MoR137

Big well done to Mike - the first Dutch UKDirt F1 World Champion! Not had chance to watch the race yet but sounds like he withstood race long pressure from DanSkin. From a personal point of view, my race was ok - I still can't get out of the rut whereby I only seem to manage to get the lead in the WFs for half a lap! I got bogged down in the mid-pack in the early laps which pretty much put an end to my race (not sure what the point was tbh - at one point 3 of us had made a break for 3rd or 4th but the hits still kept coming when there could've been a chance to chase the leaders down...). Not the end of the world though, and the decent, fair race that followed was very much welcomed, albeit it felt like shale after the early laps had shredded the tyres! I was a little bit sceptical about how the meeting would pan out after the demo-derby that was practice, but it actually turned out to be ok, with some decent races (although the extra cars in the final seemed to tip the race quality a little bit). Apologies to Dazza for being a pain in his side all night (he got me back in the final though, forcing me to reverse over the line for 10th!) and well done to green for winning his second NIR final. Also well done to Johno for getting the meeting done and dusted by half 10. MoR

I forgot to drop a note at the bottom of this - this preview was a team effort, so don't forget to thank the whole team for their hard work

DAVEYBOY #380 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 3* Best Finish: Champion (Ipswich 2008H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 8th National Points Average: 19.95 Race Wins: 6 Final Wins: 2 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 0 Race wins: 1 The 2008 Heat World Champion Daveyboy took the plunge this year and became a regular rFactor racer, and didn't take long to make his mark with 2 grand final wins. His mid-pack grid slot will see him in the thick of the action from the start, but he is more than experienced to deal with it and take a credible top 10 finish. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? I would say being on row 6 have a chance to be up there if I can avoid the early carnage but then my only main concern will be tire wear mid way through the race as then I will be finding extremely difficult to keep up and no doubt fall down the placings but I will certainly be trying! If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Its between Dan and Tom, both of them have been driving extremely well this year especially Dan, but I think Dan might just take the title of Tom as I think Tom will be a big target to alot of drivers. DRUMBSTICK #41 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Best Finish: 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 31st National Points Average: 27.75 Race Wins: 4 Final Wins: 1 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 0 Points: n/a Race wins: n/a The 2010 F2 World Champion Drumbstick has made very few appearances in the UKDirt F1s over the last few years, but when he does he always tends to perform well, begging the question how well would he do if he raced consistently like he used to? Drumbs chances in this years World Final would likely be better with more meetings under his belt, but expect him to well up into the top 5 for the majority of the race. If anybody is going to pull off an upset from further down the grid, it'll be Drumb. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Slim, race rusty in an F1 and because of that I lack consistancy If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Can’t see beyond Tom if he survives the first couple of laps. CORNY #391 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 8 Best Finish: 2nd (Hednesford 2003H and Arena Essex 2005H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 7th National Points Average: 22.95 Race Wins: 6 Final Wins: 1 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 46 Race wins: 0 2011 looked to be the year that Heat F1s most successful driver might rekindle some of that magic in the rFactor mod, with an early promotion to superstar for the UKDirt veteran. A troubled time at superstar has seen Corny's appearances reduce drastically, and lack of track time possibly led to a disappointing semi final finish. That being said, if Corny's secretly putting in the track time behind the scenes in preparation for this year's World Final, expect him to be challenging for the top 5. HARMEN #262 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 1 Best Finish: 14th (Coventry 2010R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 10th National Points Average: 16.79 Race Wins: 0 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 70 Race wins: 0 One of UKDirt F1s most controversial characters, big-hitter Harmen takes up outside row 7. He is likely to be in the thick of the action during the early laps of the race. Harmen can keep up with the top guys when he races with his head, so it'll be interesting to see whether he gets chance to do this. A top 10 is likely if he does. DAZZA #290 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 3 Best Finish: Champion (Kings Lynn 2009R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 37th National Points Average: 25.5 Race Wins: 1 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 0 Points: n/a Race wins: n/a The 2009 World Champion and 2010 British Champion Dazza has made very few appearances this year; when he has, he has had some decent results but nothing close to his more dominant form from previous seasons. If Dazza has been putting in the laps behind the scenes, he may manage to break into the top 5 or even a podium, but from so far back on the grid he has it all do. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Not the greatest, Row 8 probably isnt the best, however having an inside run into the first few corners could see a few positions being changed. Tom won from way back the grid last year so it's not impossible but to be honest seeing as I've only done 2 meetings all year I may be a little race rusty so anywhere in the top 6 would be an achievement I feel. If I can go stealth mode and stay un-noticed, its a realistic target. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? I get the feeling, looking at results it's going to be DanSkin's day once again but the grid is packed with quality drivers near the front so anyone could potentially win it. I would like to see Tosh, MoR or Dan win it as they all deserve it but Tom is looking as good as ever and Mike proved last year how good he is when he came so close. There will be others to watch out for as outsiders such as Dode and Corny so it's all shaping up well for a cracking,hard hitting race. Best of luck to all. FASTTRACK #527 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 2 Best Finish: 15th (Kings Lynn 2009R and Coventry 2010R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 33rd National Points Average: 22.75 Race Wins: 0 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 0 Points: n/a Race wins: n/a Fasttrack missed the first half of the 2011 season, but now he is back and looking as consistent as ever, with a very credible average. Another driver who can lap as fast as the top drivers in the league, expect Fasttrack to climb through the top 10 places as the race begins to settle down. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? My Chances in the World Final race are slim, from starting on the 8th row for me to have a chance on winning is all about the start and trying to make up alot of places while everyone are ramming eachother into the fence and hopefully some spin and not get me but with all the other fast drivers i will be happy with top 10 but very satisfied with a top 5. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? The driver i will go for will be Danskin because he has shown big inprovements from last year and is already British Champion and with being a very fast and consistant driver but he will have to watch the other fast driver MATTY #300 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Debut Best Finish: n/a 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 16th National Points Average: 14.29 Race Wins: 3 Final Wins: 2 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 10 Race wins: 0 Matty has really settled into UKDirt F1s this year, now holding blue grade with two shale Grand Final wins under his belt. Way back on row 9 of the grid, Matty will need to push hard to make places but will be more than capable of breaking into the top 10. TRAVEL #365 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 5 Best Finish: 4th (Bradford 2001D) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 27th National Points Average: 8.19 Race Wins: 3 Final Wins: 1 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 39 Race wins: 1 Travel is a UK Dirt veteran who is a joy to have on the race tracks when he is in race mode. He is one of those drivers that has the potential to do anything. He can be fantastic and win at one meeting and be a pain and want to break the rules at the next. This season has been a mixed season with the Irish Open Championship meeting being the highlight. A good Semi Final result sees him on the World Final grid with the potential to move forward and achieve a good result. MAVERICK #525 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 4 Best Finish: 7th (Coventry 2004H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 20th National Points Average: 11.73 Race Wins: 2 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 0 Points: n/a Race wins: n/a Maverick is another veteran of the UK Dirt raceways. Having helped his son settle into the league, Maverick clearly thought it was time he pulled his finger out and qualified for the big race and that he did after some confusion over how many qualified via the Semi Final. He will come into the race with very few expectations and this should mean that he will enjoy the race and his first taste of an rfactor World Final. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? ZERO!! Everytime I think about it, I feel that I don't want to be in it! I haven't been in a rFactor World Final before, so this is new territory for me. It should be a good race between the first few rows and I don't want to be mixed up with them and do something stupid and ruin or end someones chance in the race. Neither do I want to be tuttling around the outside to let lapping cars pass. NIR is not one of my strong tarmac tracks so all I can hope for is to have a steady race ending with the best finish I could dream of which is 10th to 15th. My other main aim would be to finish higher than Mav_Jnr should he make it onto the grid via the Consi Semi. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? There is so much that can happen with the drivers on the grid, but I think one person who seems to be able to ride anything thrown at him will end up triumphant. And thats Tom #1. Some drivers may feel the need to stop other drivers and thus ruling themselves out of the race, and causing problems for those around them; this race will not be decided until the winner crosses the line and that won't necessarily be the driver who started the last lap in first!!!! DODGE #560 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Debut Best Finish: n/a 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 14th National Points Average: 22.92 Race Wins: 5 Final Wins: 1 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 16 Race wins: 0 Dodge rejoined the league in 2011 having last raced way back in 2001. Since rejoining, he has shown that he has the ability to mix it with the best I the league, quickly graduating to superstar based mainly on solid tarmac performances. Dodge is not afraid to use the bumper and this will be essential if he is to make forward progress early in the race. A definite contender for a top 10 finish. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? From this far back on the grid im not expecting too much!, maybe if there is some carnage i might be able to get a top 10. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Go to be either 1 or 236, unless they are dealt with early on, then maybe 137 or 315. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NON-WORLD FINALIST’S THOUGHTS STOXJACK #249 Who do you think will win the big race? Since joining the league around 2 months ago for the F1 Stockcars I have raced with some quality drivers that are well up the grid in this years world final. TomD current world champion has to be the favourite to win and is a deserved winner. He races every week and always seems to be the quickest on track but there is alot to challenge him. I have had some brilliant races with Tosh 8 and would like to see him in with a good chance of taking it. Liam 90, Mor 137, Dode 151 and Mike 115 with most certainly be ones to watch out for though to sneak through. JOHNO #3 Who do you think will win the big race? I think it is so hard to call as this could be the best grid of cars we have had for years. I know I say that every year to try and build up the race, but most of the big names are at the front of the grid with a smattering of quality drivers in the middle of the pack. If I had to choose though, I think I would have to go with TomD. I have never been a big fan of his driving style but he gets the job done and has a knack of getting through trouble, no matter how bad it is! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well there you have it; a comprehensive look at the 2011 UK DIRT F1 CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD. Why not try to leave us your top 10? Good luck to everyone in the race. May the best man win on the night! Cheers The UK Dirt F1 Admin Team

TOSH #8 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 3 Best Finish: 6th (Ipswich 2008R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 12th National Points Average: 22.19 Race Wins: 2 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 16 Race wins: 0 Tosh's semi final win was a surprise to most because most would have expected Tom to run away with it. However, UKDirt F1s most dominant force found himself pursued relentlessly for many laps by Tosh, who eventually planted the World Champ into a parked car with masterful precision, securing his pole position grid slot for the 2011 World Final. Tosh will be one of the favourites going into the race and will be a tough opponent to catch should he get away and an even tougher opponent when filling your rear view mirror! MIKE #315 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 6 Best Finish: 2nd (Ipswich 2008H and Coventry 2010R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 5th National Points Average: 26.62 Race Wins: 5 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 33 Race wins: 0 Since his return to the league after a two month hiatus following the UK Open meeting, Mike is back on form and in a great position to claim the F1 gold, a title he so very nearly won in 2010, only losing out to Tom on the final bend. Mike kept a cool head under race-long pressure from DanSkin and MoR in the 2011 Skegness semi final race (which was again decided on the last bend), using his consistent pace and trademark aggressive driving style to secure his row 1 grid slot. Mike will be one of the main favourites to claim the gold roof. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Starting on the front row really gives me an advantage, I hope to survive the first few laps and get out in the front of the pack. I hope on a win this year but a top 3 will be good! If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Second row inside... best place to start and he has the pace and race craft to do it.. MoR 137! He could be really into it. MOR #137 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 5 Best Finish: 3rd (Coventry 2006H and Ipswich 2008R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 6th National Points Average: 30.72 Race Wins: 8 Final Wins: 1 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 12 Race wins: 0 MoR has had an excellent season overall and although his form has dipped slightly over recent meetings, many would class him as one of the favourites for the title. Having been involved in a superb Semi Final at Skegness, MoR finds himself in what many consider the ideal grid spot. After defending the UK Open title this season, MoR has shown he can win big races and they don’t come any bigger than this. No one would begrudge this man the title should he cross the line first. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Tarmac is my preferred surface and this is my best ever WF grid slot but I'll need a good break to win as there's a lot of talent around me on the grid. It's been a few years since my last WF podium, so if a win looks off the cards, I'll be aiming for that. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? It's hard to look past Tom, after another dominant year and a decent grid slot, but he doesn't always get the breaks in the big races, so who knows! I'd like to see Dan get his second gold and his grid slot looks good for a first bend break up the inside of the inevitable carnage. TOMD #1 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 4 Best Finish: Champion (Buxton 2009H and Coventry 2010R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 1st National Points Average: 38.2 Race Wins: 20 Final Wins: 8 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 44 Race wins: 0 The dominant force in UKDirt F1s, Tom looks to have his third consecutive silver roof sewn up and his impressive 2011 form (with no less than 8 grand final wins) suggests he's on track to secure the gold roof for a second year. Tom is consistently the fastest and most aggressive driver in UKDirt F1s and will be almost unbeatable should his opponents let him get far enough away, which will make him a marked man for the big race. However, it takes a lot to trouble Tom, so he will go into this race as the clear favourite. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? I think I have a good chance but don't fancy my chances much with being on Row 2 Outside. I will just have to see how the race unfolds. There is a lot of fast lads on Tarmac around me and I haven't had the greatest pace the last few meetings on Tarmac. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? This year I think will be either Danskin or MoR. They have shown they have the pace to win and are both in good grid positions. But I wouldn't be surprised if somebody further back on the gird did well. Maybe Dazza, Fasttrack or James could be well up there come the end of the race. I proved last year all you need is a little bit of carnage to get up near the front and to have a chance. Anyway, Good Luck to All competing for the Gold Roof, may the Best Man Win! DODE #151 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 1 Best Finish: 16th (Kings Lynn 2009R) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 3rd National Points Average: 25.37 Race Wins: 14 Final Wins: 2 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 57 Race wins: 1 2011 has seen a massive improvement in Dode, who showed early signs in the winter series that this would be a year in which he would shine. Holding the superstar grade for the majority of the season and taking an impressive European Championship win at Arena Essex are just two of Dode's achievements which highlight this, with the third being a confident semi final finish to secure row 3 inside for the world final. Not to be underestimated, if Dode gets a break at the front, he could be a serious threat to the gold roof. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Im not too sure on my chances on the big race to be honest, im not too bad round NIR but its one of them tracks you can easily get damage. Aswell as the ammount of good drivers near the front of the grid to even keep up and have a slight chance to pass them will be very hard! I would love to bring the gold back to Scotland but would be very happy with a good top10 finish! If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Another hard one to answer! Tom has a great chance to retain the title, been going well all year aswell as Danskin who has been flying all year so has just as good a chance even if hes starting abit further back. With the likes of Mike, Mor and Green in the mix aswell near the front its going to be a hard one to get away from the pack! GREEN #115 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Debut Best Finish: N/A 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 13th National Points Average: 22.29 Race Wins: 6 Final Wins: 2 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 40 Race wins: 1 (Final) Real-life F2 driver Michael Green surprised many with his impressive semi final drive to claim his third row spot for the world final. Consistent and aggressive and with two tarmac grand final wins to his name (one at NIR), Green is likely to be in the thick of the action for the opening laps of the race and should he a get a break will be a real threat to the podium places. DANSKIN #236 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Best Finish: Champion (Coventry 2004H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 2nd National Points Average: 34.42 Race Wins: 21 Final Wins: 6 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 45 Race wins: 1 After a few tough seasons, the 2004 F1 World Champion DanSkin is back on form and has established himself as Tom's main threat in the 2011 season. After a fantastic semi final race against Mike and MoR, an unfortunate last bend left Dan in 4th place, crossing the line with just 3 wheels. His misfortune may help him though, as his inside row 4 grid slot puts him in a prime position to be able to dodge some of the first bend carnage and instantly challenge for the lead. Dan is another main favourite to topple Tom's dominance and take his second gold roof, 7 years after his first! DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? I feel my disagreement with the infield tyres on the last bend of the semi-final has left me with a lot do. But... I'm on the grid and I will be trying! I thought the racing at Northampton earlier in the season was excellent - so if nothing else I hope we see more of the same. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? It's very open but I'd expect to see TomD drive away if given the chance. If we see a bit more of a heated battle in the front few rows I'd think MoR would have a very good chance of getting away. LEEK #39 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 6 Best Finish: 2nd (Buxton 2009H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 9th National Points Average: 19.57 Race Wins: 4 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 1 Points: 1 Race wins: 0 LeeK's 2010 World Final performance will be one that sticks in the mind of many - starting from a very similar grid slot to this year, LeeK cut through the huge battles for the lead in the opening laps and went on to the lead the majority of the race. He will be looking to repeat this performance but of course, with him being triumphant this time. LeeK has had quite a quiet season, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for him, but his big race form will be a worry for many; only a fool would write him off. LIAM #90 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: Debut Best Finish: N/A 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 17th National Points Average: 25.11 Race Wins: 5 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 0 Points: n/a Race wins: n/a New to UKDirt F1s in 2011, Liam has been a consistent performer in the meetings he has raced, and always seems to be hanging around the top 5 positions in the big races. He drove a good race in the semi final for a credible 5th place. A top 3 finish will not be out of Liam's grasp, but he will need to drive with his head to make this a reality. Expect a top 5 finish. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? well im hoping to finnish in the top 10 but well be pushing for the win , but ive got daveyboy on my back bumper so ill be expecting a big push from him. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Well its between tomD or mike315 but ill go with tomD SPIKE #221 WORLD FINAL STATISTICS Appearances: 6 Best Finish: 8th (Coventry 2004H) 2011 STATISTICS National Points Position: 11th National Points Average: 13.56 Race Wins: 1 Final Wins: 0 2011 NORTHAMPTON FORM Meetings Attended: 2 Points: 9 Race wins: 0 The hardest hitter in UKDirt F1s reigned back his use of the front bumper for the 2011 Skegness semi final to take a cool 5th place. His mid-pack position will worry a few of the big names nearer the front, with Spike likely to play a role in shaking up the grid from the moment the 'go' is called. Who knows though, perhaps the 'Spike' we saw in the semi final will also be looking to take a credible World Final finish too? Only time will tell, but a top 10 finish will be well within his grasp should he stay out of trouble. DRIVER’S THOUGHTS What do you think are your chances in the big race? Like the track bumper will in be i think. If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Tom or mor i think.

The 2011 UK Dirt F1 Championship of the World. 25 laps………… 1 winner………… 1 WORLD CHAMPION! With the league now steeped in history, something that no other league can boast, The World Championship title has been fought over no fewer than 12 times and has produced 11 different champions. TomD (1) became the first driver ever to win the title for a second time just last year at Coventry. Nobody in the history of the league has ever successfully defended the title and TomD will be looking to do this tomorrow night around the tarmac of Northampton. This is the first time ever that the UK Dirt F1 World Final has been held at Northampton. The track, created by MoR, has produced some fantastic action and held the European Championship on no fewer than three occasions since the rfactor game was created. The venue has produced some fantastic action over the years and it is expected to do the same again on the biggest night of 2011. The meeting will start at 8:30pm with everyone meeting in chat at 8:20pm. It is hoped that the meeting will be finished by 10:30pm. If you are not in the Consolation Semi Final or World Final and don’t wish to hang around in chat, then please arrive by 8;50pm, as it hoped that the World Final will finish at about 9:00pm. Here is the format for the 2011 World Final meeting: - Consolation Semi Final - 2011 UK Dirt F1 World Final - Heats 1 and 2 - Heats 3 and 4 - Consolation - Final - Grand National 1 - Grand National 2 The consolation Semi Final will be the first race of the meeting and will determine the final four qualifiers for the UK Dirt F1 World Championship. The grid will be split into two groups with each group being gridded grades within grades. Should everyone turn up, then the grid would look as follows: ROW 1: 465 – 130 ROW 2: 172 – 515 ROW 3: 285 – 231 ROW 4: 256 – 231 ROW 5: 31 – 3 ***TWO GRADE GAPS*** ROW 6: 4 – 33 ROW 7: 495 – 488 ROW 8: 48 – 588 ROW 9: 164 – 363 ROW 10: 531 – 413 ROW 11: 233 – 561 ROW 12: 188 If someone does not turn up, especially considering a few of those drivers are not paid up members, then each driver will move up the grid. No gaps will be left on the grid. Should any World Finalists fail to turn up, then reserves will be taken from the result of the Consolation Semi Final. As you can see from the grid, this has the potential to be one very good race and with only 4 places up for grabs, it could be hard fought over. I wonder if you could pick the four qualifiers?

Consolation Semi Final The consolation semi final will be the first race of the night on Thursday - more details for the race will be included in the WF preview, but here's a list of eligible drivers: ELIGIBLE RACERS GROUP 1 - Raced Semi Final, did not qualify #256 Hooty #465 Jedd #285 Mav JNR #231 Simon #277 Southy #31 Skeet #3 Johno #172 Spike JNR #515 Big Al #130 Blymn GROUP 2 - Did not attend their Semi Final #233 Grasser #413 Matthew #33 Jakie #488 Dave #588 Fordy #188 Aub #561 Murf #84 BullyJNR #495 Lew #363 Walker #164 Jarry #48 Tinman #531 Lee #4 Pusher As with last season, group 1 drivers will be gridded in closed grades first, 2 grade gaps left, and then group 2 drivers will be gridded. The top 4 finishers in the race will be seeded to the back of the grid for the WF race.

NORTHAMPTON INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2011 8:30PM This Thursday (15/09) see's the 2011 UKDirt F1 World Final take place at Northampton International Raceway. At the time of writing, a credible 23 cars are already booked into race, even with a few WF qualifiers missing - here's how the bookings are looking in terms of the world final grid itself: RED = Not yet booked in ROW 1 : 8 - 315 ROW 2 : 137 - 1 ROW 3 : 151 - 115 ROW 4 : 236 - 39 ROW 5 : 90 - 221 ROW 6 : 380 - 41 ROW 7 : 391 - 262 ROW 8 : 290 - 527 ROW 9 : 300 - 365 ROW 10 : 525 - 560 I'm sure you'll agree the grid looks very interesting this year, and should lead to a fantastic race. Will we see our online race follow it's real life counterpart, with a seasoned competitor taking their first gold roof, will we see previous world champions DanSkin or Dazza reclaim their old title or will defending champion Tom D continue his dominant form and take the spoils for a second year in a row. Get yourselves booked in for the biggest event on the UKDirt F1 calender. A full preview from Johno will follow soon. Thanks, MoR

Dragon made Belle Vue New...... can't remember him doing anymore but I can't be sure. Mildenhall may have been NickM, but I can't remember whether he just adjusted it for better racing (moved the infield blocks to stop people racing on the concrete I think) or actually made it all. A lot of your gaps may be filled by AndyG, but I can't be entirely sure which ones he did. I'm 90% certain that he made Coventry and the original Kings Lynn (the really wide one), and also possibly some of the other main original ones like Northampton, Buxton, Sheffield, Long Eaton etc. Hopefully somebody else remembers for sure. KISS Motorsport were a tad before my time, but I believe there was a guy called Jay involved. Again, maybe this will help somebody else remember for sure who they were. Hope this helps, MoR

Doh! Didn't think he was that popular. Send them over to me then

For a refresher on the world final grid, click here.

Hi, With just over one week to go until the big race, Johno has asked me to post the following questions for inclusion in this years World Final preview. Please PM all answers to me before Monday 12th September 2011. Cheers, MoR WORLD FINALISTS (1) What do you think are your chances in the big race? (2) If you don't win the big race, who do you think will? Please feel free to say as little or as much as you want. Only swearing / spelling will be edited. NON WORLD FINALISTS If you wish to comment on the big race then please feel free to do so. (1) Who do you think will win the big race?

Using other World Finals as a guide, I believe that a gap is left on the grid where you would be (in 2008, niether of the second row turned up, so I had to leave a car size gap in front of me). As for who takes your place, I'm not entirely sure off the top of my head, so I'll let somebody else get that one!

The Wacom graphics tablet has been sold. The graphics card is still available I'm at Coventry tomorrow and the WF at Northampton next week; it's not too much trouble for me to bring it along if you just want to see it without committing to buy it; just let me know!

SKINPACK 8 The eighth skinpack from after the fifth grading period of 2011 season can be downloaded below. >>> DOWNLOAD UKDIRT F1 2011 SKINPACK 8 <<<

Hello, I have the following items for sale – they are both available for pickup at most Coventry, Birmingham or Northampton F1 meetings (incl. this years WF meeting), although I will consider posting them if they are not selling (of course, this will be extra on top of the asking price). Please let me know via PM if you are interested or would like more information. FOR SALE: EVGA nVidia 9800GT 512MB Graphics Card. I have for sale the graphics card that was in my old PC. I’ve had it for over two years now and it works brilliantly – it will run rFactor on the highest graphics settings with ease. Comes in the original packaging with all discs and instructions. £50 NOTE: This card is huge, so you’ll need to ensure you have enough room in your PC tower to accommodate it. The dimensions are: 230mm x 100mm x 40mm. It takes up 2 slots at the back of your PC. FOR SALE: Wacom MTE-450 Bamboo Graphics Tablet (A6). Also for sale is my graphics tablet, again just over two years old. Great for texturing in photoshop, signatures in documents or as a replacement for using a mouse. The pen is pressure sensitive, so will create a thicker line the more pressure you put down. I’ve barely used it, so the pen-nib and writing area are in great condition. Comes in the original packaging with all discs and instructions. £40 Thanks, MoR

Looking great Bonsey! Just to note, there most likely will be an update to the F1 mod towards the end of the year/the new year, so if you fancy doing any skins for it, drop me a PM so I can jot you down to avoid overlap. If you drop all efforts both here and on the UKSOM forum, I shouldn't miss them and I'll be in touch somewhere down the line to get the files off you (just make sure you backup the files in the meantime!!!). Obviously we need to keep the quality of the skins high due to outstanding standard set in the past by the likes of Demon/Dave etc, but judging by some of the efforts I've seen so far this year (37 above and 150 on UKSOM are personal favourites) we shouldn't have a problem Anyway, here's one I did on the laptop whilst I was waiting for my new pc! Ryan Harrison #197 shale skin

Hello, The 5th grading period for the UKDirt F1 2011 season ended at Hednesford last week (18/08) so it's time for a new skinpack. Existing Drivers If you wish to change chassis or paintjob, this is your chance to do it, but please do so in accordance to the skin rules on the UKDirt website. New Drivers Welcome! Driver's racing their first UKDirtF1 meetings are invited to upload skins if they wish, but there plenty of variations to choose from if you want to use a novice skin (see the 'skins' tab when selecting your car in rFactor). For new skins: You need to upload a shale car and a tarmac car. On each car, you need to paint skins with all 4 grade colours: white, yellow, blue and red. Zip up the files in a ZIP file and upload them via the Skin Upload Facility in the members section of the UKDirt website. If you have any issues, you can attach them to a post on this thread or PM them to me. If you drive in another formula and this is your F1 debut, or you have raced at other online racing leagues (e.g. Simstox), please get in touch with me so I can pass the info onto the admin team. Any questions, just ask and I'll try to get back to you ASAP. DEADLINE FOR SKINS: 6:00PM TUESDAY 30TH AUGUST 2011. This is the last skinpack before the WF, so if you want to do any special skins for the WF, now is your chance; normal skin rules apply. Thanks, MoR Skins: 115 Green (T) 136 Kruiz 150 Swish 151 dode 237 rickyjames 527 Fasttrack (T)

Thursday 28th July 2011 see's the F1s return to Belle Vue, this time for the the second World Championship semi final. The first semi final took place at Skegness last week and was an excellent race; the line up for this semi final looks just as good, so this has the potential to be fantastic. So here is our preview (thanks to Johno for the words this time around!); let us know what you think and let's get some predictions in too! --- ROW 1 --- TomD#1 Tom has once again had a very dominant season. With an average of nearly 40 and 6 final victories to his name, Tom has lived up to the tag of World Champion. He has a good Belle Vue record and starting from pole position, Tom will start the race as favourite. Tom will look to put last year’s disastrous Semi Final behind him and take the chequered flag like many would expect. Expect him to finish in the top 3. Dode#151 The 2011 European Champion has had a simply sensational season. Having started the year from blue he quickly jumped to superstar and maintained that grade until just recently. Only two weeks ago he took the European Championship to ensure he is the most improved driver of the year. Dode has not got a great record in Semi Finals, but with his recent improvement, a top 3 is a definite possibility. Expect him to qualify. --- ROW 2 --- Corny#391 Corny has had a mixed season. Having made superstar for the first time in his rfactor career, many people expected Corny to kick on even further. Since gaining the flashing lights though, everything has gone wrong and he now finds himself back at red. His shale form is very good and he goes well around Belle Vue, winning the Champions of Champions race at this venue in 2009. Expect Corny to finish in the top 3. Johno#3 Johno has had an interesting season - the 2009 Long Track Champion sites comfortably in 5th place in the National points but has struggled to bring home race wins this season. Regardless, his form is consistent, his driving fair, and those two things could be the perfect recipe for a strong semi final finish. As fast as anybody on his day, Johno's competitors should not underestimate him. Expect a top 5 finish, but he is perfectly capable of a podium finish. --- ROW 3 --- Tosh#8 I think it is fair to say that Tosh is another driver who has had a mixed season. Computer problems have meant that Tosh has missed many recent meetings but I would expect him to attend his Semi Final. Shale form has been better than tarmac form this year and if he gets a sniff of victory, then he has the ability to take it. I think Tosh could be an outsider for the podium. Expect a top 5 finish. LeeK#39 LeeK is a driver that has the talent to do anything. He can go out and win races but at the same time he can go out and destroy his own or others. Just 10 months ago, LeeK very nearly won the World Championship and he would dearly love another crack at the title. His shale form is better than his tarmac form so therefore he probably would prefer the Belle Vue Semi Final. Much will depend on the start for LeeK from this tricky starting position. Expect LeeK to qualify. --- ROW 4 --- Matty#300 Matty acts like chalk and cheese. On shale he looks like he is capable of holding his own against the star name drivers but put him on the hard stuff and he falls to pieces. His semi final however is on the shale, and this is a man who if given a break could well finish in a good position. This is Matty’s forth Semi Final and he has yet to make the World Final through the semi final. Could this be his year? James#560 Dodge joined UK Dirt during the UK Open Championship Double Header and pushed champion MoR all the way. Since then, Dodge has found better form on the tarmac. That said he has shown at times some very good race craft and this will be needed in the early laps of this Semi Final. Looking at the drivers around him, I would expect it to be tricky for Dodge to qualify, but I can assure you he will be trying hard. --- ROW 5 --- LiamB#90 Another driver to recently join the UK Dirt ranks is Liam. Since joining, he has shown that he is at home on either tarmac or shale. With an average in the mid 20’s, Liam has already shown that he has the ability to race with the big boys and pick up very good results. If he is to get near the front of the grid, he will need a good start, but he has the talent to make it through to the big race in September. Expect him to qualify. SpikeJNR#172 Spike JNR has had a consistent season thus far, maintaining his yellow roof for the duration of the current season. He has generally picked up his better results on the tarmac and regularly shows a dislike for the loose stuff. In order to qualify, he will need a few pile ups along the way and then he needs to make sure he stays out of trouble. Having seen his Dad qualify for the big race, JNR would dearly love to do the same. --- ROW 6 --- Fasttrack#527 Fasttrack has qualified for this year’s World Championship Semi Final courtesy of two fine rounds at the end of last season. It is such a shame that he has had to miss the season due to work has he was one of the most improved drivers of 2010 and many expected him to kick on. In order to qualify, he must make sure he is not too race rusty otherwise with the drivers around him, he may well struggle to qualify. Drumbstick#41 Drumbstick raced just two World Championship Qualifying Rounds but with an average in the mid 20’s he made sure he booked himself a place on the Semi Final grid. Many people may not know that when rfactor first came out Drumb was the man to beat, but has time has moved on, the league has moved on and Drumbstick has raced very little. Despite this, he still displays superb race craft and pace and it is this that will see him qualify. --- ROW 7 --- Big Al#515 It is always great to see this veteran of UK Dirt on any Semi Final grid. Big Al has found it hard going from yellow this year but picked up some excellent results from white. Slowly but surely he takes small steps forward and this year has been no different. By his own admission, he will find it hard to qualify, but that will not stop the 2001 World Championship runner up from trying! Grasser#233 Yet another UK Dirt veteran can be found on row 7 and this one is definitely someone to be watched. Every year in one of the semi finals, someone comes from well down on the grid to achieve an excellent result and this year it could well be Grasser. Shale form is simply sensational and that is starting from superstar. I have a feeling that we will see a big race from this guy with a podium finish perhaps waiting for him at the end of 20 laps. --- ROW 8 --- PickworthNZ#185 Since joining UK Dirt, Pickworth has gone about his business very quietly. Having returned just a few short weeks ago, Pickworth has shown that he is comfortable at blue, picking up some good results along the way. Shale is not his preferred surface though and I would expect that he will find it hard going around the Belle Vue shale. Matthew#413 Matthew is an extremely talented driver. Pace is never an issue with this guy but sometimes he finds himself in trouble in races, regularly being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Should he decide to race his Semi Final, he will need to get some good breaks from this far down on the grid in order to qualify. If he does get the breaks though and finds some open track, he could pick up a very good qualifying spot. --- ROW 9 --- Jakie#33 Jakie joined the league at the end of last season and decided that he would give the league a good shot at the start of this season. Unfortunately Jakie found the going tough, regularly finding himself on the end of incidents. He may have dropped down the grades but he does have some good pace and is not afraid to use the bumper. Qualification will be hard from here, but should he race he will give it his best effort. Dave#488 If I was a betting man, I would bet that Dave will not be taking up his position on the Semi Final grid. Being predominantly a tarmac driver, Dave is unlikely to consider racing on the loose stuff. Should he surprise everyone and race, he will find the going hard around Belle Vue. That said, he is always a welcome addition to any track and it would be great to see him race in his Semi Final. --- ROW 10 --- Fordy#588 Fordy is a driver who has not yet paid his server fee for this year. He actually qualified for the Semi Final thanks to scoring points at Arena Essex last year. Whilst it is unlikely that he will take up his place on the grid, Fordy does have the potential to get himself near to the qualifying positions. Blymn#130 Blymn is another driver that joined UK Dirt this year. He is a very keen driver when time allows him to race and he has started to make steps forward and pick up the odd point or too. Blymn is chuffed to bits to be on the Semi Final grid and although he would have preferred to be on the tarmac, he will be giving it his best shot on the shale. Having sat here and wrote the preview for each driver, I can’t believe what a difficult Semi Final this has the potential to be. There are not only many top drivers up the front of the grid, but an awful lot of great drivers towards the back of the grid too. I think that this will be a race that will be very hard to predict. With a gun held to my head, I would pick the following 10 drivers to qualify (in grid order): 1, 151, 391, 3, 8, 39, 90, 41, 233 and 413. I would also go for TomD winning the Semi Final. That said, I would not fancy being on Tom’s shoes when he leads such a talented field around the track on the rolling lap! Good luck to everyone in the race! CURRENT SEMI FINAL BOOKINGS (Those in bold are booked in. Those in italics are provisional. Those in red are not racing.) ROW IN - OUT 1 : 1 - 151 2 : 391 - 3 3 : 8 - 39 4 : 300 - 560 5 : 90 - 172 6 : 527 - 41 7 : 515 - 233 8 : 185 - 413 9 : 33 - 488 10 : 588 - 130

Great meeting i thought - thanks for running it Tom - well done Green on the final and a great semi final place. The semi final race was fantastic - first bend was as rough as I expected, meaning I clattered the armco pretty hard, and then I was put there again next bend by Mike. The race soon settled and I dropped off a bit in the mid-section, but the last 7 or 8 laps were great, with us all swapping places and going into the last bend together. Dan was unlucky with the tyre, and how he made it over the line for 4th with 3 wheels is beyond me. Very pleased with 2nd place - would've liked to win it of course, but it's still my best ever semi result, so very happy Well done to Mike and all the other qualifiers! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the world final grid being decided next week - we'll have a full preview of next weeks semi out soon. MoR

SKINPACK 7 The seventh skinpack from after the fourth grading period of 2011 season can be downloaded below. >>> DOWNLOAD UKDIRT F1 2011 SKINPACK 7 <<<

Green - just checked the upload tool before making the pack and DaveyBoy has kindly mocked up some simple skins for you, so you can race from your grade now If you want to upload your proper ones next time around, just send them in. Thanks Davey..... MoR PS - Sorting the pack now, so uploads now closed.

Ok. 10pm is the only free time I've got tonight, so skin uploads will stay open until then. It's only fair everybody else should get the extra time you were going to get. MoR