Four Hours: The Nürburgring 4Hr Companion & Competition

[DGiant2000]

More to the point, what an earth had you been doing to your front tyres?!!??!

I'm currently just over half distance into my Z4 attempt on hard tyres but had to stop for the night as I'm getting tired, going well so far though and fairly close

 

[schack]

29th October 2001
Car used: Honda NSX Tpye R '02
Tuning: Suspension, LSD, Weight reduction and a bit of engine plus a wing. https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=6027196, without the bolt-on power mods. Sports soft tires.
PP: 502PP
Power, weight, PWR: 312bhp, 1051kg, 297bhp/tonne

Grid:
D. Shimada; Mine's BNR34 SKYLINE GT-R V-spec N1 base '00
E. Pruitt; 2007 HPA FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
P. Kettunen; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04
V. Grant; NISMO 400R '96
E. Tervo; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32
A. Palumbo; HKS CTR230R '08
aschack; Honda NSX Type R '02
A. Abe; NISMO Skyline GT-R R-tune (R34) '99
A. Bauer; NISMO Fairlady Z Z-tune (Z33) '03
K. Morrison; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
G. Kramer; Nissan GRAN TURISMO SKYLINE GT-R '01
J. Sanger; Amuse NISMO 380RS Super Leggera

Lap 1 - 9:14.945:
Drop to 9th immediately, but get back up to 5th in the first corner. 4th in turn 3, 3rd in turn 4. Playing cautious, taking most corners at 10km/h less than I know I can take them, just to be on the safe side. Still a very good lap time. I hang on to the S2000 GT1 and the HPA FT565 for most of the lap, falling a bit behind after Karussel, with the Mine's and the Stage II catching up. Get passed by the Skyline on Döttinger Höhe, draft him and pass him back during Hohrenrain, but slip wide a bit and lose the no. 3 spot. 9.7s behind at the finish line.

Lap 2 - 9:00.724:
Turn in early to Angstkurve and have to brake extra, losing a bit of speed.

Lap 3 - 9:05.997:
Miss a gear in the Veedol chikane on the GP track, which causes a slight understeer wide, and the Skyline moves out of sight for a bit, while the Z-tune passes me. The cable for the pedals falls out during Wehrseifen, which loses another second or so. Lose another second in Karussell due to mentally whining at Logitech. 17s behing at the line.

Lap 4 - 9:07.469:
Still being cautios, but slip out a bit at Kleine Karussell. Can feel the tires now. 21s behind at the line.

Lap 5 - 9:09.441:
Pass the Z-tune accelerating out of Bergwerk and regain 4th. His tires are shot and he can't keep pace. 21.5s behind at Antoinusbusch Overpass. Pit in. I've used exactly 50L fuel, which equates to 10L/lap, which is exactly what I had expected. Fresh tires and the free 15L, and on we go.

Lap 6 - 9:27.190:
The HPA FT565 and the Skyline are still in the pits as I exit. Looks like the S2000 GT1 decided to go for a 6th lap. The CT230R and the 380RS pass me while I'm in the pits, but I move up to 4th as I re-enter the track. Car's feeling exceptionally good now. 50.5s behind at the first split. Overtake the 380RS at Schwedenkreutz, quickly followed by the CT230R during Miss-hit-miss. At Hohe-Acht, I'm 22s behind. 2.4s behind at the entry to Döttinger Höhe, and I pass the S2000 GT1 as it enters the pit, taking the lead.

Lap 7 - 8.57.620:
I didn't think the NSX had the power to get below 9 minutes without drafting, but it has. A very fast lap, car's feeling incredible. The first message is I'm 22s ahead. As Hohrenrain, I'm 24.7s ahead. The first hour passes as I leave Bergwerk. From here this moment I won't see another car for the entire race.

Lap 8 - 9:04.148:
An uneventful lap sees my lead dropping to 20s.It's the FT565 being the only real contender.

Lap 9 - 9:10.944:
I lose the outer rear wheel at Hochheichen, but manage to regain control. Still, some seconds lost. I'm now 17s ahead.

Lap 10 - 9:08.101:
Pit in for the second stop, take on 30L fuel. Noone passes as I sit still, but I only have a 12s lead as I leave the pits, which is increased to 18s at Galgenkopf.

Lap 11 - 9:42.429:
Again, uneventful as I suspect most laps will be. Lead is 11s over the Amuse.

Lap 12 - 9:10.726:
The Amuse pits and the FT565 moves up to 2nd, 41s behind.

Lap 13 - 9:15.797:
I do a little botanising at Wipperman, but don't spin and just lose a bit. Feeling tired. Nasty spin at Hohenrain. Decide to take a nap.

Lap 14 - 9:07.252:
Wake up, feeling refreshed and continue on. Switching to 4 lap stints and pit at the end of the lap. Take on 42L fuel, being 27s clear at the entry to Döttinger Höhe. The FT565 pass me while I'm in the pits.

Lap 15 - 9:45.169:
Re-enter in 2nd, 20s behind. 15s at Adenauer Forst, 13s at Bergwerk. I feel very, very refreshed, and so does the car

Lap 16 - 8:57.011:
A new best lap. I feel I can push it a bit more now, and the car doesn't let me down

Lap 17 - 8:56.510:
Whoa, I wasn't expecting that. I had a really good split at Bergwerk despite not really doing anything special, so decided to try and see what I could do with it. Apparently, a lot. The FT565 is now 1:02 behind.

Lap 18 - 9:05.394:
Uneventful, I keep a good pace despite being my pit-in lap. My fuel consumption has oddly dropped to 9L/lap, so I just stick in 36L for a total of 50L.

Lap 19 - 9:46.258:
More no events. Getting a tad boring now, it seems I've got no way to lose this one. Still, just 18s ahead of the FT565 at the finish line, but he has two stops and I have one.

Lap 20 - 8:59.677:
Running consistently fast laps. That's good. It's easy to lose focus once you're certain you're winning. The FT565 pits.

Lap 21 - 9:01.498:
The FT565 is 1:35 behind at the finish line.

Lap 22 - 9:03.127:
FT565 picks up speed a bit, but still 1:30 behind. The Amuse is 2:02 behind in 3rd and long gone. Pit in, another 36L of fuel.

Lap 23 - 9:41.116:
Pit out, pretty fast lap. FT565 is 50s behind at the line.

Lap 24 - 8:51.857:
Just how fast can an NSX go? It starts with me passing Flugplatz at 199km/h, so I decided to shed all common sense and just take all the risks you don't take in an endurance. 135km/h through Ex-Mühle, 202km/h through Angstkurve... and somehow I manage to not crash! The perfect lap. Don't do this at home! That also means the FT565 has dropped to 1:03 behind, and he has to pit in next lap.

Lap 25 - 9:08.177:
Back to slugging the NSX around, I decide to not bother trying to beat the former lap as it'll just end in tears. And blood. Just an all round safe lap. The FT565 pits in. Interestingly, the CT230R has taken 3rd spot from the Amuse, though there's not much between them.

Lap 26 - 10:03ish:
It was actually 9:05 for a standard lap, but being over 2 minutes in the lead, I decide to just wait at the line since it's about a minute to 4h by the time I hit the pit straight.

Summary:
This NSX is a lot faster than I thought. I'm sure I can drop 15PP and still do it. Perhaps even a tad more. The problem arises from how to drop that. I think it'll be a combination of removing a bit of downforce, getting a car without engine tuning and adding a bit of ballast. And not falling asleep!
It was a bit sad that I managed to not meet a single car after lap 6. I lapped at least one, but it was in the pit while I did it, and when I lost top spot, well, I was in the pits too.
But what a fun car!

 

[HaylRayzor]

More to the point, what an earth had you been doing to your front tyres?!!??!

I took a swing at this with the CR-Z TC a couple of days ago but my life-long detestation of the FF drivetrain got the best of me. Turn after turn I ground my teeth. And my front tires. Enough! says I.

FF cars are for schlepping the kids to soccer practice. That is all.

 

[Grayfox]

I did it last night.

I used an Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo.

Soft/Soft tires
50% engine power(310HP)
270kmh top speed.

I only lapped the last place once in the 28 lap race.

 

[bonobo4]

I did it last night.

I used an Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo.

Soft/Soft tires
50% engine power(310HP)
270kmh top speed.

I only lapped the last place once in the 28 lap race.

Not sure Famine will accept 50% Power Limiter.

 

[Grayfox]

Not sure Famine will accept 50% Power Limiter.

I made it 50% so it was a challenge.

My S2000 GT1 would have creamed them at full power, i was even keeping a head of an AI Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo.

 

[C-ZETA]

Not sure Famine will accept 50% Power Limiter.

He won't. Besides which, he could have gone for lower grade tyres instead. Would have loved to see the state of his S2k Turbo then

 

[SuperCobraJet]

I guess having just completed my 6th or so 4hr with this car, it's about time to debut my find for the rabbit version of this contest.

Car used: Lotus Evora '09
293hp
1223kg
475PP
RS tires

Grid:
1. Stage II R32
2. S2000 GT1 '04
3. G 37
4. CTR2 '96
5. BNR 34 SKYLINE GTR V-spec N1
6. Fairlady Z Ztune (Z33) '03
7. Evora '09
8. Skyline GT-R Rtune (R34) '99
9. Nismo 380RS Super Leggera
10. 350Z '04
11. Amemiya FD35 RX-7
12. R8 LMS Race Car '09


Lap 1 - 5 And they're off..........

I stay to the right, run and brake hard into the first corner. Making very slight contact with the Mines Skyline, I exit 5th.
After the next 3 corners I'm 3rd, behind the R32 with the S2000 GT1 in first.
I dispense with the R32 during the next 2 corners, and set off to run down the GT1, who has pulled out a little.

I catch and pass him at Hatzenbach, taking 1st place.
I take a quick look at the running order, and see the R8 is mired in 8th.
Hopefully this will allow me some time to build a lead.
I'll be needing it.

By lap 3 the R8 has dispensed with the also rans, and is in 3rd behind the GT1.
By the end of lap 3 he's taken 2nd and is quickly eating up my 20sec lead.
Closer and closer he draws. The last interval I remember seeing was 7 secs, as I concentrated completely on driving as fast as possible.
Starting lap 5 he was already on the straitaway behind me.
I could here his motor at times until I made it past T2 and began to slowly pull away, his tires are pretty much gone by then, and mine about 50% worn.

I make it to the first pitstop, 29secs ahead, so it says. I take tires and just 15 liters of fuel, so as to put as much distance between me and the R8 as I can.
Fastest lap 8:42.125

Laps 6 - 10

By the time he fills his gas guzzling R8 and returns to the track I've built a 55sec lead.
Unfortunately, its cut to 17 secs by the end of lap 9, in spite of the fact I ran a new fast lap of 8:38.511 on lap seven and a 8:39 on lap 8.
Lap 10, I add back some and pit 42secs ahead.
I pit and take tires and enough fuel to make 5 more laps. 20 or 25 liters I think.

Laps 11 - 15

Checking the interval running lap 11, I just break over the 1 min lead mark, before the R8 begins devouring it once again.

Lucky lap 13: After 12 laps of practically mistake free driving, I commit my first big Boo Boo.
I tried to carry just a scooch too much speed through the right hander at Bergwerk.
My left side tires touched the grass and around I go.
I gather it up as quickly as possible and take off.
Fortunately at this point I have some lead to squander.
The resulting 8:50 lap is an approximate 10sec loss.

Accordingly when I reach the pits at the end of lap 15, the interval is about the same as last time.
Have to take more fuel (45 liters) now having used up all my reserve capacity.

Laps 16 - 20

In this segment, lapping some cars comes into play but it is pretty much a rinse and repeat without the major Boo Boo of lap 13.
Still starting out with about a 1 min lead and end with about half of that.

Laps 21 - 28

I have a run at a new fast lap on 23, but blow it up at Hohenrain and almost wreck. Still manage a 8:41.127.
This seems to set the tone for the next lap where I bobble several times and end up with a 8:50 lap.
Starting lap 25, I have a 24sec advantage.
I almost wreck again in the hitch left at Schwedenkreuz.
I think this corner is the trickiest on the course. Just a little off on the entry can spell the difference between checkers or wreckers.
I make it to the pits once again. Even though its more than I need, I get 45 liters of gas and 4 new tires.
Leave the pits and start off on the home stretch.
At Quiddlebacher Hohe (what a name) the interval to the R8 is 1min 18secs.

End lap 27 with 50secs left, and a new fast lap of 8:37.459.
One more lap to go.
No problems and I cross the finish line for the win.
28 laps @ 4:07:48
The last interval given before I crossed the finish line was 52secs back to the R8.

I am currently running this race with the same lineup at 470PP.
Hope to have a report on that one soon, assuming the little Evora can eek out a win.

So after 4"02'00.433, I win by about a second. Phew

Big Congrats on a real nailbiter there.

 

[HisSuppleness]

Actually my PP was way down (around 530) than AI... the car is just that good lol and missing 15 minutes the power went out for 5 minutes...

Use tires that match the car you are driving. Street cars in this PP range should have sport tires in my opinion for a closer match to the AI opponents. I would try using hard sport tires. Racing Soft tires are not as fun to drive for me.

Why does everyone seem to use RS tires by the way? These cars have like 2oo hp. You could use Sport HArd no Problem. And you would get the feel of actually racing. I dont get it?

 

[Barra333]

Why does everyone seem to use RS tires by the way? I dont get it?

So that they can run a car that is massively underpowered compared to the opposition.
Im assuming that most people pick their favourite car, then put the tyres on it to run 9'0x laps.

 

[SuperCobraJet]

Use tires that match the car you are driving. Street cars in this PP range should have sport tires in my opinion for a closer match to the AI opponents. I would try using hard sport tires. Racing Soft tires are not as fun to drive for me.

Why does everyone seem to use RS tires by the way? These cars have like 2oo hp. You could use Sport HArd no Problem. And you would get the feel of actually racing. I dont get it?

So that they can run a car that is massively underpowered compared to the opposition.
Im assuming that most people pick their favourite car, then put the tyres on it to run 9'0x laps.

It depends entirely on what your objective is.
I don't run racing tires all the time.
As the leaderboard on the first page shows this race was run by some on other than racing tires.

The game doesn't adjust PP for tire selection.
IMO this is a major flaw, since it definitely should.
So, if you are testing the competitive PP limits of a car you use racing softs.

 

[HaylRayzor]

Use tires that match the car you are driving. Street cars in this PP range should have sport tires in my opinion for a closer match to the AI opponents. I would try using hard sport tires. Racing Soft tires are not as fun to drive for me.

Why does everyone seem to use RS tires by the way? These cars have like 2oo hp. You could use Sport HArd no Problem. And you would get the feel of actually racing. I dont get it?

Famine's sport hard record is there for you to beat, if you need to give us a demonstration.

Here is my next horse for this race. It's not going to break any records, but it is a blast to drive.

Even fully modified it isn't going to beat the rabbits but it has no problem with the standard AI.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[daan]

These cars have like 2oo hp. You could use Sport HArd no Problem.

And you would lose.

If the aim is to win with the lowest PP, or with a crappy car, then RS tyres are the obvious choice.

If you wish to use Sports tyres, then you need much more of a car.

It really depends how you want to do the race. The last race I had was the best race against the AI that I've ever had in GT. Even though my top speed was 130mph, and the AI's was ~160mph, I could corner faster then they could and my pitstops were shorter. Over 1 lap, they were much faster, but over the course of a four hour race, I was slightly quicker.

 

[ItsHim]

The game doesn't adjust PP for tire selection.
IMO this is a major flaw, since it definitely should.
So, if you are testing the competitive PP limits of a car you use racing softs.

I welcome tyres not being part of the equation, though for A Spec points in GT4 it was nice to have.

It's a neat way of quickly setting a handicap without messing with the car itself.

That having said I ran a couple of laps against the two rabbits in my SLS Stealth and found it a bit too boring. The pace was right just no cars anywhere near me.

Guess I stick with the first lineup grid after all, had some decent fun in my test runs.

 

[Grayfox]

Shame 50% power doesn't cut it.

I will do the Laguna Seca with an ultra weak American car.

 

[daan]

Shame 50% power doesn't cut it.

Anything else (Tuning, tyres, ballast etc) is realistic. 50% power is not. What device can half the power of a car at half the revs, then keep it at that power throughout the rest of the cars rev range?

I will do the Laguna Seca with an ultra weak American car.

And the Nurburgring 4 hour thread doesn't care about Laguna Seca.

 

[DGiant2000]

After a bout of illness (I even left half a pint in the pub on Monday night ) I finally got round to finishing my 2nd attempt at this intruiging race:

Car: BMW Z4 M Coupe – RH tyres, stage 3 weight reduction, wing - 330BHP, 1255kg, 490pp, 263BHP/tonne

Grid:
1) D Conner - BNR34 Skyline GT-R V spec N1 base '00
2) B. Shuster - FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
3) J. Patterson - S2000 GT1 '04
4) I. Clements - 400R '96
5) K. Beckenbauer - Stage II R32
6) H. Otsuka - CT230R '08
7) GTP_DGiant2000 – Z4 M Coupe ‘08
8) O. Sanford - Skyline GT-R R-tune (R34) '99
9) A. Ferretti - Fairlady Z Z-tune (Z33) '03
10) N. Suigmoto - BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
11) A. Tanguy - GRAN TURISMO Skyline GT-R '01
12) T. Bridges - NISMO 380RS Super Leggera

The race:
Lap 1 – 9’14.991
After the customary start, I get back to 4th under brakingin turn 1. I manage take 3rd at flugplatz but am passed passed at dottinger hohe by the Mines Skyline handily getting a tow. I'm also passed on the start/finish straight by the Fairlady Z. At the end of the lap I'm in 5th place about 10s down

Lap 2 – 9’02.546
I retake 4th from the Mines at flugplatz again. Most of lap I'm 4th between 10-12s behind. I cross line 5th after being done on the start/finish straight again finishing 13.5s behind the TT

Lap 3 – 9’03.936
Turn 1 sees me back in 4th, I maintain a gap of about 16s this lap but they’re getting away, I need to up the pace without totalling my tyres – dilemma!

Lap 4 – 9’06.842
Concentrating on getting the power down early, I actually start catching the lead 3 (the Z has overtaken the S2k), until dottinger hohe that is. I'm nearly 20s down now

Lap 5 – 9’09.461
I carry on chasing and then suddenly catch 2nd and 3rd, the fairlady’s tyres are ruined and he’s holding up the S2k. The S2k gets past as I have them in visual range and it’s not long before I do too. I head into the pits 21s behind the TT. I take on RH tyres and 25 litres of fuel (48 had been used). Everyone pits bar the S2k, CT230R and 380RS

Lap 6 – 9’38.014
The 🤬 Golf holds up my pit release, resulting in me coming out 4th ahead of the TT. The 3 cars still out have a lap of fail and I overtake the 380RS at Plflantzgarden. The S2k blocks me onto dottinger hohe but I let him past to use his slipstream to try and gain a bit back on TT who is catching me. I cross line in 2nd but the lead CT230R has pitted

Lap 7 – 8’59.942
The Fairlady Z appears to have caught the TT and is battling meaning they gain no ground this lap, 16.5s lead!

Lap 8 – 9’02.257
He’s catching but only by 1s, gap now 15.5s. 2nd and 3rd are still locked together

Lap 9 – 9’04.634
The TT has ditched the Fairlady now, 2 minor mistakes at caroussell and plflantzgarden allow him to claw back another couple of seconds. My lead is now about 13.5s

Lap 10 – 9’09.592
I pit in with a lead of about 12.5s taking on 40l of fuel and new RH tyres. 2nd also pits as do most of the others. The S2k takes over 2nd but is 19.5s behind and we all know what will happen next lap!

Lap 11 – 9’44.246
The S2k is now 21s behind but this is his ‘lap 6’ so hopefully he will hold up some of the chasing pack too.

Lap 12 – 9’00.498
Surely enough S2k tumbles through grid. Lead now about 50s

Lap 13/14 – 9’00.466/ 9’04.611
Focussing on smooth driving. It's hard to tell but laptimes suggest the TT and Fairlady Z are scrapping again, I'm 52s ahead


Lap 15 – 9’13.131
I'm being caught but only a little, still have a comfortable lead of nearly 50s. Pit in for 40l of fuel and RH tyres

Lap 16/17/18/19 – 9’44.599/ 9’00.331/ 9’02.779/ 9’05.955
My lead dwindles from 82s to 72s but I lap the 400R on lap 19

Lap 20 – 9’10.517
And pit with a 75s lead. New RH tyres and 60l of fuel to last the rest of the race

Lap 21/22/23 – 9’56.502/ 9’19.561/ 9’10.897
I start this stint with a 90s lead but some very sloppy driving leads to 3 spins cutting my lead to under a minute. I'm angry with myself which exarcebates the problem

Lap 24 – 9’08.029
Final pit for tyres, no fuel

Lap 25 – 9’26.334
9’16 left, think I might take this lap easy! 32s lead

Lap 26 – 9’31.xxx
Slow down to avoid another lap as the 2nd place TT has pitted at the end of lap 25. I cross the line to record a win of over a minute reaching level 40 A SPec in the progress!!

Final positions:

1. GTP_DGiant2000 – Z4 M Coupe ‘08
2. B. Shuster - FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
3. A. Ferretti - Fairlady Z Z-tune (Z33) '03
4. H. Otsuka - CT230R '08
5. D Conner - BNR34 Skyline GT-R V spec N1 base '00
6. N. Suigmoto - BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base
7. S. Patterson - S2000 GT1 '04
8. T. Bridges - NISMO 380RS Super Leggera
9. K. Beckenbauer - Stage II R32
10. O. Sanford - Skyline GT-R R-tune (R34) '99
11. A. Tanguy - GRAN TURISMO Skyline GT-R '01
12. I. Clements - 400R


What did I learn?:

490PP on RH is still overkill, with this lineup at least as this was a comfortable win despite mistakes and despite slowing down for the last lap

The Z4 is a nice car to drive and was less of a handful than the RX8, probably due to lower power and the addition of a wing

The endurance save is great if, like me, you don't have 4 hours straight to drive but coming in cold after a few days off GT5 can be difficult. It can lead to silly mistakes which is frustrating after a 22 laps without any major mistakes, and would be very galling had the race been closer.

Next up - even less power and less pp and still trying to get hold of an opera 350Z to run against thre rabbits

 

[schack]

Nice report, DGiant. I would suggest, as you run on 5-lap stints against the first reset grid, that you switch to 4-lap stints after lap 10 (going in on 14, 18 and 22) since you'll have 3 pits regardless. Saves a bit of time, meaning you can stretch your PP even a bit lower.

I think Famine did some calculations on pit strategy earlier, I'll see if I can find it. It shows that if you do run 5-lap stints in 26-lap races, you're better off moving to a 4-lap strategy after lap 10.

 

[DGiant2000]

Thanks Schack, interesting idea and I think you're right. My initial hope was to run 2 6 lap stints at some point to avoid the last pitstop but I soon saw that this would not be a realistic proposition. Next time I do the race, I will definitely try this strategy and see how it effects the final result.

 

[DK]

Car used: 2002 Mazda RX-7 Type R Spirit R
PP: 479 (with wing)
Power: c.295hp
Weight: 1,230kg
Tyres: Racing Softs
Pit sequence: Every 4 laps
Were the S2000 GT1 Turbo and the R8 LMS there? No

This was my first attempt at doing the Nurb 4 hours race, and I'm glad to say that I won, but it wasn't that hard-fought. I won by well over a minute (including taking a 50 second break so that I wouldn't have to do a 27th lap). The car used up about 10 litres per lap, and so I would have been unable to go the whole race while only pitting for 15 litres of fuel each time. At the end of each stint, my front tyres were pretty much shredded, and I had about half-a-dozen big off moments. I managed to lap one car, the Nismo 400R, and my best lap was an 8'54 (lap 6). Normally the second lap in each sequence would be the fastest, as the first lap was slowed down by the pitstop, and the third lap started to see some tyre wear creep in. I don't see much point in repeating it, though - I'm at Level 39 now, with just over 3 million XP points to go.

 

[HaylRayzor]

Thanks Schack, interesting idea and I think you're right. My initial hope was to run 2 6 lap stints at some point to avoid the last pitstop but I soon saw that this would not be a realistic proposition. Next time I do the race, I will definitely try this strategy and see how it effects the final result.

I like 5-6-6-5-5 (for cars that need 4 stops). I tend to be a little hard on tires at the start of the race, then settle down to a more comfortable pace.

 

[schack]

I like 5-6-6-5-5 (for cars that need 4 stops). I tend to be a little hard on tires at the start of the race, then settle down to a more comfortable pace.

I'm inclined to agree, though it depends a bit.
Generally I prefer to get the long stints over as early as possible, but as you say, if you work the tires hard early on, it might be better to postpone the long stints.
That's even more true if you're driving a car you haven't familiarised yourself with, at least I tend to shred the tires a bit more early on when doing that.

But unless I've actually tested tire wear, I like it better to get in a long stint first to see just how bad it gets and how far I can push it.

I guess it's all a matter of preference, but we definately seem to agree that even while you're officially running one strategy, you should adapt to make it most efficient - such as going from 6-lap to 5-lap stints or from 5-lap to 4-lap stints, depending on what your estimated number of laps is.

 

[faqoldschool]

November 02, 2011

My first attempt but I've followed this thread since the beginning. This has to be one of the bests races in all of GT5. I hadnt seen anyone post a time with the alfa yet and it was the car i wanted to attempt this with since i won the car earlier this year. I wanted to see if i could beat the rabbit cars and of course what do i draw on my first attempt;an even grid with no S2000 or Audi. I decide to go with it and see how it pans out since its my first attempt.

Car Used: alfa giulia
254 hp/620 kg/559 pp
tuning:added stage 3 turbo, fresh oil change
rh: -20/-20
sr: 8.0/6.5
d/ext: 8/8
d/com: 8/8
rb: 6/5
camber: 2/1
toe: 0/.20
lsd: init: 10
accel: 40
brak: 20
downforce: 15/35
brakes: 6/7
gears: 1st: 2.466
2nd: 1.597
3rd: .977
4th: .762
5th: .557
fin: 5.831
top speed: 186mph

Grid:
1: Parrish bnr34 skyline gtr
2: Leblanc ft565 audi tt
3: Shelton s2000 gt1 04
4: Leburn 400r 96
5: Jimenez stage II r32
6: Fitzpatrick ct230r 08
7: Faqoldschool alfa giulia
8: Haas skyline gtr r tune r34 99
9: Daughtery fairlady ztune z33 03
10apst bnr34 skyline gtr n1 base 06
11:Aigner GT skyline gtr 01
12:Chung nismo 380rs sl


Lap 01: 9:14.396 3rd +7 sec
Started with racing softs...drop to last immediately...work my way up to 6th by end of gp circuit...in first by the karosel...this is when i realize that i probably should have resset the grid but i decide to stick it out and race the clock to beat the average lap times of the rabbit cars...small spin before final straight...s2000 and TT pass me with 4-6th right behind me

Lap 02: 8:48.982 1st -2 sec
S2000 and TT are battling it out...see them over the hills...pass s2000 right after karosel...then tt same as lap 1...soft braking, easy turning to save tires...going to try and run as long as possible for 3 stops

Lap 03: 8:48.237 1st -16 sec
S2000 and TT are battling behind me

Lap 04: 8:50.503 1st -30 sec
2nd and 3rd togther...4-10th all bunched together about 10 sec behind them...2 stragglers

Lap 05: 9:00.429 1st -40 sec
75 liters of gas remianing...front tires 50%...rear tires 80%...understeer starting to kick in 1/4 way through lap...2 small offs

Lap 06: 8:58.837 1st -1:25
Understeer more severe...front tires 45%...tt pits..s2000 keeps running...order starts to shuffle as some cpu pit and some dont...end of lap, left front wearing more than right 30% vs 40%

Lap 07: 9:14.425 1st -1:35
54 mins have passed..I pit for new tires/no fuel...still have 60 liters...s2000 and other cars pit...tt moves back up...s2000 at some point on this lap drops below 8th, must have been a spin

Lap 08: 8:44.043 1st -1:50
Lap 09: 8:44.621 1st -2:10
Lap 10: 8:44.605 1st -2:37

Lap 11: 9:06.615 1st -3:23
2 medium offs as understeer kicks in at 50%...s2000 moved back up after pit shuffle...tt in 3rd

Lap 12: 8:55.915 1st -3:49
TT,s2000, and ct230r battling it out...ct230r spins and drops...a couple of the back markers pit this lap

Lap 13: 9:02.071 1st -4:08
Lap GT skyline gtr 01 3/4 though lap...small spin

Lap 14: 9:19.157 1st -3:33
Pit in

Lap 15: 9:37.805 1st -3:05
Pit for new tires/added 50 liters added (91 liters burned)...GT skyline gtr 01 unlaps himself

Lap 16: 8:49.043 1st -4:25
I think the lighter car due to less fuel might be causing bouncing in the corners and bumps...lap GT skyline gtr 01 after karosel

Lap 17: 8:46.895 1st -4:35
Oil is starting to dirty cause i'm losing some power

Lap 18: 8:50.882 1st -4:46
Lap 19: 8:58.937 1st -4:51
Small spin

Lap 20: 8:52.711 1st -5:08
Cpu starts pit sequences

Lap 21: 8:57.812 1st -6:24
Lap 22: 9:15.855 1st -6:05
Lap skyline gtr r tune r34 early on...pit in to time it with the end of the race

Lap 23: 9:36.664 1st -5:30
Pit...new tires/47 liters added (89 liters missing)...42 mins remaining in race...skyline gtr r tune r34 unlaps himself

Lap 24: 8:55.785 1st -5:44
Small spin coming onto final straight

Lap 25: 9:05.857 1st -5:42
Spin on back straight...cpu starts pit sequences

Lap 26: 8:50.848 1st -7:00
Lap skyline gtr r tune r34 back

Lap 27: 8:55.077 1st -----
Lap up to 6th, they were in the pits at the start of the lap

Fianl Results:
1: Faqoldschool alfa giulia 4:03:08.027
2: Leblanc ft565 audi tt 4:00:01.116
3: Fitzpatrick ct230r 08 4:02:27.932
4: Parrish bnr34 skyline gtr 4:02:36.866
5: Papst bnr34 skyline gtr n1 base 06 4:02:50.416
6: Daughtery fairlady ztune z33 03 4:02:50.416
7: Shelton s2000 gt1 04 4:02:50.416
8: Chung nismo 380rs sl +2 laps (26laps)
9: Jimenez stage II r32 +2 laps
10:Leburn 400r 96 +2 laps
11:Haas skyline gtr r tune r34 99 +2 laps
12:Aigner GT skyline gtr 01 +3 laps

Final Notes:
Oil shot at end of race. The alfa was great to drive. It is quick in the corners, slow on the straights, and its easy on fuel and tires. My pit strategy combined with a few offs and the oil issue had me finish just short of the rabbit cars average lap times. I averaged 9:00.297 when i need 8:51. I'd like to give it another go with the audi and s2000 in the gird because no mistakes and a more refined pit strategy could barely beat them. It would be really close.

Here's a link to a nice time calculator...
http://www.grun1.com/utils/timeCalc.html

 

[DGiant2000]

I'm inclined to agree, though it depends a bit.
Generally I prefer to get the long stints over as early as possible, but as you say, if you work the tires hard early on, it might be better to postpone the long stints.
That's even more true if you're driving a car you haven't familiarised yourself with, at least I tend to shred the tires a bit more early on when doing that.

But unless I've actually tested tire wear, I like it better to get in a long stint first to see just how bad it gets and how far I can push it.

I guess it's all a matter of preference, but we definately seem to agree that even while you're officially running one strategy, you should adapt to make it most efficient - such as going from 6-lap to 5-lap stints or from 5-lap to 4-lap stints, depending on what your estimated number of laps is.

The 5-6-6-5-5 was my intended strategy but I was losing a lot of time in lap 5 which made a 6 stopper seem very un-enviable which is why I stuck to 5's. I think switching to 4's as you suggested would be preffereable.

Interestingly, in testing on RS 6 lappers were possible as tyre wear wasn't a huge issue, however in deciding to do the race on RH as it was too easy, tyre wear became much higher. Although this is contrary to what you would expect (hard tyres should in theory last longer), I put it down to the fact that I was having to drive the car much harder and on the edge to put in competitive laptimes resulting in more tyre slip and therefore more wear.

EDIT: Nice write up faqoldschool, I'm surprised the Giulia could pull out such quick laptimes, being so economical looks like it helped too. I think that may well be doable against the rabbit cars.

 

[faqoldschool]

thanks, i need to work out some sort of pit strategy that minimizes waiting on fuel. that killed my average lap times because i would sit waiting for a good 35 seconds on my 2nd and 3rd stops. maybe four stops and pick up splashes of fuel each time to match the time it takes to do a tire change.

 

[DGiant2000]

thanks, i need to work out some sort of pit strategy that minimizes waiting on fuel. that killed my average lap times because i would sit waiting for a good 35 seconds on my 2nd and 3rd stops. maybe four stops and pick up splashes of fuel each time to match the time it takes to do a tire change.

You can pick up 15l a stop without losing a lot of time I found

 

[anastasis14]

A question: I'm doing Nurb 4hr enduro, with the X1 (i know its a shame).
I plan to stop at about 2:35 hour.Then i have to go for 3 hours out of my house. Can i complete the race at 5:30 hours for example and finish 1st??? 30 laps will be completed by me by then.

 

[GTsail]

A question: I'm doing Nurb 4hr enduro, with the X1 (i know its a shame).
I plan to stop at about 2:35 hour.Then i have to go for 3 hours out of my house. Can i complete the race at 5:30 hours for example and finish 1st??? 30 laps will be completed by me by then.

As mentioned by Famine in post # 1, Rule # 3, we are not interested in running X2010's in this race.

The purpose of this thread is to encourage players to try different cars on the Nurburgring track and have enjoyable/close and interesting races against the AI.

GTsail

 

[anastasis14]

As mentioned by Famine in post # 1, Rule # 3, we are not interested in running X2010's in this race.

The purpose of this thread is to encourage players to try different cars on the Nurburgring track and have enjoyable/close and interesting races against the AI.

GTsail

I'm setting a question. If you know the answer reply, if you don't, then DON'T
If i had the time, i would. I know the purpose of the thread, and i just made a question. Did i say i'm proud of doing it that way???And who said i'd like to catch your interest?

 

[GTsail]

I'm setting a question. If you know the answer reply, if you don't, then DON'T
If i had the time, i would. I know the purpose of the thread, and i just made a question. Did i say i'm proud of doing it that way???And who said i'd like to catch your interest?

You got my attention because you posted in this thread.

I will send you a PM and try to answer your question.

Respectfully,
GTsail