Four Hours: The Nürburgring 4Hr Companion & Competition

Just wanted to post this up, a month later but I finally added the picture of the *not quite as beat up as last time* post race Audi R8.

4 Hours of Nurburgring - Sunday June 26th

I was thinking about our failed attempt all weekend long and got the chance to run the race again Sunday night. This time all by myself.

I made some adjustments to my JG's Tune Shop Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro. First was to move all of the ballast to the rear of the car trying to prolong the life of the front tires. Secondly I reduced the values on the front LSD to 5, 10, 5.

The Specs were mostly the same.
525 HP 1350 kg's 568 pp Sports Hard Tires

Here is the JG Tune Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro



Starting Lineup
Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec N1 Base
HPA FT565 Twin Turbo Audi TT
Amuse S2000 GT1
Nismo 400R '96
HPA Stage II R32
HKS CT230R
JG Tune Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro '09
Nismo Skyline GT-R R-Tune R34
NISMO Fairlady Z Z-tune
Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 Base '06
Nissan Gran Turismo Skyline GT-R '01
NISMO 380RS Super Leg

Lap 1 - 3rd Place - 9:10.598 - Gap 7.768
The race starts and I draft the HKS CT230R down the front straight passing the Nismo 400R. Down in to turn one I get side by side with the HKS Evo but I'm unable to make a pass on him. However a good run through the Mercedes Arena enables me to take 5th place from him. The top 4 cars were able to drive away the rest of the Grand Prix track but by Kesselchen I'm able to fight with the HPA Volkswagen and Mine's BNR34 Skyline and I'm by them and into 3rd by Angstkurve. The gap to the two leaders is about 5 seconds at this point so I've got some clean track ahead of me. Other than a couple powerslides through Schwalbenschwanz and Galgenkopf it was a clean and productive lap moving from 7th to 3rd.

Lap 2 - 3rd Place - 8:57.522 - Gap 15.397
Lap number two starts off quite uneventfully. Lots of clean track ahead but I slowly start catching 2nd place. By the Karussell he's in sight, but barely. I had dreams of catching his draft down the straight but another powerslide through Schwalbenschwanz kept him out of reach. After two laps I'm 15 seconds behind but the gap to 2nd place was trimmed to 3 seconds.

Lap 3 - 3rd Place - 8:58.819 - Gap 20.242
The 3rd lap was much like the 2nd early on. I was a bit hot through Adenauer-Forst but I kept it between the lines and was quicker than both leaders through that sector. This time through the Karussell I'm about 3 car lengths back on the 2nd place HPA Audi TT but I punch the accelerator a bit early and come off the banking just to watch him drive away again. Another good run through Pflanzgarten II gave me ideas on drafting him down the straight but again they were thawrted, this time by a slight slip off on entry to Schwalbenschwanz. Another second closer to him at the line however.

Lap 4 - 3rd Place - 9:06.945 - Gap 28.005
Lap 4 I again found myself alone through the first portion of the track, however the gap decreased significantly through the Aremberg-Fuchsrohre-Adenauer-Forst sections. I drafted him a bit too closely and carrier too much speed through Metzgerfeld getting side by side with the HPA TT, as he took a wide exit I avoided contact and drove a bit into the grass allowing him to drive off while I got back on track. The slight off cost me less than a second and by Kesselchen I was able to fly right past him into 2nd place. Down the straight the TT was close enough to draft me but not close enough to pass so I started to think about pit strategy. My adjustments seemed to work well as I felt I had plenty of tire life left to go for a 5th lap, possibly even a 6th! Way better than last race. The TT got close at the crest of the hill and it seemed to make me push that mush harder and coming down to the Hohenrain-Schikane I carried too much speed, went off track and brushed the red and white barrier allowing the TT to sneak past. I crossed the line 1.2 seconds behind him and not it a good mood.

Lap 5 - 3rd Place - 9:19.807 - Gap 42.447
With that in mind what do I do? Dive too deep at the TT into turn one and put my left front into the sand for a split second... No spin but it certainly isn't going to help me catch the HPA or the leader. Another lapse in focus send me sliding off at the highspeed Hatzenbach-Bogen and by the end of the GP-Strecke the TT is no where in sight and the Fairlady Z Z-Tune is on my tail. Sections 6-10 I'm slightly quicker than the 2nd place TT but by a few tenths, still happy to have settled back in. Down the straight I realize my tires won't hold up another lap so I plan to pit. Coming down the hill i'm to fast again on the last turn but this time I only catch the grass a bit. The TT and I hit the pits along with everyone else except the Amuse S2000, HKS CT230R and Amuse Nismo 380 SL. (Nismo 400R also didn't pit)

Lap 6 - 3rd Place - 9:54.533 - Gap 30.717
I come out of the pits in 4th behind the 3 cars who have yet to pit with the TT slightly behind me. With a fresh set of rubber I set out to attempt to make my 6 lap run on this set of tires. The TT and I are dead even through the next 3 sectors and it's not until Aremberg that I put a few car lengths between us. By Pflanzgarten I'm able to see the 380 SL but I come off into the gravel in Schwalbenschwanz. Luckily his tires are worn and he makes a mistake in Galgenkopf and I'm able to pass him before the straight.

Lap 7 - 1st Place - 9:02.687 - Gap -2.613
As I cross the line I see the leaders in the pits and assume the top spot. The Amuse S2000 ran a wretched 10 minute lap on his worn out rubber so the CT230R should be quite close to him when they exit. The gap back to the TT is 7 seconds now so I feel pretty good about myself even though the last few laps haven't been clean. Uneventful, quick and... DOH Schwalbenschwanz reached out and grabbed me again... this time spinning the car around and losing 6 seconds to the HPA Audi TT.

Lap 8 - 1st Place - 8:58.259 - Gap -7.138
With such a small gap I expected to have the TT hounding me by the time we got to the Nordschleife but he didn't run his best through the GP-Strecke so my lead was intact. The rest of the lap wasn't perfect but it was clean and under 9 minutes so I was happy.

Lap 9 - 1st Place - 9:06.959 - Gap -3.43
Uneventful lap wasn't the fastest, or the prettiest but we got around without touching any walls or slipsliding into the grass.

Lap 10 - 1st Place - 9:14.484 - Gap -3.03
After the gap closed I again figured the TT would catch me in the GP portion of the track and catch me he almost did as I again short cutted through some gravel this time on the right hander before the final turn onto the Nordschleife. He got within 3 car lengths but again once we got onto the big track I was able to put some space between us. MY front tires started to wear more than my rears so I started to adjust my power output more towards the rear and also the brake bias to try and make them go further. I ended up playing with this the rest of the race and was able to really balance the tire wear. For the rest of the lap I started to be really conscious of the tires and that allow the TT to catch me. However he wasn't able to pass me and as I crossed the line he went into the pits.

Lap 11 - 1st Place - 9:20.199 - Gap -9.641
That put the Amuse S2000 into second, about 25 seconds back, surprisingly after coming out of the pits in 7th. I kept tweaking the biases and paying great attention to the tire wear this lap trying to make it around without losing too much time. I made it around just fine and headed into the pits.

Lap 12 - 3rd Place - 10:05.412 - Gap 26.506
I came out of the pits in 4th. Even after a spin losing 10 seconds (just getting heat in the tires) at Wehrseifen and 3 places I'm able to get back by the Mine's BNR34 skyline in the first part of the lap and had the sister car in my sights by Ex-Muhle. Got by and closed in on the Amuse 380 through Bergwerk setting up a pass early on through Kesselchen putting me back in 4th. I over take the crippled Amuse S2000 (6th lap on his tires) at Schwalbenschwanz. At the I am happy to see a 10:05 which after my 1:05 pit stop means I was around 9 minutes even for the lap, after the spin none the less.

Lap 13 - 2nd Place - 8:59.631 - Gap 7.355
I pass the HKS CT230R on the front straight while he's in the pits and I'm 12 about seconds back of the leader. I'm much quicker through sectors 3,4,5 and 6 and catch a glimpse of the leading Audi TT through Adenauer-Forst. I was inching closer but I get the car horizontal in Bergwerk and lose about 4 seconds on what was turning out to be a really quick lap. The rest of the lap I continue to catch the TT though she still is out of range.

Lap 14 - 2nd Place - 9:02.460 - Gap 5.828
A clean enough lap but it's all by myself as the TT is able to stay out of range. I catch a glimpse of him down the long straight but the gap is only down to 5 seconds at the line.

Lap 15 - 2nd Place - 9:16.790 - Gap 13.027
The start to the lap wasn't the quickest as we lost about 4 seconds through the gp track instead of the usual 2. However in Aremberg we go for a ride into the gravel and lose 2 seconds instead of gaining two as we had the rest of the race through there. Knowing the TT is going to pit this lap and I'll assume the lead, though only for a lap, I try to relax a bit.

Lap 16 - 1st Place - 9:34.533 - Gap -9.072
I take the lead with the TT hitting the pits and I set off on my last lap with these tires. Definitely need to learn to take it easier on worn tires as I go off somewhere I never have before, Flugplatz. The rest of the lap is uneventful but slower than my other pit in laps. Losing about 20 seconds to the HKS CT230R.

Lap 17 - 4th Place - 9:54.250 - Gap 36.617
After the pit work is complete I head back on track in 5th position. I start to see the 4th place Mine's skyline through Metzgerfeld. It's not until the long straight that I catch him and pass him however and as I cross the line I'm in 4th. It was my quickest lap so far when you take out the time for the pit stop however and I'm feeling good about this run.

Lap 18 - 3rd Place - 8:58.459 - Gap 25.71
The 3 leaders are pretty close together, with only 7 seconds separating them. It'll be a while before I catch them though and still have the Mine's Skyline on my tail through the first three sectors. The Amuse S2000 however is on his 6th lap and worn tires so I quickly start to catch him and I'm able to get by through the Karussell. Entering Schwalbenschwanz we get a bit wide, tag the wall and spin the R8 around. Quickly back on track, losing about 2 seconds in the process. Would have been the fast lap of the race.

Lap 19 - 2nd Place - 9:01.417 - Gap 22.505
The HKS Evo is in the pits so I jump to second place again trailing the HPA Audi TT. I get through Hatzenbach rather sloppily but the R8 is no worse for wear. Bergwerk is a bit different story as we run hot through there and kiss the barrier, though only losing maybe a second. The rest of the lap is clean and we continue to carry on in 2nd place.

Lap 20 - 2nd Place - 9:05.641 - Gap 18.28
Half way through the lap we hit the 3 hour mark, while still in 2nd place. The TT is ahead by a fair margin still but should be pitting this lap so a nice and easy lap should do just fine.

Lap 21 - 1st Place - 9:19.660 - Gap -32.05
We get the lead back, but we'll have to pit after this lap so we need to keep the lap time as low as possible without pushing to hard and making a mistake. It was sloppy but no big mistakes so it was a decent pit in lap.

Lap 22 - 3rd Place - 9:46.349 - Gap 10.603
Out of the pits in 3rd, behind the HKS and TT who will both pit again and we're done with the service work. Clean lap and the quickest out lap, but it was the shortest stop we did all race as well.

Lap 23 - 2nd Place - 8:57.968 - Gap 7.594
Only back 10 seconds and we should be on fresher tires than them, not to mention they should pit still so everything looks good! The HKS is running out of steam on those worn tires and by the Karussell I'm on him. I make a nice sliding pass (nice to look at, bad for the tires) through Brunnchen to take 2nd place.

Lap 24 - 2nd Place - 9:15.313 - Gap 18.414
Less than a half hour left and we're hawking down the leading Audi TT. I had a really clean lap going until Schwalbenschwanz where I came off and did a 270 degree spin losing my gap to the HKS and about 10 seconds in the process. Just when you think you have this car wrangled she jumps out of line! She sure is a blast to drive and with the hard sports tires you really can feel her.

Lap 25 - 2nd Place - 9:11.765 - Gap 20.126
The HKS heads to the pits and again we're by our self. I keep telling my self the Audi TT will pit and to just conserve the tires but here and there I still leave some tire smoke in my wake. This car just begs to be driven like that. Small off in Wehrseifen makes me really start to take it easy telling myself we'll make it. Ahead on the map I see the leading Audi pit and big smile hits my face.

Lap 26 - 1st Place - 9:35.911 - Gap ---
I assume the lead as I pass the pits and it looks like I have about a 47 second lead. 44, 42, 41... 38...35...31... 5 sectors to go. I lose 4 more seconds in sector 11. Down to 20 seconds but it's not enough as I drive away into the German sunset as the victor of the 4 Hours of Nurburgring!




Race Summary
I was really happy with the adjustments I made to the setup as I was able to get much better wear out of the tires. The on the fly adjustments also made it easy to stay out for that 6th lap on the 2nd stint. This car is just a blast to drive and though I wasn't nearly as clean as I'd like to have been I was pleased to win the race. I'm sure that in the right hands this car would be able to make 27 laps but for me it wasn't the case. I'd really like to give it another shot to see if I can better my time but this car has won so I think we'll be looking for another option next time. Overall it was a blast!

Sports Hard Tires Famine.

I've noticed that in Famine's race with the S2000 where he won by only 4s, his Average Speed was 97.94MPH. The very slightly slower R8 did 97.38 but lost and came 4th. Therefore, if you want to win, you do need to do around 97.9 or better to win and not say 97.5, only slightly slower but you'll probably lose.

Point: It's very close in terms of average speed.

My crew suggesteded I should take a proper car for my next challenge. So I assumed they had something new and nice for me.. but I was wrong. We had to wrench for a few days, the crew has worked around the clock to get the car ready. It was in awful state. The last time we raced this car was in 2009 during the DTM Revival race on the Nordschleife. It suffered 2 crashes in the demo race which lasted only 45 minutes. On top of that the car blew it's headgasket, the ignition was hesitating and the suspension was build in the time Napoleon wasn't even born yet. And now they want me to race this car for 4 hours..

But it's come a long way and this afternoon we had our first tests. I must admit, the car is promising.. I surely didn't expect this.

More to come !

bonobo4

I've noticed that in Famine's race with the S2000 where he won by only 4s, his Average Speed was 97.94MPH. The very slightly slower R8 did 97.38 but lost and came 4th. Therefore, if you want to win, you do need to do around 97.9 or better to win and not say 97.5, only slightly slower but you'll probably lose.

Point: It's very close in terms of average speed.

Click to expand...

I think we'll see slower in the race I'm about to finish

Michel4AGE

My crew suggesteded I should take a proper car for my next challenge. So I assumed they had something new and nice for me.. but I was wrong. We had to wrench for a few days, the crew has worked around the clock to get the car ready. It was in awful state. The last time we raced this car was in 2009 during the DTM Revival race on the Nordschleife. It suffered 2 crashes in the demo race which lasted only 45 minutes. On top of that the car blew it's headgasket, the ignition was hesitating and the suspension was build in the time Napoleon wasn't even born yet. And now they want me to race this car for 4 hours..

But it's come a long way and this afternoon we had our first tests. I must admit, the car is promising.. I surely didn't expect this.

More to come !

Click to expand...

Now, I was tempted by that earlier... Good choice

OK this is going to sound like a "me too". Or maybe "me three"... But...

The merc was on my short list of cars for the low PP run.

Great writeup (as usual).

Famine

If I ever think of doing a race on Comfort Softs again, shoot me.

Click to expand...

That may be the one place I'm actually smarter than you. I wouldn't have thought of doing it in the first place.

But I predict you'll hold the record on comfort soft all your own. Who would be enough to try to beat that. 👍

Before you consider too hard you better make a lap on the ring on comfort tires. What Famine has done is no small feat.

Think back to your previous comment about the 111R and the Top Gear Challenge. That's what comfort tires are like.

s2k2k3

Before you "consider" too hard you better make a lap on the ring on comfort tires. What Famine has done is no small feat.

Click to expand...

I know, it's bad enough on SH tyres. It was more of a joke to sound "hardcore" when we all know I'm not.

bonobo4

I know, it's bad enough on SH tyres. It was more of a joke to sound "hardcore" when we all know I'm not.

Click to expand...

Well then, I'm had.

Just cruising, at maybe 80mph, I exit Galgenkopf and see the long straight un-furl off into the distance.

I press enthusiastically on the throttle and feel my rear tires dig in and accelerate me towards the T10 checkpoint.

I hear an unfamiliar sound being emmited from the engine bay of my Infiniti Coupe.........*cough*gurgle*spit*sigh*........ I don't seem to be accelerating any longer. With a steely reserve, I glance downwards toward the gauges and see nary an ounce of fuel.

My speed drops towards the 50mph mark.

I look ahead and see a vast expanse of tarmac that still needs to be traversed.

A unease settles over the cockpit of my trusty Infiniti Coupe.

Looking around (possibly there's a nearby camper that has some spare petrol:idea, I nervously glance in my rear-view mirror and happen to notice a small moving vehicle. I glance again, and it seems to have grown by an ungodly amount since my previous glance. I think I recognize the front bumper of a well-known Amuse!

How did I get myself in this position you ask?


Let's rewind the clock some four hours:

We've had some great racing action on the 'Ring recently as evidenced by the size of this thread, so, wanting to join in the fun, I have checked my garage for another chariot and have settled upon a very nice Infiniti Coupe Concept '06.

After some minor wrenching by my pit crew, the Infiniti Coupe has the following spec's:

Horsepower: 397
Weight: 1360
PP value: 500
Tires: Sport Soft installed and used throughout the race

My Infiniti Coupe is up against the following competition:
1) High End G37
2) AEM S2000
3) RUF CTR2 '96
4) Mine's BNR34 Skyline N1 base
5) Lexus ISF Racing Concept
6) NISMO Skyline S-tune
7) me in the Infiniti Coupe
8) RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7
9) NISMO 400R '96
10) Amuse S2000 GT1
11) Opera Gran Turismo 350Z
12) Amuse Carbon R

The flag drops and I'm off again!!

My Infiniti is pretty good off the line, so I only get dropped to 9th place as we all brake for turn one. I take the apex of turn two and pass the RE Amemiya RX-7. The AEM S2000 gets passed by both the Amuse S2000 GT1 and myself in the Infiniti as we go thru turn three. I pass the Amuse S2000 going thru turn seven. Up next is the Lexus ISF Concept, who gets caught and passed as I drive thru Hocheichen. I take an excellent line thru Quiddelbacher Hohe, which makes it easy to pass the 4th place NISMO Skyline S-tune as I exit Flugplatz. The 3rd place Mine's BNR34 Skyline gets passed as I exit Ex-Muhle. I catch the 2nd place High End G37 as I exit Galgenkopf, so I get a great draft down the long straight and just edge in front of the G37 when I get to the Antoniusbusche overpass. As I cross the S/F line at the end of lap one, I see that I ran a 9:18.8 lap, and that I'm 15 seconds behind the leading RUF CTR2.

The High End G37 comes along-side going into turn one at the beginning of lap # 2, but since my Infiniti coupe does a better job under braking, I exit turn one in front of the G37. I pull away from the 3rd place car during the rest of lap # 2 in an effort to catch the leading RUF. At the end of lap # 2, I carry too much speed into the Hohenrain esses and end up against the armco. I lose about 5 seconds before getting underway again. When I cross the S/F line at the end of lap # 2, I see that I'm 27 seconds behind the leading RUF. The Amuse S2000 GT1 has drafted into 3rd place in the race during the long blast down the final straight. Lap # 2 was a 9:06.3 lap.

The Amuse S2000 pulls past me going down the S/F straight at the beginning of lap # 3, but gets sent to the rear as I out-brake him in turn one. The 3rd place Amuse S2000 follows me closely for most of lap # 3, so he's able to draft past me going down the long straight. I catch his draft and re-pass him just before the Antoniusbusche overpass. Remembering my previous problems with braking for the Hohenrain esses, I brake extremely early for the esses which allows the Amuse S2000 to drive back past me. At the end of lap # 3, I'm in 3rd place some 29 seconds behind the leading RUF CTR2. Lap # 3 was a 9:01.7 lap.

I'm right behind the 2nd place Amuse S2000 as we exit turn one on lap # 4, so I find it easy to pass the Amuse going thru turn two. I pull away a bit from the Amuse during lap # 4, but get caught as we drive down the long straight. The Amuse powers past me but I quickly draft right back past him, so I'm still in 2nd place as I brake hard for the Hohenrain esses. Lap # 4 was a 9:06.4 lap.

The Amuse S2000 drives past me just as I begin lap # 5 with a 29 second deficit to the leading RUF CTR2. I out-brake the Amuse going into turn one and quickly re-take 2nd place in the race as we head off for our 5th lap. Even though my tires are starting to show a small loss of grip, I pull marketably away from the Amuse S2000 during lap # 5, so we don't have another drafting duel going down the long straight. At the end of lap # 5, I dive into the pits for 30 liters of fuel and some new SS tires. The leading RUF is already in the pits, so he loses the lead of the race when the Amuse S2000 drives past without pitting. I add 30 liters of fuel since 58 liters of fuel were used during the first five laps. Lap # 5 was a 9:10.2 lap.

When I exit the pits, I see that I have passed the RUF CTR2 who must have been a bit slow with his re-fueling. At the first checkpoint on lap # 6, I see that I'm 33 seconds behind the leading Amuse S2000. The RUF CTR2 is in 3rd place about 10 seconds behind my Infiniti Coupe. The RE Amemiya FD3S is in 4th place because it has not pitted yet. The AEM S2000 is in 5th place, the Mine's BNR34 Skyline is in 6th place, and the Amuse Carbon R is in 7th place. When I get to Eschbach on lap # 6, I can see the 1st place Amuse S2000, who has come back to me since its struggling on its worn tires. I easily pass the Amuse as we both exit the Eiskurve, which puts me into 1st place in the race for the 1st time!! The RUF also takes advantage of the struggling Amuse S2000 by passing the Amuse as they go thru the Pflanzgarten's.

As I cross the S/F line to begin lap # 7, I see that I have a 4 second lead over the 2nd place RUF CTR2. I carry too much speed thru Kottenborn, so I drive off into the grass at Schwedenkreuz and lose about 3 seconds, so the RUF is now only 1 second behind me.

The RUF CTR2 is right beside me when I cross the S/F line to begin lap # 8 with a 0.14 second lead. The RUF pulls ahead by about 1 1/2 car lengths before turn one, but I easily out-brake it going thru the corner, so I re-gain 1st place in the race as we continue our battle on the GP circuit.

When I cross the S/F line to begin lap # 9, I've been able to increase my lead over the RUF to 2.6 seconds. During lap # 9, the RUF starts to fade a bit, so I stretch out my lead to about 8 seconds during the lap.

When the 2nd place RUF CTR2 crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 10, I get the news that I have a 7.7 second lead. Lap # 10 goes well, and I increase my lead over the RUF to around 15 seconds by the time I pit for new tires and 54 liters of fuel at the end of the lap. The RUF follows me into the pits.

I exit the pits just as the 3rd place AEM S2000 enters the pits. At the first checkpoint on lap # 11, I'm informed that I now have a 41 second lead over the RUF CTR2.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 12, I see that my lead is 37 seconds.

My lead is still 37 seconds when the RUF begins lap # 13.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 14, I see that my lead is 39 seconds. I've decided to use a 5-5-4-4-4-4 pit strategy, so I pit for new tires at the end of lap # 14 with a 40 second lead over the RUF and take on 36 liters of fuel.

The pit stop only takes about 35 seconds, so I still have a slim lead over the 2nd place RUF when I exit the pits to begin lap # 15. When I cross the 1st checkpoint on lap # 15, I see that my lead is down to 4 seconds. The 3rd place AEM S2000 is another 15 seconds further back. The 4th place Mine's BNR34 is at least a full minute further back. The RUF is on worn tires, so he starts to fall back, which allows me to increase my lead to 14 seconds by the time I reach the Karussel. When the 2nd place RUF pits at the end of lap # 15, I see that I have a 22 second lead.

When I get to the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 16, I see that I have a 34 second lead over the AEM S2000, who has taken over 2nd place in the race when the RUF pitted last lap. The AEM S2000 is on worn tires, so he quite quickly falls further behind me during lap # 16, so I expect that he will pit at the end of his lap.

While I'm still under heavy braking as I slow for turn one on lap # 17, I look up and can just see the 12th place car across the track as it leaves turn four and heads towards turn five. I also notice that the RUF CTR2 has taken over 2nd place in the race from the struggling AEM S2000.

When the RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 17, I see that my lead is 93 seconds. The AEM S2000 finally makes it into the pits, which allows the Mine's BNR34 to take over 3rd place in the race. The Amuse S2000 GT1 climbs into 4th place and the AEM S2000 falls down to 5th place. When I reach Sprunghugel, I'm right on the rear-bumper of the 12th place NISMO 400R. I put two tires on the grass going thru Pflanzgarten III and slide past the NISMO 400R.

When the RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 18, I see that my lead is 1 minute and 28 seconds. On lap # 18, I reach the rear-bumper of the 11th place Opera Gran Turismo 350Z as we head towards Steilstreke. At the end of lap # 18, I dive into the pits with a 1 minute and 28 second lead for new sport soft tires and 46 liters of fuel. While I'm in the pits, the Opera Gran Turismo 350Z un-laps himself.

When I get to the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 19, I see that my lead has been reduced to 46 seconds over the RUF CTR2. On lap # 19, as I exit Galgenkopf, I've been able to catch the 11th place Opera Gran Turismo 350Z again, so I get a good draft past him on the long straight.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 20, I see that my lead is 56 seconds. The RUF fades on its worn tires during lap # 20, so when it pits at the end of the lap, my lead has grown to 1 minute and 15 seconds. After another minute or so, I see that the 3rd place Mine's BNR34 has also entered the pits which allows the AEM S2000 to drive past and take over 3rd place in the race.

On lap # 21, when I reach Wehrseifen, I see that my lead has ballooned out to 2 minutes and 15 seconds over the RUF. I'm a little complacent with this large a lead, so during a brief moment of lost concentration, I catch too much grass going thru Pflanzgarten III, execute a wonderful 360, and smack the armco going about 100mph backwards.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 22, I see that my lead has been reduced to 2 minutes and 7 seconds. At the end of lap # 22, I head into the pits for the last time and take on 37 liters of fuel and have my pit crew install another set of sport soft tires.

When I get to the 4th checkpoint on lap # 23, I see that my lead over the 2nd place RUF has been reduced to 1 minute and 27 seconds.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 24, I see that I have increased my lead to 1 minute and 35 seconds.

When the 2nd place RUF crosses the S/F line to begin lap # 25, I see that I have increased my lead to 1 minute and 46 seconds.

When I cross the S/F line to begin lap # 26, I pass the 10th place car who is in the pits. I also see that my lead over the 2nd place RUF has grown to 1 minute and 59 seconds. At the 6th checkpoint on lap # 26, I see that my lead over the 2nd place RUF has grown to 3 minutes and 11 seconds. At the T10 checkpoint, I get the news that I have a 3 minute and 5 second lead over the RUF and I also see that there are only 2 minutes and 55 seconds to go before the 4 hour mark will be reached. I check my fuel gauge and see that I only have about a half lap of fuel remaining, so either I put on the brakes and waste 2 minutes, or I should head into the pits for a splash of fuel............. What to do?..................

Since the race regulations prohibit stopping on the track, I decide that I will enter the pits for a splash of fuel and run one more lap. When I enter the pits, I see that I only have 4 liters of fuel left in the tank, so I was correct that I had less than a lap left of fuel. I have my pit crew give me a splash of fuel and get underway as quickly as possible.

Already in the pits were the 9th place Amuse Carbon R and the 10th place NISMO Skyline S-tune. I exit the pits just behind them so I head off on lap # 27, fully intending to put them both a lap down.

I catch and pass the 10th place NISMO Skyline S-tune going thru the last left-hander on the GP circuit and put him a lap down. with 8 seconds to go before the 4 hour mark is reached. I'm driving thru Hatzenbach when the 4 hour mark is reached and I get the news that I have a 2 minute and 58 second lead over the RUF CTR2. When I'm 2 minutes and 54 seconds into lap # 27 I get dropped to 2nd place in the race, so I know that the RUF has crossed the S/F line behind me. I catch and pass 9th place Amuse Carbon R going thru Adenaur Forst at the 4 hour 1 minute and 48 second mark. As the other cars cross the S/F line I get dropped down to 8th place over the next few minutes.

Deja vu................

Just cruising, at maybe 80mph, I exit Galgenkopf and see the long straight un-furl off into the distance.

I press enthusiastically on the throttle and feel my rear tires dig in and accelerate me towards the T10 checkpoint.

I hear an unfamiliar sound being emmited from the engine bay of my Infiniti Coupe.........*cough*gurgle*spit*sigh*........ I don't seem to be accelerating any longer. With a steely reserve, I glance downwards toward the gauges and see nary an ounce of fuel.

My speed drops towards the 50mph mark.

I look ahead and see a vast expanse of tarmac that still needs to be traversed.

A unease settles over the cockpit of my trusty Infiniti Coupe.

Looking around (possibly there's a nearby camper that has some spare petrol:idea, I nervously glance in my rear-view mirror and happen to notice a small moving vehicle. I glance again, and it seems to have grown by an ungodly amount since my previous glance. I think I recognize the front bumper of a well-known Amuse!

A second later the Amuse Carbon R flashes past and streaks off down the long straight.

Three seconds later the NISMO Skyline S-tune blasts past and leaves me with no doubt that driving down the Nurburgring straight at 50mph is no fun. Now I know how a driver in a Citroen 2CV feels.

I press the accelerator with both feet, but my speed remains stuck at 50mph.

Finally after a 11 minute and 24 second lap, I cross the Finish line and take the win!

Another Trophy is mine! (plus some useful XP points)

Total race time was 4hours 9minutes and 22 seconds.

Post race notes:
The Infiniti Coupe does very well at the 500PP tune on sport soft tires.
Don't ignore your pit crew when they call you on the radio and tell you to save fuel on the last lap!

Enjoy the racing!
GTsail

I got to wonderin just why the OPTION Stream Z is so slow in this race. By the specs it should be as fast as the LMS and GT1. So I took it for a test drive. Accelerates like a surface-to-air missile, and turns like a beer truck. It did hit 204 though. That's miles not kilometers.

In spite of plowing like a john deer the whole track I still wore the rear tires faster than the fronts because the insane power smokes the rear skins every time you touch the gas.

I like it!

It's useless in this race, but I'll play with it on some of my custom tracks and see if I can get it to turn. I did OK with the Vertigo so I think I can sort this one too.

s2k2k3

I got to wonderin just why the OPTION Stream Z is so slow in this race. By the specs it should be as fast as the LMS and GT1. So I took it for a test drive. Accelerates like a surface-to-air missile, and turns like a beer truck. It did hit 204 though. That's miles not kilometers.

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Basically the Japanese equivalent to the Veyron then.

Nice job with that ZZII, Famine. Goes to show what the ZZII can do sometimes, and all for 60,000 Cr.

I've had a go with a few cars - I've tried my two LFA's and my completely stock R8 5.2 Chrome Line, but I always wear the tires out too fast. Even with TCS on 1 and SRF on, the front tyre wear on the Audi is enough to facilitate a four lapper, and while it is fast enough to keep up with, let's say, the HPA, if my tires are down to at least 1/2 on the front, and it passes me, then it's gone. Also bear in mind I'm using Sports Hard tyres with it as well. Also bear in mind it comes with aerodynamics and if I remember correctly a sports suspension. I've tried getting my two LFA's to beat the S2000 GT1 Turbo (less powerful is on Sports Softs, the more powerful is on Sports Mediums) but they aren't quite fast enough by the looks of it and again, there's the possibility of massive tyre wear. Also consider I'm using just a DS3 as well, and compared to other DS3 users on here I'd say I'm...roughly average. Compared to everyone else here, I'd say I'm low-bottom tier.

Of course the ZZII would win, it has an RB26!

Congrats on the win Famine.

Okay, I'm ready for this race (I need to unlock it as I am Level 31.5). Since this is going to be my first time, I'm using something that should win, unless the R8 LMS is in the race. My car is as follows:
RUF CTR2 '96
531BHP/1380kg
384.78BHP/tonne
Completely stock other than Oil change, engine rebuild, FC Transmission, FC LSD, RS Tyres.

Notes: This car is very fast and good in the corners, but like most RUFs, it bites. If you aren't careful, you will crash. It will do 190MPH, but try doing that in Antoniusbuche and you'll crash. I've done a lap of the 4Hr track in 9:02, which should be enough, but I don't know how this car fares on MPG and Tyres. Like I said, it isn't easy to drive, turn in too hard and you'll crash and/or spin.

bonobo4

Okay, I'm ready for this race (I need to unlock it as I am Level 31.5).

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Run a few seasonal events and you'll be 32. It should take less than an hour.

Bah.. had to retire from my race with the Benz. Brakepedal stucked.. did some cleaning and it's working again.. Not so nice after 3 hours driving.

Michel4AGE

Bah.. had to retire from my race with the Benz. Brakepedal stucked.. did some cleaning and it's working again.. Not so nice after 3 hours driving.

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Could you not have paused the race, cleaned the brake pedal then continued rather than retiring?

Well yes I assumed I could, but the wheel didn't calibrate anymore when I plugged it back in (had to unplug it because I had to press the pedal a few times). So then I plugged in my DS3 but the DS3 didn't work either
Then I just fainted and rebooted my ps3.

But I restarted the race.. but not with ze Benz. 415PP though. 7th lap and 2nd pos. behind the CTR2 now.

has anyone considered a Suzuki cappuccino RM run, its slow but it only uses 6l per lap and the tires last a decade, you may be able to one stop it if you dare, 2 stop for sure

MemorableC

has anyone considered a Suzuki cappuccino RM run, its slow but it only uses 6l per lap and the tires last a decade, you may be able to one stop it if you dare, 2 stop for sure

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Oh man I have the one I used to win the first Cappuccino cup series. Love driving that car. I think I'll test it asap, though my next attempt is the R8 5.2 on comfort softs I think. Ran a 9:10 with it this morning in my quick test at 575 pp.

MemorableC

has anyone considered a Suzuki cappuccino RM run, its slow but it only uses 6l per lap and the tires last a decade, you may be able to one stop it if you dare, 2 stop for sure

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The thought occurred to me, but I don't think it has enough speed. Plus, it's got a very high PP, relative to other cars in the power/weight class.

So I see if I can take mentally and phisically 4 hours on the Green Hell. Car will be a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommy Makkinnen (did I speel it correctly?) Special Colour Package 1999 tuned to the max (500bhp)

2½ hours in the race.. CTR2 15secs ahead of me in 18th lap. Nice race so far

35 minutes and a half in the race, 1st pit stop happening... Car is FASTTTTTTT I'm around 58 secs in front of the second place... don't know which car is

NascarManiaco99

35 minutes and a half in the race, 1st pit stop happening... Car is FASTTTTTTT I'm around 58 secs in front of the second place... don't know which car is

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You'll get bored being that much faster than the AI. It's best to pick a car/tune that puts you equal to the AI. That makes the race fun and keeps your interest.