[Kevan]

Race reports - 18th August - The ‘Italian Job’
 
   

Although we had four regular club members away / ill / post surgery recuperation / family commitments there were enough to race thanks to Brian turning up in the nick of time.
 
We saw allsorts of Italian race cars in practice and when the race sheets were filled in there were some new cars on the grid.
 
   

All cars entered did 5 qually laps in the Red lane with the best time being used to calculate the predicted score.  The driver who managed to get closest to their predicted score in the races would be the winner.  This meant any of the cars entered could win as long as they were consistent and didn’t need much marshal help.  Qually in the slow lane means you can't sandbag, you have to push it like crazy because the quicker lanes means you 'overshoot' your target score.
 
ROUND 1
 
Kev raced the recently released Revo Alfa GTA for the first time and it goes as well as expected.  A very consistent runner managed to stay within a lap of Andy’s Alfa in Heat #3 and Brian’s Maserati in Heat #6.
Paul also has one of the Revo Alfas but needs a new spur gear, as he couldn’t race it the trusty Lancia LC2 saw double action tonight.  The Lancia is a long car and the tail is longer than it looks as Kev’s Alfa found out on lap #1 ending in the long grass at the side of the road.  Two heat wins in round one was a good return to action for the Lancia beating Kev’s Alfa in Heat #2 and Brian’s Maserati in Heat #4.
Andy raced an interesting couple of cars, the Alfa 147 with the all female crew showing the boys how it’s done…(whilst Valentino Rossi blasted round in the Ferrari 458 in round 2).  Two heat wins for the ladies in the Alfa, Heat #3 against Kev’s Alfa and Heat #5 against Paul’s Lancia.
Brian’s very tidy Maserati GT3 looks slow but it’s so consistent, winning heat #1 in the Blue lane which was his best lane score.  Another heat win in Heat #6 against Kev’s Alfa for the Maserati.
 
   

Heat wins in heat order for Brian, Paul & Andy.
 
ROUND 2
 
Andy lined up for Heat #1 in this round with a very quick Ferrari 458 against Kev’s quick Ferrari 512S, this first race was a marked increase in performance for both drivers over their first round cars.  The 458 won the heat in the Blue lane over the 512S in the Red lane.
Heat #2 saw a return for Paul’s Lancia LC2 in the Yellow lane whilst Brian raced Andy’s Ferrari F40 in Red…not the best lane to have your first race with a borrowed QUICK car but managed to finish ahead of the Lancia.
Heat #3 was Kev’s Ferrari 512S chance to show it’s true race pace lining up against Brian who was now in the quick Blue lane.  The 512S making a quick getaway with a marshal-free race the F40 couldn’t keep up.
Heat #4 saw Paul’s Lancia lining up against Andy’s ferrari, with this being the 458’s best lane score of the night the LC2 couldn’t keep up despite also managing it’s best lane score of this round.
Heat #5 was the last race for Paul’s Lancia and Kev’s Ferrari 512S.  A best lane score of the night saw the Ferrari finish ahead of the Lancia.
The final race of the night was Heat #6, Andy vs Brian, two Ferrari’s going head to head, another marshal-free race with Andy finishing ahead by just over a lap.  Watching Brian push the F40 round the first right hander was entertaining with both inside tyres in the air.
 
   

Heat wins in heat order for Andy, Brian & Kev
 
So who won?...
 
If this was a normal head-to-head race the cars on the grid would have been totally different, these handicap races are all about consistency and a car that can be raced at a constant pace.  Although we had a few deslots a bit of luck always comes in handy.
 
The spread of the results shows just how well all the cars were raced, in the past we’ve seen differences of numerous laps, tonight everyone finished less than 4 laps from their predicted result.
 
   

A great nights racing with mixed special heats meant everyone raced everyone and an event I for one can’t wait to do again next year.
 
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Next week is Club BMW 320i