UKGTR Season 10 Lower Endurance - Imola - Jul 26

[Simon Gymer]

Qualified with a time I expected to, which put me 6th on the grid. Lap 1 was a bit chaotic with all the front guys getting past Hal. Then had a coming together into the double left hander which gave me aero damage for the rest of the race. Pit stop was good and I chose to save time by not repairing the damage, but I'd already had two cut warnings by then and eventually I got my 3rd warning and a stop go. Red mist then as I went hell for leather, driving faster in the race than in qualifying even! Unfortunately driving like a loonatic caused me to spin into aquaminerale and I thought that was my challenge over. Thankfully everyone else seemed to have dramas too and I ended up finishing 3rd. Bizarre.

Shame about the discos, Jon was easily going to win that one too which is a real shame for Team Shark.

Had some of the usual fun with TT in his "quick in a straight line" Lambo GT2 too. I know Rob seemed to be struggling a lot in the BMW M3 and at one point when TT and I were lapping him, there seemed to be some coming together with him and TT and my foot didn't leave the right hand pedal and I drove through at full speed inbetween them both. VERY scarey!

GT3s were a bit thin on the ground, but well done to Lazlow on the win and the two Sharks of Picnic and Gizmo on their podiums.

Have to say I'll be glad when the new pack is released cause the addon car engine sounds are driving me up the wall. They just all sound demented.

It would also be great if someone could look into the tyre issues on all the addon cars. I ran the F430 on softs in the race and they never went over 70 degrees no matter how hard I pushed. Tyre wear was normal too. It's just plain wrong and gives them a big advantage over the standard cars in that respect.

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

It would also be great if someone could look into the tyre issues on all the addon cars. I ran the F430 on softs in the race and they never went over 70 degrees no matter how hard I pushed. Tyre wear was normal too. It's just plain wrong and gives them a big advantage over the standard cars in that respect.

My fronts were similar in the 350Z so I don't think it's the add-ons... Imola's always been easy on tyres.

[Truetom]

First things first:
- apologies to Stewprovo. Got caught - were you braking a bit earlier? - and couldn't nearly stop in time. My breaking point was way further, so I didn't expect you to start braking there. Nevertheless, my fault and I'm SO glad you caught it and only your, erm, rear looked just as it should seemed a bit dented. Hope your car wasn't damaged in any other way
- @ H@l: I'm not sure if I didn't swerve into you, so I wouldn't have any problem if you just drove off. It's a racing incident in my view anyway. That you waited just proves your high integrity and moral standards (stop crying, will ya! )
- @ Spanner: your driving was rubbish and so was mine.   There was a contact all the same and it was my fault for being pesky and pushy. But that was one of the few moments I had a chance to pass and it didn't work. Sorry.
- @Shark: it was a scary moment, though I was positive there's enough space for 3. Didn't have any of you in my view angle, though. It would be your fault anyway 

I like Imola but I never do well here. I think it's solely fault of me that high chicane. Any way I took it I lost 1 sec per lap there. Add two spins and you get 6th place. Hell, I should be pleased with the rubbish driving I had. 

Bad luck for the discos.   Good show, JPS.

TT 

[Busi]

I ran out of motivation after a couple of mistakes, end of race lol

Till that moment I'd had some fun with a couple of GT2 Porsches that were taking like 100 metres on me in the straights, but I was risking everything to cut them back around the corners nice one

[Stewprovo]

First things first:
- apologies to Stewprovo. Got caught - were you braking a bit earlier? - and couldn't nearly stop in time. My breaking point was way further, so I didn't expect you to start braking there. Nevertheless, my fault and I'm SO glad you caught it and only your, erm, rear looked just as it should seemed a bit dented. Hope your car wasn't damaged in any other way

I had to brake earlier as I was at full of fuel. I had some suspension damage as well as the aero, but it was just a racing incident, so no worries. Has really bad race, when I pitted, instead of putting soft/soft like I asked, my pit crew put Hard/Hard, and did'nt add the 10 litres of fuel I asked for. So had to do splash and dash at end, but not before getting drive thru for going wide (?) at aqua minerale. Then when I did stop for fuel, they changed the tyres again as well. I plan on sacking the team KC pit crew, and I'm going to hire Renaults!!!!! Grats to all.

[spanner]

That was the first time that i felt the 997 was just not as quick as the 430. Compared to practise beforehand, i was losing the backend alot under engine braking while seemling locking up the fronts alot! So consequently i go off on the first lap going through that horrible chicane. Which consequently meant every lap i was taking it gingerly and preying going through it evertime! Had a battle trying to get back up the field with Matt putting up some resistance and slowly getting past Stew and gaining on MJ until his ghost went straight into the barriers at the chicane. For some reason i'd calmed down enough to consider not changing tyres as they weren't wearing much but i'm so glad i stuck to changing them as for some reason in the second half the car was horrible, the soft fronts had dropped temps and the rear was still coming round.

But seemed to come out with Legzy 5 secs behind but found TT had dropped back for some reason and was trying to stay ahead but was badly overdriving it so i apologise for that, and was badly struggling to slow the car down and turn in to that double left at the end of the lap. This allowed Legzy to get ahead and he stayed ahead easily, once again finishing ahead of me

[H@L9000]

(stop crying, will ya! )