UKGTR Season 8 Pre-season 9 - Estoril (GP) - Jan 6

[picnic]

Replay and Provisional Results are available for your delectation

[lazlow]

That was such a buzz!!!!!
Managed to win it from middle of the grid 

I hope my frozen car didn't get in anybody's way, although I'm afraid Lazlow was right behind me and will have been scared lol sorry

You sure did scare the trout out of me Busi...I thought I had hit you

Excellent close quarter driving especially when TT, Evert and myself were 3 a breast going down the straight....Awesome!!!!

Great racing everyone 

[spanner]

Enjoyable race that one, for once

Started a surprising 6th, felt strange being able to see the front of the grid But after a few laps Lazlow got by me and then it was a lonely drive to the end with a huge gap behind and MJ/ API teasing me a few secs infront. Just couldn't pick the pace up further to join you guys, but only finished 10 secs of the lead, how the hell did that happen

[Mark J]

that was a great race, action all the way from lights to flag 

Qualied 4th, just not quite matching my better laptime pace but pleased all the same lined up behind teamie TT. 

Enjoyed a great race early on staying with the front 3 for about 15 minutes, then getting upto 3rd for a while when Busi ran wide. But he pressured me quite a bit and just as i was starting to eek a couple of tenths out, i got out of shape at the Parabolica Interior, allowing Busi and API past me. :'( Then to add insult to injury a charging Lazlow took me at the end of the s/f straight with some very late braking  relegating me to 6th 
I then spent about 10-15 mins chasing him and API in their Z4s without making much difference until their fighting allowed me to close.

Eventually i closed on API and put him under severe pressure for lap after lap. It seemed like i was quicker than him all around the circuit except in the final sector from that bugger of an uphill chicane (a porsches nightmare at this track), through that final wide sweeper onto the s/f straight, i just couldnt get near him there and the z4 left me for dead down the straight. But i was able to brake much later than him and closed every lap until the sequence was repeated over and over 
Finally API put a foot wrong in turn 3 and i was able to sneak up the inside and use the porkers exit traction to get my nose in front and there it stayed until the flag despite some more counter-attacking from his beemer. It had been a fantastic race fight, really good fun and i was very chuffed to get my place back for 4th after such a long battle.
I closed right up on the squabbling TT and Evert with only a few laps remaining, but again, just could not live with them in the final sector, the Porsche really struggling for grip through there compared to the z4 and Fezza 

Was very pleased with 4th place and 4th fastest race lap and a good result for the legends with cars in 3rd,4th and 7th? 

Congrats to Lazlow (storming drive), Evert and TT for the podium. 

ps, i edited the .aud files for the z4 and Vertigo and had no problems tonight with excessive engine sounds from them. A simple fix for anyone still suffering.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Should've been on for 9th or 10th there but the power oversteer caught me out a few times and spat me off. Clearly more setup work is needed.

Still not sure whether there's a problem with the Aston's engine characteristics or whether the aerodynamics are to blame for its lack of top end power. I drove a few laps in the middle of the race short shifting and it didn't seem to have a lot of effect on my pace so I suspect the former.

ps, i edited the .aud files for the z4 and Vertigo and had no problems tonight with excessive engine sounds from them. A simple fix for anyone still suffering.

MJ, can you send the lines you've changed to me - or post them here. It'll save me hunting for exactly what to change.

[Truetom]

No, Busi, I didn't overtake Evert. Got overtaken by Lazlow instead. 

Great, tense racing for the whole time. First part a trio with Evert and Busi, then with Evert and towards the end again a trio with Everts and Lazlow. Great stuff, close - though sometimes a bit too close. Had to back off a few times, Evert, I would have spinned you if I didn't. You were squeezing me a bit. As it was a fun race, I won't tell my wife about that.     Not being overly critical, you had a great pace in that Z4 and even this long s/f straight was not long enough to get by. I see it as a big progress and I'm looking forward to close racing in the Championship. 
Grats Lazlow, I'm glad you found your pace. 

At the end: good show of the Legends Racing Team. 3rd, 4th and 7th. 
Again - good work, modding Elves. 

TT

[picnic]

My first race since well before Christmas, had a hoot in the Spyker but with my limited abilities it's hard to keep pointing even remotely in the right direction for 40 mins I couldn't get a sensible set of gear ratios either, first was either too short or too long for the nasty uphill chicane thing, and with only 5 gears I struggled to keep up with the Aston's initially on the straights but by the end I still had a few revs spare and could keep accelerating to the braking points. Running 7 wing on the back too, don't know if that helped?

Threw away too many places by having a few half spins and one final place after trying to procreate with a barrier  Still enjoyed the sideways fun the Spyker seems to exhibit

[lazlow]

I had a look over the replay last night and I noticed that I tapped you a few times going into T1, TT,  sorry, I hope I didn't damage your vehicle....I guess I got carried away in the moment.

[evert blommert]

Great move Lazlow, I thought I had the inside covered, but you proved me wrong.
I move for a different colour scheme for the 430. TT's white Ferrari looked huge in my mirror 40 minutes long.
Was fun though keeping TT at bay even if it took more squeezing than he get's from his wife ( or was it the other way around)

See you at Valencia.

[Truetom]

Healthy shoving keeps me alert. 

TT

[Legzy]

Enjoyed my race in the F430. Nice drive, but other cars seemed to pull away/catch me on the straight (but as TT didn't seem to have that problem it must be me).
Despite my setup efforts to make the car faster yet safe under braking, I still lost it twice... once at the end of the straight which was just stupid on my part , but the other was a total shock (at about lap 4) & I ended up hitting a wall then rebounding onto the track... Sorry to the car following that couldn't avoid me.
Had some good fun chasing Smokey for a good while, managed to get past on about the third attempt I think. But consider myself lucky to have made up picnic's place on the last lap... while like a randy dog humping its owners leg, his Spyker obviously just couldn't fight the urge any longer & started humping the barrier on the final bend. Sorry mate.

[Truetom]

Enjoyed my race in the F430. Nice drive, but other cars seemed to pull away/catch me on the straight (but as TT didn't seem to have that problem it must be me).

The key is to set the car to floor it in the last corner as soon as possible.

TT

[Legzy]

Yeah, I was playing with 'when to floor it' for that last bend on each lap... did it too early a couple of times & just about escaped running off  .
I wonder if it was my wing settings were too high? I had 2-6 to keep me as steady as possible for the rest of the track. If I'd had some time to do some better prep for the race I might have been able to lower that a notch. I'd lowered it from 2-9 for Oschersleben already.

[Truetom]

I set my rear springs a bit tighter and it was ok. Wing was 2-8.

[Legzy]

Wing was 2-8.

OK, was definitely me then. Confidence destroyed, cheers TT