Having a great battle up front for a change when Tristan spun at T1 with about 4 laps to go. I tried to slow down but I clipped his car and I got flipped over. Tristan could continue, hopefully undamaged, but I was out. Really disappointed, I was reasonably competitive for a change and didn't deserve such bad luck
I was feeling quite comfortable with my potential pole position and then...blackness???
it took me a while to register that the server had crashed in qually, then I had to fire up the VROC chatroom ( Igor chat still not working for me!). Only to discover that everyone was about to leap back onto a rebooted server with just a few mins to re-qually.
By the time I had rejoined via IP I had time for only a single lap which dropped me to about 5th place on the grid. But I knew I was fast enough to live with the quick guys at the front and it was 38 laps, so plenty of time to try and improve.
The early laps presented me with an opportunity to gain a place or two and I was running in a queue of cars occupying the first 5 places.
A couple of mishaps and some brave ( maybe foolhardy?) braking squeezed me up to 2nd spot over the next few laps.
Phil and his 2.7 Brabham were going really well up front and my fears about the speed on the straight were confirmed as he stretched away on each lap and I had to work hard to make up the deficit through the twisty bits.
Once I got into his slipstream things got a little easier and I allowed him to tow me away from Ivan who was in 3rd spot. I think Ivan had an "off" and suddenly there was clear track behind so that I was able to concentrate on Phil. A few laps watching carefully where I made up ground and lost it gave me some worries.
I was definitely quicker through that long T1 onto the straight, but Phil simply outgunned me and cruised past again with the aid of the tow....I tried it a couple of times but could not make it stick.....rats!!!
plan "B" required!!
It was a great dice and it took a good few laps to spot another opportunity to attempt a pass. I had got myself into Phil's slipstream at the start of the straight, my 6th gear allowed me to stay with him and feint down the inside in the braking zone. Phil stayed slighty wide and his exit from T2 was slightly compromised. I saw my chance and took a tight line scrabbling for all the grip I good get to get alongside and claim the inside line for the first of the esses. I thought for a moment that the extra grunt that Phil had would get him there first, but I just made it and hugged the inside line for the first right hander and took a wide line on the left as I still could not see him in my mirrors. In fact it was not until we had gone through yet another corner that I glimpsed his car in the mirror and knew that I could take the racing line again!!!!
I risked everything through T1 just to try and get a safety margin for the straight where Phil's power might drag him past again. I just held on and pushed 100% over the next 3-4 laps just to get clear...jeez that was hard Phil!!
I could not relax as Phil and Tristan were having their own battle for 2nd-3rd that meant their pace was very quick, but somehow I crept further and further ahead until.................
At about 2/3rds distance I simply forgot how to drive the car, where the braking points were and which line I should take!! I was losing 2 secs a lap!!! Phil and Tris were closing fast!! I thought I might just have enough cushion to get to the flag until I ran straight off the track at the end of the straight and watched as Tristan and Phil swept past.
I am afraid that the red mist descended then and I drove my socks off to get back on Phil's tail, who had in turn closed up on Tristan. With 6 laps to go the end of the race looked like being VERY interesting. Could I get past Phil again, and how the heck was I going to work a pass on Tristan, and all in 6 laps!!!
Well... I have to say that I honestly felt sorry for Phil when he tangled with Tristan in T1
. It seems that Tris had run low on fuel and had slowed Phil was committed to the corner and could not avoid him...bad luck Phil.
I was able to ease off and pull a tight line to sweep past into the lead again. By the end of the next lap it was obvious that all I had to do was cruise to the flag as Tristan was crawling and there was no other threat unless I made a huge dumb mistake ( with my record that was not totally out of the question!!). But I was OK and thankful for a good slice of luck to take the top step of the podium.
Grats to the finishers and commiserations again to Phil who worked hard and got little reward.
