UKGPL Season 23 (2012) Novices Trophy (65) - Imola - Jun 26

[Billy Nobrakes]

After a less than successful season in the Inters it’s good to be back in the Novs ranks – although you all appear to have got a lot faster.
Excellent choice of track for the season opener.
Was on the wrong end of the GPL equivalent of a rugby tackle on Lap 4 (haven’t checked the server replay yet). After the SnG it was just a case of putting in some lonely laps & pick up any places through the misfortune to others.
Well done to the podium.

[NHance]

What's all this then?. Bad Blood qualifies 5th, AND on the podium, AND with all the usual suspects in the race, AND in a Honda!!!. This is a momentous occasion. 
Well done Paul
Norm H

[BadBlood]

LOL

[Johnny.P]

I never really got to grips with Imola with several bends prooving troublesome each lap- I got a slow start but just managed to maintain position. Several spins and offs later I was closing on the much improved badblood and thought I had the edge on him going into the slower corners but the usual excitement got me and I think buzzed my engine once too often before it gave up. A reset and stop and go saw me waiting for the flag all but alone with billy in my mirrors now and then. A 4th place was undeserved but I hope to stay on track more next time. Well done to all on the podium.

[Ronniepeterson]

Grats Paul, first of many to come?? Well done Rob and Giovani.

[BadBlood]

I was closing on the much improved badblood and thought I had the edge on him going into the slower corners

You did John! 

Thanks for all the congrats, the surprise is palpable... 

[dave curtis]

<ramble>
I suppose I should be grateful I managed to get there at all!

Away on holiday this week,  so was not going to turn up at this new track.  However,  I thought maybe it was worth taking a copy of my desktop GPL folder & the wheel - just in case...

So, with a temp (non-gaming!) laptop & a surprise open WiFi connection nearby,  that was Monday night taken care of...  downloaded Imola & a blind BREASTS test (Pribluda not working).  Managed a few laps & didn't appear that warping was a major problem - maybe there was hope for Tuesday after all?!

Only place the wheel would fit was the kitchen table,  where the WiFi was particularly poor (I blame the thick stone walls!).  Once the table was jacked up, knees could get underneath & operate pedals.   Tip:  on a stone floor - a Turtle Mat seems to work well to keep pedals in place!

I managed to get laptop's poor display/OGL/Pribluda working to a fashion once display options were reduced/disabled somewhat.   Come game time,  about 28-29FPS was the best that was possible,  although the sound kept crapping out with just static for periods of time.

The lucky random setup was Mosport.  But in practice/qually,  I was clearly well behind on this new track. Revving out in 5th,  so tweaked with a few clicks.    About 15 seconds to green flag,  had a great idea to click around some more with the spanners, but must have adjusted 4th the wrong way.  Upshot was that I had crippled 4th so I had essentially lost a gear.  Luckily I'm not on auto gears any more,  so was able to skip that when changing in both directions.

But it was just a bad experience all round.  Seat/wheel too high/hunched forward to see small screen - my back was not happy/low frame rate/missing sound at times - and that's without the poor driving!

Probably a small blessing that the WiFi dropped out as soon as it did!   However,  I was hoping to reach the flag.  Otherwise 6th may have been there for the taking - but all the disco'd chaps could say the same of course.

Still, managed to get some bonus points for the team.  Hopefully come the end of the season,  this will be one of the results to be dropped.

</ramble>

Of course, I was hardly there & who am I as a newbie to comment anyway,  but congrats to Mr FastBlood up the sharp-end;  even though that is the competition


Cheers,
Dave.

[Nigel Smith]

Grats to all the finishers, afraid I wussed out after discovering my setup disaster. Although I did stay on the server to watch.
What a smooth, pacey drive from Rob, we have to assign him a boat for the season ( something with an anchor at least).
And mucho congratulations to my new team-mate SGwaza. Prophetic quote from PRO thread on the 21st:
                 It might find a new life in the Novices...
NEXT time mate:)

[BadBlood]

Looking forward to it Mr Smith. Practising Rouen already and I am running in the 2:07's with the odd 2:06 and the occasional 2:12/2:14 and one 2:42 

[ed76]

sorry ,
I'm wrong, I hit the car in front of me, I was not focused, I made a mistake by converting time (London -> Paris), I thought to do a training race, just before the  "official" race .

[Johnny.P]

I would like to give praise to Dave Curtis who in the face of adversity and many random obstacles including tables and ropey wifi still managed a few laps which I'm sure is well admired by all here-- Dave I salute you 

[Johnny.P]

I have done some laps at Rouen and had it in my mind that badbloods post said " I've got a 2.01".... now when my times settled down I could see 2.08 but thankfully I thought wrong and am not so far off the mark. I've had under 2 mins here in the 67's some time ago but at present my best in the 65's is 2.05.81 but I'm getting to know the script- qualify ok, blow engine, coast to finish 

[BadBlood]

Lol Jonny - wish I'd said 2:18 now and you could have been pleased with a 2:15 

[happyal]

Rouen is a track that I quite like, but I've always been so slow there. My best pratice times at the moment are 2:08's, but normally in the 2:09 range.

I need to get faster quickly, so anyone got any tips?

[EvilClive]

psssst!!!   join the waza's, it worked for Paul :shifty:l