TheCracker's 2011 race season - Silverstone Finals - Video up!
- Thread starter TheCracker
- 100 comments
- 28,863 views
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
My half of the race:
I've cut the two+ laps following the safety car and sliced the video in two to make it YouTube friendly. I'll post the second half when i regain the will to upload it. I've been editing and trying to upload this since Monday!
Step Brother's half of the race:
I've cut the two+ laps following the safety car and sliced the video in two to make it YouTube friendly. I'll post the second half when i regain the will to upload it. I've been editing and trying to upload this since Monday!
Step Brother's half of the race:
Last edited:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Still trawling the webs to find pix to illustrate. Only one found so far. At about the 4:21 point of the video 
Last edited:
- 3,460
- Hollywood
For someone who doesn't know the circuit well, you've got some pace!
It's great seeing you hold it on the limit.
It's great seeing you hold it on the limit.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
I don't think the BMW 1800's were big sellers in the UK so they're likely to be thin on the ground. The ones that you see racing will either have been imported from mainland Europe and prepared by BMW specialists Laranca Engineering, or bought as a ready prepped race car that has run in the U2TC series in Europe. All the Mustangs/Falcons/Galaxies/Cyclones etc are all LHD too, so it's not actually all that unusual.
Thinking about it, a LHD car probably, if anything, gives you a better view of a right hand corner apex. You have more screen to look to your right through without having a screen pillar obscuring your view.
Thanks!
Now we're finally experiencing some reliability and regularity, actually being in and driving the car doesn't seem so alien as it used to do. I feel i can get in it and push it hard straight away without having to 'learn' the car again, find my way round the circuit and worry about whatever issue the car might be suffering from. I just hope it continues this way.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
- 6,518
- Lincoln
- Speedster502
Great to hear the race went well, and with a solid finish too. Shame about the lack of photos though, you just need me at more meetings. 
I must also say that I quite like the new Silverstone layout, ever since I saw it last year at FIA GT1 I was sold on it. The new arena bit in particular has some great photo opportunities. Not quite sure how this new pit lane is going to work as I can't imagine the first corner being quite the jostle for position as it used to be. Only time will tell I guess.
I must also say that I quite like the new Silverstone layout, ever since I saw it last year at FIA GT1 I was sold on it. The new arena bit in particular has some great photo opportunities. Not quite sure how this new pit lane is going to work as I can't imagine the first corner being quite the jostle for position as it used to be. Only time will tell I guess.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
First and second corners won't see much action as they'll likely be pretty much flat in a slicks and wings car. It's the 3rd and 4th turns that closely follow where all the 1st lap action will take place i imagine.
Been sent another one. Taken on the first lap, about 1:37 into the video
Last edited:
- 36,523
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
Looked up the results on the HSCC website and I'm impressed with your step brother's consistency. All his laps were within a couple of tenths of each other, apart from his quickest that was nearly a second faster.
You got the best lap though, and he didn't have a safety car interruption.
You got the best lap though, and he didn't have a safety car interruption.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Comparing his laps to mine on the video, he was neater and therefore quicker through the tight Arena and Luffield sections, but i was probably quicker through the faster corners like Copse and Stowe. I guess there must be more time to be gained by keeping the momentum up through those turns.
- 28,412
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Great stuff! Pretty cool to be able to say that you've raced at Silverstone with the new pit facilities before any of the F1 drivers have 
👍
👍
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
So, next round is a double header this weekend on the new Snetterton 300 circuit. Unfortunately for me i have a wedding to attend so will have to miss it. Unfortunately for my step-brother we have a super-sub to take my place in the second race. He might never have driven the car before, or anything remotely like it, but he's already done plenty of training laps on the Snetterton 300 circuit in a single seater. Can't wait to see the in-car footage.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Ha ha, i'm not sure if he ever gets to see much of it himself.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Oh man... look at the Lo-tinas! Mmmmmm!!!!!!
When will we get the option to put insulation tape crosses on headlights in GT5? Makes me feel 5 again
Great thread, great racing - well done!
When will we get the option to put insulation tape crosses on headlights in GT5? Makes me feel 5 again
Great thread, great racing - well done!
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Craig has put the car on pole and i've just heard he's converted it into a win too!
The race was cut short by a red flag on what would have been the last lap anyway.
The guy's an absolute star, he's never driven anything remotely similar to the Cortina before. His usual ride's 545bhp more powerful with slightly more grip!
The race was cut short by a red flag on what would have been the last lap anyway.
The guy's an absolute star, he's never driven anything remotely similar to the Cortina before. His usual ride's 545bhp more powerful with slightly more grip!
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Some pictures from Snetterton:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Video of Craig's race, a master at work:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Oulton Park Gold Cup Aug 29th
Wasn't expecting to be driving at this round. After initially being listed as the entrant, my step-brother asked if we could swap driving duties from me doing the final round at Silverstone and him doing Oulton Park, to the other way around, since he's away on the Silverstone date. As it happened he rang early on Monday morning to say his little boy was poorly and could i sub for him. Thankfully i always attend these events with my licence and kit bag, so it wasn't a problem. Other than i hadn't prepared at all for it.
Although the Gold Cup event is a bank holiday weekend long event, the schedule was thankfully organised so that we qualified at 8.55 in the morning and raced at 12.30, which ment just a flying visit to one of our closest circuits. Compare that to the last round we did, my dad driving at Brands Hatch (one of the furthest circuits from us) where he qualified at 11.30am on the Friday then raced at 5.10pm on the Saturday.
It had rained on and off all weekend and although it wasn't raining when we went out for qualifying, the track was still very wet to differing amounts around the circuit. Curbs and the white lines on the edge of the track were especially slippy and soon enough people were spinning off all over. I got stuck behind a Mustang that just wouldn't let me passed, although i was obviously quicker, instead he just sat in the middle of the track in the braking areas. Every time i dropped back a little to make some space i'd either get caught by someone or catch back upto him before the end of the lap. The few corners where i might have had a chance of getting passed under braking were covered by waved yellow flags where others had spun off so i just had to hold station. Eventually i got frustrated and just jammed it up the inside of him going into one of the chicanes sending us both wide onto the grass, but at least i was through. Unfortunately i then spun the car coming out of the Knickerbrook chicane and spoiled my one and only chance of a decent clear lap as the checkered flag then came out as i finished the lap.
I was really expecting to be in the bottom half-dozen when the results came out, but was pleasantly surprised to be placed 14th out of 36 and only 3 and a bit seconds off a top three position, 2 seconds less, which i'm sure i would have been without the spin would have had me bothering the top six.
A heavy downpour an hour before didn't bode well for the race, but by the time we lined up on the grid there was a dry line. Although i was positioned on the grid on the favorable inside line, the track was still very damp there as the racing/dry line is on the outside. As the lights went out i accomplished my usual trick of giving it too many revs and just sat there, tyres ablaze as everyone filed past me. I must have lost a good 3 or 4 places by the first turn, made some back on run down through Cascades and along towards Island Bend, but lost them again getting stuck in the wrong line in the concertina at the runs upto the two chicanes.
After the first lap or so, once the field spread out a little and usual order was resumed i found myself in a battle with a Mini an Anglia and a couple of other Cortinas. We caught and passed a few cars that had started well and were running ahead of where they normally should have, i then managed to pass the Mini, Anglia and one of the Cortinas and latched onto the back of the other. I battled with him for most of the rest of the race, being quicker in several places, but with gearing issues i just couldn't get close enough coming out of the slower bends. Had the track been dryer off-line and if i had a bit more confidence in the car's brakes i might of taken a lunge at some point, but it just wasn't worth ruining someone else's, and my own race. Towards the end of the race we caught some back markers at the first chicane, the Cortina in front was momentarily held up passing them on the exit so i used the opportunity to pull alongside and position myself on the inside for the first part of the next chicane. It was a tight squeeze but we both got through, i had track position for the second part but just left enough room on the inside so we wouldn't clash. As i turned in we did, just, but no real damage was done (see above picture!) I held on in that position until the end of the race, a few fluffed gear changes had him right up behind me with better momentum on the run down to the final corner but i was saved by waved yellows caused by an accident when the 3rd placed car went wide on the exit of Lodge spinning on the wet grass and heavily collecting the 4th placed car after shooting back across the track. I crossed the line shortly after in 8th place overall and 1st in class.
Looking back at the issues we had with the car at last year's Gold Cup meeting, it's safe to say the 'developments' we had planned never came to fruition. The car still sits too high at the front, the brakes still aren't generating enough stopping ability and we're still running the same differential which really isn't suited to this circuit. This last point must have been costing me huge gobs of time - i was barely getting into 4th gear at any point on the circuit and pulling away from the slowest corners and chicanes in 2nd gear had the engine briefly 'off-cam', where 1st gear would have generated too much wheel spin on the damp surface.
A better start may have possibly netted me a 5th place finish, but i did have fun dicing with the other Cortina and passing some of the slower cars, which probably made for a more enjoyable race overall. 👍
More pix and an in-car vid will hopefully follow shortly.
Wasn't expecting to be driving at this round. After initially being listed as the entrant, my step-brother asked if we could swap driving duties from me doing the final round at Silverstone and him doing Oulton Park, to the other way around, since he's away on the Silverstone date. As it happened he rang early on Monday morning to say his little boy was poorly and could i sub for him. Thankfully i always attend these events with my licence and kit bag, so it wasn't a problem. Other than i hadn't prepared at all for it.
Although the Gold Cup event is a bank holiday weekend long event, the schedule was thankfully organised so that we qualified at 8.55 in the morning and raced at 12.30, which ment just a flying visit to one of our closest circuits. Compare that to the last round we did, my dad driving at Brands Hatch (one of the furthest circuits from us) where he qualified at 11.30am on the Friday then raced at 5.10pm on the Saturday.
It had rained on and off all weekend and although it wasn't raining when we went out for qualifying, the track was still very wet to differing amounts around the circuit. Curbs and the white lines on the edge of the track were especially slippy and soon enough people were spinning off all over. I got stuck behind a Mustang that just wouldn't let me passed, although i was obviously quicker, instead he just sat in the middle of the track in the braking areas. Every time i dropped back a little to make some space i'd either get caught by someone or catch back upto him before the end of the lap. The few corners where i might have had a chance of getting passed under braking were covered by waved yellow flags where others had spun off so i just had to hold station. Eventually i got frustrated and just jammed it up the inside of him going into one of the chicanes sending us both wide onto the grass, but at least i was through. Unfortunately i then spun the car coming out of the Knickerbrook chicane and spoiled my one and only chance of a decent clear lap as the checkered flag then came out as i finished the lap.
I was really expecting to be in the bottom half-dozen when the results came out, but was pleasantly surprised to be placed 14th out of 36 and only 3 and a bit seconds off a top three position, 2 seconds less, which i'm sure i would have been without the spin would have had me bothering the top six.
A heavy downpour an hour before didn't bode well for the race, but by the time we lined up on the grid there was a dry line. Although i was positioned on the grid on the favorable inside line, the track was still very damp there as the racing/dry line is on the outside. As the lights went out i accomplished my usual trick of giving it too many revs and just sat there, tyres ablaze as everyone filed past me. I must have lost a good 3 or 4 places by the first turn, made some back on run down through Cascades and along towards Island Bend, but lost them again getting stuck in the wrong line in the concertina at the runs upto the two chicanes.
After the first lap or so, once the field spread out a little and usual order was resumed i found myself in a battle with a Mini an Anglia and a couple of other Cortinas. We caught and passed a few cars that had started well and were running ahead of where they normally should have, i then managed to pass the Mini, Anglia and one of the Cortinas and latched onto the back of the other. I battled with him for most of the rest of the race, being quicker in several places, but with gearing issues i just couldn't get close enough coming out of the slower bends. Had the track been dryer off-line and if i had a bit more confidence in the car's brakes i might of taken a lunge at some point, but it just wasn't worth ruining someone else's, and my own race. Towards the end of the race we caught some back markers at the first chicane, the Cortina in front was momentarily held up passing them on the exit so i used the opportunity to pull alongside and position myself on the inside for the first part of the next chicane. It was a tight squeeze but we both got through, i had track position for the second part but just left enough room on the inside so we wouldn't clash. As i turned in we did, just, but no real damage was done (see above picture!) I held on in that position until the end of the race, a few fluffed gear changes had him right up behind me with better momentum on the run down to the final corner but i was saved by waved yellows caused by an accident when the 3rd placed car went wide on the exit of Lodge spinning on the wet grass and heavily collecting the 4th placed car after shooting back across the track. I crossed the line shortly after in 8th place overall and 1st in class.
Looking back at the issues we had with the car at last year's Gold Cup meeting, it's safe to say the 'developments' we had planned never came to fruition. The car still sits too high at the front, the brakes still aren't generating enough stopping ability and we're still running the same differential which really isn't suited to this circuit. This last point must have been costing me huge gobs of time - i was barely getting into 4th gear at any point on the circuit and pulling away from the slowest corners and chicanes in 2nd gear had the engine briefly 'off-cam', where 1st gear would have generated too much wheel spin on the damp surface.
A better start may have possibly netted me a 5th place finish, but i did have fun dicing with the other Cortina and passing some of the slower cars, which probably made for a more enjoyable race overall. 👍
More pix and an in-car vid will hopefully follow shortly.
Last edited:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
^ Report now in!
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Found some more pix. No sign of the in-car video yet. I don't think the camera's been checked yet!
Photos courtesy of Charlie Wooding
Photos courtesy of Charlie Wooding
Last edited:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Part 1 video from Oulton Park:
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Second half:
- 28,412
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Well done on the class win, it looks like it was alot of fun! Great report/vids, and a nice shot of the near thing with the other Cortina 👍
- 36,523
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
Great stuff, Dan. 👍
Amd things are going a helluva lot better than they used to be. You used to do these threads and it'd be full of practise woes, and then "done a couple of laps and the car broke" or "crashed at the first corner". Now you're getting races and class wins.
Amd things are going a helluva lot better than they used to be. You used to do these threads and it'd be full of practise woes, and then "done a couple of laps and the car broke" or "crashed at the first corner". Now you're getting races and class wins.
- 23,439
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Cheers fellas 👍
It is indeed great that the car is generally running much more consistently.
But it's just frustrating that, with the exception of superstar driver turns, results that the car is capable of achieving are being missed by relatively silly things, like running a much longer diff than is suitable for most circuits and suffering poorly performing brakes.
But at the end of the day, having a good race where you manage some overtaking and finish, especially with no potential financial heartache to swallow afterwards, makes the whole thing worthwhile.
Got the season finals on the Silverstone National circuit to look forward to on the 22nd of October. If i can get my starts sorted and have a decent finish i hope to consolidate my 26th position in the championship
