UKGPL Season 19 (2010) Amateurs Trophy (65) - Nürburgring (Nordschleife) - May 18

[Clutch4]

Wow what a race, really enjoyed it and totally shattered after 5 laps of the ring where i really got into a groove.

Didn't take part in qually as couldn't make a clean out lap. My race lasted one corner when someone in front of me braked incredibly early at the back of the pits. I'm always very cautious and brake well short of my braking distance on the opening laps, even braking offline usually, but i was totally caught out by whoever was infront as they braked absolutely miles from even the longest braking distance, tapped them gently and lost a wheel.

My fault i guess, maybe something was going on ahead. 

[NickyIckx]

 

its exactly like C.Clutch said once in an earlier thread  ; `there are many drivers in these so called amateurs division acting like bloody beginners `.

to been smashed two times in front of T1 after start is pretty much idiot wind !!!!!!!!!!!!!
thx for that  

[Storm_Cloud]

Trying to be good and cautious at the start, braked early but gently, watching the mirrors, watching the sides, watching the front. A car went sideways two in front of me and I tapped the back of the fella in front. Managed to get away and was the first of the T1 numpties. A little red speck in the distance quickly turned into a lumbering sideways Ferrari. Gobbled up the time to him and settled down to follow as I didn't think much of my chances to overtake. The Ferrari spun to the left through that downhill left before the track opens up before the jump. Spotted a nice gap on the right and pressed through it but No! The Ferrari lurched quite oddly to the right and caught my wheel. I got stuck in the hedge. Real shame as I was quick enough to run with the arse end of the top 5. Hey-ho.

[JamesRye]

  Devastated.
Great lap in qualy, great start. fun battle with Goran who was way faster than me.
running in P3 on last lap only to spin it ALL AWAY.
Car was starting to oversteer. Why oh why couldn't I just have cruised to the finish. I'd have settled for 4th!


This could have been my first podium since October 6th 2009, when I won my first ever amateurs race. Since then I have only managed a 5th, averaging P10.

Sorry if I cocked anybodys race up trying to rejoin.

Anyways, well done to everyone, the times were very good@!

[bernie]

Wow what a race, really enjoyed it and totally shattered after 5 laps of the ring where i really got into a groove.

Didn't take part in qually as couldn't make a clean out lap. My race lasted one corner when someone in front of me braked incredibly early at the back of the pits. I'm always very cautious and brake well short of my braking distance on the opening laps, even braking offline usually, but i was totally caught out by whoever was infront as they braked absolutely miles from even the longest braking distance, tapped them gently and lost a wheel.

My fault i guess, maybe something was going on ahead.  

Not seen the replay but its quite possible that was me  

No practise on full tanks and very little track time in 65's at the 'ring,  so I wasn't sure where to put the stoppers on , that and was also being extra cautious after the t1 incedent , didnt fancy spoiling some one elses race .

You guys gotta learn them PRO rules and make alowances for ijits like me , 5 laps of the green hell and everybody wants to be first into the first corner , completely stupid IMO but then no one is perfect are they (except me of course )  

apart from that I had a crap race , launched the Lotus sky high on Lap 1 and was suprised to be undamaged and able to carry on racing , though I think the unjin was poorly cos even though it drove fine my lappery got worser and worser the longer the race went on  

Sorry if I wrecked your race though  

edit to add spotters report :-

3m48.160s
Bernie65 Darwin - spotters reporting:
the engine problem is getting worse.
the engine problem is getting worse.

3m56.160s
Bernie65 Darwin - spotters reporting:
severe problems with right front suspension.

Thank god for that , thought i'd lost the plot completely

[Phil Thornton]

Server replay loaded in usual place if anyone wants to review the L1 T1 shunt.

Had a good qually improving my PB on both flying laps.  I was involved in the L1 T1 shunt, sorry for ruining anyone's race (particularly Nicky - my Antipasti Team mate )).  I did stay on my own side of the track (started on left of grid) and didn't brake too late (made the corner very easily and hugged the inside verge the whole way round).  Didn't want to brake too early either, that just makes a rear end more likely as Clutch found to his cost one corner later.  Anyway submitted incident report so mods (but not me since I'm involved) will sort that out.

Then I made a mistake at the left hander before Flugplatz and almost got stuck in the hedge but bounced out.  Unfortunately couldn't regain control (put in full left hand lock) before encroaching on the racing line.  Nevertheless there was enough room for a car to get through.  Storm Cloud tried it but unfortunately he didn't get through, sorry about that.  Suspect a hint of warp here, no firm contact on server replay (had full left lock on before the contact) and "The Ferrari lurched quite oddly to the right" on Storms client?  Submitted another incident report for the mods to sort out . 

After that settled down into a good rhythm and improved by PB on each flying lap (6 new PBs in all in that race and praccy!).  Manage to nick a place from Steve Bird on the last lap when he made a slight mistake (can't remember where).  Grats to Tim on the win, incredible lap times!

[G Jonsson]

Grats Tim, and also Clive and King Hiro for podium.

For me it was a frustrating race. The start was somewhat crazy and I lost some positions after staring from 3rd on the grid, but I got away safe and settled for a five lap race.

Tim and Clive just left and I had two cars between me and them so nothing I could do about it (just pretending I could have if I had kept my 3rd position).

One of the cars that overtook me at the start went wide and I could pass him, I think it was King Hiro, but the other one, James Rye did a really good job and keeping me behind. The only excuse for what happend then I can think of is that I must have fallen asleep because all of a sudden I came way too close at the total wrong place and lost a wheel in the process. I know it is possible to win at Nurburg with only three wheels, Clive did so a while ago, but for me it was over. I just hope I did not take any of you with me in my stupid move.

Well there is always next race they say but................................

Göran

[EvilClive]

Grats to Tim on a commanding drive. I thought I was getting that Brab at about 99% during quali and felt good for a PB and maybe pole. I was astonished  to see Tim had clipped a good 3 secs off my banzai lap time. By the way, I would suggest to Bernie that at somewhere like Nurby i always do quali on race fuel. The out lap is so long that you will definitely have your tyres up to temp before you start a flying lap, plus the knowledge of how the car handles on cold tyres and full tanks at the start of the race is worth the slight penalty..IMHO.

Tim blitzed out of the blocks at the start and I just managed to hold my line and 2nd spot into T1 & 2. I wanted to hang on to Tim and keep him under pressure, but without being so close that I got involved in anything that he got wrong...about 1-2 secs felt about right.

That plan immediately came under pressure, as Tim repeated his quali pace!! I decided to do the "Monaco" thing and race the circuit and not race Tim in an attempt to at least survive. This seemed to be a good idea as 2nd spot looked increasingly secure with Goran trapped behind James as Tim and myself pulled away. I was waiting/hoping for Tim's pace to be his weakness with a mistake or two, which he almost got right with a couple of spins  , but nothing major enough to allow me to actually get on his tail and he built a 10 sec plus lead.
Going into the last lap I glanced at prib to check the gap back to 3nd spot and saw 60 secs. ( or whatever prib measures time in). That knowledge was a bit of a double edged sword!! because as a result of looking at prib for a fraction too long I missed my braking point into T1 and ran slightly wide on the grass. The most delicate of brushes with the fence instantly made the 60 sec gap VERY important!!

The BT11 now had what felt like a flat rear right tyre, so that on every, even slightly, left turn the tail just kept on going around. The rest of the last lap had me sweating gallons, as I could see the gap closing very quickly as James, Goran and Thom took whole chunks out of my lead. Every time I tried to increase my pace the damn thing performed a slow spin!! Entering the long straight I had about 6 secs lead left and was praying that I could take the fast left hander at the end without crashing......under the bridge..keep over to the right.....eeese the car left and feather the gas...close eyes and hope.... opposite lock..correction.. wiggle.
Just the esses and the short straight, but the gap was down to less than 2 secs and I can see them closing in my mirrors!!!! That last lap was over 1 minute slower than my previous laps................ sooo lucky that I had that 60 sec cushion!!!

Grats to all the finishers and there were some good PB's in there as well I see.

[Storm_Cloud]

Suspect a hint of warp here, no firm contact on server replay (had full left lock on before the contact) and "The Ferrari lurched quite oddly to the right" on Storms client?  Submitted another incident report for the mods to sort out . 

I think it was probably warp - didn't mean to suggest that you'd intentionally hobbled me!

[fpolicardi]

Yes it  was a new pb for me, 4 sec. better than previous, and this was the first GPL race since my ski incident at Easter. I used for the first time in GPL the new G27 that was taking dust since before Easter and the more precision vs. DFP helped too.
I have to thanks Steve Bird for leaving me room at T1 after have outbraked me, I went very cautious on T1 braking cause I haven't yet the right feeling on my left foot and I have still to get used to new pedals.
Later I had almost an heart attack when Al spun uphill to Adenauer Forst, I tried to slow down as much as possible without spin myself and guessing where the Al's car had pointed 
Luckily all went well and Al could continue behind me.
Then I settled behind Goran and Rye that were having some battle. I could gain something on Goran on twisty bits but he was faster to exit on the long straight to try a tow pass.
At 4th lap Goran crashed at Plantzgarten almost taking Rye with him and I had to do an avoid moving that made me hit the outside fence. At the moment I had some confortable seconds gap from KH that soon were zeroed so KH's BRM roared me along the straight. We had an exciting last lap cone to nose, a new pb for me, and we passed Rye crashed before the Karussel. I tried to stay close on the last straight but I think I had a slight too short 5th to take a tow on the fast BRM.
On the last esses we almost caught Evil. Well done KH, Evil and Tim of course   

[Clutch4]

Think it might have been you Bernie, but no problem at all

Cheers 

[Turkey Machine]

its exactly like C.Clutch said once in an earlier thread  ; `there are many drivers in these so called amateurs division acting like bloody beginners `.

to been smashed two times in front of T1 after start is pretty much idiot wind !!!!!!!!!!!!!
thx for that 

Anybody trying to pin that on me will be laughing to the judge. I was not in this one, so no incident reports including me please.

Quite how Tim can get the BT11 so fast round here I don't know. I'd previously bested an 8.50.

I think Tim, evil and Goran will be getting the Cooper next season to redress the balance.

[Al Heller]

I'm reasonably pleased with 6th. Especially considering the quality of the Am's field (I think Clive & Tim are now fully-fledged aliens ) & the fact that when I joined UKGPL a year ago I was fighting for 6th in Novices.   

I was lucky to finish this one at all after my lap-one 6th-gear tank-slapper in the Adenauer Forst dip - desperately tried to control the BRM as it lurched from one side of the track to the other, then thumped the vegetation hard but somehow missed the trees & finally slid back onto the track (undamaged amazingly). Apologies to Fulvio & Steve who were behind me at the time - was mighty impressed that you managed to avoid me. After that I could see James, Goran & Fulvio tantalisingly close ahead but despite pushing hard the gap stayed pretty static. Behind was similar stalemate - Steve was gaining on me in some sections but I could squeeze ahead in others.

The second half of the race saw a mighty battle with Bob - lots of spicy moments & we swopped places at least 5 times (which wasn't easy at this place!) though it was finally settled in Bob's favour on the last lap when I overcooked it in sector 3. Congratulations to Tim, Clive & Tom and to everyone who managed to bring it home.

[kinghiro]

qualed 4th and was 3 rd after a reasonably good start . Put my H shifter in 6 th instead of 4 th while braking down 2 mins out in l1 and got surprised in a way that made me go wide and out and ended almost last. after some luck with mistakes being done up front, I was in a really exciting battle for 3 rd with Policardi. did pb on last lap and sneaked in a podiumfinish . very pleased witth the result after such a lousy start.

[FullMetalGasket]

Pretty happy with the race, my recent sojorn in the forests of Germany managed to equally aid and hinder me!
Took my first flying lap at a safe speed knowing that qualifying laps don't come around very many times at the ring and took pole, next lap I actually pushed and found myself 4 seconds down entering the final section only to spin because I took the modern line
Decided to try to take the race at a sensible pace once clear of the pack but kept making silly errors and spinning (span at least once in each of the first 3 laps!), eventually pulled myself together in lap 4 and started pulling away from Evil at a steady rate - he then helped me by hobbling himself just as I got into the flow 
Great racing through the field by the sound of things, shame all Evil could do was keep me honest - was really looking forward to a bust up!
Wd guys!