Monza 25-27 September 2009

No videos from my car. Only proze to support my exploids on the famous track of Monza.

Qualifying

Thursday's free-practice was quite encouraging as I managed a 2:12 quite easily. I was confident that I could manage to find the time and churn out a 2:11. It looked like you needed a 2:10 or 2:09 to get pole so I guessed a 2:11 would put me right up there. Unfortunately the official times after Fridays qualifying were dissappointing. My data logger had recorded a 2:12.3 but the official time was 2:13.482. I had only myself to blame for this as I forgot to install the transponder. The car was very well behaved though and it still felt there was more in it. I had screwed up a couple of laps by braking very late for the first chicane; so late that I messed up the exit which is almost as important as the entry.

Class 1st Qualification 2nd Qualification
1 Matthew Dean Reynard FF 88 B 2:09,778 2:11,698
2 Hanno Hess van Diemen RF88 B 2:10,762 2:13,601
3 Chris Stones van Diemen RF 88 B 2:12,148 2:12,979
4 Rebecca Dean Reynard FF 88 B 2:14,438 2:13,140
5 Ed Waalewijn van Diemen RF 88 B 2:13,482 2:13,813
6 Bernard Baxter Crosslé 32F C 2:16,314 2:16,824
7 Paul McMorran Crosslé 25F C 2:16,585 2:17,309
8 Martin Raubach Lotus 61 C 2:18,845 2:17,671
9 Alan Crocker Ray FF71 C 2:18,845 2:17,789
10 James Hagan Crosslé 32F C 2:18,629 2:17,874
11 Alan Williamson Reynard FF 87 B 2:22,169 2:18,144
12 Michel Farizon van Diemen RF80 B 2:21,417 2:19,079
13 Peter Sikström van Diemen RF79 B 2:20,293 2:19,431
14 Povl Barfold Titan Mk6 C 2:20,132 2:20,912
15 Pierre Buret Sparton 84 B 2:21,417 2:21,413
16 Jean-Philippe Herault van Diemen RF80 B 2:21,596 2:22,445
17 Günther Böhm Swift 88 B 2:25,960 2:23,299
18 Jean Noel Bouvet van Diemen RF87 B 2:25,211 2:23,562
19 Giovanni Romagnoli Nomad 78 C 2:26,191 2:28,671
20 Paul Vezin Sparton 84 B 2:36,283 2:35,159

Race

The race started reasonable but I got a little bit blocked in the first chicane. Paul McMorran who made an excellent start (see video) pipped past as I lost momentum. Luckily I could pass him again before the second chicane. Here it pays to have an aerodynamic car. I almost got past Rebecca under braking but I just couldn't make it stick. But still I was fifth at the same place I started. At the start we passed the 2-liters of Frank Ludwig and Peter Richards. Frank was hot on my heels but he didn't have enough straight-line speed. It was however costing me time as every turn I had to check whether I was far enough to make sure it was my corner. After two laps he finally got past me and then there was Peter Richards to contest with. He had more speed so I could use him as a tow. Then he overcooked it in the first chicane and I had to take evasive action. Still I had a view on Rebecca and Chris Stones ahead.

I finally got on Rebecca's tail and passed her on the straight to the first chicane. I got a bit of a gap as we passed some backmarkers. I made a mess of the first chicane going through the gravel there. As I lost momentum Rebecca passed me again. Again I passed her at the straight before the 1st chicane. The next lap she blew past me at the straight, but I could get in her tow and outbrake her on the inside. This happened again in the penultimate lap. I knew I needed a little gap but I couldn't get it. On the way to the Parabolica she got in my slip stream and she passed me. In the Parabolica there was a yellow flag, so I tried to get as clean an exit to the finish. There was not enough track to pass her. So she got me the same as I got her two years ago. So I finished fifth.

Class Laps Time Fastest lap Difference
1 Matthew Dean Reynard FF 88 B 13 28:42,928 2:10,369
2 Hanno Hess van Diemen RF88 B 13 28:43,111 2:10,700 0,183
3 Chris Stones van Diemen RF 88 B 13 28:57,935 2:11,742 15,007
4 Rebecca Dean Reynard FF 88 B 13 29:06,122 2:12,409 23,194
5 Ed Waalewijn van Diemen RF 88 B 13 29:06,244 2:11,520 23,316
6 Alan Williamson Reynard FF 87 B 12 27:32,307 2:15,702 1L
7 Paul McMorran Crosslé 25F C 12 27:36,147 2:16,132 1L
8 James Hagan Crosslé 32F C 12 27:51,600 2:15,835 1L
9 Peter Sikström van Diemen RF79 B 12 28:02,218 2:17,843 1L
10 Martin Raubach Lotus 61 C 12 28:02,606 2:17,160 1L
11 Michel Farizon van Diemen RF80 B 12 28:12,763 2:18,323 1L
12 Pierre Buret Sparton 84 B 12 28:16,891 2:17,733 1L
13 Jean-Philippe Herault van Diemen RF80 B 12 28:17,244 2:18,307 1L
14 Povl Barfold Titan Mk6 C 12 28:30,695 2:19,461 1L
15 Günther Böhm Swift 88 B 12 28:32,328 2:18,963 1L
16 Jean Noel Bouvet van Diemen RF87 B 12 28:55,256 2:21,034 1L
17 Giovanni Romagnoli Nomad 78 C 12 28:57,024 2:21,548 1L
18 Alan Crocker Ray FF71 C 11 25:30,628 2:16,269 2L
19 Bernard Baxter Crosslé 32F C 11 25:31,626 2:15,846 2L
20 Paul Vezin Sparton 84 B 11 29:09,382 2:34,942 2L
Winner FF2000
Toni Krumbach Reynard SF87 A 13 27:15,315 2:03,431

On the up side I was third fastest on the track. The sector times I learned that I wasn't that far off from Hanno and Matthew. I even found that I had done the quickest 1600 time in the first sector. All my efforts to get the first corner right were not in vain. Interesting data from my data logger was the maximum speed of 219.6 kph just before the first chicane.

Driver sector 1 sector 2 sector 3 ideal lap
Matthew 42,649 43,591 43,893 2:10,133
Hanno 42,847 43,549 43,978 2:10,374
Ed 42,603 43,768 44,310 2:10,681

No videos of my race as I loaded my camera with a full SD card. At the start it wouldn't start obviously. However I had the luck to get hold of some footage of Paul McMorran where my start can be seen. Most of the video is excellent footage from Alan Crocker's race with Bernard Baxter and James Hagan in their Crossle's. Enjoy!