All-Purpose Guide to the B-Spec Online Seasonal: La Sarthe

[vrs2000]

Thanks for putting this up helps clear up a few things & I learnt something new

Can confirm a win with a lightly modded Audi R8 01 pitting 2nd & 9th laps with lvl34 & 31 bobs & a lot of poking.

Oddly, the ticket I won for this gave me a BMW V12 LMR '99... Testing ahoy!

I got the BMW Mc F1 wanna swap?

 

[Audiman90]

I won the race using both Bobs, one level 28 one level 32, using the Peugeot 908. Started with Sport Softs, pit at the end of lap 4, changing from the lvl 28 Bob to the lvl 32 Bob. At the stop, switched to Racing Intermediates, and ran out the rest of the race. My highest surface water level was 62%, around 1 or so laps after my stop. I passed for the lead as they were in for stops, and had a ~10-15s lead when they exited. They were catching up quick, but both R8's (pos 2 and 3) and it would have been a nail biter if it was not for them annihilating each other at Mulsanne. Ended up bringing it home slowly (tires were not bare, but below 30%). Won with 15.xxxs lead. No modifications to the car, but car was tuned with RKM's Killer whale tune (minus the supercharger), and some rear ballast to make it 700pp flat.

 

[Famine]

Okay, I've done a little more testing and it seems that pitting at 2 & 8 is worth a little time over pitting at 3 & 8, which is worth a little time over one-stopping at lap 3 - this is only for starting on Hards and taking Inters at both stops. I haven't tried one-stopping at lap 4, nor taking Hards at the second stop, nor any runs with Sport Softs - there's only a limited amount of time in each day

However, this may not be applicable across the board as I've only had time to test with one - slow - car. I'll do some more testing with my Oreca Audi tomorrow.

In other news, it's really hard to get the win with the Nissan R390! Pitting on lap 2 gets you blocked by the GT-One for four laps (1-4) and pitting on lap 3 gets you blocked by the 905 for four laps (5-8). On one run I managed neither of those, though I got blocked by the Oreca Audi coming into my stop and then blocked for a lap by the 905 when I came out from my second stop on lap 8! My best is 3rd place and 17s from the lead. Swine!

 

[Ealirendur]

Thank you again, Famine (and other posters) for the excellent data (I haven't yet had the time to contribute in the excellent Nur 4H thread, but hope to soon).

Early babysitting-less attempts with a single level 40 bruce, near-fully cool, failed with both the 2J on S3s (although he was orange/down at the time), and a Veyron on the same (I thought it might be the no-chicane version for some reason). I don't believe the Gillet can do it either (on proper tires), based on a one-lap test.

First somewhat-monitored attempt with the Audi Oreca '05, with [post=5788317]CSL's tune[/post], including a toned-back to 85 rear type C rear wing, succeeded. I was adding various garage tunes to some LMP/group C weaponry (Audi '01, Bentley), and decided to fix up and test this. I gather the Audi '01 is often banned in LMP leagues/rooms, and the Bentley is usually next on the list. T.Ratliff was also now blue (very useful for a cold bruce).

Pitted for inters on auto with the rest of the field, cancelled last pit and paced down all the way for lap 10. Experienced frustration when T. Ratliff had to wait briefly for someone else coming out of the kitty litter when I'd stopped him from doing the same. He was mostly fine with little or no instruction up to the 32 minute mark, IIRC, but needed cooling down in the trouble spots in the last few laps with no pit stop.

The Bentley was in the lead for me; I was surprised to see how decent it was on tires considering it was leading, and its torque curve. The 905, not so surprised, easily the gentlest, but Sarthe just isn't the track for it. GT-ONE and 787 not bad either.

I will probably try it again with the 2J with a keyboard and head-bobbing bird equivalent, and a look in for a pit-cancel, and also do it properly with a tuned 787, 'cos I love it. I might pull out a faster level 40 Bruce to back up my aging somewhat timid one, but he's got to get those career races in somewhere.

The Bentley still looks awesome in the dark with the light on top.

I'll endeavour to get actual (as opposed to anec)data next time(s).

 

[g2010ag]

Mercedes CLK-LM Race Car '98,
Won with 2 level 39 Bobs. 40:40.9 was the time. Pit strategy was the key. Was in 3rd place behind the Bently and R8 on lap 8, when I pitted. When they pitted on lap 9 I passed them in the pits and won by 4 seconds.

 

[Vectorplex]

The Mazda Furai is also a failure, it's too slow and it skids too much with rain..

 

[kttheman001]

Audi r8 team oreca race car '05
Won by 9sec
Drivers: lvls 39
Start... Racing hards, then at the end of lap 2 switch to racing inters. Make sure you are not caught behind the c60 hybrid or any other car after their first pit so bob has a free lead. Go go go go keep him about 60-80% hot and easy at the end of the end of the strait after the second cincain. Go until lap 8, pit then have him keep around the same pace as before. Pass 'em while they pit, WIN!!!!!!!
Hope i helped.
P.S i had a spin out on lap 9 entering the begining of the straight that cost me 10 seconds but none the less, I WON SO YOU CAN TOO!

 

[Machate-man]

Does the 2J win on Sport Softs? Or R-Inter?

Which is more suited? I would imagine the R-Inters are grippier for being race tyres, but The SS tyres have little grip loss in rain.

Help!

 

[Kwicko]

I don't have anything to add at the moment, except to say a big "Thank you!" to Famine for putting this together.

 

[Machate-man]

Here's an unusual strategy: Race-Inter front, Sports Soft rear. It keeps the rear tyres useable for 8+ laps, and the front at a competitive level of grip.

 

[HaylRayzor]

What?! And how?!

Edit: Lv38 Bob just got one to 5th overall, 40s down. I can see a fifteen second gain from strategy in there now, but those other 25s are still asking "What?! And how?!".

I wonder about the McLaren F1 GTR now...

re: R35 TC

On the first stop I declined fuel, as I didn't imagine I needed any.

Bob was able to account himself well during the night in the rain, holding position mid-pack. As I recall I was running fifth or sixth before the last pitstop, not more than 10 seconds behind the leader. I was planning on not stopping and grabbing the lead. I had enough tires left that I felt I could hang on, but my fuel was down to a sliver. Cursing myself for stupidity I quit and switched to the R8.

Maybe I overestimated Bobs ability to hold the lead after the AI stopped but given what he'd done to that point I thought he could do it.

I've tried off and on all day to get one of my level 40 Bobs in a good mood so I could do another run with the R35, but they remain sullen.

 

[Short Bus]

I'll sum up what I posted in another thread....

I used the Toyota GT-ONE with a 31 and a 26. Started the race in the 26, hit the pits at the end of lap TWO for intermediate tires and a driver switch. I made up a LOT of time on the cars that didn't pit by doing this. I think over the course of that lap the RH tires got worse and worse due to conditions while my RIs got better and better.

Next pit was at the end of lap eight for RH tires and a new driver. The next time I passed the pits I came out seconds ahead of the previous race winner and rode out the last lap at 75% aggression.

I tried and failed with the 787B and the Minolta. I couldn't figure out how to make those work.

 

[testorz]

Great post ! Thanks for taking the time to do a detailed "how to" !

 

[Turtle]

Here's an unusual strategy: Race-Inter front, Sports Soft rear. It keeps the rear tyres useable for 8+ laps, and the front at a competitive level of grip.

Hmmmmm.... Someone should try that....

Anyway, this thread is quite helpful. I have won this once with a level 31 Bob with the Chaparral 2J on Sport Soft tires. He was completely out of both strength and mental strength by the end. I won by 1.3XX seconds. He would've won by more but he spun out on lap 8 near the end of the lap (I'm not good at memorizing the name of specific corners, but I think that the name of the corner was called 'New Mason Blanche' well that's what the section was called on a track map). The pesky R8 was so close to me...

But better than all the information on the La Sarthe event here, I'm happier that I finally found a way to win the Spa event, so thank you. ~Turtle

 

[W3H5]

But i will say that i did babysit them the whole race to make sure that they didn't go into the blue on the the bar at the bottom.

Odd. I had to babysit mine to keep the in the blue otherwise the ended up in gravel.

Did a pit on 2 and 8 with the Bentley, and just missed first by 1/2 second
Going to try a pit on 4 only, and see where that gets me.

No need to pit like that with the Speed 8. Pit on lap 3 and run the rest of the race on the same tyres (Inters). I did it last night. Won by a country mile.

 

[g2010ag]

Here's an unusual strategy: Race-Inter front, Sports Soft rear. It keeps the rear tyres useable for 8+ laps, and the front at a competitive level of grip.

This worked nicely on the 787B. I ran the first 2 laps on Race-Hard. Went to Race-Inter front, Sports Soft rear and was able finish with just the one pit stop. I won by 2.8 seconds. I ran in 6th most of the way but could see by the map that I was less than a pit stop behind the leaders, so I just kept Bob at about 5/8 on the scale. I really had to hold him back when we caught the other 787B on lap 7. He wanted to get hot and chase. I just kept cooling him down/holding him back and making him save those tires. It worked perfectly. We finished with about 3/4 tread remaining on front and rear.
I had already tried the 787 with hards then inters twice, stopping on laps 2 and 8. I could only manage 4th that way.

 

[kj_mil]

Pretty good guide, seems to sum it up.

Personally it took me about 7 failed attempts using the Toyota Minolta, Peugeot 905 and 2J before I was sucessful with the Nissan R92CP.

I was very close on my very first attempt (with the Minolta), leading (with no coaching on the 9th lap), when I chose not to pit, and my rear tyres died (completely) on the last lap allowing 4 cars to overtake. If i'd pitted with the rest of the AI, I think I could've won with this.

With the Nissan R92CP, I used 2 drivers, lvl 38 to start, and the other was lvl 40. RH from the start, pitted at the end of lap 2 for RI (no coaching yet), coached (keeping at 60-70%) from then, pitted again for fresh RI at the end of lap 7 (too early in my opinion), and coached more gently to the end. Won by a useful lead in the end (not sure exactly how much - approx 20 sec). I led the race from the start of lap 4 (as the AI pitted), and didn't lose the lead after. Best gap to the AI was at the end of lap 6 - 46 sec.

The last lap is definately the most important of the race. It will quickly shred racing inters, but it's very slippery on cool racing hards and bob is liable to mistakes. using racing hards one lap earlier loses a lot of time as it's even worse than using them just for the last lap.

 

[NotreDAMNNN]

Sauber Merc C9

Impossible with low lvl Bobs (32 range). I tuned it so it had a decent run through the Porches and high speed on the straights ( 400kph in the draft ) But the 5 gear box makes it too slow on acceleration. The top 3 cars with their high torque will get you back every time. Managed 2 podiums.

Pretty sure my 40 Bob will nail it though.

 

[Sluffer]

I finished .789 seconds behind the leader in my Nissan R89c, my drivers were both lvl 30, I pitted for Inters on Lap 3, then put inters on again on lap 8. If my pilot didn't have a minor off on the last stint, he would've won lol. I had to keep coaching them both.
Was a good race in all as my previous best was 8th postion. Some of the racing was intense, 4 of them swapping positions going down the Mulsanne, and down between Mulsanne and Indianapolis.

 

[NotreDAMNNN]

Toyota Minolta 88C-V
Lvl 32 and 31 Bob. Won in 40:43 or so.

Aero: 42F/61R
Ballast: 15Kg/24 position
Power limiter: 94,5 %
Turbo: none
Gear ratio: 380kmh Max Speed / 6th Gear at .869 ( total top speed 410)
LSD: 30/60/30
Ride height front: 10 / rear: 5
Brakes: 9/10

Roughly the same as the Sauber but the 6 gears make a huge difference. Unlike the modern cars it is best to pit at lap 3. The Minolta is slower so you will end up last if you put on lap 2 and have to overtake a lot of slow cars. Better to stay out and use the relatively clear track.
Pitting at 3 also gives the clear advantage of 1 lap fresher tires than the Mazda 787. This is needed if you want to win the battle with the Mazda in the night stint.
After clearing the Mazda slowly gain on the top 3. The Minolta can fight for the lead but I prefer to short pit at lap 8 just behind the leaders. Take Inters and you will take the lead in the final lap while the rest is in the pits making dubious tire calls

 

[Famine]

Bizarre. I've been testing the Minolta all day. I've managed a best place of 5th (RH to lap 3, RI to lap 8, RI to the end) and a best time of 41'09 (RH to lap 3, RI to lap 7 [might try this again with one additional lap], SS to the end with a pair of L38/39 Bobs.

 

[NotreDAMNNN]

Here's my Audi tune. Gets a bit boring with this car with over a minute lead.

Audi R8 Race Car 01

Aero: 40/60
Ballast: 3kg/20
Turbo: no. 2 mid range
Gears: Max Speed at 390kmh / set 6th gear total speed of 415 or 420 (.735)
LSD: 25/60/30
Ride Height: 5F/10R
Brakes: 8/9

Short pit for inters at lap 2 and 8.

Next I'll try the Mazda I think.


(feel free to add on start post Famine)

 

[NotreDAMNNN]

Bizarre. I've been testing the Minolta all day. I've managed a best place of 5th (RH to lap 3, RI to lap 8, RI to the end) and a best time of 41'09 (RH to lap 3, RI to lap 7 [might try this again with one additional lap], SS to the end with a pair of L38/39 Bobs.

Try my Minolta tune. Don't know if it's good or just fits my Bobs.
But the Group C cars are harder than the modern ones. Pit strategy is vital because of the slow traction out of slow corners it's hard to overtake.
I did notice my Bobs were way more aggressive in the old cars than in the Audi. They make moves at any part of the track.

 

[Famine]

I think it's just a case of "Not all Bobs are created equal". The two I'm running right now aren't a patch on the guy I retired due to The Air Of Experience - he had more ability at level 31 than they do at 38/39. Useless gits.

 

[W3H5]

I think it's just a case of "Not all Bobs are created equal".

Definitely. My 2 level 40 Bobs, one J.Stuart, one P.Adam are polar opposites.

Adam will run a whole race without error as long as he avoids being harassed from behind, in which case he will make errors and let the others pass. His meter will rise and fall as slow as he is in traffic yet when I order him a command he will get 'hot' and make a cock-up.

Stuart will race, like a baws, but leave him to his own devises and he will admire the view and lose pace. His meter goes up and down just how I want it too, given the right command. He seems to feed on the energy of competition and makes the most of it. Get him bored and he gives up his pace.

J.Stuart = Hot driver.
P.Adam = Cool driver.

 

[Famine]

Every single one of my Bobs ever created have been 5 pixels right-of-centre

 

[iainn]

Tried this seasonal in the Peugeot 908 HDi and managed to get a second place.

Used two Bobs at levels 33 and 34.

Started on RH tyres and was at the back of the pack and only gained 1 place before the rain.

Pitted with everyone else for Intermediates at the end of lap 3, and from then on managed to get up to 5th without too much prompting, other than the occasional "Maintain Pace".

As it dried off and the tyres wore out I let the others pit and stayed out to take the lead at the start of the last lap.

My tyres were completely worn out by Mulsanne though and I was passed by the Audi R8 easily, I managed to hold on for second though.

Good fun.

 

[W3H5]

Off topic a bit, but I'm surprised so many choose to kit out their Bobs in fancy prize gear. I think the plain old white GT Beginner suit the come in is a very fitting get up, and it doesn't require multiple trades to get a team all looking the same.

 

[Nish]

My 2 win's so far were both with the Pescarolo C60 Hybride–Judd (same car and set-up I used for A-Spec 24hr). Pit's were on 3 and 8, hp was above 1000 (I think 1081) and top speed set to 270. My better driver was reaching 238 at times by himself and 256 in a draft (with room to go). Best lap so far has been around 3:52 if I remember correctly. My Bob's are levels 35 and 34.

I'm heading to do it again to get hard detail'.

 

[W3H5]

The C60 Hybrid has been my only major rival in 3 races using the Bentley, so far. The R8 LMP made a slightly difficult opponent but the C60 was the only car I was worried about until the lap 8 pit stop.