SimRacing.org.uk

Season 26 Works Trophy - Round 9 - Borovaya

Borovaya is a real track near Minsk in Belarus.

The Short Minsk Ring was opened in 1962. The circuit is situated northeast of Minsk, near Skopishe-second village. On a map the track resembled a triangle; two south sides went along old Zaslavskoe highway, which turned to the south near the village, and the north side ran along a new post-war section of this highway. The length of the track was 2850 meters. The track doesn't have any fences or walls around it, but some areas are marked by wooden landmarks or piles of tires.

Borovaya is located in a hilly region, so the track has huge altitude differences for a such short length – around 18 meters!

This is VERY tight and a short lap so overtaking will be tough. Probably not too advisable on the first lap

For Season 26, all drivers must complete at least 50% of race distance to be classified.

Race List = IGOR
Server = UKGPL_T7
IP address = 62.149.202.168
Race date = 18-05-2014
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 = Borovaya (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Tracks/Borovaya)
Variant = 67F1
Damage Model = PRO
Race length = 50 minutes (laps 37)
Password: see above (#post_event_password)

Replays Available here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season26/Grads_Works/)

Driver lists can be found on the championship standings page (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=427&theme=6)

The full time drivers can start to practice as soon as the server is available.  Reserve drivers can also join as soon as the server becomes available but must leave the server with 35 minutes of qualifying left, for a total of 5 minutes; this will allow any remaining full timers to join.  If there is enough space on the grid, the reserve drivers will be able to rejoin when there are 30 mins of qualifying left.  

Moderating The red zone will be fully moderated for lap 1 only. For this event the red zone will be from the start to the exit of the final turn on lap 1. Other moderation will be on reported incidents only.  However any incidents that occur in the red zone that are not reported by the drivers will be reported by the moderator.  This will allow all affected drivers the opportunity to present their case before the incident is moderated.  This should ensure there are no surprises when the moderator's report is published and hence appeals will be less likely.  If you haven't received a PM about an incident before the link below the results table is removed, you can be sure that you will not appear in the moderator's report.

The chassis token system is explained on the Works (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=427&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.

Please restrict chat to pit messages including at the end of the race until ALL drivers still racing have crossed the line.

Password: see above (#post_event_password)

WOW!  Both the drivers' title and team championship are up for grabs with only two events remaining on the schedule.

Art leads Greg by only a few points in the former and Blue Moose vs Antipasti is a toss-up, too.

Best of Luck to All!  :)

Yes, looks like it will be a good battle. Lets hope it goes down to the wire! I can possibly get 3rd in the championship, if I can win the remaining races. My poor form early on has cost me a shot at the title.. most notably blowing the engine on the start line at Brands  :laugh:

I like this track, after testing it about 5 weeks ago when it was up in IGOR. There was the odd stutter then, but I worked out a setup from Barty Monza and got a 1:20.3. However, now I just returned and went 3 seconds faster than last time with the same setup! Consistent 36FPS shouldn't make that much of a difference.. Go figure. I now have the WR however :angel:

PS. Please, no pile up in T1... :-X!

Buried in the tyre barriers on lap 3.... :(

Ditto Jethro, silly mistake on cold tyres saw me stuck. Good luck to those still running.

Note to mods: I know no one wants to listen but once again that was an unnecessarily tight grid, in my opinion.

***comment removed in interests of decorum***

Season 27 starts when?

Start was chaotic but still went two wide through T1 with Art. Sadly hit him a lap or two later when he almost went stationary for a spin in front I guess in T1. Nevertheless sorry Attilio, I was unsighted to what happened in front and then you slowed suddenly... :(

Due to other's having bad luck and going off I was in P2, basically surviving and dodging bullets (wrecks) but lost focus, went wide and in the hedges. Unforgivable track, and not my favorite at all.

Threw away a podium and a good deal for the points standings. Disappointing, but it happens to me now and then...

Well, an eventful race, and given my asking for no pile-up in T1, I'm not happy to have gone wide there on lap 2 and caused a pile-up behind. Looking back, perhaps I should have waited longer to rejoin as I was off the racing line there. I thought it would be fine sticking to the outside, but perhaps the '3 infront' made us fall a cropper, as Rob was unsighted entering the corner, and he said a Lotus warped across screen (i.e. fell foul of 3 cars infront).

Q was tough, until the last lap, where I got the time for pole, when ideally I wanted to be practising a start and race fuel T1 braking. Alas, it did not matter when I saw it was 3x3.. gulp. :-\ ???

Start was OK, stayed right, and when I saw Greg close, started touching the grass/tyres.. and then I had a 40 yard lead; now I know Doni and Greg touched. So, I was disconcerted at the time and almost went too far for T1, but made it through on the outside line. Didn't push hard, and was slightly clear into Lap 2; braking on cold tyres at T1, I half span and returned again on the outside line. Ray was deep and stopped just infront, Miele on the inside and Greg in the middle.. as we exited, Attilio and Rob arrived and there was contact at the Apex. As I drove off, I was relieved to make it through, but sad for the contact behind - I was hoping the championship protagonists were still in the race.

So, all I had to do was re-pass and drive to the line. I managed the first, passing Miele at the second attempt (we were running two wide out of T1 at first, until I caught the grass on the right.. Hamilton/Rosberg stuff :laugh:) after Ray went off, but again lost focus in the lead, and span at the slow double right, bending the suspension. I rejoined and was slow away in second, losing more time as Rob passed in surprise. Re-passed Rob, and set off after Miele. Managed to push for a mid-18, gaining back on Miele, when the engine blew over the bump... spiking neutral from 5th gear. A shame, as I knew I had enough time to re-pass Miele and finally had some focus with the bent suspension.

But the sorry tale does not end there.. there were only 4 runners left now, after Doni and Rob went off in the sticky bits. I coasted my car as far as I could go, not knowing if I had made the 50% distance for points scoring. I came to a stop before the last corner, pulling off to the left. I noted down my new first sector pb and let GPL retire me. I knew Greg, Attilio and Miele had passed by but did not see Greg pass by once more as I was pulled from the car. So after checking out the start and the various happenings in the replay, I came to see the live standings, and to my dismay that Greg had retired. Back to replay to see how this happened.. and to my horror Greg had missed his braking point passing my car for the second time, just as it was pulled from the track :(. And now I find out I'm one corner short of points.. my dislike of 50% for points is rising..  >:( I actually drove a strict 50%, with the three sectors of the mid-distance lap, even if my engine blew before S2....

That left two drivers in the race... and then Miele's engine blew, although Attilio said he almost collided with Miele, after spinning off. Imagine if we had no finishers... Grats Attilio and everyone who fini... err, made half-distance... OK, the podium or championship protagonists! :laugh:

PS. I can understand the gridding... most tracks by now have a good grid set.. so amongst the many things to do for the Mods, the grid is probably not one of the things that is remembered. But it seems totally opposite to the 50% rule, as some cars were taken out at the start. I'll look for the feedback thread..

Congratulations Attilio! The last man standing! You did great too Frank except for your early demise.

That was a mess.

I apologize Doni, Attilio, and Clive. I tried to run down the center Doni but I didn't do a good enough job. I cut across on Attilio at the hairpin on the second lap. I thought I might have somebody on my outside when I actually had Attilio on the inside. Then later I spun in the second to the last turn and Clive got by. We were so close heading to the final turn I couldn't see my braking point and slid into Clive forcing both of us to the back. I wanted to give you the position back but figured I best just haul ass and get out of the way. I've been terrible to Clive these past few months. Ever since the discos at Kyalami in the F2's, it seems that Clive and I aren't meant to race together. I even consciously think about trying not to cause you trouble and it only gets worse. I hope I can get my act together soon.

I thought I was decently prepared but when I appeared in such a tight grid I was a bit surprised. From there it seemed to be all for the worse. Once I started making mistakes I couldn't seem to stop. And finally I glanced at Iestyn's stranded car when I should have been looking at my braking point. I went flying into the final turn totally out of control.

I was pleasantly surprised to have qualified so well even though I didn't break 1:18.5. Would have been nice to have had a looser grid so we might have fallen into single file positions according to our speeds. I would have liked to have been able to try to run with some of those Lotuses.

I seem to be losing my composure more each race. I've been limited in my practice time so I've cut back on a lot of racing. In the future I'll have to concentrate on 2 or 3 series in total so I can get the practice I need to drive with some consistency and safety. I also need to start at the back when I haven't prepared well. Starting at the back is something I hope to never do in the Works division.

That seemed to be a difficult race for all of us. I like the track myself but it's easy to DNF here and turn 1 can be a nightmare in traffic. I hope we do better at Monza. I won't be near the front there so hopefully there won't be many behind me to impede.

Take care guys. As ugly as that one was, it was still a little fun while it lasted.

Yes, I think the Works' bunch didn't live up to their usual (?) standard of excellence around here  ;D ;D. To carry on the confessional style trend in the reports above, I probably need to apologise to Bob for reversing into him out of the men eaters tyres, after the pile up at T1 on the second lap. That was sheer panic at the thought of being stuck there with no way out and zero points, knowing any finisher would have racked up quite a lot of them around here...Especially, though, I have to apologise to Killer Miele, as I incredibly managed to rejoin right in front of him when he was the only other car left on the track and about to lap me  :-[! This has to go down as the clown moment of the season, happy to have obliged guys  ;D ;D. I knew Miele was 10 secs back on the start line in that lap, spun at the infamous slow double right hander, and decided there was enough time to get back on the track without impeding him. Was trying to reach the off line side of the road when he arrived and bumped me. Fortunately it was a very light hit, but yes, it would have been a tale to tell...Sorry about that. There was also an episode with Greg trying to pass me on the S/F straight and me ending up in the middle of the road blocking him, but I think we cleared that in chat and anyway I let him by on the following back straight.

Anyway, I was off the pace this race, for some reason not being able even to get into the 18s in qually. A lot of fast runners this race, special mention to Greg and Iestyn who were the class of the field in their chassis of choice. Then, after the melee of L2 my car was totally bent, had to heavily steer to go straight and the engine was obviously down some cylinders, as there were Brabhams breezing by on the straights. It took me a while to get used to it, and drove the entire race paying special care to the engine, as I didn't know how long it would last in those conditions. Still, managed some nice racing with Clive, Bob and Greg; plus obviously many one spins on the way  ;D. All in all, not a proper win, but still, to finish first... ;)

On a side note, I noticed that Works races haven't been moderated since February. It would be nice if we could get to the final round with a reliable points' table in mind? The championship is still open...Thanks for the racing guys, see you at Monza.

I WILL catch up on the Moderations before the Final Round.

My apologies that they have not been done. I have just been ridiculously busy at work and am back working full time now so very little spare for modding :(

Pressures of real life lately have limited chances to do any practice for these races, I like to do any preparation an hour or so before the race. If I try and do offline practice 2 days before the event, I forget what I was doing and have to recalibrate my driving again!  Not sure if that is an age thing or just plain inept  :-\

Needless to say I had not turned a wheel at Borovaya since the fun race there a few months back, so at least I knew which way the next corner went...but that was about all.

I scuttled home in time to join the fun with only 20minutes left. With Blue Moose needing some points I felt I ought to try and support Iestyn, although to be honest slumping in the armchair with a whiskey looked much more appealing  :-\

Simple equation.....No practice x No setup x Tired and Stressed = No chance

I opted for the Brabham simply because I did not know how many tokens I had left and set about making it work on race fuel. I even made a couple of small adjustments as we went to the grid!! a cardinal sin in my experience, but I was last on the grid and had nothing to lose.

I had expected ( in fact I was almost willing  ::)) there to be some attrition, so I actually took my time getting off the grid so as to allow me some space to avoid "incidents". But I was not prepared for cars cartwheeling before T1, road blocks at T1 and cars scattered at various points all around the circuit.!!!

The first laps I tootled around still getting the feel of the car and the braking points etc and gradually upped the pace. Before long I was in the top 6 or 7 cars, only because there were only 6 or 7 still running! I thought to myself " if this continues we will be lucky to have any finishers!"....how prophetic???

Despite several "contacts" the Brabham survived. apparently unscathed and I was just thinking that maybe I might even collect some decent points....should have been concentrating on driving and not counting poultry!! coz I immediately stuffed it into the sticky straw bales at the double right hander....race over and not even half distance  :-\

Grats to Art on taking the win..at least you got to the flag which is more than the rest did!!

Irony being, every time in practice I'd hit the same soft barrier and bounce out of it! Just my fortune here I guess... hated the Brabham as just wanted to swap ends every time I applied the power, and was so far off the pace the plan was to just finish. Would have nearly come to fruition had I seen Art finish 5 laps clear!

Normally my starts are bad, but on this track with the Ferrari it´s always good. That was also in the Test race that we did a while ago, and I did exactly the same bullshit. Knocking someone out at T1 and create chaos...Sorry to all involved. Shame on me... :(