UKFormula Euro FB: Oran Park

Congratulations to Richard, Denis and Tommy C. for the win and podium.....Additional congrats to Tommy C. for the championship!!!!!

It was a good race for me and I thought would would be lucky just to finish because I had been having trouble keeping the car on the track. Last night while running laps I was amazed at myself for finding new places to spin and crash! I hit the wall in places never before touched.

Durning the race today I made not one mistake! I was not fast just no mistakes and that was worth a 5th.. I'll take it! I want to thank Dave Gymer for clean racing.. He was faster than me but did not try any risky passes or dive bombs when a lesser driver would have...Thanks Dave....

Thanks to you Barret, really it was complex to pass on a straight ? You so have early braked by the damaged machine, that I miracle have avoided collision. i lost victory.

Congrats to Tommy on his P3 and the driver's championship!

Thanks to you as well for providing a setup and all the info about driving these cars. I had a less than ordinary qualifying and was solely concentrating on finishing in the points for Feint Motion. With the front straight incident and Milan's woes I found myself P2 so I chose to start pushing a little. I caught Denis once but felt there was no sense making a risky pass and backed out to consolidate the team championship. An errant pass attempt by the leader allowed me through and I just drove to the end comfortably. You don't always earn a victory but this was a pleasant surprise and our double podium secured the points lead for FMMS.

I'm still rusty or I'm getting old (I hope first one).

Grats to winner Richard and champ Tommy!

It was a pleasure, Tommy G; big sorry for the contact on the last lap, it was the second time I'd spun over the curbs at the kink, had to try up the inside given the lack of time left but just couldn't arrest the slide to get it stopped in time. Fortunately had loads of time in hand over the next place and could let you go back ahead after rejoining. Damage the right rear corner in that and went off later in the lap but still managed to finish 6th.

6th isn't half bad for my first F.BMW race on or offline but after stunning myself with 4th in qualifying (by traditional I'm pants at getting good grid slots) I should've been on for a podium when half the field went off at the start of the second lap! Lost three places at the start being too conservative (and Tommy C - how on earth did you get such a quick start? looks like you had a short second gear or something?).

Everything was going swimmingly until I found myself pressuring Tommy C and then got all excited and made a schoolboy error losing it under braking in the T1 kink and spun off. Luckily didn't break anything and started pushing really hard to try and make time up; caught Tommy G up and as he says, had a really good scrap for the last few laps (excepting my other rookie error, above).

Single seaters is something really different for me as I normally specialise in multiclass Endurance racing. The RealFeel plugin has transformed rFactor for me and I hope I'll be back for more!

Sorry, Denis, but i'm not going to roll over and play dead just because you're within 5 car lengths of me. i was running a race as well and Milan was gaining on me. you were not in position to pass, and didn't gain that position to pass down the straight. you were still 4 car lengths back when i started my turn-in at T1.

at that point, my full attention was on keeping my car stable in the turn. once that was achieved, i knew i'd have a moment to check where you guys were and let you thru cleanly and without loosing any time if you were in position to do so. if you weren't, i fully expected you would be by the next turn.

which is exactly what i did, which is why Richard was able to go thru without disrupting either of our races.

i took that corner the way i'd been taking it all day. you were 4 car-lengths back when i started my turn in. sorry i didn't anticipate your attempted dive bomb, but if you lost the race in that corner it wasn't my driving that lost it, it was yours.

you want to talk any more about this, send me a PM. this isn't the place.

truth is, if i owe anyone an appology, it's Fred Joseph, for doing exactly what you wanted me to do. Fred and John were all over me coming out of the last turn and i wasn't sure what position either was running, i just knew they were going to go by. i thought Fred had moved to do so and feathered my throttle, only to watch John go by him as he pulled back into my now slower draft. now i see that was for position (but Fred got it back).

that out of the way, 'grats to you for 2nd, bigger 'grats to Richard on the win, and biggest 'grats to Tommy C on clinching the series championship with his 3rd today.

i took damage on about the 3rd or 4th lap when the rear broke away under acceleration and never had confidence in the car after that. still, i had a great, long battle with Tom M, with him taking the position from me when i went into T1 just a tad too hot and had to struggle to keep the car on the pavement.

sorry for your misadventure with the bridge, Tom, it was great fun while it lasted.

For what its worth Barrett you did absolutely everything correctly. I saw we were catching you and I was trying to determine where this would actually take place. Judging from our last corner exit I figured it would be in T2 or the the next right hander.

Denis appeared to make a huge lunge that went pear shaped and I just maintained a proper racing line and drove off. You were entirely courteous to me and it certainly looked like all you did was hold your station.

I say good work...

Edit: I am aware of the new 'no punting on lap 1' rule, but I am very curious to know if this applies to side swiping as well.
Edit by TM - No, only "nose-to-tail" contact.

Disappointed. Taken out by my team mate and didn't make the top 10 when I had a really quick car.

Damn...I think he put it right on you John...can't wait for the fireworks...Unless these sharks don't bite...

I'm not angry at John, it was an accident. Disappointment is not the same as anger - I was a little frustrated because I've had a run of crappy luck but it's not a problem. These things happen. There'll be more opportunities in later races.

It's only a game anyway :)