BMW Schnitzer VS Opel 1900 GT @ Westwood Park - Tuesday May 18th 2010

[Carlos Diaz]

Servername: RD GTL Racing Club
Class: BMW Schnitzer VS Opel 1900 GT (Download Opel HERE)
Track: Westwood Park (Download HERE)
Start Time: 19.00 GMT
Practice: 20 min
Qualification: 10 min (1 timed lap only)
Race: 2 x 22 laps
Note1: Click here to read the password and golden rules!
Note2: The RDHGP S4 skinpack will be used for the CSL, so must be installed.
Note3: The car you will be driving in Race 1 will be listed next to your name in the sign-ups. Please make sure you know what car you are driving in Race 1.

My Setups:

 

[Marc Good]

Great choice of car/track and thanks for the setups provided!

The evening was quite a rollercoaster for me though.
After putting the BMW on the front row in race one I managed to get into the first few corners in first place but spun out due to some light contact.. Nothing serious and the golden rule was followed
So there I was in 11th place after two corners and I don't know how.. but I got fastest lap after fastest lap for some time and suddenly found myself in second place when Gary was busy with lapping some BMWs. As he said it was a wake up call for him after cruising around and went way fast all of a sudden and I did not manage to get past him. Great racing from Gary and all others as well. Very clean race from what I saw, despite the cars under-/oversteering from the heavy tire use.

Race 2 I managed to place the Opel on the pole.. wow was I happy with that accomplishment but like a real rollercoaster: after the highest peak there's always a fast downfall awaiting you.
So I sat there on the pole in my tiny little GT in front of an armada of BMWs. lol
Surprisingly enough I managed to stay in front for about 1.5 laps when I overshot turn 1. Guess it's still better keeping your eyes on the track instead of frantically watching your rear mirror. But the BMWs looked so scary :O So there I was.. somewhere around 5th place and I made the same mistake twice: Punting Bob in the tight left hander (T2) and causing him to spin. This kept the both of us at the back and in battles all the time. MAJOR appologies again to Bob for being my Bonnet-0-Meter.. had to find out the hard way how long my bonnet is.
From then on I kept battling with different drivers and I guess I caused some issues as well with my unstable cornering from time to time. To round up things I managed to find myself behind two BMWs in the last tight right hander braking zone requiring me to either use one of them as a handbrake or get off track. I chose the second option and waited for the whole field to pass before rejoining.

Sorry for everyone's race I influenced in a negative way. I'll give everything to make future races a more pleasant thing..

 

[Manuel Spierenburg]

I had a great night and some nice fights.
(very nice cars carlos. I never drove them before but the cars and the track were perfect)

quali 1:
Was still learning the track and didn't manage to drive a good time like in training. Was somewhere in the back.

race 1:
poor start but I managed to stay somewhere in the back and out of all trouble.
So I managed to gain position after position and had some nice battles with Rickard.
One time bob was loosing his rear just in front of me and I thought I just managed to avoid him,
but in the replay I saw I gave you a tab. Sorry for that.
In the last lap I was on p7 seven and due the spin of carlos in the last corner I toke p6.
Sorry carlos

quali 2:
After some drifting action in practice I was able to find a good line for the bmw and was on p5.

race 2:
Damn this was tight in t1. Unfortunately too tight. 3 cars out of t1 didn't work and stu went off.
So I waited for him and we both were back at the field. But we managed to gain some positions very fast.
I had some great fights with a lot racers. But I went off two times on t2 on just recovered two times just in front of bob.
Sorry bob. In the last laps I was fighting with tom for p4 and marc was just behind us. But I didn't manage to take tom and
marc went off in the tight corner after the straight. So I brought it home in 5th position.

For me was quite a blast.

Thanks RD, Carlos for setting this up and all the racers

 

[Bob Hutchins]

Well I have to say thx to Carlos for choosing a great cars/track combo, fantastic.

As for the racing, to my amazement I stuch it 3rd on the grid in the Opel, I love this car. Slow getaway as I had 2 beamers in front. As we went into T2/3, I love tapped Marc which kinda ruined my race, sorry Marc. Now at the back and 1 more off got my head straight and managed to bring it home in 8th.

Race 2 in the beamer, I think I got 5th on the grid. Much better start and managed to gain a place in the first few corners. Now in 4th I just got my consentration up and settled in for the long haul. Then I noticed Marc going off and snuck past. A lap or 2 later, as Marc said in his post, he tapped me in T3, very slow corner for the beamer, and off I went. I only lost 1 place to Tom and resumed battle to chase him down. As I got close and was looking for a way past, Marc done it again, but this time and few more went by. I got back on track and pushed as hard as I could get away with and had some nice close racing. In the end I brought it home in 6th and was pleased with my recovery and my drive.

Thanks again Carlos for a great entertaining nights racing. Well done Gary & Steve on your wins, wd podium finishers & grts to all drivers tonight for showing up.

P.s. No probs Marc and thanks for waiting both time, what a ture GTL gent.

 

[Bob Hutchins]

One time bob was loosing his rear just in front of me and I thought I just managed to avoid him,
but in the replay I saw I gave you a tab. Sorry for that.

But I went off two times on t2 on just recovered two times just in front of bob.
Sorry bob.

Np Manny, the first time was all my fault & I was just glad I didn't collect any of those behind me. The second time, again np, your recovery was ok and didn't cause any probs for me either.

Thx for the mention thou.

 

[Gary Lennon]

Ive had a little taste of the Opel before in a previous event and liked it a lot then and enjoyed it maybe even a bit more this time!,despite never showing any kind of special laptime in practice,and a rubbish qually lap for 8th,i sort of knew i had a fine feeling race car under me when those lights changed,a good enough start and i think a place nicked at T1?,but mainly all quite steady as she goes,and once again all those near me at this stage had the same idea,so no problems at all those first few turns,just a case of picking a nice path through the very busy action just ahead,so simply a case of some good fortune mixed with some caution and i suddenly find myself in 2nd giving some harrassment to Tom which results in getting a pass done for the lead,i reckon Tom let that happen easy for me with a plan to follow and pounce late......so i took the opportunity to try and nail some consistent good pace laps,added to this Tom getting a couple of lary moments pushing hard,and the plan is working nice for me,it goes so nice infact i get the luxury of backing off and enjoying the scenery and the ride.....until i suddenly hear this whining screaming noise in the distance when im on the straight and look rear view to see Marcs bimmer going absolutely frickin ballistic!!!! :O,i really actually honestly literally could not believe me old tired eyes!!!!....it was just so many laps not ever bothering to check the gap back,so it was a proper "WAKE UP" call,im quietly proud of myself with some tenacious hanging on and raising my game a bit,at one point at the end of the straight Marc had the lead from me for a second or two,but i thankfully covered that run defending the inside and managed to outbrake and hold the lead to the end,very enjoyable race with a real spiced up ending.

I was all over the shop in the BMW for race2,and didnt have much confidence for this one,......until a cheeky tweak of the diff in qually that turned my fortunes around completely and stunned myself with a 3rd place start,front 3 away in starting order with Marc the lone Opel up front and me and S. Palmero in hot pursuit!,my car was feeling very nice at this early stage and a dive at Stevey P. was very tempting a couple of times ;p,but just too risky at this early stage,as Marc appeared to be making some gap to us up in the lead he went off at T1 and seemed to take forever getting back on allowing me and S.P. through no probs.
I was encouraged at being able to stick in this lead fight until Palmero seemed to suddenly settle in and knuckle down and started to just slightly ease away,so i calculated the pace i was currently running was no use and tried to turn it up a bit,thus going off a little bit at T2 ,but Steve never faltered at all,just kept steadily building the cushion all through the race to the end.....like some kind of internets sim racing robo-machine!!! >:/.
A drive to be proud of there Steven m8 in what many consider,including me,quite an odd-bird handfull of a motor!,Gratso!.

Borderline genius combo Carlos,Thanks to you & RD

 

[Roman Kruszewski]

Failed to be on time for R1. Just get on with 5 mins till quali with completely no idea of this track. Luckily it wasn't very complicated track.
Q: still learning track 1.13.8 - 11th place.

R2: Got of quite well, made few mistakes like others climbed up to 8th then drop down to 10th, Clocked PB with 1.11.8. Then got SG for cutting which mostly happened when I lost it under braking to T2. After SG I was pushing hard and made mistake approaching SF line run wide and hit barrier hard and flipped over. Then with ruined car made fight for finish but at braking after long straight got of to gravel and hit barrier very hard which stopped my engine.

Very nice Combo, this Opel runs so smooth - I like it very much, seems not complicated but gives a lot of fun with T1, long straight and approach to finish.

Thanks Carlos this event gave me plenty of fun! Looking forward to next one!

 

[Steven Palmer]

I was all over the shop in the BMW for race2,and didnt have much confidence for this one,......until a cheeky tweak of the diff in qually that turned my fortunes around completely and stunned myself with a 3rd place start,front 3 away in starting order with Marc the lone Opel up front and me and S. Palmero in hot pursuit!,my car was feeling very nice at this early stage and a dive at Stevey P. was very tempting a couple of times ;p,but just too risky at this early stage,as Marc appeared to be making some gap to us up in the lead he went off at T1 and seemed to take forever getting back on allowing me and S.P. through no probs.
I was encouraged at being able to stick in this lead fight until Palmero seemed to suddenly settle in and knuckle down and started to just slightly ease away,so i calculated the pace i was currently running was no use and tried to turn it up a bit,thus going off a little bit at T2 ,but Steve never faltered at all,just kept steadily building the cushion all through the race to the end.....like some kind of internets sim racing robo-machine!!! >:/.
A drive to be proud of there Steven m8 in what many consider,including me,quite an odd-bird handfull of a motor!,Gratso!.

Borderline genius combo Carlos,Thanks to you & RD

Thanks for the compliment Gary... I really thought I was going to fluff it on lap 2 when I had an atrocious lap..but after that it was a "Condor" moment (we're both old enough to remember those ad's :wink everything just came together nicely.........and the lap times were consistant and fast.

With the BMW slower is definitely faster !!!

 

[Marc Good]

at one point at the end of the straight Marc had the lead from me for a second or two,but i thankfully covered that run defending the inside and managed to outbrake and hold the lead to the end,very enjoyable race with a real spiced up ending.

lol, and what a moment it was at the end of the straight! I was able to look back down the straight again in the middle of the corner.. glad I could keep it going =)

With the BMW slower is definitely faster !!!

Yeah, that must be the reason why the beamer worked so well for me. A slow bloke battling with the fast guys

 

[Tom Wilson]

i suddenly find myself in 2nd giving some harrassment to Tom which results in getting a pass done for the lead,i reckon Tom let that happen easy for me with a plan to follow and pounce late......

That was sort of my intention. I was suprised to take the lead, and thinking Stu would be gaining fast after his off I wanted to push to get some daylight between me and the pack. When you caught up I thought it safer to try and follow you then fight with you and lose us both bags of time. Alas I wasn't able to hang on as close as I'd originally hoped, you were just too damn fast and I went off by pushing too hard ttrying to keep up.

Seemed like a good idea at the time..........

 

[Stuart Thomson]

Please don't mistake my comment for any criticism of the event, track or car choices - all were splendid.

It was just that everything that could have gone wrong for me did (some my own fault, some not my fault and just wrong place/wrong time), and I missed out on some good racing.