Marcel Albers Memorial Trophy (MAMT) 2023, Zandvoort, Race 1

[@Alex-fs6kz]

Insane start, I would have crapped my pants if I launched a car like that.

[@andersbonde2593]

With the high adrenalin level during the start you don't get frightened - just annoyed - when that sort of thing happens (I've tried it 🙂). A thing that surprised me when I raced Formula Fords myself was the way that especially the start seems to happen in slow-motion due to the adrenalin and focus. I think the starts always looked much more chaotic from trackside than from behind the weel. Was your car affected at all by that 'yump'? It didn't seem to be from the video, but maybe the black Crosslé (#43) was affected as it seemed to slow coming out of Tarzan after the start. A 1990 or later Van Diemen front suspension probably wouldn't have tolerated that wheel-banging, the shorter front suspesnion arms on your RF87-RF89(?) vintage probably saved the race for you 🙂 I think what was potentially much worse was what the guy in the yellow Lotus 69 did on lap 5 when he rode over the kerb on the right and came right back over to the left afterwards on a pretty fast part of the track - I don't think he was using his mirrors. Luckily, he finally noticed corrected just before you would have banged wheels - he left you with no place to go otherwise and he had already lost that corner through his rallycrossing. Thanks for the video - and don't worry about the blurry picture - it was still very enjoyable. Zandvoort still looks like a fun circuit!

[@Sc0mber]

@@andersbonde2593 The suspension (RF89 front suspension on a RF88) actually was unharmed. Only the rear anti roll bar was bent and caused a mean understeering I had to struggle with.

[@andersbonde2593]

@@Sc0mber Thanks for the reply. Yes, that understeer was visible in the video, especally in the tighter turns, but I hadn't linked it to the first corner incident - I just thought the car was inadvertently set up that way as it was apparent from the very first corner. Good job you did there, in spite of the understeer!