UKGPL Season NEW YEAR Fun - 1966 - Reims Jan 2nd

[PaulV]

Hi All,

Glad to see server up n running and pretty full.  Had to po out and just couldnt make it home in time.

have a great Fun race all.   a great list of old and new drivers.

I think 2024 might just be a great GPL year. as befitting of its 25th birthday.

Happy New Year to my wonderful UKGPL friends.  all the best & see you soon.

Paul

[Clive Loynes]

Made it as far as T2 before one of the many Hondas rammed me as I was picking my way around the outside to give everyone room.

[Arf Arf Arf]

Right car, right setup... just totally wrong circuit. How TF did I get P2??? Draft! I managed to just avoid all the chaos on Lap 1 and bolted myself on to the back of the 5 cars that deserved to lead the race. I was only able to keep up on the straights because of draft, but I seemed far better setup for the fast corners and often had to feather it to avoid the guys in front. I was howling with laughter when I was able to use this to draft DD out of T1 and take the lead... for a while. However, it soon became clear that I could not hold the lead and I guess everyone around me knew that and just waited for the straights. It was really just about holding on for me and when further contact got rid of a couple of unlucky lads that was it for me, it was all about staying away from the green stuff.
I did have a nasty couple of laps when a back marker went behind the buildings at the tight hairpin... only to reappear right in front of me on the exit.. and then just take me out at the last hairpin on the next lap. Not sure what you were thinking there mate, wasn't much fun. The car handled differently after that but I had enough to hold Pete(?) off.

Very unexpected P2, thoroughly undeserved :-)

[Will Bennett]

Happy new year to all, and thanks for a great first race of 2024 

Great battle with the front 4 at the start, and then a brilliant fight with Angex and Phil near the end.
Unlucky engine failure for Angex meant Phil and I were locked in battle, apologies for hitting you at the hairpin, I think my brakes were crying out for help by then 

See you all next time

[Phil Thornton]

.... Phil and I were locked in battle, apologies for hitting you at the hairpin, I think my brakes were crying out for help by then 

No problem Will, you waited for me to recover which was very chivalrous of you. It was indeed a great battle, when Angex's engine blew I nearly rear ended him and I had to swerve right into your path. You must have been a bit worried there 

I was so engrossed in the fight I didn't realise it was the last lap. Your tactics were spot on, leading out of the last corner was a mistake 

[Dimitar Dulichki]

Thanks all for the great, fair battles. Had a great time. I guess the power of the Ferrari was the biggest reason behind the victory, together with me having such a big luck when the crash in the middle of the race happen:

https://clips.twitch.tv/IncredulousThoughtfulCobraHoneyBadger-un1I4IjUZKQu_2xK?fbclid=IwAR210Z-0gSvH7ggD3eZwe2AECztR8CUDhIYMx84HeLhYGABHv85x_rD9kxw

I do believe my consistency decided it though, as I just waited for the other drivers to make mistakes and to cut off the slip stream.

It was fun, it was memorable for me as it was my first GPL victory, I will remember this one.

Full stream replay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2020876105

[Pete Bennett]

Thank you to Dave for the server. Thankfully our electricity held it together allowing Will and I to race.

I can't believe how lucky I was to get pole. A perfect blend of low fuel, warm tyres and a good tow in all of the right places. The first few laps were amazingly intense with everyone so close. Some great driving all around. I messed up at T2 on lap 3 or 4 and had to shift-r and then fight my way back. Great racing with Will, Angex and Phil to make this a fantastic start to GPL 2024.

Good to see a full grid of such great driving. What a great combo of mod and track this is 

[Bully]

Well that was a rather undignified return to GPL.

Qually went ok managed to get 7th with a 2.07.00

Race starts and got a pretty good start, manged to get past Clive off the line and into turn 1. Then I touched the grass inside T2 and went off all by myself. Manged to rejoin safely, but there was chaos in front and behind me at that point so tried to take it easy.

Then coming down the back straight got a massive draft, and broke to late for T6, ended up spinning under braking and pretty sure I spun into someone there, really sorry about that!

After that I was really struggling in the braking zones for the hairpins, think I was ambitious with my brake bias. I was just losing control under braking and spinning this happened several times.

Arf Arf, that was me at the end there, sincere apologies for that, I was on the inside and was trying to brake and let you take the hairpin, but I just locked up and slid straight forwards into you. After that I just sat out the rest of the race, so as not to get in anyone else's way.

So all in all, a bit of a baptism of fire back into the unforgiving world of GPL!

I'm planning to run the 55 mod season, and thankfully they are a little more forgiving. Time to get practicing!

Cheers all for a fun night!

Bully.

[dave curtis]

Thanks for arranging the race Pete - good to see a full server.

Thanks all for the great, fair battles. Had a great time. I guess the power of the Ferrari was the biggest reason behind the victory, together with me having such a big luck when the crash in the middle of the race happen:

https://clips.twitch.tv/IncredulousThoughtfulCobraHoneyBadger-un1I4IjUZKQu_2xK?fbclid=IwAR210Z-0gSvH7ggD3eZwe2AECztR8CUDhIYMx84HeLhYGABHv85x_rD9kxw

I do believe my consistency decided it though, as I just waited for the other drivers to make mistakes and to cut off the slip stream.

It was fun, it was memorable for me as it was my first GPL victory, I will remember this one.

Full stream replay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2020876105

Watching your streamed race now - the battles up the front do indeed look like a good promotional video!

Shame about that pileup.  but plenty of other action.

Congrats on the win!

[Cookie]

I definitely would take the Ferrari a next time...

3 crashes and a bent car made me loose the fun

[Phil Thornton]

3 crashes and a bent car made me loose the fun

Sorry for the contact on lap 2 Cookie. I got a bit of power oversteer and we made contact before I could correct it.

[Phil Thornton]

Made it as far as T2 before one of the many Hondas rammed me as I was picking my way around the outside to give everyone room.

Sorry Clive that was me   I went off in harmony with the car in front, I should know better by now 

[Phil Thornton]

I've updated the UKGPL homepage to include links to a couple of videos of this event. One is of my screen capture (which is 720p on YouTube but my actual screen resolution is 3840 x 2160) and the other is Dimitar's livestream.

[Syd Drake]

Thanks all for the great, fair battles. Had a great time. I guess the power of the Ferrari was the biggest reason behind the victory, together with me having such a big luck when the crash in the middle of the race happen:

https://clips.twitch.tv/IncredulousThoughtfulCobraHoneyBadger-un1I4IjUZKQu_2xK?fbclid=IwAR210Z-0gSvH7ggD3eZwe2AECztR8CUDhIYMx84HeLhYGABHv85x_rD9kxw

I do believe my consistency decided it though, as I just waited for the other drivers to make mistakes and to cut off the slip stream.

It was fun, it was memorable for me as it was my first GPL victory, I will remember this one.

Full stream replay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2020876105

That was me in the Ferrari that got pushed into the fence by the Cooper. I got stuck there, and quit. I've been racing with PRO rulse for so long, that I completely forgot that I could have used shift+r

[AnGex]

That was me in the Cooper. I am really sorry that you were out because of my stupid mistake. Sometimes the Cooper is not easy to handle because of its weight. But I really don´t know what exactly happend there, maybe I was to much on the edge outside of the corner and then, under acceleration the car came "quer" and I hit you. I hate it when someone is out because of a mistake I make.  Then I waited for you to get your place back, but then other cars came by. So I decided to go again. Really sorry, Mate!

Maybe I was a bit rusty all in all, but there was for sure a good Race going on. After my mistake ny mood was also not so good anymore.

Anyway, it was a appetizer for another good season.

Congratulations everybody!