Athens 1St 6 Hour Endurance Race

[alexis in greece 39]

We tried it for the first time,on the 4lane clubs track.

4 teams were formed in such a way that no team would have a clear advantage regarding driving ability.

Race format,20 16 min heats,2 min changeover intervals,cars changed lanes at the spot where they stopped.

The teams(2 father and son teams Gaitanis and Niskopoulos )

Team Verganelakis

Nikos Verganelakis,Yannis Fokianos,Christos Fokianos,George Zourbanos

Audi R18 NSR

Team Petris

George Petris,Vaggelis Amerikanos,Yannis Samouris,Fredy Vagger

Radical Scaleauto,Scaleauto tires

Team Niskopoulos

Chris Niskopoulos,Thanos Niskopoulos,Kostas Nisiotis

Dallara Spirit.

Team Gaitanis

Alexis Gaitanis,Neoptolemos Gaitanis,Yannis Nerantzis,Yannis Chatziloukas

Radical Scaleauto,NSR tires

In italics members of this forum

 

Doors open Sunday 9-12-2012 @ 8.45

Track closes @ 10.45 and there is trouble allready as Kostas Nisiotis doesnt show up.

Team Niskopoulos team decide to drive between them

The Verganelakis team has clocked the fastest times during testing with the Petris team close behind.Our team had not enough time for preparation,Yannis bought and built the car 4 days before the race and i had prepared a Scaleauto Toyota GT1 which was fast but we could not cure hoping.Finally chose to use the Radical shod with Toyota's tires.

Start @ 11.05

1st series of heats

The Verganelakis team Audi has problems,the others race flawlessly and 1st position changes hands several times,

1.Team Niskopoulos 113 laps

2.Team Petris 112 laps

3.Team Gaitanis,109 laps

4.Team Verganelakis 98 laps

2nd series of heats

The Verganelakis team Audi functioning properly now closes the gap.

1.Team Niskopoulos 216

2.Team Petris 214

3.Team Gaitanis 205

4.Team Verganelakis 202

3rd series of heats

Second place changes hands,the Audi not up to speed

1.Team Niskopoulos 324

2.Team Gaitanis 319

3.Team Petris 313

4.Team Verganelakis 303

4th series of heats

Its going to be some battle,the Audi continuing to fall behind

1.Team Gaitanis 429

2.Team Petris 425

3.Team Niskopoulos 421

4.Team Verganelakis 402

5th series of heats

Less than 8 sec the gap between 1st and second

1.Team Gaitanis 540

2.Team Petris 539

3.Team Niskopoulos 534

4.Team Verganelakis 491

6th series of heats

Lead changes again

1.Team Petris 647

2.Team Niskopoulos 642

3.Team Gaitanis 637

4.Team Verganelakis 594

7th series of heats

Lead changes again

1.Team Gaitanis752

2.Team Niskopoulos 750

3.Team Petris 748

4.Team Verganelakis 667 ς

8th series of heats

For the first time gap between first and second reaches 10 laps

1.Team Gaitanis 865

2.Team Petris 855

3.Team Niskopoulos 851

4.Team Verganelakis 762

9th series of heats

The Audi is more than 100 laps from lead

1.Team Gaitanis 978

2.Team Petris 967

3.Team Niskopoulos 964

4.Team Verganelakis 867

10th series of heats

Second and third on the same lap

The guys carry on changing parts of the Audi trying to find out what went wrong

1.Team Gaitanis 1081

2.Team Petris & Team Niskopoulos 1070

4.Team Verganelakis 947

11th series of heats

Team Petris Vaggelis Amerikanos scores a record 118 laps in 16 min on blue lane and closes the gap by 2 laps

1.Team Gaitanis 1196

2.Team Petris 1188

3.Team Niskopoulos 1180

4.Team Verganelakis 1017

12th series of heats

1.Team Gaitanis 1307

2.Team Petris 1288

3.Team Niskopoulos 1284

4.Team Verganelakis 1124

13th series of heats

Gap 2nd to 3rd down to 1 lap

1.Team Gaitanis 1417

2.Team Petris 1398

3.Team Niskopoulos 1397

4.Team Verganelakis 1218

Second place changes hands

14th series of heats

1.Team Gaitanis 1517

2.Team Niskopoulos 1502

3.Team Petris 1492

4.Team Verganelakis 1315

15th series of heats

1st pitstop for Team Niskopoulos to change tires and 2nd place changes hands again.George Petris

acts as mechanic for Team Niskopoulos too.

1.Team Gaitanis 1629

2.Team Petris 1607

3.Team Niskopoulos 1604

4.Team Verganelakis 1411

16th series of heats

Neoptolemos and Yannis complain that the car touches down so we decide(it was the wrong decision but it was taken unanimously) to change tires on my drive(red lane)despite the fact that i was clocking my fastest times during that heat.

1.Team Gaitanis 1733

2.Team Niskopoulos 1711

3.Team Petris 1702

4.Team Verganelakis 1516

17th series of heats

1.Team Gaitanis 1842

2.Team Niskopoulos 1823

3.Team Petris 1814

4.Team Verganelakis 1614

18th series of heats

The race was far from beeing over.The reason our car was touching down was revealed,braid completely worn out,several laps lost and it goes down to the wire,gap to 2nd car 1 lap only

1.Team Gaitanis 1930

2.Team Niskopoulos 1929

3.Team Petris 1917

4.Team Verganelakis 1717

19th series of heats

Yannis drives on white against Chris on red,he's so anxious that every time he build a gap of half a lap he deslots and looses first,that goes until lap 85 where Chris deslots twice and gives up so Yannis adds another 3 laps to the gap

1.Team Gaitanis 2043

2.Team Niskopoulos 2039

3.Team Petris 1019

4.Team Verganelakis 1792

Final series of heats

The oldest against the youngest,i race on red against Thanos on green(he'is only 12 y.o.)and i cant say i was feeling safe,if he only had the cold blood he could have beeten me.

1.Team Gaitanis 2155

2.Team Niskopoulos 2144

3.Team Petris 2118

4.Team Verganelakis 1897

 

I 've shot a few photos so watch this space.

Edited December 11, 2012 by alexis in greece

[alexis in greece 39]

A few photos

 

From left Chris Fokianos,Audi,Chris Niskopoulos,Dallara,Neoptolemos Gaitanis,winning Radical,George Petris,Radical

 

From left Yannis Nerantzis ,winning Radical,Vaggelis Amerikanos ,Radical,George Zourbanos,Audi,Chris Niskopoulos,Dallara

 

Mrs Niskopoulos,race director

 

Nikos Verganelakis,relaxed,watching Yannis Fokianos repairing the Audi once more.

 

The 2 Radical,the yellow is the winning one

 

The unlucky Audi

 

Dallara vs winning Radical

 

Dallara vs the 3rd placed Radical