- 67
- England
- GTP_v8power
Thought i'd have a go at this after droning round and round in that seasonal TT i thought i might get better track time with a 'proper race'. So i did what any budding racer did when i was younger, got a 5-6 year old car in this case an 1800 mazda with a noisy exhaust (my thing
i'm a motorcyclist) and some super sticky tyres.
For a relative experience my 'super sticky tyres' are actually sport mediums. I'm guessing they are about the same as trackday tyres.
Race day, 203hp/1100kg gives 406pp a noisy exhaust and sports mediums, otherwise stock car.
Good start, only lost 2 spots at the off, don't want to be bashing my way through i have turned the damage/slippy trackside on so ploughing the barrier will wreck my race. So i have to behave. The first few fall away pretty easily, this track hasn't a lot of passing room without sharing paint.
4th place is harder to take i'm running 1.11's and can't improve till he's out of the way but his dodgy braking tactics are spoiling my flow.
Wahay 1st place 3rd and 2nd were ok overtakes as they outbraked themselves for turn 1 on a really wide line?
Anyway 20 laps in 1st place is mine.
At the 30min mart i'm struck by a thought, my fancy track tyres may force me to an extra stop
I have been ahead for 10 laps now and the 2nd place man is still in my mirrors just over 4 sec back. I need to up my pace to make the gap for a pit but not ruin the car OR, even worse crash as that would force me to 3 stops.
Ok an hour in, that long right to the finish is hurting my tyre wear, but easing off allows the yelow peril to close. I was up to 20secs ahead but tyre saving is hurting it. The yellow peril is running constant 1:10.4 as far as i can tell. My tyres will still give me 1:09's but for how long i don't know.
Arrrgh do i push for an extra stop or eeek these out for a single?..
I know 20 seconds isn't enough for a stop even without fuel. I'm just reaching the back markers now. Hopefully they will choke the 3 that are close to me. Can't be more than 30sec in the top 4.
Damn no sooner was i running again after typing the last bit and E sloan has made an epic charge. He was running 4th but over 4 laps he's taken second and ripping time out my pocket like its holed. Oh this is getting tense.
Woah, lap 69 my lead jumps from 14s to 23 Mr Sloan must have messed up
That may be the break i needed as he was getting through the back markers quicker than me.
Everything holding steady at the minute save for understeer showing again on the last Rhander, that LHF tyre is doing all the work. Sloan is slowing though so i can hold the gap, although he should speed up again? He seems to be fighting the yellow peril for position as far as i can tell. Maybe thats holding him back.
It had to come Lap96 at the second hairpin, round she goes thankfully i have enough room to all but stop so i only tap the tyres. I now realise the other side of FF wheels as it is now definitely pulling right
Now its damage limitation to the pit stops unless i go early but i want to be well past the halfway ppoint for fresh tyres so i can outpace Sloan, As Sloan has chugged some red bull and is clawing me back, even on what must be bad rubber.
All of a sudden i go from 20 odd seconds to a lap ahead. Pitting time, oddly i still have rubber left but with the pace of Sloan, (its just me and him now) i can't trust the 20 seconds to stay there so in i go.
Well ain't free fuel a blast, 10L added all done and out in 30 some odd seconds. Bouyah 👍👍 over a lap ahead.
Then on lap113 ironically. I'm getting carried away, on new rubber and less fuel i'm in the 8's going for a 7 something and spin on the last turn. Don't hit anything but getting back on track and out of the sand without BEING hit costs time. Down to 28 seconds now and he's coming for me. The gap is falling.
Ok were at 130laps now, i zoned out for a while put 15 or 20 laps on the board all pretty stock stuff then i noticed. Sloan has put his head down again and catching the gap is under 20 secs and there is a good 70odd laps to the finish. This isn't over yet.
Oh yes it was, the cars seemed to lose it a little, pegging Mr sloan at 30 sec beacme easy so, in a fit of 'i wonder i pitted and stuck the factory fits on, no fuel. Now lets see how good i am eh.
Huh brilliant idea, (well yeah it was it brought the race alive again) was holding at 15 second gap when i lobbed it coming out of the last turn, got a bit of wobble in the steering now from the nudge on the wall, can drive with it, little choice now as i'd never make up a stop. Hope it doesent dent the times, my best was 1.08.0 with the SM's these CS (dealer fit) options are giving me 10.5 maybe 10.4.
With the spin i only have 6 seconds in my favour now and a steering wobble.
Oh no, what the????? I have a minor slip the 8 seconds i have becomes 1 by my reconing there is maybe 4 or 5 laps left, next lap this has got tight i can see him large as life in the rear view .......bearing in mind there is minutes left of the race.................. he pits
.
Huh?
I finish 58 seconds ahead of the rabbit and 2 laps ahead of the 3rd placed car. And laps in front of the others.
Summary, well. The rabbit spoils things a little being 2-3 laps ahead of the rest but why it pitted at 6 minutes to the finish? The way i see it you can race the rabbit or race the rest.
The car was a beauty, even on CS you had enough competitiveness to beat even the rabbit . The SM tyres were a shock, 2 seconds better over a tiny lap like this is surprising, more so they lasted really well too. Driven right you could maybe get to 3/4 distance on them without really losing time. Shame PD can't tighten the grid to stop the rabbits though. As it was it was ruined by the last couple of minutes.
Edit: down to 191hp/401pp by the end.
i'm a motorcyclist) and some super sticky tyres.For a relative experience my 'super sticky tyres' are actually sport mediums. I'm guessing they are about the same as trackday tyres.
Race day, 203hp/1100kg gives 406pp a noisy exhaust and sports mediums, otherwise stock car.
Good start, only lost 2 spots at the off, don't want to be bashing my way through i have turned the damage/slippy trackside on so ploughing the barrier will wreck my race. So i have to behave. The first few fall away pretty easily, this track hasn't a lot of passing room without sharing paint.
4th place is harder to take i'm running 1.11's and can't improve till he's out of the way but his dodgy braking tactics are spoiling my flow.
Wahay 1st place 3rd and 2nd were ok overtakes as they outbraked themselves for turn 1 on a really wide line?
Anyway 20 laps in 1st place is mine.
At the 30min mart i'm struck by a thought, my fancy track tyres may force me to an extra stop
I have been ahead for 10 laps now and the 2nd place man is still in my mirrors just over 4 sec back. I need to up my pace to make the gap for a pit but not ruin the car OR, even worse crash as that would force me to 3 stops.Ok an hour in, that long right to the finish is hurting my tyre wear, but easing off allows the yelow peril to close. I was up to 20secs ahead but tyre saving is hurting it. The yellow peril is running constant 1:10.4 as far as i can tell. My tyres will still give me 1:09's but for how long i don't know.
Arrrgh do i push for an extra stop or eeek these out for a single?..
I know 20 seconds isn't enough for a stop even without fuel. I'm just reaching the back markers now. Hopefully they will choke the 3 that are close to me. Can't be more than 30sec in the top 4.Damn no sooner was i running again after typing the last bit and E sloan has made an epic charge. He was running 4th but over 4 laps he's taken second and ripping time out my pocket like its holed. Oh this is getting tense.
Woah, lap 69 my lead jumps from 14s to 23 Mr Sloan must have messed up
That may be the break i needed as he was getting through the back markers quicker than me. Everything holding steady at the minute save for understeer showing again on the last Rhander, that LHF tyre is doing all the work. Sloan is slowing though so i can hold the gap, although he should speed up again? He seems to be fighting the yellow peril for position as far as i can tell. Maybe thats holding him back.
It had to come Lap96 at the second hairpin, round she goes thankfully i have enough room to all but stop so i only tap the tyres. I now realise the other side of FF wheels as it is now definitely pulling right
Now its damage limitation to the pit stops unless i go early but i want to be well past the halfway ppoint for fresh tyres so i can outpace Sloan, As Sloan has chugged some red bull and is clawing me back, even on what must be bad rubber.All of a sudden i go from 20 odd seconds to a lap ahead. Pitting time, oddly i still have rubber left but with the pace of Sloan, (its just me and him now) i can't trust the 20 seconds to stay there so in i go.
Well ain't free fuel a blast, 10L added all done and out in 30 some odd seconds. Bouyah 👍👍 over a lap ahead.
Then on lap113 ironically. I'm getting carried away, on new rubber and less fuel i'm in the 8's going for a 7 something and spin on the last turn. Don't hit anything but getting back on track and out of the sand without BEING hit costs time. Down to 28 seconds now and he's coming for me. The gap is falling.
Ok were at 130laps now, i zoned out for a while put 15 or 20 laps on the board all pretty stock stuff then i noticed. Sloan has put his head down again and catching the gap is under 20 secs and there is a good 70odd laps to the finish. This isn't over yet.
Oh yes it was, the cars seemed to lose it a little, pegging Mr sloan at 30 sec beacme easy so, in a fit of 'i wonder i pitted and stuck the factory fits on, no fuel. Now lets see how good i am eh.
Huh brilliant idea, (well yeah it was it brought the race alive again) was holding at 15 second gap when i lobbed it coming out of the last turn, got a bit of wobble in the steering now from the nudge on the wall, can drive with it, little choice now as i'd never make up a stop. Hope it doesent dent the times, my best was 1.08.0 with the SM's these CS (dealer fit) options are giving me 10.5 maybe 10.4.
With the spin i only have 6 seconds in my favour now and a steering wobble.
Oh no, what the????? I have a minor slip the 8 seconds i have becomes 1 by my reconing there is maybe 4 or 5 laps left, next lap this has got tight i can see him large as life in the rear view .......bearing in mind there is minutes left of the race.................. he pits
.Huh?
I finish 58 seconds ahead of the rabbit and 2 laps ahead of the 3rd placed car. And laps in front of the others.
Summary, well. The rabbit spoils things a little being 2-3 laps ahead of the rest but why it pitted at 6 minutes to the finish? The way i see it you can race the rabbit or race the rest.
The car was a beauty, even on CS you had enough competitiveness to beat even the rabbit . The SM tyres were a shock, 2 seconds better over a tiny lap like this is surprising, more so they lasted really well too. Driven right you could maybe get to 3/4 distance on them without really losing time. Shame PD can't tighten the grid to stop the rabbits though. As it was it was ruined by the last couple of minutes.
Edit: down to 191hp/401pp by the end.
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