Thanks to Billy for creating a great mix of tracks and cars for the Specs series. I really enjoyed the challenge
I think Art has just retained his lead in the championship ( subject to moderation ) when we drop our 2 worst scores, so grats Art you were always fast and a great competitor.
Also a new star is rising under Her wing. Paul takes a class win on a track that is not easy to master.
No excuses now Paul SHE will expect more podiums from you because all our victories are belong to her.
Experience has taught me over the years that you cannot win, or even get on the podium at Reims, unless you are with the leading cars from the very first lap. The final places will be decided on the last 500mtrs from the final corner to the S/F line.
I have to confess that I thought that everyone had conspired against me in qually!! I did not pick up a single slipstream in 30 minutes of trying!! and I was somewhere around 9th on the grid with about 5 mins to go.
From 9th I was going to have a real problem getting hooked up with the wild bunch up front and if I failed to get on ther tail in the first lap I had no chance of getting good points.
So one last banzai lap trying to nail every braking point and apex ( well OK, I know there are just 2 of them that matter! ) and I squeaked a 5th spot on the grid with seconds to spare.
Next was the start and ensuring survival for the 1 st lap.
That worked well and I found myself in 4th place as we got to the end of the straight on lap 1. I knew that no-one would be able to get away from the pack with the huge slipstream advantage around here and similarly no one would be dropped as long as they mad no mistakes. So I was quite content to sit quietly in 4th and enjoy the view
But as we exited the last corner and nailed the gas for the run to the S/F line Natan and Art decided to dispute the rights to same piece of French tarmac directly in front of me
. I just had time to check my mirrors for Fulvio and swerve across to the right and miss the spinning cars.
That left Alex B in front, myself 2nd and Fulvio 3rd with what was to become an unbridgable gap back to the car in 4th place. Alex appeared to have his car set up for max warp speed on the straights but had compromised the handling in the corners and a couple of times I almost ran up his exhaust pipes at the apexes. I dropped back a little for the next few laps and allowed mys elf to be towed along, short shifting and conserving fuel until I was certain that I had plenty in hand. Fulvio was obviously able to run at my pace and was playing a patient game behind.
Alex made a mistake turning on to the main straight and Fulvio and myself were able to get beyond slipstream range and out alone in front.
Fulvio is experienced enough to know that neither of us would get away and so there were a couple of trial runs from the final corner down to the finish line as we both tested our ability to lead or slipstream past on the final lap.
It became quite tactical as the final lap began. I think Fulvio wanted me to pass him on the straight so that he could have the benefit of the draft to ther line, but I had already decided that no-one would be catching us from 3rd spot and I wanted the advantage of the tow out of that last corner.
Even so it was very close at the line and I only just squeezed ahead by 0.03 secs to take the win.
Great racing Fulvio
