| Another good show put on by us as we score more important points and another podium finish. ALthough Race 1 Oscar only finished 3rd, He was fighting one of the best and most respectful battles I have ever seen for a majority of the race again Jaap Wagenvoort... We also had no Jack racing this weekend as he was in attendance of the British GP... so hopefully next time out we will have all four drivers competing for Vermin Racing Team again. I think we put in so much work for this one, we deserved a bit more from it, but it is what it is and the results do not reflect the actual quality of racing. (watch the battle between Oscar and Jaap in the video at the side) Read the report to find out more: Race 1 With qualifying over in almost a blink it was Arttu Nieminen who managed to wrestle his car to the top spot, with Jaap Wagenvoort and Oscar Williams snapping at his heals. Through the heat haze the cars set off from the grid with a furious roar! Nieminen holding his lead into turn 2 Tamburello, however he had picked up a drive through penalty as he dropped the clutch a fraction too soon, knowing this he set about building the biggest cushion of time he could within 3 laps. As Nieminen pulled away, the rest of the pack were fiercely battling, A great start from Wagenvoort and Williams as the pair began the start of a long battle for 2nd. As all the drivers filtered into Tamburello, Jelle Lamers turns in a bit early and makes contact with Samuel Hytönen's front wing, pushing Lamers into the side of Roel Postma who manages to just catch the slide. Colton Fox makes a great move on Vychaslav Potapenko, Fox then picks up a bit of under steer and nudges into Syntax. As both drivers slide, Syntax collects Potapenko, then is unavoidably hit by Quizno, sending Potapenko into a spin as well. As Potapenko pirouettes his gearbox tags the back wheel of Hamburgers car, pitching him into a slide as well. Alex Demoney bumps over the grass to avoid any contact with the Tamburello accidents, with Karlisk also avoiding the carbon fibre chicane of carnage. Hytönen's quick reactions avoid him collecting Syntax, but means another journey over the grass and gravel. Hamburgers is now dead last place and pointing in the wrong direction, a quick spin around and he is on his way to try and catch up. Cross, a debutant of the F3 series, is running a very impressive 6th place and is also managing to keep up with Martijn Van T Land who is running 5th. Clive Melbourne clatters over the curbs at Variante Alta, losing a place to Syntax, but just manages to maintain his position ahead of Potapenko. A lock up from Lamers sees him collecting some sand and gravel as he skates off the track at Rivazza, then applies a little too much throttle for his dirty dusty tyres, spinning his wheels and sliding into the side of Demoney's car. The contact ploughs Lamers back into the gravel and pointing in the wrong direction. Spinning the car back the right way, again a squeeze of too much throttle sees him half spin and touch the barriers, before he slowly takes to the asphalt again. With the race settling in, it's the battle at the front which is very much the main focus. Wagenvoort expertly placing his car in every defencive position against the equally impressive advances of Williams. Each driver within inches sometimes millimetres of each other, but never making contact as they battle side by side. Further down the order, Postma gets sideways on the entrance of Acqua Minerali, turning his car into a torpedo, unable to control his car, he narrowly misses spearing the back end of Quizno and his car comes to rest beached in the gravel trap. Fortunately after losing a large portion of time, he manages to get the car moving again. Hytönen comes into the top part of Piratella ahead of Karlisk. Hytönen's car is suddenly catapulted violently through the air and into the tyre barriers, completely destroying his car and he is forced to retire as his steering seems broken. Nieminen having tried to increase a gap to Wagenvoort, is finally serving his drive through penalty, with the pit lane being so long he comes back on track around 16th place. Wagenvoort inherits the lead but is still being hounded by Williams in almost every corner. A struggling Lamers, takes another grip across the gravel after out braking himself and coming into Tamburello. This is enough to distract the recovering Hamburgers, who makes a minor mistake, half spinning his car. Lamers takes advantage and drives past. Nick and DJB are scrapping nice and clean, but a better exit from the final corner gives Salem just enough to overtake on the start/finish line. Another strange gremlin strikes as Clive Melbourne seems to lost power and steering, before he hits a wall, losing several places. He recovers to the track and is able to continue on. Maurovr pulls aside letting his team mate Gek come pass after Maurovr has a slide through Rivazza. Postma had been chasing down Fox, but a small mistake out of Piratelli eases the pressure off of Fox and puts a vermin colour scrape mark against the wall down towards Acqua Mineralli as Postma loses a little time. Just ahead there is a cloud of dust after Karlisk takes a chunk of curb into Acqua Minerali and has to slowly return to the track. Lamers scrappy afternoon continued as he ran wide at the exit of Variante Alta onto the slippery green surface, losing the rear end under acceleration. Up front the pressure is still on Wagenvoort with Williams climbing all over his rear end, but still unable to find a way through. Each drivers precision in judging where to place their car on track without making contact is flawless. Postma is showing some signs that his car is struggling with it's handling, spinning off and unable to find any grip he has minor contact with Lamers and he decides to retire his car. Williams who has been staring at the gearbox of Wagenvoort the entire race, makes a small mistake at Tamburello, taking a little too much curb, which launches his car off track. Luckily he avoids any contact with anything and is able to keep the car going around the outside of the gravel, unluckily he drops down the order behind the hard driving Cross and Onlyvision. who are battling for 6th. With the grip ebbing away from all the drivers. Hamburger has to park his car at the side of the track going into Tosa, he returns to the track and then retires to his pit. DJB has a small spin at Variante Alta, lacking any grip. Syntax had been reeling in Potapenko until Syntax runs wide and loses out to Melbourne. With Potapenko now on the gearbox of Quizno who goes defencive up the hill, but Potapenko swoops around the outside, the pair make contact at the chicane when Melbourne makes a dive at Quizno and Potapenko, in an over optimistic move, Melbourne pushes the rear of Quizno into the back of Potapenko. sending all three drivers across the grass and gravel with Melbourne and Quizno losing a place to Syntax A quiet afternoon for Neiminen, who after recovering from his early penalty has battled his way into 10th position, Passes Maximillion Jungers for the top 10 spot, Jungers who valiantly tries to keep up, loses grip and slides off at Villenueve. Potapenko gets on the slippery part of the track and slides off, releasing Syntax to chase DJB. With Williams now up to 4th behind Van T Land and Salem. Salem who is under incredible pressure from Van T Land and with his tyres wearing thin, he starts sliding badly in many of the corners, a final slide and mistake allows Williams to clinch 3rd place in the final corner of the last lap. Wagenvoort crosses the line in 1st and wins a race that will be remembered for the amazing battle and respect between Jaap Wagenvoort and Oscar Williams for the first 15 minutes of the race. Van T Land picks up a well deserved and driven 2nd place. Top 3: Wagenvoort Van T Land Williams Race 2. With Race 1 full of thrills and spills, Race 2 would need to provide something special. With Nieminen on pole for Race 2, it was always going to be difficult for anyone to challenge that, especially with a great getaway. Jakoman started 2nd and was able to hold on to that ahead of Demoney. In the mid pack, Nick came into Tamburello and made contact with Salem, who had to take a rough ride through the gravel, rejoining the track side by side with Potapenko. With a lot of chaos on the track through Tamburello, the pair connect, sending Potapenko into a spin and Salem back across the grass again. The chaos starts with a minor mistake from Karlisk, who runs on the grass and just clips the rear end of Quizno, then the domino effect happens as Quizno, over corrects and hits the rear of DJB, sending all three clattering across the gravel. Nick continues on only to run wide at Villeneuve and allow several cars through, picking up the pace just in front of Potapenko, who gets a better drive up the hill, Nick runs wide again allowing Potapenko to go around the outside of him at Acqua Minerali. Lamers is unable to keep his car on track after putting two wheels onto the grass, he heads straight on and gently into the barriers at the exit of Acqua Minerali but retiring from the race moments later. At almost the same time, Fox does the exact same mistake, this time managing to avoid contact with anything, going around the outside of the gravel to get back on track. Wagenvoort and Gek glide past Van T Land and Syntax through the corners of Rivazza, with Wagenvoort getting the best exit off the corner and onto the straight. Lining up a pass on Gek down the inside towards Tamburello, Gek takes an abnormal line to defend, continuing to squeeze Wagenvoort in an aggressive manner as they enter the braking zone for the corner. Gek causing contact with Wagenvoort, gains a huge advantage of track space rejoining the track around 2 or 3 seconds ahead of Wagenvoort and does not lift off. Gaining advantage through his reckless move and staying ahead of Wagenvoort. Williams has had a great start up and has progressed to 4th by lap 2, Catching Mauvovr after getting a brilliant exit from Acqua Minerali, he is alongside Mauvovr as they enter Variante Alta. Mauvovr turns in on Williams and causing them both to back up and lose time through the chicane, Williams is then tagged accidentally from behind by Onlyvision, this sends Williams into a spin and drops him down to 16th. Maurovr continues on in 3rd only to lose out to Cross, who manages to eek past him, after avoiding the collision between Maurovr and Williams. Potapenko runs wide which forces Nick take avoiding action into the path of Williams who cannot avoid a small touch of Nick's rear tyre. Salem makes the same move on Syntax that Wagenvoort tried on Gek, with the exception of Syntax giving Salem the room and respect for him to make the move stick. Onlyvision has been driving an impressive defencive race against the advances of Van T Land who is virtually glued to the rear end of Onlyvisions car. Maurovr lets Gek pass with ease on the straight after Maurovr has a small slide at Rivazza. Having recovered from the earlier accident, Wagenvoort was now filling Maurovr's Mirrors, with an impressive Demoney tucked in behind Wagenvoort. Maurovr was now leading a small train of cars. Once Wagenvoort made it past however, Maurovr started to lose positions as he seemingly struggled for pace and grip. With Wagenvoort now right back on the rear of Gek, gaining better traction up the hill towards Piratella and positions his car down the inside of Geks. Refusing to give up the place, Gek tags his front left wheel with Jaaps right wheel through the corner and the pair fight to stay in control of their cars. With both managing to stay on the track, the two rivals enter Acqua Minerali. Gek hits the gearbox of Wagenvoort as they brake into the entry point of the corner, this sends Wagenvoort wide and off the track, however he maintains the position ahead of Gek. The battling allows for Onlyvision to catch and make a pass at Variante Alta on Gek. Onlyvision locks a wheel into Rivazza which Gek takes advantage of and re-passes. Onlyvision tucks tight into the hole in the air punched through by Gek's car, and slipstreams cleanly past into Tamburello, leaving room for Gek on the inside. Gek manages to tag the rear wheel of Onlyvisions car and sends him into the gravel trap. Van T Land and Salem are now caught up and breathing hard down his neck, however a mid corner slip up from Salem puts him into the gravel and Van T Land runs wide on the exit of Villeneuve, allowing Gek some space. Wagenvoort now has clear air in front of him and he quickly gains time on Cross who is running very impressively in 3rd, just behind an equally impressive performance by Jakoman in 2nd. It's not long before Wagenvoort has made his way past both drivers though and sets off after Nieminen. With Williams quietly making his way through the pack. He flies past Maurovr who is really struggling all over the track to find any grip, sliding his car out of almost every corner exit. A similar but slightly more controlled story is happening to his team mate, as Gek is now also sliding on the exits of most corners and losing time to Williams and Van T Land. A bit further down, Salem is pressuring Demoney, who is defending nicely but eventually makes a small error on the exit of Villeneuve, which allows Salem to then squeeze past him as they battle up the hill towards Piratella. Salem manages to just stay ahead. Williams now closer to Gek, is able to cleanly pass him, as Gek struggles for lack of grip out of Variante Alta, Promoting Williams to 4th. An unlucky Quizno makes a mistake going into Villeneuve and ends up beached in the gravel trap and into retirement. But as the timer counts down to zero, it's a commanding victory from Arttu Nieminen, with a great fight back by Jaap Wagenvoort in 2nd and Oscar Williams recovery to 4th, and an excellent drive by Cross for 3rd. Top 3: Nieminen Wagenvoort Cross |
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AuthorR.T. Driver for Vermin Racing Archives
January 2019
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