El Captain 200 Miles In a BMW 120d!

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GM

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George0393 + GTP_GM
I'm going to run this race in my fully modified BMW 120d, it has 267 Bhp, and will run on S1 (Sports Hard) tires.

I thought the first line up I came against would be a tough but challenging one.

Dodge Viper GTS.
Chevrollet Corvette Grand Sport.
Pagani Zonda C12S.
TVR Cerbera Speed 6.
BMW M5.
BMW 120D.

I will be racing for 200 A Spec points, 250,000cr and a Toyota Minolta.


I'll keep you updated as I race!






Lap 1 - I already knew the Pagani is my main opponent, and that it will pit one or maybe even two time less than me, so I needed to get a good race start, dropping behind slightly at the start, I come head to head with the Cerbera after turn 2, I battle with the Cerbera until the tunnel where I take fourth place, then taking third very shortly after. A good line into the downhill right turn gives me first place, and a lap time of 2'21.137 sees me 0.7 seconds ahead of the second place Pagani Zonda.

Lap 2 - Trying to enter turn two (long left hander) to wide sees me hit the barrier, but not lose to much time, but a pretty good lap from there gives me a 3.1 second lead over the Pagani, just what I need since my tires are already green.

Lap 3 - Another mistake at turn two, I enter a good line, but my exit speed was to fast, I hit the green at the side of the track, not to hard though, but it's enough to nearly put me at the otehr side of the track in the sand. I learnt that without a spoiler, this car loves to put it's tail out, I was uncontrollably skidding from left to right down the hill, coming in control just in time to take the long right hander that followed, a lap time of 2'03.545, I have a goal in this race, to get a 1'59 laptime. The Zonda has caught up ever so slightly, now 3.081 seconds behind.

Lap 4 - My goal was obviously to easy as I perform a 1'58.7, the tail came out on some corners, but this time round I had it in control, a small mistake in the last corner, but I can easily fix it next lap. Zonda is now 5.2 seconds ahead, I need at least a 30 second lead to be ahead at the pit stops. New goal, to perform a 1'57.999 or under.

Lap 5 - I can tell somones tires have worn in, and I'm not talking about mine, after a 1'59 lap, the Pagani Zonda is now just 2.9 seconds behind me. I start to see the fainest bit of yellow in my rear-right hand side tyre, I'm predicting a pit stop on lap 11-13.

Lap 6 - Another 1'59 lap and the Pagani Zonda is just 1.5 seconds behind me, I predict I'll be overtaken on lap 9 if this continues. The other cars are around 7 seconds behind, meaning if I pit first, I'll be likley to come out in last.

Lap 7 - My predictions were all wrong, the Pagani Zonda overtakes me at the end of lap 7, my 2'00 lap saw us have a head to head battle hrough the second half of the lap, with me being overtaken on the straight, I'm 0.034 seconds behind the Zonda.

Lap 8 - I outbrake and overtake the Zonda on turn 2, then, the Zonda must of gone wide or crashed somewhere mid-circuit since I had a 2.4 second lead at T2, but then, I went wide on the 90 degree left, and the Zondas huge speed advantage on the straight given me a 0.3 second lead by the end of the lap.
My tires were yellow/orange at the back, I thought this is way to early to have to think about pitting, but oh well, I will have to see how long I can last.

Lap 9 - I was able to pull away from the Zonda this lap, a lap of 1'58.776 made me 0.8 second ahead, it's still a very small lead, but it's a bigger one than last lap. My rear-right tyre was now orange, I didn't know when I should pit, maybe lap 12, I'll see how laps 10 and 11 go...

Lap 10 - That was it, my tires were ruined, I pitted, changing my tires, both front and back, but not refueling, I didn't need it since I had only used a quarter of my fuel from the start of the race. I came out of the pits in last, awhile behind any other car, but now it was time to make up some ground.

Lap 11 - 2'06 due to lap 10 being a pit stop lap, 34 seconds behind the first placed Pagani Zonda, and an estimated 7 seconds behind the fifth place car, this lap was just a catching up lap, I expect the next few will be aswell.....

Lap 12 - 2'01, I need the tires to warm up a bit, the TVR Cerbera pits in from what looks like fourth place, putting me up to fifth, still not very close to any AI who haven't pitted though, 37 seconds behind the leading Zonda.

Lap 13 - 1'59, the Dodge Viper and BMW M5 both pit in, I'm now in third, but I overtook the Viper while it was leaving the pits, so I'm not ahead by much. The Corvette Grand Sport and Pagani Zonda are yet to pit. 40 seconds behind leading Zonda.

Lap 14 - 1'58.673 - New fastest lap. The Corvette Grand Sport pits, now I'm in second, by a more comfortable amount to third place. The Zonda has yet to pit, although I'm expecting it in the next five laps. My rear tires turn the tiniest bit yellow, but not to much to worry about 'tyre-wise' yet.
42 Seconds behind leading Zonda, it just keep on pulling away, I don't know if winning is an option anymore in this race.

Lap 15 - 2'01, very slow lap time, now 47 seconds behind the Zonda, rear tires are slightly more yellow now. Mistakes made in the last 1/3rd of the lap, going wide on a few paticular corners, and uncontrolable sliding.

Lap 16 - 1'59, I knew now that it wasn't just my driving that was getting me behind more, the Pagani was on fire,I was now 48 seconds behind. I made one mistake on the last turn, going slightly to wide.

Lap 17 - 1'58.124, new fastest lap. Although I performed my fastest lap, all the Pagani did was pull another two seconds ahead, meaning it must be doing low 1'56's, I was trying to be close enough to stay ahead when it pitted, but now, I'm 50 seconds behind, and I'm planning to pit in on lap 20.....

Lap 18 - 2'04, my biggest mistake 'crash-wise' so far in the race, I take turn 1 two quick, hit the barrier on the right, resulting in me driving at 39 Mph towards turn 2. Finally the Zonda pits, but I'm still 34 seconds behind.

Lap 19 - 1'58, a flying lap by me sees me catch up 10 seconds over the Zonda, now only 24 seconds behind, but if I stay on the strategy, lap 20 is my pit lap.....

Lap 20 - 2'01, a perfectly clean lap, but my rear-right tyre was slowing me down, the Zonda is now 22 seconds ahead, pitting next lap.

Lap 21 - I pit, the tires were getting to messed up at the back, I come out the pits in fifth, just ahead of sixth, and not far behind fourth, around 42 seconds behind leading Zonda.


Forfeited, I'm just not made for Endurence Race Reports, I'll stick to three lappers in future, I was also never going to win, maybe not even come second due to the large amount of pitting, sorry.
 
Right everyone, I'm calling it in for today, expect to see some more tomorrow, please comment on what I've done so far :).
 
Yeah, you must really be sliding the car around a lot to be wearing out S1s in 10 laps. The M Coupe was getting 9 good laps and one subpar lap out of S3s. However, you've got the advantage in that your rear tires are going first - I'd rather deal with oversteer than the pigheaded understeer caused by excessive front tire wear.

The only time I mix tire compounds is when I have too much wear at the back of the car against good front tires. Then I will go one notch softer on the fronts. But if the fronts wear too quickly, I never put softer tires on the rear, since that just aggravates the terminal understeer once the fronts start to fade.

Unfortunately, since your pit interval is shorter and your lap times are longer than the Zonda's, you're in an unwinnable cycle. The only way you can win with a shorter pit interval is if you are pitting out of the lead for every stop (even if you lose postition in the pits).

Other than that, a good effort and an interesting writeup!
 
Might I suggest a 4h run on the 'Ring? I wont that race by about 2 minutes. The gas milage was amazing. Had to pit for gas every 26 laps( no "bars" left coming down the back straight) or so. Just set your gearing to autoset 19 or 20. Make sure you have a full tune. Mine fully tuned puts out 281hp and 359ft LBS of torque. Keep the car in its powerband and youll do fine. It can also take a 100 shot of nos.

This car is FAST. weather it is a straight line:
215.jpg


Or a 1/4 mile, it will run mid 10's on nos and R5's

A wing also helps too...
 
funny thing is, that 120i doesn't suffer that much from wheelspin even though it has 300+bhp. our gear ratios must be pretty different. my 120i can keep up/pass those cars that come up in El Capitan, but that's only because AI drives at 70% of the maximum speed of the car, saving tyres etc.
 
fully modded 120i gives 192 points, so leaving off a weight reductioon or such will give 200 and it'll be pretty easy win. I tried it and I could keep up and ahead of Motorsport Elise.
 
Yeah, you must really be sliding the car around a lot to be wearing out S1s in 10 laps. The M Coupe was getting 9 good laps and one subpar lap out of S3s. However, you've got the advantage in that your rear tires are going first - I'd rather deal with oversteer than the pigheaded understeer caused by excessive front tire wear.

And the RUF 3400S does a good 12 ones out of S2s, 13-14 on S1s... And it still handles like a dream on S1s.
 
Great concept George. but every good story has a beginning, middle and end, and we appear to be missing one here! :dopey:
Even if you've abandoned the pursuit of the Zonda and conceded defeat, you should include that here instead of letting a half-finished report hang out there. :(
I think Duke's suggestion that you're in a self-defeating loop on your current strategy is probably right. Good effort, and 10/10 for trying though! Maybe a repeated attempt against 7-9th lineup, which has Corvette Grand Sport as closest competition? 💡 I think your Bimmer could handle that. ;)
 
Thanks, Smallhorses, I quit the race, sorry everyone, I'll try and make it up to you with my next report, coming very soon :).
 
Endurance races suck, he he. I've fallen asleep with the DS2 in my hand many times even during the shorter Enduros. B-Spec rules :)

Looking forward to your next (succesful) race report.
 
Thanks, Diego (not RedRum :lol:), my next race report is already up, Alfa Romeo 155 At Midfield.
 
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