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Season 19 Spec Race Challenge - Round 8 - Spa

Round 8 of the Spec Challenge promises to be a real speed fest as we move up to the original 1967 formula cars at an old favourite – Spa Francorchamps. To truly experience GPL you have to try the runs down into Masta & Stavelot at 190mph plus on skinny tyres and not a shred of down force. Maybe some UKGPL records will be on the line?

In the championship its still Hristo in the Lights & Steve Bird in the Heavies leading the charge, although last time out at Imola we did have some new race winners.   

We will run two races on the same track. Two chassis are available, you must use one in each race. Use the same car twice earns you a disqualification in the second race.
Your choice of chariot for this occasion is the 1967 Mod ~ Lotus & Eagle.

The Spec Series is a full championship with standard points scoring. In addition the moderator will also tally up every drivers fastest race lap & compare the chassis head to head. For your time to count in the “Spec Challenge” you must complete more than 50% distance in both races. Resets are allowed so don’t retire because of a bad start.
Also the Spec Series in the only GPL championship to be decided exclusively by driver skill, no handicapping applies.

Race List = IGOR
Server = UKGPL_T7_2 *
IP address = 62.149.202.168
Race date = 18-07-2010
Time = 21:00 UK time (21:00 GMT)
Track = Spa
Variant = 67 F1
Chassis – ~ Lotus & Eagle
Damage Model = Intermediate
Qualifying time = 20 minutes [Server will start at 23 mins]
Race length = Intermediate Short
[* Second server kindly provided by Nicky Ickx]

Password: see above

Driver lists can be found on the championship standings page (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=251&theme=6)

Unlimited Shift-R is allowed in the race. No-fault Shift-Rs will not attract a Stop & Go penalty.  All other Shift-Rs must be followed by a Stop & Go.

Please be in IGOR UKGPL chatroom by 8:50 pm UK Time = GMT).

Due to the number of races moderating will be light touch - reported incidents only, however the moderators reserve the right to review any incident with a particular emphasis on lap one. The aim is to review the race the following weekend so incident reports should be submitted within five days of the race (i.e. the following Friday).

The Championship is split into two sub-divisions, the Light Brigade & the Heavy Brigade. The driver allocation is set out below.

LIGHT BRIGADE drivers

Burtoner	Evil Clive	John Roberts
Tim FMG	Hristo	Jethro
Nicky Ickx	Bartosz (Pod)	King Hiro
Clutch	Al Hellar	Ruud Savelkoul
Sam B	Fulvio P	Natan

HEAVY BRIGADE drivers

Bernie	Billy	Bookie
Maestro	Norbert	D Rock
Fabio / Il Lupo	N Hance	Phil T
Nigel Smith	Gilles27	Steve Bird
Graham P	Maddog	Vosblod

NOTE: In the event of more then 19 entrants a second grid for the Light Brigade will be run by Nicky. Please ensure you join the correct server, due to the way we import if you start the race on the wrong server your result will not count. If you can try to make sure you are in the chatroom by 8.50pm this will enable a decision without any delays to the start time.

Not likely, those records set by Mike Prickett are quite good and Spa was never my strong track, but perhaps Tim, Jethro or Goran can have a go at them?  :angel:

Yeah right!!

Tim, Jethro or Goran can have a go.....once they get past Hristo and leave him 10 secs behind???? ::)

This Waza here, is going into the great unknown. I honestly don't think I have EVER driven the Lotus at Spa since i started on-line racing back in the mists of time, and the Eagle has a thick film of dust over it as well!! There could be a lot of con-rods and oil around Spa next weekend.  lol

The 67 records will not go, I can't hit them with a draft let alone in practice. The 65 records have more of a chance with the Lotus and Ferrari, but my BT11 lap was something special. 66s might go a bit.

I'm not good enough in the 67's to challenge for the record  :no:
I also suspect I may struggle to challenge for the lead aswell here.... Time will tell I guess

you can count me out of any record setting. I have not driven the 67,s for allmost a year so I have some work to do here.

If I can stay on the track and, after you all have left it, win I`ll be happy  ;D

Göran

Hmmmm ! Spa and a Lotus 49 , strawberries and cream  :)

Some days it's better to watch corrie instead  ;D

Well a bit of a disastrous night for me with a twist.
Race 1 - whack at the start - 5th had no revs so pitted then did a Sh/R - assume you can do it back to front?
Race 2 - whack at start - was wondering if it was me so retired to check replays and thankfully it wasn't.

Anyway the twist was I finally went green at Spa so no complaints  ;D

This didn't go as planned. I struggled to get a feeling for the Eagle in the qualifying session of the first race and the addon engine sound I have for it didn't help at all. Can't even remember the last time I've driven the Eagle around Spa, but I definitely used the original sound back then.

Started last after crashing on all my attempts, but quickly made progress. I was just closing in on the leading drivers when I turned in too early for the left hander on top of the hill of Eau Rouge and rode the banking which sent me flying to the right into the fence. Despite a heavy crash though I landed on all 4 and managed to continue.

Had some good battles to regain the lost places, but I noticed some people simply getting out of my way or easing up on the straights to let me through - not very amusing and even a bit dangerous with one of them as I didn't expect it.

In the end I almost caught up with Tim for 2nd place but it was the final lap so 3rd was the best I could get.

In the second race I managed to get pole with an ok-ish lap, but couldn't really get a clean lap and again, being rusty with the Lotus meant a lot of struggle to get on terms with its handling.

I had an OK start but just as I was lifting up to shift into an upper gear, the front washed away to the left and by the time I reacted it was already too late. We tangled with Evil, my car spun around going into Eau Rouge and not all the cars coming behind could avoid me, so there were some nasty collisions.

I had to wait for an eternity to be given the green lights for a shift-r and so probably lost about 20 seconds to the leader, but continued on charging in attempt to make as much ground as possible.

Eventually came up to 4th with Al ahead, but compared to race 1 he was much quicker this time and it took 2 laps and a half to catch up with him and then make a move, though he kinda helped me by going wide.

As in race 1, I just managed to close up on 2nd place before the finish, but this time it was Evil and Tim was nowhere to be seen up ahead.

Grats to Evil and Tim for a great drive in both races!

Results now up.
Apologies to the 2nd half of the grid on Race 2, put my foot down a tad to hard off the start, span across teh track causing something of a pile up. Not the only culprit - somehow my car was unscathed and had to pick my way through another pile-up going up the hill.

If I remember correctly the GPL record at Spa was 3.15? Mr Itchov says "Spa was never my strong track" - and he gets 3.13 !! (in both chassis).

I was astonished to get the Eagle around in a 3:16 lap :o. That is a huge improvement on my PB in any chassis, as I usually struggle to get below 3:20 around here.
The 1st race was gifted to me I think , as cars behind had small probs and I was unhassled for the whole race and able to cruise the last lap.

Race 2 and the Lotus was a bit different.  I need to look at replay to see what happened at the start. I was not aware of any contact between Hristo and myself but his sudden left turn has me worried!!
I never quite got the "feel" of the Lotus and the setup ( or more likely my driving!!) was giving some really squirmy moments out of the slower corners. On lap 3, I entered Stavelot too quickly and things got a bit sideways which caused the rear tyres to ignite!!  Tim's pressure meant that I did not have the opportunity to cool them down and so ran the rest of the race with a very slimey rear end. ::)  The setup I cobbled for the Lotus definitely needs some work, but given how long it was since I tried this green thing I can't complain too much.

Grats to Tim for the win in the 2nd race and to all the finishers in this pair of high speed runs.

That was totally unexpected!
Even the comparative performance of the cars took me by suprise, I'd always assumed I'd be quicker in the Eagle as I always used to race that offline in the dim and distant past.
Offline practice on Sunday lunchtime resulted in a 3:17.8 in the Eagle on race fuel and cold(ish) tyres so thought it's be the faster car here by a tiny amount.

The race obviously thought different though as I struggled to match my earlier times in Quallifying and started from 3rd behind a fast Goran and an even faster Clive!
I jumped Goran at the start and nearly held onto clive for 2 or 3 laps until I went wide at Blanchimont and was re-passed by Goran, the following lap I messed up under braking for La Source and did 2 360's - each one rotating in a different direction!  :o
Car was fortunatly undamaged and I probably only lost about half a second so got back to chasing down Goran again.
Just approaching what I think was the final lap and the problem of repassing my team mate was solved for me when the Lotus went 'pop' and Goran pulled over for me. Leaving me with no chance of catching Clive but with Hristo as a growing threat looming to my rear!
The flag dropped just intime for me to secure 2nd - welldone to clive for a storming race and Hristo for some top ballet and recovery driving  ;)

Race 2 looked worse for me as dispite my having knocked 1.5 seconds off the previous quallifying effort I was in 3rd again and now had both Evil and Hristo infront.
Thankfully the Waza pitcrew sabotaged Hristo's start (probably under HER instructions to make for more sport  ;)) and he bounced off Evils concrete reinforced nose-cone and back into the midst of the pack leaving the 2 of us clear and free!
For the first 2 laps I thought it would go the same as the previous race as Evil pulled away about 50 yds a lap regardless of what I did to counter.
Then he had a moment and I found myself on his tail for the climb back up towards La source, which rapidly bacame infront of him as he struggled with some obviously wayward handling in his green thing.
I made what I gains I could but fully expected Clive to speed back up and be all over me just intime for the finish.
I'm quite pleased he didn't as that gave me my first Spec race win  :angel:

Single lap times don't matter if you don't do them in a row and win, so I'm still holding onto that claim. In fact, Spa was one of my best tracks when I was using a joystick to play, but not with a wheel.

 :) :) ;D :laugh:

that was tremendous fun ,riding these 67s . have been a toooo long time I did last ...( back in VROC days ? )

hope I will find some more time for practise next autum , atm I cant hardly find the time for 65s..

 ;) did actually raced with my G25 rig , so I must do some laps at Spa with my ickxtuned rig to make comparing both  an serious work  :D

grats podium ones and all taken part !

This was fun, well, at least for a while. I was very surprised to find myself in second on the grid with the Lotus in the first race. Although Tim got in front at the start I was holding on to 3rd. I was not really able to follow Clive and Tim but had no problem holding on to my 3rd position when I saw a lot of dust flying around in front of me and managed to pass Tim for second. But the joy would not last more than one lap or so when the DFV tried to make my race a DNF. Luckily I fixed the DFV (thanks shift-R) and avoided the DNF but I lost some positions while getting back to the pits and making my stop and go.

The second race in the Eagle was a whole different matter as I was involved in the start tangle and had quite some problems during the rest of the race too.

Grats to Clive, who as usually had talked down his chances before the race, for the racewin in the first race, Tim for the second race win and H for FL.

Göran

I talked down my chances because I did not expect to be anywhere near the front!! What little practice i had done was not encouraging...a best of 3:18 in the Eagle and slightly slower in the Lotus.

I knew Hristo would be sub 3:15's but was stunned when he clocked a 3:13!!! and thought that Tim would be almost as quick as Hristo. Goran and Al are always fast and I was expecting to be tagging on behind them :-\ hoping for some casualties in front.
The difference between the Honda ( which I usually drive) and the Eagle and Lotus, was a shock ::)It took me a while to adjust as I had not driven either chassis for quite a while and certainly not at Spa which is a bit of a "special case" circuit.

The second race exposed my lack of preparation when I got the Lotus sideways at Stavelot and the rear tyres went into meltdown. It showed that my setup was marginal, because until then the tyre temps were under control with good pace, but once they got hot , no amount of precise driving would cool them. The only way would have been to back off ( against the Waza code!!  :o ) so i struggled as Tim got past and pulled away.

Great fun driving green and blue things for a change, but it just confirms how soft some of you guys have it compared to the Samurai driving spirit of the Wazas  ::) ;D

Yeah, they really are craving for tenderness those cars, quite the opposite of what we're taught for taming the Wazamobile.

The battle of the fastest 67 cars on the fastest Papyrus track is settled (courtesy of the Statmeister's stat machine) the Lotus edged out the Eagle by an average of 0.3 seconds. (Comparing fastest race laps of all drivers who completed more than 50% race distance).
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AwMtMND4F-o/TEWRPanxdzI/AAAAAAAAAOA/wIO1xE9jXzU/s1600/Bill+08.png)
Bit of an upset in the form book with the Light Brigade - Hristo's first Spec Challenge night without a win. He did however make amends by setting UKGPL record laps in both cars. First & second places went to FMG & Evil.
In the Heavies Steve Bird seems to have sewn up the championship with a win, honours in the secons race going to Phil Thornton. Good result from Nigel Smith by claiming second in both races.

Not yet I don't think, still a fare few points on the table  :)

Yes but the worst 4 scores are dropped.  So even if I win the remaining 4 races I can only increase my championship points by (50 + 50 + 50 + 50) - (4 + 20 + 33 + 33) = 110 to give a max possible of 688 which is less than what you have already ;).  So even if you don't score anything at all in the last 4 races you are still the champ (moderating pending of course).

So many congratulations Steve you are the champ (provisionally).  Well deserved too, you've driven brilliantly all season.

Nope, Mike Prickett holds the records still and he's probably going to for a very long time.

Well done Steve

Thanks Phil. Ah yes of course, I was working it out on removing my 4 worst as of now and then not scoring well in the next 4 races too!

Well, thanks very much - I'm (provisionally) well chuffed.  It's likely going to be the only champ I'll get a serious shot at! There's some rapidly improving drivers coming up through Heavies and don't think things will be so clear cut next season.  

Grats Steve, well driven for the season.

Steady driving and a string of good results is better than a few spectacular wins.......hmmm??!!  maybe there is a lesson there for me? :-\

Grats, Steve, and don't play down your worth as a Champion! It's not all about raw speed...


SHE would only tolerate spectacular wins though.

Updated Stat tables after rounds 15 & 16:

Phil Thornton & Steve Bird took the consistency awards in Heavies while over in Lights it was FMG & Evil Clive.

Heavy:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AwMtMND4F-o/TEhNtyoJCmI/AAAAAAAAAOw/TLGSgFwfL4w/s1600/SpecH08.png)

Light:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AwMtMND4F-o/TEhNq1Il-vI/AAAAAAAAAOo/8F9BiIKe7aI/s1600/SpecL08.png)

* (P) in the Climber-Meister table denotes adjustment due to Moderator Penalty
** 0.00 in Consistency table denotes average laptime deviation > 5 secs cutoff
*** 4 worst scores to be dropped
**** Drivers must complete at least 50% of the season to qualify for Climber-meister final table
***** What's this about? https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7653.msg135854#msg135854

(Provisional) Cheers guys  ;D