Big grats to Greg on a commanding win and to Dulima for a good recovery and Axel for the other podium places. Commiserations to all those who did not make it to the flag, but any incident on this track is likely to drag several other victims into the crash.
I had predicted that if we had a large number of SL's on the front of the grid there was every possibility of a major crashfest at T1. I actually predicted Lap 1, but it was a few laps into the race when several of those silver aircraft carriers got too close around what is the tightest corner on this strange track.
After some practice ( which is unusual for me, maybe I had too much time on my hands?), my game plan had been very simple. Those SL's were just too fast, but it was clear that all cars, including even the Gordini, with the right gearing could stay in the slipstream and reach the same speeds.
The Gordini was just too slow off the grid and all the tow trucks would have been gone, so I decided to take a car that might be able to at least get me into the slipstream very quickly and I settled on the Mas 250F.
I geared it very carefully so that I could use both 4th and 5th once we reached racing speeds. 5th was only running at 6K when in the max tow and 4th was only a notch or two down, but it allowed me to get more control through T1 where I had the car set up for slight "power on" oversteer.
The race was looking good in the early laps and I was amongst some SL's and a couple of Lancias. There was no chance of my 250F actually passing the other cars, but I could sit quite comfortably in their slipstream. There was a moment, early in the race, where I was tucked in behind a Merc SL which was towing me along nicely and it looked like we might be able to close on Greg who was in 1st place.
The plan was good until a couple of other Mercs caught us and formed a small silver wall ahead of me. That was no problem, I still had plenty of slipstream to use.
Axel was close in his Lancia as we hurtled into T1. It was already clear that those SL's were struggling through T1 and both the Lancia and the 250F could gain a lot of time through that corner to be sure of staying on the tail of those Mercs. Someone got a wheel on the grass and suddenly there was wall to wall silver machines !!
With the brakes on these cars there was not a hope in hell of stopping, plus the 100% commitment into T1 meant that, my car at least, was very finely balanced on the very limit of adhesion. I eased the steering and aimed for a gap that was in danger of being closed by a spinning Merc. It was pure luck that I emerged on the other side with Axel and his Lancia still both in working cars.
But now Greg was gone and clear,
and Axel and myself did not have the tow truck to pull us along. So I was forced to sit behind Axel's Lancia and click the laps off. I just did not have the raw power to attempt a pass on Axel and when I did try, I lost all momentum whenever I pulled out from behind him. I felt that I could be slightly quicker through T1 if I really pushed, but that was never a place to try and pass.
Eventually Dulima caught us in his SL and we had ourselves a slipstream to use which pulled us steadily away from the rest of the field..until Dulima ran wide at the final corner and I thought had ended his race...Axel and me alone again.
After a lap or two I could see on Prib that Dulima was rolling again, so I watched the gap and I could see that he was closing at a rate that would bring him back to us way before the end of the race.
Sure enough, that big silver machine loomed in the mirrors and swept past. Axel and myself jumped into the slipstream and went along for the ride. Greg was miles ahead by now, so this was the race for 2,3, and 4.
Axel and his Lancia appeared to be working out if he could make a pass through the final turn and maybe planning a move for the last lap? I honestly could not see any way that I could threaten Dulima or Axel and I sat behind them for several laps.
Then Axel made a small error and I eased up onto the tail of the SL and discovered that as long as I stayed very close ( within 20mtrs) I could use the speed of the SL to just keep me ahead of Axel...hmmmm maybe if I can hold this position on the last lap I could steal 3rd??
So, as we entered the final lap I was right on Dulima's tail as we thundered down to T1 and that was where it all came unravelled!!
I was just too close to Dulima and when the SL wobbled and struggled for grip, just at the point where I was getting on the gas to force the oversteer, I realised that I was going to hit the rear of the Merc
. Braking was certain to throw my car off the track, so my only option was just to lift off the gas and try and run a wider line.
After that it was like slow motion. I knew it was all over before the impact, because I had lost the oversteer that was keeping my car turned in and I just could not get enough grip to avoid the grass. 2 wheels vanished and the race was over. I guess I got just a little bit too greedy and hoped for a podium place, when I should have settled for a safe and secure 4th? lol
Apologies for the long post, but I had time and nothing better to do
BTW I do sort of see Clive's point about this track and I would have preferred somewhere where braking and road holding played a bigger part. But it was the same for everyone and probably very much like it was in real life when if you weren't in a Merc you were not likely to win??
