Well, for me this is a tough track. I put lots of laps in and started by trying several cars. When I got to the Viper I found out I had driven it before and I was faster in it than any of the cars I had been testing. No brainer, develop the Viper!
I worked it out pretty well and got it up to the top speed that Eric’s car was going. It was not running straight and true on the banks or on the straights and that was a bother. I took Eric’s #2 car for a drive and his did the same thing. I could correct it by bringing the front splitter to 1 but initially that didn’t work and I was stymied for a bit. I finally got it worked out by playing with the differential and was very happy with the car. Raceday I tried Keith’s hybrid and it was a VERY nice car to drive, not like others of his that I have found undriveable[lol]. But, I had only driven it a few laps and wasn’t as familiar with the gearing as I was with the handling, so I opted to drive my own car. I knew it wouldn’t me in trouble and it would get me out of most spots I had put myself in. Besides, I wasn’t planning on drafting with the guys up front!
For Q I went out and ran well, each lap was faster except for the last where I tried an itzy, bitzy, bit too hard.
R1: Somehow I managed to stay out of the walls on launching. Missed the tangle at the start and settled in. First goof was made at the first fast bend, wide into the wall and dropped back a couple of places. Passed Rafael between the Lesmo’s and tapped him coming out of the second Lesmo. I saw the bottom of his car as he hit the barrier so I slowed to wait for him. He pulled into the pit for repairs, his first lap had been a bad one. I ran with Bill Kaiser for a lap trying to get past his wide, wiggling butt. I didn’t want to stay behind him long. Well, I didn’t have to. A brush with the wall and missing my brake point for the Parabolica dropped me well back. Rafael caught back up with me and we had some fun for a bit, then he got past which I thought was normal, he had gotten damage, repaired and caught me. But, then Willi came flying past us both, I mean supercharged, turbo-rocket assisted past us! It was only after the race that I could understand this. I had damaged my splitter but didn’t know it and my lap times had suffered. I hadn’t been looking at them as the car still drove well. Rafael had been close to my perforamance as he had the same damage, left over from L1. At the time Willi’s pass had been a real shock!
R2: A good start and a good first lap. Losing one third of the drivers at the Parabolica was nice for me. L2 at the Lesmos was a real bumper car event but we all made it thru that. Bill gets tapped in the next corner and I catch him on the banking next lap, I can see his splitter is missing and he takesa hit into the wall at the first big bend. I’m kinda keeping pace with Willi but on L5 I see smoke in the Parabolica and find Willi sitting sideways in the corner, I bet he had a good expression on his face! Sometime in L8 I hear someone on TS say "Go Dennis" and I have no clue as to what it means. On the front straight it’s clear, someone, Jesper, has dropped back. Over TS, Eric E encourrages me onward. I say back, "It’s futeless" as I see him holding position, but then he slows in the bend and at the Lesmo’s. Did I miss my brake point for the Parabolica or was I late braking? At least I wasn’t right behind Jesper and bring it down to 2nd gear while on his inside and manage to get by and keep him there to the S/F, OMG!
It was fun having a car that could take me around with out slamming walls and climbing over banking. Both races were lots of fun, very enjoyable. Next time here I’ll have my car even better.
