Endurance Championship - Season 2, Round 5, Donington - Mar 19

[Simon Gymer]

Endurance Championship - Season 2, Round 5 at Donington Park

Date: Sunday 19th March

Practice 1: 8:00pm (30 mins)
Qual 2: 8:30pm (30 mins)
Warmup: 9:00pm (2 mins)
Race: 9:02pm (80 mins)

Cars allowed: those classed as GT or NGT, according to each driver's registered class. A list of which cars are in which class can be found here. Seat Toledo, Lotus Elise, BMW Z3M and Porsche GT3 Cup are not permitted.
Weather: Will be decided just before the race based on real-world weather.

Server: UKGTR Endurance S2
Password: Will be emailed to those that need it.

Notes:
(1) Please try to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to qualifying, during Practice 1.
(2) Reserve drivers should wait till 5 minutes before end of Practice 1 before joining (8:25pm) so that they only take up genuine free spots.
(3) See UKGTR Season 2 Info for general Endurance Season 2 info.
(4) Please make sure you are fully aware of the UKGTR Rules
(5) Season will be run using a UKGTR carpack which will need to be installed prior to racing. Details of this pack can be found elsewhere.

[popabawa]

I won't be here for this one

Have a great race guys

[Jakob_Schmidt]

While work has been keeping me away, I am now undergoing physio for an old shoulder injury which makes me unable to spend any sustained periods of time with the the steering wheel, so I will have to withdraw (go to reserve status) for the remainder of  this season

Jakob

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

While work has been keeping me away, I am now undergoing physio for an old shoulder injury which makes me unable to spend any sustained periods of time with the the steering wheel, so I will have to withdraw (go to reserve status) for the remainder of  this season

Bummer.

[whitham69]

I wont be there tonight i have a msvc71.dll missing on my comp and it keeps crashing

[ginsters sponsored]

Great race. Ruined by fecking game  .

For no reason whatsever, in pits the game decided TV cam would be good a good idea and I was twatted. Sorry Whits, I was all over the place in pits and should have quit sooner, but I didn't know wtf was going on. Might have something to do with Gerald's aggro in pits, someone was already in his box and I was right behind them  .

I need to lie down.

[Mark J]

What a race !!...fantastic, think i might have sweated my cold out by the end

Qualied 5th NGT with a PB of 1:33.7 right behind mr Ginsters. Race start was excellent with the top 5-6 NGTS nose to tail for about the first 5-10 minutes. Then i picked off SBG when he ran a little wide at turn 1 and stuck close to Truetom and Dan and shark. Gradually they each made a mistake and i soon found myself in the giddy heights of 1st place NGT I then had the privilege of leading the class for something like 20-25 minutes until i pitted at 42 minute mark.
I'd had real trouble getting temp into my front meds so changed them for softs for second stint and they were great, wish i'd used them in first stint now .
Came out pits and rounded the lap only to find Shark and Dan in front of me and presumed they hadnt yet pitted so kept a steady quick pace trying to save my tyres and wait for them to pit....it never happened :'( Thought they must have been on a one stop so set about closing them down. I eventually caught Dan with a several minutes to go, despite losing time letting lapping GT cars through (who were great and patient by the way! )
With a few laps to go i closed to within a second of Dan and we had an awesome last few laps but on the very last lap , i gave it a little too much welly and lost the back end, thereby ending a classic photo finish with our two Porsches.

Fantastic racing    Well Done to Claus and Shark on their class wins.

I'm well pleased with a podium NGT finish considering the cack state i'm in

[JonM_uk]

First race back was a bit rusty..Well, more like rusty bullet hole  Had a nice enough time but cocked up me pitstop. I put 100l in but decided to pit after I spun at halfway point, not thinking about that mighty 30L I'd order before the race, I forgot to change it in the pits so was left short and had to pit again Didn't cost me anything in the end because I powered past Nakano on the home straight to finish 5th   Unlucky dude. to run out of fuel with 70m left must be a reet bugger Grats to claus and Truetom on their fine victories....AWKKK! Opps, I mean shark on his fine victory

[maverick]

I just want to say I'm sorry to the too drivers I bump in to, I really don't no what append in the last laps.
 I just don't seem to be able to stop the car from spinning.
 I was driving the same Way i drove the all race and soddenly e just start spinning at,almost, all curves-
 Well, I'm really sorry7 to the ones involved

[Minton]

Great race, beggining of the race was class with Jonzo, Shark , truetom, Ginsters and myself . Made a couple of silly mistakes as the tryes went off a little, Big sorry to Gerald for hitting you at goddards wasn't intentiona mate.  Managed to get past Jonzo on the pitstop ( i think)  but couldnt stay with Shark who was to consinstant after his pitstop.
Jonzo caught me up towards the end and got a tow down the back straight on the last but i managed to hold him off to get second in class. Really enjoyed that Mark but dont do it again 
Grats to Claus and Shark on their wins.

[Simon Gymer]

Great race!

Went for my usual pit stop strategy of filling it full to the brim and stopping with about 30 minutes left.  Full fuel load meant the car was really hard work for the first 50 minutes though.

First lap was interesting, argy bargy ahead of me and I nipped through into the lead. Pulled out a few seconds and then drove smooth. Unfortunately this meant not particularly quick as Dan soon caught me in his 996. Some way in and I made my first big error of the season and lock up my rear spinning into the slow chicane. This let most of my fellow competitors through.

Rejoined behind SBG and pushed him hard, but there was no way by. Be interested to hear what wing setting SBG was using cause the 996 just power easily away down the straights, even in the slipstream the F360 couldn't hang on. It meant I had no chance under braking however as I'd lose ground under braking.

After quite a few laps SBG unfortunately came across Dan's spun 996 into Melbourne loop? and had no chance to avoid. This let me nip back through past them with Mark Jonzo having taken the lead.

Dan sat behind me a couple seconds back for the next part as I ummed and arrred about doing a no stopper, but eventually deciding no it was stupid the tyres felt like crap after driving on full fuel for so long. Saw Mark pit around 40mins and I went for another 10 minutes before stopping at 30 mins. Dan still hadn't come in and I was worried he had been brave enough to do a no stopper. Thankfully not as he pitted even later.

My car was totally different after the stop, with a  much lighter fuel load and new tyres the car gripped and gave me so much more confidence. Was really putting in the lap times. Might make me change my strategy next week as the car was so much better on half a tank of fuel, but you do save time not refueling in the pits, just getting tyres.

I find Donington really challenging, it has a really hard set of corners of all varieties. Was really pushed to my limit that race. Good stuff and great racing.

Being lapped was quite scarey it has to be said. So many times the GT cars would somehow catch you on the most awkward parts of the circuits. Going down craner curves and then up the hill out of the old hairpin is not easy to be lapped there. Going off line you're scared of catching the marbles and it's so tight trying to let someone by. It's easy to run a bit wide or whatever through that section and that can be mistaken for "go through now" when it isn't. Very good driving though from the GT cars though, thanks for the patience.

[picnic]

Replay and provisional results are available  

I think that was the longest race I've ever done online. My arse has gone to sleep as has my left foot. Think I'll find a cushion for my foot for next race

I actually really enjoyed that. I've been finding motivation a bit of a problem recently but I felt like a race tonight and this was the only option Joined qual with about 15 mins to go so did the session with the race setup so as to get in the grove a bit. The last NGT sprint race I did, Monza for those with short memories  , I never had anyone to race after about 5 laps. Here I was dicing with peopl for almost the first hour, mainly Maverick but with several others too. Finally managed to stay infront with about 20 to go and once Maverick had had an off it was settle down and not mess up. Had 2 full spins and one half spin. If anyone wondered why I was pitting after 20 misn it was cos I ended up in the pits having half spun in the last hairpin

Good etiqutte by everyone who lapped me, most multiple times

[Truetom]

Eh, all that was good was my quali time! 

Had a (don't know the exact word, but it should mean neither good neither bad - you can fill it up) with BMWZRoadstar or something like that (sorry, can't remember all the letters). Was scared of Shark behind me and wanted to make a mess for him by overtaking a GT. Well, I made a mess for me as I came out behind Dan Minton.  Could follow him and Shark easily until I made it too much on the marble. Didn't crash but let two others through, SBG and ?. Struggled (too much), locked the brakes in the exactly wrong moment and BMWZR... hit me in the rear (not his fault) and off I went. Somehow others in front made some mistakes/pitted and for some laps I was 1st NGT, had about 20 sec lead and it was about 25 min to the end. I knew I had the only chance if I didn't pit. I had enough fuel, tyres were holding, well, not so well, but if I lost less than 1 sec per lap I could win NGT. I was doing fine until GT guys came by - the most time I was loosing was 'cause I was letting them through!   

Lead came to 10 sec with 20 minutes to, so I gave up on it and decided to take soft tyres and could make quick times to the end and make the most of it. I pitted and as I don't normaly pit at all I got confused and pressed enter insted of appropriate buttons. So, the crew obeyed and put another set of mediums front/rear, repaired the damage and put another 95 litres of fuel ...  Only He knows how much time I lost in the pits. 

Equipped for another 80 minutes I went to race remaining less than 20 minutes and came the end full of fuel and almost untuched tyres.  Well done, crew and TT, really smart move! 

I guess it could have been much better if I didn't push so hard. Everybody in front of me made at least one mistake, so... 

Doesn't matter, it's so much beauty to look all the lovely team skins.

Congrats to winners, finishers and to those who made the most mistakes (I think I can win at least this one) 

Nice to see you back, Jon.     

[Rich_A]

Was bit tired for this race after practicing prevous night.. wheel was hard work, specially having to go one handed for my Frex sequential.

An ok start but then about 20 mins in I nailed it out of Esses in lowish rpm 2nd. Let go way after exit after car had already settled. Must be tiny bump and lot of torque combo. That meant 5th, then 4th after you had a spin too Jon. Then pitted, realized I meant to do long stint first to save fuel!! Exited in 6th but then finished 4th. Not bad, almost got lapped by you CJ. Very good pace, 26.8 in race. Very technical track Donington and takes a while to learn but I did pick up couple of things for sure. Lister was all over my F550 under brakes but I could get strong exit most of time .. good balance on exit from F550.

Great driving by everyone from what I saw, great fun.  

[D Boyd]

good race, was not expecting much, as I grabbed the barc setup and did a total of about 5 laps before ducking in at 25 min into P1 like a good little reserve driver. I hadnt driven anything since last weekend but was able to settle in nice and just tick away the laps. Traffic was pretty good for most part, got tied up some but nothing too terribles and everyone was pertty predictable. A lot of guys got out of the way at a good place and thanks for those that did that. The short straights at donni make it hard to get by intime under power so any help is gratfull. got pretty boring otherwise, CJ just drove off and I was able to get a slight but steady gap to Krue. Had a bit of a scare in pit as I hit ign instead of limiter and was sure I had exceeded speed limit but somehow didnt get a stop and go, that saved my 2nd place for sure.
Anyway good fun, nice to be able to just jump in with minimal practice and have a nearly flawless race