RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
We once again had nine guys attending FRC's 316th event, this one for our British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), GT and LMP classes. We've also now decided to include an IROC race from one of our five IROC classes at our regular events, this time choosing to race the Mini Coopers. It's felt that this will encourage new drivers, some of whom will go on to be regulars who start getting and racing their own cars. We welcomed Claude, an FRC first-timer who had his introductory race with the IROC Minis. Peter was again distracted and although he practised and even qualified very well for the BTCC class, he never actually raced. Again a few new cars showed up and the racing was the usual competitive but always enjoyable high point of the afternoon, despite the computer deciding to run some very long and time-consuming updates before we could begin the proceedings.
You will notice that for the IROC race, no points were awarded to the experienced drivers who participated. This was done for two reasons: firstly to allow less experienced drivers to compete for points solely amongst themselves and secondly, to keep it fair for those experienced drivers who did not take part in the IROC race, so that the champion driver and other statistics are able to better reflect the competition amongst experienced drivers.
Despite this delay, we were able to run two races for BTCC and one race each for the other classes, with all drivers present having the usual fun, mixed with serious concentration during the very close racing.
Here are a few pics to start things off:
A new LMP beauty showed up on the track:
The guys take a refreshment break:
Firstimer Claude hanging with the guys:
Drivers practising for BTCC:
Full moon rising in the distance:
The results
BTCC
BTCC race 1 grid - Gordon/MG6, O'Brie/VW Passat, Keith/BMW 330i, Steve/BMW 125i, Ian/Honda Civic, Luke/MG6:
Computer BTCC race 1 results:
BTCC race 2 grid - Gordon/MG6, O'Brie/VW Passat, Ian/Honda Civic, Steve/BMT 330i, Warren/BMW 125i:
Computer BTCC race 2 results:
GT
GT race 1 grid - O'Brie/McLaren F1 GTR, Steve/BMW Z4, Gordon/McLaren MP4 12C, Warren/Lotus Elise, Ian/Ferrari 512 BB; Luke/McLaren MP4 12C:
Computer GT race 1 results:
IROC
IROC race 1 grid - Warren, O'Brie, Ian, Keith, Claude:
IROC race action:
Computer IROC race 1 results:
LMP
LMP race 1 grid - Steve/Courage C60, Gordon/Lola Aston Martin, Ian/Lola B09/60, O'Brie/Toyota GT One, Warren/Toyota 88C; Luke/Porsche 956:
Computer LMP race 1 results:
(How this is computed: https://frcforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=393)
Congratulations to the winners.
Total Championship Points for 2024:
Next event's classes: Clubman, IROC, Slot.It Challenge, Formula 1.
Don't forget to see the updated overall fastest times and the fastest no-magnet times by driver and class to know what the benchmarks are for your cars. Older stats can be found in the Archive area of the forum.
See you on the circuit...
Gordon
RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
Re: RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
Great race meeting as usual at FRC !
Nice to see a good driver turnout, with so far for this season, at least one new face at every event. Always nice to see new cars, or at least previously unraced cars turn up to race. At this event I can think of Peter's lovely LMP Oreca and BTCC BMW 330i, Ramesh's GT McLaren MP4 and BTCC MG6 (both raced by Luke T.) and my LMP Courage C60. Peter's cars unfortunately didn't get to race although the 330i ran well in qualifying.
Racing was great fun as usual but the issue of one lane being quite a bit faster than the other presented itself again. A number of BTCC cars suffered problems, with one not being able to start the first race and two retiring from the second race. The final points in this class were extremely close with a tie for second and Gordon winning by one point ! As usual, or at least as usual recently, O'Brie ran away with the GT class but the rest of the field were quite closely matched. For LMP, it took a lot of work to get my odd ball Courage C60 even driveable but I was quite pleased with how it turned out and happy that it got pole and won at its debut event.
Congrats to Gordon ,O'Brie and Warren on winning BTCC, LMP and IROC respectively. Congrats also to Warren on taking the Index Of Performance accolades.
Looking forward to the next event.
Steve
Nice to see a good driver turnout, with so far for this season, at least one new face at every event. Always nice to see new cars, or at least previously unraced cars turn up to race. At this event I can think of Peter's lovely LMP Oreca and BTCC BMW 330i, Ramesh's GT McLaren MP4 and BTCC MG6 (both raced by Luke T.) and my LMP Courage C60. Peter's cars unfortunately didn't get to race although the 330i ran well in qualifying.
Racing was great fun as usual but the issue of one lane being quite a bit faster than the other presented itself again. A number of BTCC cars suffered problems, with one not being able to start the first race and two retiring from the second race. The final points in this class were extremely close with a tie for second and Gordon winning by one point ! As usual, or at least as usual recently, O'Brie ran away with the GT class but the rest of the field were quite closely matched. For LMP, it took a lot of work to get my odd ball Courage C60 even driveable but I was quite pleased with how it turned out and happy that it got pole and won at its debut event.
Congrats to Gordon ,O'Brie and Warren on winning BTCC, LMP and IROC respectively. Congrats also to Warren on taking the Index Of Performance accolades.
Looking forward to the next event.
Steve
Re: RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
Steve, congrats on winning LMP with your new Courage. Have you noticed the "Total Championship Points for 2024"?
Re: RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
Wow, tie for the lead in overall points tally year to date !
Re: RACE REPORT #316 - Mar 23rd 2024 (BTCCnm, GTnm, LMPnm, IROC)
Racing competitions on the whole at FRC because the Mini Challenge Class / Cars with the 18 events throughout (which was Kicked Off March 2013) is an ideal example:
Post No. 2220
- RD316 - MC / Warren ... event returned March 2024
RD227 - MC / Luke B.
RD206 - MC / Luke B. and even had a 4-way Tie with Steve, Luke, Gordon & Arden for 3rd. Spot
RD203 - MC / Ramesh & Gordon - Tie
RD198 - MC / Steve & Gordon - Tie
RD190 - MC / Ramesh
RD184 - MC / Steve & Ramesh - Tie
RD177 - MC / Luke B. - Group A
RD170 - MC / Luke B. - Group A
RD162 - MC / Steve - Group A
RD155 - MC / Luke B. - Group A
RD152 - MC / Luke B. - Group A & Ian G. - Group B
RD148 - MC / Steve
RD142 - MC / Gordon
RD137 - MC / Luke
RD131 - MC / Luke
RD125 - MC / Gordon
RD120 - MC / Gordon
Post No. 2220