Re the problems with the rolling lap... I was about 5th or 6th on the grid and could see the leading cars and obviously a few of those behind me.
I tried to run a steady pace and gradually close up to within 2-4 car lengths, but I found that i was either closing too fast ( and had to slow early to avoid a possible rear ending!) or was being left behind as cars in front accelerated ( or appeared to accelerate out of the corner ahead
).
Axel did slow the whole field into the final corners and backed us all up, but by that time I noticed there was a long gap behind me. I suspect that although the car at the front is running an even pace, if someone mid pack wobbles in a corner on cold tyres, everyone behind has to back off and a gap develops. Now the pack is trying to run faster to catch up and finds itself closing quickly on the car in front and so we get a see-saw effect?
Also the problem is worst for those at the rear of the grid if you think about it. If during the rolling lap all cars run about 10 lengths apart, aiming to close up just before the final corner That is OK for the car in 2nd spot, he only has to close 5-6 car lengths. But, the car in 10th spot has 10x5 car lengths to make up without charging into the rear of the car in front at the last bend.
The answer would seem to be obvious, once all the cars are off the grid, the lead car should run a steady pace and the whole field should try and run smoothly at about 5 car lengths......probably easier said than done unfortunately.
Grats to the podium and all finishers, this is a tricky circuit.
As for my race and my exit from it.............................
I settled in on the first few laps riding shotgun for my team mate Doni as the tyres warmed up. I could see Hristo and Alex dicing ahead with Juha watching closely. A long way to go so I was content to cruise along behind Doni, until I spotted a red thing looming larger in my mirrors....FMG was on the move and closing.
I knew that I could run faster than Doni so I had to make a pass which I did up the hill out of the 1st hairpin, using the extra grunt of the Lola. Now free to open up and chase the leaders I set about Juha who kindly slid off and gave me the chance to slip through
.
Next was Hristo, who had been left behind a little by Axel in his 2F.
Slowly I reeled Hristo in, but I knew that passing him was going to prove more of a problem! I stalked him for a couple of laps watching where I might have a chance. The extra grunt of the Lola again gave me the chance on the back straight and the inside line into the final slow left handers. Then I had to put the hammer down to try and shake Hristo out of my slipstream.....never an easy task
I just managed to get a gap and then we caught some backmarkers which allowed H back onto my tail. Another lap and a small gap and then yet another small lift for a backmarker and Hristo was in my mirrors again. Things actually looked good for a podium finish I felt.
Axel was in front but he was not pulling away fast enough to make his pitstop and emerge in front after I made mine, Hristo was behind but seemed to be struggling a little to match my pace, The Lola felt good and I was able to keep tyres and oil temps down running at a quick pace. It was clear that the front runners were beginning to lap cars and that was costing time so I decided that this would be a good time to make my pitstop
" thought that this would be a good moment to make my pitstop"...................... hmmmm I might reconsider that assessment in the light of what happened
lol.
I had practiced the pitstop during qually and was confident that I could park neatly in my pitbox and complete my 88 second stop.
I had just poured a cup of tea and was dunking my Hobnob biscuit whilst admiring the view
when............Boff!!!! hot tea in lap!!!
and I dropped my biscuit!!!
The car shot forward about 20 metres and stopped. Then Al calmly cruised past and pulled up in his pit box?
What??!! was it Al who had clobbered me? Because I was using GPLWAIT I was still in F10 view and totally confused. So I half heartedly eased the car forward and stopped. Now that I was OUT of my pitbox, I probably had to inch down the pit lane or get disco'd. Surely Al had not hit me..not like him at all??!! But who else could it be???
Then....it all went black and I was disco'd...obviously I had not moved enough to satisfy the GPL pitstop god!!!
A few moments after I returned to chat, Al appeared also disco'd and denied any involvement in my boff up the rear! So, which dastardly sneaky coward had resorted to such under hand methods to remove Mrs Fujikawa's driver from a possible podium or race win???.
Mrs Fujikawa has despatched Kiki Nakawaka to discover the identity of this miscreant and administer some "corrective therapy". This correspondent is keeping an eye on the admissions to the A&E dept at the local hospital.
UPDATE>>>>>>> A confession has been extracted and the perpitrator will be very uncomfortable for the next 72hrs or until the swelling goes down!!
