NGT Sprint Cup - Season 1, Round 9, Estoril - Sept 6th

[popabawa]

That was excellent, by far and away my best drive of the year for a 5th place 

Even managed a really good qualifying lap to start the race 6th, had an on/off relationship (totally platonic you understand...) with Tyf for the whole race which was really fun. That Bi-T is great to race against because it's quite different to the GT3 & 360's.

One stupid mistake by me gave truetom an easy place but other than that really enjoyable, I even managed to stay with Mike Wrightson for the first 3 laps which is a major achievement in my book (I know you hate that track Mike but let me have that one eh?  )

Really considerate driving by the back markers, thanks guys

Pity that's my final race  :'( gonna be on holiday for Monza, good to go out on a high though  

Pops.

[[ZiP]Tyf]

That was excellent, by far and away my best drive of the year for a 5th place

Even managed a really good qualifying lap to start the race 6th, had an on/off relationship (totally platonic you understand...) with Tyf for the whole race which was really fun. That Bi-T is great to race against because it's quite different to the GT3 & 360's.

One stupid mistake by me gave truetom an easy place but other than that really enjoyable, I even managed to stay with Mike Wrightson for the first 3 laps which is a major achievement in my book (I know you hate that track Mike but let me have that one eh?  )

Really considerate driving by the back markers, thanks guys

Pity that's my final race  :'( gonna be on holiday for Monza, good to go out on a high though 

Pops.

Very well done Popa! Was fun for me too! My real reply will be later though, since I'm still bathing in sweat after having to drive an oversteering Bi-T for about 3/4 of the race. Front tyres wouldn't warm up! Grrr!

T

[PaulW]

Very average pace but really enjoyable nonetheless. rFactor was a, ahem, factor in qualifying and the first half of the race and I was a little off pace, particularly the 'icy' slow corners 

Qualified 10th (I think) and enjoyed those great first two laps with everyone driving hard, close and most of all fairly- really impressive. Unfortunately I was side by side with another car in the last fast corner and got tapped off into the gravel early on. I recovered and got back on to the track in about 15th whereupon I had some fantastic tussles with Rob and Wilier. They were both rock solid and making all the right moves to block etc Top driving guys.

By some fluke I got past and got up to 9th where I started to really get the GTR edge back again. With 10 laps to go Picnic was 6 seconds ahead in 8th and I gritted my teeth and slowly closed right up. The last three laps were just superb- we were fighting all the way with regular passes. The last lap saw us take the whole straight, the tight first corner followed and the next two side by side. I squeezed through but a tiny lapse of concentration in the second to last corner saw Picnic grab the 8th back. You were always exiting those last two corners faster than me anyway mate- I think I thought I'd better go for it a bit here or you'll pass me on the straight. Tarted it up though



I'm on hol for the next race unfortunately so I'll have a big fat blank for Monza- a track I was really looking forward to. For my first ever season in my first ever sim racing year I'm really chuffed to have got a podium at Anderstorp and a 4th at Spa in such superb company.

Huge thanks to everyone I've raced with and, in particular the whole UKGTR team. Special thanks to Picnic for the use of such an excellent server all year too. Lastly but not leastly thanks to Pops for looking so damn dashing and passing on the odd NGTL groupie from time to time. I've had such a blast this year and am really pleased google turned up you guys way back in March 

[popabawa]

Huge thanks to everyone I've raced with and, in particular the whole UKGTR team. Special thanks to Picnic for the use of such an excellent server all year too.

Yes. What the more eloquent NGTL-er said 

Pops

[Matjaz Plotajs]

Phew... this was a nervous race. Not so much because of the race itself but because of my problems with modem that was strucked by lightening 2 days ago. Since then it wants do dissconect from time to time. Thankfully it didn't let me down this time but for the whole race I had one eye on a blinking lights indicating I was still online.

Qualifying was great for me. Set my personal best as the track seemed very grippy with many cars on track. Started from pole and had a nice conservative race till 8 minutes before finish when I was overtaking a backmarker. He gave me room but I did not expect it so when I overtook him I lifted the throotle to violently so my back spun instantly. Managed to get back on the track and while doing that Shark came within 3 seconds behind me. Luckily my tyres didn't overheat while spinning so I managed to open the gap again to finish in first position.

Hope you all had a fun race and I'll see you for the final event at boring (at least for me) Monza.

[Woodee]

I had to quit in qually...just couldn't control the car using only one pedal and using a button for brake or throttle. I can do it, just.... in rfactor so I don't know what that says about GTR.

I NEED a new wheel!!!!

[Truetom]

Quite an uneventful race, really. I think we're getting better drivers, more stable, less mistakes than in the beggining of the season. Was 8th in quali, didn't really try 'cause I don't like this track and the season is ending and I'm way back, so... But I got lucky and got to 4th place. Was trying to catch Mike W. after some of his mistakes, but he didn't let me close enough for an attack - good driving. I was satisfied with the 4th place, I didn't expect it so in the last laps I just cruised and drove carefuly.

[mo]

yep - i crashed and burned once again

[Mike Wrightson]

I agree Tom, the driving standard and pace is getting very competitive now

A lucky 3rd place really, as I don't like Estoril and I was not on the top pace.  I was going to just drive my own race at a comfortable pace, try not to spin off and see where I ended up

Tyf jumped me at the start and Pops was hassling me pretty good for the first few laps, but I finally managed to start easing away.  PIcked up a place when Tyf spun at the chicane and thereafter was steadilly losing ground to Mo.

Then Mo spun off after that bumpy short straight and I was 3rd!  Outbraked myself near the end that let Truetom catch up, but I could pull away again, and made it home 3rd.   That'll do!!!!

[picnic]

Replay is now available at the usual.

Never really liked Estoril, I think it's that up hill chicane nonsense towards the end of the lap. So never really practice it so no surprise that during the course of yesterday I knocked over 2 secs of my previous best, but that is still woefully slow

The race started cleanly and I was stuck well and truely in the multi-360 pack with only a lone Bi-Turbo for variety. After 4 or 5 laps we had spread out a little, PaulW had is visit to the kitty litter and the Bi-T spun off. I then had a normal sort of middle race, ran wide on a couple of occasions but still seemed to be able to pull away from the following car until about 5 or 6 laps to go when I noticed I was losing a second a lap to my chaser 

I tried hard to keep good lines and the pace up but the gap continued to drop, then I caught a 360 to lap which held me up for what seemed like a whole lap and this really let the chaser close up. It was in the draft as we cross the finish line with --:--:-- on the clock. "Please let me be close enough to the leader I don't need to do another lap" I prayed, but it was not to be, another lap with this 360 much faster and up my exhaust!

I took a defensive line into T1 and I came out in front but PaulW had better drive, side-by-side through T2 before Paul outbraked me for the tricky right of T3, but he ran wide and I held a tighter line and got my nose back infront. Sadly this meant I was on the outside of T4 and had to concede the place. We were pretty much side-by-side again down the back straight but Paul is better under the brakes. All I can do now is pressure Paul and hope to get a better drive out of the last corner and win the drag to the line. As we approach the up hill chicane there is a back marker, perhaps this will give me an opportunity? No, he stayed wide on the turn-in and let us both through very cleanly, well done that man.

Then Paul made his mistake, running wide in the next left and let me through. Bad luck there, tremendous last lap and the place should have been yours.

Picnic

[rufbtr]

i had a really bad race yesterday, in qually my pc crashed at the end of quali, tried to get in but then pc crashed to desktop, after that logged in again, but came into another game, fiinally came back in warm up. to my surprise i had 2e place. well that didn't last long, because i loaded the wrong setup, tyres didn't get warm at all, and  spun loosing my front spliiter and bumper, wel that gave me a long time in the pits.(could even smoke a ciggy) watch all of you lapping me twice)

then comes the most frustating part getting back, but you have to get out of your pace due to blue flags. i could have stopped, but thought hey lets just ride this pony to the end of the race, and see what happens. 

well next time maybe better, i hope.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

Replay is now available at the usual.

Thanks Picnic.

[PaulW]

I don't know Picnic- we both went for it but you kept your head so I think you deserved it more tbh!

Forgot to say; the start was excellent last night. I think Matjas keeping the pace low and waiting until the start line to go meant everyone was able to exit the last corner and calmly get into position. Worked a treat. For that track anyway

[Matjaz Plotajs]

I'm racing in MoG league where we have a rule that the podium finishers from previous race must start at the back so I know how important it is to keep a steady pace during the formation lap and especially to not hammer it down to early so drivers in the back can have a chance to get into position. My pace was at about 100 km/h so I hope that was not to fast... it's really spooky to hear a nervous rumbling at your ass when you are approaching the start/finish line and everyone is eager to press the throttle.

EDIT: I got my new modem today so things should be back to normal again.

[Rob Bywater "Kerb Crawlers"]

Agree with that Paul - the start was excellent, could really feel the tension mounting as we approached the s/f line.

Two apologies to make - 1st to Jamera (I hit the grass exiting turn 2, Jam overtook me and then ran wide on the tight 3rd. I went up the inside but drifted wide also, knocking him off the track.)

2nd to Michael Cooper (He took me by surprise braking early when I was right behind him and I rear ended him - oohh wheres the Kenneth Williams picture - off the track.)

Apart from the above made some silly mistakes, and had some good duels. Definitely getting more confident now - though still find myself driving slower on-line than I do off-line. Am scared of i) spinning off regularly, and ii) ruining someones race with a bad mistake.

Hope more of you cant make it to Monza cos of holidays etc, then I can have a higher finishing position - maybe as high as 13th  .

Cheers

Rob