UKGTR Season 7 Lower Endurance - Silverstone (GP) - Jan 20

[jan duijs]

I take my mother in law for a spin tonight,she ways 85 kg 

Jan

[Zacari]

Well, I preferred it when only the performance of the cars was being adjusted with ballast rather than the racers.  I'd much rather beat someone on an even footing rather than relying on weight penalties to give me a better finishing position.

[DynoDaz]

This is why myself and others have been surprised by the sudden lack of support for it now that the season is officially here.

Because I've experienced how it is to drive with a very heavy car, you haven't. Why don't you try 50kg or more, then we can talk about how great weight is.

And to give it short, I don't want to race with you by giving me ballast. I want to fight with the guys of the same pace. That have been the best races for me, battling with a group of about 5 who can all do same laptimes, without having to add ballast.

Jeff, my disappointment has been at the GENERAL lack of support for the system which was discussed for weeks and has at no point been aimed directly at YOU!

Also, if you were so unhappy about the proposed system why do you wait until the eve of the first race to object?

I realise you are in difficult position by being one of the fastest drivers here, but the fact is (as Paul says) if the faster drivers don't take ballast the whole system becomes unworkable.

So as a league we have an important decision to make.  Either we back ability based ballast or we scrap it completely!!!

[DynoDaz]

Well, I preferred it when only the performance of the cars was being adjusted with ballast rather than the racers.  I'd much rather beat someone on an even footing rather than relying on weight penalties to give me a better finishing position.

Fine, if that's what everyone wants, let's do that and get back to what's important.... RACING and having FUN!!!!

[Jeffrey]

Successballast seemed like a good thing before S6. But the season proved me wrong for me.
I don't know how this ballastsystem will work out, but I want to see it on action first.
Complaining before it's even used is just useless. How can you (in genereal) judge a system without testing it. That's why I wanted to see it in S6 and that's why I want to wait after this race. before I judge this system.
If people want to take weight, fine by me. But for the love of God, let people also make the decision of not taking weight and don't blame them for doing!

[DynoDaz]

How can you (in genereal) judge a system without testing it.

BINGO!!!

Sorry guys, but this whole affair has let a rather sour taste in my mouth.  I don't expect to receive personal attacks for fighting for someone only a month ago was considered a good idea by the majority here. 

Even if I joined tonight's race I'm not in the mood to enjoy it.  Therefore it's only fair to bow out now and allow someone else to take my place.

Hope everyone has a great race!!!

[popabawa]

Looks like most have taken a different interpretation so we'll have to take that into consideration.

This reads as a slightly sarcastic statement in my eyes, designed to guilt people who are fast into taking ballast when it's entirely voluntary to do so, and in doing so sounds like a whine.

Well, I'm sorry if you read it that way but it really wasn't intended like that but I guess you'll have to take my word for that

I just meant that if everyone else has a different view on how the ballast is going to work then maybe we need to re-think what ballasts are personally appropriate.

[Adam Parle]

Lets just draw a line under this ballast thing and get on with the driving.  That's what we're all here for after all.  Whatever changes are made, nothing's going to make it a level playing field - not tinkering with the cars, not adding ballast, because ultimately we are not all equal in driver ability.

I think the voluntary balast system is an interesting one, but ultimately all it's likely to do is change the small group of drivers we regularly fight on the track.  There are still going to be groups of people of a similar pace, be it because of ballst or car-tinkering, and there will be people that are faster or slower that we'll not see anything of during a race.

Last season we tried to reign in the faster drivers with added weight ... to a certain extent it worked, but it wasn't a perfect system.

No system is perfect, and neither is the voluntary one.  Let those who have taken ballast take ballast, let those that haven't take none, lets find out who we're racing with if it's changed at all, and lets put this unneccesary moaning about moaning about whinging about whining about ballast behind us and remember it's meant to be A BIT OF FUN - NOT LIFE OR DEATH.

[ginsters sponsored]

No one wants to see you pulling out Darren  Race tonight and then we can discuss ballast thing.

[Zacari]

Looking at the forecast, I expect the weather will play more than a small part in the race which will be very cool   Damp races are always eventful!

Looks like most have taken a different interpretation so we'll have to take that into consideration.

This reads as a slightly sarcastic statement in my eyes, designed to guilt people who are fast into taking ballast when it's entirely voluntary to do so, and in doing so sounds like a whine.

Well, I'm sorry if you read it that way but it really wasn't intended like that but I guess you'll have to take my word for that

I just meant that if everyone else has a different view on how the ballast is going to work then maybe we need to re-think what ballasts are personally appropriate.

Totally fair point, I take the way you meant it 100%.  I'm not sure how it's going to shape up either!  If I'm miles from who I'd normally be battling, I'll adjust things.  I think it'll be a while before things settle down, hopefully this apprehension will be forgotten after a few races

[Kerr]

I think the bottom line is this is the first race of a new season.

There is new drivers in new cars and as I've said before it's hard to tell how it's going to go. I'm sure there will be a few surprises tonight.

Lets wait and see how the race goes and lets decide after that.

I think the system has a good chance of working as everyone wants to have close, fair racing. I don't often see a driver gloating about the fact he dissapeared away into the distance.

I'm sure once everybody finds their level in their chosen car and takes into account track preferences too, I'm sure all drivers will make the effort to balance the difference out.

Until then please all be fair. No need to pressure of argue over who should be doing what.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

The ballast isn't there to even everybody out. I said over and over in the previous discussions that there is no chance whatsoever of being able to dish out enough ballast to do that and the very idea was unworkable.

If you aren't fast enough to compete with somebody, you need to drive faster. There is no earthly reason why they should be penalised because you aren't fast enough.

The voluntary handicap is there so that drivers who know they are very fast, and don't want a boring race where they zoom off into the sunset to win by 3 laps, can give themselves a handicap and make life more interesting for themselves.

Claims that an enforced banded handicap had the support of "the majority" have no basis in fact - no poll was ever conducted and only the tiny vocal minority who get involved with these discussions ever voiced an opinion. We will see by the end of the season - probably even by mid-season - whether the handicap system becomes popular or whether "the majority" will vote with their feet and walk away from it.

[Stewprovo]

%&*^$#?"$# !!!!!!!

Punted off on  warm-up lap, re-joined dead last, only to disco 30 secs later. And after I'd driven 350 miles home, getting in at 8:01 pm, to race. Not a happy bunny!!

[Jimmie]

What a race it was

After a long period of being inactive, my qualy time was quite poor, I actually matched my qually in the race with meds and 40 liters of fuel so that says enough

Very fun battles and chases with various drivers around 10-12th place. The 360GTC lacks a tiny bit of speed on the straights so overtaking was really hard.

Pitty my race had to end because of a blown engine, lost apex a bit at turn 1, shifted from 4 to 3 and the engine went burpppppp and smokey smokey (it didn't rev past the redline though, so it was kinda odd)

[pribeiro]

Not quite the best result for the very first race. Im not talking about final position,
im talking about blowing my engine when only left 4 minutes to the end.
Untill there, i had some good batles and some fun. 
Anyway, congratulations to who won the own classes.  and to all that finished.
Thanks to all backmarkers, very gentling manouvers to let us pass. 
Cheers