UKGTL Season 18 Le Mans Cup Series (Late 60s) - Targa Florio - Jun 25

[SpecialKS]

"Chapeau", Erling - outstanding performance!

[EvilClive]

      Grats to Erling on his commitment and well deserved win. Also to anyone who survived for anything like 50% of the distance

We have had Targa in GPL for a few years and to be quite honest, it has never really grabbed my attention. I am happy enough to give it a go whenever it appears as an event, but to commit to 5 months of practice like Erling? ................ it does not exactly grab my attention. 

I did wonder at one time if it would be possible to record some voice notes and play them as rally style pace notes, but I could not work out a way of matching the notes to my speed ( assuming that my pace would gradually improve ) Even then, I suspect that the potential for a screw up still exists 

[phspok]

My 1st attempt ever was practice, and every time someone joined I got kicked off.
Eventually stayed in, and did maybe half a lap. So the race was my 1st proper attempt at a full lap
managed to follow Geoffers for a while surprisingly, I think it's easy to follow someone here
and brake when they do etc. He went up a banking, and I nipped past, then he had a more serious
off somewhere, and I had to try to keep Tony behind. Saw no other cars after that, and went a lot
further than I had ever been, and then found another town to drive through, had bent the steering
slightly bumping off fences, and went a bit wide into a wall and 0% health meant
a retirement. Probably would have enjoyed it more with some practice, but then, like Erling I might
have tried to get a good time, instead of just getting round  

Oh, and I believe I was 3rd

[Geoffers]

Having raced this before at our NG event about 18 months ago (can't remember who won, can you Dom?), I thought I would be able to remember a lot of the track. However when I tried some practice laps last week I could not even remember the first few corners so it was like starting all over again. Coupled with the fact that I had driven a Lotus Elite in the NG race & now was in a much faster 907, I never managed to complete a lap until I went on the server early last night & then succeeded in getting round.

As I was first on the server I thought that would probably put me on pole, which I didn't want, so quit out & rejoined. But on rejoining I found nothing in the game worked  . Could not load setup or drive the car or watch anyone else driving, tried a couple more times with the same result. As a last resort I deleted the track 'HAT' file before trying again & heypresto it worked.

At race start I found myself 2nd on the grid, so still at the front! Got a good start as pole man Tony didn't appear to move & led through the first few turns with Erling close behind. Soon got the corners confused & made a mistake which nearly took Erling out so pulled over at the next sharp bend & let him past. Now had Matt behind & with his self- confessed lack of any laps I expected to pull away, but to his credit he stayed close & when I made another mistake he went past. Unlike Matt I found it more difficult to follow another car as I could not clearly see the road signs & chevrons. It didn't take long for me to overdo a corner & hit one of those stone posts which killed the car.

Congrats to Erling, just reward for all that dedicated practice, & well done to Tony & Matt for getting so far round this difficult track. 

Bad luck to Dom  , hope you will continue racing with us on Mondays.

I'm away again for the next two weeks (Le Mans Classic), so see you all again at Crystal Palace on the 16th. 

[SpecialKS]

I'm away again for the next two weeks (Le Mans Classic), so see you all again at Crystal Palace on the 16th. 

Lucky guy. Have fun mate!

[Wiltshire Tony]

Typical! I get pole position on the one track where I needed to be last (so I could follow someone).

Actualy quite enjoyed poodling around in the Ford, lovely engine note even in the lower gears.

But I forgot to load my setup before the race so ran out of fuel before the finish but I did manage to almost complete the lap.

Well done Erling on finishing (1st) but really mate, no track is worth damaging your body for 

Sorry so few managed to see the chequered flag.

[Erling G-P]

Thanks guys, and lol Dominick - alien or not, I would have thought knowing the track well would be enough of an advantage.  I've gotten to know the first part quite well  , but many sections later in the track are still 'feel your way forward'.  If only I could remember where you can let loose, and where you can't, I'm sure there would be more time to gain.

Tony, injury wasn't deliberate, but once you realize it, the damage's done.