RD MINI Challenge 2012

[Justin Swan]

If there are any spaces, I'd like to join
Fridays would be better for me but I'm happy to go with the majority.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

2nd race....... Faster guys pushing thru the field, passing over the grass, crashing in the back of you to make your car unstable , so they could pass.....

Incident report please

 

[Jari Vinnari]

Incident report please

Would you please upload the server replay, thanks.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Does anyone have a copy of the replay files?

Would you please upload the server replay, thanks.

Sure, forgot to do that yesterday. Will do right away

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Replays R1 and R2:
http://depositfiles.com/files/k82nod8nc

 

[Ryan Walker]

Would love to join in to if any spaces are free.
Fridays are ok for me but same as Justin, I will go along with the majority.

 

[James Kirk]

I think as a commentator I will weigh in a few points from myself

- Teams Championship is a must. Don't really mind how it is organised but it would throw in a whole new element to how the championship works
- Usually Friday, Saturday or Sunday is fine with me as long as I can put it in first without any worries
- Seven races; rounds 3 and 7 as semi-endurance rounds
- Different points system with no drop score system. Drop scores just make things much more complicated and will encourage drivers not to destroy their races. Also I feel in a field of 25-40 we need points for the top 20, not 30. Maybe take BTCC points system in that regard?
- KEEP the current race format for normal weeks, so 25 laps + end of lap and the 100% reversed race grid. I know it is not popular with some drivers but that is a challenge which, with practice, others have overcome. It also makes it fantastic for the spectators and those who don't usually win
- Bans to any driver who fails to turn up once without submitting an incident report. This is a much more serious point as the scale of the problem has been highlighted to me. If you don't show up to a race without good reason via the absence report then you should just be wiped from the series. It is unfair on the others who stick it out every week expecting the same number of people but are disappointed
- SimSync I feel is also a must. SO much easier than having separate downloads. As a racer in a another league who uses this system, let me tell you it works brilliantly
- Finally death rays of doom on the bonnet would make for pretty epic racing

 

[Liam Jenkins]

Just want to say a massive thank you to Bram for giving me the opportunity to commentate this season, I feel me and James work well together and despite a few broadcast issues at the start of the season (and beegley of course!) that it went really well and last nights despite having a sore throat was one of my better broadcasts. Massive congratulations to Jimi "champ" hughes and to everyone else who raced for making it so competitive! The atmosphere was great and you're all such a great bunch of guys!
See you for season 7 hopefully!
Liam

 

[James Kirk]

Not much sure how much I can add to that so I'll pretty much say it all again!

It has been an absolute privilege to commentate on this series and a huge thanks to Bram for letting me. With more twists and turns than a Curly-Wurly these 6 races have been a rollercoaster ride until the very end. I too feel that myself and Liam have worked well together and despite broadcast issues it has been so humbling to see all the praise given to us throughout these past twelve weeks. Once again a huge congratulations to Mr. Jimi Hughes who truly deserves the crown and commiserations to Dan Allinson who equally deserves it as much. In the end, only one could be crowned though.

As the RDMCC circus travels off into the metaphorical sunset I'd like to pay particular homage to the community here. I always looked forward to our pre and post-race chats where the banter was aplenty and if I am here for Season 7, I shall be looking forward to it even more.

To quote the late Dan Wheldon - "We kicked butt today"

James

 

[Tim Meuris]

Thnx for the awesome season guys.
I enjoyed watching it from the first till the last second.
Shame there were only six races

 

[David Cuthill]

Got to chip in with a great big thanks to Bram and also to James and Liam for the fantastic commentary. It's been a pleasure to race in this series. Roll on the next one.

 

[Mark Gormley]

I'll just add further to the plethora of thanks, first and foremost to Bram, Scott and the rest of the staff for running the operation so well and giving us the opportunity to take part in something so fun.

Liam and James for the first-rate commentary, great double act which really put a professional veneer over what otherwise might have appeared to be 30+ halians climbing over one another.

Jimi and Dan for showing everyone how it should be done. For me there was immediately an extra degree of interest seeing you both signed up, as seeing you both in action in the Race07 club in FWDs, but never at the same time, I was interested to see how you two would get on.

Finally, Ken, Dave and everyone who kept the craic going during the interviews for adding a sense of personality to the series, and myself, for not embarrassing myself too much (anytime the camera was on me, at least).

Really hope I can be back for season 7, depending on my university timetable and whether or not the teams championship will be mandatory.

 

[Von Butters]

There isnt a great deal more to be said from me, except thanks to everyone involved in bringing this serise to its conclusion, through a brill season.
There's been some lows, and some highs, and everything in between, and i that the lot of ya!
Im not going to say thatks to this person or to that person, as there will be someone i missout, and i want everyone who was part of the team that brought us such exciting racing, (and allowing a noob like me to take part in it), all to feel the same thanks as everyone else.

Thanks to those involved in the racing, those who were racinf around the level i was at, it WAS fun, and i cant wait to race with you guys again.
Thank you to those up in front for giving me a lesson on how to sim race, by gid you guys are fast! lol

Congrats to Jimi, well done Dan, you gave him one hell of a run, and everyone else who sayed to the end, you are all winners too!

I dont know when ill be back racing, but be warned, i will find a way, even if i have to use a joypad, (mwAH HA HA), so keep an eye on ya back bumper.

Peace out guys! I love and pray for you all!

 

[Andreas Pfannschmidt]

What's needed for the last two races to be the highlight of this great season? Let's see what we get:
The fight about the championship is still open - check
The fight about the following positions is also not decided - check
There are some "rookies" that are able to tease the favs - check
We're racing on the best track of this season - check
We're racing on the also most dangerous track - check

Everything was set for a breathtaking final round in Taruma and I for myself was in a very interessting position before the race. My pre-season goal, a topten position in the overall standings, was already secured and from the third to the sixth place in the championship, everything was possible with the last two races. Nik Hughes, Mark Gormley, Tamas Foth and Jordi Casademunt were my opponents for the championship standings and everything seems to be possible.

Race 1:
I had to start the race from the 7th position, but this time it didn't went so well like normally. I have lost two places in the first round and found myself behind Tamas Foth. In the next lap Vinicius Ferreira also was able to pass me, and in the third lap it was Remco de Wildt who was chasing me for the tenth position. We had a nice fight in the following laps, with several overtaking-manouvers and a lot of fun. But in the sixth lap he made an failure and sadly ended in the barriers. I think the pole-position and victory in the second race was a good compensation. Congratulations Remco

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Now after I have survived the trouble of the first laps i eventually found my rhythm and the times were improving. I tried to follow a big group in front of me but first had to protect my position against Morten Wernersen and Mark Gormley. Under braking to the only right-corner on this track Morten got a push by Mark and so he hit me in the apex and get through. But I was able to catch him soon later and continued my chase to this big group in front of me, driving bad times due to their immense fighting. It took some laps after I was in range to participate in this huge battle between Nik Hughes, Tamas Foth, Lars Brugman and Vinicius Ferreira. I was very careful at first, waiting for a failure of the guys in front of me, but after some time I realised that this won't happen this day and that Mark Gormley was closing up. So I took the initiative and attacked Tamas with success.​

As we crossed the finishing-line I was one position behind Nik Hughes and two before Mark Gormley.​

It was really sure now, that Nik Hughes will get the third place in the championship and I now only was one single point behind Silent Killer Mark before the last race.​

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[Andreas Pfannschmidt]

Race 2:​

Normally the first laps of the second race are very dramatic, we all know. But this time it was very frightening.​

I had my first cometogether already a few hundred meters after the start, when I was pushed on the curbes before the second corner and in the result got a little contact while turning in. Sadly Morten Wernersen spun into the armco due to this. I feel sorry for you Morten, but there was nothing I could do.​

Only three turns later I got a small push under braking, resulting in a big sideways, heading exactly onto the apex and directly into Mark Gormley - he of all the people! The last thing that should happen...​

Luckily without any spinout by somebody or major damage. I was so relieved that this moment didn't have more effect. After this first lap full of trouble I had climbed from the 20th up to the 12th position and there was more to come.​

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Second lap, first corner, next trouble: under braking I got pushed into Marco Bijl and Christopher Hall-Nelson. And in a chain reaction further back Jani Vinnari spun out. Once again this narrow track showed it's ugly side. If someone gets problems in one of those fast bends if oftens wents very badly, due to nervous rear-axle of the MINI's.​

In the fourth lap I already was on the 8th place and Mark Gormley bravely haunted me through the traffic. And the drama continued: In the uphill bend someone in front of me had a big sideways and lost a lot of momentum. When I was about to overtake him i was pushed off the track again but luckily survived. I think I really should remove this "move right" banner from my windshield!!​

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[Andreas Pfannschmidt]

Mark Gormley continued his pressure and I needed to pass the slower guys in front of me fast. But as I reached Lucas Degen, fighting for fifth position I lost some time, because Lucas defended very well. It took some time do pass him and he sadly had a spin afterwards, loosing his still very good position.​

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Between Mark and me it was really on now and an intensive fight about the overall 4th in the championship startet to happen! After eleven exciting races it's come to this - it could hardly get any closer.​

We had some thrilling laps, fighting each other with a lot of respect and courage. There was a long way to go and I expected that we will take this fight to the finishing line. But sadly this shouldn't happen and everything went bad. After Mark passed me I was following very closely, waiting for the next chance. He lost some momentum in the first corner and I instantly went to the inside for an attack. Mark did everything he can, forcing me way off the line. But it was too late and I had the inside line for the next fast corner. In this moment we lost our fortune, when we entered the corner side by side. We had a small cometogether in which both cars get caught up very unluckily and Mark went off the track.​

This is really the last thing you want to happen in such a fight. I feel sorry for you Mark and I hope you see this like me, as a unlucky race-accident. Too bad that we couldn't continue fighting to the end.​

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There was still the half race to go and the top-drivers now closed up. Dan Allinson was the first, that appeared in my mirrors. I decided to take no risk and let him through. I really had enough critical situations. Somehow it doesn't work to wave Dan through. At first he made an mistake and felt back. As he closed up the next time he went off the track again! Now Michael Bräutigam was behind me and I again just let him through, so that I don't loose time while due to fighting and in the hope that I can use his slipstream to reach Javier Bernedo in front of us.It worked really well and soon Javier and me were fighting for position. We had some laps full of fun, when Jordi joined us first and passed us later. But I rejoiced to soon. I made an mistake in the only right-corner, when i braked on the inside line and went too wide. Javier was forced to brake very much and he even come on the grass, resulting in a big drift. I'm really sorry to you Javier.​

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I thank the destiny that this now finally was the last critical situation in this mad race! I took the MINI called Heidi over the finishing-line with no more trouble. She really had suffered in this event and will need this break before the next season to recover.​

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So, here we go with last words again:​

It was an epic season. I had so much fun racing with all of you. I nearly had the same fun again watching the great broadcasts after the race and in reading your race-reports. Thanks for everyone who was involved. Hope to see you in the next season.​

Cheers to the MINI Challenge Champion Jimi Hughes. You really deserved that, but I think next season it will be even harder for you, after this impressive perfomances from Jordi Casademunt and Michael Bräutigam in the last races.​

 

[Jimi Hughes]

great report Andreas, and thank you for your kind words. This season was a very difficult one, but for sure season 7 will be even tougher!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Thanks Andreas. Must say I have enjoyed reading your extensive reports. Great example, wish more people did that.

 

[Lucas Degen]

Dan Allinson I'm very happy you didn't run into me after my 360 in T1. (please check my incar camera in the reply to see how I avoid all cars coming up behind me.)
Spun, left steering, shift to neutral, shift to rear, full throttle steering right, steering left, full throttle in first gear again)

 

[Javier Bernedo]

made an mistake in the only right-corner, when i braked on the inside line and went too wide. Javier was forced to brake very much and he even come on the grass, resulting in a big drift. I'm really sorry to you Javier.

No problem. It was a great battle.