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Part 3
A real racers day- its got a little bit off everything for everyone.
action, suspense, tears!!
Come to the track nice and early and chat with EPYUPC, who is rather still and sore. the side of my legs hurt to where they get pushed against the frame while turning!
The breakage in the suspension has been repaired, and karun tells me to prevent that he has used a shorter bolt, so if i hit kerbs, there aint much guarantee off how long it will last, so to be clear of them kerbs at all times.
One thing i Gotta say here:
I have to thanks Karun, Vicky & team for all the support they give. Everytime something has given in the car, they have rushed to fix it, to ensure that the car goes out competitive and that you get to do what you came for- Race.
Also, even tho its clear who are the 2-3 fastest guys & the the obvious winners/cars to back, i see them putting time and effort into all the cars, including slower drivers like me. They have always taken the time to listen and attend to the problems and that is really impressive.
1st practice: I decide to push harder today- I do, but 4 laps in start getting a sound from the rear of the car turning left. I pit and it turns out some part of the suspension is hitting the the wheel and scoring the inside of the rim.
Some quick repairs are made, and clearances adjusted.
I go out again, but within a few laps, the sound is immediately and much worse and park in the garage for some more comprehensive repairs, so sit out at least half the practice.
2nd Practice: This goes off well with me settiing a good timing that should see me at the back of midfield as per the previous days results.after 6 laps i am called in order to preserve tyres
Qual: I got out i'm on out lap, Green car comes up i pull over to let him pass as he's on a hot one. I also wanna follow him to learn a few line and braking points. I'm hot on his tail down the straight and suddenly into the second corner he brakes very early, I dive down the inside, stomp on the brakes and complete the the rest of the lap well (it turns out that that will be my qual lap), as i'm on the nest one the dreaded sound returns and i add to it, spinning on the exit to the straight.
I pit and karun immediately gets a bunch of guys to do some real quick work
on it, then sends me out to shakedown and check, I run two laps and park it.
Work continues on the rear.
I have qualified 15th, an improvement on yesterday at least.However the qual lap time is 2.5 secs faster than yesterdays, os thats good. Unfortunately mostly everyone ahead in the midfield aslo decided to improve by a second or so!!!!
1st Race: The cars are in the paddock and leaving to form the grid. Its my turn, My car wont shift ito gear!! Any gear !! the clutch , it wont operate,Its all dead !! I wave my hands wildly looking for mechanice & karun. I am whelled out super quick to the pitlane where karun rips off the body and works happens at a furious pace. "Try it now can you feel the clutch" : " yes yes". "Start" I start, the car finds gear. I dunno if i can make it to the grid in time or i have to start from the pits. The marshals say there's still time.
GO GO GO- I'm off. I just make it. We set off for formation lap
The race starts,- I have a poor start and get passed by 2-3 cars,
But pass a couple on the into turns 1 & 2. I have recovered a few places and unlike yesterday where it was a bit lonely, i am in the pack dicing. This feels like total racing and its awesome. there are various moves by various people and its all great fun.However i keep getting passes down the straightevery other lap by someone. On Lap 4, the dreaded sound retuns. Dammit. I decide to bash on regardless. On abt lap 5 or 6 (Oh i forgot to say these are 8 lap races),i pull two great moves into the second and third corner to pass two guys (During the real race this time!!! ha ha) , and am thrilled. I then proceed to throw it away at the end of the loop by pushing to hard to stay ahead of these guys ( Coz everyone is always passing me down the straight) so that i dont get passed on the straight.I spin, but again manage keeping the car mostly on tarmac & the engine running, and the two i just passed fly by me.
The sound is getting louder and more frequent.
I push on to finish and toward the last lap start catching the the red and white car which i passed and another blue car. I'm surprised to see blue car, dAmn, i thought he was behind me.
The red and white car passes the blue car down the back straight and i go heel for leather, the red mist is down. I throw it all into the last corner madly accelerating , car shaking and sliding all over and make it down the inside, and pass him across the line with by half a cars length. YeeeeeHaaaaaaaaa
I pulled it off - I'm damn pumped.
Anticlimax ------- It turns out the guy was a lap down. good thing i didnt spin, diving down the inside!!
But there were no bloody blue flags.
Anyways i head back to the garage, I'm 10th in the first rae again. Considering the problems i've had all morining and in the race, I'm satistfied with the result. And even more satisfied that i was involved in a lot of Dicing and racing. That was the most thrilling.
Its back to some reapirs to the rear to fix this problem. the clearance is increased. I report a lot of oversteer, Karun gives rapid fire instructions to have the suspension stiffened.
Race 2: I've been having poor starts. This has to be remedied. I sit and thing abt it. Its partly my weight of course, But i have to do better. I decide on a solution.
the lights go out and i have a damn good start. the plan works, i pass 2 chaps straight off. maybe one into a corner. I dont know. Its all happening quick. I'm right there in the pack, in the thick of it. Its my best outing so far.
i am being chased by Sourav - Blue helmet, bengali kid. He passes me - no prizes for guessing- on the straight, but i'm doing something correct coz now they are passing me halfway down and not at the beginning.
I surprize him by passing him around the outside of c1. I'm getting better at this.He passes me down the staright again next lap, This is just not fair. I need some straightline speed, I pass him into c2 this time. ha ha.
And guess what he passes me on the straight again next lap. I bang the steering with on hand in frustration, This time the car i slip behind, but have a moment on c1, with the car sliding, i cololect it but saurabh has now got a gap. I concentrate on finishing.
Its the last Lap. Car No 6 passes me on the straight. Not again, i let him go, and someone spins on C2, he has to brake heavily and i use the opportunity to sit right behind him. at c3 we come across a highly confused slower car bang in the centre of the turn, Car 6 Chooses the outside which id the original racing line, but we have all slowed heavily, i dive down the inside between the kerb and the backmarker and voila am out in front. both of us are accellerating- i have 1/2 a car length on him, He turns in towards meto give me "Hool" i turn tio the left and am on the edge of the road now.I have the inside line now but no place to go further in. Suddenly he turns into me, and hits my sidepod with force with the front left wheel, **** hits the fan. His front wheel now climbs over my back wheel and car flips over, my car spins and both of us end up on the other side of the track. His car is turned turtle. He' hollering. I jump ouuta my car and rush there. Try and turn the car over
now he's busy shouting at me instead of working on getting out. i keep calm somehow. I'm trying to turn the car over. Holy crap, in my efffort , i've held the exhaust pipe and burth my hand through my gloves. Owww.
anyway, the marshals are on the scene now, i grab him by the shoulders and pull him out of the car. He's really livid, freaking out, but he's ok.
The safety car is on track, people are at the sene. We are both taken in to the medical centre and checked up.
Epilogue: A hearing is held by the stewards, each persons statement is taken.
each person is asked to show the positions of the car at the time of the track at the time of the incident.
I wont go into all the details as it was a private meeting.
the stewards then ask us to wait outside.
I am called back in. I'm am told that they have investigated and told , that am totally cleared of any blame, its not my fault in any way.
i feel relieved/ vinicated.
So that was a very evenful end.
In a sense i'm very disappointed coz that was the last lap i think i was in 6th position or so, and was definitely going be scoring points again.
Also my aim for the weeked was to be able to finish all four races and not hit anyone, and to fall short of that with just 2/3rd lap to go was really disappointing. Both of us would have had a points finish if he hadnt turned into me like that. Plus it was a shock seeing the car flip. Even though it was not my fault, i mean if the guy had got hurt,it would have been real bad.
So heres the weekend for you, i will add snippets and pictures as time goes by.
Hope this was fun reading
(i'm readying myself for a lot of comebacks on this one!!!!!)
Cheerio
Revvhead | 
17th April 2006, 16:34
!)
glad u had fun... all the best for more races....