I should start on the back row more often!
Grats to Iestyn on a fine win and in the P115, no less. A sterling drive.
Axel a fine P2 in the Ferrari.
Robert a splendid run in the Cooper for a podium placing. Good show, RF.
So sad to see that the fine efforts of both Pele and Tris were rewarded with discos. Bugger!
I had no end of troubles joining the server. My recently renewed Norton AV software has been revised with upgraded GUI. And it's proving a joke trying to communicate with it. It keeps prompting me for clearance to assorted programmes including GPL and all its mods and thingies but no matter how many times I give permission to run, the blankety-blank blank AV software keeps pestering me for approval. Grrr... I did finally manage to join and cut a lap to qualify. I stepped away from the computer for a few minutes and came back to suddenly realize that I was locked up. A quick dash over to the Task Manager got GPL killed off and in my attempts to rejoin, faced the same silly permission nonsense. I finally managed to join just as the clock timed out. I'd lost my grid slot and was placed on the back row with no time credited. At least I got a start. PHEW!
The opening laps went well and it was keen to see such a full start field. Almost immediately, some runners were having grief and soon, I found myself well up the field and on Phil's tail. PT was driving very well and wringing good performance out of the Ferrari. I had little chance to size him up for a pass but as he so accurately details above, a slight miscue in the Russel chicane cost him speed on the pit straight and to top it off, a fluffed up-change. I had no chance to avoid clipping his RR tyre which sent poor Phil into a series of spectacular barrel rolls and a retirement. Ronnie got caught up in the shunt and it forced his retirement, too. Sorry, gys. I actually heard the missed shift as I veered away to the right and I couldn't help but recall that PT and I came to grief off the grid at the recent Monza 69X race. Deja vu all over again.
The net result of this was a P11 placing in the field but I was under a terrific threat from Tim in his Cooper. Earlier, he'd had an off and rejoined just behind me and now was making up for lost time. For the balance of the race, we had at it in a splendid duel for position. I have little doubt that TM was significantly faster but he just couldn't quite pull off the pass. Several times, we were level-pegging and I only just managed to prevail by a whisker. Tim and I have a bit of a history...GP65's at Monaco...that didn't end too well so I was very conscious of having him challenging from close astern but as it turned out, everything shook out just fine with contact. Great driving there, Tim, and it was a real hoot!
I should mention, too, that at about the 10 lap point, my eyeballs were fogging over rather badly c/w some stinging pain and I seriously considered pulling up with a DNF. The experience was like having some sand thrown in your face. Not pleasant.
As the finish loomed, I suddenly had Clive in my sights he in the infamous Wazamobile. He'd had an off and dropped back to me. I chased hard with hopes of two goals. Passing CG and staying out of TM's clutches. In the first, I failed. In the second, I succeeded if only just.
Poor Deaner...
The hard-luck man of the race. If your Repco could only have lasted a couple of hundred more metres...
Hope that Joe enjoyed the show. Off to Brands!
