[Kevan]

Race reports - 3rd March - Club BMW 320i Handicap Race

   
 
These cars were last run 6 months ago, each one was checked and the motor in the Yellow car was changed for a new one as it was on it’s death-bed.
 
5 qually laps were run by each driver with the best lap used to work out the handicap adjusted results.  Red lane was used for qually, next time we’ll try a different setting in the timing program so qually can be run on any lane.
 
With club members off Island or working and only four entries we took the opportunity to try a new heat system with two guaranteed marshalls…it worked well and both marshalls seemed to handle the job in hand.
 
The handicap is the figure the drivers totals were multiplied by so the fastest qualifier has a handicap of 1.00 i.e. no adjustment.
 
We ran two rounds with drivers swapped round for round #2.
 
For some reason tonights scores were much better than the last time these were raced and Michael in particular showed huge improvement by setting a hot lap only bettered by Kev.
 
Round #1:
Heat #1 was Mike (Red) vs Kev (Yellow), with red lane having a couple of awkward corners and direction changes, Kev managed to get round much quicker than Mike to win comfortably.
 
Heat #2 was Brian (Yellow) vs Geoff (Blue), with both car going well but Blue a little quicker, Geoff managed to win by less than a lap.
 
Heat #3, Mike (Yellow) vs Kev (Blue).  The Blue car was flying tonight, all drivers easily setting their quickest lap time with this car.
 
Heat #4, Geoff (Red) vs Brian (Blue), Geoff did well but Brian drove the Blue car to a comfortable win.
 
Heat #5, Kev (Red) vs Mike (Blue), Mike had the quickest car and managed a quicker hot lap than Kev in the awkward lane, Mike would start to catch then Kev would push as hard as possible to reduce the damage…in the end Kev finished about a second clear.
 
Heat #6, Brian (Red) vs Geoff (Yellow), Brian managed a clean race but Geoff had an easier race with the Yellow car finishing nearly a second clear.
 
Round #2 was mixed up with Mike vs Brian and Kev vs Geoff.
 
Heat #5 was the closest race for Brian vs Mike, Mike winning the race in Blue by 4 seconds.
 
The final heat of the night was one of the closest finishes as Kev managed to keep the Red car just over a second ahead of Geoff’s Yellow lane car.
 
Of course the final results were yet to be found as this was a handicap race and favours those who need marshalls help the least, this time round it was Kev, but only by a single lap as Geoff drove great tonight, very consistent in Yellow & Blue lanes.

   
 
 
…let’s see how the handicaps changed things:
Unlike last weeks Italiano handicap, everyone was below their Club BMW predicted score.
Everyone went much quicker than their qually times (not forgetting qually was in the Red lane).
There was only one lap in it after 18 minutes racing.
Heat wins in heat order for Kev, Geoff & Brian in Round #1, and Brian, Geoff, Kev & Mike in Round #2

   
 
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Next week is Saloons & Sports…last time out they were quick and Mike B should be back…