UKGTR Season 13 - Upper Endurance (GT1) - Le Mans (Sarthe (1979-85)) - Sep 26

[spanner]

Remember tho MJ that when the fuel burns off we will all be on rev limiter, going with the corvette might be a safe option!

[picnic]

FORECAST is

Weather: Dry with cloud
Ambient: 13
Track: 14.15
Early Conditions:  Dry
Mid Race Conditions:  Overcast
Late Race Conditions:  Overcast

[H@L9000]

Nice race. API was way to fast for me.

I messed up in the pit. Sorry TT and anyone else that I may have inconvenienced.

I was down to 58% engine health by the end.
I knew the Mazza could take it. Good old Italian engineering.

Well done all, tough track.

[Legzy]

Really enjoyed that. Was a nice challenge, not just driving with foot to the floor, having to keep half an eye on the engine health particularly in the 2nd half. I finished with about 68% health remaining

MJ pulled off a move on me tonight, that would go down in legend for me ... if he'd not missed his braking for the almost immediately next corner . It remains a stunning move, but I really was gutted for him after that as he headed for chicken wire & I regained 3rd position... that MJ was more than worthy of.

Chuffed though to get what is surely only my 1st or 2nd podium in a GT1

p.s. Nice Oldie Team result again (P1 & P3 ) despite Lazlow being AWOL

[Mark J]

Great but ultimately frustrating race for me on this superb track.

Race of two halves, first half of race spent battling H@L and then Busi for 2nd place...which amazingly i managed to win on both occasions   Some splendid drafting action taking place down the mighty mulsanne. Unfortunately i kept picking up such a huge tow from those two that i damaged the engine it would seem for later in race   Even picking up an extra 8mph i couldnt get past either down the main straight so gawd knows how low their wing settings were  
I was on 2-5 wing, which helped me greatly in sector 3 but hindered against those two missiles on the straights.

All good until i pitted on lap 10? of 17 for my stop. Pitstop went smoothly but i stupidly forgot to check my tyre wear and realised after i could have just fuelled and saved time...like you others no doubt did   so several cars closed the gap on me.

This meant Legzy followed me out the pits despite me having a 12 sec? lead over him before the stops   we enjoyed a good duel around the lap on cold tyres but i then did a 'Hamilton' and forgot to use my brain, relying on racing adrenalin and promptly outbraked myself at Arnage corner, losing 11 seconds and 2 places    :'(
That was my podium chance blown as no way i would catch them with 6 laps to go unless they fell off. Soon noticed my engine was now nerfed too and could only get upto 188mph down the straight, about 8 less than i was getting early on and so started dropping 2+ secs a lap, but brought it home in a safe 4th place cursing myself for not using more patience on cold tyres earlier.

All great stuff though, felt like an endurance with engine wear, threatening rain clouds and drafting etc  

Congrats to podium people,   especially API who has elevated himself into alien status lately  

[Truetom]

Pah, I think this is the first time I actualy finished this race.   ...and looking forward to fun race.  

[Mcfids]

I was a bit gutted to say the least after knackering the steering at the third corner, especially after a pretty decent 3.32.1s in qualifying in the C6R.

I was following legzy who went slightly wide at T3 and I had to deviate slightly, the backend got away on the kerbs and I ploughed into the barrier. Sod's law, had done loads of laps and never the slightest whiff of ever falling off the road here.  Apologies for my wayward driving in the aftermath - the car was crabbing like mad.

Amusing formation lap - there are not many tracks where you can text chat at 150mph

It's still a great track though, with only the dull Mulsanne straight as a negative that could be fixed using the chicane version. What we need is a full 3 hour endurance special here. hint, hint...

Congrats to the podiums!

[goldtop]

Always enjoy racing here. Compromised my speed through the corners for straight line grunt with a 1-4 wing setup. Engine health was good in the Lambo so no worries there.

Had a good few opening laps and pulled a gap on Legzy until I put a wheel on the grass through the curves which spun me round. The pitstop was my usual nightmare and I exited way down road. Soon caught Pete in the vette as he made a mistake and we had a good fight. He was quicker through the curves, while I was able to use my speed down the mulsanne. Unfortunately it all ended in tears as Pete got a wheel on the grass and couldn't stop going through Esses which put me in the barrier and bent my lovely shiny Lambo :'(

Still, good fun and great pace up front. Congrats pody  

[Busi]

It was a great race while it lasted for me

Started last and had some enjoyable first laps putting my Lister at 325 kph in the straight under the toe of some drivers. Some of them could not overtake me cause when they came out of my slipstream I was again faster than them LOL (I was on 1-2 wings).

I was just behind MJ (2nd and 3rd) before the pitstops, and we were 30ish seconds behind API. I pitted for fuel only and didn't change tyres. I assume API did, cause I rejoined 2 seconds behind him but I was very angry cause I had lost at least 1 second in the pits forgetting to turn on the engine on, so with that second I could have had API's toe in the backstraight. But instead I was all the time between 1.5 and 2 seconds behind and couldn't catch his toe. That made me push very hard but I ended crashing in the slow left hander after Indianapolis.

Puncture, back to the pits, rejoined behind MJ I think but crashed again. Being very frustrated, I decided that it wasn't fun anymore for me lol so retired with 3 laps to go I think.

Grats API nice pace

[Clive Loynes]

Glad you all had fun.

After three screen freezes in four outings I decided that I wasn't going in to bat on this one.  I do like Le Mans but it has given me similar problems in PnG.  Probably just as well as I was way off the pace at 3:39.

Was only seeing 313kph on the straight.