UKGPL Season 18 (2009) Historic Trophy (66) - Solitude - Sep 29

[Al Heller]

was kicking myself for concentrating so hard on controlling the beast and not realising that it was the last lap, when I was trying to stay ahead of Al approaching the s/f line and blew it!! to lose the place with 100 mtrs to go and finish last!!!

So does that mean I finished 4th or second-last? I know which one I prefer Actually I'm completely chuffed with that - with so many quick drivers in this series I rather expected to be dining on crumbs from the Masters' table but someone chucked me a couple of loaves here!

After crashing all over the place in the 65 Solitude event, I aimed to run very much at my own pace here in an effort to get to the finish. Wasn't that far off my PB in quallie which gave me 10th on the grid but got a decent start to nick a place from Fulvio who nevertheless was all over me by the end of lap 1. Pushed as hard as I could & managed to get a bit of breathing space - thanks largely to the big Brabham which certainly had an advantage over Fulvio's Eagle. Caught up to Jethro in the twisty bits just as he was recovering from a spin which allowed Fulvio to close right up again but luckily just as he was lining me up he edged the haybale at T1 & that extended the gap once more. Thanks to the generosity of the chaps ahead, 7th at the start of lap 10 became 4th by the finish a lap later.. Evil Clive turning into Rather-Nice Clive by deciding to go off tree climbing on the start-finish straight rather than cross the line

Anyway congratulations to Hristo for pole, FL & win & to Ken & Gerard for the podium places.       

[fpolicardi]

Should have gone well as I'm good at Solitude.
My clutch pedal seemed to have other ideas though - It decided not to register properly meaning I kept missing gears.
That resulted in numerous spins due to lack of cantrol before finally being taken out braking hard to try and avoid 2 cars in front who were much slower through a section than I was used to 

Bummer.
At least I can go play in my Dino on the Targo now though 

Sorry Tim, the two cars in front were me and Al. On first lap Al was taking very easy in the esses and I hadn't nowhere to go to pass him too so I settled behind with patience. When Al warmed his tires he went faster and we had nine laps on same pace. I had 5th too short so I couldn't get a tow on the straight to try a move and I had to stay behind in the esses even if I was a bit faster.
At lap 10 when we were on Evil tail I got distracted by JW chat and got wide at the fast right hander downhill, clipped a tree and ended on my roof.
Sorry about the chat followed my retire, I was very upset. I'll take the right penalty.
Ciao

Ciao

[Turkey Machine]

Should have gone well as I'm good at Solitude.
My clutch pedal seemed to have other ideas though - It decided not to register properly meaning I kept missing gears.
That resulted in numerous spins due to lack of cantrol before finally being taken out braking hard to try and avoid 2 cars in front who were much slower through a section than I was used to 

Bummer.
At least I can go play in my Dino on the Targo now though 

Sorry Tim, the two cars in front were me and Al. On first lap Al was taking very easy in the esses and I hadn't nowhere to go to pass him too so I settled behind with patience. When Al warmed his tires he went faster and we had nine laps on same pace. I had 5th too short so I couldn't get a tow on the straight to try a move and I had to stay behind in the esses even if I was a bit faster.
At lap 10 when we were on Evil tail I got distracted by JW chat and got wide at the fast right hander downhill, clipped a tree and ended on my roof.
Sorry about the chat followed my retire, I was very upset. I'll take the right penalty.
Ciao

Ciao

Fulvio, I wholeheartedly apologise for that, and if anybody should be penalised for it it's me, not you. Needless to say, I was looking forward to chasing Dave after my offs.

[gerard kayou]

Very difficult race for me. I had a tough day at work, and when the race started, i was tired (it is 22h30 for me).

Anyway, i managed a good time during practice, very far from the rockets on the front. For the race, it seemed clear that the mclaren was not the best choice, good handling but poor acceleration and top speed.
It was impossible for me to overtake evil, all i could do was pushing him to do a mistake, sniffing his exhaust very closely.
@evil : you were more than fair when you let me pass!! It was a gift

It worked, and i could take a third place because of my regularity instead of my speed.
On the last two laps, i could not keep my concentration, and i did a 360 on the last lap. Hopefully, i did not break the car and had enough advance to keep my place.

The choice of the mclaren was : easy to drive, and the water temperature is not quickly on the red, in the opposite to the eagle. I guess it was a mistake, the races are short.

I'll try to sleep more before the next race!!

 

[Ken Murray]

Interesting that Ken opted for the Mclaren ( as did Gerard) because of its easier handling. ..

Funny, I thought I was in a Brabham! but yes it was for it's ease of handling. 

[Ken Murray]

Still gutted about Soli - from above it appears I would have been near garenteed 2nd again if not 3rd  :'(

Is that so?

[EvilClive]

Interesting that Ken opted for the Mclaren ( as did Gerard) because of its easier handling. ..

Funny, I thought I was in a Brabham! but yes it was for it's ease of handling. 

Well from where I was... about 4 km back all cars look the same

[Ken Murray]

Well if Hristo didn't want it I'll have it!!!!



Slightly tow assisted that one but my unaided qually lap would get it too, unless Hristo updates!!

[Hristo Itchov]

Well if Hristo didn't want it I'll have it!!!!

http://www.auga68.dsl.pipex.com/Solitude_WR.jpg

Slightly tow assisted that one but my unaided qually lap would get it too, unless Hristo updates!!

  Perhaps some time during the next century... grats! 

[Syd Drake]

Results imported.

[Dave Randall]

Well if Hristo didn't want it I'll have it!!!!

Well done to both ken and Hristo for moving the goalposts yet again, please stop it!! 

Just when did you reach alien status Ken?  We used to be similar pace a couple of years back, I take some time out and when I come back your DNA has been tampered with!

Wish I knew the secret, able to drive the more aggressive diff settings now and normally quite smooth but never really moved on to that next level.  Maybe I've just reached my limit, or perhaps you need to live and breathe GPL for a while..  Any suggestions welcome 

[Ken Murray]

Well if Hristo didn't want it I'll have it!!!!

Well done to both ken and Hristo for moving the goalposts yet again, please stop it!! 

Just when did you reach alien status Ken?  We used to be similar pace a couple of years back, I take some time out and when I come back your DNA has been tampered with!

Wish I knew the secret, able to drive the more aggressive diff settings now and normally quite smooth but never really moved on to that next level.  Maybe I've just reached my limit, or perhaps you need to live and breathe GPL for a while..  Any suggestions welcome 

Well I certainly don't live and breath GPL, I hardly get time to practice at all. Maybe that's the secret!!

Seriously over the years I've invested in some decent hardware. I think I may have had my Speed 7 pedals back in the period you're referring to but early this year I bought a G25 and that gave a noticeable improvement (still using the Speed 7's with it though). I found my old DFP had become sloppy over time with quite a large dead band in the middle.

Another big help for me has been a rather fortunate situation which has resulted in me being able to use a projector/screen setup. Luckily I haven't had to buy them but it came to my attention that the bike club I'm involved in had them tucked away in the store room. Enquiries revealed they were little used and I could take them away as long as they could be returned whenever the club needed them! The setup is a real revelation. I always thought a three screen setup would be the ultimate so that you got some peripheral vision but unless the three screen are very large then the projector/screen would take some beating. The image is only 1024x768 and when projected so large it does get a little pixelated but that is more than made up for in realism. The image is approaching life size and I have the screen hung from above so that it position is just behind my steering wheel but in front of my feet, so I'm virtually sitting in the virtual world! The image is large enough to have to look up at the exit of Eau Rouge when you hit the dip at the bottom and when you pass by a wall the top of the wall is above your head. All of this makes it look very real, and the road look much wider. I did have to return the kit once recently and going back to my 19inch monitor was like driving in to a postage stamp, I just couldn't do it.

So I'm stuck now. If they ever take it back off me, or if it breaks, then I will be forced to buy a replacement or stop driving completely!!!

[Ken Murray]

Should have added on my last post that Hristo has none of this fancy hardware. I think he has an old Thrustmaster non FF wheel and not sure what his monitor setup is. So fancy hardware might help someone of limited ability like me but doesn't seem necessary for the real tenticled drivers!!

[bernie]

bloody eck !

thought I was doin well fitting a 40watt bulb upgrade in me monitor   

[Hristo Itchov]

Should have added on my last post that Hristo has none of this fancy hardware. I think he has an old Thrustmaster non FF wheel and not sure what his monitor setup is. So fancy hardware might help someone of limited ability like me but doesn't seem necessary for the real tenticled drivers!!

And old Gameport version of MSFF actually, but I drive it with the FF turned off (doesn't work properly under XP, plus you have more freedom without FF). Monitor is 17" CRT. I'm not sure I can be faster with better equipment, it's a matter of getting used to what you have and feeling comfortable with it.