UKPnG Season 2 - Fun Race - Ahvenisto - Jan 21

[Legzy]

Replay & Results in usual places

I've expressed my views on funny weather elsewhere and that hasn't changed. Appreciate you efforts though Legzy, you'll get the weather balance right I'm sure.

Understood, I just hope that having an idea of what weather is likely to come, will spoil less peoples races as we'll obviously see far less 'freak' weather moments.

Appreciate all 'Forecast' type feedback though chaps?

[Mike Miller]

I enjoyed the close battle all race long with Ian and Paul, but throughout the event, I couldn't help feeling like Mini's and Abarths would have been much better here. While the 3 of us did pass each other, none were from a well executed setup and then pass. Each was from others making a mistake. I was quicker than Ian till 5 minutes to go when my tires abruptly decided to quit working. From then on, Paul must have been frustrated with him being quicker, but not able to get by. I didn't prepare for this race at all prior to the practice so I'm pleased with the overall result.

I too get a little flumoxed when tire marks dissapear during quali. I try not to use them focusing on brake markers or trees and such, but this track didn't have any markers. Paul put down a great lap in quali and I wasn't too far behind on the front row. I decided to give it up as my leg was getting tired pushing so hard. Then, last lap, Ian throws down the gauntlet and pips me for the front row. It was for not though as he didn't get a good launch at the start. I blew past him and closed up on Paul into T1. I knew the track would be damn near impossible to overtake on so I tried an ultra agressive bullish move into T1. It didn't turn out well for Paul as I muscled into him putting him wide in T1. Sorry Paul. I wanted to give it back, but Ian was already through. Upset with myself, I missed the apex for turn 4 and let Paul and Matt through.

By lap 3, things worked out to where they started as I saw Ian somehow got tangled up with Paul just over the jump. I didn't see what happened, but we were back in starting order so game on. I pestered Ian for 20 minutes or so. There was nothing between us the entire race. I gave him a light tap into the tight left after the jump sending him offline. That was really my only opportunity to try a pass and realistically, it wasn't going to happen. After giving it back, Ian and I were a few seconds behind Paul. From there, I'm not sure if Paul was taking it easy waiting for us or he was struggling. I just couldn't tell. Ian and I were running pretty quick and eventually caught up.

Lap 18 Paul had a HUGE lurid slide that he recovered after he put on his superhero cape. That was incredible. His tires obviously were going off because a lap or two later, he slipped up at the start/finish line and I was through into turn 1. Paul and I ice skated from there and Ian drove away.

Nice race guys. Congrats to KC on the top 4 positions. Ian, you got your revenge. I'm next. I think I missed the team orders memo?

[Legzy]

Tonight's Official Race Weather Forecast:
Race Start:   Overcast
Early Conditions:  Dry
Mid Race Conditions:  Rain
Late Race Conditions:  Overcast

Please remember, the forecast is not "exact"... but just like any forecast, it'll give you a good idea what to expect (this has been designed this way intentionally).

Don't understand where the rain came from.  The real weather didn't seem to have any.

Please remember that with all weather generation, I purely set the level of changeability (ie quite low tonight as there was not a lot of change in the real forecast). Is going from "overcast" to "light rain" (I know it said "rain", but 'descriptions' is something we can get H@L to tweak for future improvement) a big shock? In England it's always overcast &/or raining, don't suppose Finland is too different?

What I'm hoping to achieve, is that by publishing a forecast before the race, none of us got a shock mid-race when we saw a bit of rain.

Our "Weather.txt" generators are not advanced enough yet for me to tell them "definitely no rain tonight or else!!!"
Besides, how do you know the real weather forecasts were going to be spot on

[goldtop]

Some really nice close racing tonight and one of those races when there was never a dull moment.

A pb in quali put me in amongst our Italian friends which was always going to make for an exciting start A keenly and fair fought first few corners and we all came together at the sharp downhill left hander where I locked up and went into the back of Paulo's vette Hope there was no damage mate. I dropped back to cool down a bit, but then managed to clip the back of Geoffers as he braked. Not my best performance then, and again sorry if I caused you any damage/lost time.

Had a bit of dicing with Legzy, Paulo and Clive and some fun when the rain came, which meant that before I knew it the flag was out for the race end.

Great result for us Kerbies tonight, well done all

Pre race forecast seemed to be very accurate to what happened in the race, but the last time I checked the real world weather it just said overcast. Still, at least we had an idea of what was actually coming in the race which has got to be a step forward. Thanks to H@L and Legzy (and any others?) for their efforts with this.

[Mike Miller]

I rather like the unpredictability in the weather. I'd rather see it follow the actual forcast/conditions and it be not known specifically what will happen prior to the race. Like pit stops, the weather adds a bit of real racing to our online experiences. The more I practice changing weather online, the better prepared I will be with real club racing.

[Clive Loynes]

LAP CHART HERE:-

www.planet-venom.co.uk/PnG/Ahvenisto/index.html


Grats to Ian on the win and his FL on the last lap!

[Tim Robey]

I enjoyed that, I had lots of close racing early on with MJ, Spanner, but lost some time when I went wide in turn 1 & span, and then I was battling with JPV who passed me out of the downhill hairpin on the second try.

I span again at turn 1  when I went wide knowing the 3 leaders were bearing down on me but luckily they missed me 

After that I was running on my own, but struggling with worn tyres.

I had no problems with the weather, was surprised the forecast was for rain mid-race but it wasn't a shock when the rain arrived, and it was light so didn't really affect my race. Neat idea 

[Paul968]

Enjoyed the middle bit a lot but the start and finish were less fun. Really pleased to get pole since kids/wife/dinner meant no practice and i knew Ian and Mike would be strong. Got a good start but my 250 lost out to the weight of Mike's vette at the apex of T1 - a little team talk might be in order SBG nipped past as well and I got squeezed onto the grass on the exit for good measure, so wasn't feeling too good at that point. Mike then went wide and we both got past. After a few laps Ian lost it braking over the crest and left me in the lead, and that is how it stayed for a long time. Around half distance Ian and Mike had a coming together and lost a couple of secs, but they quickly started closing in. My tyres were starting to suffer I think, and there wasn't much I could do, but I pushed hard and tried to keep ahead. In the end I made a silly mistake in a place I didn't need to and let them both past. I hung on for a bit but Ian was clearly in better shape and Mike was very hard to pass, so I ended up 3rd. Disappointing really after leading for so long, but I probably should have looked after my tyres better - lesson learned. Grats to Ian on the win and Mike for suffering the horrid vette (at this track) for 40 minutes.

[ginsters sponsored]

SBG nipped past as well and I got squeezed onto the grass on the exit for good measure, so wasn't feeling too good at that point.

Yep, sorry for that Paul. I was avoiding Mike on the inside and saw you too late. I'm sure we will be more circumspect in a "real" race, as per team memo, or walls will be put up in our garages

Regarding the weather thingy, I didn't see your final forecast cause I was practicing. Can you please announce it earlier?

[purdie]

That was fun, even if it was only 8 laps for me  

New car and track for me, managed to start practice two hours before the race and have to say its a fun track. The 250 was great to drive, and I decided to go with the H-pattern gearbox and use the clutch, adds an extra dimension to racing Classics  

Only realised halfway through quali that the other tyre compound was soft (D12 or something?) and had not broken the 1m40s, so swapping compound I managed to get a 37s in, just under 3s off pole! Grats Paul, mega lap and the top guys in general.

Race was a little hectic at the start but I kept my nose clean, I'm better at taking that off myself without others  
Had fun with Geoffers and Legzy, Legzy overtook round the outside very nicely   and soon after I crashed out. Shame I missed the rain.

Grats Ian  

[pribeiro]

I rather like the unpredictability in the weather. I'd rather see it follow the actual forcast/conditions and it be not known specifically what will happen prior to the race. Like pit stops, the weather adds a bit of real racing to our online experiences. The more I practice changing weather online, the better prepared I will be with real club racing.

+1 

[spanner]

I'd actually gone on to do some GTR2 practise but then realised the server was being restarted early for this so thought i'd actually give it a go for once. Was only thinking of staying on for practise but as there were still places available i thought i'd stay. Plus i was pretty happy with the car finally after Legzy kindly donated his setup even if it was a bit tail happy in the end, though just glad it was understeering like they all seem to do!

Took it gently early on but it just meant i got swamped by those red buzzing things then had a good scrap with Tim and MJ but Tim dropped back then MJ seemed to just quit out Struggled a bit in the wet then struggled with the car later on as the rears were wearing a bit compared to the fronts. But all-in-all a nice re-introduction to PnG

[pribeiro]

 ...where I locked up and went into the back of Paulo's vette Hope there was no damage mate.  

No damage and arm done at all mate.   I was tapped so many times this race I lost the count....

Personaly, I usualy don't chose a heavy powered car. I still don't know why I chosed it.
Lost all the practice session (as usual)   and made 3 or 4 laps in quali which gave me
the 10th starting position.
Good acceleration will give me a couple of positions during start, I thought. It happened.
I was in 7th for half of the race, always with three and then two Alfas right on my rear bumper.
I knew that if I could remain in the apex, I could keep the place untill next corner.
The pressure was intense, so intense that one of the Alfas colide with me and it spun (replay 1117.346).
An advantage of driving a 1500 kg. car.
When the rain came, I hold it for a while, but a slighty mistake allowed an Alfa to pass me.
10 minutes to the end my rear tires went off and Legzy got me aswell.
On the very last lap Matt's tires where even worst than mine, I presume, and I managed to pass him.

Congrats to the podium and to the Ade's driving on the E-Type.

Hats off to all backmarkers, but as was said before you don't need to get out of the track
and ruin your lap to let front drivers pass. Just brake a bit sooner on the next corner
and give the apex to the leaders to pass you.  

Cheers

[Manteos]

Next time is better if I shut up about car pace... GTA would have fit perfectly with these rockets in front of the grid

About my race, it was an unbelievable fun against Marco, that wasn't trained at all I suppose... However one of the most "rude" duel in my entire life of OR driver... I know that Marco is a noise when is back to someone, and we spent a lot of laps ovartaking each other sometimes fairly, and sometimes not, but always in a Gentleman agreement between us, and without overambitious manouvre...
Probably even PR had fun seeing these 2 red Alfas fighting behind him with "strokes of red paint"... but it seemed more an issue between 2 "Italian spaghetti eaters", and we only missed a gun to be even more realistic
However after this endless fight with Marco, I started to attack the Z06 of PR, but he was sliding around during all the 3rd left uphill corner, and I can't avoid to touch him... or he can't avoid to touch me, same result... However after this touch my car gone in spin... It wasn't fault of PR surely, that was a race contact at all! After that I was just late for a meet with some friends, and I preferred to push esc, a little bit angry with my self, because I surely would prefere to see how it would finish the race... We'll never know it
Great fun, and grats to the quick kerb krawlers that were on another planet in this race  
Cu for the next

[Manteos]

 ...where I locked up and went into the back of Paulo's vette Hope there was no damage mate.  

No damage and arm done at all mate.   I was tapped so many times this race I lost the count....

Paulo, obviusly you' re talking about me, but it was impossible don't tap you.. There was an enormous difference in cornering speed between Alfas and Z06, and even if I was braking inside the corner to avoid the contact, sometimes it was impossible to do it, because I should stop my car to avoid you, and I had another car one tenth behind me, that surely would have caused some collision if I would have brake more than I was doing during the race.
Comfort you thinking that I received a lot of "knockings" on my red alfa too! However it was a great race on a great track and i hope you will excuse me for having ruined your rear bumpers
Cu