UKGTL Ladder - GTC-76 @ Zolder - 12th October

[Mark J]

well that was crap    Was looking forward to a good race here too.

Qualied 8th which i was happy with. Got nurfed off the track on the first or second lap, picking up a bloody 'cut corner' warning at the same time ...kept it going around to the same place on the next lap where i got the door slammed on me by the same driver from the previous lap and ended up spinning into the gravel for another cut warning ! Took me about a minute to get out of the gravel trap  :'(
Was so irate i then chucked it off the track again and got a stop and go. Sat in the pits for the worlds longest S&P pen...upto 40 seconds when i decided to hit the escape key , as i was being lapped already.

[Iain]

once i got into the race my car was understeering and locking up all the time, i kept skidding over the chicane and got 3 cut tracks for basically spinning off. 

[pribeiro]

well that was crap    Was looking forward to a good race here too.

Exactly my own feeling Mark
I did 2 mistakes after (only 4 laps) in the same place, after last chicane, made me hit the right barrier :'(
1st time, after a whole lap with steering problems i spend 2 mnts in pits repairing and replacing parts
2nd time with the very same problems, during the hell lap to pit, to repair and replace again, i distract myself
watching some stuff at MOTORSTV (my TV is over right from my PC +- 3 mts. away) and BANG......and burn my engine
against the wall , never mind that, i was 2 laps down by that time tho..............

Congrats to all and see you next race (maybe at GTR2)

<Edit - fixed quote>

[Adam Parle]

Not a great qualifying for me, 16th I think.  The start was pretty average, kept out of trouble for a while, until there was a spinner at T1.  Couldn't see the car for the smoke, and ended plowing into the front left hand side of the car ... sorry whoever it was.
[EDIT - Just looked at the replay - Sorry Dave.]

After that my car wasn't handling great, and after a couple of locks under braking it was time for a stop and go.  Kept going for a while, but the rears were getting over 100 degrees and the car was all over the place.  Kept well out of the way of the leaders coming through, but after sliding off into the tyre wall again, enough was enough. Trundled round to the pits for an early bath.

Was knackered by the time I retired, was fighting the car the whole way round - especially round the first few corners (now I remember why I haven't raced here for a while - have never got a handle on it).

Amazing pace up the front as ever.

[Jeffrey]

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

This could easily been my last GTL race. Another bloody boring race. Didn't see anybody the whole 40 minutes. And hotlapping in this game is like watching grass grow.
 
I'm gonna see if I keep racing at Comet Dave, but very unlikely, as the racingsphere there is kinda bad, with all the ego's and their etiquette. Might give Per Gassne my spot there.

After GTR2, GTl just bores me to death. I only sticked in this race to get the teamscore.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Was so irate i then chucked it off the track again and got a stop and go. Sat in the pits for the worlds longest S&P pen...upto 40 seconds when i decided to hit the escape key , as i was being lapped already.

You are the same Mark Jonzo, are you not, who recently said:

Too right Dave, spot on, thats always annoyed me when people quit so early because they have had an off or been trying to win the race on the first couple of laps. Especially in endurance races 

 

[Madd-RIP]

Waste of an hour and a half, quali'd ok and got a reasonable run in the beginning, although I'm expecting some crap to fall on me from a great height...Soz many apologies. (you know what I'm talking about) I found that I just kept locking up everywhere initially, I even had to adjust balance after a few laps to minimise it.
Had a good fight with Shark and settled into a rhythm only for the damned game to give me a 2 cut track warnings at the same time on the same corner!!! wtf.. to make matters worse I go in for the stop/go and the T**T of a game stops me short and I cannot move forward or back or press enter to serve my penalty, I go from 4th to 13th....what a piece of S**T.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

I'm gonna see if I keep racing at Comet Dave, but very unlikely, as the racingsphere there is kinda bad, with all the ego's and their etiquette. Might give Per Gassne my spot there.

Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing!

[Jeffrey]

I'm gonna see if I keep racing at Comet Dave, but very unlikely, as the racingsphere there is kinda bad, with all the ego's and their etiquette. Might give Per Gassne my spot there.

Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing!

Guess we need a 2nd reserve driver then...any volunteers?

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Not a great qualifying for me, 16th I think.  The start was pretty average, kept out of trouble for a while, until there was a spinner at T1.  Couldn't see the car for the smoke, and ended plowing into the front left hand side of the car ... sorry whoever it was.
[EDIT - Just looked at the replay - Sorry Dave.]

Unlucky, mate, I locked the rears trying to stay close to Goran's 914 in the bends as I had a huge top speed advantage on it, had to dive to the inside to avoid creaming into the back of him and spun, unfortunately coming to rest smack bang in the middle of the track. Can't believe nobody else hit me, good job chaps.

In fact, locking the rears became a bit of a theme. Having finally dragged myself back onto the back of Goran and passed him before the final chicane (pleasure to have you with us, sir), I then caught Baz up, before once again locking the rears at the Kleine chicane and going off, letting Goran back past. Spent the rest of the race trying to catch up and would've got 9th back had there been just one more lap, but with Pero having lapped me it was not to be.

I really struggle with the Escort, it just doesn't talk to me the way some of the other cars do. I wish now I'd taken the Capri 2600. Still, top 10 isn't bad all things considered.

[Simon Gymer]

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

This could easily been my last GTL race. Another bloody boring race. Didn't see anybody the whole 40 minutes. And hotlapping in this game is like watching grass grow.

EVERYTHING bores you to death Jeff. I'm suprised you haven't keeled over yet really. 

I had my most successful race in GTL for ages. No idea where I qualified. In the teens somewhere, finished 4th with a no mistakes race and ok but not stellar pace. I could not get to grips with the Escort after no practice and no setup for all but the very last bit of my qualifying. Race gave me opportunity to stay steady and learn the car.

Escort is not really suited to my driving style, but I managed to coax her home with a very good result for me.

[Pero_Grozni]

I was very thrilled about finaly geting into the 44's with the Escort - a shame the lap didnt get ssaved. What suprised me though was the difference of pace to the field - I knew that I was quick here, but not by so much. So I was in for a boring race with lots of engine conservation.
I was able to get away cleanly after the start and got a good lead after a few laps and started driving very easily to keet the car alive. All was going fine until I cought up with a backmarker and I misjudged the situatuin and almost ran into the back of him - luckily I was just able to avoid contact, but didnt have the needed steering lock to keep from spinning (I had only 30,5 degrees in the setup). I was able to rejoin quickly though and passed him a few corners later on. The next and last interesting occurance was when I again got in trouble wih a backmarker at the end of the race. He appologised afterwards as there were no blue flags and he thought I was fighting him for position. But it wasnt much of a problem - I should have gone about the pass easyer anyway as I had a big lead and there was no need to pass immidiatly.
All in all a booring race on one of my favourite track/car combinations.
I hope you will still do a race or two Ruskus - otherwise it could get quite booring and that goes for the Comet leauge as well.
Seems like I have to get me GTL2 to get back the raceing thrills GTL used to have, or maybe wait for that Race game (WTCC) or whatever it will be called.
I cant really get into GT racing - I am much more into touring cars and historic cars.

BTW: My Escort finnaly lasted a full race distance  

[Simon Gymer]

I don't understand why you really fast guys at the top don't take the slower cars to get more racing. That's the whole point of the ladder points. If you take the fastest cars you're going to have lonely races.

[Jeffrey]

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

This could easily been my last GTL race. Another bloody boring race. Didn't see anybody the whole 40 minutes. And hotlapping in this game is like watching grass grow.

EVERYTHING bores you to death Jeff. I'm suprised you haven't keeled over yet really. 

I knew you would comment on that . I'm trying to look for other words than boring . But you're wrong. I loved every GTR2 race, even if I lead from start to finish, the game is even fun when hotlapping. Driving 22 laps all alone is just not how I want to fill my evening.

[Zacari]

It's probably the least practiced track in GTL for me but by the end I was liking it more than when I started

Took the 914-6 which was slower overall (much slower mid-range acceleration :'() but pretty stable and good round the twisty stuff.  Quali'd 9th and was more than happy with that!  The race started well and I made a couple of places in the first 2 laps.  Then the downside of having the Porsche came into play when I got behind one of the escorts, no chance to get into a braking zone and overtake, but being held up through the bends so I got nailed down the straights

After out-braking myself when I got a rare look down the inside, I settled down into a good rhythm lapping in the 49's in 7th.  The laps slipped by.... slowly!  After what felt like an age it was only the 12th lap in the end I decided to keep a steady pace and hope for mistakes/misfortune ahead, picking up a couple of places to finish 5th.  Which I'm also more than happy with!

Couple of points.  Firstly, it makes no sense to me to come out of the pits in quali and go right up the backside of a car on a hotlap.  Ever.  People do, and I'd rather they didn't.  There's no flippin' point! and secondly, pleeeease DONT talk until EVERYONE has finished the laps they're on at the end.  Regardless of if you want to look or not, it's an unnecessary distraction and more importantly against the rules.

I don't understand why you really fast guys at the top don't take the slower cars to get more racing. That's the whole point of the ladder points. If you take the fastest cars you're going to have lonely races.

Absolutely damn fine point.  It always amuses me that the fastest guys take the fastest cars 99% of the time for whatever reason.  IMO if you're that quick, if you want a chance of close racing take one of the slower cars.  If you end up having a lonely race it's more self-inflicted than anything else in this kind of league.