UKGTR Season 10 Upper Endurance - Estoril (GP) - Oct 4

[Jayblue]

My quali went ok, i was expecting a slightly better time but the track was so busy - not used to that much traffic and struggled to get a good clear lap, then when i did i blew a corner somewhere! 

I hope my formation lap was ok for everyone, as all my previous leagues did standing starts it was my first time. I initially got away well on the opening laps and was comfortable with my laptimes and pace. As the race progressed my car developed bad oversteer and Jon started to catch me. The track temp also dropped by over 10 degrees, leaving my hard rear tyres cold! So by our stops Jon was right with me. I changed to mediums all round and got a good stop, don't know what strategy Jon was running but we pitted together and i left with a 22 second lead 

After that it was just a case of keeping it all together and concentrating when passing the GTC's. Throughout the race everyone was once again very helpful in this regard so thanks guys. I think i need more practice at lapping people though as Jon seemed to consistantly make up time in the traffic. Overall delighted with a first pole and win here, and i think i did enough to claim the race lap record too which will be nice. Congrats to Jon & Busi and the GTC podiums!

[Joss]

That was quite fun, and it was good being really close to TT and Busi in stint one. It's not as nice though when you're the slow one in a group, I feel like I've spent the whole season holding people up so far!

Car felt OK on new rubber, but fell off a cliff during stint 1, no grip at all so I just had to try to stay on. I think I probably scared people behind me with earlier than expected braking. Stop went well but I lost too much time before it to jump Gazza, who just held on before the end. Was going to try (probably in vain) to draft past to the line but got baulked. Oh well.

The Viper is fun in small doses, but I'm looking forward to getting out of it now

Unlucky to Ginsters (it was mad with all those cars so close) and grats podiums

[Manteos]

I think I deserve a DQ for this one... Mandatory pit not respected for me... I really forgot it... I put 100 litres at the start and I saw that it was enough to finish, but I haven't complied the rules ... Sorry to everybody.

Cu soon

[JonM_uk]

Good race for me I hadn't done so much praccy for this event but I think my setup was good and I was driving to my limit come 10 laps in. Qualified in 3rd behind JayBlue and SBG and was very happy with that. Thought I'd go for light fuel for the race and try and put myself in contention for the win by getting past SBG and JayBlue and see if I got lucky at the pit stops. The race started and I got hit in the rear on the pace lap causing a bit of damage(7.9s in pits) but it didn't seem to do anything to the car so all was well I chased SBG for a good few laps without really being able to put him under pressure but I got lucky when his tyres must've been wearing and he spun in the chicane letting me past. I then started closing JayBlue down a few tenths a lap from about 6-7s back I managed to close right in for the pitstops but I didn't park the car in the correct place for the pit so lost a bit of time there. After that was 22s behind JayBlue and decided to really go for it.......But the gap just kept increasing and there was no way I could live with the pace of JayBlue even if I had fuelled 100L and got the pitstop spot on 2nd would've been my best possible finish. Busi Started closing me down at the end but he just didn't have enough laps to catch me. Seems with his pace he should have been fighting for the lead. Well done all great race. Grats to JayBlue and Shark on their wins and all who took part
see you next time

[picnic]

Replay and provisional results posted

LapChart

[goldtop]

Quali'd mid GTC grid and filled the Z4 for a late fuel only stop. Had a good first half of the race and opened up a comfortable gap behind. I was just about hanging on to Legzy but never really with condistent pace to put under pressure. I hit someone who I think was discoing just before T1 damaging my front suspension. I lost concentration after that and started going backwards with lots of silly mistakes

Awkward track for GT1/GTC mix; few places to let the GT1s through without losing time.

Congrats to podies

[API]

Argh! My screen got frozen, again! Last time this happened was in the previous Upper Endurance race. Nothing during the last two weeks and then...

I'm so sorry if someone (Matt?) did hit me. I really have to do something for this problem.

Close one picnic! Just a few more laps... 

Well done winners and pods. 

Edit. Sorry goldtop 

[picnic]

Close one picnic! Just a few more laps... 

18 mins to go - 18 sec gap
17 mins to go - 17 sec gap
....
0 mins to go - 0 sec gap

Just lucky you didn't have time to work out where I was so slow Well driven to keep taking that time off me consistently. Sounds like I was lucky you had that screen freeze! Bad luck.

[Truetom]

That was quite fun, and it was good being really close to TT and Busi in stint one. It's not as nice though when you're the slow one in a group, I feel like I've spent the whole season holding people up so far!

That was some of the scarier GT1 racing so far for me. 4 in the row for a good number of laps, changing positions, side by side driving, 3 abreast into T1!.
I'm glad I'm making progress in The Beast, can even do close racing on a twisty track like Estoril - imagine that. Marcos is fine when the tyres last, then it's like driving on a jelly.

I think I probably scared people behind me with earlier than expected braking.

Almost got me a few times, especially in T1 but I was never close enough for a safe dash inside. I wish I was bolder.

Nice going there, Busi, Freq, Gazzer.

Grats to Jayblue, owning Jon is a major trick.
Well done also to "Ugly Butt" Shark for GTC win.  

GTCs were great.
Darn, I didn't lap H@l.  

[nsfast]

had a small spin and was collected by a GT40, sorry to whoever that was.

No problem Stewprovo. You were sideways in the middle of the track and I choose the wrong side to go.  

Good race tonight but a bit messy. I was very pleased with qualifying and got off to a reasonable start. However, a punt from behind on at turn 1 cost me places on lap 2 and some damage.

It took me a while to get going from then but by the pitstops I was running well again and up into P7. Looking forward to 2nd half until I got a Stop n Go for pit lane speeding.  :'( I felt sure I slowed down enough before entering the pits...so not sure why. Demotivated with a large gap in front and behind I started to take it easy to the end of race. Shame because I seemed have reasonable pace tonight.

Congrats to the podiums.

[Gazza49er]

The race started and I got hit in the rear on the pace lap causing a bit of damage

Sorry about that Jon, my thumb slipped and hit my speed limiter button (scared the be jesus out of me) 

That was good fun. Qualified ahead of what i thought putting me between some aliens which put some pressure on me. Started pretty well, Freq got down the inside of me in T1 but i managed to cut back and regain the spot and eek out a little gap. Think it helped me that Busi was battling Freq which let me get away. SBG also got inside me on T1 but again i cut back and got the place back on exit then he seemed to dissapear.

Messed up the pit stop a bit and came out only a couple of secs ahead of Freq. Made one mistake which let Busi through but then just had enough to hold of Freq 

Grats podiums.

[JonM_uk]

The race started and I got hit in the rear on the pace lap causing a bit of damage

Sorry about that Jon, my thumb slipped and hit my speed limiter button (scared the be jesus out of me) 

NP's man it didn't seem to affect the car just had to remember not to repair it at pitstop

Grats to Jayblue, owning Jon is a major trick.

TBF I can see it happening a fair bit

[Prof]

I think I deserve a DQ for this one... Mandatory pit not respected for me... I really forgot it... I put 100 litres at the start and I saw that it was enough to finish, but I haven't complied the rules ... Sorry to everybody.

You may wish to submit an incident report to remind the moderator who takes the race.

An enjoyable race qualifying 2nd and taking 3rd behind a very fast Shark (well driven boss) and Lazlow - great race long battle but your soft tyre strategy for the second stint won you the place deservedly.

Well done to the GT1 drivers for finding sensible places to overtake tonight, it must have been difficult at some points of the track.

An enjoyable race and a podium on my birthday - my best present  

[ginsters sponsored]

What a waste there. Silly spin let Jon go by and dafter attempt to pass Gazza, sorry for that, then hit rear of a GTC who took me by suprise (prolly my bad, will look at replay) and that was that. Good pace JayBlue (nothing to do with CAFC that?) and congrats to all. I've had a shocker all in all in GT1 enduro so can we start S10 again?

An enjoyable race and a podium on my birthday - my best present  

Happy Birthday and congrats to Prof and all runners and riders.

[Busi]

I got in with just 10 mins of quali left, that totally compromised my race. First flying lap I did was not good, next was also slow. Up for a last chance, I found traffic in the last two corners when I was for sure gonna take 3rd if not better, but thats what happens with multiclass racing, you can't risk it all to a single attempt so I started back in 6th, once again in the Lambo-gimmie some top speed!-Murcielago

I spent the whole stint trying to overtake the cars ahead, TT then FreQ then the two at the same time brilliant fight with you guys and not a single touch I think! when I finally overtook them both I was up to 4th. I had a reasonably fast pitstop which would have allowed me to leapfrog Gazza for 3rd, but silly me I spun as I exited the pits and was still in 4th. I could soon overtake him though and Jon was nearly 10 seconds ahead. I started setting some qualifying laps but with traffic it was not too easy to catch him. I ended the race 2 seconds behind him, maybe without my silly mistake in the pit exit I could've given him a tough time, oh well happy with 3rd

Grats jayblue and all podiums!