[FIA GT Race] Blancpain Endurance Series-Round Three-Spa 24hrs

[AndrewF31]

Thought it was a quite entertaining race despite all the attrition. Too bad we didn't have more coverage but there was always something to look for in the top 20 in terms of battles and intensity.

Hate the 65 minute rule. Really screwed the strategy part but maybe the mileage, etc, is very different amongst all cars. Although the Nurburgring doesn't have such things and the race was quite competitive.

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by rich07

Especially after winning the event last year. Would've been nice to see a Manthey Porsche with the Ring 24hr winning lineup take it to the leaders.

The quality of the drivers wouldn't have made any difference, the GT3 R has never been reliable in 24hr racing.

Hence Manthey's switch back the RSR at the nords this year.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

Hate the 65 minute rule. Really screwed the strategy part but maybe the mileage, etc, is very different amongst all cars. Although the Nurburgring doesn't have such things and the race was quite competitive.

They play around with tank sizes and fuel flow restrictors (for the refilling-rigs) for the 24, the effect is pretty much the same...

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by rich07

Wait-I wasnt the only person thinking that? That grass is too green

Are there any video of the McLaren accident of Kirkaldy? There is an aftermath vid here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dR6TeDDebQ

Certainly left a lasting impression.

[MitchZ06]

3-4 they've wrecked now is it? Atleast they've proven the safety of the 12C!

[Audi Racer]

im kind of upset because we never got to see what they were capable of..They were screwed by their starting positions.the day only go worse from their...i think if they started at the front they would have had faaar less trouble

[old man]

Originally Posted by Audi Racer

im kind of upset because we never got to see what they were capable of..They were screwed by their starting positions.the day only go worse from their...i think if they started at the front they would have had faaar less trouble

I have just had a quick look at the qualifying reports on DSC but can't see any comment about what happened to them. Given the driver line up in the CRS cars it was very disapointing to see them so far down, anybody know why?

[Purist]

It rained off-and-on during qualifying (this is Spa after all). If you weren't on the right tires at just the right time, which was a real luck-of-the-draw proposition, you weren't going to start right up front.

[Audi Racer]

Originally Posted by Purist

It rained off-and-on during qualifying (this is Spa after all). If you weren't on the right tires at just the right time, which was a real luck-of-the-draw proposition, you weren't going to start right up front.

i think Penske is to Porsche as Gulf is to Aston Martin. they attract.

[MitchZ06]

Originally Posted by Audi Racer

i think Penske is to Porsche as Gulf is to Aston Martin. they attract.

Shouldn't that be here? ----> http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...129049&page=24

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by Purist

It rained off-and-on during qualifying (this is Spa after all). If you weren't on the right tires at just the right time, which was a real luck-of-the-draw proposition, you weren't going to start right up front.

Also the car that had the accident had a 5 minute stop & go in the first three laps for changing the engine after qualifying.

[Audi Racer]

Originally Posted by Audi Racer

i think Penske is to Porsche as Gulf is to Aston Martin. they attract.

^^very offtopic


what the devil? how did this get here.....this is the third time. really weird...im absolutely sure i replied to a a different person and that this post was in the Porsche 2014 thread.....glitch? that response doesnt even make sense in this thread sorry that it ended up here

[Danny_GT2]

Kirkaldy crash from the GCR Viper's point of view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSa5eSqSRMI

I think Kirkaldy misjudged the BMW & thought he passed it but unfortunately it resulted in a heavy crash!

[Mal]

Good find - looking at that it was definitely a misjudgement by Kirkaldy

[cmk]

I don't think that it was so one-sided. Kirkaldy could have given the BMW more room, that is true. On the other hand, the BMW did move to the right coming off the kerb. He needed to get off the kerb, of course, and it may not be the smoothest transition, but the car did continue moving to the right to the extent that there was 1/3 to 1/2 a car-width of pavement to the BMW's left by the time they made contact. Whether Kirkaldy is also moving to the left at that time is difficult to judge because there is not a fixed reference point like the boundary between road and kerb to use, just a moving BMW.

In conclusion, it would have been safest for Kirkaldy to leave more space to his left by moving over to the pitwall exiting La Source as he still had the pace to pass the BMW and would have been on line heading into Eau Rouge. On the other hand, the BMW driver should have been well aware of Kirkaldy's presence by the time they reached, let alone exited La Source, so I have to say he did a poor job maintaining his line.

[Purist]

Perhaps it should be looked into to have a procedure to let the guys know if they're actually clear to pull back onto line. On two-lane highways, truckers would flash lights twice to signal there was an opening for someone following to be able to pass.

[insanity_mc]

Our pictures of the Spa 24H 2011 are online:

www.motorsports-online.net

Some Pics ...











Greetz

[Purist]

Nice shots! I take it that that last one is some kind of time-lapse?

[Tim the Grey]

Double Gauche, tripod, and a LONG shutter time, in the night...

Sadly, I was booked on a FAMILY holiday around Spa weekend. However, I managed to get there on Thursday, just in time for the heavens to OPEN... So very few cars came out to play in the monsoon. Never even SAW a McLaren. I did see my favourite though, Astons.

[White flag man]

A few of those I managed to take over the weekend.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by cmk

I don't think that it was so one-sided. Kirkaldy could have given the BMW more room, that is true. On the other hand, the BMW did move to the right coming off the kerb. He needed to get off the kerb, of course, and it may not be the smoothest transition, but the car did continue moving to the right to the extent that there was 1/3 to 1/2 a car-width of pavement to the BMW's left by the time they made contact. Whether Kirkaldy is also moving to the left at that time is difficult to judge because there is not a fixed reference point like the boundary between road and kerb to use, just a moving BMW.

In conclusion, it would have been safest for Kirkaldy to leave more space to his left by moving over to the pitwall exiting La Source as he still had the pace to pass the BMW and would have been on line heading into Eau Rouge. On the other hand, the BMW driver should have been well aware of Kirkaldy's presence by the time they reached, let alone exited La Source, so I have to say he did a poor job maintaining his line.

100% agree

[Yakuncha]

Originally Posted by White flag man

A few of those I managed to take over the weekend.

That last one is awesome - how did you trespass onto a prohibited area to take it?

[Jameson]

Originally Posted by cmk

I don't think that it was so one-sided. Kirkaldy could have given the BMW more room, that is true. On the other hand, the BMW did move to the right coming off the kerb. He needed to get off the kerb, of course, and it may not be the smoothest transition, but the car did continue moving to the right to the extent that there was 1/3 to 1/2 a car-width of pavement to the BMW's left by the time they made contact. Whether Kirkaldy is also moving to the left at that time is difficult to judge because there is not a fixed reference point like the boundary between road and kerb to use, just a moving BMW.

In conclusion, it would have been safest for Kirkaldy to leave more space to his left by moving over to the pitwall exiting La Source as he still had the pace to pass the BMW and would have been on line heading into Eau Rouge. On the other hand, the BMW driver should have been well aware of Kirkaldy's presence by the time they reached, let alone exited La Source, so I have to say he did a poor job maintaining his line.

Well said! However, Kirkaldy is the professional driver in this incident and there's no point running so close to that BMW to even risk something like this happening. If I'd had to make the call, the blame is solely on the McLaren driver. Being alone on the track both cars would move towards right (to be on the right side at the start of the endurance pitwall) and I guess the BMW driver automatically backed off from the left side curbs thinking the Mc will head to the right and there's enough room there. Kirkaldy was unnecessarily close in a place where the cars are not driving straight.

[racerspics]

Hi,
here are some shots of the 24 hours.

direct into the album









Have fun
Ralf