Another 200 A-spec Laguna Seca 200 miles. (Stock Honda NSX '01)

Laguna Seca 200 miles​

Last time I ran this race was just over 2 years ago, when I claimed my 200 A-spec points in a Honda NSX Type R '92 which can be found in Smallhorses' Race Report Link Dump. This time around, it's a newer vintage of NSX that I'm driving, but although it's more powerful than it's predecesor, it's not nearly as stripped down as the sporty Type R model from almost a decade prior to my ride today, and hence the standard 2001 NSX tips the scales at 110kg porkier and has a higher weight to power ratio which should make for an exciting race! It's painted in a virulent green colour which makes no pretence at a gentlemanly

"Would you mind terribly letting me by, old chap?" and instead lurches much more towards a thoroughly angry "Get the Bloody Hell out of my way!"
Once again, since the AI field here are a mixture of stock and modified US cars running on RH (R2) rubber, the Stock car race comparison/challenge thread modified it's rules a little regarding this race only, and allows the use of RSH (R1) tyres to enable a stock car to keep up, which is almost impossible on SM (S2) tyres that most cars are equipped with as standard.

Car:
Honda NSX '01 (R1 Tyres, oil changed) / MR / 291HP / 1340kg / 4.6kg/HP
(Ending specs 277HP / 1340kg / 4.8kg/HP)
which yields 200 A-spec points when pitted against the following lineup
[HP in square brackets]:

Grid:-
1st

Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (C4) '90 [493HP]
2nd

Chevrolet Camaro SS '00 [494HP]
3rd

Callaway C12 '03 [493HP]
4th

Dodge Viper GTS '99 [499HP]
5th

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5) '00 [498HP]
6th

Honda NSX '01 [291HP]​

​

Race Highlights:-​

Laps 1 - 10:

Hang back in 6th for lap 1 to let the field shake itself out, the Z06 forcibly takes 4th from the Viper at turn 11, and the Callaway appears to be holding them both up. Right on the Viper's tail for most of lap 2, passing cleanly into 5th braking for turn 10. The Z06 follows in similar fashion on lap 3, and the C12 likewise on lap 4, leaving me a little room to the leading ZR-1 and the 2nd placed Camaro. 1st lap in clean air on lap 5 sees 3s come off my previous best lap, a 1'35.910 and a devilish 1'35.666 on lap 6 leaves 11s gap to the lead car. Round out the first 10 laps maintaining a good pace, mostly in the mid 1'35 range, with the fast laptime dropped to 1'35.334, although a wiggle exiting Rainey Curve on lap sees a 1'36.181 registered, and the gap to the leader who is inching away is now 13.2s, while I'm holding a comfortable cushion over the 3 cars behind me who're running very close together judging by the map.

Laps 11 - 20:

Keep up the same pace for a few more laps and the gap is still creeping up slowly, registering 14.7s as I complete a new fast lap of 1'34.994 ending lap 13. The Camaro appears to be gaining on the ZR-1 at this point, and I gain a full second back on the leader with a 1'34.505 on lap 14. I have my first off track moment on lap 15, just getting all 4 tyres into the dirt beyond the kerb exiting turn 10, but it's easily recovered, and I start to think that the leaders are beginning to suffer from tired tyres, as I'm still able to drop the gap to 13.3s after a 1'35.8xx lap. It's confirmed as they both pit ending lap 16, and I suddenly notice that either the Z06 or Viper has broken free of the mobile roadblock that is the C12, and has bitten chunks out of my cushion as I pass the stationary cars in the pits to begin lap 17 in the lead! The split timer confirms it's the Z06 as he goes through into 2nd place just 4s behind me now. The Z06 continues to push, closing to within 2s even though I'm lapping fairly consistently in low 1'35s / high 1'34s. The C12 pits from in front of the Viper, who follows him in ending lap 19. The Z06 closes to within 1s at the T2 checkpoint, and I'm slower than usual through turn 6 which puts him worryingly close, a 1'36.1xx lap ends with him 2s behind though as he too starts to lose grip.

Laps 21 - 30:

Have a 2s lead over Z06 into lap 21, but he's not pitted yet and after losing a little more time throughout the twisty, latter part of the lap he goes in ending this lap, ensuring he'll be making 4 stops before the end of the race. Although in clean air I'm considerably slower than him on warm tyres, I'm quicker on the cold tyres, and should if everything goes to plan only have to make 3 stops, which should buy me some considerable time. It'll still be a close call though and there's no margin for errors! The ZR-1 resumes 2nd place, 23s behind at the line and the Camaro takes over 3rd. With my right front tyre a nice shade of orange and the rest at yellow, I pit in from 19s lead ending lap 23, taking on tyres and a splash of fuel, from 43 units up to 46 to give me a safety net for my next stint. Drop off the jacks still in 1st place, but as the ZR-1 and Camaro have just rounded turn 11, they're favourites to hit Andretti Hairpin first as I have to adhere to the pitlane speed limit! Rejoin in 3rd place, behind the Camaro as Z06 is coming through the first turn too! Just over 8s behind the leader at the end of my outlap, but drop right back into the mid-1'35 arena immediately. Keep the Z06 at bay for a while, but he starts to get closer, and the gap to the leader widens a little, then drops back to 8.7s after lap 28s new record of 1'34.337. Round out the 3rd 10 lap session with another new fast lap of 1'34.161, dropping the lead to 7.8s and putting me in sniffing distance of the Camaro. Too bad there's a Z06 edging closer to me all the time though!

The Skip Barber Racing School guys are unimpressed by me spark-showering the Callaway! ​

Laps 31 - 40:

Go through into 2nd place ending lap 32 as the Camaro makes a 2nd pitstop, but the ZR-1 stays out holding a 5s lead into lap 33. The Z06 is starting to get uncomfortably close now! Take back the lead ending lap 33 as the ZR-1 pits again and have the Z06 just 2s behind me. Only my second 4-wheels-off-track excursion happens in exactly the same way as the first on lap 34, but again it's easily guided back on track, and the Z06 only chips 2/10ths off my lead. Slow down too much for turn 6 on lap 36, and it allows the Z06 to sneak by before we brake for the Corkscrew. Stay right with him though but can't retake the lead out of Rainey Curve into turn 10, only 6/10ths behind him at the line though. The Viper pits from 3rd ending lap 37 having made a lot of time once he'd escaped the C12. He's dropped back to 5th by the time he exits the pitlane though as the ZR-1 and Camaro pairing go by. The C12 pits from way back in 6th place ending lap 38, while the leading Z06 is at turn 6! Had maintained about 2 - 3s gap behind the leader until lap 40, when I hit the dirt outside turn 4, which scrubs off a little speed, resulting in a 1'36.2xx lap and the gap grows to 4.5s as we round out the 4th batch of 10 laps.

Laps 41 - 50:

Take back 1st place when the Z06 pits from a little over 3s lead ending lap 42, and he manages to rejoin in 2nd place, albeit 26s adrift now. A few more consistent laps in the low 1'35 range extends that lead to a little under 30s by the time I pit ending lap 46, within sight of the backmarking C12, and with just over 100 miles on the odometer. Tyres on an fuel back up to the 45 unit mark, I'm ready for the off again, dropping off the jacks as the Z06 comes through turn 10. Manage to exit the pitlane as the Z06 rounds Andretti Hairpin, and charge onwards, completing my outlap with just 1.7s lead and a tyre temperature disadvantage to add to the 200HP penalty I'm also carrying! Push the tyres too hard at turn 6 on lap 48, sliding over the kerb into the dirt and skewing a little sideways, it drops my speed down to around 74mph instead of the normal 84mph that I carry through that turn and allows the Z06 to sit right on my tail as we brake for the Corkscrew, although I'm neater through Rainey Curve and turns 10 & 11, so I've still got just over a 1s lead by the time we hit the line. The Camaro pits on schedule ending lap 48 from back in 5th place now. Even with the right line & speed through turn 6 on the next two laps, my mirrors are still worryingly full of red Z06, and I end this 10 lap stint with my lead only just intact at 0.859s!

Laps 51 - 60:

The ZR-1 pits ending his 50th lap from 4th place, and I've got the Z06 close behind me, and the Viper in 3rd not much further back too! The Z06 gets alongside up to turn 6, but slows a lot, I brake down to 64mph to avoid contact on the outside, and he pulls away up the hill. Once again cleaner through the complex of turns between the Corkscrew and the finish line means I'm only 0.623s behind him ending the lap. He starts to edge away gradually, and the Viper closes to within 1s of me by lap 53, however, he's due a stop soon and he drops back markedly over the next few laps before pitting ending lap 55. Even running consistently in the high-1'34 range isn't enough to stop the Z06 pulling away at almost a second per lap, and as the C12 pits ending his 57th lap he's passed in the pits by the 1st & 2nd placed cars to go 1 lap behind. The Z06 continues to creep away despite my best efforts, and ends this session with a 9.2s lead.

Aaaaargh! Where'd those other cars come from?!!! Oh, wait.... ​

Laps 61 - 70:

Continue my pursuit of the Z06 and for the last few laps before his pitstop on lap 63, it's obvious he's dealing with tyre wear issues as I'm able to steal back a few seconds from him. The Viper back in 3rd place is closing fast on the C12 but, unlike the Z06 & I who had the luxury of lapping him while stationary, will have to lap him on the track, a pass which has already cost the Viper dear at the beginning of the race! The Z06 manages to just escape the pitlane before the C12, and maintains his lap over him. The Camaro pits bang on schedule again ending his 64th lap and the Z06 completes his outlap in 2nd place and 23s behind my NSX. Able to stretch the gap out to about 26s before it begins to diminish again as the Z06's new tyres heat up. ZR-1 stops ending his 67th lap, and I go in ending my 68th lap from just over 24s lead. I take on tyres, and top off to 41 units of fuel for the remaining 22 laps, but this time the Z06 is braking for turn 11 as I drop from the jacks. Lose my lead to the Z06 as he exits Andretti Hairpin as I exit the pitlane, but crucially I get out in front of the lapped C12 who is, as predicted, holding up the 3rd placed Viper! End my outlap 6.5s behind the Z06 and still have a whole lot of work to do before this race is done!

Laps 71 - 80:

Start to lap in the 1'35s as my tyres come up to temperature, but the Z06 is stretching the lead, up to 10s going into lap 72. The Viper escapes the C12's attentions, but pits ending lap 73 before he can get close enough to give me a deadly snakebite, however, the NSX is feeling sluggish now, the magic GT Auto shop oil HP is starting to wear off with 162 miles completed, and the Z06 is pulling away, 13.5s ahead beginning lap 74, and 10 laps to go before his final pitstop. An awful 1'37 lap allows the gap to grow more, and even pulling high 1'34s the lead increases to 20s by the beginning of lap 78, as the C12 pits from the end of his 76th lap. I end lap 80 with a 23s deficit, and 4 laps more before the Z06 stops, this isn't looking as rosy as I'd like right now.

Laps 81 - 90:

The Camaro stops again ending his 80th lap, and may prove a nuisance as he'll exit the pits before I can lap him, and will be slow on cold tyres when I catch him. I'm still gaining on the Camaro and have pulled a few seconds back from the Z06 as his tyres go off, such that he's 25s ahead when he pits ending lap 84. I pass him as he's rolling down the pit exit just about at the finish line. The ZR-1 pits ending his 84th lap, and exits the pits just in front of the Camaro that's currently about 4s ahead of me, while the Z06 completes his outlap jut 5.6s behind me in 2nd place. Begin lap 88 almost glued to the back of the Camaro, while the Z06 is warming his new tyres for a final assault, and is 6.8s behind now. Sneak by the Camaro at turn 10, and it gives me a backmarker cushion between me and my chaser. On warm tyres versus my virtually shredded ones, the laptime difference is readily apparent, I enter lap 90 with a 5.6s lead over the Z06 who isn't close enough to the lapped Camaro to be slowed down by it. I, on the other hand have a ZR-1 in front of me that's doing it's best not to be lapped, and tyres that're past their best! A high 1'35 lap ends the race, with the ZR-1 just yards from being lapped and the Z06 has chewed well over a second off my lead to come in 2nd just 4.4s behind!

Result:-​

1st

Honda NSX '01 2:2x'xx.xxx, 200.8 miles Didn't record finishing time!
2nd

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5) '00 +4.410s
3rd

Dodge Viper GTS '99 ~+25s Based on track position.
4th

Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (C4) '90 ~+1'35 Based on track position.
5th

Chevrolet Camaro SS '00 +1 Lap
6th

Callaway C12 '03 +1 Lap​

I love the last and second to last solo pictures of the NSX And its Lime Green! My favourite colour for the S2000 and NSX!

4.4seconds... eeeesh, close race there. 👍

VTiRoj

I love the last and second to last solo pictures of the NSX

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Glad you like the pictures! I seem to spend more time composing the pictures for the reports than I do racing!
Green is my favourite colour, but the Lime Green is just a tad bad for the eyes!

VTiRoj

4.4seconds... eeeesh, close race there. 👍

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Just the way I like it, keeps my heart pumping until the very end!

Damn it Nick, I am in need of a new manicure now that I've bitten off my nails again. Don't ever you pm me again with a new racereport unless youre willing to foot the bill upfront in which case I also need a .......

Good stuff!

AMG.

Another great write up Smallhorses. 👍
I enjoy running this race but with less than 400 HP I usually do no better than third place and that's a race worth far less than 200 points.

i'm loving the pictures..., sparks fly, heated battles, exhaust go "BANG!!", i like it..,

i don't like the Lime Green color that much, but it puts a different look on the NSX. Looks cool 👍 .., The color looks refreshing to the eyes, if you're getting tired of white, black and red cars, that is...,

I when i saw the comment on the picture of the NSX:

Aaaaargh! Where'd those other cars come from?!!! Oh, wait....

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Ahhhh the intensity of a close race. Well done, Smallhorses 👍 +rep

AMG.

Damn it Nick, I am in need of a new manicure now that I've bitten off my nails again. Don't ever you pm me again with a new racereport unless youre willing to foot the bill upfront in which case I also need a .......

Good stuff!

AMG.

Click to expand...

How about I just send you this instead?


and no I will not buy you a Swedish Masseuse!

jwane

Another great write up Smallhorses. 👍
I enjoy running this race but with less than 400 HP I usually do no better than third place and that's a race worth far less than 200 points.

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It's just a matter of picking the right lineup and taking advantage of the AI's sometimes odd pit strategies, and lack of speed when they're on cold tyres.
If you can avoid the faster cars here, such as the Saleen S7, Ford GT and Shelby Series 1, you can make a good close race of it. As ever, the AI pit strategy guide, and Digital-Nitrate's guide are invaluable preparation material!

=drifting24/7=

i'm loving the pictures..., sparks fly, heated battles, exhaust go "BANG!!", i like it..,

i don't like the Lime Green color that much, but it puts a different look on the NSX. Looks cool 👍 .., The color looks refreshing to the eyes, if you're getting tired of white, black and red cars, that is...,

I when i saw the comment on the picture of the NSX:

Click to expand...

Glad you liked it too! The Lime Green isn't so much a colour as a physical assault on the eyes! Still, I hope in some way it helped the AI get out of my way! (Oh, wait. This is GT4, intelligent AI? In my dreams! )

Parnelli Bone

Ahhhh the intensity of a close race. Well done, Smallhorses 👍 +rep

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Smallhorses

It's just a matter of picking the right lineup and taking advantage of the AI's sometimes odd pit strategies, and lack of speed when they're on cold tyres.
If you can avoid the faster cars here, such as the Saleen S7, Ford GT and Shelby Series 1, you can make a good close race of it. As ever, the AI pit strategy guide, and Digital-Nitrate's guide are invaluable preparation material

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links to the guides.
I like running this race with an unmodified AC Cobra because it in itself is a challenge to drive this track for 2 hours and the 2:1 pit ratio of the Cobra verses most of the other cars means the race will stay close with the G.T. and the Saleen. The Cobra will need to pit every 8 or 9 laps. I think the Pagani will pit every 20. Even though it's a challenging race, it's worth very few points.

Cheers for the write-up smallhorses. It gave me some information as to the laptimes needed to compete with the A1 cars but still make a close race of it.

I thought 1:35 was a good time to aim for, so I chose the Mazda RX-7 Type RS-R, oil changed, R1 tyres, triple clutch, flywheel, and racing muffler. 1184 kg, 292 hp.

I almost chose the Honda NSX-R Concept, but I had done many miles in it recently, and felt like a change.


Lineup

Pontiac GTO 5.7 Coupe '04
Chevolet Camaro SS '00
Saleen S7 '02
Ford GT '05
Shelby Series 1 Super Charged '03
Mazda RX-7 Type RS-R

I pushed hard and made very few mistakes in the race. I did a fastest lap time of 1:33.704, but it wasn't enough to catch the Shelby or Ford GT, who battled throughout the race for 1st place honors. The shelby won in the end due to taking one less pitstop.

From the start, the Ford GT raced away, while I kept the shelby at bay for some 12 laps, because he snuck by. The Ford GT just came out in front of me after it's first pit stop on lap 17. I knew I had to pass him on cold tyres to make a semblance of a race out of it, and I did. But I had to pit on lap 24, thus limiting me to 3 pitstops, instead of 2.

In the end I was battling the Saleen S7 throughout the race for the final podium spot. He got me 5 laps from the end, which was heartbreaking. In the end I think the RX-7 just lost too much horsepower, and I could only do 1:35s at the end of the race.

Final Standings
Shelby Series 1 2:22:53.033
Ford GT +20.649
Saleen S7 +53.907
Mazda RX-7 Type RS-R +1:01.397
Chevolet Camaro SS +5 laps
Pontiac GTO 5.7 Coupe +6 laps

In reflection, it was a very strong A1 field I had to compete against. The Honda NSX-R Concept probably would have won the race, as it is on average 1 second faster in stock standard then the Mazda RX-7 (which had a racing muffler, triple clutch and flywheel installed). I am pleased however that I did the race. Sometimes, its good to lose these races and know that you had a good fight, as long as the races aren't that long

Dude, that was an INCREDIBLY hard AI field. Kudoes for battling on till the end, I dont think I couldve done that, just wouldve seemed futile in the end But great work. If you draw a lineup without the GT, Saleen and Shelby, more like the one Smallhorses had, I think you'd be in with a great chance.

I was a hard field, indeed. But, that is how I like it. Some enduros you only want to do once in a lifetime. But the shorter ones you can do again and again just to challenge yourself. This was one of them.

I underestimated the Ford GT and the Shelby's pace. 1:33s at least were needed to fight with them. I reckon if I put a sports ROM and engine port modification on the RX-7, which would have added 15hp, then I could have won.