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The only way to make endurance race fun is to make it close. So I watched the preview of Laguna Seca race and it looked like the Saleen S7 was going to be the car to beat.
I got into my M3, tuned it to 440hp and entered the race. After one lap it was clear that I could easily beat AI with this much power so I stopped the race. Instead of messing with tuning I looked in my garage and found stock M3 GTR (380hp, 1350 kg).
I tried again completely stock except for R2 tires and it got me the 200 A-Spec point race I was looking for.
Competition was:
Pontiac GTO 5.7
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5)
Shelby Series 1 Supercharged
Viper SRT 10
Saleen S7
3 … 2 … 1 … Start !
Starting from the back I easily outrun AI on cold tires. I get in the lead by the end of the first lap and quickly start to pull away. On lap 3 I’m 10 seconds ahead of the S7 and I’m starting to think about restarting again to make it more competitive.
Laps 3-10 : Saleen gets some heat into his super hard tires and starts turning lap times almost identical to mine ! Wow, this is going to be a challenge after all.
Lap 11 : I still manage to extend my lead to 14 seconds but miss a braking point for the lefthander before the hill running up to Corkscrew and lose valuable time
Lap 13 : I decide to pit. The front tires are turning orange and mistakes are costly at Laguna Seca. This will put me on 6 stop strategy instead of 5 I was hoping for. I come out of the pits some 18 seconds behind.
Lap 17 : S7 catches up to lap traffic but the Pontiac GTO pits before it can slow him down !
Lap 20 : I’m not driving at my best, it’s hard to concentrate while I’m running pit strategies in my head. Still 14 seconds behind.
Lap 22 : Saleen finally pits. If I’m lucky that would put him on 4 stops strategy. I get the lead back and by lap 25 I’m 29 seconds ahead.
Lap 25 : When lapping Z06 I clip the grass while braking and almost spin out but don’t lose too much time.
Lap 26 : 2nd pit stop. 33 second lead is cut down to 7
Laps 27-29 : I’m struggling to get some heat into my tires and the AI catches up to me. At this point I’m watching my mirrors as much as the track ahead.
Laps 30-34 : I finally start to pull away again.
Lap 34 : Disaster strikes – I catch up to lap traffic and try to out brake the Viper at the top of the Corkscrew. I put two wheels off the track while braking. That puts me into a spin and I end up in the kitty litter. The S7 takes the lead again.
Lap 35 : I catch up to S7 at the top of the Corkscrew and this time I manage to pass him cleanly.
Laps 36-38 : Saleen gets stuck behind some lap traffic so I quickly build up 9 seconds lead before I have to pit again on lap 39.
Laps 40-43 : I come out of the pits 17 seconds behind but it looks like the S7 is still stuck behind some slower cars so I start to catch up even on cold tires.
Lap 44 : The S7 doesn’t pit !!! That means he might be on 3 stop strategy and I would need to make up more time, quick.
Lap 45 : He finally pits after running pretty slow lap on worn tires. I pass him for the lead and expect to get about 25 seconds advantage by the time he comes out.
To my surprise there is a Shelby only 15 seconds behind me ! Where did he come from ? What pit strategy is he on ?
Laps 46-51 : Oh my got the Shelby is fast ! I’m running good clean laps on good tires and I only manage to stretch my lead by one second in 5 laps !
Lap 52 : I have to pit again and come out 8 seconds behind Shelby.
Lap 54 : Shelby pits and I pause the game to write it down in the log. When I restart I realize I missed the braking point an end up in the sand. I lose at least 5 seconds and when I return to the track I find my rear view mirrors full of yellow Saleen.
Laps 55-60 : I can’t pull away, The S7 got better top speed and drafts me on longer straights.
Lap 63 : I lap the GTO, hopefully the Saleen won’t pass him too quickly.
Lap 65 : Another pit stop after building 10 second lead I come out in 3rd place behind Shelby.
Laps 66-67 : I trade places with Shelby, that thing got some torque !
Lap 68 : I’m in second place by 7 seconds when Saleen makes his final pit stop.
Lap 69-71 : I’m only 2 seconds ahead of Shelby but that’s ok as we both have another pit stop to make.
Lap 72 : Shelby pits and comes out in front of the S7
Laps 73-77 : I build up 40 second lead. That should be enough to make my final pit stop and still come out ahead.
Lap 78 : I miss the pit entrance !!! I simply forgot to pit !
Lap 79 : I run out of fuel at the Corkscrew and limp in to the pits. I don’t know how much time I lost but when I exit the pits I’m in 3rd place 8 seconds behind the Shelby.
Laps 80-82 : I’m on cold tires but I don’t lose any more time, still 8 seconds behind.
Laps 83-87 : I pass the S7 for second place and put down some fast laps to close the gap to 2 seconds.
Lap 88 : I’m close enough to catch Shelby’s draft, I almost pass him couple of times but he always tries to run me off the track so I back off. Finally at the end of the lap I set him up in the lefthander past the Corkscrew. I take late apex, I know he is going to run pretty wide and then cross the track from right to left. I got better exit speed so I pass him on the inside and brake late for the right hand turn. I’m back in the lead with two laps to go !
Laps 89-90 : I control the race and win by 2.3 seconds. Only 10 seconds separate first three places after more than two hour of racing.
That was close.
I got into my M3, tuned it to 440hp and entered the race. After one lap it was clear that I could easily beat AI with this much power so I stopped the race. Instead of messing with tuning I looked in my garage and found stock M3 GTR (380hp, 1350 kg).
I tried again completely stock except for R2 tires and it got me the 200 A-Spec point race I was looking for.
Competition was:
Pontiac GTO 5.7
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5)
Shelby Series 1 Supercharged
Viper SRT 10
Saleen S7
3 … 2 … 1 … Start !
Starting from the back I easily outrun AI on cold tires. I get in the lead by the end of the first lap and quickly start to pull away. On lap 3 I’m 10 seconds ahead of the S7 and I’m starting to think about restarting again to make it more competitive.
Laps 3-10 : Saleen gets some heat into his super hard tires and starts turning lap times almost identical to mine ! Wow, this is going to be a challenge after all.
Lap 11 : I still manage to extend my lead to 14 seconds but miss a braking point for the lefthander before the hill running up to Corkscrew and lose valuable time
Lap 13 : I decide to pit. The front tires are turning orange and mistakes are costly at Laguna Seca. This will put me on 6 stop strategy instead of 5 I was hoping for. I come out of the pits some 18 seconds behind.
Lap 17 : S7 catches up to lap traffic but the Pontiac GTO pits before it can slow him down !
Lap 20 : I’m not driving at my best, it’s hard to concentrate while I’m running pit strategies in my head. Still 14 seconds behind.
Lap 22 : Saleen finally pits. If I’m lucky that would put him on 4 stops strategy. I get the lead back and by lap 25 I’m 29 seconds ahead.
Lap 25 : When lapping Z06 I clip the grass while braking and almost spin out but don’t lose too much time.
Lap 26 : 2nd pit stop. 33 second lead is cut down to 7
Laps 27-29 : I’m struggling to get some heat into my tires and the AI catches up to me. At this point I’m watching my mirrors as much as the track ahead.
Laps 30-34 : I finally start to pull away again.
Lap 34 : Disaster strikes – I catch up to lap traffic and try to out brake the Viper at the top of the Corkscrew. I put two wheels off the track while braking. That puts me into a spin and I end up in the kitty litter. The S7 takes the lead again.
Lap 35 : I catch up to S7 at the top of the Corkscrew and this time I manage to pass him cleanly.
Laps 36-38 : Saleen gets stuck behind some lap traffic so I quickly build up 9 seconds lead before I have to pit again on lap 39.
Laps 40-43 : I come out of the pits 17 seconds behind but it looks like the S7 is still stuck behind some slower cars so I start to catch up even on cold tires.
Lap 44 : The S7 doesn’t pit !!! That means he might be on 3 stop strategy and I would need to make up more time, quick.
Lap 45 : He finally pits after running pretty slow lap on worn tires. I pass him for the lead and expect to get about 25 seconds advantage by the time he comes out.
To my surprise there is a Shelby only 15 seconds behind me ! Where did he come from ? What pit strategy is he on ?
Laps 46-51 : Oh my got the Shelby is fast ! I’m running good clean laps on good tires and I only manage to stretch my lead by one second in 5 laps !
Lap 52 : I have to pit again and come out 8 seconds behind Shelby.
Lap 54 : Shelby pits and I pause the game to write it down in the log. When I restart I realize I missed the braking point an end up in the sand. I lose at least 5 seconds and when I return to the track I find my rear view mirrors full of yellow Saleen.
Laps 55-60 : I can’t pull away, The S7 got better top speed and drafts me on longer straights.
Lap 63 : I lap the GTO, hopefully the Saleen won’t pass him too quickly.
Lap 65 : Another pit stop after building 10 second lead I come out in 3rd place behind Shelby.
Laps 66-67 : I trade places with Shelby, that thing got some torque !
Lap 68 : I’m in second place by 7 seconds when Saleen makes his final pit stop.
Lap 69-71 : I’m only 2 seconds ahead of Shelby but that’s ok as we both have another pit stop to make.
Lap 72 : Shelby pits and comes out in front of the S7
Laps 73-77 : I build up 40 second lead. That should be enough to make my final pit stop and still come out ahead.
Lap 78 : I miss the pit entrance !!! I simply forgot to pit !
Lap 79 : I run out of fuel at the Corkscrew and limp in to the pits. I don’t know how much time I lost but when I exit the pits I’m in 3rd place 8 seconds behind the Shelby.
Laps 80-82 : I’m on cold tires but I don’t lose any more time, still 8 seconds behind.
Laps 83-87 : I pass the S7 for second place and put down some fast laps to close the gap to 2 seconds.
Lap 88 : I’m close enough to catch Shelby’s draft, I almost pass him couple of times but he always tries to run me off the track so I back off. Finally at the end of the lap I set him up in the lefthander past the Corkscrew. I take late apex, I know he is going to run pretty wide and then cross the track from right to left. I got better exit speed so I pass him on the inside and brake late for the right hand turn. I’m back in the lead with two laps to go !
Laps 89-90 : I control the race and win by 2.3 seconds. Only 10 seconds separate first three places after more than two hour of racing.
That was close.
