Monza 400k

WTF?!?!?! Not even 1 lap and I get disco'd. Tim, you said something about router settings....what do I need to look for? I've been in numerous packed race servers before and a disco is unusual. Maybe Finn's bad luck jumped onto me now. Nice way to start S4.

Very sorry for disco, Bob. I hope it won't become a trend, 'cos that really isn't fun.

One stop strategy with soft-med tyres and car was very good although heavy for the first half an hour. I wasn't sure how Pirellis would hold mut they did OK. Enz wanted to have rest of my splitter, which I naturally gave (he spun and I couldn't avoid hitting him) and Porkster was bit difficult to drive.

I pitted with about 1:10 left in race clock and had some 15 litres left. And tyres were in great shape. After pitstop everything was OK again and I had some great racing with Tim. I had nothing for The Aliens - perhaps we need to call in Ripley?

All in all a decent start for the Aasssssfooooor. Glad to see Defender Of The Young And Handsome to bring the Pink Porka home after severe difficulties. Well done, pardner.

Thank God we're done with Monza. I hate it so much it makes my teeth hurt.

Qualifying was a disaster. Never got a clean lap so I had to start at the back. My inane fuel calculations told me I couldn't make it on one stop. That was the next mistake. Obviously, it's a one-stop race for nGT. My second stop came about 4 laps from the end. But what happened before that was the problem. My first stint was decent. I was hanging with the pack of Dean, Tim, Pete, Enzo, and Johan keeping my nose clean. Made it up to 18th or 19th without pushing hard. However, when it was time to pit, I looked up at GTR2 PD and must have misread something, because I was sure I could easily make one more lap. I couldn't. I started sputtering coming out of Ascari and coasted to about 10 spots from my pit. I had to do the rest on the starter and it probably took another minute or two. By the time I got back out I was a lap behind the next-to-last car and just cruised home hoping for some attrition that never happened. Man, that was retarded on my part.

Well that was interesting.
Tom Rue somehow convinced me that the pole for nGT would be in the 47s, so I didnt think I had a hope. Then I get out of the car at the end of qualifying to find myself 2nd, 0.02 off of Darin! Wow!
Anyway, the race started well. Darin was clearly driving harder than me, throwing it off the road a couple of times in the chicanes, but I just drove along behind him conserving myself. Then one lap Darin shortcuts the second chicane and just drives off into the distance. Not very sporting if you ask me, but whatever (*I retract this comment... while Darin gained a little time, it wasnt unsportsmanlike. Sorry Darin*). What really hurt me was that he got far enough ahead that I lost his slipstream, so fell into the waiting claws of Kent. I was able to hold him off, until I stupidly went into the gravel at the second Lesmo (I hate those two corners so much...). Anyway, Kent got passed, and it got me all riled up, so when one of the ECCI Ferraris came passed I clipped their right rear which sent me straight into exactley the same gravel!
After that I beleive I made the stupid mistake of following Marc Stegger too close through the first chicane, and bounced off the second curb straight into him, tipping him into a spin. I'm sooooo sorry Marc, that was such an idiot move, I'm totally pissed off with myself for doing it, but I hope you forgive me. :(
Anyway, everyone else started pitting and I was able to stay out, with tyres in good shape and lots of fuel. I ended up making it all the way to the 1:15 mark before I had to pit, so I knew I could make it all the way to the end with only one stop, and I also knew I was the only nGT that could do that! Yay!
So I pretty much cruised through the second half of the race, waiting for everyone to pit- Oh, the race has ended. Bollocks...
I was watching the clock so carefully I totally forgot about the lap limit! I would really like it if this limit was removed, because we nGT boys have no idea how many laps the overall race leader has done. The FIA GT run on a time limit only polocy, why shouldnt we?
Anyway, while it is great to finally get a finish, 4th really is a great dissapointment. i was only about 10 seconds behind Ari at the end, and I lost waaaay more than that conserving fuel, so I really think I had a shot at the podium.
Oh well, lets hope I learn from that for next time...

Fun race though rather disappointing for me. Because I really hadnt planned to run the race, I had a total of 3 laps of practice coming into the race. I know the car and track so it was just a matter of learning the little things again.

Basically, the first half of the race was all learning. I picked up my pace by mid race and was able to challenge a bit more. My issue was a few little-itty-bitty mistakes that cost me a few seconds here or there. I gave up a healthy lead on Johan after the first pit, then again to Barry. 5th was about all I could have asked for, and 7th is still respectable.

I sure had a great time fighting with Barry in the closing laps. It sure is nice to trust the guy you are racing with the way we do.

Quali:
I was surprised I got 2nd, I expected to be behind 575's and Saleens.

Race:
Started as I expected with Krue passing me right after start. I coudln't do shit, as Lambo is so slow on straight even with wing 3. Krueger passed like I was standing. I had good batles with Conor, and passed him twice in T1. :P Finished 5th which is kinda good as I had to run all 3 stints with 100L worth of fuel. :/ Hoping for a better result on tracks that should suit Lambo much better than Monza.

Congrats winners, CJ and DB. Insane pace CJ.

Woo, that was a blast!

Did 2 stopper strategy figuring 1 stopper would be too hard on the tyres ... somehow CJ going so fast, bent the time space continuum and sped up the passage of time! ;)

Worked my way up through the field first stint, my low fuel and softs let me lap a bit quicker, got by Tim, Enzo, Finn. Pitted, and fell all the way back. After the pit stops shuffled through, ended up on Pete's tailpipes. Followed him around for quite a few laps, fun stuff Pete.

After 2nd stops cycled through, Dean pulled out of his pit stop right in front of me. We battled for the remainder of the race like that, each of us swapping positions couple times, never more than 1 second apart.

2 laps left, and I had a great run on the front straight, drafted right up Dean's wing. Pulled inside, but Dean didn't give, and he stomped on the brakes just as late as I did, so I backed off a hair, and he held it through the chicane. I look down, saw 20 mins, and decided that was a little too early to start dive-bombing Dean. :D DOH!

Awesome stuff Dean! Pleasure racing you.

Well that was dissapointing. Not a good start!

Worked really hard to pull myself up to about 14th when I pitted the second time. Exit in 19th, and while waiting for pitstops to cycle through, the race ENDS! WTH? I had 55L & 24 min left by my hud! Lost 5 spots by pitting 5 laps before finish! Doh!

Guess I'll have to re-think the next one. LOL. Or was something a-miss this time? Are we going to end on GT laps now? And dis-regard time?

Was great fun battling with Jerry for most of the race though. Spun him once at the first chicane too. Sorry m8. So I waited for him to start up again. Least I could do. hehe. Glad there wasn't anyone chasing us.

Dave Pike: I gave you half the track to get by me. Why would you punt me off in Parabolica anyway? There is a very long straight coming after that too! Don't think you would have had trouble passing me at all. A little patience would be appreciated next time. Thx.

Oh well. There's always the next one.....

Wow, what a Race, My First GTI Race, a New car and a new G25. All in all, I'm happy with 10th (I Think thats right) but i messed up my fuel calculations and forgot about the 70 lap limit, i had a 3 stopper strategy as a result of that, luckily i got the chequered flag as i started my in lap for my last stop.

NGT's were extremely well behaved and even my slow assed MC12 managed to pass when the opportunity arose, i hope i didn't cause anyone any problems, i kept my eyes on my mirrors the whole race and did not notice any carnage behind me, i only had 1 off as the leaders came up to lap me and i got wobbly in the last chicane as a Vette came blasting up behind me.

Joe, great battle there, I really enjoyed those last few laps, you had great pace and i just could not get close enough while negotiating the back markers, well done mate.

Also had a great battle with one of the listers for a while until it appeared to blow up in my rear view mirror, hope it wasn't over revving in my slipstream and that caused the blow.

I managed consistent 1m44's in practice, but come tonight i was sooooo nervous i managed to be consistently 1 1/2 secs off my own pace, i would have had no answers for the cars ahead though, but lets see what happens at Magny Cours, a track bound to suit the Maserati much better :)

Great race all and a fantastic win Claus, I'll be studying the replay for days to try and learn from you :)

Dean, just saw your post, I checked the replay, I was right up against the inside curb in Parabolica, and I hugged it all the way, i cant see the contact in the replay but i can see how you speared off into the sand behind me, I am so sorry, i never would have done that purposely, the only thing i can think of could be the fact that i had a ping of 600+, i never felt the bump. Either way, it happened and I apologise sincerely. Please check your replay and if possible post a screenie of the actual "Punt/Contact", my replay shows me past you already on the inside (well beyond the regulation front wheel by door) so i'd like to check if it could have been Lag. Once again, I apologise and will make a mental note of how it happened to avoid it in the future.

Here's some screenies

Corner Entry

Pass

Contact

Edit: Conor, no worries mate, a pure racing incident, i got a wheel on the grass passing an NGT and got unsettled into that chicane, i did all i could to evade as i saw you coming at a seriously fast pace. Hope it didnt do too much damage, my Maserati got a few scratches but nothing bad enough to affect my pace :)

Great race and a great start to the season! :)

After spending an hour practicing with Tommy last night, I felt pretty comfortable with the car. We did a stint run and learned a lot and it applied very well to the race.

Qually wasn't too good however. Never felt comfortable and never managed to get a fast time despite get bogged down a few times. Got a high 42 which placed me 5th on the grid.

I was pretty fast out of the gates on the start of the race. Kept up with the front four and started pulling away from Nuno a bit. Got up to 4th after Steve let me by so I started tracking down Enis. Slowly but surely, I caught up to him but I never got in close enough to really challenge him. We then got into some traffic by the end of the stint which slowed us down and let Nuno catch up. However, by that time, it was already time for pit stops so we got spread out a bit.

For the 2nd stint, I put softs on the fronts to see if they worked better and they sure did! I was lapping a couple tenths faster than the first stint but unfortunately, due to a very slow stop, I was placed in 6th behind Steve, Nuno, and Enis. So much of that stint, I tried to reel them in and I was able to. In fact, Enis made a few mistakes which allowed me to pass him but due to his ability to outbrake my car, he passed me twice going into T1 within a few laps of each other. Still, I was able to keep up with the pack with ease. During that stint, however, I had a pretty bad incident involving Dave in the Maserati. Going down that straight after the Lesmos, he got into some trouble and started bouncing off the walls. I thought he had it controlled by the end of Ascari but he braked much earlier than I expected him to and to avoid punting him in his rear since he was in my line, I took a hard left and tried to avoid him. Unfortunately, he was already there and I slammed into his side which sent him spinning and into the outside wall. Very sorry about that, Dave...I just needed to take evasive action and unfortunately, it didn't work out :(.

Coming in for my 2nd and final stop, I decided to take softs again since they worked so well before. I also took 100L of fuel like the other stints because I wasn't so sure when the race was going to end. Fortunately enough, while coming out of the pits, I slotted myself in 4th, just seconds behind Sam and Steve and just a few seconds in front of Nuno and Enis. Despite having all the fuel, I was flying! 43s were the norm for much of that stint as I was chasing down Steve and Sam. At the same time I was pulling away from those Lambos so I built myself quite a buffer zone between 4th and 5th. Now I was solely focused on catching those two ahead of me and while I was faster than them most of the time, traffic kept spreading us out and unfortunately, we just ran out of time :(. Man, if we would have gone those extra 20 mins, I think the race outcome would have been totally different for 2nd through 4th because it was so close.

Oh well, lots of fun, guys! Cya'll later :).