TVR400 & AC Cobra 427 - Watkins Glen GP - Thursday 2nd December

Stuart Thomson

The Stoat Without Fear ™
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Servername: RD GTL Racing Club
Class: Race1: TVR 400 / Race2: AC Cobra 427
Track: Watkins Glen GP (Download)
Start Time: 20.00 GMT
Practice: 20 minutes
Qualification: 12 minutes (ONE TIMED LAP)
Race: 2 x 12 laps
Note1: Click here to read the password and golden rules!
Note2: Default skins only

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Absolutely incredible night, I had good quali and T1 gave me very good start, then some nice and clear overtakes with Ross (or Atkins? my replay doesnt work, I only know you two were behind me and then one of your red cars was side be side with me) - but amazing driving mate I was enjoying our battle all the way, especially the respect of given room in turns and thanks to another mistakes of the others I was 4th, consistent, then Bob showed his lost speed and then I would guess Warren was trying? Some laps, lot of fights behind me, myself in front of the train... then, in the most hard braking corner, brake power lost me control of the upcoming throttle section and I spun, stopped and as there were a lot of cars coming - I didnt want to leave this great race - I waited, one or two came trough so I was trying to recover but I couldnt, I had neutral geared and before I noticed that I guess it was Stuart with Warren hitting me and then themselves... I saw big damage of my car and from window of Stuart's car, I wanted to leave you and Warren my place in pits, but two minutes did change my mind there because I would have to wait long for you. Then my empty tank started to giving a note to me, I though 30 L will be OK, if not I will pit and give my place to Warren with Stuart - turn before pit fuel out and race over :D

But as I mentioned it was just amazing night... really, five stars, nice clear driving from myself and from the others with who I had fights! Overtaking each other, I love that...

Once more sorry for the crash mess....

Going to bed now, good night and next time :)
 
well... bad first evening on GTL for me... :(
Race1: Q P2 where i was happy! i take a very bad start and bloking all the guys behind me(sry guys)... Yves was already on a other planet after 2 laps and i decide to wait to Gary to have some fun, BUT, wth, i let him pass and in the straight i just try to make like "bumpdraft" with Gary, only little touch and Gary finish in the wall :'(((((. i feel me so bad that i push esc... again, really sorry Gary :(((

Race2: Q P4 at 2sec of my PB in practice. this time i take not a bad(not the best) start and was directly in fight with the guys in front. after 2or3 laps i think, i was in P2 behind Gary and pass him in the long right turn after the straight. then in lap8( i think) big freeze for more than 20 sec, weird graphic, push ALT+TAB to reload graphic but when i was on desktop, nothing work, no mouse, nothing... all pc was "bloked" :(((((... push the "reset" button... 2DNF for me tonight :((((

thx Stuart for organisation and thx to all for racing ;)
hope better luck in RDHGP :)
cu next time guys ;)
 
Great night, had a blast :thanks:

Was racing Jack both times, and ended up behind him both times. The cars were sliding everywhere, was scared constantly. But it was a nice spatial orientation practice :D
Nothing unfair Jack, hope the same applies for me. I think we were both giving each other more than enough room.
 
Lols Greg please dont beat yourself up over that,i know exactly what you were trying to do all with the best intentions,the speed difference was big so the the "bump" wobbled me and i was already too far left close to the grass edge,and i noticed in practice the grass has a nasty instant "grabbing" effect and usually rendered me out of control,i was barely hanging on at that point and not having much fun in no mans land too,good cars to spectate for me :D.
Cobra pole was clearly a setup to get me up front then hassle me!?...Thommo stepped up to the plate first with a big audacious move at the end of the back straight,cant remember where i got back at him?,and then resisted the same move with some slightly later braking and made good from that point on until Greg got through and breezed up to the back of my car and swished past at will and pulled away,i struggled more and more to the end and just held 2nd from Stu.
A difficult night in with those cars!!. well done all.

Thank You Stu/Carlos & RD
 
I actually enjoyed the racing, despite some "unfortunate" incidents during the races. These cars are certainly different and require lots of concentration to keep them pointed the right way. First time I have tried the Cobra, so it was fun for me.
Good fun on TS too, listening to all the "Poms" complaining about the weather (what's new :wink: ), but at least they didn't mention the cricket :rolleyes: .

Race 1, I qualified surprisingly well, and even managed a good start, but just as I was about to sneak into the top 3, the two cars in front, who had botched their starts, closed the gap. I had to back off causing difficulties for Bob who gave me a slight tap. No problems though. From that point I was shuffled quickly back down the order to the mid-pack somewhere, so just tried to keep out of trouble. Just as Stu (and Nigel, Bob, Ross I think) and I were settling down for a fun scrap, we encountered a spinning / stationery Ondrej. Stu and I had a huge crash (sorry Stu, not sure I could have done anything though), pretty much wrecking our cars. We both limped back to the pits for the repairs which for me took an eternity (well in excess of 3 mins). Went back on track for some final practice laps and set my best time.

Race 2: My debut in the Cobra, was a mixed bag. Qualified P2 :eek:, a real shock. That was about it though for highlights, had an average start, and was again quickly bumped and shuffled down the order. Yves made life difficult recovering from his bad qualy, by pushing past, crashing, pushing past crashing, passing again. Lol, Yves, all I wanted you to do was to get past and disappear in front, you were soooo much quicker. It seemed that each time I slowed to avoid the car in front, someone else would pass me. Mid race, I tapped Carlos and spun him. :sorry: You seemed to prop early and I couldn't avoid you. After that, I just tried to enjoy the Cobra, but the tyres must have died or something, because it became an increasing handful the further the race went.

Cheers all for the fun. :D
Huge thanks to Bob for the nice setups too. :thanks:
 
As the evening went on I became more conforable with both cars. Yes, the setups by Bob, posted by Nigel, made both cars quite predictable.

Only remember one bad incident ( race 1) where I left the track on a corner in the first lap due to lack of concentration which put me way behind right from the start. I did give Ross a little rub in turn 1 half way through the race but he made out ok from it. Senad and I chased each other in both events and he was very clean in all his efforts. No problem there at all. Actually, I think you could have passed me a couple times on some of those corners but you showed sportsmanship and let me go. What I can take from this event is that these are high maintence vehicles to drive and a few months ago I would have been off the track numerous times and not nearly as consistant as I was tonight. Need to increase the speed while staying on track, but everyone could say that.

Well done to the winners, thanks to Stu/Carlos, and cheers to all racers.
 
Lols Greg please dont beat yourself up over that,i know exactly what you were trying to do all with the best intentions,the speed difference was big so the the "bump" wobbled me and i was already too far left close to the grass edge,and i noticed in practice the grass has a nasty instant "grabbing" effect and usually rendered me out of control,i was barely hanging on at that point and not having much fun in no mans land too,good cars to spectate for me :D.
Cobra pole was clearly a setup to get me up front then hassle me!?...Thommo stepped up to the plate first with a big audacious move at the end of the back straight,cant remember where i got back at him?,and then resisted the same move with some slightly later braking and made good from that point on until Greg got through and breezed up to the back of my car and swished past at will and pulled away,i struggled more and more to the end and just held 2nd from Stu.
A difficult night in with those cars!!. well done all.

Thank You Stu/Carlos & RD

The GTL cars tend to make big holes in the air, Greg, but the slipstream kicks in quite a bit nearer the back of the car in front, so the impacts tend to be a bit less predictable and controllable. Live and learn I suppose :good:

TVR race was a bit of an annoyance for me, ending up in the wall once, and in the wall and on my roof another time. After the first one, I'd got back from last to what looked like it was going to be a belting 4 way-er with me, Warren, Rossco & Nige when Ondrej had his perpendicular barrier moment. Nothing you could do Warren, no probs there.

Cobra was more of a surprise for me, had some OK pace in it, got in front of Lenno with a slippy pass down the long front run. You got back in T1 when I locked up, mate. Greg got through as I went off in the Outer Loop, and where I totally misjudged the approach of Hutcho - I thought he was on a wide run, so tried to get on the inside, just as he decided to stay tight as well. I've had another look and it's pretty piss-poor to be honest. Sorry mate :frown:

After that, it was a case of keeping and opening the gap behind, and trying to keep Lenno honest. As it turns out, after we'd got by the Phantom Greg car, I was taking a couple of sec a lap out of him (but knowing G, if I'd actually closed up there might have been an improvement in his times :D ). Held it for P2.

I'd been reluctant to let these cars loose on the club, as I always remembered them as being truculent at best, violently undriveable at worst - BUT - I think, after we've had series in the Vette, GT40, the Boss etc, so we've got some form in powerful motors, they actually weren't too bad, and pretty good fun overall.
 
Solid night's racing again, recovered from an enforced 'grassy moment' and started to warm to the TVR towards the end of race 1, as i followed Nigel & Bob home in 4th place, gradually working out how to drive it properly. Was shaping up to be a 5 or 6 car epic battle until Ondrej's unfortunate accident. I didn't find the TVR as lairy to drive as i was expecting either.

Race 2 in the cobra was a bit anti-climatic. Bodged my qualie lap so atrted 3rd from the back. At the start there was a stationary car and Roman darted around it and into my path. Being completely unsighted, we collided and i had suspension damage for the rest of the race. Just one of those things- Roman quickly let me back through. After a couple of laps of re-adjustment, i began to catch the guys ahead, culminating in a ding-dong battle with Carlos where it became apparent i didn't have long enough gear ratios! Good racing though.

Cheers stu, another enjoyable evening.
 
Sorry for being late with the report. All I can say really is what a brilliant night yet again at the GTL club. After a poor quali in the TVR, I got a good start but then had to back out as Warren has already said. After that I had a lap or 2 get by Warren, caught upto Rossco & Nige where after Ross was put on the green stuff Nige let me by after a little moment he had. I chased & passed Ondrej & after this is was hold station as the gap to Yves was huge. Race 2, after a clean T1 I got down to business and fended Warren off until my tyres got up to temp. After this had a bit of a scare with Thommo, no probs mate, & after getting the attentions of Yves for a couple of laps left me a bit of a gap to Thommo which I couldn't close so followed him across the line.

Thanks Thommo for a great track/car combo. Grts to Yves & Lenno on their wins. Wd to all for some great racing.
 
Don't worry about the bump Warren, it is very rare that you ever touch anyone so I know it was an honest mistake m8.

Had a lot of fun in both cars. They are a bit tricky to drive, and it feels great when you can complete more than 10 laps without going off-roading.

I can't remember much right now and I don't have time to look at the replay, but I do remember having good fun with Tom and Roman in race 1 and I also remember Ross keeping me very honest in race 2, if his gearing was a little longer I would have been passed easily. Great driving even with messed up suspension Ross :good:

Thanks Thommo for organizing and to all who showed up for the event.
 

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