Moderator's Report
So the 66 beasties moved to the home of the Moderator, Sweden. Falkenberg is simple to learn but hard to master.
The qualification is dominated by Mr McRae (again) - albeit that he only had a half second advantage this time.
Lap 1 is very busy with cars slippy sliding around. Tim gets a good start and passes Fulvio off the line but ruins it by slightly overcooking it a few corners later - tut tut. Fulvio doesn't want to take too much advantage and has a spin with him. The two, who have qualified so well find themselves at the back. Paul is sitting in a T1 haybale wondering when his luck is going to change but stil ahead of a very lazy Nigel, who is having forty winks in the Pit Lane. Jason wastes his good start with a big slide but recovers. Phil is the big beneficiary of a measured approach and at the end of lap 1, Hristo leads from Ronnie (who has jumped Raoni who nonetheless has improved to third) with Goran in fourth. Martin has made a good start and Phil rounds out the top 6.
Fabio is soon picked off by Tim and Fulvio and so into lap 4. Martin is no longer with us, having visited the infamous Whitfield Haybales! Fulvio goes wide at T1 and loses traction off the grass. Tim is though in a flash and his charge is on!
The next few laps see some clean and not so clean racing! Any little mistakes result in the loss of position. Ronnie slides wide at T1 and Tim makes an amazing pass on Jason around the outside of the last turn. Phil has also gone wide at T1 and loses some places. Jason goes too hot into the esses and takes to the grass. Now there is a Ferrari traffic jam with Ronnie and Fulvio battling hard behind Phil who has cleaned it up and gained places as others fall off. A busy few laps see Ronnie and Fulvio bang wheels. Fulvio spins and loses a lot of time, Ronnie just takes a short cut! Ronnie is having an adventurous lap 8 and has a tangle with Jason for good measure. Finally on lap 9, Phil catches Ronnies affliction and makes two mistakes on the same lap - wide at T1 lets Jason through and then a spin late on in the lap lets the other two Ferraris, who are very busy squabbling with each other, sail by. Phil goes from 5th to eighth. It is that kind of track. Phew!
Tim reels in Goran and pressures him into a small mistake, Goran goes wide and hits the grass. Tim zips by on the inside. The crowd boo!
Fulvio and Ronnie have been battling for several laps and it is very close but Fulvio cannot get by. The battle is increasingly close until Nigel intervenes. Nigel doesn't know too much about it as he is on his lid at the time. Ronnie jinks left but Fulvio can't avoid him. That puts him in the clutches of Phil who sniffs an opportunity. Oops. Fulvio is having a bumpy ride but at least he is not out and now he is behind Phil and Fabio, who was having a quiet race but whose life is getting increasingly interesting. Phil makes a tiny error and Fabio is through but sadly he wastes it the next lap by doing show donuts for the crowd! Not even half way - not even close.
Things calm down until 20 minutes into the race when Ronnie's recovery continues as he catches and passes Jason who is having a steady race. Ronnie has been chasing Jason for seven laps and it is only a tiny error that lets the fast charging Ferrari through on the last corner. Up ahead at almost the exact same moment, Raoni finally makes an error and goes wide out of T1. With no traction off the green stuff Tim has his chance but nearly overcooks it into T2 and gets very sideways. Raoni cedes the pass rather than take them both out and Tim's renaissance is complete. P2. Amazingly in view of the first dozen laps, that is largely the way it stays.
Lap 41 and Raoni's engine lets go and he coasts to a halt on the pit straight. Fabio retires about the same time. The last competetive overtake of the race is claimed by Fulvio, who takes Phil's place on lap 47.
All that is left if for Hristo, who has been imperious, to add a Fastest Lap to his collection. 42.137! Nearly half a second quicker than anyone else can manage. Finally on lap 64, he passes Tim, who bows to the inevitable and moves aside on the last corner, to lap the field. One word. Dominant.
Paul "Badblood" Whitfield
Server replay time: 0h00m55s
At the start of the race Paul is behind Lupo but does a better start and when approaching T1 is alongside Lupo slightly ahead. To have a better line for T1 he moves to the left but have not made a clear pass on Lupo but closes the door for him. Lupo tries to brake but too late and the two make contact.
Server replay time: 0h09m58s
Phil makes an overtaking attempt on Fulvio down to T7 and gets alongside. Fulvio is not aware but turn in as usually, at the same time Phil is struggleing a bit to keep the line and they make contact.
