Lotus Elite Series - Mondello Nat / Falkenberg - Thu 8th April

[Stuart Thomson]

Servername: RACEDEPT.COM GTC65
Class: Lotus Elite
Track: Mondello Nat / Falkenberg
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: Sprint Pack & Elite Pack will be used, so must be installed

 

[Senad Subasic]

Well, that was a huge fail. I must have mistaken driving a car with figure skating, I spun 10 times at least. I think I blocked Amir when he tried to lap me in race 2, sorry about that.

Have a good one guys

 

[Steven Palmer]

All a learning curve Senad

Good close racing tonight gents, thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done to Knut for an awesome show of speed in both races...nice brace of wins there

 

[Carlos Diaz]

OK, I'm an idiot for underestimating this car. It's a tricky one. At least in Mondello it is. Race 2 was the most challenging combo of car and track I have ever experienced in a club race yet. I think it was more the track than the car though. Those curved braking sections are crazy, I couldn't find a setup that worked. Or maybe I couldn't find a driving strategy that worked lol. Either way, next time I am practicing, no more of this showing up unprepared stuff.

And to make things even funnier, at the start of the race2 I somehow managed to shut my car off. Then I frantically started to hit every key on the board trying to get it started again!:roflol: *Note to self: Assign the ignition key somewhere I will remember it*

These little cars are a bunch of fun to drive and make for some close racing on these small tracks. Great idea to have this series Stu.:thumb:

 

[Tom Wilson]

Boy am I glad I made it for the second race of tonight, the Eiltes are so much fun to just chuck around a track like Mondello.

I crashed in qualifying so I was near the back at the start, but I managed to get the revs perfect and when I dumped the clutch the car sprang forward like a hobo at a buffet. I was able to gain some ground and by lap 2 I was in a group battling with Bob, Amir, Stu, Steven and Grzegorz. Unfortunately On lap 3 or 4 I overtook Bob coming out of the bottom hairpin, he came back at me on the exit and we both caught up to Amir. Bob tried to get inside Amir into the Tight Esses and I lost out badly, had to catch some grass and couldn't slow the car down - putting me into a spin. I rejoiend after not wasting too much time and I set about clawing back some ground.

Because of various accidents and spins ahead I made it up to 4th, chasing down Amir. He span at the tricky double apex turn 3/4 and as I tried to go past on the inside he set off and we collided - damaging my front left quite badly. I tried to keep going with the wonky steering and I was looking good for 4th until I ran out of fuel at the start of the final lap, typical.

Great race for me though, well done to Knut for taking both wins, impressive. Thanks Stu and everyone who turned up"

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

After two looong weeks without GTL it was great to be back and I had a lovely evening

In the first race I had qualified 6th I think. Had a decent start and down to the first turn the field was quite wide and I tried to be cautious being on the far left. I think I lost a position or two after the first corners. After that it was a sweet drive and the Elite was flowing nicely. Had a great time fighting my way up the field and mid-race I was 2nd. Avi was in front and I made my move in the sharper corner after the first esses. But Jack had a spin and Avi could not avoid him I think. After that it was smooth sailing towards the checkered flag.

In the second race I had pole and had good launch off the line. The race was a bit quiet but the gap down to Grzegorz was pretty much constant at about 17s and I had to push to keep it there. At lap 19 I saw the fuel pressure started to fluctuate and I had to back off and slot the higher gears. I kept a close look at the gap down to Grzegorz and adjusted the pace to secure my second win.

As Steven pointed out Mondello rewards intensive footwork. The Elite is quite light but the drivetrain has high inertia causing oversteer on downstifts. Additionally the gap from 3rd to 2nd is large and requires an extra stab on the loud pedal. Where Steven had to back off early I could brake later and and keep the car stable with my right little toe.

Thanks Stuart and RD for a great event:thumb:

 

[Bob Hutchins]

Well however you bake it that was off the richter scale for fun tonight and as far as I'm concerned that's what makes this club the best on RD. These cars are just pure racing enjoyment and the 2 tracks tonight made for some very clooose racing, well done Tommo.

As for the race results tonight, race 1 Falkenberg, I got a howler of a start and got from 7th upto 3rd after T1. I was then thinking this is going to be very close as the faster guys in quali were behind. As I thought about Steve ahead and thinking to myself just keep it tidy and consistant on lap 2 it all went wrong at T2 when I pulled 2nd gear to quickly and the backend broke away and my position went to the back of the field as the car also stalled. Knowing that there was no chance of getting back to the front of the field as this was a single make series I just settled down and started to put the laps in. I had a nice little fight for a couple of laps with Manuel until he got past and started to pull away. From then on I just lapped as fast as I could and made no more mistakes to come home 6th in the end, I think.

Race 2, flufted quali and started at the back of the field with the rest who also had mare in quali. Again got a great start and followed Tom into T1. Had a really great battle with Tom for a few laps until we came across Amir who had been off and while driving straight back onto the track right in front of us I just managed to miss him but as Tom already said he did not. That got me by Tom who on the next lap had a sideways moment round the back of the track I had to take avoiding action which put me on the grass and I got a track cutting warning. After this and with no one around me to keep me honest I did it again and pulled 2nd to early and found myself at the back of the field again. After giving myself the prompt title, you plonker, I got on with the racing and even managed and few 1:06 laps towards the end of the race. I think I finished 6th again.

Althought the results weren't that bad I had a really great fun night tonight and I put this down to the grid being 12+ in both races and everyone in the same machinery.

Thanks to the man who puts all this together :thumb:, thx to RD for bring us all together and thanks to all you who showed up tonight to make it the racing expirence it was.

Grts goes to Knut for winning both races tonight with blistering speed, wd mate. Grts to all podium finishers and wd to all racers, great driving.

 

[Jack Smith]

As an old member of our teaching staff use to say to our principle at our staff meetings" Point of Clarification". Apparently I was texted after the second race to quit racing when lapped. I was not aware of this policy. I was under the impression that this was club racing, for fun, and you should finish your race. If being passed, to hold your true racing course so the passing driver would not be surprised by unexpected moves. It is stated some where on this site ( rules section?) that all skills levels are welcome. If I am incorrect then I aplogize and I will leave because I do not want to frustrate divers.

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

As an old member of our teaching staff use to say to our principle at our staff meetings" Point of Clarification". Apparently I was texted after the second race to quit racing when lapped. I was not aware of this policy. I was under the impression that this was club racing, for fun, and you should finish your race. If being passed, to hold your true racing course so the passing driver would not be surprised by unexpected moves. It is stated some where on this site ( rules section?) that all skills levels are welcome. If I am incorrect then I aplogize and I will leave because I do not want to frustrate divers.

You don't have to quit the game. If you are being lapped you have to "let the car pass". I usually back off on the straights, go wide in hairpins or I will do some lawnmowing

I'm not sure what the rules says, but I usually try to let them pass as easily as I can. Especially if there is two cars, in a battle.

 

[Steven Palmer]

As an old member of our teaching staff use to say to our principle at our staff meetings" Point of Clarification". Apparently I was texted after the second race to quit racing when lapped. I was not aware of this policy. I was under the impression that this was club racing, for fun, and you should finish your race. If being passed, to hold your true racing course so the passing driver would not be surprised by unexpected moves. It is stated some where on this site ( rules section?) that all skills levels are welcome. If I am incorrect then I aplogize and I will leave because I do not want to frustrate divers.

+1 with Knut...if you find yourself being lapped Jack..the best thing is a you suggested ....keep a steady line, avoid unpredictable manoeuvres...and when you get the opportunity, like a straight, pull slightly of the racing line ease up on the throttle to let the passing car through then slip back in behind...if done right you don't compromise anyone's race.....it just comes down to seat time...the more events you do the more you'll pick up the race craft and before long it'll be you passing the back markers

But please don't leave because of a comment in the after race chat

 

[Ivo Simons]

+1 with Knut...if you find yourself being lapped Jack..the best thing is a you suggested ....keep a steady line, avoid unpredictable manoeuvres...and when you get the opportunity, like a straight, pull slightly of the racing line ease up on the throttle to let the passing car through then slip back in behind...if done right you don't compromise anyone's race.....it just comes down to seat time...the more events you do the more you'll pick up the race craft and before long it'll be you passing the back markers

But please don't leave because of a comment in the after race chat

I agree.
Don't who said it? But that person has no right to say if you can race or not. That's not the spirit of the Racing Club.

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

I dont think he meant that. He meant to stop racing(battling) with the lapping car, not to stop racing altogether

 

[Manuel Spierenburg]

what a great racing night

quali 1:
really liked this combo elite + falkenberg but I backed off little bit in quali for avoiding a spin. Still happy with my time. was 5th I think.
race 1:
had not so good start and lost some places. Then in the S I was side by side with someone and we touched a little bit what was enough for spinning me off. So I was at the back of the field. After some laps bob joined me and we had a very nice fight. I was following him for some time, then we did some changing position. Very nice move there bob in the S when I tried to take you but you took the inside line and gained the position back. At the end I got him in the final turn. Then I managed to pull away and close the cap to the cars ahead. I think I saw 3-4 cars battling for position and I was looking forward to battle with them. Unfortunately they made a mistake and I overtook them all at once. In the last round stuart (I think) lost it and I could gain his position for place 3. So ended race on on the podium :banana:

quali 2:
Holy this track was tricky with this car. I spun almost every lap in training and only managed a slow lap in quali. about 3 seconds behind the pole man knut.
race 2:
My starts with the elite are just terrible. Again I lost some positions. Steven was right behind me and he was much faster on this course. He tried to overtake me in turn 1 and somehow I didn't see him and closed the door too late. So I spun. Steven was so gentle to wait but I think it was my mistake. After some time he was right behind me again but this time I let him pass so I can try to follow him. And this was a good decision. I found a good line now and went 2 seconds faster. I was following steven with about 3seconds difference but in the second last round I made a mistake and I lost some ground. At the end I was 6th.

Best part for me was the battle with bob this evening.

Thanks RD and stu for setting this up

 

[Senad Subasic]

As an old member of our teaching staff use to say to our principle at our staff meetings" Point of Clarification". Apparently I was texted after the second race to quit racing when lapped. I was not aware of this policy. I was under the impression that this was club racing, for fun, and you should finish your race. If being passed, to hold your true racing course so the passing driver would not be surprised by unexpected moves. It is stated some where on this site ( rules section?) that all skills levels are welcome. If I am incorrect then I aplogize and I will leave because I do not want to frustrate divers.

I was behind you and Amir, I think, when it happened. He tried to lap you, but you didn't let him pass, there was even contact. When he said don't race, he meant don't defend your position when you're being lapped.

 

[Jack Smith]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. I would hate to leave because I have already met some very helpful and friendly people here but I must admit it is a bit stressful being at my level and competing against the high quality of drivers found on this site. The very thing which I have been trying to avoid.. blocking lapping drivers .. is what I did. Sorry about that.

 

[Senad Subasic]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. I would hate to leave because I have already met some very helpful and friendly people here but I must admit it is a bit stressful being at my level and competing against the high quality of drivers found on this site. The very thing which I have been trying to avoid.. blocking lapping drivers .. is what I did. Sorry about that.

Don't you dare leave, I won't have anyone to race with then .

Seriously now, it happens. I think I blocked him on that track too; not a lot of room for maneuvering, and me spinning like a gyroscope didn't help things.

 

[Warren Dawes]

Jack, don't get too dis-heartened, GTL is a very difficult Sim to learn, much more demanding than most of the other SimRacing games. It does take a while to get the feel for it, but when you do it is very rewarding. And yes, the driving standard of some of our GTL guys is very high.
Jack, stick with it mate, you will find that you will improve rapidly, especially considering that you are driving with a Flight Sim Yoke, which puts you at some disadvantage.

 

[Carlos Diaz]

Wait a minute...Warren, are you saying that Jack is driving with one of these?

If that's the case...Jack, buddy, you are a badass, just wait until you get your hands on a MOMO or G25 wheel. If I am correct, you don't have force feedback either. And I don't see any way for you to manually shift the gears either, forcing the game to choose the gears for you. Am I right about all this?

Jack, if you are pretty good at playing console games like Forza and Gran Turismo using an analog gamepad like this one...(this is the very same model I have BTW), you can pick one of these up pretty cheap. Tom and I use pads and we don't do too badly most of the time.

And yes, you are correct...All skill levels are welcome. As time goes on you will learn how to be passed and how to pass. I spent the entire season-4 of RDHGP being passed by half the grid, so don't feel bad about being passed, it happens. Like Warren said, this game is a bit more tricky than the other sims because the cars are old, so old brakes, old suspensions, horrible tires, barely any downforce, etc...lol. But that's the appeal of it IMO. So stick around bud.

Also, if you ever need any help with the setups or if you ever have any questions you can ask me or any of us to help you out. If one of us doesn't have time the other one will. Don't be afraid to ask.:thumb:

 

[Jack Smith]

Well yes that is what I'm using, but I can shift by using the toggle switch on the top of the right handle which is just back of the hat switch. Right .. no force feedback. I assumed I had something fairly good ... ignorance is bliss. As far as playing console games, never had one , only PC games and mostly like Silent Hunter, Virtual Skipper, , Dangerous Waters, flight sims, Combat Mission etc. I like the idea of GTL being a challenge because it will mean something to improve and acquire a higher skilll level. I wasn't too disappointed in my performance, I knew it would be weak for some time (not proud either) just concerned at being a "toad in the road" that was in the way. Thanks again for all the support from all responders.

 

[Carlos Diaz]

I have never used one, so I don't know if it's good or bad for driving. I just assumed it couldn't be too good since it was designed for flight
sims. So I figured that you couldn't shift and that the rates and sensitivities of the yoke were probably made to work better with flight sims, making it hard to drive with. But I have no idea, really.
I suggested the pad thinking that maybe you had used one before with console driving games, but since you haven't, you can scratch that idea off I guess. The yoke at least resembles a wheel setup way more than any pad.

 

[Amir Margalit]

As an old member of our teaching staff use to say to our principle at our staff meetings" Point of Clarification". Apparently I was texted after the second race to quit racing when lapped. I was not aware of this policy. I was under the impression that this was club racing, for fun, and you should finish your race. If being passed, to hold your true racing course so the passing driver would not be surprised by unexpected moves. It is stated some where on this site ( rules section?) that all skills levels are welcome. If I am incorrect then I aplogize and I will leave because I do not want to frustrate divers.

i was the one who commented after the race that when you are being lapped don't try to race with a leading car and please just pull over. i didn't even think to advice to you to stop racing. this was not my my point and i am very sorry if you understood something else.i have no right and i will never advice anyone to quit racing. gtl is a hard game to play and the cars are hard to adjust to. as steven said there is a learning curve and after long practice you get to a point where everything just clilks.
what happend last night was that at both races you were being lappend and didn't pull over. i and some other drivers tried to pass you but it looks like you were battling for place . i don't know if you use virtual mirrors but if you don't please do. i am sure that as you will practice more you will be more competetive. when i started taking part at races in rd i was one of the slowest and had to practice a lot in order to become a liitle bit faster.
as for the races last night it was pure fun.knut was beyond reach last night. great driving knut and well deserved wins. btw in the 2nd race tom stuart and me had a great battle for 3rd place. i was realy sorry that it didn't last to the end.
and bob sorry for getting in your way but i got hit and spun across the track.