[marty]

Thanks for the season Wally and all. Well done GB, too good again but at least I got us some points for the team win too.

My race this week I had no chance to get in any laps until just before the race. Most of my practice was a couple longer stints to figure out tyres and fuel not much of a look at real pace and I got quicker by the end of the race.

Qualy I didnt get a great laps in and qualified about 9th I think with some good pace shown by all. The first lap I seemed to struggle more then others and lost a few spots. Then I ended up behind Stan who was going backwards faster then me on his hard tyres.

Once I got past him I found some pace and was able to lap not far off GB's pace when not in traffic but there were only a couple laps I wasnt on someones rear bumper all race.

I had no pedal issues, seems a deadzone on the clutch has fixed this as it was spiking and losing me lots of speed the last couple rounds.

It was quite a fun race with me passing a few cars on track but most time was spent up close to others trying to find a way past. End of the first stint I ended up having a good battle with Jeremy making the pass on lap 14 to get a couple extra points includimg the weird collision with Freezer as he warped..

I stopped on lap 15 and tried to be a bit more agressive at the pit box. Lucky we dont have a guy holding the lolly pop as he would have been badly injured as I pretty much stopped in Guy's box quite a long way past mine.

I then reversed a couple times to get into my pit and was also in reverse after being dropped so 3x reversing back up pitlane  hope thats not a penalty but its more then enough of a penalty foing the wrong direction.

After this I had dropped a few more spots and lost out to Bacchulum. I had a good battle with him for quite a few laps til I finally made the move stick. Then went on to make my final stop 1 lap earlier then I intended hoping to undercut somebody. I pitted out and had Grat ahead, I pushed fairly hard to catch him but even though I could make the ground up I never even had a half look at a pass.

I could get close into the last turn but the closer I got the more understeer this would give and meant I needed to lift and was then too far back to get a draft, with the scg being very quick on its own. The rest of the track I never really got anywhere and by the end my front right graining took away all my front grip and any real chance of making that pass with front right finishing at 50% graining.

[Wally]

In the first stint I had a ticket on the Stan-train but managed to disembark after a few laps (unlike Wally who took the whole ride )

I thought Stan was driving carefully nursing mediums to make it to lap 14 (or 15), which I was also doing. So I thought since I was also trying to conserve my tyres, I'd drive behind Stan. I only found out afterwards he was on hards! I did try to mount a challenge to get in front by the end of lap 14, but couldn't find a pass. Then after Stan's pit stop, he was off like a rocket!

The second half of the race was pretty lonely for me, between Stan and Mael. Mael pressured a bit, but eventually I managed to open up a gap. That's why I like some ballast to compress the field. With 18 cars on track, I barely even saw anyone in the latter stages of the race, leaving me pretty much hotlapping.

[marty]

The second half of the race was pretty lonely for me, between Stan and Mael. Mael pressured a bit, but eventually I managed to open up a gap. That's why I like some ballast to compress the field. With 18 cars on track, I barely even saw anyone in the latter stages of the race, leaving me pretty much hotlapping.

I think reverse grids would actually do a better job especially in a field like we had in the GT3 cars. Starting mid pack I was quite busy as I could catch people up fairly easily but still quite hard to pass. With ballast if your heavy and mid pack then you really will struggle quite a bit but if all have a car with the same potential starting out of the regular position I think does more for racing then ballast can.

In general ballast or not with regular qualy if you put in a laptime close to your best and so do most around you the gaps just keep growing as everyone kind of runs in pace order. Add ballast to this then you may have some heavier cars further forward that may be a sitting duck for those behind much lighter but most times it just ends up with the ever increasing gaps.

In a strong enough field even over a 1hr race it may not be possible for the guy leading the championship to win races easily if others run a good line and stay on the road. If you have a big advantage on someone say 3 seconds per lap then passing normally isnt much of a challenge assuming you have similar cars. As people battle through the field in a reverse grid they will be both battling those starting around them that are similar pace but also needing to find a way past those that may be a bit slower starting further forward. I think assuming people arent being silly in traffic the racing in a full reverse grid season should be overall the best for most people especially those like GB who tends to have a lonely race up front quite often. Only meeting traffic when lapping them and so not really having too many battles, this will also give those guys that normally start at the back of the grid a bit more to race for as they arent going to be finishing a lap down in races and be stuck in battles most of the race.

[Wally]

Yes, I'm looking forward to reverse grid races in a slow car. Being slower, it will make passing take a little longer. Often, reverse grid races see the fast guys hitting the front pretty early.

[Bacchulum]

Handicap racing.

[Wally]

Handicap racing.

Do you mean delayed starts for the faster? We've tried that a few times but it never seems to work out well.

[StanDaam]

Yes, I'm looking forward to reverse grid races in a slow car. Being slower, it will make passing take a little longer.

Sounding good Wally!! 
Sorry bout the Stan train!!