CotM GTC65 Alpines @ Watkins Glen - Sprint & Feature - Saturday 25th April 2009

[Stuart Thomson]

FORMAT CHANGE!! PLEASE READ BELOW CAREFULLY

Servername: RACEDEPARTMENT.COM
Class: Car of the Month - GTC65 Renault Alpine - Sprint & Feature
Track: Glen Watkins Nascar / Glen Watkins Long Download
Weather: Dry

Sprint - Nascar layout:
Practice: 19.00 GMT / 20.00 UK / 21.00 Europe (5 min)
Qualification: 19.05 GMT / 20.05 UK / 21.05 Europe (15 min)
Race: 19.20 GMT / 20.20 UK / 21.20 Europe- 12 laps

Feature - Long layout (pitstop mandatory):
Practice: 5 min
Qualification: (20 min)
Race: 22 laps

Note1: Click here to read the password and golden rules!
Note 2: 1 pit stop is mandatory in the FEATURE race only. Please read Warren's pit stop tutorial here for tips on a smooth and error free pit stop.
Note 3: A skinpack will be used for this event. All partipants are to download ths pack here whether they are using one of the skins or not.

 

[Glenn Morris]

Thank god Aprils COTM is over!
No love for the Alpine from me, or vice versa.

Bloody thing, just couldn't get my head around it.

1st race - quali 8th(?)/ race - DNF (frustration set in)
2nd race - quali 8th(?)/race - 7th

Nothing to report. Boring as all hell for me, as I was too slow to run with anyone. Just glad the Alpines are done :laugh2:

 

[Matt Crouch]

excellenté

first race, was running in 3rd/4th until Sam's disappearance at which point it was a battle for second mainly between me and Gaynall. Swapped places a bunch of times and had only a couple of seconds gap at most the whole race. If I wanted first place I could only hope for the plague of dogs to continue. I think Gaynall was generally faster but I managed to stay ahead with a little luck and took 2nd. My best lap for the race was one of the lower ones of everyone but I guess some consistency worked out ok

2nd race, qualified 3rd, accidentally pressed the button to start flashing my headlights on the grid and scrambled to turn it off, but had a good start anyway into p2. Unluckily Gaynall went for a spin in T1 so the battle didn't continue. Only realised half way round the lap that I'd turned my mirrors off by accident. Had a good race with Kris with the gap between us yo-yoing around. Generally Kris was faster going up the hill but I took the chicane faster. Pitted a lap after from second place and was surprised to find myself relatively alone... as it turned out Kris had his Stop n' Grr so it was all by myself to the finish. Only real mistake was taking a bit much kerb and ending up sideways out of T1 once. Manage to spin at that corner pretty much every race so luckily I had plenty of experience of how to not fly into the pit wall and lost about 6 seconds. Finished after Sam but technically I crossed the finish line in first place as he quit before I got there :rofl:

Unlike Glenn I'm going to miss the Alpines as they are wonderismul . Thanks for setup as usual Sam (what would we do...)

 

[Simon Bacon]

The Alpine is definitely my 'Marmite motor', loved and hated in equal measure.
When it was going well it felt like some of the best driving I'd done in GTL, push a tiny bit too far though and it turns into a calamity. Some good racing with Glenn and Gaynall in race 2 was the high point, loosing control and swerving in front of Stuart, the low point. Sorry mate.

Simon

 

[Stuart Thomson]

Nah, no problem mate - it happens :good:

 

[Hans Sneep]

Good and Bad

Was a little late (busy on the Forum) when I realized it was nine o clock ,
got the wrong password so back to RD to get he new and came in the Quali.
Started on place nine but got a good start (chaos first corner) but thee get back fast, bud did some good and bad laps by lap 10 received DQ ? so end my race.

Race 2 Good Quali place 6 -2.16.700 best for me ever thanks to Sam his SU
the car was feeling good ,pitstop lap 11 ,check of repair-two new rear tyre's and 25 ltr. fuel stay there for more then 1 min 30 ?? (still thee did repair?)
Back on track place 8-9 and after a few laps again DQ ?mist a S/G did not see that.

I was so disappointed because for me I did a very good race I quit immediate good not bring my self to watch the race from the pit.

One thing,because of the CotM serie you learning a car better and I must say
that was in this last race coming together for me.

So that is why I have a good and a bad feeling about the last race.

Hans

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

Had a great night as allways and this time in one of my favourite cars.

I was a bit hung over and tired after working 12 and 16hour days this week. It started a little dodgy and hadn't learnt the track good enough. Reading so many good things about Sam's setup I should have used his setup instead of default aswell.

Race 1. was lucky with a flyer in qualy and got 2nd place. Had a good start aswell, the rear-engined Alpine launching fast and smokey of the line. In the race I quickly made some mistakes and did a pretty bad drive. But this car is very entertaing to drive so I had lots of fun!

Race 2. Qualified 2nd last I think, but made up some positions in turn 1 when some cars had an incident. Had some good racing with Hans and Stuart, but was too slow to have a real battle with them

Looking forward to continue racing the Alpine in the league and by then I should have a better setup aswell! Anyways great racing with you guys. Thanks RD and señior Thomson