RACE REPORT #351 - November 29th 2025 (RC, TA)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 4:18 pm
RACE REPORT #351 - November 29th 2025 (RC, TA)
Six drivers attended our final rally and time attack event for the year, possibly our last event for 2025. We all know how much Ram enjoys these categories, so it was no surprise that he was present with his usual very quick cars. There was a fair amount of testing and practising prior to the official start of competition, during which we saw a large number of different cars on the track.
As we got down to the start of the competitions, I found that my cars were both off the amazing sub-eight-second times being achieved by several cars, so I ended up driving a Zakspeed Escort belonging to Peter and a Peugeot 406 owned and prepared by Ram. Luke started off the stages, running his quick and lovely Porsche 911 GT3 and was followed by the rest of drivers in smooth succession. While trying to go as fast of possible, several drivers experienced de-slots, costing precious time. In my case on one of the stages, my car arrived at an open lane changer on the back straight, switching the car to the outer lane for most of the lap until I managed to switch back to the inside lane just before the end of the start/finish straight.
At one point in the competition, after Peter had completed a really fast run with his Porsche, we decided to check its downforce and found it to be lifting the test track section used for these checks. We let the stage run stand, but required him to sort it out for the following runs. This is something we must do at with all cars at the end of rally and time attack stages, as well as at the end of regular races for at least the top three cars. Coming back to the rally, we were able to get in six stages, giving everyone a chance to make up for prior errors and making it a really enjoyable session.
NOTE: You will notice Keith as showing five lap times of exactly 18 seconds for the first three rally stages. We have a long-standing rule that goes like this:
"If a car starts a stage and suffers component damage/failure preventing it from completing the stage, or if a car completes a stage in over 90 sec, it will be given a default stage time of 90 seconds."
In Keith's case, I've applied the 90 second rule by showing each of his five laps as 18 seconds, totalling exactly 90 seconds. In fact he was not present for those first three stages, but the software initially listed him as first, because his times for each of the first three stages as 0 seconds, much less than anyone else.
The time attack was run using a single FRC IROC Porsche 911 – nicely prepared by Steve prior to the event – which of course was driven by everyone as required by our time attack rules. Like the rally, the times were very close, producing some surprising results.
We closed off with a final boardroom meeting, full of "ole talk" and accompanied by some drinks, before everyone left for their homes.
The usual pics from Luke:
Ramesh's rally cars:
Ram showing Peter one of his cars:
Setting up the software:
Drivers testing and practising:
Cars parked in the paddock as one of Steve's goes by on the track:
Ram about to start one of his runs:
First boardroom meeting:
Checking downforce on Peter's car after one of his runs:
Second boardroom meeting:
Rally results
The orange highlights below indicate who did the best time for each lap of each stage, the driver who did the fastest lap for the stage and the driver with the lowest variation in times driving the stage.
Congrats to Peter for setting the fastest rally stage lap time of 7.680 sec.
The rally cars:
Time Attack results
As with the rally, orange highlights below indicate who did the best time for each lap of each time attack run, the driver who did the fastest lap and the driver with the lowest variation in times.
More congrats to Peter for also setting the fastest time attack lap time of 9.319 sec.
Congratulations to the winners!
Total Championship Points for 2025:
Next event's classes: To be announced.
See you on the circuit...
Gordon
Six drivers attended our final rally and time attack event for the year, possibly our last event for 2025. We all know how much Ram enjoys these categories, so it was no surprise that he was present with his usual very quick cars. There was a fair amount of testing and practising prior to the official start of competition, during which we saw a large number of different cars on the track.
As we got down to the start of the competitions, I found that my cars were both off the amazing sub-eight-second times being achieved by several cars, so I ended up driving a Zakspeed Escort belonging to Peter and a Peugeot 406 owned and prepared by Ram. Luke started off the stages, running his quick and lovely Porsche 911 GT3 and was followed by the rest of drivers in smooth succession. While trying to go as fast of possible, several drivers experienced de-slots, costing precious time. In my case on one of the stages, my car arrived at an open lane changer on the back straight, switching the car to the outer lane for most of the lap until I managed to switch back to the inside lane just before the end of the start/finish straight.
At one point in the competition, after Peter had completed a really fast run with his Porsche, we decided to check its downforce and found it to be lifting the test track section used for these checks. We let the stage run stand, but required him to sort it out for the following runs. This is something we must do at with all cars at the end of rally and time attack stages, as well as at the end of regular races for at least the top three cars. Coming back to the rally, we were able to get in six stages, giving everyone a chance to make up for prior errors and making it a really enjoyable session.
NOTE: You will notice Keith as showing five lap times of exactly 18 seconds for the first three rally stages. We have a long-standing rule that goes like this:
"If a car starts a stage and suffers component damage/failure preventing it from completing the stage, or if a car completes a stage in over 90 sec, it will be given a default stage time of 90 seconds."
In Keith's case, I've applied the 90 second rule by showing each of his five laps as 18 seconds, totalling exactly 90 seconds. In fact he was not present for those first three stages, but the software initially listed him as first, because his times for each of the first three stages as 0 seconds, much less than anyone else.
The time attack was run using a single FRC IROC Porsche 911 – nicely prepared by Steve prior to the event – which of course was driven by everyone as required by our time attack rules. Like the rally, the times were very close, producing some surprising results.
We closed off with a final boardroom meeting, full of "ole talk" and accompanied by some drinks, before everyone left for their homes.
The usual pics from Luke:
Ramesh's rally cars:
Ram showing Peter one of his cars:
Setting up the software:
Drivers testing and practising:
Cars parked in the paddock as one of Steve's goes by on the track:
Ram about to start one of his runs:
First boardroom meeting:
Checking downforce on Peter's car after one of his runs:
Second boardroom meeting:
Rally results
The orange highlights below indicate who did the best time for each lap of each stage, the driver who did the fastest lap for the stage and the driver with the lowest variation in times driving the stage.
Congrats to Peter for setting the fastest rally stage lap time of 7.680 sec.
The rally cars:
Time Attack results
As with the rally, orange highlights below indicate who did the best time for each lap of each time attack run, the driver who did the fastest lap and the driver with the lowest variation in times.
More congrats to Peter for also setting the fastest time attack lap time of 9.319 sec.
Congratulations to the winners!
Total Championship Points for 2025:
Next event's classes: To be announced.
See you on the circuit...
Gordon
