I heard from the GPL faq that you could have F3 races. I am struggling to
keep up with the GP cars even on novice races, so I thought, hey, why not
try F3. So I did. It is briliant! I didn't bother qualifying and went
straight to the 10 car race at Monza. I got a brilliant start leaping up
into 7th by Curva Grande. I saw a ferrari going slower than I was through
the corner so I tried to go round the outside. No room, so I lifted off and
took him on the outside of that left hand kink that followed, braked hard
into the first lesmo, and did it. I was up to 6th. I slipstreamed another
going down the straight before parabolica and outbraked this guy too. I was
5th at the end of the first lap. In front were two cars: a ferrari and a
lotus. The ferrari tried to take the lotus after curva grand; they were
running side by side. I had a good exit from curva grande and slipped
between the two cars through that left hand kink after curva grande so we
went three a*** through that kink and the other two cars must have backed
off because I got to the first Lesmo first. I was third. Third lap: I took
an eagle slipping by him on the start/fin straight. I ran wide at parabolica
and the eagle overtook me. However because I ran wide I was on the
accelerator quicker than he was and managed to slipstream past the eagle. I
was second. Fourth lap: I found I could not take curva grande at full speed
like I normally could, I tried but clouted the yellow barrier lightly but
managed not to spin. The eagle tried to pass but I didn't lose enough speed.
Fifth lap:I managed to overtake the leader into parabolica. I was now
leading the race! I thought, ok, stay calm, whatever you do don't crash, be
focussed. I took curva grande slower than normal. The brabham loomed large
in my mirrors. Oh no. I took the first lesmo ok, the brabham even larger,
filling it up. I panicked. The second lesmo I was too busy looking in my
mirrors, went to fast and spun. AAAARRRGGHHH! I lost three places. I drove
like a madman to parabolica. There was a lotus in front of me. I tried to
outbrake him from a long way off. It didn't work and I ran inot gravel and
spun. I tried to rejon the race track, as I did a ferrari came up really
fast and clouted me hard. He was the worst off, he retired and I came home
fourth.
Racing in F3 is brilliant! Try it. You don't concentrate on the track so
much, you concentrate more than norm on your opponents, so racing for me is
better and easier.
Michael
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>I heard from the GPL faq that you could have F3 races. I am struggling to
>keep up with the GP cars even on novice races, so I thought, hey, why not
>try F3. So I did. It is briliant!
<nice report snipped>
Congratulations, Michael!
I took a quick break from reading the really exciting "The Great Big f10
Controversy of 1999" to read your race report. Fun when it's close, isn't
it? I had a dandy F1 yesterday ...
I started in 8th at Monza, and after 6 laps found myself 7th, with Surtees
behind me and Brabham just ahead. I get a nice powerful exit from second
Lesmos and manage to pass Brabham right at the tunnel under the banking.
I'm steaming toward Parabolica, take it just a bit too fast, and while I'm
running wide, Brabham sneaks back through. We drag race the length of the
front straight, and I manage to get a car length in front of him at Curva
Grande and successfully pass. Pretty soon, I'm breathing Amon's exhaust,
and follow him for a while, finally taking the inside at Parabolica -- oh,
I'm pumped.
At the s/f line, I'm now in 5th trailing Gurney, Hulme, Clark and Hill in
1st. I drive with my nose in Gurney's gearbox all the way to Parabolica
again, try to take the inside, but Gurney is having none of it. Another
drag race down the front straight. I take the inside, get a full car length
in front of him, but go way too deep. He makes a move, but I manage to get
it gathered up and start pulling away a bit. Now Hulme stands between me
and the podium.
Once around the track behind him, and another of my suicide inside passes at
Curva Grande! He stays right on me through the Lesmos, but I start to pull
ahead a bit, and approaching Parabolica, I know there's no way he's going to
get his place back. So I'm tearing down the back straight, the taste of
virtual champagne in my mouth, slow down plenty early for Parabolica, turn
in a hair too far, ding the curb with my right front and head into the
gravel backwards! Several hundred yards from sharing the glory with Clark
and Hill, I watch as -- of course -- Hulme, Gurney, Amon, Brabham and
Surtees. Finish in 8th.
The result just makes me grin, because the five laps of racing were just
incredible. What a blast!
Kurt
I love reading these race report everyone posts. And since its on the subject
i had a heck of a race at Monza in the GP cars the other day.
I started on the pole in my Eagle (first pole ever at any track) ahead of Hill,
Hulme, Clark, and Gurney. I get a good start but drop to second cause Hill got
an amazing start. I proceded to hound him for a few laps till on lap 3 (of 6)
i bobbled a bit in Parabolica and lost a couple seconds. This allowed Hulme
(then third) to close right in on my tail pipe. I proceded to watch as hill
became a dot on the horizon and Hulme filled my mirrors. I was faster on top
end than he was but he closed in on me in the Lesmos. I used this to my
advantage for a lap to pull out a 2 second lead on him but then going into
Lesmos 1 i did a quick spin and let him through. I then proceded to catch up
to him a little later in the lap (the spin cost me barely 3 seconds and i had
him by 2 before). SO i chase him all of lap 5 and on lap 6 im close enough to
make a pass. I didnt have enought down the front straight or through the kink
before Lesmos 1. I thought about out braking him here but knew it would
probably fail and i might loose 3rd as well. I followed Hulme through the
Lesmos and then down the straight to Ascari i drafted him and pulled an amazing
"slide job" on him into the turn and cruised home to second. In watching the
replay of the race i found out that my slide job on Hulme actuall caused him to
hit the brakes even!! I guess i did that one more or less perfect eh? I also
set fastest lap of the race at 1:30.96, only 1 tenth slower than my pole
speed!!
Chris
Nice stories! Thanks!
My problem is now Nurnburgring - the track of next modern F1 is nearby...
To me GPL's F3 has been the only possibility in Nurnburgring - in F1 and
F2 I cannot anymore see anyone anymore after the first 10 turns - in F3
I can still see small cars somewhere in front of me after perhaps 30 turns.
But after that I also in F3 have to drive alone... ;-) And there are
more than 170 turns in one lap!
Yes, I know, practice, practice... But my F3 qualifying time was as bad
as 12:10.80 (only a couple (=3) of spins), and the pole taker (J. Brabham)
had 9:04.42. Only B. McLaren was behind me (20th) (he didn't get a time...)
Any advice?
Arto
>Yes, I know, practice, practice... But my F3 qualifying time was as bad
>as 12:10.80 (only a couple (=3) of spins), and the pole taker (J. Brabham)
>had 9:04.42. Only B. McLaren was behind me (20th) (he didn't get a time...)
Yes, I also do know there are lots of bushes around Nurnburgring, where
I could go crying after my spins...
Another Finn, not at all so good driver, though...
Arto
PS To me Hakkinen's behaviour was so human: I could co-feel his
feelings; from anger to bitter disappointment... So human, and
perhaps so Finnish?
> PS To me Hakkinen's behaviour was so human: I could co-feel his
> feelings; from anger to bitter disappointment... So human, and
> perhaps so Finnish?
You mean there's other Finnish reactions than getting dead drunk? ;)
Just kidding, and getting back for the times I've tried drinking with honored
representatives of our brother people - gotten me in trouble every single time
I think. <grin>
Let us all hope for better luck for Hakkinen the next time around.
Cheers,
/ft
Fredrik Th?rnell commented:
Well, dear "brother people" representative, what could I say to you?
Perhaps I could only be pleased to see that not everyone in Sweden
is too civilized - contrary to what my many Swedish friends are -
so live happily with with your concept of Finland and Finns...
"Just kidding", too... ;) or :-) or perhaps ;-)
Arto
PS For folks outside our northern parts of Europe: The relation between
Finns and Swedes has been that of "dear enemies" for centuries ;-)
It could perhaps be compared to the relations between Dutch and
Belgians, or French and Belgians; or why not compared to the
US relations betgween Polish vs. others, Irish vs. others, etc...
Arto Wikla kirjoitti viestiss? ...
I agree and felt the same. We have this *** need to be in perfect
harmony with the car and if it fails, we are so, so , so disappointed to
_ourselves_, nothing wrong with the car. Finns very rarely blame the car
without clear reason, they usually take the blame to themselves and this way
try to improve themselves and get even better harmony between the two. We
have seen this very often in Rallye "Joo perhana, oma mokahan se oli, ei
voinu mitt??, ei auta muuta kun yritt?? seuraavassa kisassa kovempaa" ;)
Where did you get <burp> that idea?
Me too...
Agreed. To analysize the situation, Mika must think something like this now
"That was a stupid error, but at least now I learned that I will never do
that again and I MUST concentrate better in the following races, title is
everything, I GOTTA HAVE THAT ONE! I can't fail myself and the team anymore
this way." , which of course leads to the fact that he might be even faster
in the next race, because he have very good reason to concentrate better ;)
> PS For folks outside our northern parts of Europe: The relation between
> Finns and Swedes has been that of "dear enemies" for centuries ;-)
> It could perhaps be compared to the relations between Dutch and
> Belgians, or French and Belgians; or why not compared to the
> US relations betgween Polish vs. others, Irish vs. others, etc...
You people think we are "dear enemies"? That's odd, I though our "dear
enemies" were the Norwegians? You've been keeping secrets! :D
Ah well, let's get back to racing. I can see we're drifting off topic rapidly.
Cheers,
/ft, who didn't say "brother people" ironically or as any kind of sarcasm
You had fastest lap with a 1:30.96? With normal AI? It seems Clark always
runs a 1:29, or some such... In OTHER words, I *never* have fast lap(average
1:32.xx)
Eldred
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