Grand Valley 300km Companion & Competition

  • Thread starter GTsail
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Actually, that A110 run was what reminded me of the Europa and it's neverending tires in GT4's 1000 Miles series. It would start out slooow and gradually get faster with the old GT's odd combined tire heat/wear system, peaking around the time the majority were coming in for tires. Then it would finally pit a little before we all came in for the third batch.


Incidentally, no power/weight mods on that Lotus, just suspension/drivetrain stuff. Not sure if I made that clear.

Reading your last report, I almost expected the final gap to be 3:03. Oddly consistent through two stints.

EDIT: Silly new page. Reply to Axletramp's last post that was far too long to quote on PS3.
 
Morgoth_666
Reading your last report, I almost expected the final gap to be 3:03. Oddly consistent through two stints.
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Me too! :lol: I think all three stints could have been identical had I not backed off at the end. I spent most of the race completely on my own (hence my shortened report) and that leads to more consistency and, tbh, a slightly boring race. Just as well the S2000 is such a joy to drive.

Now we've just got to wait for Dotini to jump in a stock Elise and beat my time. :rolleyes:

;)
 
Time for another 4WD attempt:

Lots of cars to choose from, so after some searching I decide to try one of the AI cars and end up with the Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI Version VI '99

After some wrenching by my pit crew (they were on vacation last week (watching the Indy Cars at St. Pete) during my Pontiac Solstice run) my WRX has the following specs:

Horsepower: 228
Weight: 1440 (170kgs of ballast)
PP value: 420
Tires: SH (used throughtout the race)
P.Limiter: 85%
No skid

Against Dotini's alternative lineup # 8
----------------------------------------
1) Nissan Silvia 240RS S110 '83
2) Honda Accord Coupe EX '03
3) Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd '05
4) Mits Lancer EVO VIII GSR '03
5) Toyota Supra 3.0GT Turbo A '88
6) Toyota Soarer 430SCV '01
7) GTsail in the WRX
8) Subaru Legacy B4 2.0GT specB '03
9) MazdaSpeed Atenza '05
10) Nissan Skyline GTR Vspec II R32 '94
11) Mits Lancer EVO GSR '92
12) Nissan Skyline Coupe 350GT '03

Once the flag drops I chase hard to follow the 6th place Toyota Soarer 430 into the first hairpin. At the end of lap # 1, I'm in 5th place, about 6 seconds behind the race leading Nissan Silvia 240RS.

On lap # 4, I pass the 350Z Gran Turismo and the Nissan Silvia 240RS and take over the lead of the race for the first time. I set a early lap record of 2.18.369 on this lap.

At the end of lap # 5, I have a 1.7 second lead over the 2nd place Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo after another lap record of 2.17.960.

On lap # 7, I make a small mistake going into the first hairpin and spin-out under heavy braking, and lose the lead of the race to the 350Z Gran Turismo. At the end of the lap I find myself 2.7 seconds behind the race leading 350Z Gran Tursimo after a 2.23.261 lap, so I lost about 5 seconds.

At the end of lap # 10, I'm still in 2nd place in the race, but only 1.1 seconds behind the race leading 350Z Gran Turismo after a new lap record of 2.17.796. We both have about a 10 second lead over the 3rd place Honda Accord Coupe who is holding up the rest of the field.

On lap # 11, I pass the 1st place Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo going thru the tight left-hander just before the 1st tunnel, and re-gain first place in the race.

At the end of lap # 15, I have a 2.7 second lead over the 350Z Gran Turismo after a 2.20.022 lap. My tires have started to lose their edge, so my lap times have started to increase a little, though I'm driving pretty consistently.

Lap # 14 was a 2.20.015
Lap # 15 was a 2.20.022
Lap # 16 was a 2.20.079
and then
Lap # 19 was a 2.20.049

At the end of lap # 20, I pit for another set of SH tires with a 7.5 second lead over the 350Z Gran Turismo. While I'm in the pits, the 3rd place Lancer EVO VIII '03 drives past.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 21, I get the news that I'm 22 seconds behind the race leading 350Z Gran Turismo. I estimate that I'm about 4 seconds behind the 2nd place EVO.

On lap # 25, I reach the rear-bumper of the 2nd place Lancer EVO VIII GSR going into the 2nd hairpin. At the end of the lap, I see that I'm still 10.5 seconds behind the race leading 350Z Gran Turismo.

On lap # 27, I catch and pass the 2nd place Lancer EVO going thru the fast sweepers between the two hairpins and find myself only 7.6 seconds behind the race leading 350Z Gran Turismo.

On lap # 28, I catch and pass the 1st place 350Z Gran Turismo going thru the third tunnel and end the lap in first place with a margin of 0.933 over the 350Z.

The Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo pits at the end of lap # 29, so I have a 7 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII as I begin lap # 30.

The 2nd place Lancer EVO VIII pits at the end of lap # 33 which allows me to open up a big lead.

At the end of lap # 35, I see that I have a 41.5 second lead over the 2nd place 350Z Gran Turismo, so this race is in the bag!

I pit at the end of lap # 40 for another set of SH tires with a 40 second lead over the 350Z Gran Turismo.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 41, I see that my lead has shrunk to 8.7 seconds over the 350Z Gran Turismo.

At the end of lap # 45, I see that I have a 18 second lead over the 350Z Gran Turismo after a new lap record of 2.17.190.

On lap # 49, I get the news that the Lancer EVO VIII has passed the 350Z Gran Turismo and taken over 2nd place in the race some 26 seconds behind my streaking WRX.

At the end of lap # 52, I get passed by the 6th place Nissan Skyline Coupe 350GT who drafts past me going down the S/F straight. He's got a lot more top-end speed than I do, even if he's a lap down!

On lap # 54, I re-pass the Skyline Coupe 350GT under heavy braking for the 2nd hairpin.

Just as I begin lap # 56, I get passed by the Skyline Coupe 350GT, who drafts past me again going up the S/F straight. I quickly re-pass the Skyline Coupe 350GT as we go thru the fast sweepers between the two hairpins. I still have a 31 second lead over the 2nd place Lancer EVO at this point, so my battles with the Skyline Coupe haven't significantly affected my overall race lead.

On lap # 57, I pass the older Lancer EVO GSR '92 again, and put him two laps down.

On lap # 60, the Skyline Coupe 350GT drafts past me again going into the first hairpin. I find that I don't have enough tire grip left to re-pass him, so I just follow the Skyline Coupe for the rest of lap # 60.

After 2 hours, 20 minutes and 22.398 secs I win another trophy!

Finish order:
-------------
1) GTsail in the WRX
2) Lancer EVO VIII ------ 37.616 secs back (BL 2.16.636)
3) 350Z Gran Turismo ---- 1min 30.869 secs (BL 2.17.636)
4) Skyline GTR Vspec ---- 2min 09.318 secs (BL 2.17.566)
5) Legacy B4 2.0GT ------ 2min 17.868 secs (BL 2.17.589)
6) Skyline Coupe 350GT -- 2min 20.xxx secs (BL 2.16.673)
7) Toyota Soarer -------- 1 lap down (Best lap 2.18.499)
8) Accord Coupe EX ------ 1 lap down (Best lap 2.19.079)
9) Silvia 240RS '83 ----- 1 lap down (Best lap 2.19.140)
10) Toyota Supra '88 ---- 1 lap down (Best lap 2.20.110)
11) MazdaSpeed Atenza --- 1 lap down (Best lap 2.20.784)
12) Lancer EVO '92 ------ 2 laps down (Best lap 2.21.980)

Post race notes:
Pretty straight-forward race since the AI are mostly a bunch of "snails"! I don't know what was the story with the Skyline Coupe 350GT during the last five laps. He got very strong at this point! I'm glad he was a lap down or I would have been in trouble!

Enjoy the racing!
GTsail
 
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170Kg of ballast? Wow! Did you have the family on board? :lol:

Lovely consistency in the middle there. 👍 It feels great when you can do that, especially on tiring tyres. Consistency is absolutely key when running a low PP in an endurance race. You're half way to winning if you can find a 'groove' that you and the car are happy with.
 
axletramp
170Kg of ballast? Wow! Did you have the family on board? :lol:
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Not the family ---- but rather paying passengers!

My WRX has a back-seat, so I've resorted to carrying some paying passengers (sightseer's on vacation) to help defray the cost of all the tires and fuel that I've been using at the "Valley".


GTsail
 
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Time for some American muscle:

After some discussion with another GTPlanteer, I check out my Ford Mustang GT '05, which is painted Legend Lime Clearcoat Metallic. My stock Mustang has the following specs:

Horsepower: 286
Weight: 1568
PP value: 446
Tires: CS
Trans: 5-speed (top speed 231 mph)

I take the stock Mustang to the Valley and give it a spin in the Practice mode after installing some sport hard tires. After two laps, the best lap was a 2.18.232, I decide not to run the Mustang "stock" at the Valley since the Mustang exhibits gobs of understeer and its gearing is too tall (I'm unlikely ever to get up to 231mph at the Valley).

So I decide to throw some parts and money at the Mustang and see if I can improve its ride a bit.

First step will be to change its color, so its off to the paint shop. I have 1798 paint chips so almost any color is possible, but I'm going to limit my choices to Ford colors of which I only have 32. I settle for a nice Black Clearcoat which costs $2,000.

Next stop is the Tuning Shop for some "go-faster" parts. I drop $5,000 for the Stage 1 weight reduction. I also purchase the $500 sport catalytic converter, and drop $20,000 for the custom transmission. I purchase the twin-plate clutch for $2,500 and the semi-racing flywheel for $1,500. I also purchase the custom suspension for $15,000. I had already spent $6,000 for a set of sport hard tires, so there's no need for another set now, but I'm sure to need more SH tire sets during the race, so I hope my pit crew remembers to purchase a few spares.

After all my part purchases, I take my Mustang to my garage and have my pit crew perform some tuning magic. They pull an all-nighter because they know I want to race today. When I get the Mustang back it has the following specs:

Horsepower: 255
Weight: 1525 (added 114 kg of ballast, +50 to the rear)
PP value: 435
Tires: SH (used throughout the race)
Trans. auto @ 149, top speed 153mph
P.Limiter: 85.7%
No skid
Custom suspension:
Ride height: -5/-5
Spring rate: 8.5/8.0
Extension: 4/5
Compression: 4/5
Anti-roll bars: 3/4
Camber: 1.4/1.0
Toe: -0.05/ -0.05

Sitting on the Grand Valley Grid is the following lineup:
----------------------------------------------
1) Lancer EVO III GSR '95
2) Skyline GTR Vspec R33 '95
3) Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd
4) Lancer EVO X GSR PP '07
5) Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI '02
6) Honda Accord Coupe EX '03
7) GTsail in the Mustang
8) Infiniti G35 Coupe '06
9) Subaru Legacy B4 2.0GT specB '03
10) Nissan 300ZX 2by2 Z32 '98
11) Toyota Supra 3.0GT Turbo A '88
12) Nissan Silvia spec-R Aero S15 '02

Once everyone is set, the flag drops and we're off. I accelerate hard off the line and follow the 6th place Honda Accord Coupe into the first hairpin. I pass the Accord Coupe going thru the left-hand sweeper after the 2nd hairpin.

On lap # 2, I pass the 5th place Impreza Sedan WRX STI going thru the tight left-hander just before the 1st tunnel. This Impreza WRX is the class of the field, so I'm feeling pretty confident about the race as I drive past! I will run a few more laps, to give me a chance to decide if my Mustang is too strong for the AI in this race, and if more de-tuning is necessary. Up next is the 4th place Lancer EVO X GSR '07, who I pass going thru the final esses.

On lap # 3, I pass the Lancer EVO III GSR going thru the tight left-hander just before the 1st tunnel. I also pass the 2nd place 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd as we go across the bridge.

At the end of lap # 5, I'm still in 2nd place, some 5.2 seconds behind the race leading Nissan Skyline GTR R33 '95. The Impreza Sedan WRX STI is back in 4th place, about 3 seconds behind me.

On lap # 10, I pass the 1st place Nissan Skyline GTR R33 going into the second hairpin. At the end of the lap I have a 1 second lead. The Impreza WRX STI is now in 3rd place about 4 seconds back.

At the end of lap # 15, I have a 6.5 second lead over the Impreza WRX STI who has just drafted past the Skyline GTR R33 after a 2.18.040 lap.

My tires have started to go off at this point, even though they have over half their life bars left, so I can only manage a 2.19.300 on lap # 18.

At the end of lap # 20, I enter the pits for a new set of SH tires with a 3 second lead over the Impreza Sedan WRX STI.

After 10 seconds or so, the 3rd place Skyline GTR R33 drives past while I'm still in the pits. And then, just as I get released by the pit-speed limiter, at the beginning of lap # 21, the 4th place Lancer EVO X GSR and the 5th place 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd drive past and I get dropped back into 5th place in the race.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 21, I see that I have fallen 28.4 seconds behind the race leading Impreza WRX STI.

On lap # 22, I pass the 4th place 350Z Gran Turismo as we go across the bridge.

On lap # 23, I pass the 3rd place Lancer EVO X GSR as we go thru the final esses.

On lap # 24, I draft past the 2nd place Nissan Skyline GTR R33 just as we begin to drive up the S/F straight.

Now that I've reached 2nd place in the race, I look ahead and see that I'm only 20 seconds behind the race leading Impreza WRX STI, who is starting to pass a group of back-markers. The back-markers should slow down the Impreza WRX, so I expect to be able to narrow his lead considerably shortly.

At the end of lap # 26, I see that I'm only 10.8 seconds behind the race leading Impreza WRX STI after a very fast 2.16.759 lap. Its nice to have new fresh tires and relatively low fuel.

As I begin lap # 27, I pass one of the back-markers who has entered the pits. At the end of lap # 27, I draft past the 11th place Nissan 300ZX 2by2 Z32 as I accelerate up the S/F straight.

On lap # 28, I pass the 10th place Infiniti G35 Coupe as I accelerate away from the first hairpin.

The back-markers have done an excellent job of slowing down the race leading Impreza WRX, because he is now only 5 seconds ahead of me as we cross the bridge on lap # 28.

On lap # 29, I pass the Honda Accord Coupe EX as we enter the first tunnel. I reach the Impreza's rear-bumper as we brake for the final esses. I stay close enough to the Impreza to catch a great draft as we accelerate up the S/F straight at the end of lap # 29, so I cross the S/F line only 0.071 seconds behind him.

The Impreza's tires must be pretty worn out at this point, so I will try to out-brake him in the first hairpin. I pull out on the right side and then brake pretty late, but the Impreza doesn't want to give up the position, so he brakes just as late and beats me into the hairpin. I have to follow him thru the fast sweepers, thinking about where my next passing opportunity might be. I stay close behind the Impreza, so I'm able to drive around the outside of the Impreza as we go thru the tight left-hander just before the first tunnel. This gives me the lead of the race again!

The Impreza WRX pits at the end of lap # 30, so at the first checkpoint on lap # 31, I see that I have a 51 second lead. The Impreza must have a very slow pit crew since he was only about 3 seconds behind me when he entered the pits (I checked the replay after the race, and he filled his tank up to about the 3/4 mark, so at least he didn't waste time getting a full tank).

On lap # 32, I pass the 8th place Lancer EVO III GSR and put him a lap down.

At the end of lap # 35, I have a 44.6 second lead over the Impreza WRX STI after a 2.17.532 lap, so the Impreza is lapping the Valley at least a second faster than me.

At the end of lap # 38, I only have a 39 second lead over the Impreza WRX. My tires have lost their grip, so lap # 38 was only a 2.18.428 lap.

I drive my Mustang into the pits at the end of lap # 40 with a 38 second lead over the Impreza WRX STI for a final set of SH tires and 10 liters of fuel.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 41, I get the news that I have a 6 second lead over the Impreza WRX STI. At the end of lap # 41, my lead is down to 4.1 seconds since the Impreza has learned the track and is laying down fast laps at this point.

At the end of lap # 45, I still have a 4.1 second lead over the Impreza Sedan WRX STI.

On lap # 47, I pass the G35 Coupe and put him 2 laps down.

On lap # 49, I pas the Toyota Supra 3.0GT and put him 2 laps down.

My tires are still decent, so I've been able to increase my lead over the Impreza WRX to 9.7 seconds after three consistent laps:

Lap # 47: 2.17.483
Lap # 48: 2.17.423
Lap # 49: 2.17.475

By the end of lap # 52, I get the feeling that the 2nd place Impreza WRX STI has backed off and is just cruising (maybe he's having to save fuel!) because my lead has ballooned out to 13.5 seconds after a 2.17.943 lap.

At the end of lap # 55, I have increased by lead to 20 seconds over the Impreza WRX STI after a 2.18.386 (the best I can now do on my worn tires).

On lap # 56, I pass the Honda Accord Coupe and put him 2 laps down. I do the same to the Lancer EVO III GSR '95.

On lap # 57, I pass the Nissan 300ZX 2by2 and the Subaru Legacy B4 2.0GT, and put them both 2 laps down.

As I begin lap # 59, I see that my lead has increased to 25 seconds, so even though I only ran a 2.18.823 lap, I increased my lead over the slowing Impreza WRX.

At the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 60, I get the news that my lead has increased to 55 seconds over the Impreza WRX. I suspect that he has pitted again (on lap # 59) and has let me walk the end of the race!

After 2 hours, 19 minutes and 25.735 seconds, I finish the 60 laps and win another trophy!

Finish order:
-------------
1) GTsail in the Mustang
2) Impreza WRX '02------55 secs back (6435 feet)
3) Lancer EVO X '07-----1m49.087 back
4) Skyline GTR '95------1m57.104 back
5) 350Z Gran Turismo----1 lap down
6) Legacy B4 2.0GT------1 lap down
7) Silvia spec-R Aero---1 lap down
8) 300ZX 2by2 Z32 '98---2 laps down
9) Accord Coupe EX------2 laps down
10)Lancer EVO III '95---2 laps down
11)Toyota Supra 3.0GT---2 laps down
12)G35 Coupe '06 -------2 laps down

Post race notes:
Decent race until the Impreza pitted on lap # 59. Since the Impreza pitted on lap # 30 for his first stop, I didn't really think that he would pit again. If I had known that he would pit again, I probably would have re-started the race with slightly less horsepower and more ballast to make the race fair. My Mustang handles pretty well for being so front-end heavy. Even after moving all the ballast to the rear, the Mustang's balance is still 60/40 (front/rear). The Mustang wears out its front tires first, but its not like a FWD car, so its really not all that bad until you have about 18-19 laps on the tires.

Enjoy the racing!
GTsail
 
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I tried this with a 450 pp BMW 120d yesterday. The 60 laps flew by I really enjoyed a tough race. Stupidly I forgot to make a note of the full line up so I'll do the race again soon and write a decent report.
 
I'll just post this, with the report to follow tomorrow...

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I've not really had time to go through the replay lap by lap so I'll just post what happened. I'll also say that I didn't read the thread first before my attempt, so just did it according to what I remembered from my previous 2 attempts. I had no idea Dotini had used the same car, although his was modded and mine was stock.

One of my previous attempts had been in the higher-powered RX8 and it had been relatively easy, so this time I decided to take the lower-powered RX8 Type E '03. It was completely stock and started the race with 217bhp and 413pp. As my tyre wear was unknown I had purchased all 3 Sports tyres, but started on the hards, and ending up staying on them. I also used the first line up.

I started quite badly. I held my position until the chicane at the end of the first lap when I got a bit too eager with the throttle and spun to the back of the field. I slowly worked my way back through and up to 2nd after about 15 laps, but the first 2 (S15 Silvia & FD RX7) were about 20 seconds ahead. At this point, I was contemplating whether to stop after lap 20 & again at 40, or eek my tyres out to 30 for a one stopper. My best lap up to this point was a 1'19.xxx.

By lap 18, I noticed I was slowly gaining on the 2 in front, whilst lapping in the 1'20-1'21 range, so I decided to stay out and see how it went. I had also noticed the Impreza in 4th was gaining on all 3 of us. By lap 25, the first 4 were basically together and the S15 Silvia pitted to leave the RX7 in the lead, me in 2nd and the Impreza in 3rd. The RX7 pitted on lap 29, and I pitted a lap later at exactly half distance for more sports hards and a few litres of fuel. The Impreza carried on into the lead.

After the Impreza stopped on lap 34-ish, I was still 3rd behind the S15 and the RX7. When my tyres warmed up, I started lapping in the 1'18's with a best of 1'18.139. The first 2 were 20 seconds ahead again by this point, and I was just wating on the gap to come down and for them to pit again. However, it would seem that for the first part of the race, the RX7 was being held up by the S15, and for the 2nd part, he got past. The gap to the RX7 started creeping up, even though I was lapping faster than I had been. This was beginning to look quite dicey...

I caught the S15, and passed him for 2nd, but the RX7 was 35 seconds ahead by this point, and looking as if I wasn't going to get him even though I was hoping he still had another stop to make. The Impreza was catching me again by this point making it a 3 way battle for the lead.

The RX7 pitted on lap 57, and was leaving the pits as I came past to take the lead. The Impreza got through as well to take 2nd ahead of the RX7 in third.

Last 2 laps then and I was facing a rear guard action with dodgy tyres and less power than the 2 behind me. I was faster every where else apart for the main straight.

Lap 58 and the RX7 got though to 2nd. At the chicane I got past a backmarker, G35 Sklyliney thingy, which cost my pursuers a few vital tenths. Along the pit straight for the 2nd last time and the RX7 gained on me and went to pass. I took my line and he was, cough, foiled.

Around the last lap, the RX7 was on my bootlid all the way. Onto the pit straight for the last time, the RX7 gained on me and went for the pass again. I took my line again, and he nearly ran into the back of me ;) allowing me to take the win.

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It may sound like I did a lot of blocking, but I did only change my line once on the straight. A few times, when the Impreza was behind me, he would pass on the pit straight only for me to outbrake him into the first corner. I don't like blocking but it was really only on the last 2 laps that I had to change my line once per lap.
 
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daan
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WOW! Nice close race daan!

By my standard measurement, the margin is 9 feet!

Did you happen to note the name of the driver in the '98 RX-7?

I would like to race against him because he's a full minute slower than any of the '98 RX-7 drivers that I've had to face!

Respectfully,
GTsail
 
GTsail290
Did you happen to note the name of the driver in the '98 RX-7?

I would like to race against him because he's a full minute slower than any of the '98 RX-7 drivers that I've had to face!
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He did spend about two thirds of the race behind the S15 so that must have slowed him down. When he got free he did fly away from me and I only got him due to his 2nd pitstop.
 
So I finally had a go at this race last night, and managed to win it by 9 seconds in a completely stock, '00 Camaro SS on Sports Hard tyres. I didn't monitor progress lap by lap, but I learned some interesting things, and I corrected a few bad habits I'd developed. In my race, the fast guy was driving a Mazda RX7 RS '98 and when he was up to speed, he seemed capable of lapping around 2:14-2:15 flat out. But he had a lot more trouble dealing with traffic, which meant that he was a bit slower than that on average. In the first stint I managed to utterly ruin my front-left tyre by leaning on it too hard through the middle of corners and overheating it, and by the fifteenth lap I'd worked out that I needed to change my approach to guarantee consistent lap times across a whole stint. My fastest laptime in the first stint was a 2:16.9 something.

So I corrected my driving style to suit the understeery balance that the Camaro has, and sacrificed a bit of entry speed, and watched the tyre temperature indicators like a hawk, never allowing them to start to go red. This worked well, and I managed twelve laps in the 2:16 or better bracket, only tapering off to early 2:17's right at the end. On lap twenty eight I passed the Mazda as he pitted, on what must have been utterly destroyed tyres, as I brought the gap down from 50-ish seconds at one stage. I pitted again on lap 31, put 23 litres of fuel in and rejoined the race.

Into the third stint I was feeling completely comfortable with the car, keeping it at 82km/h or better through the first part of the S-curve leading onto the bridge, and managing to stay above 114km/h around the long sweeping right hander afterwards. I was really on it, and managed a 2:15.1 on lap 33, and again did consistent 2:15-2:16 laps for the bulk of the stint.

Having worked out the pit strategy of the RX7, I knew that if I simply maintained consistent times and didn't allow traffic to hold me up I'd walk it, figuring (rightly so, as it turns out reading back through this thread) that he'd pit somewhere around lap 56. So from then on it was just a matter of tyre management, consistency and controlling my aggression. I'm glad I did this race as I learned a fair bit about driving around a car's weaknesses and curbing my naturally exuberant driving style for the sake of lap times.

I managed to win by 9 seconds, and that was only because I outbraked myself at the entry to the first right-hander and managed to put the front left onto the grass, in exactly the same fashion on lap 59 and 60, it should've been more like 15-16 seconds.

The '00 Camaro SS was a friendly if slightly frustrating endurance racer, being very benign in it's handling traits, with excellent torque meaning you could short-shift into third out of some corners to save the rear tyres towards the end of a stint, and a generally mild-understeer balance that could be corrected in second and third gear with judicious use of power-oversteer (third gear through the tunnel corner was a good example of this, as it took pressure off the front left tyre).
 
peter_vod69
Having worked out the pit strategy of the RX7, I knew that if I simply maintained consistent times and didn't allow traffic to hold me up I'd walk it, figuring (rightly so, as it turns out reading back through this thread) that he'd pit somewhere around lap 56. So from then on it was just a matter of tyre management, consistency and controlling my aggression. I'm glad I did this race as I learned a fair bit about driving around a car's weaknesses and curbing my naturally exuberant driving style for the sake of lap times.
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This is both an eloquent statement, and an excellent testimony to the value of a 60 lap race, the new GT5 tire wear regime, and to the GV300km Companion & Competition thread. Well done 👍

This thread is getting better and better every week.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
Dotini
This is both an eloquent statement, and an excellent testimony to the value of a 60 lap race, the new GT5 tire wear regime, and to the GV300km Companion & Competition thread. Well done 👍

This thread is getting better and better every week.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
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Thanks for the kind words Steve! I certainly enjoyed the race. The 200 Mile Laguna Seca race is next on my list.

Pete
 
peter_vod69
Thanks for the kind words Steve! I certainly enjoyed the race. The 200 Mile Laguna Seca race is next on my list.

Pete
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💡 It would really be neat if someone (gifted with organizational and computer skills like GTsail) would start a Laguna Seca 200mile Companion & Competition thread, just like this one! 💡

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
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Having run my first 'stock' race with a S2000 '00 at 419PP I decide to have a go at a low PP run in another one. I couldn't get the PP level lower than 390 with any of my S2000's, so I went with a new zero mileage Premium '06 from the dealership in deep burgundy metallic - well, you might as well have a new one! RKM Motorsport kindly donated the suspension settings and off I went.



Car: Honda S2000 '06
HP: 194
PP: 390
Weight: 1450Kg
Mods: See Below
Power Level: 85%
Ballast: 200Kg
Tyres: SS
All aids off. ABS 1. DFGT wheel.



Grid:
1. IMPREZA Sedan WRX STi '94
2. IMPREZA WRX STi '07
3. Fairlady Z 300ZX Ver.S TT 2seater
4. Lancer Evolution GSR '92
5. LEGACY B4 2.0GT spec.B '03
6. ARISTO V300 '00
7. Me
8. ACCORD Coupe EX '03
9. CELICA GT-FOUR RC (ST185) '91
10. SUPRA RZ '97
11. SKYLINE GT-R V-spec (R33) '95
12. CELICA GT-FOUR (ST205) '98

Lap 1: 2:25.xxx - Just drop the one place to the first corner but come out of it back in 7th place. Lack of power means I'm playing follow-my-leader until each of the turns where I can pick them off during braking. End lap in 4th place -5 secs down. Positions: 1st WRX Sti '94, 2nd WRX Sti '07, 3rd 300ZX, 4th Me.
Lap 2: 2:16.xxx - Decent lap sees me gain on the 3rd place 300ZX. -4 secs.
Lap 3: 2:16.xxx - Being left on the straights (max without draft of 120mph) but this set up means I'm lightning throught the turns and very accurate. Take third from the garrish yellow 300ZX into the first hairpin. -2 secs.
Lap 4: 2:15.724 (fastest lap) - Pushing on to catch the two dueling Subarus. The '07 is all over the '94 who looks like he's holding him up. I catch them as the '07 gets past into 1st and the '94 gets doubled whammied as I follow the '07 through into 2nd at the esses after the first hairpin. I then out drag the '07 at the exit of the second tunnel and across the bridge. End lap just ahead. +1.5 secs. Good lap. 👍
Lap 5: 2:16.xxx - Good lap and I keep the '07 at bay. +2.5 secs.
Lap 6: 2:24.xxx - Never be polite to the AI - NEVER! The WRX STi '07 catches me on the main straight so I move to the right to stay out of his way as there's no point in fighting at this stage. He's having none of it and even though I'm not on the racing line and he's 3/4's past me, he eratically jinks to the right and slams me on to the grass. I therefore have no brakes and end up going through the gravel and into the barrier on the outside of turn one. Charming! He carries on and I emerge from the dust into 3rd, about 3 secs behind the WRX STi '94 in 2nd. :grumpy: End lap -7 secs down in 3rd.
Lap 7: 2:16.xxx - OK, back to closing the gap. I catch and pass the WRX STi '94 at the first tunnel. No gain on the leading '07. -7 secs.
Laps 8 to 11: 2:16.xxx's - The WRX STi '07 taunts me ahead and I struggle to gradually bring the gap down from -7 to -6 secs. Watching my tyres closely as they are wearing a little faster than I would have liked.
Laps 12 to 16: I start to dip into the 2:17.xxx's as my tyres wear. Looks like the leading WRX STi '07 is also feeling less grip. I gradually bring the gap down to -3.5 secs. We have dropped the WRX STi '94 in our lonely charge at the front.
Laps 17 to 19: Lap times drop again into the 2:18.xxx's as understeer increases. The WRX STi '07 is now holding me at a steady -3 secs and I now realise I'm not going to catch him before I pit. Front tyres, especially the front left, are shot. -3 secs.
Lap 20: 2:40.xxx - PIT IN - Absolutely no option but to pit as I struggle not to have an in-lap of fail. I enter the pits -4.5 secs down and take on new SS tyres and no fuel. I exit into second -34 secs down and +6 secs ahead of the WRX STi '94 in 3rd.
Lap 21: 2:26.xxx - PIT OUT - New rubber and I bring the gap down to -32 secs.
Lap 22: 2:16.xxx - Good lap. -30 secs.
Lap 23: 2:17.xxx - Loss of concentration and I run wide onto the grass before the 2nd hairpin. Didn't lose much time and still took 4 secs out of the lead. -26 secs.
Lap 24: 2:16.xxx - WRX STi '07 looks like his hit traffic and isn't dealing with it very well. -23 secs.
Lap 25: 2:16.xxx - I lap my first back marker (Accord Coupe). Catching the leader hand-over-fist now. -16 secs.
Laps 26 to 29: 2:16.xxx's - Consistent lap times and a struggling leader means I close in to -2 secs.
Lap 30: 2:16.xxx - It's been a while but final I catch and pass the '07 at the first tunnel and retake the lead for the first time since lap 6. +3 secs.
Lap 31: 2:21.xxx - Doh! Miss my braking point completely and hit the gravel at turn one. Manage to just about keep ahead of the WRX STi '07 and pull away. +4 secs.
Lap 32: 2:17.xxx - WRX STi '07 finally pits for his one and only stop but I am already 17 secs down the road. Not sure of the WRX STi '94's strategy as I haven't seen him for a while and I've been too busy with his younger relative. Driver list tells me he's still 3rd.
Lap 33: 2:18.xxx - Not a brilliant lap but the pit tells me I'm now +1:01 ahead. That must have been some pit stop for the WRX STi '07. He's still 2nd.
Laps 34 to 39: 2:17.xxx's to 2:19.xxx's - WRX STi '07 slowly eats into my lead, but there's no need to panic. Gap comes down from +59 to +47 secs.
Lap 40: 2:39.xxx - PIT IN - Gain some time on my in-lap. New tyres and no fuel as I have about 1/3rd of a tank left and my previous S2000 run tells me I should make it. +49 secs.
Lap 41: 2:26.xxx - PIT OUT - I exit still in the lead by 17 secs. That'll do. :)
Lap 42: 2:16.xxx - Decent lap. +16.5 secs.
Lap 43: 2:15.733 - Almost a fastest lap as I attempt to brake away from the '07. +19 secs.
Laps 44 to 52: 2:15.xxx/2:16.xxx's - I just keep consistent and pull away. Nothing wrong with the WRX STi '07's tyres, but he appears to be well off his earlier pace. Gap opens from +20 to +39 secs.
Lap 53: 2:17.xxx - I catch and pass an Impreza. It dawns on me that it's the 3rd placed WRX STi '94. He's not had a good race then. +41 secs.
Lap 54: 2:19.xxx - Scrappy lap. +43 secs.
Laps 55 to 59: 2:18.xxx's to 2:20.xxx's - Gap to 2nd stabilises as I back right off. +47 secs.
Lap 60: 2:19.xxx - Final lap. I cruise home with very little fuel, but just enough. :D I cross the line a very comfortable 49.033 secs ahead for an easy win.



Finishing time was, 2:18:45.507 with a winning margin of 49.033 seconds over the second place WRX STi '07. The WRX STi '94 and Legacy B4 were third and fourth respectively and both a lap down.

Fastest lap: 2:15.724 on lap 4. Car specs at finish: 200BHP / 394PP.

Conclusion:
If you didn't know it already, I love S2000's and this one behaved impeccably even at 1450Kg. I could probably have won this at 360-370PP, but you just can't get the PP level down that low. Still happy with my lowest PP run to date though. :D
 
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Dotini
💡 It would really be neat if someone (gifted with organizational and computer skills like GTsail) would start a Laguna Seca 200mile Companion & Competition thread, just like this one! 💡
Click to expand...

I think that this would be a great idea!

Does anyone want to take this on?

I've run the Laguna Seca race about five or six times, but all before the tire model change, so you can certainly count on me to run the race a few more times!

Respectfully,
GTsail
 
For my next attempt, I've decided to try another MR car to see if I can get close to Dotini's low PPvalue of 409. So I check my garage and find a Black Sapphire Vauxhall VX220 Turbo '00, that just might do the trick. After some wrenching and parts buying, my VX220 has the following specs:

Horsepower: 190
Weight: 1120 (added 115kg of ballast)
PP value: 410
Tires: SH (used throughout the race)
P.Limiter: 94.3%

Against Alt. lineup # 8
-----------------------
1) Nissan Silvia 240RS S110 '83
2) Honda Accord Coupe '03
3) Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd
4) Mits Lancer EVO VIII GSR '03
5) Toyota Supra 3.0GT Turbo '88
6) Toyota Soarer 430SCV '01
7) GTsail in the VX220
8) Subaru Legacy 2.0GT specB '03
9) MazdaSpeed Atenza '05
10) Nissan Skyline GTR II R32 '94
11) Mits Lancer EVO '92
12) Nissan Skyline Coupe 350GT '03

The flag drops and we're off!

I follow the Toyota Soarer 430 into the first hairpin. Even with my cold tires, I'm able to pass the 6th place Toyota Soarer as we fly thru the fast sweepers between the two hairpins. I then pass the 5th place Toyota Supra 3.0GT going thru the left-hand sweeper just after the 2nd hairpin (two tires on the cement).

On lap # 2, I pass the 4th place Lancer EVO VIII GSR '03 (the main AI competition) as we go thru the tight left-hander just before the first tunnel.

On lap # 3, I pass the 3rd place 350Z Gran Turismo as I brake for the 2nd hairpin. I also pass the 2nd place Honda Accord Coupe as we go across the bridge.

Just as I begin lap # 5, I draft past the Nissan Silvia 240RS going into the first hairpin and take over the lead of the race. Lap # 4, was an early lap record of 2.18.143.

At the end of lap # 5, I have a 2 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII GSR, who has driven thru the field with me. The Nissan Silvia 240RS is in 3rd place.

At the beginning of lap # 9, the Lancer EVO VIII GSR drafts past me and beats me thru the first hairpin. I follow the EVO for the rest of the lap and end lap # 9, 1.7 seconds behind the Lancer after a 2.19.839 lap (not my best).

On lap # 11, I set a new lap record of 2.17.899, in an effort to re-catch the 2003 EVO, but still find myself 3 seconds behind the Lancer at the end of the lap.

After 15 laps, I see that I'm 5.2 seconds behind the race leading Lancer EVO VIII after a ragged 2.19.548 lap. The 3rd place Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo is about 12 seconds behind me and is pretty much holding station, so I'm not too worried about him.

As I drive across the bridge on lap # 20, I get the news that I'm still 4.1 seconds behind the race leading Lancer EVO VIII. My tires still look pretty good, so I've decided to try a one-stop race, so I won't pit this lap!

On lap # 24, the race leading Lancer EVO VIII slows a bit so I'm able to reduce his lead to just over 1 second by the end of the lap (a decent 2.18.847). I think I gained nearly 3 full seconds during the lap. I'm not really sure why the Lancer EVO VIII has slowed, he's not due for a pit stop for at least another 7 laps, so his tires should still have some decent grip. And we haven't yet caught the back-markers, so they haven't slowed him down (though I can see a few of the back-markers, who are about 7 seconds ahead of us).

On lap # 27, the leading Lancer EVO VIII slows a bit more, so I catch and pass him as we exit the 2nd hairpin (I rubbed off some paint to reduce the weight of my VX220). By the end of lap # 27, I see that I have a 0.695 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII.

On lap # 29, I catch and pass the 12th place Lancer EVO GSR '92, as we exit the 2nd hairpin.

I pit at the end of lap # 30 with a 4 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII for another set of SH tires and 5 liters of fuel. I've used almost exactly half a tank of fuel, so the 5 liters is just a safety margin.

While I'm in the pits, the 2003 Lancer EVO drives past, and so does the '92 EVO.

At the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 31, I get the news that I have fallen 23 seconds behind the 1st place Lancer EVO VIII. The Skyline GTR '94 is about 20 seconds behind me (and he hasn't pitted yet), so there's no worries from that quarter.

On lap # 32, I lap the '92 EVO again. The 2003 Lancer EVO pits at the end of lap # 32, so I drive into the race lead as I begin lap # 33.

At the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 33, I get the news that I have a 32 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII. This is a very nice cushion!

On lap # 34, I pass the Toyota Supra 3.0GT as we go thru the fast sweepers between the two hairpins.

After 35 laps, I have a 29 second lead over the Lancer EVO VIII, after a decent 2.18.780 lap. The Lancer EVO VIII has started to cut into my lead a second a lap, but since there's 25 laps to go I think I'm safe!

On lap # 37, I set a new lap record of 2.17.668
Lap # 38 is a new lap record of 2.17.444 (fresh tires!).

These fast laps have helped me maintain my lead over the Lancer EVO who is still 26 seconds behind me.

On lap # 42, I catch and pass both the Nissan Silvia 240RS and the 8th place Accord Coupe EX. Passing these back-markers slows me down a bit, so I get the un-welcome news that my lead over the 2003 EVO is down to 20 seconds. I can only hope that he will get held up by the back-markers as well.

At the end of lap # 45, I get the news that my lead is down to 19 seconds after a decent 2.18.896 lap.

At the end of lap # 50, I still have a 18 second lead over the Lancer EVO '03 after another decent 2.18.912 lap.

I put the '92 Lancer EVO two laps down on lap # 52.

I put the Toyota Supra 3.0GT two laps down on lap # 54.

At the end of lap # 55, I still have an 18 second lead over the Lancer EVO '03 after a slowing 2.19.927 lap.

I think that the 2003 EVO his having some problems with passing the back-markers and is no longer gaining on me!

I put the MazdaSpeed Atenza two laps down on lap # 57.

Just as I cross the S/F line to begin lap # 59, the 6th place Nissan Skyline Coupe drafts past me and beats me thru the first hairpin. I'm somewhat surprised by the Skyline Coupe, because I didn't see him gaining on me (I guess I need to check my mirrors more often!). He must be really flying to have caught me at this point in the race! I will check the replay to see what he's been up to.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 59, I see that I still have a 19 second lead over the 2nd place Lancer EVO, so things are looking pretty good at this point, even though my last lap was only a 2.20.507 (worn tires). I try to stay with the Skyline Coupe during lap # 59, but he's just too fast, so he opens up a 2 second gap by the end of the lap.

At the 2nd checkpoint on lap # 60, my margin is still 19 seconds over the 2nd place Lancer EVO VIII. This improves my spirits, which were somewhat suffering due to the fact that the Skyline Coupe is pulling away from me, and has opened up a 4 second gap.

Lap # 60 is done in 2.21.885, so I cross the Finish line after 2 hours, 20 minutes and 7.120 seconds and take another win!

Finishing order
---------------
1) GTsail in the VX220
2) Lancer EVO VIII '03 ---- 18.281 secs back
3) Skyline GTR '94 -------- 1min,37.246 back
4) 350Z Gran Turismo ------ 1min,44.204 back
5) Legacy B4 2.0GT -------- 2min,11.276 back
6) Skyline Coupe 350GT ---- 2min,17.xxx back
7) Toyota Soarer 430 ------ 1 lap down
8) Silvia 240RS ----------- 1 lap down
9) Honda Accord Coupe ----- 1 lap down
10 Toyota Supra 3.0GT ----- 2 laps down
11) MazdaSpeed Atenza ----- 2 laps down
12) Lancer EVO '92 -------- 2 laps down

Post race notes:
Quite a nice race, the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo does pretty well against this AI lineup. I need to tune the VX220 a little more before I run the race again. The VX220 exhibits a bit more understeer than I would like, and its also a bit twitchy on the exits from the slow corners.

I've watched the replay of the Skyline Coupe's race and he just gets stronger and stronger as the race goes on!

He's on a two pitstop strategy, laps 25 and lap 49.
His best lap during his first stint was a 2.18.817
His best lap during his second stint was a 2.16.849
His best lap during his third stint was a 2.16.494 (lap#54)
So he's just going faster and faster, no wonder he caught me!

Enjoy the racing!
GTsail
 
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GTsail290
Does anyone want to take this on?

I've run the Laguna Seca race about five or six times, but all before the tire model change, so you can certainly count on me to run the race a few more times!
Click to expand...

I'll sort this one out. I've got a few days off over Easter so I can do some test runs to check out the AI fastest laps/pit strategy, etc. I could get something up sooner if people aren't worried about it being a work in progress at the beginning.

EDIT: Laguna Seca 200 Miles thread sorted here. :)
 
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Had another attempt at this.

I had an RX7 GT-X '90 in my garage that had driven about 24 miles, so I fitted it with sports softs and went to the valley. Grand.

Stats:
197bhp
1250kg
403pp
Completely stock apart from sport soft tyres.

Went against the first grid line up, so it would be RX7 FC against RX7 FD.

I start in 8th (obviously) and drop to 9th on the run to the first corner. I gain that back and work my way up to 2nd by the end of the first lap. I close on the leading 300ZX and pass him on lap 4.



Lap 9 and I run wide into the first corner, just kissing the gravel, but enough to let the FD RX7 through. He pulls away at this point as he has the faster car... My best lap during my first stint was 2'17.5xx.

I pit from 2nd on lap 20, take on new softs and no fuel, and drop to 4th. I quickly get back into 2nd and start gaining on the FD. I get the gap back down to 11 seconds when he pits on lap 27-ish giving me the lead again. On his new tyres he comes back at me, taking chunks out of my lead on his new tyres. Best lap during my 2nd stint was 2'16.490

He overtakes me on lap 36 as my tyres are now shot. I pit on lap 40 for more softs and still no fuel (who says rotaries are not efficient?) and resume in 2nd, well clear of 3rd, and about 35 odd seconds behind the FD. I hold station for a few laps then begin to take some time out of the FD. My best lap in this stint was 2'15.650 so I was really in the groove and gaining time hand over fist over the FD as his tyres went off. Lap 56 and the gap is down to 4 seconds and the FD goes and ruins what would be a grandstand finish by pitting. (PD really need to sort out the AI's stupid pit timings...)

I go past into the lead and cruise to the finish. The state of my front(?!) tyres mean that I'm now lapping in the 2'20s and the FD gets the gap back down to 5 seconds by the end.

picture.php
 
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Nice run and video. 👍 I'm find more and more that FR cars on stock suspension settings are just as easy on their tyres as tuned versions. Good to see the '90 can make 20 laps on super softs.
 
Well I made my first attempt at this... and lost :lol:

I used:
Toyota Sprinter Trueno '83
PP: 412
Tyres: Sports Hards
Finishing position: 3rd (Behind two RX-7's, the lead one by a lap :( )
Total race time: 2:21:14.500
Best lap: 2:18.146 (lap 34)
Pitstops: 1 (lap 30)

Well I enjoyed this, I got a bit disheartened in the early stages when it became obvious I wasn't going to be able to win but towards half way when I realised my one stop strategy might pay off and get me a place on the podium I got the enthusiasm back.

I just managed to nip 3rd off a Fairlady Z (350) after having been hounded by a Lancer Evo VIII for the main part of the race.

I think I may have been a little optimistic in regards to my skill level when picking my car but still I had probably one of the best races I've had offline on this game :).
 
I used my Subaru Impreza STI sedan. I limited the BHP using the power limiter to 300BHP to make it fair. Its a great car for endurance race because the AWD provides great grip so you don't have to worry about spinning out. I put soft racing tires on it and i took a pit stop to switch them out about every 15-20 laps. i refueled half way at lap 20 and never needed to refuel again. Finished in first place about a minute ahead of second place. I strongly recommend using this car for this race
 

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