UKGPL Season 22 (2011-2012) Privateers (67) - Watkins Glen (Classic) - Mar 4

[BadBlood]

Honestly guys - do you not think these races are just too long?

I know what you mean. The Works drivers clearly have the resources and all have Recaro racing seats. I have to nick one of the kitchen chairs and shove the sofa up... My cheeks are numb before the race starts and the cushion that protects my back usually slips off and falls under the pedals...

[bernie]

The Works drivers clearly have the resources and all have Recaro racing seats

and some, or all,  are ex Stigs 

My derrier is OK but i do get the occasional pain in the neck , usually when h.i.d. is around and wants me to turn the noise off 

[Ross Neilson]

I don't mind fifty minute races as I think it brings more variables into play such as concentration, consistency, looking after the car and so on. Being the quickest helps but it doesn't always mean you will win.

That said I am usually in back pain by the time the race ends as I tend to get quite tense when driving, and my seat isn't the best.

[maddog]

I'd recommend you guys try an inexpensive office chair.  They're designed for long periods in front of a computer screen.  And provided they don't roll away with you, you can then crash and burn in comfort. :'(

[il_lupo_mannaro]

I didn't practice at all before yesterday evening, as I know the track really well.
I wasn't sure about the car, then I realised that my PB with Eagle was really high so I decided to try with it.
I shaved, even better I cut, more than one second and half from my PB and I started from 2nd place: I could do even better but I concentrated myself on the race pace for most of the qualify time.
I didn't want to have a race start as in Brands Hatch, so I was very carefully on the green flag while Sky was flying with the white whale!!
Probably I arrived too long at the loop with cold tyres, and I went wide...
Then a Shift + r followed by stop'n'go but after few kilometers the Weslake decided to say goodbye and I had to quit...
What's to say more?
Grats to Sky for setting the pole time when I was dreaming about a hat trick  
Grats to Ross for his win
Grats to everybody raced: it's really nice to see a nearly full grid!
Last, but not leats, thx to the admins for the race organization
CU all in Brazil

[BadBlood]

I'd recommend you guys try an inexpensive office chair.

Hmm - refer to Bernie's reference to h.i.d (Himmler in drag presumably  ). I COULD get an Office Chair but it would have to co-ordinate with Calico White (tm)...

As for race length, mine is usually over by lap 3 so I am not too worried.

[il_lupo_mannaro]

Honestly guys - do you not think these races are just too long?

I guess 30' qualify and 45' races is really a good compromise

At GPFun we start the server for qualify at 45' and races are 90' long... (tonight at Silverstone!)

Jason, I guess you need a more comfortable chair

[BadBlood]

LOL - GPFun really ought to be renamed GP Torture and you guys are seriously quick. Might see if the wife will let me join in...

[s2173]

Well, i have no problem with long races... I have a normal office chair too.

About the race itself... Honda wasn't easy, I got nice setup with perfect tyre heating, and that pole was still freaking hard to get... Honda actually is the car enjoy driving most, feels so damn cosy... until the moment it decides to swap sides. So i got 3 spins on the loop, 1 spin on the last turn and 1 shift'r... not really a chance for a decent place, but atleast I had some nice fights on the way, this is what matters.

A hairy moment with Hendy on the loop... I was closing in, and braked way earlier than usial, not knowing when hendy would brake... But he slid off to the outside, and I had nowhere to go but the inside... and then i saw him flying off. Seems a wrap contact, I didnt feel a thing and you seemed quite far from me...sorry nonetheless.

[Rainier]

No! No! No! I should have won  LOL

Qualified 4th, watched Fabio crash at the Loop on lap 1, got past Geoff for second place and inherited the lead when Sky lost it at Big Bend.  Held the lead for nearly 40 laps (despite spinning after avoiding a  recovering back marker - no harm done these things happen) when I ran out of fuel with less than 2 laps to go. Had to do a S&G but just managed to hang on to second place.

On the plus side I had a solid 36 FPS the whole race (and qually).  Down side is I normally use Prib to estimate my fuel consumption.  So without Prib I had to guess.  Used the fuel load I had for the last round at Brands and added a couple more gallons just to be safe.  Wasn't safe enough  

Well done Ross on yet another win.  Qually was very close and joking apart anybody in the top 6 or 7 could have won.  All that was needed was to keep out of trouble

I wrote "I could have won" not "I should have won".
Even if english is not my natural language, I think there is a nuance

Phil, you should have won ...if you had enough fuel !
Sky, you should have won ...if your car was more easy to drive
and I COULD have won if Nigel did not spin and  if Billy had brakes

But finally, there is only one great winner, Grats to Ross !  

[blito]

I'd recommend you guys try an inexpensive office chair.

Hmm - refer to Bernie's reference to h.i.d (Himmler in drag presumably  ). I COULD get an Office Chair but it would have to co-ordinate with Calico White (tm)...

As for race length, mine is usually over by lap 3 so I am not too worried.

Are you sure its not natural calico, also known as 0805-y26r   --- guess who sells paint for a living 

As for my seat - it is an office chair with adjustable back support etc etc, chosen specifically with GPL in mind.....
 

[Billy Nobrakes]

Personally I think the race distances are about right. Part of the fun of GPL is to that we build in the challenge of concentration, looking after car & tyres & (for some) dealing with backmarkers. Full GP distance at Watkins is 108 laps - so we're doing less than half of what they did in real life.

[Geoff65]

Enjoyed this race, even though I've never been a huge Glen fan. I'd made some small changes to the cars setup after a discussion with JR and had posted an 06.15 on the practice server chasing Atillio. Thanks John, golden advice once more. The downside, this was the third distraction from my family in 2 races....the other half ruined my OAO race Saturday night and almost ended another drivers race by wandering into my darkend room, unseen, at nearly 3am, lifting my headset at prattling on about nothing much important....just as I was attempting to outbrake a rival into Stowe. The resulting break in concentration caused an accident.
Same in this race, not one...but two interruptions, both causing spins and this time thankfully not involving other drivers. The car was great, and after the first spin I managed to work my way back up toward the front. By the second interruption I was quite upset and lost more time....but drove pretty ordinarily after that...I'd been awake all night at work and fatigue....combined with sore butt and cramping brake leg, crept in with 10 to go and the laptimes dropped off. If I'd known that Phil was struggling for fuel I'd have pushed a bit harder....but I'm running races with Prib off to preserve frame rate. Had some quite hairy moments stumbling across the aftermath of other drivers spins, accidents etc. However unlike poor Dave Rainier, this time I managed to not become involved.
Without a doubt the best race of the season with any one of the top 6 in qually capable of taking the silverware. All in all I was happy with the car and most of the drive, and pleased to get a podium after all the outside interference.
Ross was the most consistent driver on the day, thoroughly deserving his win. And Phil perhaps won't commit a 'Blito" and underfuel his car anymore this season....bad luck mate, you drove well enough to have won by a street. Must admit I was a bit disappointed for Fabio watching him disappear off at the loop on L1, after the sterling effort he'd put in qualifying. Keep it up mate you'll get there.
On to Brazil and Interlagos....

[bernie]

the other half ruined my OAO race Saturday night and almost ended another drivers race by wandering into my darkend room, unseen, at nearly 3am

LOL dont they allow leg irons anymore in Oz then 

[Ross Neilson]

Incident reports need to be in by tomorrow night please.