UKPnG Season 7 North American Cup - Laguna Seca - Feb 16

[Wiltshire Tony]

Had a good start of the line but lost a little momentum as I had to correct a power spin. Approached turn 1 and had Bill hit me on the left side which pushed me onto MJ's Mustang. Then watched Bill go on to spear Matt's Falcon which was stationery after colliding with Clive. Unlucky Bill, any other day you would just have sailed into the gravel. Just bad luck that you collected the aftermath of another collision.
After all that excitement I think I was 3rd! Couldn't last and I was soon caught by MJ, Clive and a pursuing Matt. Don't remember the exact order of events but I know I passed MJ after he became part of the tyre wall after the final left hander. Gave up position way to easily to the cunning Clive and was also passed by Matt. Then followed Clive and Matt's battle for several laps whilst watching the gap behind me to Hotkey's Mustang decrease lap by lap. Couldn't prevent Hotkeys catching and passing me and so I settled down to watch Hotkeys try to pass Clive. We all passed Matt who had an off after the first turn and so the three of us (Hotkeys, Clive and I) chased for the last podium place all the way to the checkered flag.
I managed to out pace Hotkeys on the start finish straight and then pursued Clive. On the last lap I took a desperate lunge into a gap at the top of Corkscrew but overshot the turn and hit the far barrier which fortunately bounced me back onto the track pointing in the right direction. I drove off but was worried that neither Clive not Hotlaps appeared in my mirrors. Fearing that my pass attempt had caused Clive to crash I gave up my place to him before the chequered flag. It was only after watching the replay that I realised that Clive had been bashed up the chuff by Hotkeys and that that was what had slowed him down.
Still I believe Clive deserved that 3rd spot more than I did just for bringing that knackered tyred Falcon home in one piece.
Great night and one that I won't forget in a while.

[Clive Loynes]

After receiving the attentions of Matt(Bullbar)Rowe in T1 I thought that I was in for a grim old time and I was right!

Apart from in John’s hands it really is a heap.

Matt’s half-hearted attempts to pass didn’t cut much ice and that was before I knew that it was he that had caused my problems! 

Bill vanished on lap one and Eblitz was probably on the outside of T1 as I went past on lap two.

I passed Alex and was closing in on Tony although I think that Matt had passed me at one point but then appeared to be doing some sort of Auto Test just after T2.

MJ also vanished and Tony very kindly threw himself into the gravel at the last turn just as I caught him.

Oh, and Navin was last seen on his roof just after the last turn as well.

This put me in a podium position and that always makes me a tad wider when it comes to taking it off me, as Bullbars found out.

In the end, I think that the first time that he actually achieved a decent overlap at the turn-in point to T1 I gave him some room and he was through.  Tony having watched things from a safe distance.

Matt pulled away to the tune of about 15 seconds before he pranged it and quit.  However, whilst I was thinking that that was it, I suddenly realised that Tony was now catching me and what was more, he was bringing Stig with him!

At one point, Stig passed Tony and closed on me at a rate of knots!  Thankfully I saw him bounce off the earth bank at the left hander after the Corkscrew.

Again I thought that I was safe and again I was wrong.

They came at me again and with four laps still to go I at last realised that my front right tyre was non-existent.

I tried changing down an extra gear in places to get some steering but could only just hang on in front of them. 

With a lap to go Tony threw himself at me at the Corkscrew.  I saw him coming and thought “There’s no way he’s going to make that work!”  I left room for him and was just in the process of ducking past the back of his car when Stig hit.

We were trying to sort out the mess when John lapped us, making it the last lap.

Stig allowed me through and when we pulled onto the straight Tony did likewise.  I was still trying to work out if Tony did in fact need to when I crossed the line and the race was over.

Thanks Tony, very generous.

For most of the race I felt like a mouse being played with by a whole set of cats.

Grats to John and Ade and WD to all finishers.

[SpecialKS]

P&G v3 WIP video Shelby Mustang CASC GT350 at Laguna Seca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eq_Dm7UwuA&feature=player_embedded#!