Circuit de la Sarthe 1 24 hours
- Thread starter flyingkiwi
- 108 comments
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- 180
Lineup: 103 a-spec points
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Pescarolo Courage C60 Race Car 840hp, 900kg
Audi R8 Race Car 834hp, 900kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Jaguar XJ220 LM Race Car 950hp, 1,180kg, Stage 4 turbo, R2 tyres, Oil change, Chassis refresh.
103pts
Hour 1 -17 laps completed
The race gets under way at approx. 9:35pm Takasaki, Japan time!👍
Make it up to 3rd by the end of the Mulsane Straight and I just manage to stay ahead of the angry pack battling for 4th to 6th on the run down to Indianapolis. Actually had a wheel on the grass a couple of times. No room for two cars!!!
The Mazda takes the lead from the R89, who stays on his tail. I end up with a 3:42.399 eye opener and am on the tail of the two leaders as we begin lap 2.
Post a 3:32.359 on lap 2 as I move past the R89 at Tetre Rouge and draft the 787B before the first chicane. The R89 snatches 2nd away from the 787B briefly, but by Indianapolis, the 787B is back in front again. My lead after two laps is 5.2s.
I have a mini-spin at the end of the Mulsane on lap 4. The Jag is slightly unsteady under brakes there, and I can't attack that corner like I would in other cars.
The 787B and the R89C are battling for 2nd place behind me, using each other's slipstreams. By the end of 5 laps, my lead is over 9s, as I post my fastest lap so far: 3:31.307.
My lead gets as high as 10s on lap 6, but I overshoot the final chicane at the end of that lap and end up in the sand, which wrecks my momemtum for lap 7. To make matters worse, my tyres are also gone off (both fronts and rears
) and I dive into the pits on lap 7. The R89 had already passed me in the Porsche Curves and the 787B was about to gobble me up as well. The strengh of the competition is reflected in the fact that I rejoin in 6th place, with the 5th placed Pescarolo already having gone under the Dunlop bridge. I am 37s behind the leading R89C.
That becomes 40s by the time the rest of the field pits at the end of lap 8. The 2 leaders exit the pits ahead of me, but I pass the 787B under brakes at turn 1 and go past the R89C as we enter the Mulsane. After 10 laps, my lead is 12.9s. After 12 laps, it is 18.4s. But once again my tyres go off in a big way by the start of lap 14 and once again the lead comes down to under 10s. I change to R1s to see what lap times they will do. As it is, the fuel tank is only good for 7 laps. I can either do 7 consistent laps on R1s or 6 consistent laps on R2s with more pitstops and less fuel. I'm leaning towards the latter, but let's see how the R1s go first.
I exit in 4th, 30s down on the R89C. That becomes 5th when the Audi passes me down the Mulsane. The Pescarolo also has a nibble at me as we both gun down the R89 as he exits the pits on lap 16 (the R89 only did a 7 lap stint that time). I make a mistake in the Porsche Curves and that drops me back to last briefly before the BWW, Audi and Pescarolo all pit. The 787B exits the pits in front of the R89 and myself and we have a great 3 car battle for the lead as the hour closes at the end of 17 laps, the 787B leading me by 0.4s.
I have been really surprised so far at the lack of pace from both the 787B and the R89C. Both seem to be lapping no faster than 3:33s. Will they get faster?
I decided that they wouldn't get faster. I want to challenge myself with the R92. The Sauber would probably be a bridge too far. So I turn off the PS2.
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Pescarolo Courage C60 Race Car 840hp, 900kg
Audi R8 Race Car 834hp, 900kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Jaguar XJ220 LM Race Car 950hp, 1,180kg, Stage 4 turbo, R2 tyres, Oil change, Chassis refresh.
103pts
Hour 1 -17 laps completed
The race gets under way at approx. 9:35pm Takasaki, Japan time!👍
Make it up to 3rd by the end of the Mulsane Straight and I just manage to stay ahead of the angry pack battling for 4th to 6th on the run down to Indianapolis. Actually had a wheel on the grass a couple of times. No room for two cars!!!
The Mazda takes the lead from the R89, who stays on his tail. I end up with a 3:42.399 eye opener and am on the tail of the two leaders as we begin lap 2.
Post a 3:32.359 on lap 2 as I move past the R89 at Tetre Rouge and draft the 787B before the first chicane. The R89 snatches 2nd away from the 787B briefly, but by Indianapolis, the 787B is back in front again. My lead after two laps is 5.2s.
I have a mini-spin at the end of the Mulsane on lap 4. The Jag is slightly unsteady under brakes there, and I can't attack that corner like I would in other cars.
The 787B and the R89C are battling for 2nd place behind me, using each other's slipstreams. By the end of 5 laps, my lead is over 9s, as I post my fastest lap so far: 3:31.307.
My lead gets as high as 10s on lap 6, but I overshoot the final chicane at the end of that lap and end up in the sand, which wrecks my momemtum for lap 7. To make matters worse, my tyres are also gone off (both fronts and rears
) and I dive into the pits on lap 7. The R89 had already passed me in the Porsche Curves and the 787B was about to gobble me up as well. The strengh of the competition is reflected in the fact that I rejoin in 6th place, with the 5th placed Pescarolo already having gone under the Dunlop bridge. I am 37s behind the leading R89C.That becomes 40s by the time the rest of the field pits at the end of lap 8. The 2 leaders exit the pits ahead of me, but I pass the 787B under brakes at turn 1 and go past the R89C as we enter the Mulsane. After 10 laps, my lead is 12.9s. After 12 laps, it is 18.4s. But once again my tyres go off in a big way by the start of lap 14 and once again the lead comes down to under 10s. I change to R1s to see what lap times they will do. As it is, the fuel tank is only good for 7 laps. I can either do 7 consistent laps on R1s or 6 consistent laps on R2s with more pitstops and less fuel. I'm leaning towards the latter, but let's see how the R1s go first.
I exit in 4th, 30s down on the R89C. That becomes 5th when the Audi passes me down the Mulsane. The Pescarolo also has a nibble at me as we both gun down the R89 as he exits the pits on lap 16 (the R89 only did a 7 lap stint that time). I make a mistake in the Porsche Curves and that drops me back to last briefly before the BWW, Audi and Pescarolo all pit. The 787B exits the pits in front of the R89 and myself and we have a great 3 car battle for the lead as the hour closes at the end of 17 laps, the 787B leading me by 0.4s.
I have been really surprised so far at the lack of pace from both the 787B and the R89C. Both seem to be lapping no faster than 3:33s. Will they get faster?
I decided that they wouldn't get faster. I want to challenge myself with the R92. The Sauber would probably be a bridge too far. So I turn off the PS2.
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You never give up man, watch out for electricity shortages. 
Yeah what happened?
- 180
I wanted to try a British car in the race. The Jaguar was the only option.
I actually wanted to have the R92 in this latest race, but incredibly equal lineup that I have at the moment swayed me.
The R89 and the 787B better get quicker, though.
I actually wanted to have the R92 in this latest race, but incredibly equal lineup that I have at the moment swayed me.
The R89 and the 787B better get quicker, though.
- 180
Lineup: 67pts
Dodge Viper GTS-R Team Oreca Race Car 627hp, 1,150kg
Audi R8 Race Car 834hp, 900kg
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Jaguar XJ220 LM Race Car 950hp, 1,180kg, Stage 4 turbo, R2 tyres, Oil change, Chassis refresh.
Hour 1, Saturday 24 April, 17 laps completed
I can't understand why I am only getting 67pts for this race, but I wanted to compete against the R92 so let's get it on!
As expected, the Viper drops to last by the second chicane. He holds up the R92 and 787B for a while and I gain 3rd before I make a mistake and shoot off into the sand at Indianapolis. This drops me behind the R92 but I get him and the Audi for 2nd at the final chicane. The first lap is a 3:45.559 and I'm 3.8s behind the R89.
I spend the 2nd lap closing up to the R89 and I finally get him at the final chicane. A 3:33.041 puts me 0.4s in the lead.
The next lap is dramatic. I make a mistake coming up to the dunlop bridge and as I gingerly rejoin the track, the R89 glances my side. I expect to see him zoom past me but instead I look in my rearview mirror and he is sideways across the track!
The stewards decide it was a racing incident.
This moves the R92 up to 2nd place, and he is charging! He laps 3s faster than me on lap 4 as he takes the lead up to the Porsche Curves.
I squeeze past him at the esses at the beginning of lap 5 but I make a mistake at the second chicane and can only post a 3:33, which puts me down by 3.2s. To make matters worse, the 787B is now right on my tail.
The 787B gets me just before the Porsche Curves. I didn't fight him too hard as I was about to pit for new R2s and more fuel. My pitstops will be faster than the A1s because I only need to fill up the tank to 65/80 fuel units. But will it be enough to combat the R92?
I rejoin in 5th, 37s down on the leader.
The R92 pits on lap 7 and I pass him in the esses as he rejoins. I need to make use of my fresh R2s against his green tyres.
The 787B and the R89 are next to pit on lap 8 and I zoom past into the lead, having done my fastest lap so far: 3:31.857. The Audi also pits, but he is already out of the reckoning. Luckily for me, the 787B rejoins in 2nd ahead of the R92. I record a 3:30.265 on lap 9, going through the Porsche Curves on the raggard edge, and my lead is now a cool-looking 11.111s.
I lap the Viper on lap 10 as we come up to the esses. I make a slight mistake at the beginning of the Porsche Curves but my lead still grows to 12s, this time over the R92.
There are only 3 units of fuel left by the time I pit on lap 12 with a 9s lead. The last three laps of that stint featured a couple of small mistakes, so I should have led by more. I rejoin in 4th, 23s down.
I do my first sub-3:30 time on lap 14: 3:29.325. The R92 pits from the lead on that lap. I zoom past him into 3rd, 14s down on the 787B. I follow up with a 3:29.628 on lap 15 and I go past the R89 into 2nd when he pits.
I take the lead when the 787B pits on lap 16. I end the hour by doing yet another P.B lap (3:29.160) and my lead is 28.1s over the Nissan R92. The snail-like Viper is already 2 laps down.
Hour 2, Sunday, 25 April, 33 laps completed
Disaster at the start of the second hour:
After a very good stint, I pit but I brake too late entering the pitlane, and thus cut through the chicane, which earns me a stop-go penalty to be performed at the start-finish line. Then, the killer: just after returning to the fray in 2nd, my remote controller switches off and I have to take it out and plug it in again whilst the car rolls to a halt in the sandpit near the Dunlop bridge. When rejoining, I was disoriented, and I was hit by the passing R89. This earned me a 10 second stop-go penalty for dangerous re-entry onto the circuit.
After all of this, I was now in 4th, 55s behind the R92. I dropped so much time that the R89 actually rejoins in front of me after pitting.
The R92's lead stretches to over a minute after 26 laps. At the end of a miserable hour for the Jaguar team, the R92's lead is 1m9.4s. The Viper is 3 laps down.
Hour 3
Another horror hour. I can't seem to do fast lap times anymore. What were 3:30s before are now 3:32s max. Probably due to a lack of horsepower?
In a desparate attempt, I change to R3s, but they are lasted 4 laps. On the 5th lap I was spinning out all over the place.
Then I tried a R2/R1 front/rear combination, to try and keep life in the rear-tyres. As I feared, the car was sliding out everywhere.
By that time, I was over 2 minutes behind, so I decided to pack this one in as well.
Dodge Viper GTS-R Team Oreca Race Car 627hp, 1,150kg
Audi R8 Race Car 834hp, 900kg
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Jaguar XJ220 LM Race Car 950hp, 1,180kg, Stage 4 turbo, R2 tyres, Oil change, Chassis refresh.
Hour 1, Saturday 24 April, 17 laps completed
I can't understand why I am only getting 67pts for this race, but I wanted to compete against the R92 so let's get it on!
As expected, the Viper drops to last by the second chicane. He holds up the R92 and 787B for a while and I gain 3rd before I make a mistake and shoot off into the sand at Indianapolis. This drops me behind the R92 but I get him and the Audi for 2nd at the final chicane. The first lap is a 3:45.559 and I'm 3.8s behind the R89.
I spend the 2nd lap closing up to the R89 and I finally get him at the final chicane. A 3:33.041 puts me 0.4s in the lead.
The next lap is dramatic. I make a mistake coming up to the dunlop bridge and as I gingerly rejoin the track, the R89 glances my side. I expect to see him zoom past me but instead I look in my rearview mirror and he is sideways across the track!
The stewards decide it was a racing incident.This moves the R92 up to 2nd place, and he is charging!
He laps 3s faster than me on lap 4 as he takes the lead up to the Porsche Curves.I squeeze past him at the esses at the beginning of lap 5 but I make a mistake at the second chicane and can only post a 3:33, which puts me down by 3.2s. To make matters worse, the 787B is now right on my tail.
The 787B gets me just before the Porsche Curves. I didn't fight him too hard as I was about to pit for new R2s and more fuel. My pitstops will be faster than the A1s because I only need to fill up the tank to 65/80 fuel units. But will it be enough to combat the R92?
I rejoin in 5th, 37s down on the leader.
The R92 pits on lap 7 and I pass him in the esses as he rejoins. I need to make use of my fresh R2s against his green tyres.
The 787B and the R89 are next to pit on lap 8 and I zoom past into the lead, having done my fastest lap so far: 3:31.857. The Audi also pits, but he is already out of the reckoning. Luckily for me, the 787B rejoins in 2nd ahead of the R92. I record a 3:30.265 on lap 9, going through the Porsche Curves on the raggard edge, and my lead is now a cool-looking 11.111s.
I lap the Viper on lap 10 as we come up to the esses. I make a slight mistake at the beginning of the Porsche Curves but my lead still grows to 12s, this time over the R92.
There are only 3 units of fuel left by the time I pit on lap 12 with a 9s lead. The last three laps of that stint featured a couple of small mistakes, so I should have led by more. I rejoin in 4th, 23s down.
I do my first sub-3:30 time on lap 14: 3:29.325. The R92 pits from the lead on that lap. I zoom past him into 3rd, 14s down on the 787B. I follow up with a 3:29.628 on lap 15 and I go past the R89 into 2nd when he pits.
I take the lead when the 787B pits on lap 16. I end the hour by doing yet another P.B lap (3:29.160) and my lead is 28.1s over the Nissan R92. The snail-like Viper is already 2 laps down.
Hour 2, Sunday, 25 April, 33 laps completed
Disaster at the start of the second hour:
After a very good stint, I pit but I brake too late entering the pitlane, and thus cut through the chicane, which earns me a stop-go penalty to be performed at the start-finish line. Then, the killer: just after returning to the fray in 2nd, my remote controller switches off and I have to take it out and plug it in again whilst the car rolls to a halt in the sandpit near the Dunlop bridge. When rejoining, I was disoriented, and I was hit by the passing R89. This earned me a 10 second stop-go penalty for dangerous re-entry onto the circuit.
After all of this, I was now in 4th, 55s behind the R92. I dropped so much time that the R89 actually rejoins in front of me after pitting.
The R92's lead stretches to over a minute after 26 laps. At the end of a miserable hour for the Jaguar team, the R92's lead is 1m9.4s. The Viper is 3 laps down.
Hour 3
Another horror hour. I can't seem to do fast lap times anymore. What were 3:30s before are now 3:32s max. Probably due to a lack of horsepower?
In a desparate attempt, I change to R3s, but they are lasted 4 laps. On the 5th lap I was spinning out all over the place.
Then I tried a R2/R1 front/rear combination, to try and keep life in the rear-tyres. As I feared, the car was sliding out everywhere.
By that time, I was over 2 minutes behind, so I decided to pack this one in as well.
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Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
You're only getting 67 points due to the massive drag of the Viper in the field. Given that you've already lapped it after 10 laps, it should be something of a clue that you're not expecting it to challenge for lead honours!
That and the fact that you're carrying more HP than 3 out of the 5 AI cars.
Still, racked against the R92CP, you should get a more exciting race, although it may turn out that the 787B with it's daintier tyre wear will become your closest rival.
Given current pace, it looks like you may end up a lap ahead of everyone by the 7th or 8th hour, which validates the low A-spec offering too.
Good luck with finally completing the full 24hrs this time though! 👍
That and the fact that you're carrying more HP than 3 out of the 5 AI cars.
Still, racked against the R92CP, you should get a more exciting race, although it may turn out that the 787B with it's daintier tyre wear will become your closest rival.
Given current pace, it looks like you may end up a lap ahead of everyone by the 7th or 8th hour, which validates the low A-spec offering too.
Good luck with finally completing the full 24hrs this time though! 👍
- 180
What to do?
I think this lineup:
R92
R89
Sauber
787B
GT-ONE
is the strongest and will yield the most a-spec points. Correct me if I'm wrong.
What car to use? Thinking of going back to the Mazda RX-8.
I think this lineup:
R92
R89
Sauber
787B
GT-ONE
is the strongest and will yield the most a-spec points. Correct me if I'm wrong.
What car to use? Thinking of going back to the Mazda RX-8.
- 180
The Lineup:　95pts
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TSO20) 815hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Toyota 7 Race Car 840hp, 620kg, R2 tyres
Hour 1, Tuesday, April 27, 17 laps completed
Start time at approx. 9:19pm Takasaki, Japan time
A very exciting first lap. Decide to attack it for all its worth. 💡 Up to 4th by Tetre Rouge and after some slipstreaming I find myself in the lead by the second chicane.
I have a lack of straight-line speed compared to the others though, and the two Nissans attack me down to Indianapolis. There is a little bit of rubbing along the way on the narrow stretch of road I manage to hold on and I battle with the R92 through the Porsche Curves before finally taking him at the final chicane to end lap 1 with a 3:39.196.
My first flying lap is a 3:31.125 and I am now 4.7s ahead of the newly 2nd-placed Sauber.
I do my first sub 3:30 lap (3:29.628) on lap 5 and my lead over the Sauber has increased ever so slightly to 4.8s.
By lap 7 the Sauber has closed that gap right down after I do a 3:31 on lap 6. He pits before he can get passed me and I carry on, now 16.5s ahead of the 787B.
The remaining cars, including myself, pit on lap 8 (I had 7 units of fuel left) and I resume 7.6s ahead of the Sauber. I update my fastest lap on lap 11 with a 3:28.981 to put me 9s ahead.
Made a bad mistake on lap 12. Got a wheel on the grass on the run down to Indianapolis and fish-tailed for at least 300m before I got it back under control. The lead was thus only 2s at the end of that lap.
The Sauber stalked me on lap 13 before moving ahead at Indianapolis. I run with him for the remainder of the lap and the next circuit sees a tremendous battle for the lead: slipstreaming, out-braking, out-maneouvering, the works. However, the Sauber slips ahead before Indianapolis but I am right on his bumper. But, I make a mistake and spare-off into the sandpit before rotating 180 degrees.
That left the Sauber clear in the lead but he pits at the end of lap 14 and I resume command, again 16s ahead of the 787B. The rest of the stint is not so tidy from me, and by the time we both pit, my lead is only 10s.
I resume 7s behind the Sauber, which is 8s by the end of the hour.
Will the Sauber put its stamp on this race, or can I fight back. Stay tuned!
Hour 2, Thursday, April 29, 34 laps completed
The Sauber stretches its lead to 24s by the time it pits on lap 21. I haven't got the pace to match it at this stage of the race.
I take over the lead from the Sauber. However, the 787B (on warm tyres) passes the Sauber for 2nd and by the end of my stint I have a 17s lead. I rejoin in 2nd, 15s down on the Sauber.
In a see-saw hour, the Sauber increases its lead to just over 20s as I have trouble lapping the GT-ONE. He pits and rejoins 12s behind me.
I pit from a 16s lead on lap 32 and rejoin 18s behind. The Sauber stretches his lead to 31s by the end of the hour. My final lap of the hour was far from my best (3:36.168).
We are both jabbing each other at the moment, seeing who will break first. I have an ace up my sleeve, though: R3 tyres, which I think can last 7 laps on the Toyota.
Hour 3, Friday, April 30, 50 laps completed
The Sauber pits on lap 35, and this time emerges right behind me. I build my lead to 11s at one stage, but the Sauber wittles that down to 3s before I pit on lap 40. I decide to change to R3 tyres.
They work a treat, as I do my fastest lap so far on lap 44: 3:27.169. I build my lead to 12s after the Sauber pits on lap 42, but he once again erases this to 5s by the time I pit on lap 47. The R3s last 7 laps, though, so I'm very happy with that. I decide to stick with them.
I do another personal fastest lap (3:26.609) on lap 49 and I end the hour 21s ahead of the Sauber. The tide has definitely turned. It is also the first time I have lead the race at the end of an hour.
Hour 4, Saturday, May 1, 67 laps completed
Lap 51: 3:29.294 -27.6s
Lap 52: 3:26.223 (new fastest lap) -32.3s
Lap 53: 3:29.480 -33.2s
Lap the R89 when he pits on lap 50. I lap the GT-ONE for the 2nd time down the Mulsanne, and he gives me a nice slipstream which allows me to set a new fastest lap, even though I made a small mistake at the Dunlop esses.
I pit on lap 54 and I rejoin right behind three A1 cars: the GT-ONE, R89, and the Sauber. We have a great battle over the next two laps. It culminates in me almost losing it at 300km/h as I get a wheel on the grass trying to overtake the Sauber on the run down to Indianapolis!
The Sauber thus pits from a 3s lead on lap 56, and if I drive well enough, that should be the last I see of him until I lap him.
I shouldn't speak so soon. I lose it after once again getting a wheel on the grass on that narrow stretch of road after Mulsanne I lose about 8 seconds.
The R89 passes me when I spin and therefore I get a tow from him down the Mulsanne next lap. At the end of that circuit, I have my new fastest lap: 3:25.221. Life is full of ups and downs.
I retain a 14s lead when I pit on lap 61. This is the first time in the race that I have pitted and kept the lead.
I lap the R92 when he pits on lap 63, and I end the hour with a 1:01.4s lead.
Hour 5, Saturday, May 1, 84 laps completed
Pit on lap 68 and resume 24s ahead. The Sauber cuts this to 18s before he pits on lap 70.
And so it goes until the end of the hour. My only big mistake was spinning at the pit entrance
I end the hour 1:08.1s ahead. The GT-ONE was lapped for the 3rd time this hour.
Hour 6, Monday, May 3, 101 laps completed
Start the hour off slowly and have a spin at Indianapolis, which costs me 10s. Have another spin at the same place on lap 92. End the hour with an off at the start of the Porsche Curves.
The car seems to be getting more twitchy and nervous.
Nevertheless, my lead is still 1:02.0s at the end of the hour. The R89 was lapped for the 2nd time.
Hour 7, Tuesday, May 4, 117 laps completed
Lap the GT-ONE for the 4th time. Have a slight spin at the end of the Mulsanne on lap 108. Have another spin at Indianapolis on lap 115. The next lap is horrible: outbrake myself at the end of the Mulsanne and have to come to a stop. This is followed by yet another spin at Indianapolis. At the end of that lap the gap is down to 46s, and at the end of the hour after my pitstop it is a slender 8.6s.
Basically, after turning the volume down and listening to music instead of the car's engine, my driving standards have dropped.
Hour 8, Wednesday, May 5, 134 laps completed
Make a mistake at Arnage, which allows the Sauber to close within 2s. On the next lap, the Toyota 7 once again gets very twitchy on the narrow run after the Mulsane and I get hit up the rear by the Sauber when I brake early for Indianapolis. This sends me into the sand and the Sauber takes the lead for the first time since the 4th hour. He pits however, and the lead is mine again, to the tune of 36s.
I pit a lap earlier than scheduled because the fuel gauge was slightly lower than I anticipated. I rejoined 7s in front but once again I lose control at Indianapolis, and the Sauber retakes the lead. The Toyota 7 seems to be getting more difficult to drive as the minutes tick by.
Have a couple more offs, which means that the Sauber's lead grows to 15s before he pits on lap 126. I pit on lap 130 and resume 5s behind. The Sauber pits again and at the end of the hour, my lead is 32s.
Hour 9, Thursday, May 6, 150 laps completed
Lap the GT-ONE for the 5th time. Spin it in the pitlane on lap 137 and lose a lot of time doing a three-point turn Things are going from bad to worse at this stage.
I rejoin 17s behind the Sauber. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I run up the escape road at the start of the Porsche curves and drop about 15 more seconds.
The Sauber loses valuable seconds lapping the GT-ONE, which means that I pass him as we go through the esses on his outlap.
Lap 141: 3:30.463 -4.0s
Lap 142: 3:28.329 -11.7s
Lap 143: 3:29.064 -14.1s
Come into the pits on lap 144 with a 12s lead after coming to grips somewhat with the Toyota 7's instability down the narrow shute between Mulsanne and Indianapolis and into the Porsche Curves. Rejoin 20s behind.
The Sauber extends his lead to 27s before pitting on lap 147. At the end of the hour my lead is 22.3s. The Sauber is very slow on his first couple on new tyres.
Hour 10, Friday, May 7, 167 laps completed
Pit and rejoin 15s behind the Sauber. Have a huge lose at Indianapolis on lap 153 and lose 15s. However, I still regain the lead (by 5s) when the Sauber pits on lap 154.
I pit from a 3s lead on lap 158. Lose it into Indianapolis once again on my outlap, which means that the Sauber pits and keeps the lead by 3s on lap 161.
I chase him down, apart from another lose near Indianapolis, and take over the lead at the Dunlop Bridge on lap 164. I don't hold it until the pitstop, though, and to make matters worse, I lose control once again coming into the pits, and go through the sand
I will have to do a stop-go at the start-finish line next lap through.
This is the first time in the race (I think) that I have pitted without the lead. 👎
After yet another lose at Indianapolis, I finish the hour 1:06s behind the Sauber. It is the first time the Sauber has led at the end of an hour since the 2nd hour. Not good.
Hour 11, Saturday, May 8, 183 laps completed
The Sauber pits on lap 168 and rejoins 29s in front of me. Running consistent laps for the first time in ages, I get that gap down to 16s. However, in attempting to lap the R92 down the narrow stretch towards Indianapolis, the car once again gets unstable and I loop it. All that hard work undone. I rejoin 1 minute down after my pitstop on lap 172.
I lap the GT-ONE for the 6th time but in trying to lap the R89 (for the third time) I lose it on the Mulsanne trying to turn right to overtake him. The Toyota 7 just will not handle any minor turns at high speed, especially behind another car.
The Sauber pits on lap 175, and rejoins 28s ahead of me. Have a lose at the beginning of the Porsche Curves on lap 176 and drop about 15s. The Toyota 7 has become an evil car to drive.
Pit from 39s down on lap 179 after eventually dispatching of the R89. Rejoin 1:09s down.
An attempt to handle the stretch from Mulsanne to Indianapolis with the analog stick results in a 750+degree spin which loses me 10 more seconds.
The Sauber pits from a 1:23s lead on lap 182. Incredibly, I spin it at the Ford chicanes
Another lose at Indianapolis completes a thoroughly wretched hour. 52s down.👎
Hour 12, Saturday, May 8,
Despite the almost inevitable mishaps at Indianapolis and the beginning of the Porsche Curves, some progress was made. In fact, I think I have solved the problem of the run down to Indianapolis. If the car gets twitchy and starts to move from side-to-side, I take my foot off the gas to steady the car up before putting my foot down again. This seems to work.
Anyway, I pit on lap 200 and rejoin 1:23s down on the Sauber, having made one more pitstop this hour. Looks like we are on track to make a cool 400 laps this race.
Standings at 12 hours
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 200 laps
Toyota 7 Race Car +1:23s
Mazda 787B Race Car +1 lap
Nissan R92CP Race Car +2 laps
Nissan R89C Race Car +3 laps
Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TSO20) +7 laps
Hour 13, Sunday, May 9, 216 laps completed
Have an off at Indianapolis on lap 205 when I didn't lift on the straightaway before the corner as in previous laps. Had another slight off at the Porsche Curves later on. The car is an evil piece of work, even on the Mulsanne now, but nevertheless I made up 9 seconds on the Sauber this hour. 1:14s down.
Hour 14, Monday, May 10,
DISASTER
For the first 10 minutes, everything is going okay, but I spin it into the pitlane on lap 220, and cut across the sand, thus earning a stop-go. To make matters worse, the tyre/fuel change doesn't trip, and I go right through the pitlane without stopping.
The car runs out of fuel just after the Mulsanne corner and by the time I make it back to the pits, refuel, and perform a stop-go penalty, I am in 3rd, more than a lap down on the Sauber. Race over?
I think so. I turn off the playstation.
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TSO20) 815hp, 900kg
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
Toyota 7 Race Car 840hp, 620kg, R2 tyres
Hour 1, Tuesday, April 27, 17 laps completed
Start time at approx. 9:19pm Takasaki, Japan time
A very exciting first lap. Decide to attack it for all its worth. 💡 Up to 4th by Tetre Rouge and after some slipstreaming I find myself in the lead by the second chicane.
I have a lack of straight-line speed compared to the others though, and the two Nissans attack me down to Indianapolis. There is a little bit of rubbing along the way on the narrow stretch of road
I manage to hold on and I battle with the R92 through the Porsche Curves before finally taking him at the final chicane to end lap 1 with a 3:39.196.My first flying lap is a 3:31.125 and I am now 4.7s ahead of the newly 2nd-placed Sauber.
I do my first sub 3:30 lap (3:29.628) on lap 5 and my lead over the Sauber has increased ever so slightly to 4.8s.
By lap 7 the Sauber has closed that gap right down after I do a 3:31 on lap 6. He pits before he can get passed me and I carry on, now 16.5s ahead of the 787B.
The remaining cars, including myself, pit on lap 8 (I had 7 units of fuel left) and I resume 7.6s ahead of the Sauber. I update my fastest lap on lap 11 with a 3:28.981 to put me 9s ahead.
Made a bad mistake on lap 12. Got a wheel on the grass on the run down to Indianapolis and fish-tailed for at least 300m before I got it back under control. The lead was thus only 2s at the end of that lap.
The Sauber stalked me on lap 13 before moving ahead at Indianapolis. I run with him for the remainder of the lap and the next circuit sees a tremendous battle for the lead: slipstreaming, out-braking, out-maneouvering, the works. However, the Sauber slips ahead before Indianapolis but I am right on his bumper. But, I make a mistake and spare-off into the sandpit before rotating 180 degrees.
That left the Sauber clear in the lead but he pits at the end of lap 14 and I resume command, again 16s ahead of the 787B. The rest of the stint is not so tidy from me, and by the time we both pit, my lead is only 10s.
I resume 7s behind the Sauber, which is 8s by the end of the hour.
Will the Sauber put its stamp on this race, or can I fight back. Stay tuned!
Hour 2, Thursday, April 29, 34 laps completed
The Sauber stretches its lead to 24s by the time it pits on lap 21. I haven't got the pace to match it at this stage of the race.
I take over the lead from the Sauber. However, the 787B (on warm tyres) passes the Sauber for 2nd and by the end of my stint I have a 17s lead. I rejoin in 2nd, 15s down on the Sauber.
In a see-saw hour, the Sauber increases its lead to just over 20s as I have trouble lapping the GT-ONE. He pits and rejoins 12s behind me.
I pit from a 16s lead on lap 32 and rejoin 18s behind. The Sauber stretches his lead to 31s by the end of the hour. My final lap of the hour was far from my best (3:36.168).
We are both jabbing each other at the moment, seeing who will break first. I have an ace up my sleeve, though: R3 tyres, which I think can last 7 laps on the Toyota.
Hour 3, Friday, April 30, 50 laps completed
The Sauber pits on lap 35, and this time emerges right behind me. I build my lead to 11s at one stage, but the Sauber wittles that down to 3s before I pit on lap 40. I decide to change to R3 tyres.
They work a treat, as I do my fastest lap so far on lap 44: 3:27.169. I build my lead to 12s after the Sauber pits on lap 42, but he once again erases this to 5s by the time I pit on lap 47. The R3s last 7 laps, though, so I'm very happy with that. I decide to stick with them.
I do another personal fastest lap (3:26.609) on lap 49 and I end the hour 21s ahead of the Sauber. The tide has definitely turned. It is also the first time I have lead the race at the end of an hour.
Hour 4, Saturday, May 1, 67 laps completed
Lap 51: 3:29.294 -27.6s
Lap 52: 3:26.223 (new fastest lap) -32.3s
Lap 53: 3:29.480 -33.2s
Lap the R89 when he pits on lap 50. I lap the GT-ONE for the 2nd time down the Mulsanne, and he gives me a nice slipstream which allows me to set a new fastest lap, even though I made a small mistake at the Dunlop esses.
I pit on lap 54 and I rejoin right behind three A1 cars: the GT-ONE, R89, and the Sauber. We have a great battle over the next two laps. It culminates in me almost losing it at 300km/h as I get a wheel on the grass trying to overtake the Sauber on the run down to Indianapolis!
The Sauber thus pits from a 3s lead on lap 56, and if I drive well enough, that should be the last I see of him until I lap him.
I shouldn't speak so soon. I lose it after once again getting a wheel on the grass on that narrow stretch of road after Mulsanne
I lose about 8 seconds.The R89 passes me when I spin and therefore I get a tow from him down the Mulsanne next lap. At the end of that circuit, I have my new fastest lap: 3:25.221. Life is full of ups and downs.
I retain a 14s lead when I pit on lap 61. This is the first time in the race that I have pitted and kept the lead.
I lap the R92 when he pits on lap 63, and I end the hour with a 1:01.4s lead.
Hour 5, Saturday, May 1, 84 laps completed
Pit on lap 68 and resume 24s ahead. The Sauber cuts this to 18s before he pits on lap 70.
And so it goes until the end of the hour. My only big mistake was spinning at the pit entrance
I end the hour 1:08.1s ahead. The GT-ONE was lapped for the 3rd time this hour.
Hour 6, Monday, May 3, 101 laps completed
Start the hour off slowly and have a spin at Indianapolis, which costs me 10s. Have another spin at the same place on lap 92. End the hour with an off at the start of the Porsche Curves.
The car seems to be getting more twitchy and nervous.
Nevertheless, my lead is still 1:02.0s at the end of the hour. The R89 was lapped for the 2nd time.
Hour 7, Tuesday, May 4, 117 laps completed
Lap the GT-ONE for the 4th time. Have a slight spin at the end of the Mulsanne on lap 108. Have another spin at Indianapolis on lap 115. The next lap is horrible: outbrake myself at the end of the Mulsanne and have to come to a stop. This is followed by yet another spin at Indianapolis. At the end of that lap the gap is down to 46s, and at the end of the hour after my pitstop it is a slender 8.6s.
Basically, after turning the volume down and listening to music instead of the car's engine, my driving standards have dropped.
Hour 8, Wednesday, May 5, 134 laps completed
Make a mistake at Arnage, which allows the Sauber to close within 2s. On the next lap, the Toyota 7 once again gets very twitchy on the narrow run after the Mulsane and I get hit up the rear by the Sauber when I brake early for Indianapolis. This sends me into the sand and the Sauber takes the lead for the first time since the 4th hour. He pits however, and the lead is mine again, to the tune of 36s.
I pit a lap earlier than scheduled because the fuel gauge was slightly lower than I anticipated. I rejoined 7s in front but once again I lose control at Indianapolis, and the Sauber retakes the lead. The Toyota 7 seems to be getting more difficult to drive as the minutes tick by.
Have a couple more offs, which means that the Sauber's lead grows to 15s before he pits on lap 126. I pit on lap 130 and resume 5s behind. The Sauber pits again and at the end of the hour, my lead is 32s.
Hour 9, Thursday, May 6, 150 laps completed
Lap the GT-ONE for the 5th time. Spin it in the pitlane on lap 137 and lose a lot of time doing a three-point turn
Things are going from bad to worse at this stage.I rejoin 17s behind the Sauber. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I run up the escape road at the start of the Porsche curves and drop about 15 more seconds.
The Sauber loses valuable seconds lapping the GT-ONE, which means that I pass him as we go through the esses on his outlap.
Lap 141: 3:30.463 -4.0s
Lap 142: 3:28.329 -11.7s
Lap 143: 3:29.064 -14.1s
Come into the pits on lap 144 with a 12s lead after coming to grips somewhat with the Toyota 7's instability down the narrow shute between Mulsanne and Indianapolis and into the Porsche Curves. Rejoin 20s behind.
The Sauber extends his lead to 27s before pitting on lap 147. At the end of the hour my lead is 22.3s. The Sauber is very slow on his first couple on new tyres.
Hour 10, Friday, May 7, 167 laps completed
Pit and rejoin 15s behind the Sauber. Have a huge lose at Indianapolis on lap 153 and lose 15s. However, I still regain the lead (by 5s) when the Sauber pits on lap 154.
I pit from a 3s lead on lap 158. Lose it into Indianapolis once again on my outlap, which means that the Sauber pits and keeps the lead by 3s on lap 161.
I chase him down, apart from another lose near Indianapolis, and take over the lead at the Dunlop Bridge on lap 164. I don't hold it until the pitstop, though, and to make matters worse, I lose control once again coming into the pits, and go through the sand
I will have to do a stop-go at the start-finish line next lap through.This is the first time in the race (I think) that I have pitted without the lead. 👎
After yet another lose at Indianapolis, I finish the hour 1:06s behind the Sauber. It is the first time the Sauber has led at the end of an hour since the 2nd hour. Not good.
Hour 11, Saturday, May 8, 183 laps completed
The Sauber pits on lap 168 and rejoins 29s in front of me. Running consistent laps for the first time in ages, I get that gap down to 16s. However, in attempting to lap the R92 down the narrow stretch towards Indianapolis, the car once again gets unstable and I loop it. All that hard work undone. I rejoin 1 minute down after my pitstop on lap 172.
I lap the GT-ONE for the 6th time but in trying to lap the R89 (for the third time) I lose it on the Mulsanne trying to turn right to overtake him.
The Toyota 7 just will not handle any minor turns at high speed, especially behind another car. The Sauber pits on lap 175, and rejoins 28s ahead of me. Have a lose at the beginning of the Porsche Curves on lap 176 and drop about 15s. The Toyota 7 has become an evil car to drive.
Pit from 39s down on lap 179 after eventually dispatching of the R89. Rejoin 1:09s down.An attempt to handle the stretch from Mulsanne to Indianapolis with the analog stick results in a 750+degree spin which loses me 10 more seconds.
The Sauber pits from a 1:23s lead on lap 182. Incredibly, I spin it at the Ford chicanes
Another lose at Indianapolis completes a thoroughly wretched hour. 52s down.👎Hour 12, Saturday, May 8,
Despite the almost inevitable mishaps at Indianapolis and the beginning of the Porsche Curves, some progress was made. In fact, I think I have solved the problem of the run down to Indianapolis. If the car gets twitchy and starts to move from side-to-side, I take my foot off the gas to steady the car up before putting my foot down again. This seems to work.
Anyway, I pit on lap 200 and rejoin 1:23s down on the Sauber, having made one more pitstop this hour. Looks like we are on track to make a cool 400 laps this race.
Standings at 12 hours
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 200 laps
Toyota 7 Race Car +1:23s
Mazda 787B Race Car +1 lap
Nissan R92CP Race Car +2 laps
Nissan R89C Race Car +3 laps
Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TSO20) +7 laps
Hour 13, Sunday, May 9, 216 laps completed
Have an off at Indianapolis on lap 205 when I didn't lift on the straightaway before the corner as in previous laps. Had another slight off at the Porsche Curves later on. The car is an evil piece of work, even on the Mulsanne now, but nevertheless I made up 9 seconds on the Sauber this hour. 1:14s down.
Hour 14, Monday, May 10,
DISASTER
For the first 10 minutes, everything is going okay, but I spin it into the pitlane on lap 220, and cut across the sand, thus earning a stop-go. To make matters worse, the tyre/fuel change doesn't trip, and I go right through the pitlane without stopping.
The car runs out of fuel just after the Mulsanne corner and by the time I make it back to the pits, refuel, and perform a stop-go penalty, I am in 3rd, more than a lap down on the Sauber. Race over?I think so. I turn off the playstation.
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GTsail
Premium
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- Florida
- GTsail2/GTsail3
Flyingkiwi -
Great race reports, even if you have to abandon a race or two.👍
I've enjoyed the stories and I keep coming back to check on how you're doing!
Can I ask what you're trying to do? Are you trying to win a 200 point race? Or are you just after a close race with an unusual car?
BTW - I checked Wild Cobra's list for the car lineup that would yield the highest points and it would consist of the following cars:
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car
Nissan R89C Race Car
Minolta Toyota 88C-V Race Car
Nissan R92CP Race Car
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car
Of course you can still get 200 points if the car you're driving is ranked low enough, even without all of these top point cars in the lineup.
Respectfully,
GTsail
- 180
That looks like a very good lineup. I have gone through about 12 different lineups on the PS2 but didn't come across this one. Are you sure it is for the Sarthe I race?
GTsail
Premium
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- GTsail2/GTsail3
I'm not sure how hard it will be to find these cars for the Sarthe I race. It might take scrolling thru 20 lineups or 200 lineups.
I just was listing the cars that give you the most A-spec points if you can find them and run against them, according to Wild Cobra's list.
I did find this specific lineup at Sarthe II since its' the lineup that I ran against for my 200 point win there.
I don't remember though what number lineup it was, and I didn't write it down.Good luck with your race:tup:
Respectfully,
GTsail
- 180
I don't think so. It's become a vicious brute to drive, as you can read above.
- 180
Good luck with that.
Fairly depressed right now. I feel I would have won if I had come to grips with the changes in the cars attitude sooner. Once I got a one-minute lead, I should have changed back to R2 tyres, because they really helped the car's handling.
Fairly depressed right now. I feel I would have won if I had come to grips with the changes in the cars attitude sooner. Once I got a one-minute lead, I should have changed back to R2 tyres, because they really helped the car's handling.
Have you tried using any of the black cars for those races. Smallhorses did Le Sarthe 1 with the GT ONE and Sarthe 2 with the black R390
- 180
How do I get those black cars?
Keep in mind I have the Japanese version of the game.
Keep in mind I have the Japanese version of the game.
They come around every 694 days. What day are you on? Then we will be able to figure out how many days left until you buy these cars.
- 180
I'm on Day 1731, as far as I can tell by the Japanese characters.
Anyway, have decided on the Nissan Motul Pitwork Z for my next tilt at the 24 hours. Ran 3:29s in practice on R2s so it should be a good contest.
Anyway, have decided on the Nissan Motul Pitwork Z for my next tilt at the 24 hours. Ran 3:29s in practice on R2s so it should be a good contest.
- 180
The Lineup:　170 a-spec points
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Bentley Speed 8 Race Car 837hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Nissan Motul Pitwork Z (JGTC) 757hp, 1080kg
Rules: Must use each set of tyres (R1s, R2s, R3s) for at least 20 laps of the race.
Hour 1, Wednesday, 12 May, 17 laps completed
Race start time: 10:08pm. Start with R2 tyres. Have a great battle with the Bentley and Sauber down the Mulsane on lap 1. The Sauber and I drop the Bentley but we come up to the BMW and I pass the Sauber before dealing with the BMW at the Ford Chicanes. End lap 1 with a 3:41.346, 0.7s behind the 787B, with the R92 between us.
The next lap is even more action-packed. Have a slipsteaming battle with the 787B and the R92 down the Mulsanne. The Sauber joins us on the run down to Indianapolis, where I have a slight off. I push hard though and make up ground down to the Porsche Curves. The Sauber pushes the R92 onto the grass! Rough tactics so early in the race. The Sauber gets back what he gives though when he tries to overtake me through the Ford Chicanes but I brush up against him and it sends him through the sand. The Stewards deem it as a race incident. The end result is a 3:38.754, and 2nd, again 0.7s behind the 787B. The Sauber is back down in 4th after his excursion.
Follow the 787B onto the Mulsanne for a tow but we are soon joined by the R92 and the aggressive Sauber. Coming into the second chicane, I brake too late and hit the Sauber up the rear, which sends him sideways and sends me into a full spin. I also have a slight moment at Indianapolis. I have too much rear brake, but there is nothing I can do about that now. The BMW was now behind me but I broke away from him and at the end of lap 3 (3:40.071) I'm in 4th, 8.1s behind the new leader: the R92.
Lap 4 is my first in clean air and I do a 3:31.907. The Sauber takes over the lead, and is 10.4s up the road. Lap 5 is a 3:32 after a slight mistake at Mulsanne. 13.9s down. By the time we pull into the pits on lap 7, I am already 20s down on the Sauber, who is flying. I decide to stick with R2s for the time being. But the rears on the R2s were turning red on lap 7, so I'm not sure how many laps I'll be able to get out of the R3s. I rejoin in 6th, just behind the Bentley, and 35s down on the 787B.
I pass the Bentley (who stays out for 9 laps) and after a spin at Indianapolis I pass the 787B on the Mulsanne on lap 9. By the end of 10 laps I am in 3rd, 15s down on the Sauber. I do my first sub-3:30s time on lap 12 (3:29.547), and the gap to the Sauber has stabilised at 16s. I follow this up with a 3:28.473. The car is starting to come into its own. I pull into the pits on lap 14, still in 3rd, and 18s down on the Sauber.
I rejoin in 4th behind the Sauber, 787B and the R92. The 787B soon pits and I spend the rest of the hour battling with the R92. I should have been well clear of him but I have two major spins at Mulsanne and at the second chicane on the Mulsanne straight. Which means that at the end of the hour I am in 3rd, 26.2s down on the Sauber. The car has pace, but due to fatigue (it's been a long couple of days!) I made mistakes that I shouldn't have.
Hour 2, Saturday, 15 May
Cruise along in 3rd until we all pit on lap 21, the Sauber 38s ahead of me. Change to R3s. My first flying lap on the new tyres is a disappointing 3:31, but the gap has narrowed down to 28s.
However, the car is not lapping below 3:30s, even on R3s, and I have another spin. Back to the drawing board!
Mazda 787B Race Car 843hp, 830kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
Bentley Speed 8 Race Car 837hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Nissan Motul Pitwork Z (JGTC) 757hp, 1080kg
Rules: Must use each set of tyres (R1s, R2s, R3s) for at least 20 laps of the race.
Hour 1, Wednesday, 12 May, 17 laps completed
Race start time: 10:08pm. Start with R2 tyres. Have a great battle with the Bentley and Sauber down the Mulsane on lap 1. The Sauber and I drop the Bentley but we come up to the BMW and I pass the Sauber before dealing with the BMW at the Ford Chicanes. End lap 1 with a 3:41.346, 0.7s behind the 787B, with the R92 between us.
The next lap is even more action-packed. Have a slipsteaming battle with the 787B and the R92 down the Mulsanne. The Sauber joins us on the run down to Indianapolis, where I have a slight off. I push hard though and make up ground down to the Porsche Curves. The Sauber pushes the R92 onto the grass! Rough tactics so early in the race. The Sauber gets back what he gives though when he tries to overtake me through the Ford Chicanes but I brush up against him and it sends him through the sand. The Stewards deem it as a race incident. The end result is a 3:38.754, and 2nd, again 0.7s behind the 787B. The Sauber is back down in 4th after his excursion.
Follow the 787B onto the Mulsanne for a tow but we are soon joined by the R92 and the aggressive Sauber. Coming into the second chicane, I brake too late and hit the Sauber up the rear, which sends him sideways and sends me into a full spin. I also have a slight moment at Indianapolis. I have too much rear brake, but there is nothing I can do about that now. The BMW was now behind me but I broke away from him and at the end of lap 3 (3:40.071) I'm in 4th, 8.1s behind the new leader: the R92.
Lap 4 is my first in clean air and I do a 3:31.907. The Sauber takes over the lead, and is 10.4s up the road. Lap 5 is a 3:32 after a slight mistake at Mulsanne. 13.9s down. By the time we pull into the pits on lap 7, I am already 20s down on the Sauber, who is flying. I decide to stick with R2s for the time being. But the rears on the R2s were turning red on lap 7, so I'm not sure how many laps I'll be able to get out of the R3s. I rejoin in 6th, just behind the Bentley, and 35s down on the 787B.
I pass the Bentley (who stays out for 9 laps) and after a spin at Indianapolis I pass the 787B on the Mulsanne on lap 9. By the end of 10 laps I am in 3rd, 15s down on the Sauber. I do my first sub-3:30s time on lap 12 (3:29.547), and the gap to the Sauber has stabilised at 16s. I follow this up with a 3:28.473. The car is starting to come into its own. I pull into the pits on lap 14, still in 3rd, and 18s down on the Sauber.
I rejoin in 4th behind the Sauber, 787B and the R92. The 787B soon pits and I spend the rest of the hour battling with the R92. I should have been well clear of him but I have two major spins at Mulsanne and at the second chicane on the Mulsanne straight. Which means that at the end of the hour I am in 3rd, 26.2s down on the Sauber. The car has pace, but due to fatigue (it's been a long couple of days!) I made mistakes that I shouldn't have.
Hour 2, Saturday, 15 May
Cruise along in 3rd until we all pit on lap 21, the Sauber 38s ahead of me. Change to R3s. My first flying lap on the new tyres is a disappointing 3:31, but the gap has narrowed down to 28s.
However, the car is not lapping below 3:30s, even on R3s, and I have another spin. Back to the drawing board!
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- 180
Not enough, obviously.
Keep trying until you can't anymore. I did this race with the same car but with a stage four turbo.
- 180
Lineup: 171 a-spec pts
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Audi R8 834hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Nissan Pennzoil Nismo GT-R (JGTC) 860hp, 1,200kg
Rules: 1. All tyres (R1s, R2s, R3s must be used for at least 20 laps) 2. Cutting the chicane at the pitlane will cost a stop-go penalty 3. Cars overtaken by force must be allowed back past 4. Hitting a car whilst recovering from an accident and coming back onto the road will result in a 10 second stop-go penalty. The impeded car must also be let back past.
Hour 1, Sunday, 16 May, 17 laps completed
Race starts at 11:36pm. Start on R2s.
Pass the BMW at the esses and slipsteam the Sauber and the R92 up the Mulsanne. Pass the R92 at the first chicane but he gives me a bump into the second chicane which spins me around. Spend the rest of the lap catching up. Get past the BMW and the R92 at the final chicane and end the lap 4.9s behind the leading R89 (3:45.064).
Pass the Audi at the esses on lap 2. I battle with the R92 for the rest of the lap and finish it in 3rd, 4.7s down on the Sauber (3:35.238).
Battle with the R89 on lap 3 and give him a tap at the Ford Chicane which sends him off into the grass fo ra bit of dirttracking. I allow him to stay ahead of me. Post a 3:33.293, which puts me 6.8s down on the Sauber.
It's an all Nissan battle on lap 4 and the R92 passes both me and the R89 to move into 2nd. I end the lap in a deadheat with him (3:30.724) and we are both 9s down on the lead.
Battle with the R92 on lap 5 but he pushes me wide on the exit of Mulsanne and I lose a lot of time. Am now 12.2s down on the lead (3:33.850).
Lap 6 is my first in clean air but it's only a 3:32.209, and I am now 15.7s down on the Sauber.
My front tyres go off on lap 7 and by the time I pit I am 22s down on the lead. The R89 actually passes me in the Porsche Curves and he carries on into the lead as the front 2 cars pit. I rejoin in 6th after needing to refuel basically all of my thirsty fuel tank. I am 37s down on the leading R89.
The rest of the A1 cars pit on lap 8 and zoom past the R89 as he emerges from the pits. I am now 19s down on the Sauber with work to do. Lap 9 is no good as I outbrake myself at the first Mulsanne chicane and again at the end of the Mulsanne, thus allowing the R89 back past me briefly. I get him again at Indianapolis.
After 10 laps I am still in 3rd, 20.8s down on the Sauber. I do my first lap in the 3:20s on lap 12 (3:29.045), but the gap has grown to 22.9s. It is 31s by the time we all pit on lap 14. My front tyres are again shot. I put on R3s. The decision pays off as I pass the R92 out of the last chicane on lap 15 and start posting quick times. On lap 17 I post a 3:27.018, which puts me 13.2s down on the lead. A good comeback, but how long can these R3 tyres last for??
Hour 2, Monday, 17 May,
The Sauber extends his lead to 19s before I pit on lap 19. So the R3s only lasted for 5 laps. 4 laps actually considering the fronts were very red when I came in. I top up the fuel tank to 55/80 units and am on my way again, 49s off the lead.
The Sauber pits from a 54s lead on lap 21 and rejoins 11s ahead of me. I charge along and actually take the lead for a couple of times on lap 24 before my tyres go off again and I am forced to pit from 4s down. Rejoin in 2nd, 35s behind.
I take the lead as the Sauber emerges from the pits on lap 29. But he retakes the lead as my tyres go off yet again.
After 41 laps I decide to call it a day yet again. It is clear that the JGTC cars are too hard on their tyres.
Nissan R89C Race Car 968hp, 900kg
Audi R8 834hp, 900kg
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car 987hp, 893kg
Nissan R92CP Race Car 1001hp, 900kg
BMW V12 LMR Race Car 839hp, 900kg
Nissan Pennzoil Nismo GT-R (JGTC) 860hp, 1,200kg
Rules: 1. All tyres (R1s, R2s, R3s must be used for at least 20 laps) 2. Cutting the chicane at the pitlane will cost a stop-go penalty 3. Cars overtaken by force must be allowed back past 4. Hitting a car whilst recovering from an accident and coming back onto the road will result in a 10 second stop-go penalty. The impeded car must also be let back past.
Hour 1, Sunday, 16 May, 17 laps completed
Race starts at 11:36pm. Start on R2s.
Pass the BMW at the esses and slipsteam the Sauber and the R92 up the Mulsanne. Pass the R92 at the first chicane but he gives me a bump into the second chicane which spins me around.
Spend the rest of the lap catching up. Get past the BMW and the R92 at the final chicane and end the lap 4.9s behind the leading R89 (3:45.064). Pass the Audi at the esses on lap 2. I battle with the R92 for the rest of the lap and finish it in 3rd, 4.7s down on the Sauber (3:35.238).
Battle with the R89 on lap 3 and give him a tap at the Ford Chicane which sends him off into the grass fo ra bit of dirttracking. I allow him to stay ahead of me. Post a 3:33.293, which puts me 6.8s down on the Sauber.
It's an all Nissan battle on lap 4 and the R92 passes both me and the R89 to move into 2nd. I end the lap in a deadheat with him (3:30.724) and we are both 9s down on the lead.
Battle with the R92 on lap 5 but he pushes me wide on the exit of Mulsanne and I lose a lot of time. Am now 12.2s down on the lead (3:33.850).
Lap 6 is my first in clean air but it's only a 3:32.209, and I am now 15.7s down on the Sauber.
My front tyres go off on lap 7 and by the time I pit I am 22s down on the lead. The R89 actually passes me in the Porsche Curves and he carries on into the lead as the front 2 cars pit. I rejoin in 6th after needing to refuel basically all of my thirsty fuel tank. I am 37s down on the leading R89.
The rest of the A1 cars pit on lap 8 and zoom past the R89 as he emerges from the pits. I am now 19s down on the Sauber with work to do. Lap 9 is no good as I outbrake myself at the first Mulsanne chicane and again at the end of the Mulsanne, thus allowing the R89 back past me briefly. I get him again at Indianapolis.
After 10 laps I am still in 3rd, 20.8s down on the Sauber. I do my first lap in the 3:20s on lap 12 (3:29.045), but the gap has grown to 22.9s. It is 31s by the time we all pit on lap 14. My front tyres are again shot. I put on R3s. The decision pays off as I pass the R92 out of the last chicane on lap 15 and start posting quick times. On lap 17 I post a 3:27.018, which puts me 13.2s down on the lead. A good comeback, but how long can these R3 tyres last for??
Hour 2, Monday, 17 May,
The Sauber extends his lead to 19s before I pit on lap 19. So the R3s only lasted for 5 laps. 4 laps actually considering the fronts were very red when I came in. I top up the fuel tank to 55/80 units and am on my way again, 49s off the lead.
The Sauber pits from a 54s lead on lap 21 and rejoins 11s ahead of me. I charge along and actually take the lead for a couple of times on lap 24 before my tyres go off again and I am forced to pit from 4s down. Rejoin in 2nd, 35s behind.
I take the lead as the Sauber emerges from the pits on lap 29. But he retakes the lead as my tyres go off yet again.
After 41 laps I decide to call it a day yet again. It is clear that the JGTC cars are too hard on their tyres.
Last edited:
- 1,051
- London
- JohnsonCapote
Best of luck with this lineup! I found in an old enduro of mine, think it was the Fuji 1000km, that I was too slow to be competitive on the hard tyres I started the race on, so I went up a tyre grade, and it worked out that I wound up pitting a little more regularly than my rival, but the extra speed I gained was enough to compensate - hope this is the case for you! 👍
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