start line to the entry of Malmedy. Other moderation will be on reported incidents only.

The chassis token system is explained on the Works (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=360&theme=6) standings page. Please ensure you choose a chassis that is within your budget, which can be seen by hovering the mouse over your points total in the standings.

GPG server is already set for 15 laps Long race.
Ciao

I thought I had better warn everyone that I have switched from paddles to the shifter... despite some off line practice, I am not completely at ease with the new method of gear changing.

So, I am apologising in advance in case my driving causes anyone else problems. If I think it is getting too bad I will quit the race.

Good luck Evil, props for using the shifter :)

What a complete arse of an evening. Lots of connection quality issues, then some kind of frame rate issue dogged my entire qually and race - just wasn't getting smooth scrolling. A reboot made it slightly better and I decided to continue. Qually was really difficult getting to terms with it, and I was shocked to get a PB for this track right at the end of the session (without any drag benefit)...although relieved to set a time close to what I thought I could achieve.

As the race started I managed to slip from 5th to 3rd and tried to settle down and hold that position. A missed gear change upset the car as I went into the final hairpin, and I spun. I knew I had a bit of a gap on those behind, so tried to get the car out of the way of the pack, but I got hit - I'll need to look at the replay to see if that was my fault for moving...

Rejoining in 7/8th I started chasing the specs in front down, and got past 2 pretty quickly, and was chasing down Baab and another car. Not surw what happened, but on the the long downhill right handers and thought that was me as my front left disappeared into the shrubbery, but thankfully it spat me out just before the left hander at the bottom. Sadly 2 cars were bearing down on me and before I could do anything, one clipped me (I was on the very left hand side of the track) and bounced into what can only have been Doni's BRM, and it looked like game over for him - very unlucky.

After that I reckon I'd have caught Baab and whoever he was dicing with, but a couple of downshifts failed, leading to spins. Eventually I had a moment at Stavelot, and got thrown onto the track in front of S (I think), and the ensuing crash ripped off my front left and that was game over for me. I doubt Sky could have done anything, but I'll check the replay if/when I can bothered.

Bah humbug again.

Arf

Well, you were tangling in my feet through the whole race really... You first spin at the hairpin got me into halt (and I hit you), your repass several laps later in the middle of la source scared the hell out of me, then somehow you were behind me again and you repassed in the other very uncomfortable corner, just to spin again and find yourself right at my nose... well, I braked hard for both collisions and they were very minor, atleast they felt that way...I did everything i could to avoid the contacts, but spa isnt the best track to keep me concentrated neither... and it was overall just funny. You were much faster than me, so I actually considered to let you pass both times... on the straights, but that would be too boring I guess...

Great race for me tho, a race I actually finished for a change... At the end Ronnie was closing on me, but then crashed, just when I was looking for nice battle... Lonely race otherwise... just Lingviston, who was looming...somewhere... and Arf, scraping paint from the nose of my Eagle... I have to be careful around drivers with dog references in their names.

Contrary to many, Spa is actually my fav amongst the papy tracks, I think it is mighty in the 67s when you start going at some proper speed, and it really is unforgiving like few other places, as you are shaving the grass everywhere at really high speeds almost all the way through the lap. I did some ridiculous amount of practice here in my first season in Novice, when I was kindly awarded a Cooper just before a race here. I remember breaking it up into three parts and practising the corners cutting off most of the straights..(yes, I am that immature..). As a result, now I know this place like the back of my hands, and I can be rather quick with little practice.

So, after all the drama of my previous races, with all sorts of mistakes and silly things happening, I decided to take the shortcut to that elusive win by picking the massively quick Eagle (but some others had the same idea.. :whistling:). This neutralized all sort of competition, and netted me a supremely uneventful race in the lead, not very exciting I know, but just what I needed to sooth the pain of that tragic Riverside's finale  ;D ;D. The only bumpy times were given by my half hearted attempts to secure FL in the final 2 or 3 laps. I was trying to go quick, but being very cautious indeed at the same time, and cringing each time I was getting close to the grass. As a result I almost ditched it at least a couple of times, in those slow motion moments when you realise that..mmm... this is not quite the bit of tarmac you are used to, and something is going terribly wrong  :scared:..Good reminder that caution might be good, but having too much time to think can be really bad.. ;D

Grats to podium and finishers, see you at Dijon (which, for those who missed it, has been chosen to replace Wigram. Yesterday in chat a couple of people werent aware of this, maybe it would be good to change whats showed on the points' table as well?)

Thanks for pointing that out Attilio, although I updated the registration thread and posted to let everyone know, the standings page was still wrong. Fixed now.

Congrats to Art for taking a well-deserved & rather overdue win (plus hat-trick) & also to H for managing to hold off a flock of eagles in that dodgy ol' Honda.

Real life has really been getting in the way of all the important GPL business recently...  as if moving house wasn't disruptive enough, my ISP then nobbled my season by royally screwing up my broadband connection & causing me to sit out the last round at Riverside, losing all those precious tokens in the process - grr.

I don't normally go too well at Spa so was going to take a cheapo car but then saw wall-to-wall Eagles on the practice server & decided I'd better follow suit. Thought I'd delivered a fairly respectable qually time & even held pole for a while, until Art went out & simply pulverised it. :P Still 2nd was better than I'd expected & I spent the rest of qualifying tweaking my setup for the race. Once the flag dropped I realised my setup skills actually left a lot to be desired – in my efforts to preserve the engine I'd gone far too conservative on my gearing & H, Bob & Arf Arf simply swept past me on the straight before we'd even reached Malmedy.

Arf's spin at La Source allowed me to nip back past into 4th & also rather fortuitously delayed everyone else following who got a bit tangled up as he spun round to rejoin. The next few laps were spent rather fruitlessly trying to make an impression on Bob in 3rd who was steadily carving out a gap ahead, albeit with a car that looked a bit of a handful through most corners. After several laps alone, suddenly encountering Bob's stationary car as I rounded Malmedy certainly made my race more interesting, not to mention provided an excellent cure for constipation, however my ill-conceived gearing meant I couldn't take advantage & Bob was able to slip away again fairly easily. Bob had another rather hefty off into the barriers at Les Combes, but once again was able to recover & repass me within a lap or so. It looked like I'd have to settle for 4th but on the last lap I came blasting through Blanchimont to unexpectedly find an Eagle side-on across the track & rolling backwards... :o thankfully Bob stood on the brakes just in time & I managed to squeeze through the gap with just minor cardiac palpitations to nick the final podium place. Bad luck Bob – I did wonder if you were carrying suspension damage for those final few laps though.

Crashed? Not how I remember it, more like a helping hand into the hedge from a hard charging Andy, but it can happen and I'm glad Andy carried on. As for the fun and games at the hairpin on lap 1, someone should have told me in advance Arf was organising a dogems party! You just have to laugh and move on to the next race. Spare your blushes Arf and don't look at the replay mate. Grats to the podium of Art, Hristo and Al. Gotta agree with you Sky, despite everything, I actually enjoyed the race at a track which is not one of my favourites. See you all at Dijon.

I must have missed this too, thanks for pointing out...Dijon, is that the one with lots of up and doon?

I enjoyed the race, though could have done better.  In a similar way to my team mate Arf, I had a few incidents but instead of bothering Sky, I chose to entertain Al  :P  Thanks for avoiding me Al, I think two of the moments were close and you probably caught me for the first one as I got  going again.

I rarely drive the Eagle and had actually decided to use the Honda, though in praccy I crashed every lap and couldn't better 3:20.  When I saw all the Eagles I thought I'd change my strategy to stand some kind of chance.  I finally had an incident free lap right at the death and managed to bag 3rd with a pb by 1.6 secs.

I crawled away at the start with too few revs which allowed several other Eagles by as I cringed and tried to stay out of trouble.  After a bit of argy bargy in front and a spin from Arf I was 3rd behind H.  We were reasonably evenly matched until I dropped it at Malmedy.  Luckily I had a gap back to Al and managed to get going just before he arrived, but not having seen the replay, it may have been close.  A lap later I lost it under braking for Les Combs and was lucky to escape without damage after hitting the barrier and not getting hit by Al.

With 3 corners to go I decided it had been far too long without a (major) incident and somehow managed to lose it under braking for blanchimont.  I was taking it steady to avoid this kind of accident...perhaps I changed doon too early.  Ended 4th, but could have been 3rd, but honestly I was pleased to finish my first race in quite a bit.

Bob.

I didn't feel a thing Ronnie. After a couple of laps running about a second behind and with Sky about 2 secs up the road, I got close and had a big tow down to Burnenville. There was a big gap on the inside and I went through. Then Ronnie's engine went quiet and I wondered what had happened. All discombobulated, I forgot about making the corner and got caught in the hedge. It wasn't until watching the replay that I saw that we were close and that you got warped away. It's a shame it ended like that for you, Ronnie as I felt we were in for a big scrap on the last lap with Sky.

My start was extremely cautious, mindful of not making it past T1 L1 a few times this season, settling in at the back of the Eagles. I tiptoed through the Arf hairpin and made a few places. The rest of the race I gradually caught Sky and then spun in Malmedy, then did it all again, and then was getting close near the end with Ronnie. There was also a memorable moment side by side with Pod into Masta wondering if he was going to blink before me.

Grats to Art and the podium. I think Spa is especially difficult to keep the concentration up for 15 laps with long straights and critical fast corners.

Mod published.

1.witch Djion track will be used for next round?
2. still cant understand difference between WORKS and PRIVATEERS champs? so where to register if i will be able to race next round?

Hi Karliss, nice to see you  ;)

-> 1. look at registration thread -> dijonp81

-> 2. look at the drivers you want to challenge with...

That's quite simple. Works use Pro damage, while Privateers use Int. damage(one Shift-R allowed).

Isn't it also based on speed? Works drivers are not allowed to enter the Privateers series.