General Discussion

[AMG.]

Well done 👍 - if you have managed to knock off the roadster 4 hour this early you are set for a big a-spec total.

I just retired from my 2nd MX5 race at 140 points. On 2nd attempt lost the lead at 3h30m and never regained it. Just abandoned it at 3h57 mins in 4th.

AMG.

 

[Car-less]

The roadster endurance is the only endurance race I have not completed for 200 points. Currently at 175, with a few thousand miles still to put on my car before I try again.

 

[AMG.]

The roadster endurance is the only endurance race I have not completed for 200 points. Currently at 175, with a few thousand miles still to put on my car before I try again.

So how do you win this race?
I ran the 2nd hand 91 ltd on n3 + 108 ballast for 140 pts. Nos set to 35/100 and all the usual non power upgrades and tranny moved from 7 to 5.
I used 40% nos to gain the lead. Then blocked for 40plus laps and I pitted 1 lap later than the #2,3,4 did. The VR ltd stayed out 3-4 laps longer so I had to use nos to regain 1st place once he went in.
This repeated this twice more approx 45 laps later. Didnt add fuel except on my last pit (3rd pit). My nos was gone after 3rd pit on regaining the lead. I was never able to gain more than 0.5-1.2sec lead.
Before I ran the race in Aspec I did 90 or so laps in Bspec to work out when the AI would pit and to review their lap times.
Of course with me in front whilst a-speccing the AI could do an avg 4 more laps due to the fact that I was blocking them.

The AI was running mid 1.13m in B spec mode (and Bob trailing in 6th)
I was running low 1.15 in A spec.
Per lap Im losing 1.5-2 secs if they get in front.
I gambled on being able to do 3 pits instead of 4 but my tyres didnt make it on the last stint.

I was doing "ok" until 3h30m when the VR overtook me on the outside of the final bend. I pushed him towards the grass but was overtaken on the inside by the #3. I hoped to be able to perhaps take the lead again when they all pitted for 4th time but by then the #1 was still 6 secs ahead of me. My front tyres were really shot by 3h50m. I ended up 4th and pushed the exit button at 3h57m.

What are the tactics to this race ???

AMG.

 

[Metar]

What are the tactics to this race ???

AMG.

I remember someone mentioning cutting the line rigth after T2. Logically, that should save you about a second... If you're able to pull it off consistently. I never managed to do "off roading" precisely in GT4 - I always spun out.

 

[AMG.]

I remember someone mentioning cutting the line rigth after T2. Logically, that should save you about a second... If you're able to pull it off consistently. I never managed to do "off roading" precisely in GT4 - I always spun out.

Yes, that was Fizio. However given the shallowness of the bend at T2, it curves to the left, I fail to see the section (redline) that would give me that precious second. If I were to cut the grass on the inside (blueline) I believe I would end up at a 90degree angle on the 180 bend

I never managed to do "off roading" precisely in GT4 - I always spun out.

Brake slightly before if its sand and on the grass/sand itself dont press the throttle more than 50% or so whilst crossing is my way.

AMG.

 

[Metar]

Yes, that was Fizio. However given the shallowness of the bend at T2, it curves to the left, I fail to see the section (redline) that would give me that precious second. If I were to cut the grass on the inside (blueline) I believe I would end up at a 90degree angle on the 180 bend




Brake slightly before if its sand and on the grass/sand itself dont press the throttle more than 50% or so whilst crossing is my way.

AMG.

I think he meant cutting right, across the grass into the middle of the straight - that should "shorten" the track by quite a bit.

 

[Car-less]

I thought I had posted about this before, but cannot find my own post now!

First you might want to change your car. I tested four or five cars and found the '04 1600 NR-A works best. Give it the usual non-power upgrades, and ballast as appropriate. Tuning I'm not 100% sure on as I have adjusted things many times since my last attempt - 3000 miles of various other races, but I'll give you what I have in my notes...

Tyres: Economy at the front, Luxury at the rear. N1/N3?
Nos set to 80.
Brake balance 3/5.
TSC/ASM 0/0/0.
Ballast weight 176.
Weight balance +15.

Spring rate 6.4/3.8.
Ride height minimum.
Damper (Bounce) 3/5.
Damper (Rebound) 7/10.
Camber 4.8/0.4!
Stabiliser 5/5.

IIRC that mad camber balanced the very different front/rear tyres, and the other suspension settings helped in bouncing accross the grass.

Tactics:
Use plenty of Nos to get in the lead before the 1800RS does.
Block everyone. Always. Keep any remaining Nos incase someone gets past.
If possible, move off the racing line to prevent anyone drafting/slipstreaming you.
Only pit when the 1800RS moves over behind you to pit. Change tyres for Road/Luxury. (N2/N3)?
Cut the corner at T2: Start braking at the apex cut by the red line in your diagram. Bounce along the blue line, and gently begin the turn half way accross the grass. Rejoin the road right at the end of the corner.

Other than that, good luck. You'll need it.
(Maybe I should retry it myself. Been playing GTA:SA for the past 2 months).

 

[Vash666]

Roadster 4h endurance:

Against first lineup using a used mx-5 91´ --> 200.pts race

Setup:
all non power upgrades
167 ballast, N1/N3 tyres, tranny trick, dont remember susp settings

Strategy: I used the grass cut after T2 every lap, it saves some seconds and makes the race a bit easier. After start I used nos to get 1st place asap and pitted in the first the lap to change to N3/N3 tyres. Then I used nos in short bursts to gain first place again. It took about 7-10 laps to get back in 1st place. I had to restart the race if the 1800 rs got into the lead before me because then I couldn't catch him. After gaining 1st place the blocking started and when laps 35-42 got nearer I started to look back when the 1800 rs went to pits and when he did I pitted also. After that block, block and block some more and use remaining nos if he manages to pass you.
When in the final 10 laps or so the 1800 rs went to pits but it was still a very close race because the other cars were close by and my tires were in bad condition. When the final lap started the second car was right behind me but luckily I managed to win with a +1 sec mov

This is a tough race but if you can avoid any big mistakes it can be done, good luck 👍

 

[AMG.]

Thx guys for your responses. I wont be going for 200 just yet. I'll give your suggestions a try for around 140 pts and if I manage that and feel confident that I can squeeze out some more points I'll re-race.

I just dont want to attempt a 3rd time and see 0 again after 3 hours or so. At the moment I just cant face that.


@ Vash, following up on Molochs comment. making the MX race for 200 certainly puts you in a good spot to make max points. There are a few races that are near impossible to max out but I have faith in you, given your results. Same goes for Car-less.
AMG.

 

[Fizio]

Try the purple path...

Car-less explained it quite well...👍

 

[nualum]

Major kudos to everybody here. Started a new save recently and all the info here has been a great inspiration. I fully expect to burn out before 50,000 points (let alone 100), but last night I started my 200 point racing career and I'm looking forward to continuing. So far i've notched 200s with a Miata at Tsukuba wet normal (setup for training B-Spec B-1), Ginetta through all of beginner FR (added flywheel, clutch, and NOS), and a stock ram through the truck series (hopefully the last I'll use it).

I need to make some major improvements to my driving skill along the way... I pass bronze tests "easily" the way good drivers pass gold, but that's all the more reason to undertake the challenge.

 

[AMG.]

I need to make some major improvements to my driving skill along the way... I pass bronze tests "easily" the way good drivers pass gold, but that's all the more reason to undertake the challenge.

Nah, "burning out" starts around 103K. Dont worry about not having many Golds. I don't have 'm either and God knows I've tried to increase current amount of golds. Just take it nice and easy and if you get stuck, come visit again and we'll try to be of help. After all, most in this neck of the woods are aiming for 111813 or as near as darn possible.

Edit: Oh and welcome to GTP:tup: May your stay be fruitful.
AMG.

 

[Moloch_horridus]

...and a stock ram through the truck series (hopefully the last I'll use it)...

Good luck with the Special Conditions events (easy 200 in Dodge, very difficult without) and the PD Cup (impossible without Dodge).

 

[nige]

Have today just reached a personal milestone - 110839 a-spec points. Less than a 1000 to go!! Have these races to finish together with my own personal thoughts on each one :
Roadster 4 hr endurance - Damned near impossible for 200 . Block for 3 hours
Super Speedway 150 miles - Can't find the right line up! Am using my beloved Black Mazda 787B.
Audi TT series - near impossible on N1 tyres
SL Challenge - a PITA
GTI Cup - What car does give 200 ?
Alpine Cup - hm!
MG - OK with right line up
Hyundai Sports - For me this is worst of the lot . Trying to get 176 on N1's - IMPOSSIBLE. Anyone got any hints for this one please.
Copen series : Just as bad as the Hyundai series. Again help needed please
Suzuki Concepts series : A PITA for 200
Race of the Red Emblem - Right line up needed AND a little bit of luck
Club Z - Luck needed here I think
Euro Classic Car League - Nurburgring - Have managed 183 with the Beetle. I suppose luck is needed here with the right line up and car .
1000 miles - 200 with the Nissan BLRA - Can I block for 3 hours ? I think not!

That's just about it.

nige

 

[Mario GT]

You guys mind if I pop in here with a 200pt A-Spec story?

I kept on reading about how you guys attempted 200pt races and I decided to try my luck on some. Feeling a need to go fast, I tried tackling "Like The Wind" to see if I can beat all those fast Group C and Le Mans Prototype cars with my Viper Team Oreca GTS-R with around 700 HP in it, tuned for low drag and a very high final gear.

At the start, I fell behind due to all that power not contacting the ground. But lucky for me, another car had acceleration problems and I caught his draft as he tried to catch the 4 faster cars and I did get to them as we entered the first turn.

During the race my only hope for winning is to stay in their draft and when the time comes, make my move on the final turn of the final lap and hopefully hold them off and win the 200pts. My only problem in the race was that I didn't have a tall enough 6th gear and I kept on hitting the rev limiter when I could have gotten a few more MPH out of it. But the other cars that were in front of me didn't go that much faster and they really just stayed in line as I followed behind.

Then, there was an odd thing that happened. Most of the field ducked into pit road for some odd reason at the start of the final lap and that left me and I think it was an McLaren F1 GTR car to fight it out. As usual, I stayed behind the guy and when we came to the final turn, I made my move on the outside.

And that's when my race went south.

I tried to minimize the turning so I didn't lose any speed in the turn by gently pushing on the stick so I can make the move. And I ended up hitting the outside wall, hitting the guy, losing control and spinning out, losing the win and 200pts. The guy I hit didn't lose control and went on to win.

Well, that's one of my stories on getting a 200pt race.

 

[nualum]

I'll preface my questions by saying I'm sure the answers are different from event to event or car to car, but if there are some "most of the time" answers I'd appreciate it. I'm just getting started on 200 point racing and have read most of the relevant topics here, but don't have much of any first hand experience.

I was trying my hand at the civic races this morning with a civic 1500 3door on N3 tires. I only raced Motegi and I'm pretty sure I could win it with more practice, but here's what I found:

Against a lineup with 2 old cars it takes too much ballast for 200.
With 1 slow car in the lineup I can hit 200 at around 90 ballast.
Against a lineup of modern civics it only takes about 30 ballast.

I was guessing the prime lineup was one slow car out front, but the 2nd place car passes him on the inside before the first turn and the advantage of having him in the lineup is lost (though might be a gem for later courses). In general, would I be better off going with a better tuning against a lineup full of the modern cars? Also, I could use some general advice on optimizing tuning vs ballast. For instance, running as is with 30 ballast or going with S1 tires (or more power) and 160ish ballast. It's entirely possible the answers are: it depends on your driving style and feel for the car, and/or practice more, but I figure it's worth asking.

 

[AMG.]

Have today just reached a personal milestone - 110839 a-spec points. Less than a 1000 to go!! Have these races to finish together with my own personal thoughts on each one :
.......
That's just about it.
nige

Well done !

I really need to get FGT under my belt to make it above 109K.

SL Challenge - a PITA
A doable challenge in SL300 10k miles on S2 + usual upgrades
-Apricot against 500'02,600 '04,500 '98, 55 '02,65 '04
-Fuji 600 '04, 600 '98,65 '04,500 '02,500 '98
-El cap didnt take note

MG - OK with right line up
AARGHH on Paris & Motorland

Race of the Red Emblem - Right line up needed AND a little bit of luck
Doable in a HT2000GTR(KPGC10)'70

Club Z - Luck needed here I think
Doable in 240ZG (HS30) (toughest for me was Tokyo)

AMG.

 

[AMG.]

I'll preface my questions by saying I'm sure the answers are different from event to event or car to car, but if there are some "most of the time" answers I'd appreciate it. I'm just getting started on 200 point racing and have read most of the relevant topics here, but don't have much of any first hand experience.

I was trying my hand at the civic races this morning with a civic 1500 3door on N3 tires. I only raced Motegi and I'm pretty sure I could win it with more practice, but here's what I found:

Against a lineup with 2 old cars it takes too much ballast for 200.
With 1 slow car in the lineup I can hit 200 at around 90 ballast.
Against a lineup of modern civics it only takes about 30 ballast.

I was guessing the prime lineup was one slow car out front, but the 2nd place car passes him on the inside before the first turn and the advantage of having him in the lineup is lost (though might be a gem for later courses). In general, would I be better off going with a better tuning against a lineup full of the modern cars? Also, I could use some general advice on optimizing tuning vs ballast. For instance, running as is with 30 ballast or going with S1 tires (or more power) and 160ish ballast. It's entirely possible the answers are: it depends on your driving style and feel for the car, and/or practice more, but I figure it's worth asking.

There's no generic answer to your question as you yourself have stated.
Ideally you would like your lineups to have cars of similar capabilities.
However lots of times you'll need to hunt for those lineups and usually they dont exist.
Check out the other closed thread in here that deals with car values to get an idea of what you're up against to best guess if you stand a chance or not for 200.

Personally I go for the best possible tyres and I'll add weight accordingly to bring it up to 200 points. My driving skills are "crap" but I do corner better than AI so that's where I usually gain the upperhand.
On some occasions you may want to start on N1 tyres to be offered 200pts and switch to N3 as soon as you can to actually win the 200 points.

Line ups you dont want is where you have 1 rabbit, 1 snail and 3 avg AI.
You'll never beat those races for 200pts.
Best examples are pre 70ies races. (1 Cobra,3x avg, 1 Subaru 360)

The position of the AI also plays its part. Example Mini races. To obtain 200 points you need 3 rabbits in the race. However you want them in position 3,4,5 when starting the race.

For enduro's you want worn out cars and sludge for oil.
They dont lose hp anymore so your performance wont degrade whilst AI will degrade. (bonus).

Make careful notes of what you used in each race. It will help latr on when revisiting races for more points if you havent maxxed them out yet.
AND write down the AI lineup too!.
Save a lot of hunting for best line ups later on.
Download Fizio's or my excel file to record your progress.
See post 2 in most of the threads in this subforum.
Keep us posted on your progress.

AMG.

 

[nige]

I'll preface my questions by saying I'm sure the answers are different from event to event or car to car, but if there are some "most of the time" answers I'd appreciate it. I'm just getting started on 200 point racing and have read most of the relevant topics here, but don't have much of any first hand experience.

I was trying my hand at the civic races this morning with a civic 1500 3door on N3 tires. I only raced Motegi and I'm pretty sure I could win it with more practice, but here's what I found:

Against a lineup with 2 old cars it takes too much ballast for 200.
With 1 slow car in the lineup I can hit 200 at around 90 ballast.
Against a lineup of modern civics it only takes about 30 ballast.

I was guessing the prime lineup was one slow car out front, but the 2nd place car passes him on the inside before the first turn and the advantage of having him in the lineup is lost (though might be a gem for later courses). In general, would I be better off going with a better tuning against a lineup full of the modern cars? Also, I could use some general advice on optimizing tuning vs ballast. For instance, running as is with 30 ballast or going with S1 tires (or more power) and 160ish ballast. It's entirely possible the answers are: it depends on your driving style and feel for the car, and/or practice more, but I figure it's worth asking.

I know it's kind of cheating but have you considered using NOS? It serves a great purpose as those impossible races suddenly become possible. Also, I have found that as a general rule it is easier to win with the best tyres you can with more ballast rather than inferior tyres with less ballast. Hope that makes sense.
AMG - Thanks for your help. I had forgotten about the Nissan HT2000GTR(KPGC10)'70 you have suggested in the Red Emblem races. Will give it a go. Cheers.
nige

 

[nualum]

AMG & nige - thanks for the feedback. Did my first NOS race a couple days ago with the Ginetta - hadn't ever really had a reason or excuse to use it before but it definitely came in handy!

I'll give the civic race another shot when I get home on S1's. I need to make some good general progress too though, so not sure how dedicated I'll be. I need to rack up some prize cars and cash before I can get through too many more 200s.

I'm headed over to the tuning board in a minute to keep looking for this, but I've run some board searches and not easily found advice on ballast balancing. Generally front for increasing oversteer and vice versa for back?

 

[AMG.]

I'm headed over to the tuning board in a minute to keep looking for this, but I've run some board searches and not easily found advice on ballast balancing. Generally front for increasing oversteer and vice versa for back?

Most times my ballast is set at middle of the car. Hardly ever do I move to back or front. Eg Alpine is tailhappy, I believed moving ballast to front would keep this beast in check. No way ....result is either the rear or the front do 180 breakouts. So set to 0 is usually (not always) the best place for it.
Again that too is personal preference and depends on your driving style. You'll have to experiment with it. If there were fast & set rules for it, it would be in a sticky by now.

AMG.

 

[Vash666]

Phew, I finally got past 50k A-spec points... halfway there

Lately I've been been gathering points in the manufacturers hall and I have completed about 80% of those races. Some of the races were tough as hell but with the information from here I managed to get through them. The search for the right lineups and wearing the oil for some of the slower cars (subaru 360) is boring as hell. Soon I'll be heading to beginner and professional halls, those races should be a breeze after racing mainly with N1 tyres.

 

[nualum]

Congrats on your progress Vash - the skill level and dedication of the crowd here never ceases to amaze me. Shortly before your previous post I had just gotten started. In the time since, you've gone from 50k to 103, while I've gone from about 7k to 14. I've found the manufacturer events I've tried to be just brutal, though I am slowly but surely getting better. Managed to complete my first 200 sweep of one today - at Subaru Pleiades - was relatively smooth sailing once I got the setup right.

 

[Vash666]

Thanks nualum, soon after I started collecting A-spec points I became quite obsessed at it. With all the info available here I managed the get the points quickly. I also have many years of experience from earlier GT's and that obviously helped a lot in this quest.

Some of the manufacturer events are indeed difficult but with time and practise they are possible. Good luck with the races ahead of you. 👍

 

[nige]

I have currently 111171 A-spec points and every point gained seems like a major achievement. I started playing this game on the day it came out and that now seems light years away.
Indeed some of the OMR's are nigh on impossible but can be achieved with extreme dedication. I sometimes don't have the patience.
Anyway it's good to read that there are dedicated 200 A-spec nutters ( no offence intended ) each willing to help others in their cause.
Regards,
nige

 

[AMG.]

I have currently 111171 A-spec points and every point gained seems like a major achievement......
Regards,
nige

Oh yeah....that gets a resounding yes!
Congrats on +111K.

--------------------
Never in my life have I been so and as today. I have been skidding around Grand Canyon Reverse so many times that my neighbours decided to move to a quieter neigbourhood. If Jordan or Moderators could have heard what I said I would've been banned from this forum immediately.

After countless tries and in some I even got to lap 5 I finally nailed this race. Mov 0.333s. I feel so relieved to have finished this 🤬 race that the 3 prizes I got paled into insignificance, 20.000Cr, 1 Mitsu Starion & 1 black FGT + 100% completion.

I have finally broken through the 110K barrier.

AMG.

 

[nige]

Oh yeah....that gets a resounding yes!
Congrats on +111K.

--------------------

After countless tries and in some I even got to lap 5 I finally nailed this race. Mov 0.333s. I feel so relieved to have finished this 🤬 race that the 3 prizes I got paled into insignificance, 20.000Cr, 1 Mitsu Starion & 1 black FGT + 100% completion.

I have finally broken through the 110K barrier.

AMG.

That gets a major 👍 👍 all round. I know how long you have trying to nail this race and now you can put those d*** races to bed. Well done:tup: 👍 👍
Congrats on 100% - Join the Club
nige

 

[Vash666]

Great job AMG! 👍 That 100% just looks so nice. Hopefully I'll be joining the 100% club too in the following weeks as I have only Real Circuit Tours and 12 endurances left to finish.

 

[nualum]

Another congrats for AMG (for the speedway 150 also - sounded like a crazy run)! I didn't get much accomplished this weekend, but did put in a fair bit of practice on several missions - only completed R8 @ Infineon though. Quickly came to the realizations I don't know Sarthe at all, have no clue how to drive the Superbird, and need major work on the three turns at Laguna leading up to the corkscrew.

 

[Moloch_horridus]

100% completion. I have finally broken through the 110K barrier.
AMG.

Great effort . Now you just need those gold licences