UKGPL Season 23 (2012) Privateers Trophy (67) - Snetterton - Sep 16

[Billy Nobrakes]

What a bizzare race.
Had very little opportunity to practice, but learned the track for a mid-season F2 race. Biggest problem was that I could not find any reference point to brake at the end of the Home Straight (after hairpin) every lap was a guess & I either braked too early or needed the assistance of the banking to stop. If I could work that out then a 1.27 lap would have been possible.
When the Race started NO GREEN BUTTON - the whole field moved off leaving me to press random buttons - then suddenly I'm in the pit lane, half a lap down. The track having been my worst enemy started to become my best friend as it wiped out the opposition car by car. From 17th to 5th - by survival. If had a few spins - several at the end of the Home straight - but nothing that damaged the car or needed a shift R.
Congrats to team mates David (Rainier) for first place & Dave C - as far as I could work out you should have had 3rd spot until the last lap. Also to Phil & Andreas - fellow survivors of Snetteron - & they did it in rather more style than me.

[Phil Thornton]

No Phil, it was not my Brab ...because I drove the Cooper here  

that means you used even less tokens 

It is pretty tight in the championship after this race.  Although I'm still leading by 2 points, you have a better set of results which will make a difference at the end of the season when we have to drop our two worst scores.  There are at least 7 or 8 drivers capable of winning races and taking podiums so your consistent scoring will make a difference later on when wins and podiums might be harder to get.

[dave curtis]

Contrary to what I believed,  not been here in the 67F1s until now - which means I'm particularly grateful to the F2 fun sessions earlier in the year; which was the reason the track was downloaded in the first place!

As per usual;  with that hairpin  - looked very much like Mosport to me

I was enjoying that but then the famous Lotus fragility got me.

Yeah - same here;  although it was the famous Honda fragility that did for that potential 3rd place
Oh, ok - so maybe it was me then!   After the 1st engine popped & I stopped just in time to get the spare car out for the last lap - which then blew in sympathy 1/2 a lap later.  Luckily doesn't look as if that affected the final result anyway.  Still - would have been good to have seen the chequered flag.


Once most of the field had dropped out, it was fairly lonesome running out there.  Admittedly all places gained were just inherited.  Still,  highlight of the time out there is getting over the line on the 10th lap in 2nd place!  But that was never going to last long &  Phil was soon past & off up the road like a scalded cat.

Then it seemed like a fairly solid 3rd may well be on the cards,  as long as long as I could take it easy & Andreas a little way behind did the same.  However he always seemed to be there somewhere.  For a while,  I wouldn't say that I was edging ahead - maybe that he was edging further behind;  but he was still looming there!

In the end I guess I still managed to overcook that Honda so subsequently the place was gone.  I'd say lucky to get out with a potential 4th in the end.

Congrats podium (nice haul of points there David!)  & also congrats to Mr Nobrakes in leading the 'positions gained' table!

Cheers,
Dave.

[dave curtis]

Oh yes;  & since I was last here in the F2 funsters - it seems someone has moved all the braking points around!
Also seems to be more run off areas now

[Geoff65]

Some comeback that turned out to be, and on my Birthday as well...(UK time that is). It's good to be back, I must say.
Anyway, qually was average, set my fastest lap on lap 7 and was unable to improve on it throughout the remainder of qualifying. Was holding 2nd at one point but others came from behind and picked me off, leaving me a battered and bruised (not really) 6th.
Got a good, safe start in the race cruising round in about my grid slot and waiting for the Brab to acquire some useful heat in the tyres. Drivers up ahead started dropping out, first Axel...didn't have a clue what happened to him, then Fabio spun at T1 and on a following lap Phil emulated that feat. Next I find I'm in 2nd with Dave Rainier holding point. I seemed to be able to reel Dave in a little at a time each lap, without any heroics....just hitting apexes and braking markers on cue. The car was handling quite sweetly, until it got a little squirrely on the brakes into the hairpin...stepping left, putting a wheel on the grass and sending me around.....and around. Lodged the car IN the haybales on the inside of the hairpin, sticking it fast.

And I just remembered that we have one (1) reset.....DOH!. Instead I hit ESC....Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!    
See, told ya I was out of practice!
Congrats on a fine win David, catching you was sort of easy, I think getting by you would have been another story altogether!. Also to the other podium and race finishers.
Geoff..

[BadBlood]

There are at least 7 or 8 drivers capable of winning races and taking podiums...

Am I in 9th then?

[bernie]

Looks like I owe a big sorry to Axel for ruining your race lap 1 hairpin 

[maddog]

I've been blighted by a poor connection lately, and didn't expect to survive the entire race.  This meant a poor grid spot was no great disappointment, but being sat rearward did create a bigger calamity alert.

The race start was a tight run affair - the skill level in Privateers continues to climb.  It wasn't until the hairpin that calamity broke loose, under braking.  A car had stopped on the inside apex, so I went and collected a haybale with my nose, and slewed to a stop.  This selfless action, created a partial barrier to the cars behind, to warn them, to use the outside lane.  Umm . . .  or something like that!

Recovering last, I decided to act as road sweeper, and pick up any scattered debris that might be lying around.  This worked well, and I was able to collect 2 separate amounts with wheels still attached!  Making for the pits, to dispose of the excess bodywork.

With my race virtually run, I managed a scrap with Billy, who is getting much too fast nowadays.  Then managed to get seriously in Fabio's way, as my balding tyres reached meltdown, and called it a day . . . amongst other things!    

[Cookie]

Yes, this was a weird evening...

After lots of CanAm testing the last 2 days (wich was a big fun!) and after making a Braby setup,
I was a little tired in the afternoon and wanted to make a little nap...

Somehow I awoke and looked at the clock   it was just in time to join the server for the quali...
But my circulation and eyes were still in sleeping mode...

Somehow I managed to do a good lap and was surprised to have done a PB.

The race start I messed up, as my car spun a little to the left  and I hope to have not made a bad rejoin

Following the leading pack in about 5th place I carefully braked for the hairpin and took the inner line to avoid any carnage...
But Bernie spun in front and just touched my car, what made me spin too.
(np Bernie, such things happen with these beasts on cold tyres!)

I hit the ESC button to not cause more carnage.

TBH I am able to do some hot laps with the 67s, but I am far away from doing it save for a whole race...
I have the feeling its way more difficult  to do close racing with them than with any other mod.

[bernie]

The annoying thing is I had tried the thing with full race fuel and did a brake test into that hairpin to check it out , but comes the race maybe my speed was a little higher with the tow from the guys in front, what ever it got away from me and I spun to a standstill probably causing a road block for the rest of you guys 

In the end I got disco'd on lap 5 , not the only disco I see wonder if there was a server problem ? although my own connection went pants the red bars were dancing around like craazy here 
Maya culpa , no doubt the mods will sort things out 

[maddog]

Personally, I think it was an oil leak Bernie.  I certainly wouldn't have spun, but for that.

[bernie]

Used the oil leak scenario before , might just fall on deaf ears this time 

 Sure I saw someone in front toss a banana skin away though 

[BadBlood]

Maya culpa , no doubt the mods will sort things out 

Naughty!  but definitely Youa Culpa but luckily penalties aren't Latin.

[francesco]

Excluding the incident with Gebhart when i was in third position, my problem is always the engine.
2 engine per race is the standard.

[maddog]

Francesco - I think some day you can win by a metre, if you do not loose by the foot.