Big thanks to Phil for his work in the backroom of GPL.
It ain't always easy and it is not until one stops and thinks about all that actually happens "as if by magic", that you realise quite how much time and commitment is involved every week.
So, we finally had a 69 race
and strangely people found it to be fun
despite the carnage at several points in both races lol.
And yes, I'm going to say it!! "I told you so!!"
Although I have raced 69's for a while, I tend to run the BRM or Lotus 63 so really had no "proven" setups for the McLaren or Matra and therefore had no "home" advantage for these races.
IMHO the exaggerated slipstream effect is at its worst at Monza 10K, because of the hugely long flat out section, easily gaining the following car 4-6 secs a lap. On other circuits it is less of a factor, but always important enough to look for if you are chasing someone.
Race 1 and I was feeling quite happy in my cobbled together setup for the Macca. I knew that pole position at this track is maybe NOT an advantage with the slipstream available, so was quite content with 5th or 6th because no-one was going to pull away in the early laps.
Sure enough a gaggle of cars was swapping poitions on every straight and dragging each other along at a fair old pace and me with them. Until...................................... Tim and Hristo decided to knit their wheels together at 200mph as they came off the banking
yep right in front of yours truly
There were orange body parts everywhere and for all of 0.00001 of a second there was a gap. Then it went orange as well! and I got an ariel view of the pit roof.
SHIFT -R and rejoined the race with Tim and Hristo some way back. I think I was so out of touch with Shift-R's that when Tim dived into the pit ( I later discovered that it was his admission of guilt for the carnage lol) I had an overwhelming desire to do the same on the next lap!! although I was merely a recipient of the mayhem. That dropped me back down the field and out of contention for the lpodium places but I had a great dice with Nicky and a photo finish with the slipstream.
Race 2 started extremely well and I was over a second clear exiting the Lesmos. But I knew that the drag act behind would soon pull that back on this circuit unless they fell over themselves. Sure enough, approaching Curve Grande I was swamped with cars hurtling up the inside!!! I held a straight line intending to take a wide fast line around CG when I was launched skywards again , performing a triple salco with 2.5 twists and a body roll, for an artistic impression score of 9.5 on the Richter scale.
By the time I had landed ( stopped laughing) and thought about a shift R, all was quiet and everyone was gone, so I decided on an early bath.
If we are contemplating a fun 69 season, can I put in a vote for a return to handicapping by pitstops for any such series? The difference between the fast cars and the slow cars is very noticeable in the 69's and there will inevitably be a grid of Lotii ( not 63's!!) and Matras. But some swingeing pitstops against the faster cars might encourage useage of some other chassis? or one that escapes the pitstop altogether.
I always found that pitstops added an extra "fun" and tactical dimension to GPL. All to often in races you can find yourself running alone, but if you know that the car 20 secs in front has a 10 sec pitstop to perform, it does add a extra incentive to push and be there when he exits pits. Or conversely if you know that you are the one who has to stop, then you need to build a cushion very methodically and choose exactly the best time to take your stop.
Grats to Billy for an inspired season of great fun with the "Spec Race" formula and to everyone who took part.
