UKGTL Season 18 1950s Endurance Racing - Solitude - Nov 21

[Erling G-P]

Having secured the Championship earlier, I had the luxury of not having to care about the result.  Thus could drive any car I liked, and decided I should run the beautifully modeled, great sounding, but agonizingly slow Gullwing at least once.  Was a nice drive and would like to use it in a more competitive role; maybe it's a good candidate for a single make/model? - there's lots of liveries available, so each driver could pick his own.

Goal was not to finish last, and with luck upstage a couple of faster cars.  Probably good I picked this car and not its big brother or the D-Type - in their respective cars, Ziu, Geoffers & Clive were each around 7 secs faster than me     Granted, I didn't practice too much with them, but can't conceive of a way to gain that much time.  Apologies Clive; I robbed you of a supreme opportunity to truly humiliate me.. 

Got an ok start and kept my place - even slipped in front of Tony when he was held up at T1. He went past at the first straight section, only to go bothanizing a few corners later, so I got back in front of him. Expected him to pass me on the straight, but we approached the braking area and he held back.  He didn't appear faster through all those S-bends, and only got past early on L2.  Shortly after, I spotted something resembling a miniature 2001 Monolith drifting across track.  As Tony mentioned, it was the bottom of Dan's upturned AC.  This was interesting for me - he was decidedly quicker, but if prone to going off, maybe I could hope to compete with him yet ?

Gap to the car behind was 9 secs and holding over the following laps, but didn't know who the chaser was.   Was on a super lap - 1.7 secs ahead at the first split, when I caught a slow and seemingly crippled Tony in the twisties.  He waved me through, but I still went off, losing time and lost the lap - never imagined I could be unhappy about gaining a place..    Tony went for an early pit and I didn't see him again.  Rest of race lonely except for a brush with Roger as he exited the pits.

Grats to an unstoppable Geoffers and the rest of the podium.  Loved both car and track, and wouldn't mind seeing both again 

[Wiltshire Tony]

I should run the beautifully modeled, great sounding, but agonizingly slow Gullwing at least once.  Was a nice drive and would like to use it in a more competitive role

Pleased to say it will feature in one of the Season 19 series  

[Erling G-P]

I should run the beautifully modeled, great sounding, but agonizingly slow Gullwing at least once.  Was a nice drive and would like to use it in a more competitive role

Pleased to say it will feature in one of the Season 19 series  

 

[Wiltshire Tony]

We are still slightly adrift from our quarterly target, so if you haven't contributed yet, please don't forget to do so 

[EvilClive]

Grats to Geoffers Ziu and Fulvio on making it a clean sweep on the podium for the Silver Arrows. I tried my best, but was just a little too slow to upset their party  .

There seems to be a pattern developing in my car choice...... Whenever I think I have selected the best car for a particular circuit and expect to racing against similar machinery, I seem to be on a grid where I stand out like the proverbial sore thumb!!!

Last night's race was a demonstration of my flawed thinking. In my head, I had somehow reasoned that the D-type was THE car for this track and I remembered that Erling had demonstrated how quickly it could be made to go. TBH I fully expected to see Erling in a D-type!!  

So I found myself on a grid surrounded by Mercs and wondering how I had got it so wrong   I knew that I should be able to get to 10 laps on a tankful of fuel, and the plan was ( there is always a plan, but it does not always work lol ) to go easy on the tyres and just stop for a couple of gallons of fuel to get to the finish.
The problem was that although Geoffers cleared off into the distance, Ziu and Fulvio stayed tantalisingly within reach for many laps and I was sucked into a battle that did not help my tyre wear  

Ziu stopped quite early and the Geoffers and Fulvio pitted, so I found myself in the lead at around lap 9. I guess that all the early slipstreaming had saved a little fuel and I was able to comfortably get to the start of lap 12 before I needed fuel. As I approached the pits I had a dilemma, the tyres had suffered more than I had anticipated, but they were not yet into the red zone.......change or not change???
A quick look at HUD decided that problem. I might just get out in 3rd if i did a quick, fuel only, stop. I was just trundling out of the pits when Fulvio swept past in 3rd spot... and it soon became clear that on my worn tyres I could not match his pace without risking a major off.
Of more immediate concern was Dominick, who was using the cloaking device fitted to his car to hide his position on HUD!!! On my display he was listed as 5th but DNF, so I was shocked to see a car in my mirrors as I left the pits!!! I had to run the D-type on a knjfe edge of grip  for a few lpas until I could no lomger see him behind and the last 2 laps I was able to concentrate on keeping an increasingly skittish Jag on the tarmac.
4th was far better than I expected when I saw the grid full of Mercs, but the bonus was completing a pitstop without any screw ups!!!! woohoo

[SpecialKS]

Result



Another mysterious event for me.  
According to the result it looks like I didn't start the race.
In fact from my side I had to leave the race in lap 6 or 7 after I crashed and destroyed the engine.
After lap one when in 9th place with Dan and Marco behind I was wondering why the chart showed 11th place for me
and during lap two both crashed into me during passing like they could not see me   Strange.
Have to check the replay.

Took the 300 SL as I never finished a race here and especially choose the "Steel" version due to the far better sounds than the lighter "Alloy" version.
As far as I remember at least I was able to set a new pb.  

[Dominick]

Yeh I noticed that I had won all three German races  I guarantee I won't win the finale at Le Mans, just cannot drive those big Massers, completely uncontrollable, I will be in a Fezza or Aston there I think. 

OOooh. I was thinking 'Aren't the Mazzas out?' but your remark made me check and then I saw the last race is free for all.  Oooohhh, Mazza is available.  <having a moment>

We are still slightly adrift from our quarterly target, so if you haven't contributed yet, please don't forget to do so 

I hope you don't mind small contributions. I'd love to do more but with the medical issues, hospital and pharmacy bills and all it just can't be done at the mo 

Of more immediate concern was Dominick, who was using the cloaking device fitted to his car to hide his position on HUD!!! On my display he was listed as 5th but DNF, so I was shocked to see a car in my mirrors as I left the pits!!! I had to run the D-type on a knjfe edge of grip  for a few lpas until I could no lomger see him behind and the last 2 laps I was able to concentrate on keeping an increasingly skittish Jag on the tarmac.

You must have telescopic around-the-bend mirrors. Whatever entity was in them, it wasn't me. I was miles behind, some 20 seconds. A shame really, if I had been on your tail with you having worn tyres, I'd definitely have gone for it. 

Another mysterious event for me.  
According to the result it looks like I didn't start the race.

I was just watching the server replay and had a look. Indeed, your car is just standing around on the starting grid, idling 
By the way, thanks for those results you always post. I've always loved those.

[Erling G-P]

Result



Another mysterious event for me.  
According to the result it looks like I didn't start the race.
In fact from my side I had to leave the race in lap 6 or 7 after I crashed and destroyed the engine.
After lap one when in 9th place with Dan and Marco behind I was wondering why the chart showed 11th place for me
and during lap two both crashed into me during passing like they could not see me   Strange.
Have to check the replay.

Took the 300 SL as I never finished a race here and especially choose the "Steel" version due to the far better sound than the lighter "Alloy" version.
As far as I remember at least I was able to set a new pb.  

It is really weird Kurt.  I saw the message that you left well into the race, while my replay shows you never leaving the start line, like Dom said about the server replay too.  Didn't see your stationary car on the start line in the race though.   - And thanks for those results from me too 

[seniordan]

I seem to remember that the problem of being in an invisible car can be solved bij entering the game twice. So join,leave and rejoin.
Worth a try Kurt  and sorry for smashing your invisible car.

As for my race. The AC wasn't any good on this track , at least not in my hands. My roll and long upside down slide in lap 1 or 2?,sorry for being in anybody's way, proved to be the least of my worries. Had to fight tons of understeer and the constant urge to quit, which I hate doing. Twenty years of simracing (when did we start GPL online?)and still not acquired real skill in setting up a car and very often too little time for thourough practise, have made it quite clear that i ll have to make some effort to be able to keep up with you guys. In the end of the race I decided to sit out another lap just before the start/finish line and bring the AC in after Geoffers had crossed the line. Saved me a splash and dash stop and another tedious lap.

Dom, would really love to join your little Maserati squad.

Cheers, Dan

[EvilClive]

I did try the AC Ace offline Dan, and after a little fiddling with the setup, it was by far the easiest car to drive for me, the only problem was that it was lacking in outright speed and the best laptime was around 4:05. Which was why I selected the 55 D-Type for the race.

I will upload my Ace setup to the on-line repository for Solitude this evening if you want to try it Dan.

Edit   My AC Ace setup should be in the on-line directory for Solitude 64  "AC Ace 3" if anyone is fool enough to try it 

[seniordan]

Thanks Clive. I am certainly going to try your setup. What this track needs, especially the section with all the beautiful bends flowing like a river towards the start/finish line, is a nice throttle on/ throttle off controlability which makes the car dancing through this wonderful series of bends. Maybe not the ultimate solution time wise but it would absolutely maximise driving fun and that's the point isn't it?


Off to Solitude….


Dan