27 Retro Drivers faced the thrills of Blackwood Outskirts, one of the most unique layouts in the Retro Calendar, but also one of the most fascinating challenges!

Under the Retro banners and sponsors spread all around the track, Round 3 started under clear skies for 90 minutes of proper Retro Action!

After what was a race of attrition in Aston, the championship organizer decided to take measures to limit the amount of DNF's.
This was done by organizing an Official Test race the monday before the race, letting the drivers experience the track, procedures and the Le Mans start, paired with the creation of an Insim app that let know the spectating drivers when they can rejoin the track and get their laps back.

The result of these measures was clear to see: of the 27 drivers that started the race, only 5 retired from the race, with all the others producing a nail biter race in most classes, for the entire 90 minutes of the event!

If you missed this race, you can relive the entire event on SBTV!










Blackwood Outskirts produced the most interesting Prototype 1 race so far, by a country mile!

Despite taking Pole Position, champ leader ZFRL Thehemuli saw himself being overtaken by the flying green dinosaur McLarry of RG^Rony, who took the lead before Turn 1!

The crowd and the fans at home went wild, as the entire Prototypes group entered the Outskirts section in close formation, with Rony leading the way ahead of Thehemuli, S1DUS Gàbor, RG^Lorenzo, Mazdarati and HachiRoku!

The gaps stayed very close in the first half of the race, with the Prototype 2 cars being able to stay not close, but within striking distance from the Protoypes 1 in front.

Pressure was on for both Rony and Thehemuli, who saw himself being challenged for the first time this season.
But the finn's driver nerves are colder than ice, and he managed to keep his cool, while Rony made a mistake going into the Sector 3 bridge, touching the Road Car of Suforr and spinning out!

Thehemuli had to jump on the brakes!
He barely avoided the incident as he touched the back of Trespasser as well, but managed to keep going.

It was close to disaster, but Thehemuli didn't sustain damage, and flew into the lead of the race, despite being pressured by two super fast prototypes of Gàbor and Lorenzo, he managed to extend his lap slowly, lap after lap.

At the end of the day, despite the early drama, ZFRL Thehemuli keeps it clean till the chequered and takes his third win of the season!
His most sweaty yet, but also a well earned one!

RG^Rony despite the mistake on traffic, finished in a very convincint P2, overtaking S1DUS Gàbor in the closing stages and showing an amazing pace in the final stint, comparable to Thehemuli's.

We have a feeling that the championship battle only just started in Blackwood!

The other two Prototypes 1 in the race, ZFRL LG Mies and Matimoukari, struggled a little bit expecially in the opening stages of the event, but still managed to bring the cars home for a good haul of points, finishing P3 and P4 in class.

Another difficult day in the office S1DUS Unite, as he was involved in a start crash with TimDC, and crashed more while trying to recover the lost time, ending up with retiring the car.










LMP2 was a fan favourite in Blackwood Outskirts: in fact, 7 drivers took the start of the race in the category, the highest number of the season so far.

Mazdarati took another commanding pole position, but he lost the lead of the race after Turn 1, getting overtaken by the menacing S1DUS Gàbor, who switched to the Prototype 2 class in Blackwood!

Mazdarati was also overtook by RG^LORENZO in his italian machinery, who launched himself at the hunt of the provisional leader Gàbor!

It was deemed to be a dramatic day for the championship leader Mazdarati, who decided to go full tank at the start of the race.
A decision that maybe didn't pay off totally, as he was overtaken by HachiRoku as the two engaged in a heated battle for class P3!

Just a few corners later, HachiRoku entered the Dunlop corner a bit too deep, losing control at the apex and spinning out right in front of Mazdarati, who couldn't avoid him.

After being hit by Mazdarati, HachiRoku spun into the racing line, being collected by the Road Car of Trespasser as well: HachiRoku was sent flying high into the air, sustaining race-ending damage.

Mazdarati managed to recovered from all this drama relatively safe, re-gained composure and launched himself back in the hunt for podium.

Meanwhile in front, Gàbor was extending his slightly his gap on RG^Lorenzo, but the two Prototypes remained within striking distance as well from the Protoype 1 leader Thehemuli for the first 10 laps of the race!

The race changed its face from the mid point, with RG^Lorenzo and Gàbor pitting, but the italian forgot to repair camber damage on his Wessex, and was forced to re-enter the pit a few laps later.

Mazdarati took advantage of the situation and overtook the italian, while battling at the same time with the Prototype 1 of RG^Rony!

Gàbor was left alone at the front of the Protype 2 race, and just 12 seconds off Thehemuli, an amazing effort entering the last 10 laps of the race, but further drama happened, with the S1DUS driver being forced to make a further pit-stop than expected for damage repairs.

The fight for the overall win was over for Gàbor, but still the victory of the class was in his hands, as he crossed the chequered flag victorious, first in Group 5, then in Prototypes 2!

An all-rounder driver!

P2 under the chequered flag for Mazdarati, who managed to recover from his earlier drama, while RG^Lorenzo completes the podium after a solid race, despite the pit-stop issue.

[SQUID] Simox was one of the best drivers in the race: despite having to start from the Pit-Lane after a penalty from Round 2, Simox kept his cool all race, navigating safely through the traffic and the dangers of Blackwood Outskirts.

He showed great pace as well, comparable to the podium finishers, at the end of the day he'll finish P4, but he'll be one to watch in the coming rounds!

Top 5 was completed by B2R Rayman, a bit struggling on this combo, while his team-mate Twincam retired from the race early on, after being involved in a Lap 1 incident with ZFRL LG Mies.










The Group 5 paddock was shook by the news that Gàbor would not compete in Blackwood for the class win.
In fact, the current champ leader decided to go and race Prototypes 2, we'll see if it was just a one off or a definitive decision!

In stark contrast from the previous races, only 5 Retro Drivers accepted the challenges of the Group 5 in Blackwood!

[MRc]cride was the pole sitter in his Ford Mustang Pro, ahead of the Martini-sponsored Porsche 739 of his team-mate [MRc]TimDC, it was an MRC front row lockout!
Following the MRC pair it was another pair, the [Syn] drivers: ttaaamas and HIWATT, ahead of Zlatanov.

But the race start was dramatic, to say the least: everything that could happen, it happened!

It was a start to forget for [MRc]TimDC: he got it all wrong in Turn 1, touching the Prototype 1 of S1DUS Unite and sending him into a spin.
After the resulting chaos, there was more just two corners later, with another contact involving Tim, bouncing with a ZFRL Prototype and causing a chain reaction, involving HIWATT and Zlatanov, both sent hard into the wall.

Meanwhile, in the front, [MRC]cride was setting his pace, but despite the early drama, TimDC was coming strong with multiple fastest laps in a row.
The pair was close for a a few laps, before cride sailing into the distance, being very consistent all race long.

The two SyN drivers kept it also relatively clean all race long, despite the problematic first lap, while Zlatanov was forced to retire for damage.

It was the first victory of the season for [MRC]cride who could become a proper championship contender in the coming rounds!

Sometimes the consistent approach pays off, in fact [SyN] HIWATT finishes the race in P2 after the demotion of TimDC to P3, while the ttaaamas ends up in P4.

ROAD CLASS

Once again, Road Class was the most crowded class of the day, with 10 drivers taking the start of the race.

Pole Position was set by YES Trespasser, just 1 tenth in front of [MRc]suforr, a ridicolously short margin after a nearly 4 minutes lap!

Two Piran Fireflys at the front, as Road Class wild bunch attacked the first few corners in anger!

Some drama at the back, with Hermanni being rolled over by the spinning prototype of S1DUS Unite, but thankfully the Porsche driver managed to get back on his four wheels and continue!

Ahead, it was Suforr who took the lead: racing a purple retro livery, the Master Race car prodigy overtook YES Trespasser and tried to breakaway from the Red-White Shell sponsored car!

Third place provisional for the championship leader B2R Stiefla in his orange Jaegermeister Porsche!

In the mid-pack, it was drama and overtakes all over the place, with the dynamic trio O.A, RG^M@ci3k and S.Martin blessing the spectators on track and at home with some frantic 3 way battles!

An unfortunate episode saw the Prototype 1 of ZFRL Matimoukari touching the back of S.Martin and sending him into a spin, losing contact from the duo ahead.

But S.Martin had great pace all day long, and soon managed to get back into the fight and overtake both M@ci3k and O.A, launching himself in the hunt for B2R Stiefla, the championship leader!

At the front Suforr started to struggle holding back Trespasser, who was more aggressive every lap, and bigger in the Master Race Car driver's mirror.
Entering the last 10 laps of the race, Suforr made a fatal mistake by smashing the inside wall in the back Outskirts section, letting Trespasser take the Road Class lead!

Suforr didn't surrender to his fate, and tried to attack back Trespasser, but encountered more drama the following lap, in the purple shape of inno, who was slow on the racing line.
Suforr touched the back of the backmarker, losing precious time that never managed to recover back.

YES Trespasser kept it clean till the chequered, taking a very important win after two very unlucky rounds, where he found himself on the roof more often than on 4 wheels, crashed out by clueless faster classes.

P2 at the chequered for [MRc]suforr, who still showed his will to fight and will for sure comeback stronger for next round.

The podium is completed by S.Martin with an amazing drive: from being spun out to attacking B2R Stiefla for the final podium position in the closing stages, overtaking him with confidence and class!

Top 5 of the day is completed by O.A, with another solid drive in his grey Piran, ahead of the struggling SGR Madjester and RG^M@ci3k, who lost precious positions as the race went on, finishing P7.

Inno and Hermanni completes the Top 9, distanced by a further lap from the Madjester and M@ci3k pair, but still gathering precious points.

















After three european rounds, the tropical leg begins on the shores of the spectacular Fern Bay!

One of the most spectacular tracks of the season, with a super fast Sector 1 that will send the drivers flying over a crest and pushing the limits of the cars into a combination of fast corners, among the palm trees of the jamaican bay.

A round that you cannot miss, and that will probably bring us more drama and excitement!

See you there, on Monday October 27th!, LIVE ON SBTV!