F1RMGP presents: The 24 Hour V8 Bathurst Enduro 2014

[dr-baker]

Yeah, Go Alice! And with good old Martin McFry in the DeLorean next, top-5 is looking poosible, sorry I mean possible (until I get back into the car )

[dinizintheoven]

Only one more two-hour stint in the car for you, Dougie. And that applies to all the other drivers whose teams are still left in the race.

Three quarters of the race is done: anyone want to take any bets on the winner? Or the podium positions? Or any retirements still to come?

[DemocalypseNow]

SAAC Team Principal Alasdair Lindsay's reaction upon Tony D'Alberto returning to the pits.

[dr-baker]

Only one more two-hour stint in the car for you, Dougie. And that applies to all the other drivers whose teams are still left in the race.

Three quarters of the race is done: anyone want to take any bets on the winner? Or the podium positions? Or any retirements still to come?

As regards my two teams: West Cliff DeLorean to be in top-5 (dependant on Douglas's performance) and the Foxdale Holden/Vauxhall to still be in last place but still running. Already 19th, so 4 more retirements likely, top-15 yet last?

[RonDenisDeletraz]

bathplug

[Nessafox]

SAAC's retirement means they completed less laps than the Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team, so they lose their own bet.
Will they keep their promise... (this only has to happen when the 2015 REECCS season starts, and i guess that will take a while)

Also, Trabant is very happy with their current second position in the experimental class, as it is their goal to end in the top 3!

[DemocalypseNow]

SAAC's retirement means they completed less laps than the Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team, so they lose their own bet.
Will they keep their promise... (this only has to happen when the 2015 REECCS season starts, and i guess that will take a while)

That wasn't the bet. It was if they win the race. Which still looks ridiculously farfetched.

[FMecha]

We out, the publicocrapper Alitalia out.

But the bathplugging twin-engine pollution king Trabant still on track? IDIOTS! They are those responsible to retire our cars!

[Pointrox]

But the bathplugging twin-engine pollution king Trabant still on track? IDIOTS! They are those responsible to retire our cars!

One must wonder why they didn't roll over yet

[Nuppiz]

Why the cars retire very slowly?

It's South City all over again for Prost. Sad times

Well, given that it's already been so long from that race and nothing will be affected (as it's too late to accuse anyone), I can reveal that your team's bad performance in South City was caused by sabotage. Of course, I won't tell you by whom. Although Prost was still running 2nd by lap 5, when a certain Belgian driver on his way to his only points that season punted Prost into the wall, which nearly dropped him last.

Were the Takagi cars sabotaged too?

IIRC they were never sabotaged during the entire season. They were rejectful enough (especially Megumi) without any outside intervention!

[RonDenisDeletraz]

Were the Coke and Magnum cars sabotaged, and does that explain why they fell off a cliff in the second half of the season.

[Nuppiz]

Were the Coke and Magnum cars sabotaged, and does that explain why they fell off a cliff in the second half of the season.

To keep this topic from veering too much off-topic, I've answered your post in the appropiate topic.

[dinizintheoven]

RACE POSITIONS
Sunday, 14 December 2014 – 08:00

Code: Select all

POS +/-  NUM TEAM / CAR                                    DRIVER             LAPS  TIME
--- ---  --- ----------                                    ------             ----  ----
1   NC   9   Formula One Rejects Motorsport / Ford         HWNSNBM            535   20:00:24.968
2   NC   16  Leyton Dome Engineering / Nissan              H. Noda            533   20:02:21.710
3   +2   17  Aeroracing Engineering / Nissan               P. McAllister      531   20:01:34.989
4   +3   22  West Cliff Racing / DeLorean                  M. McFry           531   20:01:52.220
5   -2   25  Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge / Holden        T. de Bock         531   20:02:23.019
6   -2   6   Gulf Oils Ford Australia Racing Team / Ford   D. Simpson         530   20:00:50.897
7   -1   4   Autobacs Nippon Racing Team / Nissan          K. Tsukakoshi      529   20:01:16.604
8   NC   32  Apollonia GT Racing by Hydook / Ford          M. Asmer           528   20:01:31.520
9   +3   31  Telecom Italia Trueba Corse / Nissan          F. Giovanardi      526   20:00:53.030
10  -1   29  Virgin Melrose Racing Team B / Ford           V. Reyna-Sanchez   526   20:01:52.736

Code: Select all

11  -1   13  Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team / Trabant   P. McCarthy        525   20:01:34.871
12  +1   19  Virgin Melrose Racing Team / Ford             M. Macklin         525   20:02:04.175
13  +1   7   Team James Davies / Nissan                    J. Davies I        519   20:01:03.220
14  +1   2   Holden Racing Team / Holden                   P. Brock (H)       518   20:01:48.589
15  +1   33  Team Sunshine Infiniti / Nissan               S. Katayama        510   20:02:30.952
16  +1   23  Scuderia Minardivas / Ford                    V. Ickx            502   20:02:13.761
17  +1   11  Valkyrie Racing / Holden                      E. Kimiläinen      494   20:02:45.840
18  +1   20  Foxdale Auto Racing Team / Holden             S. Wolff           485   20:02:55.973

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RETIREMENTS
-----------
RET      21  Zombie Conglomerate / Ford                    J. Plaza           490   18:43:51.998
RET      27  Scuderia Alitalia Andrea Coloni / Holden                         463   17:25:01.061
RET      12  Red Bull World Race Team / Holden                                462   17:22:56.430
RET      1   Viking Racing / Holden                                           425   15:57:27.721
RET      34  Psycho Soldiers / Ford                                           352   13:32:22.856
RET      36  Team Ultimate / Holden                                           284   10:47:35.370
RET      15  Pac Racing Team / Nissan                                         269   10:12:29.074
RET      8   Super Aguri Enduro / Nissan                                      185   08:05:37.547

It's breakfast time in New South Wales, but for the drivers above, eight in the morning spells the end of a very long shift. Out in front, HWNSNBM eased the F1RM Ford round the track, not wanting to risk any undue mechanical gremlins at this stage, while Hideki Noda thrashed the Leyton Dome Nissan for all it could give, to bring the team just under three laps from the lead. Phoenix McAllister led the chasing pack for Aeroracing, holding off a determined charge from Martin McFry, who had worked miracles in that ancient DeLorean; West Cliff Racing can be exceptionally proud of his efforts. Such efforts had been at the expense of the Gillet ENB Holden and the Gulf Oils Ford, losing time hand over fist as they did at the hands of Thomas de Bock and Dave Simpson, who had both taken their eyes off the prize and paid the penalty. Simpson did at least keep the car a lap ahead of Koudai Tsukakoshi in the underfunded Autobacs Nissan; though he lost a place, mainly due to the rampaging McFry, he's worked wonders for that squad, right from the start of qualifying to his final turn of the wheel. Marko Asmer found himself holding station for Apollonia in eighth, powerless to stop the West Cliff DeLorean scampering away from him, but kept the gap to the pack behind at two laps. The current leader of this rearguard action is the Trueba Nissan, Fabrizio Giovanardi having spent his final stint in the car showing all his rivals the way, and he's made up three places in doing so. Virgin MRT's B-team remain two places and one lap ahead of their main squadron, with Perry McCarthy the very smoky meat in the Virgin sandwich. Despite a fine effort, I reckon he'll be as glad to see the back of that car as he was to see the end of Andrea Moda – but at least he's outlasted the effort sponsored by his former boss! With Virgin MRT's A-team still at the back of the untroubled runners in twelfth, every team from that position backwards had made up a place due to the demise of Zombie Conglomerate, Jesus Plaza unable to replicate the alleged miracles of his more famous namesake. Some Holden and Ford fans had a fight and threw beer at each other, which all collected in a puddle on the track; Jesus found he really couldn't walk on water, by which I mean drive on beer, and on his dry weather tyres he found himself plunged headlong into a wall. The only battle behind where he was, was the one between Team James Davies and Holden Racing Team, James Davies I continuing to hold his lead over the reconstituted Peter Brock, who is now susceptible to be switched off as Hitoshi Ogawa already has been. No surprises at the back with each of the next three cars all being separated by eight laps, with Susie Wolff finishing her job for the day nine laps behind Emma Kimiläinen. Four hours to go, two drivers per team still to drive their final stint.

[DemocalypseNow]

Great job Fabrizio. Always had faith in you. Gio, the Melrose B-Team car is a minute behind you, and the Melrose A-Team and Trabant are a lap down, there's no way we can catch 8th on raw pace, so just keep it clean and bring the car back in one piece for Gia. Hopefully that piece of junk DeLorean finally breaks down and we break the Top 8. One of my cars is already out, I don't want this one ending up in the wall as well.

[dr-baker]

Hopefully that piece of junk DeLorean finally breaks down and we break the Top 8. One of my cars is already out, I don't want this one ending up in the wall as well.

I'll have you know that this DeLorean is well-maintained and is running well. You'll have to hope somebody else ahead of you drops out, because we are not going to. Particularly with Alice behind the wheel in the final stint...

[Nessafox]

whatever happens, Trabant defenitely diserves the IIDOTR. Simply for the sake of not being humiliated.
Still, anything can happen, and in F1RMGP, it usually does.

[dinizintheoven]

RACE POSITIONS
Sunday, 14 December 2014 – 10:00

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POS +/-  NUM TEAM / CAR                                    DRIVER             LAPS  TIME
--- ---  --- ----------                                    ------             ----  ----
1   +1   16  Leyton Dome Engineering / Nissan              M. Apicella        585   22:00:23.183
2   +3   25  Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge / Holden        A. Moll            584   22:00:33.529
3   +3   6   Gulf Oils Ford Australia Racing Team / Ford   R. Simpson         584   22:01:29.455
4   NC   22  West Cliff Racing / DeLorean                  D. Mann            584   22:02:12.445
5   -2   17  Aeroracing Engineering / Nissan               N. Bellic          584   22:02:30.316
6   -5   9   Formula One Rejects Motorsport / Ford         J-D. Délétraz      583   22:01:50.183
7   NC   4   Autobacs Nippon Racing Team / Nissan          K. Oshima          582   22:01:51.779
8   NC   32  Apollonia GT Racing by Hydook / Ford          M. Bosevic         582   22:02:21.186
9   +1   29  Virgin Melrose Racing Team B / Ford           J. Cavalcanti      578   22:01:31.226
10  +1   13  Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team / Trabant   P. Chaves          578   22:02:03.768

Code: Select all

11  -2   31  Telecom Italia Trueba Corse / Nissan          G. Roda            578   22:02:30.414
12  NC   19  Virgin Melrose Racing Team / Ford             D. O'Lauchlan      577   22:01:16.769
13  NC   7   Team James Davies / Nissan                    J. Davies II       572   22:01:35.452
14  NC   2   Holden Racing Team / Holden                   M. Skaife          571   22:01:42.379
15  NC   33  Team Sunshine Infiniti / Nissan               K. Lon             563   22:02:16.461
16  NC   23  Scuderia Minardivas / Ford                    S. de Silvestro    554   22:00:38.947
17  NC   11  Valkyrie Racing / Holden                      N. Lindgren        545   22:01:18.318
18  NC   20  Foxdale Auto Racing Team / Holden             P. Mann            536   22:01:13.086

Code: Select all

RETIREMENTS
-----------
RET      21  Zombie Conglomerate / Ford                                       490   18:43:51.998
RET      27  Scuderia Alitalia Andrea Coloni / Holden                         463   17:25:01.061
RET      12  Red Bull World Race Team / Holden                                462   17:22:56.430
RET      1   Viking Racing / Holden                                           425   15:57:27.721
RET      34  Psycho Soldiers / Ford                                           352   13:32:22.856
RET      36  Team Ultimate / Holden                                           284   10:47:35.370
RET      15  Pac Racing Team / Nissan                                         269   10:12:29.074
RET      8   Super Aguri Enduro / Nissan                                      185   08:05:37.547

"Anything can happen in F1RMGP, and it usually does." Way to go giving the commentator's curse, there! Unbelievably, it's the race leaders (again) who have suffered. What has Délétraz done? Tried too hard to stay out in front, that's what, despite the comfortable lead – and clattering a kerb so hard that it bends a wheel and brake disc, limping back to the pits and losing six laps while F1RM's mechanics perform a lightning-speed change is not the way to go about winning the race. With Chris Dagnall taking over for the final two hours, he'll need all of his championship-winning skills to haul this one back. Leyton Dome are now out in front by a lap, but with Marco Apicella driving as if Chris Moyles has hitched a lift, nothing is certain now. Behind him, four teams are a lap behind – Gillet ENB and Gulf Oils have surged forwards at the hands of Aurélien Moll and Rick Simpson, both drivers scything through traffic as if it didn't exist. Douglas Mann did his best to fend them off, but has dropped to fourth – even so, West Cliff aren't out of it yet, and don't count Aeroracing out either, despite Niko Bellic driving an off-colour stint to drop two places despite JDD's problems that occurred ahead of him. Behind the stricken Swiss, Autobacs and Apollonia continue to duke it out for seventh, three laps off the front, but with a clear four-lap buffer zone to the next car. It's now a four-way fight for tenth, the honour of being the first of the backmarker teams, and João Cavalcanti and Pedro Chaves drove a fine final stint in the Virgin MRT B Ford and the Cillt Bang! Trabant, to leapfrog Giovanni Roda in the Trueba Nissan after another two hours of the rejectful driving he is notorious for. The equally underperforming Dean O'Lauchlan, though, has most likely confined Virgin MRT's A-squad to the wooden spoon amongst those who have not had to stop for repairs, unless David Besnard can undo a lap's worth of damage in the last two hours. Behind them, Team Jamies Davies are a lap clear of the Holden Racing Team, Mark Skaife having made no inroads on James Davies II, and most likely, that is that for the order at the back. Kay Lon, Simona de Silvestro, Nettan Lindgren and Pippa Mann have all driven for all their lives are worth, without ever being able to have any effect on the race order...

[dr-baker]

Douglas Mann is already now heading off to the airport to fly back to the Isle of Man and attempt to put his illness behind him. And I have every faith in Alice that she can get us a podium. Go Alice!!!!

[FMecha]

We should have been survived here. Not the bathplugging WCR-DeLorean nor the illegal Trabant.

[Phoenix]

Come on, we need to push our way back to the podium guys, we can do it! Hell, I'm not even ruling out victory, let's do this for the team!

[Salamander]

Just want to reitrerate - we're only 13 laps down. We would be winning by a country bloody mile if 14 didn't break the transmission.

I didn't break it!

Shut up. Anyway, we'd be 8 laps ahead of everybody if that didn't happen. I'd say that puts us in contention for IIDOTR, but frankly, I expected such brilliance from me.

[DemocalypseNow]

1995 Jamie Davies makes Jose Moruinho look self-depreciating. What a t***.

[Salamander]

1995 Jamie Davies makes Jose Moruinho look self-depreciating. What a t***.

Please don't wind him up, I have a headache--

Nobody cares. Anyway, I'm just stating the plain and honest truth, my friend. 21 laps lost in the pits. 8 of them gained back. I think that warrants some bloody recognition. Also, the name's James.

[DemocalypseNow]

Nobody cares. Anyway, I'm just stating the plain and honest truth, my friend. 21 laps lost in the pits. 8 of them gained back. I think that warrants some bloody recognition. Also, the name's James.

Whatever, same thing. Doesn't change the fact you're still an arrogant stuck up James Allen.

[dr-baker]

Just want to reitrerate - we're only 13 laps down. We would be winning by a country bloody mile if 14 didn't break the transmission.

I didn't break it!

Shut up. Anyway, we'd be 8 laps ahead of everybody if that didn't happen. I'd say that puts us in contention for IIDOTR, but frankly, I expected such brilliance from me.

We should have been survived here. Not the bathplugging WCR-DeLorean nor the illegal Trabant.

That does not explain why our DeLorean was in the lead for the first 12 hours or so of this race. We are a small team with a tiny budget, reviving a team from the early years of F1RWRS, and you all are just jealous of how we are on the fringes of scoring a podium with this thing! If Douglas had been in better health, and we had a bit better mechanical luck, WE would have won this race comfortably...

[Nessafox]

talk about tiny budget, Trabant spent all its 2014 and 2015 budget on the salary of Moreno.
He'd better be worth it!

[DemocalypseNow]

talk about tiny budget, Trabant spent all its 2014 and 2015 budget on the salary of Moreno.
He'd better be worth it!

Maybe you should announce a partnership with L'Oreal. Which would be extremely ironic considering the status of the lead driver

[FMecha]

We should have been survived here. Not the bathplugging WCR-DeLorean nor the illegal Trabant.

That does not explain why our DeLorean was in the lead for the first 12 hours or so of this race. We are a small team with a tiny budget, reviving a team from the early years of F1RWRS, and you all are just jealous of how we are on the fringes of scoring a podium with this thing! If Douglas had been in better health, and we had a bit better mechanical luck, WE would have won this race comfortably...

Alright, I decide to revoke my sayings on your team. You (WCR) did well anyhow. I had personally wanted our (Psycho Soldier's) car to survive, but the fate said no. Sorry.

But my opinion on Trabant still stands, though.

[dr-baker]

We should have been survived here. Not the bathplugging WCR-DeLorean nor the illegal Trabant.

That does not explain why our DeLorean was in the lead for the first 12 hours or so of this race. We are a small team with a tiny budget, reviving a team from the early years of F1RWRS, and you all are just jealous of how we are on the fringes of scoring a podium with this thing! If Douglas had been in better health, and we had a bit better mechanical luck, WE would have won this race comfortably...

Alright, I decide to revoke my sayings on your team. You (WCR) did well anyhow. I had personally wanted our (Psycho Soldier's) car to survive, but the fate said no. Sorry.
But my opinion on Trabant still stands, though.

No worries about it. It's been a long, stressful 22 hours or so thus far. I just can't wait for this race to finish so we can all pack up and rejoin Douglas Mann in our hotel and get some decent sleep! I am shattered!

[dinizintheoven]

FINAL STANDINGS
Sunday, 14 December 2014 – 12:00

Code: Select all

POS +/-  NUM TEAM / CAR                                    DRIVER             LAPS  TIME
--- ---  --- ----------                                    ------             ----  ----
1   +1   25  Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge / Holden        L. Seron           638   24:01:36.641
2   -1   16  Leyton Dome Engineering / Nissan              B. Giacomelli      638   24:01:49.850
3   +2   17  Aeroracing Engineering / Nissan               R. McAllister      638   24:02:26.717
4   +2   9   Formula One Rejects Motorsport / Ford         C. Dagnall         638   24:03:45.198
5   -1   22  West Cliff Racing / DeLorean                  A. Powell          637   24:01:52.698
6   +1   4   Autobacs Nippon Racing Team / Nissan          J. Cochet          634   24:02:09.740
7   +1   32  Apollonia GT Racing by Hydook / Ford          P. Kralev          633   24:03:45.511
8   +1   29  Virgin Melrose Racing Team B / Ford           A. Reyna-Sanchez   632   24:02:17.414
9   +3   19  Virgin Melrose Racing Team / Ford             D. Besnard         631   24:02:53.814
10  -7   6   Gulf Oils Ford Australia Racing Team / Ford   A. Yoong           631   24:03:32.924

Code: Select all

11  NC   31  Telecom Italia Trueba Corse / Nissan          G. Amati           630   24:03:09.570
12  +1   7   Team James Davies / Nissan                    J. Davies III      625   24:02:44.199
13  +1   2   Holden Racing Team / Holden                   N. Percat          623   24:02:12.355
14  +1   33  Team Sunshine Infiniti / Nissan               F. Barbazza        615   24:02:04.913
15  +1   23  Scuderia Minardivas / Ford                    M. Mouton          608   24:03:13.584
16  +1   11  Valkyrie Racing / Holden                      R. Karlsson        599   24:02:00.547
17  +1   20  Foxdale Auto Racing Team / Holden             B. Fleet           590   24:03:27.289

Code: Select all

RETIREMENTS
-----------
RET      13  Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team / Trabant   R. Moreno          580   22:08:22.430
RET      21  Zombie Conglomerate / Ford                                       490   18:43:51.998
RET      27  Scuderia Alitalia Andrea Coloni / Holden                         463   17:25:01.061
RET      12  Red Bull World Race Team / Holden                                462   17:22:56.430
RET      1   Viking Racing / Holden                                           425   15:57:27.721
RET      34  Psycho Soldiers / Ford                                           352   13:32:22.856
RET      36  Team Ultimate / Holden                                           284   10:47:35.370
RET      15  Pac Racing Team / Nissan                                         269   10:12:29.074
RET      8   Super Aguri Enduro / Nissan                                      185   08:05:37.547

And that, as they say, is an epic conclusion to an epic race.

All Bruno Giacomelli had to do was drive the way he had driven throughout the single-seater season, and if he could put in the kind of performance that had won him the race at Silverstone, he would certainly go into F1RMGP retirement on the back of another win. It started well for the Leyton Dome team, after Gillet ENB fluffed their changeover and lost a massive 17 seconds on the Japanese squad. From then on, though, it was one-way traffic. Try as he might, Giacomelli could not find the speed in the car he needed, even though all the telemetry indicated all was well. Laurent Seron, though, drove like a man possessed, hauling in the Leyton Dome Nissan at three seconds per lap, swatting the other traffic away, including Giacomelli as he unlapped himself, as if they were all Christophe Hurni in a misfiring Zaporozhets. Gillet ENB dared to dream; Leyton Dome just hoped that Giacomelli could fend off his soon-to-be assailant.

He couldn't.

Four laps from the end, with the Leyton Dome Nissan and the Gillet ENB Holden locked bumper to bumper along the Mountain Straight, Seron made his move at Griffins... and that was that. The Leyton Dome garage fell into stunned silence, Hideki Noda and Marco Apicella watching their efforts go up in smoke, while in the Gillet ENB garage, the team erupted into ecstatic celebration. Seron charged off into the distance so hard that the gap at the chequered flag was thirteen seconds. Giacomelli, utterly shattered, had to watch that his pace did not drop even more, so that he didn't drop to third...

Third place, eventually, went to the Aeroracing Engineering team, Rory McAllister having driven just as well as Laurent Seron had – in his stint, he had passed the West Cliff DeLorean, which was now really suffering from its 24-hour thrashing, and there was very little Alice Powell could have done with that. The "other" McAllister had also resisted a firm (get it?) challenge from Chris Dagnall, who used every trick in his "How To Be A Champion" book to haul the Formula One Rejects Ford back to fourth after its sore treatment at the hands of his Swiss team-mate. And yet, these two teams who Aeroracing had beaten could so easily have been on the top step of the podium instead of the delighted Belgians; in fact, had neither run into trouble, it'd have been F1RM winning at 644 laps, West Cliff second on 641, and the rest stuck on 638, but on such troubles can even races this long be won and lost. And spare a thought for the Gulf Oils Ford Australia Racing Team; on home soil, there they had been, ready for a strong finish when Alex Yoong radioed the pits to pull in with electrical trouble. Not wanting to give up even at this late stage, the wiring faults were traced and fixed with a large amount of gaffer tape – six laps were lost in the process, which left Yoong to race with the rejects, as he had so often done in his racing career, but his team knew they could still finish, and finish better than some of those who had not run into trouble and embarrass them horribly. As it would turn out, they did.

The small, underfunded Autobacs Nippon Racing Team, in the lowest-ranked Nissan, surprised everyone. Four laps off the lead they may have ended, and with Jonathan Cochet sliding slowly towards the clutches of the backmarkers, but it had been an all-round creditable performance from a team which was expected to be bringing up the rear. Qualifying, clearly, had not been such a fluke. Behind him, Plamen Kralev trundled the Apollonia Ford over the line a lap behind Autobacs, and only one lap ahead of Virgin MRT's B-squadron. Giving his all after his late call-up, David Besnard drove the final stint to catch the A-team car up to within a lap of Antonio Reyna-Sanchez in the B-team, but it was still too little, too late, and there's proof, if any were needed, that turmoil in the garage when the race weekend is already underway is the last thing any team needs. What Daniel Melrose must be thinking now is anyone's guess, but it may involve a hole suddenly opening up in the ground and swallowing him whole. Or his ex, who knows. And it's unlikely Dean O'Lauchlan will escape scrutiny for his rejectfully slow driving that has caused the B-team to come out on top. The Reyna-Sanchez brothers (aren't they?), though, had driven better than had ever been expected, Antonio having done a particularly creditable job in these last two hours. In the end, all the two Virgin teams had to beat were the ailing Gulf Oils Ford, crippled by its fragile electrics which had ruined their race at the worst possible time, and – last of all the untroubled runners – the Trueba Corse Nissan, which Giovanna Amati had done her damndest – unintentionally, of course – to drop down to eight laps off the lead. And, if it hadn't been for F1RM's and West Cliff's problems, the deficit of that car to the lead would have been double figures.

Team James Davies finally won the private battle with Holden Racing Team by, as near as makes little difference, two laps, as James Davies III left Nick Percat in the dust. There was pretty much no prospect of change behind them, with the eight-to-nine-lap gaps between the final four runners all set in stone, and with some well-matched drivers in Fabrizio Barbazza, Michèle Mouton, Ramona Karlsson and Ben Fleet. All were driving for pride, all of them finished, but the challenges of Scuderia Minardivas and Valkyrie Racing had been blunted so badly so early on that none of their drivers ever really had a chance to show the rest of the field what they could do. Foxdale, bringing up the rear, did at least get to the finish, which was very much unlike them, and they'll take solace from that.

This leaves only one car left to deal with. It was an impossible job, wasn't it, entering a three-decade-old Trabant in the race, which had its origins in the Fifties, and had suffered (as had those who got to drive one) under the iron fist of communism for such a painfully long time. Maybe it was a far more resilient car than we'd thought. Maybe its three drivers flattered its meagre ability. But then again, maybe the attempt to make it competitive by fitting its woeful chassis with two equally miserable Wartburg engines was an experiment ultimately doomed to failure. For twenty-two hours that Trabant was thrashed to within a nanometre of its life, and for twenty-two hours and eight minutes it stood up to the punishment it had taken, in a way that East Germany's Stasi-oppressed citizens could only have dreamed of doing. And then, it screamed that enough was enough. The rear engine, rattling away ever more loudly behind Roberto Moreno's driving seat, tore itself to smithereens, filling the cab with smoke. Moreno had only completed two laps of his final stint at a leisurely pace, but scrambled from the car as if he had a chilli up his arse. Good job, too, because it burst into flames within seconds. Moreno couldn't believe it. His team, watching from the pits, couldn't believe it either. At least he was safe, as he watched the raging inferno completely consume his ancient commiemobile – his predicament was shown on the Diamond Vision screens all across the circuit, and it was brought suddenly to everyone at the track's attention that none of them had seen anything of Jan Magnussen since his middle-of-the-night crash... including his entire team.

The reject spirit had been well and truly on display for the whole race, and the sterling efforts of all those involved in the plucky Cillit Bang! Trabant Factory Team, right up until the car's fiery demise, were a huge part of that. But let us not forget this: this race had, what we might term, a reject victory. Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge triumphed from the seventh ranked Holden garage, by a combination of their drivers giving absolutely everything they could for a ridiculously long amount of time (and all three of them contributed – Thomas de Bock may have been the slowest of the race drivers, but had recorded the team's fastest qualifying time, even if it was for 22nd place and was three seconds off the expected pole which was then further trounced by Martin McFry), never giving up, and always being on hand to pick up the pieces where other, larger, more experienced and more talented teams took their eyes off the prize and fell by the wayside. If you can keep your heads when all around you are losing theirs, then yours is the Charlie Cox Cup, my sons. And as Charlie Cox himself presented the trophy to the victorious team, the Belgian national anthem played over Bathurst, and the victorious drivers sprayed each other with some handily-imported bottles of Drie Fonteinen Vintage Geuze – you know, just in case the unthinkable happened, the whole crowd – even the most patriotic-bordering-on-nationalistic Aussies – could see that the Day Of The Underdog had come again and the race had been all the better for it. It was Sebastian Vettel's win at Monza in 2008, in a Toro Rosso, and Pastor Maldonado's even more unexpected victory at Barcelona in 2012. It was Denmark and Greece winning the European Football Championships. It was Ben Curtis and Paul Lawrie winning The Open. It was England winning The Ashes in 2005, which no Aussie would ever want to be reminded of. It was Coventry City and Wimbledon, as they were, winning the FA Cup. It was Keith Deller winning the World Darts Championship. It was Tim Henman winning Wimbledon (oh, wait, that didn't happen, did it).

It was, you'd have to say, Formula One Rejects in a nutshell.

We'll see you all next year.

[Phoenix]

YEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 3rd place is a supreme achievement, more than what we initially were expecting. And it's all down to the superb job everyone at the team has done. We gave it all during 24 hours and this is our just reward. Congratulations to ENB for winning the race, by the way, fantastic job.

[DanielPT]

We are quite happy to have finished this adventure. Team Sunshine behaved well and if not that 20 lost laps with transmission issues, we reckon a top-6 was possible. We can be proud of our effort and promise to comeback stronger next year. My thanks to Fabrizio, he proven himself to be quite the driver and quite the character.

[dr-baker]

I am disappointed not to have obtained a podium for the West Cliff team - it has been a long race and I suppose I was just tired during that stint. But a top-five finish considering our car and budget, with many hours in the lead and a pole position, is something to be proud of, I think. Now it's time to return to the hotel room and get some sleep.

[dinizintheoven]

No comments from the race winners yet, then...

[DemocalypseNow]

Naturally we're disappointed with the way things played out over the last 24 hours, but it's part of racing really. Gabriele, Enrico and Fabrizio were excellent all weekend, and it's a shame for them that things didn't work out for either car. In the lead car this was of course entirely Tony D'Alberto's fault, and needless to say that should he ever decide to visit Italy he will be greeted by a welcoming party, similar to the one Roger Beckermann met in the Alps all those years ago.

Despite the result, do you think Il Barone Rampante will be interested in making this new partnership permanent for the 2015 season?

Despite the result [Alasdair Lindsay] seemed positive about the overall programme, and we'll discuss the future of the team soon. We're open to IBR becoming a partner of the team but there's no indication either way of what will be the result of our discussions.

Where is Mr Lindsay anyway? He was supposed to be here and we are interested to hear his side of the story. Why has he packed up and left before the race came to and end?

He received a call a few hours ago, he was required in Milan for an important meeting. For now, I will be fielding all questions on behalf of Scuderia Alitalia Andrea Coloni and Trueba Corse.

Meanwhile, in Milan...

[Salamander]

21 laps down to just 13. 11th overall. Not what I wanted, but good considering the circumstances. We definitely would've won without that transmission breaking.

Defintely.

Without doubt.

Right, see you all in a year... wait, the keys are still in 1985.

Well, 14, I assume you came up with a way to get them back.

... aw shite, I just tossed them into a field.

You bathplugging moron!

Wait, if you just tossed them out, how did you come back!?

The thing was struck by lightning.

Fair enough... now how do we get them back?

Aw crap, you realise what this means, don't you? We'll have to ask West Cliff for help.

We could just hot-wire--

You are not damaging my time machine!

[Nessafox]

The DDR-government (currently in exile in Venezuela) has decided Roberto Moreno will be sent to a gulag, for not managing to keep the car in one piece.
Pedro Chaves' brave driving will be rewarded with a brand new Trabant car.
Meanwhile nobody knows where Perry McCarthy is, although a platypus with a hat, responding to the name Perry, has been reported to be seen in the paddock.

[dr-baker]

I'm sorry Mr Davies, but the whole of the West Cliff team have decamped back to the hotel, as have my teammates, so they can continue being with the poorly Douglas. And Alice was shattered and wanted her sleep. And Pippa and Ben said something similar then giggled. I don't get it. Is there something going on between them?

[TomWazzleshaw]

Bathplug this, I'm outta here *Drives down the road back home to Penrith*

[FMecha]

Shinji Yazaki, of Pac Racing Club would like to congratulate ENB for their victory on this race.

Meanwhile, Ai, of Psycho Soldiers, were extremely happy after the Trabant went on fire and said her team will compete in next year's F1RMWEC season fielding rejects from RWRS.

(Finally able to post this after my laptop bathpluggingly and repeatedly froze when attempting to post this)