FIA GT Championship - Donington

[dai capp]

raceboy said:

DustyC said: I was there to see the race (and wearing my PH t-shirt so looking very PH ish!). Me too PH rugby shirt, spent most of the day looking down on the old hairpin, but had a wander to the esses and the melbourne loop during the GT's Was in stealth mode car wise though, parked the Clio behind Dai Capps Cerby

How did you know it was mine

Cheers

DC

[DustyC]

dai capp said:

How did you know it was mine Cheers DC

It was parked in exactly the same place as when i last saw it! (British GTs)

[raceboy]

dai capp said:

How did you know it was mine

It was just a guess
Off on a tangent, how bloody stupid was it putting those annoying fairground rounds in prime craners parking/viewing spots

[DustyC]

Thought the same about the fairground.
Nice idea to make a mini Le Mans but I think they should have put them way back by the bank.

They didnt let many cars in the infield this year. I guess it was due to the hours spent getting them all out last year.

[raceboy]

DustyC said:

They didnt let many cars in the infield this year. I guess it was due to the hours spent getting them all out last year.

Didn't have a problem getting in, even the drive in from the M1 was trouble free (if you know the traffic free cut throughs ) parked up infeild about 10.15ish, and a mate who arrived after the start of the GT's got infield too.
But getting off was a mare and a half, sat in the queue to exit via Copice and that didn't move for 15 minutes, then everyone spots the Esses queue moving so we join that, then join the queue outside the exhibition centre for another 30 minutes before getting back to the road
The parking attendants were just useless, they just stand there doing nothing, at the points where queues merge they should be letting one queue go for a number of cars, then the next queue etc, etc, not just watching everyone nudge forward a car at a time, it was at this point I was glad I was in the Clio and not hammering the TVR clutch

[DustyC]

This was the first time I havent parked in the infield and for once it was a joy to leave when we actually wanted to!

BTW: Thanks MASSIVELY for the special VIP route to the circuit. THe Griff was turning into a GRP oven and would have cooked us alive had it not been for that route.
The queue was about a mile long on the M1 too.

They were expecting 40,000 people for the race so why did they have that stoopid market on the same day?

Will they ever learn?!

[raceboy]

DustyC said:

BTW: Thanks MASSIVELY for the special VIP route to the circuit. THe Griff was turning into a GRP oven and would have cooked us alive had it not been for that route. The queue was about a mile long on the M1 too.

Another handy hint is if you come off the M1 at J24 and come up the hill on the duel carrageway towards the island, don't be sheep like and join the queue in the right hand lane, fly up the left hand lane which happily splits in to a straight on and a right turn lane 100m from the island

DustyC said:

They were expecting 40,000 people for the race so why did they have that stoopid market on the same day?

The only Sunday they cancel the ChavTastic market is MotoGP weekend
And what were they thinking coning off the entrance junction at 10am when everyone is trying to get in

[DustyC]

I come from "dan salff" so approach the junction differently.
Lots of mongs in the queue tried to block our path to the services though and I only wanted a wee!

[dai capp]

The fairground was definitely a case of nice idea next time think about where you put it - especially with all the Ferrari teams down there too.

I must say that there seemed to be a lot of folks heading directly from the chavtastic market straight for my car. Far too many sticky hand prints on it for my liking. I would have prefered on hindsight to have parked away from that part of the circuit but by the time it all got going it was a bit late.

Also had fun getting out sat in the tunnel for 5 minutes choking on exhaust fumes and hot GRP fumes.

And what was the Donington festival of all things Moris Minor all about. They were chucking out just as I was leaving aroung 5pm. What a joy they were to be behind heading up to the M1!

Maybe I'm just being grumpy cause it's Monday!

Cheers

DC

[kevinday]

Can anybody shed some light on the 5 minute penalty 'awarded' to Wendlinger, causing JMB to lose the win?

[Mannginger]

I spent most of the time at the old hairpin too - I was the chap going slowly red above the "brick seats". Had to move to the shade near the loos eventually!

I agree about the Porsches - went right through your head didn't it?!

I will be heading for Brit GT too and as for Le Mans - well it is definitly an ambition for me!

Phil

[DustyC]

kevinday said:

Can anybody shed some light on the 5 minute penalty 'awarded' to Wendlinger, causing JMB to lose the win?

It was a Parc Ferme infringment.
Exactly what I dont know. I guess it means they failed the scrutineering. Perhaps a wieght problem.

[GCerbera]

DustyC said:

kevinday said: Can anybody shed some light on the 5 minute penalty 'awarded' to Wendlinger, causing JMB to lose the win? It was a Parc Ferme infringment. Exactly what I dont know. I guess it means they failed the scrutineering. Perhaps a wieght problem.

I understood the car did not go directly to Parc Ferme as a result of a
misunderstanding and the team are appealing.

[hansgerd]

In the rules it says that after the race the car has to be driven into the Parc Fermé zone under it's own power. If it fails to do so then the marshals have to tow it (in case of the Vitaphone Saleen). Apparently, Karl Wendlinger didn't find the Parc Fermé (that's what he claimed) and parked the car at his pit garage. The car was then pushed by the pit crew into the Parc Fermé. The thing is, they don't want any crew member to touch the car after the race until the final official inspection is through.

I just read on DSC that the Synergy TVR is damaged a lot more than they first noticed. This means that they won't turn up at the 1000 KMs at the 'Ring, shame really.

>> Edited by hansgerd on Monday 28th June 16:19

[kevinday]

Thanks guys.

[DustyC]

I was just about to say "but I saw it in parc ferme" and then saw the post saying it was pushed there!

I guess that the driver should have gone to his pit garage and then asked to be directed to parc ferme and driven there.

The rules seem a bit strict but I guess rules are rules. Whats to say the pit crew didnt add a wieght when the car was in the pit garage just so that it would pass scrutineering. I guess this is also the judges thoughts.

>> Edited by DustyC on Monday 28th June 16:23

[seaton]

raceboy said:

So it was you then, about 12 cars infront of me in the MASSIVE queue to get out How was Le Mans mate

How long was that queue???

Le Mans was fantastic didn't know what to expect realy, but it was awesome.

raceboy said:

Well the Synergy car ended up in the gravel at the old hairpin after a nudge from either a Viper or a 550, not sure where the RSR car finished though

also caught a spin at melbourne

Side ways



and backwards

[GCerbera]

Great pics seaton. Thanks for sharing.

[daydreamer]

hansgerd said:

Apparently, Karl Wendlinger didn't find the Parc Fermé (that's what he claimed) and parked the car at his pit garage.

How can you not find Parc Fermé at Donnington. You drive off the track with everybody else all the way to the locked gate.

Sounds a bit dodgy, and in the IMHO unlikely event that it was an innocent mistake - those racing at this level should really know better.

Having said that, I don't think that it does anyone any favours when the race is decided on a meainingless penalty.

Rich

[The DJ 27]

The Synergy Tiv had a spin at the chicane about an hour into the race as well. Shame it got hit by the #9 Viper at the Old Hairpin. They're going to miss the Nurburgring 1000km next weekend because of it. Cracking race as always though.