UKGPL Season 21 (2011) Historic (66) - Panchine - Apr 26

[FullMetalGasket]

Stupid Brabham and it's silly loose wheel nuts 

Might have been able to hang onto H and Clive, but got clobbered by Goran on the exit to T1 and was spunded - thankfully no damage, seemingly the same was true for the other dance-class attendees 

Was making good time and slowly clawing back up towards Mike when I ran wide into one of the esses and lightly ( ) clipped the fence - game over 

Appologies to Phil for getting frighteningly closs and also to Ronnie, that wasn't intended as a rejoin - I was simply carrying too much speed to slow and still make that corner on the grass without sliding out onto the track 

[EvilClive]

What a way to end a race!!

Apologies to Phil for ending his at the same time.

I had been tailing Hristo for the whole race when we caught Phil as we croseed the jump. Hristo got through cleanly and I was travelling slightly faster than Phil but realised that we were going to take the fast right hander side by side ...probably not a good idea I thought.

I suspect Phil had the same thought, because as I eased off fractionally to tuck in behind him, I think he also slowed to allow me to pass. The result was bad for both of us and I touched his rear wheel ending both our races.

Having haunted Hristo for the whole race and planned where I might just have a chance of snatching the win ( only planned it, not guaranteed success ) it was a bit of an anti climax!!

grats to Hristo for setting a cracking pace and to all the other finishers. Sorry again Phil, but I think we both got it fractinally wrong mate. 

[Phil Thornton]

Appologies to Phil for getting frighteningly closs and also to Ronnie, that wasn't intended as a rejoin - I was simply carrying too much speed to slow and still make that corner on the grass without sliding out onto the track 

NP - you were quicker on the corners but the power of the Fez allowed me to stay with you on the straights which made it difficult for you to get past.

Praccy went OK until last 5 seconds, then my Force Feedback started behaving oddly.  Didn't have any feeling once grip got marginal so it made the esses more difficult for me.  Went off a few times in the race because of that.  Afterwards found out what it was.  Windows had decided to try to install a driver for an internet enabled TV   Got autoupdates and virus scans disabled but don't know how to stop windows doing that .

Anyway race was reasonable.  Got a great start thanks to the L1 T1 shunt.  I managed to pick my way through the scattered cars and ended up 4th.  But from them on it was a backwards slide.  Had a lot of quicker drivers behind me and they all gradually got past.  Last person to attack me was Nigel Smith.  He got past me under braking for the second slow corner but the draft caught him out and he went in a bit hot and ran wide into the hedge so I managed to get the place back.

After that it was a matter of waiting to be lapped.  Got caught by Hristo and Evil who were having a great battle.  They caught me at the esses so I stayed well left on the long straight to let them both past.  H sailed by and I couldn't see Evil so I thought he was on my inside on the approach to the fast right hand kink.  As I decided to back off to let him through, Evil decided to tuck in behind me consequently we touched and we were both out of the race .  Sorry M8.

[EvilClive]

NP Phil, just one of those things... a racing incident.
 
In hindsight it would have been better to stay out of your blindspot and in your slipstream before going for the pass. But at the time, believe it or not, I was trying to play safe and avoid any contact!!

[maddog]

This is a lovely track to drive - fast, and with enough challenges to keep ones attention at all times.  Pinpoint accuracy being rewarded with faster laptimes.  I'd put together a lovely setup, and was hoping for a goodly result for my efforts.

I was mid-grid and almost last, after a tangle dead ahead of me, following the first corner.  I would think there were tyre marks on both sides of the car, through squeezing between our two rotational protagonists.  

Having escaped the horrors, my race became a solo effort, with only a pitboard challenge from FMG early on, and new man Raoni, towards the finish.  So, with 2nd place assured, I entered the last lap with a bit of a cough, and promptly ran out of fuel!  This was a 1st for me in '66ers, and one would hope, it's also a
last.  Grumble!

Some seriously impressive formation flying from the Waza's up front, for much of the race.  And a fair turn of speed, from newcomer Raoni, from the pit lane.  Now excuse me, while I go sulk some more.

[G Jonsson]

Might have been able to hang onto H and Clive, but got clobbered by Goran on the exit to T1 and was spunded - thankfully no damage, seemingly the same was true for the other dance-class attendees 

Sorry for the clobbering Tim, I did not expect you to try that and when I saw you it was too late. I guess you tend to expect things from other drivers based upon what you would do yourself and I was holding back a bit to avoid coming too close to Hristo and Evil through T1 and thought the rest of you would do the same. I was wrong of cause and I ought to know that by now I guess. Anyway I am glad that no one was out of the race because of it but it kind of gave Hristo and Evil an easy run.

When I got running again I was not that far behind so off I went, literally. Because my overtaking skill has not improved and I found myself making one silly mistake after the other when trying to make up for lost ground. Unable to pass I just had to wait and that went above expectations because at the end I found myself on the podium.

It seems I need like 10 laps and no one nearby to get into the rhythm. But once I did my laptimes were rather OK and at the time I was in 8Th position and had Fulvio 17 sec ahead. On lap 23 I passed him !!! up to 4Th, nice math right. But had I known before I passed him that he would connect somehow to my gearbox I would have waited until the last lap because the 3 laps remaining was really hard work. But I managed to stay in front and when I crossed the finish line, (OK so I will not be driving the Ferrari for some time due to some repair because of the, hummm, accident after the finish line), I found out that Martin who was running a steady second after Evil`s departure, had run out of fuel on the last lap, there we have the math again, it`s not that easy  

Well, luckily it is the position when crossing the finish line that counts not the position after the first lap and this time that was to my advantage.

Congrats to Hristo for the win and to Raoni for second, nice start to your UKGPL career.

Göran

[FullMetalGasket]

Might have been able to hang onto H and Clive, but got clobbered by Goran on the exit to T1 and was spunded - thankfully no damage, seemingly the same was true for the other dance-class attendees 

Sorry for the clobbering Tim, I did not expect you to try that and when I saw you it was too late. I guess you tend to expect things from other drivers based upon what you would do yourself and I was holding back a bit to avoid coming too close to Hristo and Evil through T1 and thought the rest of you would do the same.

Wasn't trying anything Goran, We started side-by-side, and entered T1 side-by-side so I stayed wide and prepared to be destroyed on the straight by your fezza power. Havn't checked the replay yet to see if you clipped a curb or something but was suprised when you touched me 
No damage done so I'm not bothered, it was just unexpected is all 

[Hristo Itchov]

I'm glad to win, but a bit sad that Evil couldn't finish and make it a 1-2 for us Wazas.

Qualifying did not go so well because it appeared some people (not just you, Fulvio) were just learning the track and going extremely slow in places which are taken flat out, so I had a couple of incident and ruined laps as a result.

The start of the race and the early laps went well, with just Evil following me and exchanging places initially, before settling down. Evil, just as an advice so we don't slow each other down next time - when you make a pass, get back in front of me before the next corner! I'm not driving a 10 meters long car so you can safely slot back in, lol. Also, when I went on the outside of the straight, you could've used the slipstream and get in front before the next corner instead of forcing us to enter it side by side by not picking up enough speed.

Anyway  , despite going flat out I couldn't shake off Evil, except once but then I binned it by totally missing my braking point for the slow right at the end of the fastest bit of the track, and went off into the bushes. Fortunately I managed to extract myself almost instantly by going into reverse gear, but gave Evil a scare as he had to swerve to avoid me. I thought you would see me, but I guess I was wrong - sorry about that.

Then we caught up Phil with a couple of laps to go and he let me through on the inside going into the sweeping right hander before the jump, and when I looked into my mirrors it seemed Evil was going to follow through. I was focusing on the track ahead so I didn't really see what happened, but I guess he didn't follow through, lol.

Managed to set my best lap on the last lap, so bonus objective completed as well.  Then I watched Goran's valiant effort to keep Fulvio behind and he managed to do so, but then died or got badly injured going flat out into T1 after the finish. 

Grats to all finishers!

-=Hristo=-

[Ronniepeterson]

Congrats to the podium and all who finished. Sorry about the slight contact in the esses Tim. Despite being short and sweet and ending up buried in a hedge, I still enjoyed the track and cars and am looking forward to more.

[Raoni Frizzo]

For me, a very good debut here in UKGPL. Had a lot of fun all the race! The track is great, the 66's cars are very funny to drive and the result couldn't be better, especially because I wasn't too fast to get a 2nd place.

I arrived home a bit late, and when I entered igor thre was only 1 minute remaining to finish the qualy. I was able to join the server, but didn't settled a time and even put my car on the grid during the 30 seconds. So, I had to start from the pitlane.

For my surprise, still on lap 1 I managed to catch some cars, maybe involved in some accident. During the 1st halp of the race I had great battles into the intermediate group. After that, I arranged myself in a comfortable 5th place, 10 seconds distant from 4th and 6th places.

Then someone in front of me (I don't remeber who) had some problems and abandoned the race. Some laps later I grow 3rd due to Evil's accident. And finally, on the last lap, I ascended to 2nd, when Martin ran out of fuel. Certainly, a lucky race for me, because viewing the fastest laps table it would be impossible for me getting a podium without others abandons.

Grats Hristo for the win! It really amazes me how fast you and others drivers here can handle those cars And congratulations for all the finishers! I liked so much driving here and can't wait for the next race

Raoni Frizzo

[il_lupo_mannaro]

Qualifying did not go so well because it appeared some people (not just you, Fulvio) were just learning the track and going extremely slow in places which are taken flat out, so I had a couple of incident and ruined laps as a result.

It wasn't Fulvio but myself... 
Sorry again, but I should find a place with a locking door when racing online, otherwise my two daughters and my wife will continue to distract me...

Anyway, I should haven't raced yesterday: I was too tired because the trip back from Easter holidays and few practice.

So, after few laps, my race end as I expected...

Thx to the podium, to everybody raced and to the race organization

A very special thanks to Phil for sharing his fezza setup: really appreciated!

[Hristo Itchov]

Qualifying did not go so well because it appeared some people (not just you, Fulvio) were just learning the track and going extremely slow in places which are taken flat out, so I had a couple of incident and ruined laps as a result.

It wasn't Fulvio but myself...  

You AND Fulvio then. It's your choice, it's not forbidden to do it of course, it's just that more than one of my laps got ruined by it in this particular event so it caught my attention. No problems in the race in that regard, so not real harm done I guess.

And you really should either lock the door or tell your family not to intrude, lol. I have specifically given instructions that nobody is to enter my room when I have a race and I tell them when I hav eon in advance so they know about it. Otherwise I have to resort to yelling for any intrustion while I'm driving...  

[BadBlood]

I reviewed this race in detail because Goran asked me to write a race report - finally decided to have a go. What a fun track - we really out to use if for the Novices. Did five laps and got down to a 2:03 with almost no setup work so plenty to come but a 1:52 - I don't think so.    Maybe I should join this series. Really impressed by the standard of racing. Very good.

[G Jonsson]

The Moderator`s report is published, be sure to read the stunning race report by Paul.

Göran

[Ronniepeterson]

Yeah, great race report Paul!