44 replies to this topic

[Proto402]

So, in about 60 minutes, amateur hour starts in Spa for the annual Spa 24 hours.

 

Livestream (No Nigerians required) :  http://www.24hoursofspa.com/live

Edited by Proto402, 25 July 2015 - 13:33.

[JHSingo]

I hope driving standards have improved in the space of 12 months. Last year's race had some terrifying accidents. So much so that I was almost certain we'd just witnessed a fatal one when the race was stopped for Mahy's crash.

 

Here's hoping there's no repeat of that type of thing.

[OvDrone]

Endurance GT racing? Yes, please.

[Sheepmachine]

Last years race
https://m.youtube.co...h?v=pYLGNfXNmVM

I hear it's been raining there so that should make it interesting. I hope it will be a safer race than last years. It's also live on motors TV by the way.

[JHSingo]

Looks like typical Spa weather...

[Sheepmachine]

Drivers
http://www.24hoursofspa.com/drivers
I hope zanardi goes well.

[MaxisOne]

Well .... this is interesting ,,, ...raining like hell !!

[Kobasmashi]

I hope driving standards have improved in the space of 12 months. Last year's race had some terrifying accidents. So much so that I was almost certain we'd just witnessed a fatal one when the race was stopped for Mahy's crash.

 

Here's hoping there's no repeat of that type of thing.

 

Yeah they definitely weren't relaxing in a Spa last year.   I'm sure they will have had words about it in the drivers' briefing this year.

[MaxisOne]

1st lap incident ... .. really ?

[BRG]

Looks like they've got the rain that we had in southern England yesterday, and which will hopefully reach Hungary for tomorrow.

[JHSingo]

Looks like they've got the rain that we had in southern England yesterday, and which will hopefully reach Hungary for tomorrow.

 

I very much doubt that F1 would race in these conditions.

 

I was actually pretty surprised that they started this race without a safety car.

[Sheepmachine]

1 car out already. Sun looks like it's trying to break through so that's something.

[Victor_RO]

Silly race direction has just given the top 3 a half-lap lead by messing up the SC deployment.

[WhiteSGPlayer]

They did it again.

 

Absolute BS

[BRG]

And another safety car!  And they have f****d it up again as well! 

[WhiteSGPlayer]

The pitstops have sorted it out more or less

 

my rage is subsiding

[BRG]

Tell that to the guys trapped in the pit lane for no apparent reason.

[WhiteSGPlayer]

You're right. I'm actually trying to figure out how the hell it sorted out this way.

[Victor_RO]

Tell that to the guys trapped in the pit lane for no apparent reason.

 

Emil Frey's Jag broke at the head of the queue. Again. And probably by the time it got running again the light had turned back to red.

[Sheepmachine]

Full on duck weather at the moment at spa.

[Victor_RO]

And with pitstops and SC the order is so confused that probably not even the teams know what's actually going on.

[Kobasmashi]

I popped out, why is the safety car still out? It can't still be for the rain can it?

 

Edit: Just as I say this, SC in this lap 

Edited by Kobasmashi, 25 July 2015 - 17:16.

[WhiteSGPlayer]

Fassler is going Full Lotterer at the moment. Faster than the rest of the field by a mile

 

EDIT: Speaking of Full Lotterer...

Edited by WhiteSGPlayer, 25 July 2015 - 17:29.

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Really nice to see Zinardi. The guy is a hero.

[Sheepmachine]

Really nice to see Zinardi. The guy is a hero.

Couldn't agree more, that guy is a legend.

Edited by Sheepmachine, 25 July 2015 - 17:54.

[TheRacingElf]

So the broadcast has now stopped and will start again at 20:30 local, do they broadcast through the night or not?

 

Disappointed by the DNF of the #3 Audi of Frijns though, will have a massive impact in the championship with Vanthoor probably scoring points and Frijns not this will probably decide the championship in Vanthoor's favour

[BillyWhizz]

Oh the sound of those beasties! Flat out or even under yellow, the roar and gurgle gives me goosepimples. What a soundtrack.

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Oh the sound of those beasties! Flat out or even under yellow, the roar and gurgle gives me goosepimples. What a soundtrack.

 

I agree Billy, from the rumble of the BMW's to the screaming Lambos, the sounds many of us love. The weather may be making things crazy, the cautions unwanted, but he sounds are always there. 

[Afterburner]

I would watch this, too, but I can only hook one thing up to a TV at a time and have chosen the Tudor race. For any of you who feel like you need some more sportscar action, I need some company!

[63Corvette]

5.5 hours in it is still a very interesting race for spectators...............................probably for drivers too Seems to call for extreme "endurance" for the spectators.

[thegamer23]

Zanardi on track!

[Richard T]

Tuning in from the Spa. A rainy day has come to and end and the beer is flowing at the pit party above the pit lane.

[TimRTC]

Aww just got into it then end of show. Hopefully in future they will add full night coverage too. Even just N24 style night coverage is not too bad.

[TimRTC]

Tuning in from the Spa. A rainy day has come to and end and the beer is flowing at the pit party above the pit lane.

So jealous, hope to go next year. How is it for spectating? All grandstands open?

[Richard T]

So jealous, hope to go next year. How is it for spectating? All grandstands open?

Yep! All grandstands are open lots of people. Sitting on my own at the inside of Rivage (turn 8) and just enjoying the moment.

[BillyWhizz]

And it's a grey and overcast dawn at Spa Francorchamps with a low misty cloud cover. Merc leading with BMW right up their chuff.

 

Safety car on track, dunno the reason. But they still sound like monsters, not bloody vacuum cleaners.

 

Love this.

[PokePoke]

What an amazing racing at Spa. Soo many lead changes (McLaren, Audi, Mercedes,AUdi,BMW, Audi and now second Marc VDS Bmw), wild strategies and overtakes (Catsburg in underpowered Z4 is a boss).

[Gilles4Ever]

This is lovely, no commentary, raw sounds, mostly onboard, what racing cars should sound like

 

edit: and a proper racing circuit

[BRG]

.. amateur hour starts in Spa 

It certainly looked like amateur hour for the first hour or so.  Some of those drivers shouldn't be allowed out of the house on their own, let alone in a racing car.

[DrProzac]

Zanardi   

[August]

Such a great race and the thread has fallen to 2nd page. 

 

Anyway, some views of mine:

 

McLarens were great at the beginning but after that everything went wrong.

 

The Saturday evening felt like a mess with all the SC periods. Two SCs made things even more confusing but still I think having two SCs is alright for endurance races. Better to lose/gain half a lap than an entire lap.

 

A costly mistake by Vanthoor, things were going smoothly for them before it.

 

Lots of track limits abuse and penalties of it over the weekend. Paved runoffs suck.

 

Tough luck for #45 BMW, mechanical retirement from lead with about 6h to go.

 

Great performance by #46 BMW, very happy for my countryman Palttala who's previously been second at Spa and Nring 24h races. And a cool-looking car.

 

Great race by #47 Pro-Am Ferrari, fourth overall.

 

Nice to see Zanardi racing, too bad #9 didn't make it to finish.

 

 

What else. Well, 24h races have their own charm, definitely gonna visit some in the future. Doesn't have to be Le Mans. Spa or Nürburgring would be cool, dunno 'bout Daytona.

Edited by August, 26 July 2015 - 19:11.

[paulb]

I would watch this, too, but I can only hook one thing up to a TV at a time and have chosen the Tudor race. For any of you who feel like you need some more sportscar action, I need some company!

 I chose the Tudor race too. It turned out to be a headfake with only PCs and GTDs. 

[paulb]

Tuning in from the Spa. A rainy day has come to and end and the beer is flowing at the pit party above the pit lane.

This post brings tears of joy.

[Gyno]

Really enjoyed the race.

 

Wish we had more of these 24 hour races in the year to follow.

[TimRTC]

There are quite a few during the year but many have no coverage. There is a 24hr series including the 24hr of Barcelona, but not on TV AFAIK.