Circuit de la Sarthe II Endurance - 200 A-spec

Well you must be fed up of me cluttering the forum with incomplete reports but anyway this will be my fourth (yes 4th!) attempt at this race. I've gone back to the used and now well run Mazda 787B and I'm also carrying maximum ballast for 200 A-spec points. I know this car will handle well for most of the race unlike my last attempts which failed due to using bad setups. I suspect this race will be somewhat easy once I settle in but now I'm just interested in max A-spec points and a win, I also have the week off from work so this should take me 7-8 days to complete.


Hour 1

Into the first lap I closed up on the XJR into Dunlop Curve but ran slightly wide on cold tyres however I passed the XJR through Tertre Rouge for 5th place. The XJR repassed me down the Hunaudieres but I quickly regain 5th in the slipstream. This allowed me to catch the rest of the pack and after Mulsanne Kink I was in the lead. On cold tyres I ran wide into Mulsanne Corner dropping me to 4th ahead of the R89C and the XJR. I then understeered into the Porsche Curves and hit a barrier sending me into the opposite wall dropping me to 5th, the R89C also went wide and recovered several seconds behind me.

Next lap I was back up to 4th passing the 787B down the Hundaudieres after it had swerved into the barriers. The Sauber now lead the race 8 seconds in front of me. At the end of the lap I set a new record of 3'16.723 with the third placed XJR now only a couple of seconds ahead. I passed the XJR for 3rd as we weaved through the Esses my next target the 88C-V was not far ahead as I exited Tertre Rouge.

I was back in the lead before Mulsanne Kink and I'd probably need to hold back the Sauber C9 for the rest of the lap.

By the start of the next lap I was still leading though the Sauber was right with me. I had also set a new lap record of 3'12.811 after crossing the start line. On lap 7 I was 9 seconds ahead of the Sauber C9 and we both made our first pitstop at the end of the lap. I exited on lap 8 with the XJR 4 seconds ahead of me in the lead. The 787B was not far behind at the end of the lap (lap 8) where the XJR made it's first stop, the 787B stayed out again and then stopped at the end of the lap. I found the Sauber C9 was 24 seconds behind me and I was a bit perplexed as it had lost loads of time and by the end of lap 14 I had gained more time putting the gap at 32 seconds as I pitted for my second stop. I rejoined to find the Sauber C9 right behind me, having obviously extended it's pitstop window to 8 laps I'd need to hold it off for the rest of the lap.

The Sauber pitted at the end of lap 15 and was 1.2 seconds behind me until it spun off of it's own accord in the Porsche Curves. The 787B returned to second position and by lap 19 as the first hour finished I was a massive 46 seconds ahead.

The AI seems to be very sloppy at the moment making costly mistakes and also suffering from the barrier diving glitch, I almost feel dirty for being this far ahead in the first hour but .... I'll continue on.

Hour 2

The 787B pitted as I exited Tertre Rouge putting the Sauber C9 back into 2nd place, which was now 1 minute and 2 seconds behind me. On lap 20 I set a new lap record of 3'12.314 and the gap to the Sauber had grown to 1 minute and 7 seconds. As I pulled into my pit bay for my 3rd stop the Sauber had fallen further back to a gap of 1'13.403 behind.

On lap 23 the Sauber C9 made another stop now some 40 seconds behind me, I'm a little lost with who's 3 and 4th but I expect the 787B to come on stronger later on and perhaps overtake the Sauber C9 due to running much longer stints. Later into lap 24 the R89C pitted and I found that the XJR was now in second place over minute behind me, meaning the 787B would be behind it. The XJR pitted at the end of the lap and the 787B took over 2nd position 1'20.798 behind.

On lap 28 I was due to pit, the Sauber returned to 2nd place after the 787B pitted at the end of lap 27 now 1'22 seconds behind. By the end of the lap I was following the backmarking R89C in last place until I peeled off track into the pitlane for another scheduled stop.

At the end of lap 35 I was 1'45.658 ahead of the 787B in 2nd place. The Sauber had pitted on lap 30 while the R89C went a lap down on lap 32 after making another stop. This hour so far had gone smoothly and I had only had two offs on lap 32 and 33 due to lapses in concentration.

The second hour drew to a close on lap 36 as I approached the Porsche Curves on my outlap. The 787B was now 1'16.252 behind, ahead of me the 88C-V was also making a pitstop.

Hour 3

On lap 42 I stopped again and my lead gap was now up to 2 minutes 12 seconds from the Sauber which had been battling with the 787B since it's last stop. On lap 44 the Sauber was 1'39.693 behind while ahead I neared the 88C-V. The 88C-V went a lap under halfway down the Hunaudieres after it suddenly swerved into the rightside barrier ahead.

The Sauber C9 pitted on lap 47 some 1'50 behind, the 787B had stopped 2 laps earlier and would end up in 3rd around 6-7 seconds behind the Sauber C9 at the start of lap 48.

I made another stop for fuel and a fresh set of R1 tyres on lap 49 with a lead of 2'33.440 over the Sauber C9. The XJR-9 left the pits as I pulled into my pitbox. Exiting I ran wide through the Esses into the sand but managed to recover before the 88C-V could unlap itself.

I met the XJR-9 on lap 54 and my first attempt to lap it through Mulsanne Corner overshot me onto the Kerbs but by Maison Blanche I was about to lap it when this hour ended. My lead was now 2'21.329 over the Sauber C9.

Hour 4

I lapped the XJR as we passed the pit enterance outbraking it into the first turn of the Ford Chicane, I received a nudge from the XJR but I continued on without any trouble. By lap 56 I had caught the 787B which pitted on lap 54 but I needed to stop at the end of the lap. Ahead the Sauber C9 had already pitted and left the pitlane as I entered.

I relapped the XJR-9 at the end of my outlap as it made it's own pitstop and judging from my pace so far and with a lead of 2'44.342 it was likely I'd get near to or lap the Sauber C9 before the end of this hour. It's funny and equally disappointing how removing 2 chicanes neuters the AI's pace so much, I'd have thought from Sarthe I 24 hours I'd have had just as much as a challenge versus the Sauber.

On lap 62 I was only 20 seconds or so back from the Sauber, 787B and R89C when the 787B swerved for the barriers down the Hunaudieres allowing me to lap it. A mistake in the Porsche Curves allowed the 787B to close up again. I then ran wide at Tertre Rouge and I didn't lose my new temporary shadow until I pitted at the end of the next lap, lap 63 and now just under 3 minutes ahead of the Sauber C9.

I rejoined several seconds behind the R89C which had also pitted and I was able to lap it down the Hunaudieres after it had made a complimentary visit to the barriers. At the end of lap 64 both the Sauber and the 787B pitted. I split the two after they both rejoined the track. On lap 66 I caught the Sauber at Mulsanne Corner and then passed it into the Ford Chicane and crossed the line now a lap ahead at least of the entire field. The Sauber managed to stay with me for most of the next lap but after crossing the start line to start lap 68 I began to pull away.

I made another pitstop on lap 70 and this allowed the Sauber to unlap itself before I could rejoin. The R89C now 2 laps behind also stopped on the same lap. On lap 72 the 88C-V pitted as I approached Indianapolis and as I speeded away from Arnage this hour finished.

Hour 5
Pitstop Laps: 77 & 84

The Sauber pitted shortly after as it completed it's 71st lap putting it a lap down again, two laps later the 787B also made another stop as I reached Tertre Rouge on lap 74 as did the 4th placed XJR-9.

On lap 77 I came into the pits again now some distance ahead of the Sauber C9. By the end of lap 80 the Sauber pits again and I also put the 88C-V 2 laps down. As the hour neared it's end I lapped the R89C again as we approached Dunlop Curve. By the time I was nearing the Porsche Curves the hour ended. Notably the 787B seemed to be catching the Sauber C9, though I suspect the barrier glitch would soon stop it taking 2nd place away.

Hour 6
Pitstop Laps: 91, 98 & 105

On lap 96 I relapped the R89C after it passed me in the pits on lap 91. I also set a new record time of 3'11.640 at the end of the lap. The hour was pretty dull until lap 97 when I had a wake up call down the Hunaudieres, dosing away suddenly the XJR-9 appeared pulling away from the barriers, I quickly jinked to the left at 220mph just avoiding a collision! The next lap I found the same had happened to the Sauber C9 in 3rd place and thus it went another lap down.

At the end of the hour the Sauber was still close to me after we had both pitted on previous laps, the 787B now appeared to have taken over 2nd place.

Quarter Distance Standings:
Lead Lap: 108
1st: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 (Me) Time: 06:00'02.140
2nd: Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Time: -1 Lap
3rd: Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Time: -2 Laps
4th: Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Time: -2 Laps
5th: MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Time: -2 Laps
6th: Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Time: -3 Laps

Hour 7
Pitstop Laps: 112 & 119

The hour started uneventful as usual until lap 112 where I missed the pits enterance having forgot to stop. I did an about turn and headed back through the first left-right of the Ford Chicane to enter the pitlane.

On lap 126 I passed the 787B and 88C-V to put them both another lap down as the hour ended though this would not last as I was due to pit at the end of the lap.

Hour 8
Pitstop Laps: 126, 133 & 140

On lap 129 I lapped the R89C to put it 5 laps behind catching and passing it after it swerved into the Hunaudieres barriers.

Nothing else of note happened for the rest of the hour, which then ended halfway through lap 144.

Hour 9
Pitstop Laps: 147, 154 & 161

Shortly into the 9th hour I lapped the XJR-9 after we both exited the pits. The XJR spun out exiting the Dunlop Curve on cold tyres allowing me to pass it easily and put it 3 laps down. Next up was the R89C which I lapped 5 laps later on the 153rd lap.

The nineth hour ended on lap 162 and had again been fairly uneventful. I have however noticed that the 787B is running quicker now and I had expected to have lapped it again by now. Either the AI has stopped making so many stupid mistakes or the top runners have upped their lap times.

Hour 10
Pitstop Laps: 168 & 175

Nothing much to report apart from lapping the Sauber C9 on lap 166 and the 88C-V on lap 178. On lap 180 the 88C-V pitted with the hour ending shortly after.

Hour 11
Pitstop Laps: 182, 189 & 196

Again a fairly quiet hour where the 787B was lapped on lap 185 and also both the R89C & XJR-9 on lap 187 and remained uneventful to the end of this hour on lap 198.

Hour 12
Pitstop Laps: 203 & 210

Well this hour I was all on my lonesome until 35 minutes in when I met the Sauber C9, 88C-V and R89C on lap 207. By the time I stopped 3 laps later I'd put the R89C a lap down again with the Sauber and 88C-V ahead still to lap despite the Sauber pitting on lap 207. Early on this hour the chassis must have gone as the car is more unstable notably at Mulsanne Corner on the bumps but I think I should adjust to it quickly enough.

On lap 213 I passed the Sauber to lap it down the Hunaudieres after it had clearly made another visit to the barrier. As I started lap 217 I lapped the 88C-V while it pitted and was followed in by the Sauber further behind me. Halfway through lap 217 this hour ended.

Half Distance Standings:
Lead Lap: 216
1st: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 (Me) Time: 12:00'06.460
2nd: Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Time: -3 Laps
3rd: Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Time: -4 Laps
4th: Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Time: -4 Laps
5th: MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Time: -5 Laps
6th: Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Time: -7 Laps

Hour 13
Pitstop Laps: 217, 224 & 231

I managed this hour without seeing another soul right up til lap 234 when the hour ended I just caught sight of the 787B ahead of me. This was probably helped by several offs I had at Mulsanne Corner due to the chassis degrading more over the hour.

Because I was that bored I worked out I made on average 39 gear changes a lap so ....... so far in this race I've made ... loads up calculator ... 9126 gear changes!

Hour 14
Pitstop Laps: 238 & 245

On lap 246, two thirds through the hour I met the R89C and 787B lapping the R89C on lap 246 and the 787B on lap 247 though this was the second time I had met them this hour after they'd unlapped themselves first time around after my stop on lap 238. The hour then ended on lap 252.

Hour 15
Pitstop Laps: 252, 259 & 266

On the start of lap 256 the XJR-9 exited the pits ahead of me and I soon lapped it putting it 5 laps

down. The next backmarker to go another lap down was the 88C-V on lap 262. By lap 270 when this hour ended I had seemed to have adjusted to the change in handling much better now. Just 9 hours left now to complete.

Hour 16
Pitstop Laps: 273, 280 & 287

On lap 272 I passed both the R89C as it pitted and then the Sauber to lap them. The Sauber would unlap itself momentarily on lap 275 after I stopped but I relapped it down the Hunaudieres.

On lap 284 after already passing it earlier for a short while before pitting myself the 787B pitted allowing me to lap it again. Ahead the 4th placed XJR-9 was not far ahead on the following lap. Bizarrely on the next lap we were side-by-side and the XJR-9 braked allowing me to shoot ahead and more confusing was that it didn't swerve into me? Hmmm very strange.......

Without anymore funny business the hour ended shortly after I made another stop on lap 288.

Hour 17
Pitstop Laps: 294 & 301

On lap 295 the 88C-V pitted straight ahead of me, the R89C unlapped itself after I'd passed it on lap 292. Gaining time in the pits I lapped the 88C-V before Mulsanne Corner on my outlap. The R89C made a trip to the Hunaudieres armco again on lap 296 allowing me and the 88C-V to lap it easily.

The Sauber C9 caught up with the 787B on lap 304 as it left the pits. For the next lap the two battled until Mulsanne Corner where the Sauber came out on top. The 787B retook 2nd place on lap 305 when the Sauber entered the pits. This hour ended a lap later and it looked like the Sauber could steal 2nd place by the end or the race.

Hour 18
Pitstop Laps: 308,315 & 322

I caught the Sauber and 787B on lap 307 shortly after the start of the hour. First I passed the Sauber and then a lap later I caught and lapped the 787B not much further ahead, though I would stop at the end of the lap allowing them both to unlap themselves. On lap 314 the Sauber overtook the 787B and was now back in 2nd place after making up the time during their pitstops. I exited the pits on lap 316 between the 787B and the Sauber, with the 787B back in 2nd the Sauber must have slipped up somewhere on the last lap.

I lapped the XJR-9 on lap 317 after it went for the barriers on the Hunaudieres then did the same the following lap. The Sauber C9 then passed the 787B on lap 318 putting it back in 2nd place. On lap 321 I also lapped the R89C for the 11th time in the race. On lap 324 the hour closed with just 6 more hours to go!

Three-Quarters Distance Standings:
Lead Lap: 324
1st: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 (Me) Time: 18:00'01.000
2nd: Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Time: -6 Laps
3rd: Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Time: -6 Laps
4th: Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Time: -7 Laps*
5th: MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Time: -7 Laps*
6th: Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Time: -11 Laps*

Hour 19
Pitstop Laps: 329 & 336

On lap 311 I lapped the 88C-V while it made a pitstop putting it now 8 laps behind. Other than that the rest of this hour was quite dull and ended on lap 342.

Hour 20
Pitstop Laps: 343, 350 & 357

I lapped the XJR-9 for the 8th time on lap 346 while it was stopped in the pitlane and I had a enough traffic ahead to keep me busy for this hour it seemed. A lap later I passed the R89C again putting it another lap down.

Having lapped the 787B a few laps earlier I rejoined just behind it on lap 351 after making my 50th stop of the race and relapped it through the Esses. This repeated on lap 358 after my next stop as I had had 2 spinouts on my inlap allowing the Sauber and 787B to close in enough on me.

By lap 360 the hour was drawing to a close and ended as I negotiated Mulsanne Corner.

Hour 21
Pitstop Laps: 364 & 371

I met both the Sauber and 88C-V on lap 323 and by the next lap I had passed both and the Sauber C9 had also pitted meaning I should get past them after the next set of pitstops.

After stopping on lap 371 I relapped the XJR-9 on my outlap after lapping it earlier. I then went to relapped the R89C which had also passed me while I was making my pitstop a lap later but hit a bump on the Hunaudieres spearing me left into a tyre bank. By lap 375 I managed to relap both the XJR-9 and R89C without any trouble this time. The hour then ended on lap 378 as I exited Arnage.

Hour 22
Pitstop Laps: 378, 385 & 392

Move along move along nothing to see Lapped someone and the Sauber just before end of hour but er... dunno who. NEXT!! Oh hour ended lap er... 396

Hour 23
Pitstop Laps: 399, 406 & 413

On lap 403 I lapped the R89C, 88C-V and the Sauber, while the first two pitted it seemed the Sauber tried to stop but must have had a tangle with one of the other cars as it rejoined only to pit a lap later without stopping. Four laps later on lap 407 I passed the XJR-9 after it crashed again into the barriers down the Hunaudieres.

At the end of this hour on lap 414 the 787B could take 2nd back by the end as they are now quite close to each other.

Hour 24
Pitstop Laps: 420 & 427

R89c pitted on lap 427 and I lapped it for the 15th time as I started the next lap passing it as it exited the pitlane. Nearing the end of the hour on lap 429 I lapped the XJR-9 and then the 88C-V on lap 430 as it exited the pits. The Sauber also pitted handing the 787B 2nd place. On lap 432 as I neared Indianapolis the hour ended.

Hour 25
Pitstop Laps: None

With the run from Indianapolis I was hoping I wouldn't get a powercut or something to take away all my hard work but I finally finished this race a minute or so later!

I won 1,000,000 Cr and a Bentley Speed 8 Race Car '03 for my efforts and now all that stands in my way of 100% Gran Turismo 4 is the Tsukuba 9 Hour Endurance.


Laps Completed: 432

1st: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 (Me) Time: 24:01'14.687
2nd: Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Time: -8 Laps
3rd: Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Time: -8 Laps
4th: Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Time: -10 Laps
5th: MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Time: -12 Laps
6th: Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Time: -15 Laps*

Time marked by * denote my best guess based on map overlay position or rough estimate.

Best Lap: 3'11.640 (Lap 95)

Pitstops (laps): 61

(7,14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63,70,77,84.91,98,105,112,119,126,133,140,147,154,161,168,175,182,
189,196,203,210,217,224,231,238,245,252,259,266,273,280,287,294,301,308,315,322,329,336,343,
350,357,364,371,378,385,392,399,406,413,420,427)

A-Spec Points: 200

Good luck, this is encouraging for me as im planning to run a black mazda 787b in the race too...as i said best of luck, watch out for the chassis going away late in the race

Wow! Finally FLK! You completed a 24hr race without a hitch along the way! 👍
Did notice this thread just after you'd started it, but decided not to post in here until it was done, as I was starting to think that I was jinxing you by wishing you luck each time before!
What's next Sarthe I or Nurb' 24?

Wow, this is the first race report I've read on GTPlanet, nice job. 👍

I've never attempted a 24hr race before ( I don't want to have to leave the PS2 on for over a week! ), but this has encouraged me to try.

Smallhorses

What's next Sarthe I or Nurb' 24?

Click to expand...

Hmmm ... I've had enough of 24 hour races for a while, though I might re-do Nurburgring 24hrs for full A-spec points at somepoint. I am planning to do Tsukuba 9 hours soon though to finish off GT4!

I'll put up some pictures to this report in the next few days from the saved replay and thanks for the comments!

Well done FLK, rep to you for finishing this race and doing a report on it. 👍

AMG.

Nice job finishing the race.

I was 9.5 hours into mine and way up on the competition..... when at 3am while sound asleep, I hear thunder and rain..... and a few minutes later the power goes out. A few minutes later I realized my race was lost.... I'll have to start over. I wish there was a way to save your progress.

Yeah tell me about it I've lost races during attempts on both Sarthe I & II over the last year due to power loss. Saving at pitstops or every hour would be a god send and perhaps it would also entice people to use A-spec mode more.