Well, that should've gone better, but I guess it was just one of those events that just doesn't go your way. Did a good amount of practice for this event, including two full race test runs.
But something just wasn't up, car felt alright, nothing really wrong, but just lacked something that stopped me being properly comfortable. I think I need to look at my racing setup, i.e. the way I sit, where my wheel and pedals are posistioned and all that, because no matter what I do, I always end up with more tyre wear then others. Oh well.
During practice things were good, and when it came to quali, I did a 2:15.xxx which was good enough for 15th on the grid. Best thing was, as I only joined with around 15mins to go of official practice, and Ross Conlon ends up reacting like I'm a practice whore.
Race 1:
My start off the line is okay, and I shoot past new boy Rob Musgrove, but Matt Clark and Simon Gardner get better ones so I have company for turn one.
I manage to avoid the worst of the contact at turns 1 and 2, and I'm up to 14th on the run down to turn 4. Philippe Fournier gives Simon a bit of a tap, but nothing bad, but then after filing in behind me, is hit by Eric Plimmer, sending him into me, making my car go into turn 4 just a bit too fast, resulting in me having to despretly slow the car down, maiking it go sideways on the exit. Fournier is then unfortunatly sandwiched between myself and Chris Sykes as I get going and Chris just tries to not hit him. So after that as we go through turns 5 and 6, I'm up to 12th. Due to Rob just tagging the back of Kane Lasky's car.
I turn in for 7 just a bit too early, bounching over the curb, making me miss the apex for 8, slowing my exit. This allows Chris to run past me.
We then go past an accident between Aristide Romanov and Rhys Gardiner at turn 9.
After giving Chris a slight tag into 9, I get a slow exit from turn 9, and Gergely Hanyik's Diesel goes by me, then takes Chris at turn 11 after Chris gets a little bit sideways. We end the lap with me behind Chris, in 11th and 12th respectivly.
I take turn 6 too quickly next lap, and this allows Matt Clark to go past, We then go past Gábor Ludvig at turn 9, (after looking at the replay, he was tagged by Geoffrey Fournier being just a tad too close for him to dive to the right and not hit ludvig under braking) this promotes me back up to 12th. I now have Bob Miley behind me, and I go off at turn 12, as I turn in too soon and end up bouching over the curb on the inside, sending me wide and onto the grass. Thankfully I'm still pointing in the right direction and I rejoin before 13 to defend the inside.
Then on lap three, I make the most stupidest mistakes I'm made in months. Under braking for turn 13-14 hairpin, I downshift from fifth to second in a single sequecne as apose to going to third, then dropping it to second once settled. This jerks the car left slightly, but its enough to strighten the car up and send me heading towards the curb, and I can't get the car to slow down enough in time. So I end up having the lefts on the curb, the left rear just on the cusp of the being on the grass, sending my car into a spin, dropping me into the gravel, and have to recover throught the grass. Dropping me from 12th, all the way down to 17th by the end of the lap. ARRRRRGH! Unfortunatly, this sets the tone for the rest of the event.
I get back up to 15th by turn 8, after Rob and Ross have a coming together, also with Ludvig and Philippe Fournier coming together. With Fournier doing a horribe attemp to re-join the track. He was on the grass to the right of the exit at turn 6, then procedes to drive straight on, coming on right in front of me half way through turn 8. Lucky not to hit him.
I then fall off again on the exit of turn 12, allowing Eric to go past. And because this is on lap four, the pit stops have started.
I get past Akos Veres after he has a failed attempt on Geoffrey Fournier at turn 4. I then move up to 11th as Fournier and Eric peel off to make their respective pit stop.
I pit the next lap, on lap 6, but I forgot to sort out my pit presets so was fumbling around while cruising to my box. Get it sorted to only change lefts, but I've just missed my box and have to reverse. This drops me back to 18th behind Eric Plimmer.
I then pass a stricken Chris Sykes rejoining after losing his car into the gravel at the turn 13-14 hairpin. I then get past Eric on lap nine as he runs deep into turn 2, as I go past him on the run up to turn 4.
So by the end of the pit window on lap ten, I'm up to 11th, with Rob Musgrove and Eric behind, Rob only having pitted on lap eight, so has much fresher tyres than me. But from 16th to 11th during the pit stop phase isn't too bad.
On lap eleven, I brake too late for turn 9, falling off onto the grass on the exit, and rejoining behind Eric. The next two laps are just a case of keep your pace and don't wreck your car. But the tyres are shot, proven by the fact that I run wide off the road twice on lap twelve and once on lap thirteen.
So I finish in 13th place, but really should've finished higher, but too many errors, and that one bit mistake on lap three. Oh well.
Race 2:
So starting from 13th, I'm looking for at least a top 10 place finish. My start again isn't bad, but not that great. Pass new boy Rob, but Mark Guy in the VW (is the thing actually any good Mark if its given some proper time?) gets a good lauch and is past me before turn one. Under braking for turn one, when I look back, I see Geoffrey Fournier brake much later than others, sloting his car in between Mark and Eric, tagging the rear of Szabolcs Hanyik's Seat. This bump makes him hit Caramidaru Andrei Bogdan, making him go sideways, with me minding my own buisness going round turn one on the outside.
But for turn two, ohh it got all tight and a consintena effect happended with a few cars. Fournier tags Bob Mile's car, then hes tagged by Eric, who I end up tagging, which also makes me tag Kane Lasky. I'm then tagged by Rob, making me push Eric again, who spins Fournier around, and I end up hitting him again. Oh boy what a mess.
So after that, I'm in 18th on the run down to turn 4. Behind Chris whos turned his lights on so I can't see his brake lights all that well. I manage not to hit him as I move left under braking. But I unfortunatly, tag Eric sending him sideways, where hes collected by Chris, dropping Eric to 19th. Sorry man.
By the end of the lap, I'm back in 14th, with Rob right in front of me.
On lap two, we go past Ariel Doman, who was given a tag by kane at turn 4. Kane slows down for him, putting me up to 12th. I then run wide on the exit of 6, with Chris following me ontothe gravel. I then miss the apex for turn 12, sending me straight on into the gravel. I rejoin before 13, with a good 100yard gap to Ross and Chris behind. Unfortunatly, Ross brakes right in front of Chris, with Chris being totally suprised by it. So not my fault mate, but you blame it on me mate if you want. :wink::tongue:
Then on lap four, while going round turn 8, I see the aftermath of a huge accidnet, with Mark's VW flipping through the air. Scary. Him and Szabolcs Hanyik got together, spinning Mark after Hanyik just had contact with Bogdan through turn 8. Then Gergely Hanyik goes to avoid Mark whos car is pointing backwards, but Mark's car goes left (from Hanyik's view), leaving Hanyik nowhere to go, and t-boning Mark sending him into the barriers, and sending Mark skywards. Mark doing roughly eight flips in the air until he lands on his roof on the side of the track. Oh lordy, only in Touring cars, eh.
So after that, I'm up 10th, behind Szabolcs Hanyik. The pit stops again also start on lap four.
On lap five, I'm given a good shove out the way at turn 4 with Doman making a late move on me. I then decide to pit on lap seven, with Eric coming in behind me. Thankfully I remembered to sort my pit request out earlier, adn make a decent pit stop. it actually made me closer to Rob who also pitted on lap seven on exiting the pits than when we entered.
Unfortunatly, Rob's pace is just that bit faster, and he just proceds to drive away from me. Leaving me, at the end of lap ten and the end of the pit stop phase, in 11th with Eric, Kane and Bjorn de Haas close behind. Booo, I dropped one spot during the stops, booo.
Eric behind me is faster, and on lap eleven, are side by side at turn 2, but I get a better drive out, and keep 11th for now. We come across Simon and Bob through turn 6. And all I see is a dust cloud, so when we get close, I barely see Simon's Audi in time, and move a little left, off the racing line. But it sends me off track, dropping me to 13th. I then give Bob a little tap on the exit of turn 8, making him catch a slide. Not intentional mate, you were just a tad slower.
Then I get turn 9 all wrong and go through it really slow, allowing Bob back past. Then for turn 11, while trying to not tag him and stay with him, I run over the curb on the inside, but I just slide ovet them, and they send me wide off of them, and I end up hitting Bob, almost putting him into a spin. Argh, sorry mate. I slow down to let him pass and we continue.
Now down to 14th, I watch as Simon and Bob just pull away from me. Something is serioulsy wrong with either my driving, my setup or something else if people are pulling away from me this easily, this far into a race. On lap 12. But then Eric runs wide onto the gravel at the exit of turn 8, and I go by for 13th.
We then all go, strangely at the time, past Kane Lasky at the final corner (turn 15), but on looking at the replay, he was slowing down to wait for Szabolcs Hanyik, after they had a coming together at the turn 13-14 hairpin.
So now on the last lap, and wanting to get past Bjorn as that'll at least give me my top ten finish. But I push too hard, and fall off at turn 6, allowing Eric to get past me. I then fall of at turn 9 again, and rejoin before turn 11. Meaning I'm definitly finishing this race in 12th.
So could've gone better, but not the worst results I've ever had. Really think that I need to do somethin to help out my driving, especially when it comes to tyre management.
Thanks for the racing guys, and I'll cya next time.
Ethan Bass.
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