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It’s Round 8 of the Spec Challenge & we are staying in France but heading to Rouen. It’s an original GPL track so no excuses for not knowing the circuit.  All you have to do is find a set up with wings as we are using the 69 cars.

We will continue with the shortened qualifying times - 12 minutes for race 1 & 10 minutes for race 2. Lap times be in the 1.50’s so don't hang about.
Last time out at Reims there was a close team battle between Hiki Wazza & Black Night Racing with Hristo, Evil, FMG & Sam swapping places for fun. In the championship table FMG maintains a narrow lead from Hristo then Evil Clive.  Full details here Spec Race Challenge (https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=LM2R&group=280&theme=6)
Spec races consist of two back to back Intermediate Short races on the same track. Each driver has to drive one car in each race - start whichever you like. Anyone daft enough to drive the same car will be disqualified from race two. This weeks choice of chariot is the McLaren and the Matra.

Spec Races is the only championship with no handicapping – it’s down to individual driver skill & the ability to cope with different cars. Races will be run on one grid with one championship table for Season 20.
 
The Spec Series will be run according to normal UKGPL rules, although only reported incidents will be moderated. (Please file reports by the Friday after race night). Unlimited resets (Shift R) are allowed and you must take a Stop & Go penalty unless another driver or warp was clearly responsible for your misfortune. Stop & Go means coming to a complete halt in (or around) your pit box - please be careful on the rejoin not to impede other cars.
 
Race List = IGOR
Server = UKGPL_T7_2
IP address = 62.149.202.168
Race date = 13-02-2011
Time = 21:00 UK time (21:00 GMT)
Track = Papyrus original
Race length = Intermediate Short
Variant = 1969
Chassis = McLaren & Matra
Damage Model = Intermediate
Qualifying time = 12 minutes Race 1 / 10 minutes Race 2

Password: see above

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

Bum cakes, I'm playing with real cars in Hull this weekend - Rouen will be a blast in 69'ers too  :(

Free W/E for me too  ::)


Dont do 69'rs anymore  :o


Much too old for that sort of thing  :-\


Pity cos I likes Rouen  8)

2 onboard laps, track guide, replay and setup:

http://racingleague.co.cc/hikiwaza/track-guides/brutal-lapping-onboard-69-mod-matra-ms80-rouen-les-essarts/

Just watched the replay Hristo, bit of an eye-opener :)

I enjoyed this mod at Anderstorp last month so I will be back for more this evening. See you then.

It turned out that the 2nd lap is a WR for Matra.  ;D

Congrats Hristo!

cool, well done.

It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that I have to announce Evil Clive is to receive a lifetime ban from UKGPL. Unfortunately he contravened that little known rule: 'Spoiling the Chief Moderators party - twice : Appallingly Bad Show - Lifetime Ban'  ;D

Seriously, had one of the best nights racing in ages and my results showed it. First race I was concentrating so much on the car in front that I followed it up the banking in sympathy, but survived and didn't hit anyone. Thought oh dear at the back for the rest of the race but others misfortunes found me not too far off the frontrunners (in placings if nothing else). Was praying I could keep Fran back with a lorra lorra laps to go then who should appear out of the blue but Mr Evil.
I held him back for a bit but he must have had his fundoshi pulled up extra tight. Knowing he's a strategic driver I knew exactly where he would try to pass and knew I could do exactly nothing about it. Once I waved bye bye I cruised home some way back but my highlight in race one was being the last runner not to get lapped by Hristo using his Jedi force.

Race two and now I found myself in second. Shorter race but this time I knew Fulvio was closing so it was no time to relax. Suddenly who should appear right behind me but, you've guessed it, Clive grr!!!! It was a clear case of deja vu as I waved him on a second time at exactly the same spot.

Anyway great fun and I'm not complaining as I got far better results then I was expecting. Season 21 will consist of only races at Rouen in the 69's but with Clive and Hristo excluded as they are too fast (for me) ;)

A fun couple of races.

The first turned out to be a bit lonely largely due to Clive having an off while in front of me early on; Sam and H had disappeared long before.

The second was much more entertaining after I had an off (self induced!) on Lap 1.  Coming back through the pack and some close racing with a few of the guys were good fun.

Shame the grid was down in numbers but there was enough for 2 good races.

WD to all who took part.

Woohoo!!! at least I win something this season!!  Thanks Tim  even if it is a lifetime ban   :jumpjoy:


Apologies Steve  :-\. I had no setup and had done no practice for this race so i "gratefully" accepted Hristo's offer of a setup for the Matra and by the time i had joined quali and done a few laps I was maybe not so overwhelmingly grateful  ::).

The setup was undoubtedly capable of very fast times....but I just was NOT dialled into it and struggled to put a single qualifying lap together. When the race started I found myself fighting a car that wanted to turn on a sixpence at the slightest excuse and the first lap was a nightmare for me and must have been terrifying for anyone following as I bounced from kerb to kerb and ran wide at almost every corner. In fact I was fighting just to avoid spinning in front of the pack and taking everyone with me  :-\

After my "off" I did my SnG and had the luxury of an empty track to make my mistakes in as I tamed the setup marginally. Eventuall the pace settled and I clawed my way back up the field to catch ...TIM  ;D and as he said, I knew where I would pass and so did he, but there was nothing he could do about it.

For the second race, although H had sent me his Macca setup I opted for safety and comfort and dug out an old setup I had used a couple of years ago. Phew!! much more drivable for me and giving the same laptimes as I was getting in the wild Matra.
Unfortunately I was baulked by other cars on hot laps during quali and had to settle for a mid-grid position. By the time I had worked my way past Fran, and Fulvio ( who launched himself at a tree shortly after I appeared behind him). Which left Hristo waaaaaaay out in front and a spec in the distance which turned out to be ......TIM  ;D As pure luck would have it, I caught him just as we entered the back straight and guess where I chose to pass??? ::).
After pulling a safe gap to Tim I backed off a little as there was no chance of catching Hristo but every chance of throwing away a decent finish.

Grats to Hristo and Samb who were flying last night..awesome times guys and nice racing everyone.

I enjoyed driving these cars here even though I'd had very little time to prepare.

I got a decent start in race 1 and picked a few places up early on but after a mistake at the hairpin I lost all consistency and dropped to the tail of the field. After yet another spin I packed in as there was no chance of racing anyone.

Before race 2 I had to help out with an unwell son and didn't get back in time which was a pity.

Sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves though, well done to the podium guys especially Hristo who was absolutely flying (I know this for sure, as he lapped me!!)

Please, no apology.  Just do it more often so I can pick up a position more frequently   ;)

Just messin.  I think had you hung on to it I'd have soon been left for dust as you were closing in like a steam train in the later part of the race.  Another 2 or 3 laps I'd have been in real trouble.

Good to see most people had a great nights racing. I was at the other end of the spectrum. Glad to see the back of Rouen after this and the GT race last week. All down to me, just one of those nights where I could not concentrate. Before I forget, big apologies to Hristo for spoiling my own, and in the process his, final qualifying lap in the second race.

Those two races were excellent fun and the Mclaren and Matra were a blast around Rouen! I was really surprised at how fast my pace was at this round as normally I'm hopeless with the 69 cars but I'm not complaining  ;D.

The first race was pretty straight forward, qualified 2nd and lapped consistently 1s slower than H a lap to a solid podium. The setup I was using in the Mclaren was one of Steve Cloyd's with adapted gear ratios and steering angle, and it was nice and stable, but my cornering speeds weren't fantastic. But, it was the most consistent race I've driven for a long while and I was pleased with the result.

The second race was far more eventful! With the Matra I used H's kindly-donated setup on the Hiki-Waza blog and found it made the car much more twitchy, but because of that, it changed direction far quicker, allowing me to take more speed through the corners. Somehow managed to bag Pole; my first for a while and made a reasonable start to lead into the first corner, and hold it for about half a lap...

Then it all went to pot, firstly I braked too late into Samson allowing H through and promptly spun off on the first corner on the second lap, causing a bit of mayhem when trying to rejoin. Deeply sorry to those caught up in my hastily rejoin, but I don't run Pribula and was having to rely on my ears  ::). After that it was epic duels throughout the field and finally found myself in 4th. Slightly disappointed in spinning off early on but was quite pleased to be just over a tenth of H's fastest lap. It'll probably be the only time this season where I'm so close to his pace  ;). Congrats to everyone on the podium.

Great pace, Sam, shame about your off in race 2. It could've been a good battle.

I really enjoyed driving these cars at Rouen, they were so amazingly fast that you just feel energy flowing through you from going at such pace, particularly in the fast corners. An absolute blast!

Although I found the McLaren to be a more stable car and also have slightly higher top speed, it was surprisingly slower overall compared to the Matra. It is probably because of Matra's wider track width which made it possible drift the car at angles at which the McLaren would simply snap into a spin.

I had some problems in both Qualifying sessions with people not paying attention to their mirrors, even when they were on their warm up laps, and it really bit me for race 2 where I couldn't do a proper flying lap, so I had to start 2nd.

The first race felt rather long with its 15 laps due to the lack of anyone to race with, so my focus was on pushing for a fast lap, but it nearly cost me the race on a couple of ocassions when I lost control briefly and even went off a few times, but recovering quickly.

I had a full 360 degree spin at very high speed in race 2, luckily spinning back around in the direction of travel and not hitting anything, and the gap back to 2nd place was big enough to keep me in the lead.

It's a shame that Tim couldn't attend these races, I was looking forward to a close battle for the championship, but now only something unexpected can turn things around in his favour. Maybe I've just cursed myself, hehe.