UKGTR Season 7 GTC Sprint - Brno - Feb 5

[Truetom]

This might be the only track that I like but my results are rubbish. I enjoyed the race nonetheless, especially tussling with Adam. Though I wanted to avoid a situation where two Legends would collide and punt eachother out.    So when Adam went inside under braking I prefered to let him by. In the later stage my tyres were shredded and he could drive much faster than me. Well done. 

I must say I was a bit surprised we could get by you that easy, Shark. When Adam went outside around you I grabbed his tail to prevent you from slipping in and it worked. I guess some was due to you not being your pesky self.    Towards the end I'm sure you could catch me, though, I was losing almost a sec per lap. 

Good show Legends! MJ - have some pancakes every Sunday and Tuesday! 

TT

[David M]

I had the same  bug a few others seemed to have, so left pretty pronto so I didn't end up causing issues for anyone else.

Shame, I was quite pleased at not qualifying in the back 2 rows!

[Simon Gymer]

I must say I was a bit surprised we could get by you that easy, Shark. When Adam went outside around you I grabbed his tail to prevent you from slipping in and it worked. I guess some was due to you not being your pesky self.    Towards the end I'm sure you could catch me, though, I was losing almost a sec per lap. 

Nah, my car just wasn't working for me and after my recent incidents I'm trying even harder to avoid all contact and if that means not driving out of my skin trying to go faster than I actually can or defending to within an inch of my life then so be it. I could have gone a little faster when Pops was chasing me, but I didn't have to so what's the point in risking it all. If he'd gone for a move up the inside, there was no point in fighting it when he was so much faster.

I think that's part of the reason I've had a few incidents recently is that everyone else seems to be getting faster and I can't find any more speed. If anything I seem to be getting slower. Boo hoo. This has meant trying too hard and trying to go faster than my abilities will allow. I should just accept that I can't go any faster and that people I used to beat I can't anymore. It's very scarey when Jeff gives you his time trial lap and by the end of the lap you can't even see him anymore.

[popabawa]

Sorry you didn't enjoy our little tussle Sharky I was trying my best to put you under pressure but as you said, you only needed a half-decent corner exit and you were a couple of car lengths ahead for the next one. All my advantage was lost in the corners, I was having to brake so early and still had to back off!

Maybe I should have tried a move, there were couple of occasions where I could have tried something but there seemed little point risking both our races to potentially go from 12th to 11th

Still, it was entirely my own fault I was in that position. I felt like such an idiot when I span, I somehow managed to drop to 1st mid-corner going from 8th to 12th. A rookie mistake I'd been doing pretty well up that point, I had a really good and clean fight with Backo for a few laps and was still vaguely in contention with the 5th, 6th & 7th battle.

Hopefully that's got the mistakes out of the way for Endurance on Sunday though

Sorry to see the disco's on the grid prior to the race starting, that's terrible luck

[Stewprovo]

Quite enjoyed my first race here after my pc probs on sunday. Was staying with Dave and Evert for about 2 laps, until my customary run wide into the gravel moment. Re-joined in about 23rd or 24th, with a little clean air, so tried to get my head down, but strangely, the warmer the tyres got, the less grip I seemed to have. Got onto the rear-end of Psuedo after his spin, and just tried my damnedest to close the 1 sec gap  (great driving mate, really consistant, giving me no chance ), but with my tyres going off quicker than I could live with, all I could do was maintain the gap, until another little off on the last but one lap lost me about 6 secs. Looking forward to Sunday now I know the track. Sorry for teamie SBG, and muchos gratsos to teamie Paul for another great result.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Rather enjoyed that, despite a rubbish performance in qualifying - what you can say to finishing 13th from 22nd?!

Pity about JR and all the start line problems - I just double-checked the Brno track files and there's no reason for 32 cars to be a problems, there are plenty of grid slots and the track lists a stated maximum of 36. I think we've no choice but to back the server down from 32 to 30 slots and see if that eases the problems.

The race was a blur, with battles a-plenty and a cold shower afterwards — I'm looking forward to wathcing the replay!

[Simon Gymer]

I think we've no choice but to back the server down from 32 to 30 slots and see if that eases the problems.

Original was 28 not 30, so don't we need to go back down to what the game officially supports? The server can definately manage 32, but this appears to be a game problem (if indeed it is a problem) so I think if we're going to drop the slots we need to drop them to what the game can do. I suspect the server could do 40+ if the game and people's connections could manage it.

I'll give up my full-time spot if you need volunteers.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

The grid placement symptoms we saw last night are the classic ones seen when people have iffy connections - we've seen it before with the server running 28 slots. The question is, is it the server or is it a few clients with bad connections?

[ginsters sponsored]

In my case, I don't know for sure However, I've not suffered real connection problems here, or anywhere else for that matter, before. And it worked fine on other servers last night. Mind you I've never raced with 31 others before. Also, is the timing problem (all I got was my own time although grid was formed up correctly) and dropping through tarmac a connection issue? Was last night first 32 driver turnout?

From that, I'd guess server issue but I know nothing of these things so bow down to you gents.

[Paul Richards]

After that was behind Paul and destroyed my tyres trying to get passed, when I inherited 2nd after he spun I could only close a couple of seconds in the last 4 laps.

The more I run NGT the more I'm tempted to forget the shifter and use the paddle shift, it's the only part of the G25 that's worse than the DFP

I think the word here is SNAP      I don't feel quite so annoyed now as the same problem that got me ahead of you put me back behind!

Qualification went ok and got a time that was about where I expected. Not sure exactly where I started with all the dropping through the floor, car in the lead but in the pits etc.. Unlucky to all those who had problems. Race got under way and I was behind Zacari and ahead of Dan. Car wasn't good for the first few laps, Dan got by in turn 1, Lap 1 after I ran wide with no front end grip at all! I quickly started to lose a bit of time to the two in front and was fending off Brian.

After a few laps the car got better and I was able to slowly ease away from Brian so decided to drive within the car and look after the tyres for the later stages. Zacari then had his moment and Dan and myself were both past. I then had to drive harder to keep ahead of Zacari and the gap to Dan stabilised a bit. With about 15 mins left I began to catch Dan and car still felt good and I was pulling away ever so slightly from Zacari. The gap come down to below 3 secs and with the time left felt sure I would be able to mount a challenge in the final laps but my G25 shifter then double shifted down to first in the tight left hairpin. Car was already slowed enough for the apex but the rears locked up and a slow half spin was inevitable. Lost the place to Zacari but would have taken third before the race so alls good.

Congrats to Dan for the win  

[Truetom]

I think that's part of the reason I've had a few incidents recently is that everyone else seems to be getting faster and I can't find any more speed. If anything I seem to be getting slower. Boo hoo. This has meant trying too hard and trying to go faster than my abilities will allow. I should just accept that I can't go any faster and that people I used to beat I can't anymore. It's very scarey when Jeff gives you his time trial lap and by the end of the lap you can't even see him anymore.

Leave that alien bussines alone, Shark!   Get down to normal people, I find it much less stressing.  
It all goes down to a track - well, for me it does. I made a lot of laps here yesterday and when looking at timelaps I had 3 Legends whooping me down.    Good job guys, I'm glad for ya!     What I'm saying is that I made a lot of less laps in say, Dubai or Birmingham (mmm, what a great track, btw   ) and I was driving with good results (usualy   ), less sweat(r)ing and the tyre wear was normal. I had close to 30 tyre wear yesterday at the front   and I was beaten like I'd be hauling in 5 tons of coal. And it was only 40 minutes and I came 10th which is - speaking of numbers - not a satisfactory result for my personal satisfaction.    Not trying to get above myself, just averaging things out.  

As for beating others - once we get rid of Brno I will expect MJ to drive behind me, as it should be!    

Bad luck with all the discos, guys. I must say I had none of the problems some described, not even with laptimes or some such.    All in all it was grand to see so many cars on track.  

TT
  

[Aagramn]

There were definitely some synchronisation problems on the grid. On my client the countdown kept alternating between the 40s and 20s, waiting for either 9 or 4 cars to join. Once the race started everthing was rock soid, possibly after a couple people left with problems. We don't really know what the server limit is, suggest we try 30 and see if that is stable.

[Mr_B.A.Baracus]

That could have gone better for me! Started 18th with I was reasonably happy with, esp seeing as how the times were all quite close. Had a CTD in quali which didn't help though and thats the first I've had in game. Unfortunately I got a little out of shape on the third last corner coming up the hill and I'm pretty sure I managed to correct it ok (maybe would've lost a place) but the frantic wheel turning required to keep the car on the road make my speaker and my webcam fall off my monitor!!!  That was enought for me to loose concentration and drift off the track enough to spin out. I ended up about a cars width from the edge of the track on the exit of the corner and reckoned I was about to be hit so I tried to get out the way (on to the verge) as quick as possible but in the process I took out roadrunner so thought I'd better wait for him to rejoin first - sorry about that.

After that I had a couple of small spins trying to push a bit too much and one over enthusiastic out braking attempt, got a bit boring cause I was too far out the way.

Good race though, thanks to the organisers and congrats to the podium folk!

[Simon Gymer]

Just looking in the smiley box...it's empty. I guess TrueTom's used them all.

[Truetom]

Leave me be, Shark - 30 years I had to live without them. 

TT