UKGPL Season 26 (2014) Professionals Trophy (65) - Syracuse - May 13

[Robert Fleurke]

A new pole again - but very close and exciting – got me hard done, didn‘t find my rhythm to make a 42 time . After all it was a nice battle – THX to you Robert!
So i was looking forward to continue this fight in the race.  
Robert to the lead with a better start and i followed in safety distance, everything fine ...
BUT then out of the blue, already in the 5th lap my engine explored on the long straight.
i'm frustrated of losing this race so early an this way again after Laguna.
GRATS to all survivors, especially Robert, Axel and Clive
cu at Brno

Sorry to see you retire Uli, you prolly would have pushed me all along. I made sure to prevent the engine temps to go above 110. Always setup the car for that, and drive certain turns in higher gear to manage the engine. Not good for laptime though.

Not to say you overrevved or had high engine temps, sometimes it just blows at random it seems. Tough luck Uli...but to me you are still the fastest driver and favorite for the title

Wished Tristan raced again as well.

[Rainier]

GRATS to all survivors, especially Robert, Axel and Clive

Not to me  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(     

[EvilClive]

Yes, well done David anyone who finishes a race around Syracuse is a champion.

It was quite obvious to me that I was never going to have the pace to trouble Robert, Uli and Axel for quali as I had no real race setup.

Past experience of races around here has taught me that survival is more important than one or two blistering laps. So even though I benefitted from the tangled machinery at the start I was quite happy to allow Axel to re-take the place as soon as he caught me.
The rest of the race was a lonely affair. Arfx3 threatened to close the gap for a while, but he came to grief and I was left to pick up places as one or two dropped out ahead. Once I was up to 3rd place, I was only going to get better if someone ahead dropped out, gradually all those cars behind ( except David) dropped out, so I just maintained a steady pace around 1:45-1:46, until the last lap when I tossed caution to the wind and tried a quick lap netting a 1:44. But I was never going to maintain that pace for a whole race, so 3rd was as good as I could expect.

Grats to Robert who controlled the race from flag to flag, to Axel who was close enough to benefit if Robert made a mistake and David who scored points by making sure he got to the flag 

[Arf Arf Arf]

er....Arf closed the gap many times...and you pulled away from me many times! I couldn't work out what was going on just ahead of me Clive - one minute I couldn't keep up, the next I was hauling you in. My preoccupation with trying to work out what was going on caused my crash - not your fault of course. When I came round the tight left hander I thought you were slowing ahead, as if maybe your engine had gone. Instead of focussing on the entry to one of the trickier corners I was planning what I'd do when I had to pass your broken down car....or something...clearly I was not thinking about the right things, and lost a wheel as a result..

Ronnie, thanks for the PM.

Arf

[uli]

GRATS to all survivors, especially Robert, Axel and Clive

Not to me  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(      

… SRY and of course especially to you RAINER – well done – just do it again!

[Turkey Machine]

How the hell were you lot doing 43s and 44s, and there's us normal people not able to faster than 47s or 48s!

[Robert Fleurke]

How the hell were you lot doing 43s and 44s, and there's us normal people not able to faster than 47s or 48s!

For me it was pumping up the tires to 25psi. Sacrificed handling and cornerspeed in order to have "superior" straightline speed...same like at Spa (but there even 26psi)...

[EvilClive]

If you close your eyes at the scary places and just keep your right foot on the floor, it is amazing how fast......................................................your race comes to an end 

Strange that Robert went for outright speed, whereas I was trying to find a very stable setup for the fast corners i.e. something that I knew would not snap into sudden oversteer or suffer suicidal understter when I applied the power. I think the  6 speed box on the BRM ( and possibly on the fezza too) allowed the gear ratios to be set just right for selected corners. It still took me most of the race to gain the confidence to "not lift" through some of the faster bends and I only risked a true 100% effort on the very final lap.

I think the perception that I was slowing and then speeding up Arf, was because I was still feeling my way through the setup and I know I made countless small errors in the early laps. On any other track I might have snapped on some extra lock and hung the tail out to get around a corner...but definitely not here! So there were occasions when I simply dropped the anchors and concentrated on missing the walls or hay bales even if I almost stopped. There were a couple of hairy moments when the front wheel vanished from sight in those hay bales and I just about wrenched it free.  In the 2nd half of the race I was just settled into a nice easy pace waiting for those ahead to make a big mistake...........they didn't!! 

[Turkey Machine]

Yes this is my fault!
There is no official "loose grid" track.ini for this track, I had edited it last year and did not think about it...

BUT
We are driving PRO Series with well experienced drivers!!! 

By my count, that was 5 drivers caught up in that out of 12 starters. Well and truly a case of last idiot standing, especially after lap 10 when by then 2 or 3 more dropped off!

I feel a self-flagellation for my jink right that collected Doni and sent his race skyward. Sorry about that one!

[uli]

A new pole again - but very close and exciting – got me hard done, didn‘t find my rhythm to make a 42 time . After all it was a nice battle – THX to you Robert!
So i was looking forward to continue this fight in the race.  
Robert to the lead with a better start and i followed in safety distance, everything fine ...
BUT then out of the blue, already in the 5th lap my engine explored on the long straight.
i'm frustrated of losing this race so early an this way again after Laguna.
GRATS to all survivors, especially Robert, Axel and Clive
cu at Brno

Sorry to see you retire Uli, you prolly would have pushed me all along. I made sure to prevent the engine temps to go above 110. Always setup the car for that, and drive certain turns in higher gear to manage the engine. Not good for laptime though.

Not to say you overrevved or had high engine temps, sometimes it just blows at random it seems. Tough luck Uli...but to me you are still the fastest driver and favorite for the title

Wished Tristan raced again as well.

Hi Robert,
thank you for the flowers (hope my word by word translation is ok)
thanks for making me the favorite driver very gentle but with 32 points ahead it‘s you who is the favorite now!
I only had a theoretical chance but as long as i had this i will take her
Even after 2 days I'm still frustrated for missing a fine race/fight with you and Axel, like we had in spa or monza
not for loosing the championchip
to get a champion you need speed and constance but
most of all we need luck and that is what I missed a bit – that's racing …
GRATS again to your fine victory!!!
and GRATS to the other 3 finishers!
looking forward to Brno – kind of circuit I like
uli

[Robert Fleurke]

A new pole again - but very close and exciting – got me hard done, didn‘t find my rhythm to make a 42 time . After all it was a nice battle – THX to you Robert!
So i was looking forward to continue this fight in the race.  
Robert to the lead with a better start and i followed in safety distance, everything fine ...
BUT then out of the blue, already in the 5th lap my engine explored on the long straight.
i'm frustrated of losing this race so early an this way again after Laguna.
GRATS to all survivors, especially Robert, Axel and Clive
cu at Brno

Sorry to see you retire Uli, you prolly would have pushed me all along. I made sure to prevent the engine temps to go above 110. Always setup the car for that, and drive certain turns in higher gear to manage the engine. Not good for laptime though.

Not to say you overrevved or had high engine temps, sometimes it just blows at random it seems. Tough luck Uli...but to me you are still the fastest driver and favorite for the title

Wished Tristan raced again as well.

Hi Robert,
thank you for the flowers (hope my word by word translation is ok)
thanks for making me the favorite driver very gentle but with 32 points ahead it‘s you who is the favorite now!
I only had a theoretical chance but as long as i had this i will take her
Even after 2 days I'm still frustrated for missing a fine race/fight with you and Axel, like we had in spa or monza
not for loosing the championchip
to get a champion you need speed and constance but
most of all we need luck and that is what I missed a bit – that's racing …
GRATS again to your fine victory!!!
and GRATS to the other 3 finishers!
looking forward to Brno – kind of circuit I like
uli

Code:

The final championship positions will be determined after each driver has discarded their worst two results.

Uli, this means you virtually lead the championship, and have things in your own hands

Uli 255 (-0 -0)
Rob 249 (-19 -18)
Tris 242 (-0 -0)
Axel 222 (-0 -23)

[uli]

ups – that changes the title fight situation, didn't know this rule ,
pardon me and THX for your kindly mutivation – now it's really up to me.
such a rule is what i missed all over the years when I race with the GPL-Racers – there, with about 20 or more races per season it makes really, even more sense – fine, that we have it here in the UK GPL League!
hm – but then I still have to practice much more, what a hassle
… and most important is a serious talk with my mechanics!
looking forward to a thrilling championchip final  
and all the best to you Robert, Tris and Axel!
uli

[Robert Fleurke]

You're welcome Uli Also a heads up as it's Brno 49 we race next week (not an other version)!

https://www.simracing.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=12131.0

[Ronniepeterson]

I know its a long time ago. But I feel fortunate to have escaped the moderators wrath on this one. Many apologies again to anyone who was affected at the start.

[BadBlood]

LOL - I haven't done Kya yet.... but you haven't got much to fear there either.

This was clearly your fault Ronnie but you moved left in response to another car. It was just all way too tight. Track geometry saved you.

I did also consider whether you should have been more cautious but then you would have got hit up the rear! Difficult one.