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- FLK_255
Circuit de la Sarthe 24hr II
Here I am again for my third attempt at this race in A-spec. My car of choice is the BMW McLaren F1 GTR Race Car '97 with R2 tyres to boot giving me 200 A-spec points. Hopefully I won't have a powercut this time around like the last two attempts. Again I expect this to take around 2 weeks to complete.
Circuit Map
Grid Line Up (In Start Order)
Nissan R89C Race Car '89
Mazda 787B Race Car '91
MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89
Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car'89
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88
BMW McLaren F1 GTR Race Car '97 (Me)
Race Report
Grid Line Up (In Start Order)
Nissan R89C Race Car '89
Mazda 787B Race Car '91
MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89
Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car'89
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88
BMW McLaren F1 GTR Race Car '97 (Me)
Race Report
Hour 1
As the pack crossed the start line I knew this would be a demanding race. I followed the pack cautiously on cold tyres before passing the XJR-9 for 5th place down Hunaudieres. On cold tyres I had to be careful as I approached Mulsanne Corner as oversteer was quite bad nearly catching me out early on the lap. I was into the lead as I braked for Mulsanne Corner, the second placed 787B stayed out of harms reach despite the narrow gap between us. The 787B retook 1st from me after Mulsanne Corner and I tried to repass on the approach to Arnage on the outside only to get barged out by the 787B, I had to brake to let the 787B go else I'd would have surely ended off the track. I fell back to 3rd on the approach to the Porsche Curves with the Sauber right on my heels all the way to the line.
Only into the 2nd lap of the race I tried to retake 2nd from the R89C through Dunlop Curve only to get barged off onto the sand forcing me to back off. I got a much better exit out of Tetre Rouge and this allowed me to pass the R89C down the Hunaudieres to take back 2nd place. Behind me the Sauber overtook the R89C and was closing fast, ahead though I picked up a slipstream from the 787B allowing me to take the lead again after Mulsanne Kink. Out of Mulsanne Corner the 787B retook the lead again, behind me the Sauber and R89C were well back out of harms way for the moment at least. I made a mistake at Indianapolis as the dawdling 787B slowed unexpectedly, the Sauber and R89C crashed into my rear but I was able to keep control out of Indianapolis. Once we reached the Porsche Curves I was able to lose both the R89C and 88C-V closing in on the 787B.
On the 3rd lap I finally retook the lead passing the 787B down the Hunaudieres. By Mulsanne Corner I had a 2 second lead as I'd kept the 787B out of my slipstream so that I could build the gap. The 787B closed in but I managed to keep the gap around 2 seconds by the end of the lap. I held the 787B off until approaching the Porsche Curves when I got rammed off by the 787B luckily I hit the 787B as I flew off the grass sending it off into the sand trap. I fell to 5th place but by the end of the lap I'd recovered to 3rd place as the field recovered themselves. I took back 2nd place from the XJR-9 on the next lap coming out of Dunlop Curve after some slight contact with it. I was handed the lead however on the Hunaudieres when the 787B swerved into the barrier and now left me with a big lead over the soon to be second Sauber C9.
At the end of lap 7 with a 3 second lead I pitted along with the Sauber C9 close behind me and also the 88C-V and R89C. I rejoined the track with both the XJR-9 and 787B who had stayed out some 14 seconds ahead. The XJR-9 pitted at the end of the next lap while the 787B remained out for probably another lap. As predicted the 787B pitted at the end of lap 9 and I retook the lead after being 17 seconds behind the 787B before it stopped.
By lap 12 an 11 second gap to the Sauber fell to just 8 but on lap 14 I made another stop now 10 seconds ahead. To my surprised the Sauber carried on and didn't pit, perhaps I could afford to run another lap as well as my tyres were still yellow? I filled slightly more in case I chose to do a longer stint as I'd need to keep level with the Sauber C9 on pitstops. Unfortunately I came out just ahead of the 787B, knowing I'd not get away on tyres this could be a costly lap which is just what I did not need right now! On the approach to Mulsanne Corner I struggled to hold back the 787B and soooooooooooooooooooo predictably got barged off at Indianapolis by the 787B! Luckily the Sauber C9 came out far enough behind me after it stopped at the end of the lap allowing me to keep the lead but this next stint was going to be much more difficult now and I had to stay in the lead! I regained 2nd at the start of lap 17 as the XJR-9 pitted and the 787B was over 10 seconds ahead, the Sauber was still just in sight behind me.
As I exited Arnage some 10.5 seconds behind the 787B the first hour ended. For the next hour I needed to maximise my gains around pitstops to ensure I'd be able to build on my lead over the Sauber C9 and to also make sure I got out ahead of the 787B after pitting.
Hour 2
The 787B pitted at the end of lap 18 putting me back in front, the Sauber C9 was now 10.5 seconds back in 2nd place. I lost the lead on lap 21 after having a disaster of a lap running wide out of Arnage and then in the Porsche Curves. I decided to stay out for another lap despite now being 6 seconds behind the Sauber C9 and pitted at the end of lap 22.
On lap 24 the XJR-9 pitted while the 787B continued, I was making little progress in catching the Sauber who had come out further in front after I'd made another mistake on my outlap at Mulsanne Corner.
By lap 26 I decided I was too tired and short tempered to risk carrying on after a long week at work and lack of sleep last night, so I will carry on with this tomorrow.
At the end of lap 27 the 787B pitted putting me back in 2nd 10.252 seconds behind the Sauber C9 only to retake the lead two laps later passing the Sauber as it recovered from diving into the barriers down the Hunaudieres.
On lap 30 the Sauber was 3 seconds back and I made my stopped for tyres and fuel at the end of the lap with the Sauber hot on my heels. The 787B and XJR-9 passed me putting me back down in 4th by the time I rejoined. I passed the Sauber on lap 32 as it exited the pits and I now had a mere 3-4 second gap which I needed to increase while the Sauber was on cold tyres. By lap 34 the gap had increased between me and the Sauber C9, which appeared to have lost a chunk of time at the Ford Chicane.
On lap 35 I lost 2 seconds going wide out of Dunlop Curve and then messing up there again the following lap but the Sauber again dove into the barriers down the Hunaudieres
that lap handing me a much stronger lead over it at the end of the 2nd hour.Hour 3
On lap 36 the 787B made another stop and rejoined ahead of the Sauber C9 to take 2nd place, I had a comfortable lead of 18.707 seconds but I'd need to work hard so that I would keep ahead of the 787B everytime I pitted else the 787B would overtake me due to making less pitstops. On lap 37 the Sauber passed the 787B down the Hunaudieres to take back second and by the time I stopped at the end of lap 38 the gap was down to 14.8 seconds. The Sauber some 8 seconds ahead in the lead pitted the following lap and came out close to the XJR-9, having lost so much time itself in the last stint.
I fell back by 8 seconds on lap 40 stupidly tagging the grass into the Porsche Curves and sending me off track. Luckily the Sauber was so far back that I still had a comfortable gap after recovering.
On lap 45 the 787B pitted now some 21 seconds ahead of. With the Sauber now way behind my battle was with the 787B. On lap 46 the 787B rejoined 13.980 seconds behind me. I stopped at the end of the next lap with the gap up slightly to 14.5 seconds.
I came out behind the Sauber C9 and 787B on lap 47 to find the gap to the leader was now 17 seconds and I needed to do my best to keep it from growing any bigger. The gap was down to 14.330 as I started lap 51 also setting a new record of 3'16.868. Annoyingly I spun out at the Dunlop Curves oversteering on a bump thus throwing away my last few laps hard work and putting the gap back to over 18 seconds.
I set another new fast lap of 3'16.713 on lap 53 and I had reduced the gap to the 787B to 16.291 seconds. As I exited Tetre Rouge the hour ended.
Hour 4
At the end of lap 54 both the 787B and myself pitted, I lost 2nd place to the Sauber C9 as I rejoined while the 787B was now 14 seconds ahead after making it's stop. The Sauber kept ahead and pitted at the end of my outlap, by lap 57 I'd reduced the gap to under 10 seconds from the leading 787B. As I started lap 59 the gap was now down to 6.5 seconds, the 787B dropped another second by Tetre Rouge running wide out of the Dunlop Curve. Further into the lap and I was in sight of the 787B as I exited Mulsanne Corner only 4.1 seconds now behind the leader. By lap 62 the gap was down to 3.8 seconds and the R89C pitted becoming the first runner to go a lap down. I pitted at the end of the lap some 4.2 seconds back.
Next lap the 787B pitted and rejoined just ahead of me, the R89C had also unlapped itself and was probably going to come into play when I caught the 787B, the Sauber C9 was over 15 seconds back from me. I caught the 787B still on cold tyres at Dunlop Curve and passed for the lead down the Hunaudieres, now I just had to hold it off for the rest of the lap where I usually was slower.
By the end of the lap I'd held off the 787B who had also behaved and not rammed me off, by the time the 787B crossed the line I was already 3.805 seconds ahead.By lap 66 I'd just lapped the R89C and was approaching Indianapolis when my DS2 button jammed for changing down gear messing up my entry to the corner I lost 5 seconds as the R89C rammed me causing a spin, I quickly recovered but my lead had now fallen from 10.4 seconds down to 5 seconds. I relapped the R89C on the following lap also setting a new record of 3'16.552 with no technical faults this time round
I need to buy a new DS2 I think!On lap 69 disaster struck again as I ran wide out of Dunlop Curve and spun letting the R89C past along with the 787B. I managed to pass the 787B into Tetre Rouge with a little contact sent the 787B wide allowing me to break away enough. I overtook the R89C through Mulsanne Kink and managed to hold it off until it tried to take me around the outside into the Porsche Curves and then ran wide. I started lap 70 with a lead of 3.080 seconds and I needed to make some distance on this lap. The gap was down to 2 seconds by the time I pitted at the end of the lap, my rears had taken a beating and I had had to take it more cautiously on my in lap as a result.
I rejoined ahead of the Sauber and the R89C some 30 seconds behind the 787B, I'd gained a second by the time I left Mulsanne Corner when this hour came to a close.
Hour 5
The 787B pitted on lap 72 and I passed by as it exited the pits and the gap at the Tetre Rouge split was 4.485 seconds to the 787B. As I start lap 78 my lead was up to 11 seconds though after a slight mistake at Indianopolis this fell to 8 seconds, I then pitted at the end of the lap.
On lap 80 things were going well and the 787B was 25 seconds ahead meaning It would get out comfortably behind me, well until near the end of the lap where I ran wide out of Maison Blanche and spinning on the grass. On lap 82 as the 787B exited the pits I only just got past it to take back 1st before it could get up to speed.
I pulled the gap out to 9.6 seconds by lap 86 before making my next pitstop. Hopefully this time I'd keep my advantage and I could start building on it to set my lead in. I rejoined 25 seconds behind the 787B on lap 87 but by the end of the hour on lap 89 the 787B was now 28.775 seconds ahead after I'd made a couple of mistakes on the last lap.
Hour 6
More to come.....
Current Standings:
Current Lap: 89
1st: Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Time: 05:00'20.440
2nd: BMW McLaren F1 GTR Race Car '97 (Me) Time: -28.775
3rd: Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car'89 Time: -46.000*
4th: Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Time: -2'20.000*
5th: MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Time: -2'40.000*
6th: Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Time: -1 lap
Time marked by * denote my best guess based on map overlay position or rough estimate.
Best Lap: 3'16.552 (SA) (Lap 67)
Pitstops (laps): 10 (7,14,22,30,38,46,54,62,70,78,86)
A-Spec Points: 200
but I'll be having another shot next month with a used 787B. I'll go for 200 points but I'm going to go for the win now and forget a super-close race as this event is the main barrier to me getting 100% completion.
