After my pissing and moaning and generally being a grumpy old scrote, what an evening's joy that was!
Race 1 - Magny National
Return to the scene of the crime for me - one of my first ever RD GTL races was here, in the Alpine. Chose an Elite, got a decent start, then Bram comes on chat "I was on the phone". We restart the race (putting Hans on pole with Peter in P2), but Bram was still on the phone and misses the race anyway
. Peter was monstrously quick in another Elite and jumped out to a 4 sec lead. Steve in the Alfa was all over me down that long back straight and got past, closing up to Peter, I kept them honest, closing up through the chicane, but out braked myself into the second last and spun, after that it was trying to regain 3rd which I did from Hans after some great defence by him throught the first 2/3 turns - no swerving, just taking the ideal line, making in unappetising for me to try anything rash. Finished 3rd
Rac 2 - Dijon Short
Steve & I stayed in the l337 along with Simon & Hans (who both stayed l337 loyal all night :good
, Bram joined in with the Abarth after his call ended, Peter tried the Jag, Croucher went for the Falcon. The Falcon had just waaaaay too much grunt down the long, long straight, so it was a battle for second pretty much. Bram stuck in a bonzer lap in the Abarth for P2, I got within 0.1 in the l337, Steve took 3rd from me by 0.04. Peter was coming to terms with the Jag and was there or thereabouts, Hans just nipping in front near the end of quali & Simon having a call with his mum, causing his quali to be a bit of a rushed affair. Bram had a big old "lol" in practice and it turns out that Tusteveld curve had claimed him again. (Tusteveld is the curve where, in the previous Elite Dijon event, he and Ben both just stopped, waiting for each other, both thinking they'd hit each other, but they hadn't and both let me through for no reason whatsoever
)
Steve & I both had great starts and were all over Bram & Croucher for the first hundred yards or so, then the Falcon just pulled away, then Bram was able to brake ridiculously late in the Abarth and stayed P2. Unfortunately for him, Tusteveld was waiting and the kerb sent him into a slide - which he held - but let me through into P2. After that it was a quiet-ish race for me, but the l337 is such a nice car to drive and slide that it was never boring. Came home P2.
Race 3 - Hockenheim short
Chose a mini as I already had a setup from the Mini Sprints event there, but my first lap was a whole 6 seconds faster than any of the other cars there at that time, so quit out and changed to an Abarth - Peter was in the Abarth too, Hans & Simon l337, Steve Cortina & Croucher in a Jag. Due to the way that the timings record things, only my mini lap was recorded and saved. The Abarths got good quick starts and were off chasing Steve's Cortina. I had a bit of a slide, slowed Peter up and I slowed to let him past, then he slowed for me, and we both sat there witing for each other while the rest of the field flew past
. Started winding everyone back in from last place, some really great racing during this, massive fun. The nimble Abarth was great fun driving around the others, Steve's off allowed me past into P1, and I held it for the win. Peter dropped out at this point, as it was pretty late in Hungary.
Race 4 - Mondello National
Tried the Mini, but again, it was just way too quick (again the timing only took my fastest time on the event, so my mini time is the only one up there). Jumped into the Jag, and was having an absolute blast, qualied on pole. After setting my lap time, I helped Hans out who was getting confused with the layout from last night compared to the layout from the league race last week.
Got a decent start and out into a comfortable 4-5 sec lead, but on lap 7 of 8, had a huge old spin, letting Steve past into P1. In that last lap I cut his lead from 2.1 sec to 0.4 after getting all banzai. (unfort. lost that time from the rankings as I'd set a quicker one in the Mini). Steve held on for the win.
Race 5 - Nurby sprint
Last time we were on Nurbs, Croucher & I had a cracking race in the Escorts, so I chose the Cortina, same as he was in. We quallied on the front row, and got off to great starts, Croucher never more than 1 sec behind. On lap 5 or so I saw him have a moment in my mirrors and lost sight of him. I didn't make any howlers this time and so was just lapping away in decent, consistent times. I was trying out the XD app, and so I could see by the gap times that Steve & Croucher were having a bit of a battle, but Simon and Hans in the l337's looked epic - kept seeing them things like +24.1 & +24.2 so just you 0.1 sec apart - Simons pics above would tend to suggest they had a great time. I managed to not have a Mondello moment, and brought it home for a win.
Fantastic night's racing, and a few things came out of it:-
1. I'm tempted to make sprint night lapcounts a bit shorter, and pack in a few more races.
2. After someone else also suggested it, a sprint night for the Jags, as they are such fun to throw around.
3. The Cortina will be the next CotM.
I'll do some screenies later / over the weekend.
