With one more round challenge, at Formula SimRacing, and after the late disappointment at Magny-Cours, GhostSpeed Racing Team headed to Silverstone, cautious, but hopeful of a better show. This weekend, in British lands, would turn out to be the best ever, for GhostSpeed. For the first time, the Portuguese based team, participated with two formations, with the sister team GS Racing making his debut at the World Series Ace.
But that would not stop the team, even with a hard task ahead of the race. All driver would climb up some positions, and only Xico Rocha would fail to finish the race, tough even hum managed to go to 11th. The rest? True heroes, even if probably, only inside the team. They’ve managed to surpass their difficulties to bring three point finishes. Blair after staring 3rd, got past the front runners after the pitstops, that together with some other driver error, gave him a comfortable lead, which would be his and the Team first win at Formula SimRacing. The young Aussie driver marked his name in the Team history! But he would not be the only highlight, as Filipe Santos, managed to keep himself between the best, and climbed up to two positions, which in the end placed him at 4th- After some non less productive races at the season beginning, this is his best result. Best, would also be Joao Barbosa, the Portuguese driver, o started the season at the WC, started at the back of the pack, but made a true marvellous race, to finish 6th, right behind P5 and P4. A true happy day, at GhostSpeed headquarters!
Latter, at the World Championship, the results weren’t that shine, but, since they were conquered between the best in the world, they’re still good, as GhostSpeed Racing Team get is act together, to for the first time, put both cars within points positions, a first again for the team. For the WC British race, Stephane Rouault and Blair Disley were lined up to race together again. Both had pretty much the same pace, as both qualification, and race shows.
10th and 12th, were the position both Rouault and Disley managed to get, in a qualification, that proved again to be a real challenge. The top 16 driver, were matched by only 1.203s.
Still behind the top runners, but a better strategic race, would led the team racers to points finishes, and even to the race lead, for a couple of laps, which was again, a first. Rouault was the man to do it, and he was the one to get 7th, being followed right behind by Blair Disley. Both were evenly matched which similar strategies and equal race pace, with their best laps being separated by only 0.032s.
Once more, and although the result itself, aren’t that expressive, completes a great weekend for GhostSpeed Racing Team, leaving the Portuguese Team in a up mood for the Nurburgring Challenge.
Blair Disley (AUS) 1st, WS Ace Race Comments:
"My race ended up going very well. I was 3rd but Kasimatis made a mistake and I was able to pass him. I was able to keep up with Gosling, but couldn't pass him. With the WC race, I've been wondering if the dirty air for Silverstone was worse in FSR than it was in F1!
Thankfully I had more fuel onboard, and after the pitstops I was leading the race. I think Kasimatis spun or went off, but also before that time loss, he was ahead of Gosling, maybe he spun too I don't know, but that gave me a big gap to both of them. Lapchin and Malezic were allocated but didn't turn up, I only thought I had a realistic chance of winning when I knew they weren't there. I'm happy to finish first but I don't know if it's sunk in yet! I know I've said this before but I doubt I'd have this result if I didn't get some setup help from Stephane from the earlier races this season, thankyou! Thanks for the comments after the race too. Barbosa had a good result to finish 6th after starting last, with the bad dirty air making it even harder to overtake! At Gab, you rock!"
João Barbosa (PT) 6th, WS Ace Race Comments:
"Well a fantastic race and a lot of fun today. Starting in qualify one i was able to do the second best time behind Fred. At the enter of the second qualify my connection go away so i had to start the race from the back of the pack.
I have a good start pass some guys, and in the first laps i was able to race and pass some drivers, it was a lot of fun; then I went to six place with a big gap to Filipe Santos and Machiel Schonbeck but was able to join them after the second pit stop. Although I can join they I wasn’t able to pass Machiel because it was very difficult to driver behind other drivers. Anyway six place was good. Congratulations to Blair for the fantastic driver and win, and a fantastic driver of Filipe Santos. Great one. Thanks to all the Piratas for the week of pratice."
Stephane Rouault (NL) 7th, WC Race Comments:
"My qualify was ok, I made a mistake in s1, so I lost 3 tenths there… but the rest of the sectors were perfect. Still only p10. But, I knew from previous races that didn’t mean anything, the race is where you score points. Luckily I could stay out of trouble in first few laps. And climb up to 4th. My strategy wasn’t good I think, I didn’t check how the tyres would hold, but I noticed my pace didn’t improve near the end of the stint. So, obviously next time I would have to do better preparation. Anyway, I managed to get 2 points today and looking at my pace coming into this race, I am just very pleased. hopefully next race better speed. Also great race from Blair, its nice that we can both score points for GhostSpeed."
Blair Disley (AUS) 8th, WC Race Comments:
"Blessed that some guys had some problems, and I finished in 8th place! Went deeper than others in the race, and because of the dirty air effect, people could hardly pass. I made a good start and was 9th I think, some laps later Kunckman went off and I was able to pass him. But he couldn't pass me back because of the dirty air. I believe that perhaps the dirty air effect in FSR is worse than it is in F1.
Went deep into the race with 1st pitstop, Marques came out behind me but couldn't pass. Kolbe couldn't pass Roualt from memory either. Thankfully rFactor had a mistake because my team mate and I pitted on the same lap but had different pit boxes, maybe FSR set it up like that on purpose if possible I don't know. As I said before, thank you to Stephane for his help in previous races for setting up the car, and thank you to Ghostspeed for the opportunity to race and for having Stephane onboard when I joined Ghostspeed."
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