Phoenix Racing GT3 Cup

Was a really tense race at the front between Claus and me.

Qualifying was already close with a gap of 1-2 tenths. We kept 1st and 2nd at the start and I tried to attack him for the whole race but couldn't make it. He only had to go defensive in the last lap but he kept it well. Grats :)

Great race.. great track. Imola is kinda growing on me.

Congrats to the winner... brilliant run.

Me not so much... could'nt get the Porsche GT3 sorted... eventually choosing the wrong tire compond (Soft) and wing setting (4), burnt through my tires and did a few spins and gravel dances durking my last 3 laps... ultimately tweaking the car and calling it a day.

Must say, I held a pretty tight line throughout and most of all NO Stop & Go's!!!. I did especially well while being lapped and my hats off to all of you for putting up with me. ;) I would have loved to be able to stay within the tail part of the group... more practice and more time in the Porsches.....

One major note; the track is alot different than the GTR Evo version... shorter in most areas... hard to adjust to.

Cheers and see you next round

Qualifying went OK, but should have been in the 54's on my pre race online form. But again my start was a shocker. Revs up lights green, into first - and I bog down! It felt as though 2 or 3 cars went by, but exiting Turn 3 I was in 10th, and I think being on the inside for Turn 1 helped me gain ground into the braking zone.

I was behind Allen Cotton who was chasing down Dimitriu. Allen got by then on the next lap I had two attempts which I couldn't quite make stick. He then lost it on the kerbing and I was confronted with a car at 45 degrees to the track - I backed off but couldn't avoid hitting him. Not a drive through though, as it was unavoidable on an out of control car. Furner and Perkins were then breathing down my neck into the last chicane but I managed to stay ahead. Furner was tapped into that last corner and Perkins served a drive through next lap, leaving me all alone in P8 (following Pete Bunce's disappearance).

I was around 5 seconds behind Cotton for a few laps and 10 or so ahead of Fairley, but started to make silly mistakes. I dropped off Cotton and Brian started closing in. Then I lost it over the chicane at the top of the hill - managed to keep it on the tarmac and almost in a straight line but almost at a stand still - and Brian got by. I couldn't catch him - he was clearly quicker - and my race pace was way off what it had been pre race. So I was settling for 9th when Brian lost it at the first corner. I just managed to stay in front exiting Turn 3 as he rejoined, and then came nearly 3 laps of pressure to keep P8. Until the last lap I was doing OK. Brian turned the heat on though and watching the replay he was throwing it everywhere to gain time. I could see him looming in my mirrors, but drove a near perfect no mistake lap - and into the last chicane I held it together (that was the one spot I was strong all race), Brian going a bit sideways behind and dropping off at the flag.

So P8 from P9 on the grid. A very large and competitive field, so I'm pleased with that result. It equals my best in the GT3 Cup. Love these cars, and I managed to hold some pretty leary slides in this race. Congrats to the podium and all who entered.

I got back from the office late. So I didn't get a chance to warm up before Qualy. So my place on the Grid was as expected. I got punted hard going into the 2nd series of turns... after that, when I went into the braking zones, the rear end kept trying to dance around on me.

I ran my fuel low trying to catch Chris Galloway. So i slowed to let Claus and Xavier lap me, that way I wouldn't run out on my last lap.

BTW Chris. Thanks for a good fight.

Congrats to the podium places and all finishers.

See you all at Zhuhai.

Qually wasn't too good, despite the long track I just couldn't get a clear lap until right at the end. I was a full second up approaching the final chicane when the car spluttered on low fuel. Managed to coax it accross the line coughing & wheezing and still set my best lap! One more litre in the tank and that would have been close to Claus & Xavier.
Would've been for nothing, though, as her ladyship chose the very moment the race started to phone her mother. Had a few stutters off the line, then froze up approaching turn 1. Came back a few seconds later, but I was at the back and still running on best jerkyvision. I carried on for a lap or so in the hope it would improve, but after punting 2 guys (sorry Colin & Simon), common sense dictated a bail-out.
Next time I'm unplugging the damn phone :(

No way near enough prep for the race poor start and got caught up in some ones off at Villeneuve. nuff said!

Jumped in this one 30 mins before the race, tweaked the default setup abit and found I had a half decent pace. Quali was decent, 4-5 of us broke away at the front and we were all fairly equal on pace so managed to get a clean lap in early. Just could not nail the variante alta until my last lap, was nearly 9 tenths up but ran out of fuel before I got there.

Start was decent, managed to stay in 3rd where I stayed until about 10 minutes in when Ari cruised up behind me. We had a cracking little battle for a few laps, he had the legs on me in the middle sector by a fair bit but I just positioned my car for the bottom of the hill and he couldnt quite get me. We then both had a moment in the approach to variante alta, I ran abit wide but in my mirrors I see ari half spin. But he soon caught me again due to my front tyres being shot. In the end he punted me around on the last chicane with a lap to go but I was defending hard and by which point having to brake early so was no problem, he took his drive through on the last lap and managed to stay ahead for 3rd because I was spluttering home with no fuel (again), undersold in the department again. But it was fun.

Grats to CJ and Xavi, different class.

Didn`t get any practise in the cup car so didn`t really have the edge to challenge any higher.

Got a good start again but the leading 4 were much faster leaving me only Steve to battle with, which we did and almost got him in the end ;) great fight mate :)

finished 6th with a very competitive field so not bad i guess.

I should set an hour aside for future events to practise :)

cya all at the next one.

Well done CJ and the hot new driver Xavier ;) no doubt a serious challenger for wins in the making ;)