[woodcote]

Race Report - Part Two

   

The start of a GT race has a very different buzz to other WHO digital formats - a hush descends and then the cars circulate calmly, embarking on a marathon, not a sprint. That said, none of the six drivers was hanging around - the cars were quickly up to pace and ticking off the laps. Oliver led a trio of Mercedes after 5 minutes, Dean for Astone Mosdell in second and Ryan for Smooth Operators in third. Ollie and Ash were a lap back in the two Bentleys and Stephen was easing in the newly-upgraded Écurie Escargot Aston, three laps off the lead...

   

At 15 minutes, Ryan, Oliver, Dean and Ollie were all on the same lap. Stephen had got the better of Ash to move up to fifth - those two three laps adrift of the leaders. Shortly after, Dean brought the yellow Mercedes into the pits and Alex took the car directly to the work bench to fix some gearing issues - they'd return in last place, but limited their losses  as a full-course-yellow came out for more repairs on the pit lane entry. When we returned to green-flag racing, it was time for the first driver change - Ryan handing over the leading Mercedes to Mike. Gearzilla were three laps back, Scott taking over from Oliver. Russell jumped into the third-place Sidewinder Bentley, with Escargot up to fourth and Stuart about to experience his first digital racing stint. Andy Phillips took over from Ash in the WHAM! Bentley, with Steve easing into the Astone Mosdell Merc - they'd lost eight laps in the pits...

   

We were just three minutes into the second stint when we had a yellow flag for a short-circuit - but we were soon underway again. In a field of Bronze drivers - including three rookies - Scott was the stand-out performer, bringing all his experience of analogue club racing. He ate up the deficit to Smooth Operators and put Gearzilla into a five lap lead at the half-hour mark. Stuart had a superb start to his stint, dragging Écurie Escargot up to third - the three sidewinder cars having a really close scrap for that final podium position, despite being twelve laps off the lead of the race. Steve was plugging away with the delayed As-Mo Merc, trying to reduce the deficit to that mid-field scrap...

   

The race at the front settled down, Mike finding a better rhythm and holding the deficit at five laps. That's how the battle for the lead stood at 40 minutes, as Scott handed over to Kev and Duncan took over for Smooth Ops. WHAM! Racing were the best of the rest - albeit sixteen laps off the lead - Sidewinder fourth, Écurie Escargot fifth and Astone Mosdell six laps adrift at the back...

   

Five minutes into the third stint and we had another pause to rectify a short - it was proving an unusually glitchy evening, but what GT race isn't punctuated by yellow flags? Kev had stretched the race lead by another lap over Duncan. Rob was driving beautifully for Sidewinder and had the Bentley in third - and already chipping away at the two Mercs in front. Steve for WHAM! and Alex for Écurie Escargot were just behind, with Isaac now in the As-Mo Mercedes at the back...

   

Five minutes after the resumption of racing disaster struck for the Escargots. An innocuous punt up the rear from another car stopped the Aston Martin dead in its tracks. A wire sheared at the forward ferrite man was diagnosed - and swift some stripping and soldering by Mike eventually got the car back in race, albeit losing seven minutes and 35 laps... 

   

Meanwhile, Rob was putting on a masterclass - his 91 laps in 20 minutes proving the best score of the night - and Sidewinder were suddenly right back in contention for the win after an hour of racing. As the cars came in for their third driver change, Gearzilla led by eleven laps, but Smooth Operators now had just one lap on the Sidewinder Bentley. The gap back to WHAM! Racing was nine laps, Steve having put in a very good shift for his team. They were four laps ahead of the recovering Astone Mosdell Mercedes in fifth. Having been dead last, Alex, Dean, Isaac and Steve would now have their sights on a possible podium place - sitting just 14 laps of second place and having nearly half the race still to run...