- 203
- UK
- FLK_255
Having already having run this race in a modified Aston Martin Vanquish I decided to take peoples offer up of doing it completely stock in my previous run ( https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70100 ). Making sure that the Motor Sport Elise was present I begun the race at the back changing only to sport hard tires (S1) and disabling ASM, with 200 A-spec points to play for. I previously tried this in a stock DB9 but I found it too difficult once the tires went yellow-orange to keep pace with the Elise.
First lap I passed the other contenders while the Elise pulled 3 seconds ahead by the end of the lap. The Elise had a better speed than me down the straights making it difficult to close and maintain the gap. By lap 2 however I managed to pass the Elise through the twistier sections notably at the hill crest after the tunnel which seems to trouble the AI the most. Until lap 6 I managed to maintain a 3-4 second gap overall until lap 7 when my fronts began to go. The Elise reeled me in quickly passing me on end of the lap down the straight. I managed to repass the Elise on the next lap on the hill crest after the tunnel and hold it off until the start/finish straight, enough was enough and I pitted due to the amount of difficulty I was having now the fronts were dark orange and the backs were still green!
I exited 26 seconds behind the Elise in 3rd place on lap 9. By lap 11 the Elise was 34 seconds in front and pitted at the end of the lap coming out 11 seconds ahead. Remembering from the last race that the EIise struggled to get up to speed I knew I had to push for it in the next few laps. But by halfway through the lap I'd easily blitz the Elise pulling the gap down to just under 2 seconds. I then passed the Elise on lap 13, again after the short tunnel and began to pull away. I managed to pull out a 7 second lead by lap 15 and with the fronts going orange and the Elise about to come up to speed I decided to pit.
I came out on lap 16 a much more healthier 18 seconds behind the Elise, I was also less aggressive on my out lap ensuring I didn't lose as much time as I did after my first stop. I managed to maintain the gap with some slight loss til lap 20 when the Elise must have hit the bridge at the bottom of the track as the gap shot down from 22 seconds to 9 seconds. The Elise extended to 11 seconds ahead before pitting at the end of lap 22. I myself pitted at the end of the next lap 20 seconds ahead of the Elise and then came out as it passed by on the main straight. I was hoping I'd still have an advantage on my out laps over the Elise as it had just pitted itself and I need to make the most of it's mistake on lap 20.
I overtook the Elise which got stuck behind the trailing SL65 on lap 25. I pitted over 7 seconds ahead of the Elise at the end of lap 30 after having a good stint and holding off the Elise after it had reached optimum speed. I lost time falling back to 26 seconds behind until the Elise pitted at the end of lap 33, it exited as I passed the pits, I overtook the Elise as we braked for the first hairpin. Now the Elise was on cold tires I could really make up some time over it. For the next six laps I pushed hard and by the end of lap 38 I was 21 seconds ahead of the Elise. I exited on lap 39 with the Elise in sight as it passed me. With traffic ahead I was hoping they'd hold up the Elise as it was now most likely up to full speed. Unfortunately the Elise seemed to get through without much trouble and the end of lap 42 was 8 seconds ahead. To my horror as I went through the kink at the top of the start/finish straight what looked like a perfect line at high speed ended with a ker-chunk sending me into a spin, honestly I thought it should not have been a wall hit, I did cut it very close though. Recovering quickly I was content with my mistake to have lost only 5 seconds to the Elise. Fortunately the Elise then got stuck behind a backmarker I managed to regain the time I lost in the spin on the Elise by the end of lap 44.
I pitted on lap 46 again with a 23 second lead over the Elise after it stopped the lap before and came out just behind the Elise as it passed me again to retake the lead. With a 5 second gap I closed and by lap 48 I managed to pass the Elise to retake first. Thanks to a backmarker the Elise was held up again until lap 51 allowing me to create a lead of over 11 seconds. By the time I pitted at the end of lap 53 the Elise had closed to within 7 seconds of me.
The Elise pitted at the end of lap 56 for his final stop, 22 seconds ahead of me. As I passed him on the pit straight I knew I had one more stop to make, now I really had to get a move on!
I pitted at the end of lap 60, switched to sports mediums and short fueled. This was it, do or die! I chased down the Elise for a grueling 3 laps before managing to pass the Elise on the hill crest after the tunnel on lap 63. Now the tires had to just last til the end!
Result
1st Aston Martin Vanquish '04 (Me) Time: 2:11'20.078
2nd Lotus Motor Sport Elise '99 Time: -5.587
3rd Shelby Series 1 Super Charged '04 Time: -5.850
4th TVR T350C '03 Time: -1 Lap
5th TVR Cerbera Speed Six '97 Time: -1 Lap
6th Mercedes SL 65 AMG (R230) '04 Time:-2 Laps
Best Lap 1'52.436 (Lap 65)
A-Spec Points 200
First lap I passed the other contenders while the Elise pulled 3 seconds ahead by the end of the lap. The Elise had a better speed than me down the straights making it difficult to close and maintain the gap. By lap 2 however I managed to pass the Elise through the twistier sections notably at the hill crest after the tunnel which seems to trouble the AI the most. Until lap 6 I managed to maintain a 3-4 second gap overall until lap 7 when my fronts began to go. The Elise reeled me in quickly passing me on end of the lap down the straight. I managed to repass the Elise on the next lap on the hill crest after the tunnel and hold it off until the start/finish straight, enough was enough and I pitted due to the amount of difficulty I was having now the fronts were dark orange and the backs were still green!
I exited 26 seconds behind the Elise in 3rd place on lap 9. By lap 11 the Elise was 34 seconds in front and pitted at the end of the lap coming out 11 seconds ahead. Remembering from the last race that the EIise struggled to get up to speed I knew I had to push for it in the next few laps. But by halfway through the lap I'd easily blitz the Elise pulling the gap down to just under 2 seconds. I then passed the Elise on lap 13, again after the short tunnel and began to pull away. I managed to pull out a 7 second lead by lap 15 and with the fronts going orange and the Elise about to come up to speed I decided to pit.
I came out on lap 16 a much more healthier 18 seconds behind the Elise, I was also less aggressive on my out lap ensuring I didn't lose as much time as I did after my first stop. I managed to maintain the gap with some slight loss til lap 20 when the Elise must have hit the bridge at the bottom of the track as the gap shot down from 22 seconds to 9 seconds. The Elise extended to 11 seconds ahead before pitting at the end of lap 22. I myself pitted at the end of the next lap 20 seconds ahead of the Elise and then came out as it passed by on the main straight. I was hoping I'd still have an advantage on my out laps over the Elise as it had just pitted itself and I need to make the most of it's mistake on lap 20.
I overtook the Elise which got stuck behind the trailing SL65 on lap 25. I pitted over 7 seconds ahead of the Elise at the end of lap 30 after having a good stint and holding off the Elise after it had reached optimum speed. I lost time falling back to 26 seconds behind until the Elise pitted at the end of lap 33, it exited as I passed the pits, I overtook the Elise as we braked for the first hairpin. Now the Elise was on cold tires I could really make up some time over it. For the next six laps I pushed hard and by the end of lap 38 I was 21 seconds ahead of the Elise. I exited on lap 39 with the Elise in sight as it passed me. With traffic ahead I was hoping they'd hold up the Elise as it was now most likely up to full speed. Unfortunately the Elise seemed to get through without much trouble and the end of lap 42 was 8 seconds ahead. To my horror as I went through the kink at the top of the start/finish straight what looked like a perfect line at high speed ended with a ker-chunk sending me into a spin, honestly I thought it should not have been a wall hit, I did cut it very close though. Recovering quickly I was content with my mistake to have lost only 5 seconds to the Elise. Fortunately the Elise then got stuck behind a backmarker I managed to regain the time I lost in the spin on the Elise by the end of lap 44.
I pitted on lap 46 again with a 23 second lead over the Elise after it stopped the lap before and came out just behind the Elise as it passed me again to retake the lead. With a 5 second gap I closed and by lap 48 I managed to pass the Elise to retake first. Thanks to a backmarker the Elise was held up again until lap 51 allowing me to create a lead of over 11 seconds. By the time I pitted at the end of lap 53 the Elise had closed to within 7 seconds of me.
The Elise pitted at the end of lap 56 for his final stop, 22 seconds ahead of me. As I passed him on the pit straight I knew I had one more stop to make, now I really had to get a move on!
I pitted at the end of lap 60, switched to sports mediums and short fueled. This was it, do or die! I chased down the Elise for a grueling 3 laps before managing to pass the Elise on the hill crest after the tunnel on lap 63. Now the tires had to just last til the end!
Result
1st Aston Martin Vanquish '04 (Me) Time: 2:11'20.078
2nd Lotus Motor Sport Elise '99 Time: -5.587
3rd Shelby Series 1 Super Charged '04 Time: -5.850
4th TVR T350C '03 Time: -1 Lap
5th TVR Cerbera Speed Six '97 Time: -1 Lap
6th Mercedes SL 65 AMG (R230) '04 Time:-2 Laps
Best Lap 1'52.436 (Lap 65)
A-Spec Points 200
