Grats to Yannick on a fine victory here at the Brickyard! Terrific job by our Latin pair, Ricardo & Eddie(Dulima), for nailing down P2 & P3, respectively. Good show, amigos!
Quite sad to see two Top Guns...Clive & Clive...eliminated early in an unfortunate collision. WOW! That really stilted the results. As well, a major shunt triggered by Fran took down three runners including contenders, Cookie & Ricky(Enrique), on Lap03. I had to thread my way through that carnage and only just avoided being a fourth involved.
Lap06 and the group I was running with...Fulvio & Phil...came across a car sideways in short chute between T1 & T2. This was Bastian and I properly figured that he was no longer a factor. By the end of Lap10 with all the retirements to date, I was up to a delighful P6 with three cars directly ahead. That was P3 just up ahead. Yummy!
I was easily able to tag along in the slipstream in top gear set to cruise. I felt somewhat sorry for Fulvio in the SL Merc. While fast, it's also very heavy which means lethargic acceleration and the extra mass compared to other marques will bake the tyres fast. My group...now including Alain...just wasn't up to my expectations on pace for some reason. Eddie was well back at one point but in no time at all, he was close in my mirrors. DRAT! As well, he had brought along Bastian recovered from his spin. DOUBLE DRAT!
Lap13 and Phil scrubbed off some speed entering T3 after aborting a challenge to Alain. I had to check up slightly and was just moving to take up my line for T4 when I caught sight of Bastian diving to my left. I quickly altered my course to give him room and luckily avoided contact. A bit rash perhaps, Bastian?
By Lap20, Eddie had put me in his mirrors and I had Fran giving me his full attention. On several occasions, I caught sight of him diving low for a pass attempt at T2 or T4 and I quickly covered this off. Blocking is not something I typically employ or encourage but in this case, I reasoned that such a move puts me in extreme peril as I commit to a line carving down near the grass verge.
By Lap30, the group of Alain, Bastian & Eddie had broken away to leave Phil leading me with Fran on my tail. Without a tow, I was able to pass Phil to take P6 but that was short-lived. The very next lap, Phil was close enough that I had to yield my preferred low line into T1 and through the chute. I got a tow from Phil down the back straight but it wasn't enough to comfortably axe down to the verge in T3 to lead Fran. Running high to give him room, the inevitable. Back to P8.
As the final laps reeled off, Fran was able to pull a bit of a gap to Phil & I so looked solid for P6. On Lap42, Phil got a poorish exit from T2 and lost pace. I was able to breeze by with relative ease but PT easily gunned me down in the chute between T3 & T4 to regain the place. MERDE!
Last lap and pushing as hard as I dare, I got a run on Phil coming off T4 but came up 0.040 short. Ah, well... P8 it is.
A great duel, Phil!
