MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,973
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
Here i will keep write ups of all my races in GTR, so i hope you enjoy reading about as much as i enjoyed racing them
Championship details:
Rounds: 10
Classes: 4 (GT, G2, NGT, G3)
Difficulty: Semi-pro
Team: Raffien Racing
Car: Ferrari F360
Class: NGT
Current round: Round 5, Donington Park
Round 1: Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
No. of entrants: 39
Qualifying:
The first session started off reasonably well, getting to know the car and track more and the times started coming down from practice, my first hotlap saw me do a 1:57, 5 seconds off the pace of the next NGT car. Clearly some setup attributes needing to be sorted out as well as more confidence behind the wheel of the 450bhp Ferrari F360. I went for a fast setup for the circuit, soft tyres and low tyre pressure for max grip and headed back out on circuit. I got passed by some of the faster GT cars but my lap was not affected and i ran a 1:53 taking 4 seconds off my time, i refined the setup and took another second off before the end of the session.
The second session started, i decided to go out early to try and get minimal traffic but a Porsche 911 pulled out ahead of me so that idea went out the window! I let him get a head of steam away from me on my out lap so i could try and get a fast flying lap, and i did,taking another 3 seconds off a doing a 1:50. I spoke to my race engineer and he thought there was another 3 maybe 4 seconds in it. The track was getting warmer, tyres getting better, and the setup also getting better plus i was getting more and more confident with the car. I eventually set a blistering 1:46 to put myself high up the order near the end of the session.
End of qualifying.
Starting position: 25th
The race:
The forecast was sun, it had been sunny all day, it was hot, the track was hot, and the temperature in the cars was soaring! The field of 39 cars set off behind the safety car for the formation lap, my car sat in 25th place with 2 Ferrari ahead of me and 2 Porsches behind me. One of the main causes of first corner crashes (what i was most afraid of) was the brakes/tyres not being up to temperature, so i did everything i could to get the warm ready for the first turn. The safety car pulled in at the front.....it seemed an eternity before the green flag dropped for the start but eventually it did and the FIA GT world championship was go!
39 cars went screaming into turn 1, i managed to outbrake Thomas Enge into turn 1 to take 24th place only for him to take it straight back in turn 3, behind us at turn 1 a Porsche had gone off to bring out a yellow flag at that corner. the tyres were starting to feel good and i felt i could push enge harder, trying to force him into a mistake of some sort, even running with my healights on. Then the hard work paid off, on lap 2 going into la caixa he ran wide and onto the grass allowing me to get up the inside and take 24th place, and then in the following turn i went past a UK Ferrari team car to take 23rd.
Lap 3 saw me having to catch up with the next car, which was a Porsche, i hadn't had to overtake one of these yet in the race so i wasnt sure of where it excelled on the circuit, on lap 4 i was within half a second of him and i went past him on the entry to turn 4 in a brave move where i broke about 20 metres later than him, i ran wide but held the speed and held 22nd now just 1 second behind the next 2 cars who were both battling.
After a lap of watching them battle i decided my brakes could take the heat and i broke late and hard into turn 8 to get up the inside of the Porsche and round the outside of the Ferrari to take 20th place, 3rd in my class.
Lap 6 proved it was too good to be true, and on turn 5 i spun the car on the exit after hitting the gas too hard, too soon, i dropped right back to 25th.
I stayed there for the next few laps before moving back up to 24th and stayed there up to the last lap. I started the last lap with hopes of points, but, i felt little losses of power in the car as i accelerated, it went on for the first 20-25 seconds of the lap before the engine cut out completly, i check the dash...and..no! i had run out of fuel! The car coasted to a halt at the side of the circuit and the disappointment of what just happened could be heard on the radio. I thought i had enough as did the team..but we couldnt let it get to us, extra care was to be taken at the next round in France.
Next round: Circuit de Nevers-Magny Cours.
Championship details:
Rounds: 10
Classes: 4 (GT, G2, NGT, G3)
Difficulty: Semi-pro
Team: Raffien Racing
Car: Ferrari F360
Class: NGT
Current round: Round 5, Donington Park
Round 1: Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
No. of entrants: 39
Qualifying:
The first session started off reasonably well, getting to know the car and track more and the times started coming down from practice, my first hotlap saw me do a 1:57, 5 seconds off the pace of the next NGT car. Clearly some setup attributes needing to be sorted out as well as more confidence behind the wheel of the 450bhp Ferrari F360. I went for a fast setup for the circuit, soft tyres and low tyre pressure for max grip and headed back out on circuit. I got passed by some of the faster GT cars but my lap was not affected and i ran a 1:53 taking 4 seconds off my time, i refined the setup and took another second off before the end of the session.
The second session started, i decided to go out early to try and get minimal traffic but a Porsche 911 pulled out ahead of me so that idea went out the window! I let him get a head of steam away from me on my out lap so i could try and get a fast flying lap, and i did,taking another 3 seconds off a doing a 1:50. I spoke to my race engineer and he thought there was another 3 maybe 4 seconds in it. The track was getting warmer, tyres getting better, and the setup also getting better plus i was getting more and more confident with the car. I eventually set a blistering 1:46 to put myself high up the order near the end of the session.
End of qualifying.
Starting position: 25th
The race:
The forecast was sun, it had been sunny all day, it was hot, the track was hot, and the temperature in the cars was soaring! The field of 39 cars set off behind the safety car for the formation lap, my car sat in 25th place with 2 Ferrari ahead of me and 2 Porsches behind me. One of the main causes of first corner crashes (what i was most afraid of) was the brakes/tyres not being up to temperature, so i did everything i could to get the warm ready for the first turn. The safety car pulled in at the front.....it seemed an eternity before the green flag dropped for the start but eventually it did and the FIA GT world championship was go!
39 cars went screaming into turn 1, i managed to outbrake Thomas Enge into turn 1 to take 24th place only for him to take it straight back in turn 3, behind us at turn 1 a Porsche had gone off to bring out a yellow flag at that corner. the tyres were starting to feel good and i felt i could push enge harder, trying to force him into a mistake of some sort, even running with my healights on. Then the hard work paid off, on lap 2 going into la caixa he ran wide and onto the grass allowing me to get up the inside and take 24th place, and then in the following turn i went past a UK Ferrari team car to take 23rd.
Lap 3 saw me having to catch up with the next car, which was a Porsche, i hadn't had to overtake one of these yet in the race so i wasnt sure of where it excelled on the circuit, on lap 4 i was within half a second of him and i went past him on the entry to turn 4 in a brave move where i broke about 20 metres later than him, i ran wide but held the speed and held 22nd now just 1 second behind the next 2 cars who were both battling.
After a lap of watching them battle i decided my brakes could take the heat and i broke late and hard into turn 8 to get up the inside of the Porsche and round the outside of the Ferrari to take 20th place, 3rd in my class.
Lap 6 proved it was too good to be true, and on turn 5 i spun the car on the exit after hitting the gas too hard, too soon, i dropped right back to 25th.
I stayed there for the next few laps before moving back up to 24th and stayed there up to the last lap. I started the last lap with hopes of points, but, i felt little losses of power in the car as i accelerated, it went on for the first 20-25 seconds of the lap before the engine cut out completly, i check the dash...and..no! i had run out of fuel! The car coasted to a halt at the side of the circuit and the disappointment of what just happened could be heard on the radio. I thought i had enough as did the team..but we couldnt let it get to us, extra care was to be taken at the next round in France.
Next round: Circuit de Nevers-Magny Cours.
You made me want to buy that game! 
. I always put in enough fuel to do at least one extra lap, sometimes two just in case.
