Race Report – N24 CSS Round 2 (Room 1) Grand Valley - 30th September 2013 – 62+1 Laps
Track Dry – Tyres RM
Following CCR’s dominant display at Round 1, and after a few questions as to whether the Lambo was a ‘rabbit’, CCR very sportingly offered to select a different car for Round 2, namely the Lotus 111R RM which had been appraised by the other teams in the selection process, but cast aside. After 20 minutes qualifying, CCR’s speed looked to be intact despite the car swap, this time with memto89 (Matt) in the Room 1 race, and Jonny moving over to the Room 2 race.
Another change since Round 1 was NSPR, who had an abundance of drivers available to race at this round and so split into two teams, with Marko (2nd at Monza) stepping into the RX8 (again, a car passed over by other teams) and Knukken (Kev) making his debut appearance in the teams normal M3.
The Grid after 20 min free qualifying
1. Memto89 (CCR) – Lotus Elise 111R RM ‘04 (Carbon #1) – ‘Matt’
2. AllenDK29 (NSPR2) – Mazda RX8 LM (Orange/Green #55) - ‘Marko’
3. Knukken (NSPR1) – BMW M3 GTR (White/Blue #42) – ‘Kev’
4. Play117(TOR) – Subaru Impreza Touring Car '02 (Chrome #57) - ‘Play’
5. TDZ-4-12-14-88 (GHH) – Honda NSX Proto LM Race (Red #11) – ‘Dave’
6. micantony – (TG) Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Orange #8) – ‘Mic’
7. davidb_165 (T2.6K) – Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (Yellow/White #1) – ‘Davidb’
8. i-was-ere (TMB)- Mazda RX7 Touring Car (Yellow #38) – ‘Scott’
Lap 2 – (first racing lap)
Common sense from all drivers sees the field safely negotiate T1 in grid start order.
Dave outbrakes Play’s Scooby at the T6 hairpin to move into 4th
Lap 3
Scott drafts past David and up in 7th
The leading 3 cars are beginning to pull away from the pack a little. Close action at the fast T5 kink.
Lap 4
Play drafts the NSX on the main straight to reclaim 4th into T2
…… but after some side by side action through T5, the NSX fights back into 4th at T6. In the background Mic and Scott close up as these two battle.
Lap 5
Play drafts Dave again on the main straight but he fights back into T2
As the Scooby and NSX battle side by side through T5 again, both getting out of shape, Mic in the Corvette gets a run on both into the hairpin and Dave doesn’t see him passing on his inside as HE moves across to try and pass Play.
The NSX and Vette collide, which pushes off the unfortunate Play also. All 3 sustain damage (and a repair trip to the pits), and it’s a Stewards warning for Dave for not seeing that Mic was passing him on the inside before HE pulled out himself. Scott passes all 3 damaged cars and up into 4th.
Meanwhile upfront Marko drafts Matt on the straight but amazingly the super lightweight Lotus simply drives around the outside of the RX8 at T2 to hang onto his lead.
Leaderboard end of Lap 5
Lap 7
In a replay of the move 2 laps earlier, Marko again drafts the Lotus and is in front into T2, but Matt drives around the outside again to try and maintain his lead.
But this time, after some side by side action through turns 3,4 and 5, Marko finally gets the move to stick into the T6 hairpin. Kev is still right there in the mix in 3rd.
Lap 8
This time it’s the Lotus that gets the draft on the straight and manages to ease back into the lead at T2
Lap 12
Marko blinks first with the pitstops and comes in for a new set of RM’s and a splash of fuel. Scott in the RX7 also pits.
Lap 13
Play passes Mic for 7th
Lap 14
Scott, on new tyres, quickly catches and passes the NSX
Leaderboard end of Lap 15
The Lotus is the only car on it’s original tyres, and now has a comfortable cushion over Marko’s RX8
Lap 17
Matt finally pits for tyres and fuel moving Marco back into the lead.
Lap 18
Play drafts past Dave on the main straight.
Lap 20
On fresh tyres, Matt has closed right up on the Marco
…and drafts past at the end of the lap.
The 5th/6th battle is pretty intense too
Leaderboard end Lap 20
Lap 21
The NSX and Scooby make scheduled pit stops and come out behind Mic who’d moved up to 6th.
Lap 26
Scheduled pitstop for Davidb drops him to the back of the field. The BMW and RX7 also pit this lap, but do not lose any positions doing so.
Lap 27
Play passes Mic for 5th. Dave’s NSX is also not far behind and gaining. He eventually drafts past two laps later.
Lap 31
But a mistake at the T6 hairpin allows Mic back up the inside and into 6th.
The BMW had got up into 2nd when the RX8 made it’s pitstop, but Marco’s now caught Kev and re passes through the Turn 14/15 complex. Kev fights back but the move is completed on the straight that follows.
Leaderboard end of Lap 31
Lap 37
The TMB Mazda had been running consistently strong throughout the race. Not quite on the pace of the Lotus and RX8, but running in clean air with a short stint strategy and looking good. The previous lap Scott had pitted for tyres and on the next lap inexplicably runs off track on the outside of T5, picking up damage and forcing an unscheduled return to the pits. That will certainly hamper his progress. He is in plumb last when he rejoins.
Lap 38
With the bit between his teeth he quickly closes and passes Davidb’s, but the Vette then immediately spins and hits the wall, meaning a trudge back to the pits for repairs for the Kiwi.
Lap 41
Close action into T2 as leader Matt laps Scott (6th) and Kev 7th.
Lap 42
More of the same next lap as Scott and Kev unlap themselves.
Lap 43
The NSX/Vette/Scooby battle for what is now 3rd place rages on
Leaderboard end Lap 45
Apart from the Lotus, and the RX8 a little further back, we are 45 laps into this endure and less than 8 seconds separates positions 3rd to 7th.
Lap 47
Dave’s NSX (3rd) leads the crocodile of Mic, Play, Matt (lapping) and Scott through the tunnel
Lap 48
Mic drafts Dave on the main straight but as Mic turns in for the corner Dave nudges him causing both to run wide and suddenly Play, and Matt are upon them
The NSX runs off and onto the grass on the outside of T5. He re joins the track just before the apex and Play cannot avoid making contact with him. Scott takes advantage of this clash and passes both as Dave goes off track and gets damage.
In his efforts to quickly get the damage repaired to his NSX, Dave loses control entering the pits, spins across the track and hits the wall. His maneuver of a short trip the wrong way on the racetrack in order to get back to the pitlane entrance would later see him in trouble with the Stewards.
Leaderboard end Lap 53
Lap 55
Mic has outbraked himself at T2 and Play has touched him as he re joined the track. Both suffer light damage. This allows Kev’s BMW to move past Mic and into 5th and set off after the Scooby
Leaderboard end Lap 62
Lap 62
Play, still carrying light damage from the earlier incident with Mic has being trying to hang onto 4th while Kev’s BMW has been looming ever larger in his mirrors. Accelerating out of the T6 hairpin for the last time Play gets two wheels in the gravel and it sends him spinning across the track. Kev is there to pick up the pieces and claim 4th.
But in the end it’s another dominant victory for the CCR team in their newly acquired Lotus
Final Results 63 Laps
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