GTx: Magny-Cours

Lucky me :)

Not a very good setup I had under me today but a solid third place car.

Qual was so so, never had enough for the pole or even second but top 5 is good enough for me.

Start I stalled it, clutched it and luckily Jeff had someone climbing up his rear so I was able to slowly open a little gap. Joco and Scott were gone by lap 10 so I concentrated on keep it as clean as I could. Pretty boring stint 1 for the most part. Last 2 laps of the stint my car was all over the place and Jeff was gaining on me so I decided to pit in a lap early.

Came out of the pit in 10th with 7-8-9 right in front of me. Not a very good news since I was on fresh tires and already faster. I had Scott and Janko behind me which essentially mean I have the lead after the stops. Then about 2 laps after my stop I see Dominico or whatever his name is, go off track heading towards Adelaide, and he comes right back on track and races me into the hairpin. I give him PLENTY of room but he decides to run me off the track anyway as we exit.

This allows Scott to get beside me but he backs off into the Nurb chicane and we have a few turns trying to decide who is going to lead. As I said my car was crap and pushing terribly allowing Scott to stick his nose under me in all the slow stuff. Coming through Lycee Scott decided I needed to pit and proceded to slam me off the track inside at the chicane, typical Michaels driving, but okay he slowed and let me continue to lead. A few laps later I got out of shape again at Nurburgring and stayed wide to allow Scott through. There were a couple cars ahead in 180 that were all over the place an I slowed way down just waiting for Scott to come by me and...sure enough...slammed right into those 2 cars. So here I am leading again.

Eventually Scott caught back up and I could see Joco also. Knowing I didn't have either of their pace I went real wide at Estoril and let Scott pass, and a few laps later let Joco through. Surprised I had a 21 second cushion at this point I went into drive sloppy mode and allowed Jeff to close to within about 13 seconds when the race ended.

By the way I finished with less than a lap fuel, and was blown away that I found myself sitting second? Well I guess all my cursing Scott worked as he made the mistake I was praying for and had to pit gifting Joco the win and me seond as well as Jeff 3rd.

Great pace Scott and a very near hat trick for you today. It is really too bad you cannot learn to control your aggressive driving when you are clearly the faster car.

I got a good start but into the left hand kink Rob came across me and I punted him. Sorry for this Rob, but if you watch the replay I didnt really have a chance to avoid you. I took my pit penalty and rejoined around 18th. It was fun after that dicing with cars. I made my way up to Darren who seemed to be struggling in his lister, but I couldnt pass. I made my pit stop late, but i coudnt get the pit to respond to my pit call. So when I entered the pit my crew were only just coming out. I didnt take tyres and the pit crew took their time wondering whether they should give the fuel I requested. Finaly i got it and rejoined 12th. Scott N gained on me and i let him go, no point in holding him up. After that it was a drive to the end. Might have had a decent result if not for the drive through, but it was good fun anyway.

Congrats to the podium. Very bad luck Scott

I want to cry!
Did as good a job as I could have expected in qual, I was never going to beat Joco in a 550... I'm actually suprised how close I got...
Race started and I nearly got Joco into T1, but he just slipped in infront of me. He managed to get away in the early stages and I think got a 3 seconds lead or something, but as his tyres went off I reeled him back in. He started making mistakes when I got close, and while recovering from one in 180 he chopped into me and spun out. I didn't feel right taking the place like that so I gave it back, but got him in adelaide a lap or two later (despite him turning into me while I was already right alongside). Managed to pull away before the stop, and came out right infront of him (the Lambo needs more fuel of course). Imediatley after the stop, Joco divebombed me at the last second into Adelaide, so I had to run wide. He didn't make the pass there, but it gave him a run down towards Nurburgring. I defended to the inside, he went to the outside. As we reached the braking point my nose was still ahead, but Joco decided that it would still be a safe bet to fly around the outside of me at the hardest corner on the track. He braked late, shot straight onto my racing line, and then apparently was surpised to find me already there. He took a quick 360 while I felt no sympathy in taking the lead.
A few laps later Kent, who I assumed had got ahead by not taking tyres, rejoined infront of me. We had a good dice, but I was able to make the pass going into 180. Unfortunatley, just as I popped out, a Lambo ahead was recovering from a lockup and we met somewhere in the middle of the corner. Really sorry!!! There wasn't much I could do about it, I didn't see you at all until I was right on you, and I certainly didn't outbrake myself... just one of those things :-(
Anyway, Kent got back passed, but I repassed in Estoril a few laps later. I then pulled away in the lead, and was cruising home to the win. Or not. One minute to go and my car started spluttering. I had to pit, went down to 4th, but as soon as i exited the pits, race over, apparently it ended on laps. And hence the reason I want to cry :-(

A fun and hectic race, but I really wish I'd brought it home.... GARRR!!!

Cya

I'm 2 for 2 in getting knocked off track on the 1st lap in this series, and Target don't sponsor me ;) No problem John, I know it was not intentional. I was surprised to see you do your drive thru penalty and still come out in front of me!

As for Qual, I had a good fast car easily capable of low 31's. Unfortunately, I loaded the wrong setup just before qual and was wondering what the heck was wrong with my car. I got hit in pit lane (again) waiting for the light, saw parts fly but don't know if I had any serious damage. Wrong setup and maybe damaged car, had to make the best of it and came up 9th (but my lap times were a full second off).

After 1st corner incident, I came back on track dead last. There were 3 cars in front with damage, so I picked up those spots. Then it was heads down and drive like a mad man. I had worked my way into 10th and with about 35 minutes left the car started getting loose, so I opt'd for a pit stop. Once again I had not done my fuel homework so I was adding way too much. Came back out in 17th. Worked my way back to 9th with some great battles along the way.

I had caught up to Darren in 8th and spent many laps trying to find a hole in his armor, but he was defending well -- great fun! I finally find a small hole and got around, but there was only about 8 mins left -- I pushed hard to try and catch Pete and had trimmed off a few seconds, but it was too little too late.

I'm glad I stuck it out, going from dead last to 8th was a lot of fun.

I'm a little confused as to why Scott was in pit lane, I passed for 7th (GTR2) but R2P results show me in 8th?

Chances are that one of the top-7 left the server before you came up to the S/F. It would display that you are in 7th because of that, but the result file would still be accurate.

A race to forget for me really.

Got caught up in the T1 incident and dropped to the back. Moved up a bit by the time I had to make my first stop, and had some fun racing on the way.

Totally buggerd the stop by forgeting to flick the ignition switch so I could restart the car. So there I am, grimising and jabbing the start button as hard as I can without breaking my finger. Then the crew cheif comes on with his smarmy voice telling me to turn on the ignition and stop pissing about.

That cost me a lot and put me back down abit but I managed to work my way back up the field, and again had some good racing a long the way. Was with Dennis M for the most of that stint, but I had to back it off on the last laps and let him go and save some fuel as it looked like I was going to run out, but I shouldn't have bothered cause the race finished sooner than I thought.

Grats to all the finishers, and my god their were some fast guys out tonight :o.

A very tough race, so many fast drivers in fast cars, I just went at my own pace but never really felt comfortable, and for the first stint I didn't get a chance to defend against most of the faster cars coming up behind, although I could just about stay in front of John's Lambo. I couldn't hold on to Pete's Corvette either but I thought I'd make up time on the stop in the Lister. I did but not enough and didn't have the pace in the second stint either. Rob caught me up and I decided it was time to start defending my position. We diced for a good few laps and I was under control until losing grip at the 180, allowing Rob to take it. I'm just pleased to have got into the top 10, I think I had a better performance in this season's race than last, but I finished 4 places lower, I think that shows how much tougher this championship has got this season. Congratulations to the podium, very nice win Joco.

In qually I couldn't get a clean lap, so I was way off pace.

Race was rather boring. Got hit once but the guy waited and didn't affect the outcome.

Surprised to get on podium. Shame Scott, that really sucks :(

never raced in a so dirty race!!! i was been kicked out the track 4 times compliments.
Wich rules Tim?
Hoping for next race your best control that is happening in track.

I get a good start and in T1 Mario starts sliding due to slowing down a lot because of a pile-up in front, I guess. I have no chance to avoid him, we make light contact and he spins around. In Adelaide hairpin John D has to run wide, another place for me. For many laps I follow Borut and Donato, then I'm close behind Donato and get confused on the approach to Adelaide hairpin due to not seeing brake markers. I fly past him and he takes his place back. Sorry, I didn't mean to challenge you there. Soon after he spins off.

Borut is lagging a little and at the finish line his car freezes, I drive right through it but luckily only aero damage. Soon after that I pass him in Adelaide. Pete follows me for most of the first stint, before stops he starts to drop back a little.

Stop goes fine, Jan in front has a slower stop and I pass him as he exits pits. He has no problem to catch me with his faster car and soon we go side by side into Adelaide and out of it. He completes the pass into Nurburgring chicane, cutting a little in the process though. From there on I just do fast laps and hold my place, in the closing stages John M - a lap behind me - refuses to let me lap him for well over a lap, forcing me to make a racing pass. I guess in the end it didn't make a difference, but anyway...

I'm quite happy with my race, I wasn't having any illusions of trying to win here with a Vette. In fact I was surprised to get to race Jan, and to be close to Jeffrey after stops.