- 237
GT300 cars are very fun to drive, and incredibly good looking (in my opinion anyway). However, there's no place in GT4 to race them against even competition. So in the spirit of seeing these wonderful cars gets used, and 200 A-Spec point races, I decided to race one against their big brother in the All Japan Grand Touring Championship.
I choose the Toyota Wedssport Celica because I like the livery. I promptly bought R3 and R5 tires (it comes with R1s) for the race and qualifying respectively. I also added some NOS incase I needed something to help me out down the straights. I hoped I didn't have to use it.
Having run the championship many times before, I know it's the Motul Pitwork Z that's the fastest. So I rejoin until I get a field without it. It's an almost perfect field, but I'd have preferred another GT-R instead of the second Supra. The lineup is:
Honda Arta NSX
Honda Takata Dome NSX
Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R
Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000)
Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001)
Toyota Wedssport Celica (me)
Race 1 (Tokyo R246):
I slap on the supernaturally sticky super soft tires (perhaps they are coated with superglue?) and run a 1'41.323 on my qualifying lap, giving me pole by over two seconds. I start the race and am horrified to find out I'll only earn 197 A-Spec points for a victory. Honestly, what do they want me to do?
The race starts and I manage to hold off every car except one, a Supra. The GT-R sneaks by on the next mini-straight and I fall into third. By T2 I'm 2 seconds off the Supra but closing in through the twisty portion of the track. Going into the final hairpin I outbreak the GT-R for second and jump into the Supra's slipstream. Thanks to some drafting and a helpful bump from my friend in the Nissan I close to just 0.3 seconds of the Supra by the end of lap 1.
My chance at taking first backfires and I lose a lot of speed through turn one, dropping back to third. I grab it back when the GT-R breaks mid-turn in turn 5. Going into the final hairpin I'm riding the Supra's bumper and pull the same move as the last lap to reclaim the lead. It was shortlived as holding off a car with a 200 horsepower advantage in your slipstream is more difficult than it sounds, and it doesn't sound easy.
I chase the Supra some more, momentarily grabbing the lead as I rocket around the outside of turn 4 before grabbing the inside line for turn 5. This time I defend perfectly against not only the Supra, but also the GT-R which came flying up aided by our joint slipstream. The next lap is run almost entirely in my rear view mirror as I take care to always be in front of the line of races itching to get by. It works until the final straight, when the Supra jukes me out of my tires and retakes the lead. Luckily for me his like shake made him lose enough speed that I repassed him into the first corner. This lap yields my best time of the race, a 1'40.3xx
Despite my heart making a bid to leap out of my chest for the entire final lap, I hold off the Supra the whole way, gaining a sizable lead coming out of the hairpin. However my efforts were ultimately in vain as the gap I had created merely serves as a runaway for the Supra, who jets by me and grabs the checkered flag as a string of obscenities springs from my mouth. In my mixed anger and disappointment I forgot to save the replay, so no screen caps of this one to come.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [10]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (+0.364s) [6]
3rd - Honda Takata Dome NSX [4]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [3]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [2]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [1]
Race 2 (Suzuka East Short Course):
Despite my lose in round one, I'm confident in my ability two win round two on this low speed circuit. So much so that I run practice on R3 tires. I clock a 50.358s lap, a full three seconds beyond the competition. However much to my dismay I find that right behind me is the same Supra that stole my win in Tokyo.
My opening did not go well and by the first corner I'm caught in a dogpile. I emerge in fourth behind both Supra's and the GT-R, with my rival slowly escape as I try to weave my way through. I take back second through the esses and finish the lap sixth tenths back of the lead. I grab it back during lap two, pulling a very risky outside pass through the S curve. By the end of lap 3 I have a comfortable three second lead and begin to ease off the pace to try and save my rapidly heating tires.
On lap 6 I run a new best time of 50.038s, spreading my lead to four seconds. By lap 8 my tire indicator shows me a nice bright yellow, but it seems to have no effect on the actual grip level. Lap 10 lasts just 49.675 seconds and the gap between me and the Supra hovers around 4 seconds. I cruise around for two more laps and easily take home my first win of the season.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [16]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [16]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [6]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [6]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [6]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [2]
Race 3 (Seoul Central):
I have no doubt going into this race that it will be incredibly difficult. Despite some trouble with them sticking to the pit crew's hands, I strap on the R5s and give practice a go. My first lap falls woefully short of the competition, so for round 2 I reluctantly shoot my engine with mechanical steroids and tear down the track. It works as well as one could expect, easily handing me the pole. Once again the twin Supra's are right behind me to start the race.
Off the start I block the tower of cars behind me and pull through the hairpin still ahead. The others struggle with their cold tires throughout the lap, affording me a two and a half second lead by the end of the round. The benefits of this are twofold: I have a cushion between me and my opponents, and they can't slipstream me down the straights. Be it newfound speed or dumb luck I continue to slowly expand my lead, reach three seconds after as many laps.
We traded sectors for another two laps until lap six, when he closes to within two seconds of me. I start to worry, knowing that's dangerously close to slipstream range. Luckily he falls off shortly thereafter, dropping almost a half second over the next lap. I keep the pressure on through lap eight with a new best time of 59.086s, beating even my nitrous-aided qualifying lap. As the white flag waves for the final lap I find my lead to be and almost inexplicable 2.8 seconds. I add the exclamation point on the final lap setting a new best time of 50.016s.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [26]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [22]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [10]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [9]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [8]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [3]
Race 4 (Fuji Speedway 90s):
Another high speed circuit, and one that I have a history of losing on in the final lap from my many runs through the Japan Champioship. Back on go the super softs for qualifying. Thankfully I need not resort to Nitrous for this round; my 1'33.463 is fast enough for pole by a half second.
Off the start I hold off both Supras, who fall into the scrum in the first turn. The GT-R emerges first, followed by the Takata Dome NSX neck-and-neck with one of the other Toyotas. Down the straight the cars group together behind me, each unable to do anything but bump-draft the one in front of them. Coming through the first corners the Takata Dome NSX grabbed second from the GT-R, with the Supra close behind.
I open the gap some more through the second lap, enough that the NSX is too far back to slipstream me down the straight. By the start-finish line I have a 1.4 second lead of the two cars tied for second. The NSX continues to press over the next two laps but is never close enough to attempt an overtake. On lap 5 the GT-R managed to get the inside line through the first two corners and get past me. I grabbed the lead back at the hairpin, now barely holding on to first place.
The advantage of having the GT-R tucked up behind me is that he has no room to run by me down the straight. I resist the urged to hit the nitrous button through the final lap, and take the final chicane legally instead of mowing the lawn. I then find myself in an all too familiar situation: leading coming out of the final corner with a much faster car in my slipstream. The GT-R first looks to the inside, prompting me to move slightly, before jumping up onto the grass to get by just as we crossed the finish line. I feel that now far too familiar sense of disappointment as I see the red numbers at the top of my screen, but console myself with the fact that I still gained four points on the 2001 Supra who finished an even more disappointing 5th.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [19]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) (+0.148s) [32]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [14]
4th - Honda Takata Dome NSX [11]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001)[24]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [4]
Race 5 (Super Speedway):
Just the track I need right now. I struggle to get pol,e doing so only by a slim margin and after holding the nitrous down for almost the entire lap. My only joy is that the '01 Supra is back down in fifth to start. The race begins and I begin to separate myself with the Takata Dome NSX. We trade places for a while and I thank the racing gods that I can pass him provided I get a good run out of the corner. However the GT-R and '01 Supra catch up quickly and join the battle for the win. I spend each lap trying to plan my move through the last corner to win the race, knowing that it will probably be impossible without shooting some nitrous.
At the end of lap 11 I overtake the Supra beautifully, giving me a world of confidence in my ability to repeat in thirty seconds later. But then I hit the brakes a bit to hard, allowing not only the Supra but the GT-R to get by. Coming down the penultimate straight the NSX forces me out of the slipstream and steals the final podium spot. Undaunted I drop down the the inside going through the last turn and come out jamming the nitrous. I pull past the NSX, then the GT-R, and just as I pull up to beside the Supra time expires on the race handing me another far too close loss.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [34]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) (+0.048s) [38]
3rd - Honda Takata Dome NSX [15]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [24]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [26]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [5]
Race 6 (Laguna Seca):
Finally, a twisty course. I run qualifying on R3s and still take pole by over three seconds, a good indicator of things to come. The race begin with a rolling start which I am most thankful for as it makes my job of blocking much easier. The first lap passes and I never feel the Supra getting anywhere close to me. After one round of the circuit my lead is at 2.4 seconds. Another lap increases that to five. I go faster still on the third lap with a 1'27.474 setting my lead to almost seven seconds.
On lap 4 the Supra gets it together, closing to 5.5s in the first two sectors. His victory is short-lived as I pull away through the later half of the lap to build my lead back up to and beyond it's previous point. Lap six sees my first mistake of the race as I take the turn leading up to the corkscrew too hot and ride the gravel for a while. I lose three seconds to the Supra, crossing the line just six seconds ahead. I match pace with the supra through lap 6 and cruise to an easy victory on lap 7, having never needed to block the Supra.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [48]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+5.748s) [40]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [26]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [19]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [17]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [6]
Race 7 (Hong Kong):
Easily my most hated circuit in GT4. Knowing how hard overtaking here can be I slap on the R5s for practice to ensure I set the pole time. I massage my way around the circuit and grab first position by over three seconds. Down the field Honda's chance at third in the championship slips away as the Takata Dome NSX once again qualifies behind it's much slower brother.
The race begins beautifully; a rolling start with almost no run-up to the first corner, meaning I don't even have to try and block the Supra. By the time we reach the straight he's too far back to slipstream and the rout is on. I lazily make my way to a 3.2 second lead after the first lap. Knowing how hard Hong Kong is on tires I'm content to slowly parade around the course keeping a three second cushion for my lead.
The Supra starts to speed up on lap four, closing in to 1.7 seconds. The next lap he starts to worrying me as he eats another six tenths, coming dangerously close to my draft. Unluckily for him my tires had only just reached their peak grip level and on lap seven I gained a few tenths of my lead back and set my quickest time with a 1'22.832. The rest of the race goes smoothly with no really hassle from the larger Toyota.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [58]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [46]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [30]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [22]
5th- Honda Arta NSX [8]
6th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [18]
Race 8 (Twin Ring Motegi):
After two successive twisty courses I knew there had to be a catch. Not only does Motegi feature five sizable straightaways, but it's only the only round I lost in each of my previous outings in the series. I qualify on R3s because of the tracks steep learning curve regarding breaking points. To my gleeful surprise my practice time of 1'56.806 is just over 1.5s faster than that of the GT-R in second. The '01 Supra sits in fourth to start the race, with his elder just ahead. Once again the Takata Dome NSX languishes in sixth, it's hopes of catching the #2 Supra and GT-R rapidly dwindling.
My saving grace for the race is the combination of a rolling start and start-finish line close to the first corner. Nevertheless the first lap proves to be the most difficult since Tokyo. The Gt-R's repeated advances are continually denied until the painfully long back stretch when he manages to squeak by. Thankfully he breaks far too early for the corner and I dive back into the lead. The scenario repeats itself on the subsequent lap, although it take until the final chicane for me to get by.
On lap 3 the GT-R runs at me down the third straight only to back away just before hitting my bumper. This allowed the Supra (although I do not know which) to get by him into second. The Supra proves to be less skilled at passing than the Nissan and I hold my lead for the entirety of the lap. We trade spots throughout lap four and he doesn't show any quarter with his maneuvers, repeatedly bumping me in corners, several times knocking two tires off the track.
As we battle the GT-R catches up to us and on turn 3 and 4 of lap 5 he becomes my new best friend as he brakes extremely deep into the corner. His large frame knocks the Toyota sideways into the gravel pit. On find hand I'm elated to find my competition halved, but on the other I worry that I could be next. I fend off the GT-R who seems shocked by his rather unsportsmanlike overtake on the Supra, who does not even seem to try and get by me. This leads to his undoing at the start of the final lap as a Supra, presumably not the psychopath from earlier in the race, gets by Big Blue.
This Supra promptly repeats the same mistake that lead to his jump to the silver spot, braking instead of going around my car down a straight. But to prove that bad drivers never learn, the GT-R gives up second AGAIN down the penultimate straight. The pillar behind me spends the rest of the race fighting over second, allowing me to grab another victory.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [68]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+0.998s) [52]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [34]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [25]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [20]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [9]
Race 9 (Fuji 2005 GT):
More Fuji, just what I wanted. This time I have two big things working to my advantage: the GT-R won the race on the 90s track, and I only need to podium to clinch the championship. Looking down the field the only battle that seems to be left is between the Takata Dome NSX and the '00 Supra for fourth. The field proves incredibly slow in qualifying once more and I win the chance to start the race from P1.
The field partially inverts itself as one by one cars fail to get by my incredibly wide Celica. The '01 Supra drops back to fourth and the GT-R fills the new vacancy in second. I tear through the infield section to the point where coming out of the final corner the other five cars are just specks in my mirror; 1.8 seconds back at the end of the lap. An uneventful lap 2 increases my lead to 3 seconds over the GT-R, and his lead over the Supras to roughly 4. I cheerfully cruise around the track without a car in sight on my way to securing victory in the series. Unfortunately I forgot to save this replay, so no pictures are forthcoming
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [78]
2nd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [40] (+0.998s)
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [29]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [55]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [22]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [10]
Race 10 (Suzuka Circuit):
With overall victory already assured I skip qualifying on this very long circuit. The leading NSXs create a pileup in the first couple of turns which I succeed in emerging from in second place behind the success-starved Arta NSX. I snatch first coming through the double-right and take off. However I overshoot the first corner at the start of lap two and fall far back into sixth place. With victory pretty well impossible and nothing left to lose, I joyfully exit the race.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [78]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [57]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [44]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [32]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [28]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [20]
----
I'm going to have to go back and do this again with a bit of ballast and/or a tougher lineup to get the full 2,000 A-Spec points. It was very fun but also quite long, taking almost two hours of racing total. Could be done without the R5 tires and nitrous, which might provide a tougher fight down the stretch, although I didn't use any after Super Speedway, preferring speed taps from the car behind me. Pictures will come when I find the time and patience to sit down with the replays and snap some off. The Celica handles like a dream, I think I'll take to to the Grand Valley for enduro for 200 next.
I choose the Toyota Wedssport Celica because I like the livery. I promptly bought R3 and R5 tires (it comes with R1s) for the race and qualifying respectively. I also added some NOS incase I needed something to help me out down the straights. I hoped I didn't have to use it.
Having run the championship many times before, I know it's the Motul Pitwork Z that's the fastest. So I rejoin until I get a field without it. It's an almost perfect field, but I'd have preferred another GT-R instead of the second Supra. The lineup is:
Honda Arta NSX
Honda Takata Dome NSX
Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R
Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000)
Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001)
Toyota Wedssport Celica (me)
Race 1 (Tokyo R246):
I slap on the supernaturally sticky super soft tires (perhaps they are coated with superglue?) and run a 1'41.323 on my qualifying lap, giving me pole by over two seconds. I start the race and am horrified to find out I'll only earn 197 A-Spec points for a victory. Honestly, what do they want me to do?
The race starts and I manage to hold off every car except one, a Supra. The GT-R sneaks by on the next mini-straight and I fall into third. By T2 I'm 2 seconds off the Supra but closing in through the twisty portion of the track. Going into the final hairpin I outbreak the GT-R for second and jump into the Supra's slipstream. Thanks to some drafting and a helpful bump from my friend in the Nissan I close to just 0.3 seconds of the Supra by the end of lap 1.
My chance at taking first backfires and I lose a lot of speed through turn one, dropping back to third. I grab it back when the GT-R breaks mid-turn in turn 5. Going into the final hairpin I'm riding the Supra's bumper and pull the same move as the last lap to reclaim the lead. It was shortlived as holding off a car with a 200 horsepower advantage in your slipstream is more difficult than it sounds, and it doesn't sound easy.
I chase the Supra some more, momentarily grabbing the lead as I rocket around the outside of turn 4 before grabbing the inside line for turn 5. This time I defend perfectly against not only the Supra, but also the GT-R which came flying up aided by our joint slipstream. The next lap is run almost entirely in my rear view mirror as I take care to always be in front of the line of races itching to get by. It works until the final straight, when the Supra jukes me out of my tires and retakes the lead. Luckily for me his like shake made him lose enough speed that I repassed him into the first corner. This lap yields my best time of the race, a 1'40.3xx
Despite my heart making a bid to leap out of my chest for the entire final lap, I hold off the Supra the whole way, gaining a sizable lead coming out of the hairpin. However my efforts were ultimately in vain as the gap I had created merely serves as a runaway for the Supra, who jets by me and grabs the checkered flag as a string of obscenities springs from my mouth. In my mixed anger and disappointment I forgot to save the replay, so no screen caps of this one to come.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [10]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (+0.364s) [6]
3rd - Honda Takata Dome NSX [4]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [3]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [2]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [1]
Race 2 (Suzuka East Short Course):
Despite my lose in round one, I'm confident in my ability two win round two on this low speed circuit. So much so that I run practice on R3 tires. I clock a 50.358s lap, a full three seconds beyond the competition. However much to my dismay I find that right behind me is the same Supra that stole my win in Tokyo.
My opening did not go well and by the first corner I'm caught in a dogpile. I emerge in fourth behind both Supra's and the GT-R, with my rival slowly escape as I try to weave my way through. I take back second through the esses and finish the lap sixth tenths back of the lead. I grab it back during lap two, pulling a very risky outside pass through the S curve. By the end of lap 3 I have a comfortable three second lead and begin to ease off the pace to try and save my rapidly heating tires.
On lap 6 I run a new best time of 50.038s, spreading my lead to four seconds. By lap 8 my tire indicator shows me a nice bright yellow, but it seems to have no effect on the actual grip level. Lap 10 lasts just 49.675 seconds and the gap between me and the Supra hovers around 4 seconds. I cruise around for two more laps and easily take home my first win of the season.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [16]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [16]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [6]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [6]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [6]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [2]
Race 3 (Seoul Central):
I have no doubt going into this race that it will be incredibly difficult. Despite some trouble with them sticking to the pit crew's hands, I strap on the R5s and give practice a go. My first lap falls woefully short of the competition, so for round 2 I reluctantly shoot my engine with mechanical steroids and tear down the track. It works as well as one could expect, easily handing me the pole. Once again the twin Supra's are right behind me to start the race.
Off the start I block the tower of cars behind me and pull through the hairpin still ahead. The others struggle with their cold tires throughout the lap, affording me a two and a half second lead by the end of the round. The benefits of this are twofold: I have a cushion between me and my opponents, and they can't slipstream me down the straights. Be it newfound speed or dumb luck I continue to slowly expand my lead, reach three seconds after as many laps.
We traded sectors for another two laps until lap six, when he closes to within two seconds of me. I start to worry, knowing that's dangerously close to slipstream range. Luckily he falls off shortly thereafter, dropping almost a half second over the next lap. I keep the pressure on through lap eight with a new best time of 59.086s, beating even my nitrous-aided qualifying lap. As the white flag waves for the final lap I find my lead to be and almost inexplicable 2.8 seconds. I add the exclamation point on the final lap setting a new best time of 50.016s.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [26]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [22]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [10]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [9]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [8]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [3]
Race 4 (Fuji Speedway 90s):
Another high speed circuit, and one that I have a history of losing on in the final lap from my many runs through the Japan Champioship. Back on go the super softs for qualifying. Thankfully I need not resort to Nitrous for this round; my 1'33.463 is fast enough for pole by a half second.
Off the start I hold off both Supras, who fall into the scrum in the first turn. The GT-R emerges first, followed by the Takata Dome NSX neck-and-neck with one of the other Toyotas. Down the straight the cars group together behind me, each unable to do anything but bump-draft the one in front of them. Coming through the first corners the Takata Dome NSX grabbed second from the GT-R, with the Supra close behind.
I open the gap some more through the second lap, enough that the NSX is too far back to slipstream me down the straight. By the start-finish line I have a 1.4 second lead of the two cars tied for second. The NSX continues to press over the next two laps but is never close enough to attempt an overtake. On lap 5 the GT-R managed to get the inside line through the first two corners and get past me. I grabbed the lead back at the hairpin, now barely holding on to first place.
The advantage of having the GT-R tucked up behind me is that he has no room to run by me down the straight. I resist the urged to hit the nitrous button through the final lap, and take the final chicane legally instead of mowing the lawn. I then find myself in an all too familiar situation: leading coming out of the final corner with a much faster car in my slipstream. The GT-R first looks to the inside, prompting me to move slightly, before jumping up onto the grass to get by just as we crossed the finish line. I feel that now far too familiar sense of disappointment as I see the red numbers at the top of my screen, but console myself with the fact that I still gained four points on the 2001 Supra who finished an even more disappointing 5th.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [19]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) (+0.148s) [32]
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [14]
4th - Honda Takata Dome NSX [11]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001)[24]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [4]
Race 5 (Super Speedway):
Just the track I need right now. I struggle to get pol,e doing so only by a slim margin and after holding the nitrous down for almost the entire lap. My only joy is that the '01 Supra is back down in fifth to start. The race begins and I begin to separate myself with the Takata Dome NSX. We trade places for a while and I thank the racing gods that I can pass him provided I get a good run out of the corner. However the GT-R and '01 Supra catch up quickly and join the battle for the win. I spend each lap trying to plan my move through the last corner to win the race, knowing that it will probably be impossible without shooting some nitrous.
At the end of lap 11 I overtake the Supra beautifully, giving me a world of confidence in my ability to repeat in thirty seconds later. But then I hit the brakes a bit to hard, allowing not only the Supra but the GT-R to get by. Coming down the penultimate straight the NSX forces me out of the slipstream and steals the final podium spot. Undaunted I drop down the the inside going through the last turn and come out jamming the nitrous. I pull past the NSX, then the GT-R, and just as I pull up to beside the Supra time expires on the race handing me another far too close loss.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [34]
2nd - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) (+0.048s) [38]
3rd - Honda Takata Dome NSX [15]
4th - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [24]
5th- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [26]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [5]
Race 6 (Laguna Seca):
Finally, a twisty course. I run qualifying on R3s and still take pole by over three seconds, a good indicator of things to come. The race begin with a rolling start which I am most thankful for as it makes my job of blocking much easier. The first lap passes and I never feel the Supra getting anywhere close to me. After one round of the circuit my lead is at 2.4 seconds. Another lap increases that to five. I go faster still on the third lap with a 1'27.474 setting my lead to almost seven seconds.
On lap 4 the Supra gets it together, closing to 5.5s in the first two sectors. His victory is short-lived as I pull away through the later half of the lap to build my lead back up to and beyond it's previous point. Lap six sees my first mistake of the race as I take the turn leading up to the corkscrew too hot and ride the gravel for a while. I lose three seconds to the Supra, crossing the line just six seconds ahead. I match pace with the supra through lap 6 and cruise to an easy victory on lap 7, having never needed to block the Supra.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [48]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+5.748s) [40]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [26]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [19]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [17]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [6]
Race 7 (Hong Kong):
Easily my most hated circuit in GT4. Knowing how hard overtaking here can be I slap on the R5s for practice to ensure I set the pole time. I massage my way around the circuit and grab first position by over three seconds. Down the field Honda's chance at third in the championship slips away as the Takata Dome NSX once again qualifies behind it's much slower brother.
The race begins beautifully; a rolling start with almost no run-up to the first corner, meaning I don't even have to try and block the Supra. By the time we reach the straight he's too far back to slipstream and the rout is on. I lazily make my way to a 3.2 second lead after the first lap. Knowing how hard Hong Kong is on tires I'm content to slowly parade around the course keeping a three second cushion for my lead.
The Supra starts to speed up on lap four, closing in to 1.7 seconds. The next lap he starts to worrying me as he eats another six tenths, coming dangerously close to my draft. Unluckily for him my tires had only just reached their peak grip level and on lap seven I gained a few tenths of my lead back and set my quickest time with a 1'22.832. The rest of the race goes smoothly with no really hassle from the larger Toyota.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [58]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+3.480s) [46]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [30]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [22]
5th- Honda Arta NSX [8]
6th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [18]
Race 8 (Twin Ring Motegi):
After two successive twisty courses I knew there had to be a catch. Not only does Motegi feature five sizable straightaways, but it's only the only round I lost in each of my previous outings in the series. I qualify on R3s because of the tracks steep learning curve regarding breaking points. To my gleeful surprise my practice time of 1'56.806 is just over 1.5s faster than that of the GT-R in second. The '01 Supra sits in fourth to start the race, with his elder just ahead. Once again the Takata Dome NSX languishes in sixth, it's hopes of catching the #2 Supra and GT-R rapidly dwindling.
My saving grace for the race is the combination of a rolling start and start-finish line close to the first corner. Nevertheless the first lap proves to be the most difficult since Tokyo. The Gt-R's repeated advances are continually denied until the painfully long back stretch when he manages to squeak by. Thankfully he breaks far too early for the corner and I dive back into the lead. The scenario repeats itself on the subsequent lap, although it take until the final chicane for me to get by.
On lap 3 the GT-R runs at me down the third straight only to back away just before hitting my bumper. This allowed the Supra (although I do not know which) to get by him into second. The Supra proves to be less skilled at passing than the Nissan and I hold my lead for the entirety of the lap. We trade spots throughout lap four and he doesn't show any quarter with his maneuvers, repeatedly bumping me in corners, several times knocking two tires off the track.
As we battle the GT-R catches up to us and on turn 3 and 4 of lap 5 he becomes my new best friend as he brakes extremely deep into the corner. His large frame knocks the Toyota sideways into the gravel pit. On find hand I'm elated to find my competition halved, but on the other I worry that I could be next. I fend off the GT-R who seems shocked by his rather unsportsmanlike overtake on the Supra, who does not even seem to try and get by me. This leads to his undoing at the start of the final lap as a Supra, presumably not the psychopath from earlier in the race, gets by Big Blue.
This Supra promptly repeats the same mistake that lead to his jump to the silver spot, braking instead of going around my car down a straight. But to prove that bad drivers never learn, the GT-R gives up second AGAIN down the penultimate straight. The pillar behind me spends the rest of the race fighting over second, allowing me to grab another victory.
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [68]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) (+0.998s) [52]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [34]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [25]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [20]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [9]
Race 9 (Fuji 2005 GT):
More Fuji, just what I wanted. This time I have two big things working to my advantage: the GT-R won the race on the 90s track, and I only need to podium to clinch the championship. Looking down the field the only battle that seems to be left is between the Takata Dome NSX and the '00 Supra for fourth. The field proves incredibly slow in qualifying once more and I win the chance to start the race from P1.
The field partially inverts itself as one by one cars fail to get by my incredibly wide Celica. The '01 Supra drops back to fourth and the GT-R fills the new vacancy in second. I tear through the infield section to the point where coming out of the final corner the other five cars are just specks in my mirror; 1.8 seconds back at the end of the lap. An uneventful lap 2 increases my lead to 3 seconds over the GT-R, and his lead over the Supras to roughly 4. I cheerfully cruise around the track without a car in sight on my way to securing victory in the series. Unfortunately I forgot to save this replay, so no pictures are forthcoming
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [78]
2nd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [40] (+0.998s)
3rd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [29]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [55]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [22]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [10]
Race 10 (Suzuka Circuit):
With overall victory already assured I skip qualifying on this very long circuit. The leading NSXs create a pileup in the first couple of turns which I succeed in emerging from in second place behind the success-starved Arta NSX. I snatch first coming through the double-right and take off. However I overshoot the first corner at the start of lap two and fall far back into sixth place. With victory pretty well impossible and nothing left to lose, I joyfully exit the race.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
1st - Toyota Wedssport Celica (me) [78]
2nd - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2001) [57]
3rd - Nissan Xanavi Hiroto GT-R [44]
4th - Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra (2000) [32]
5th- Honda Takata Dome NSX [28]
6th- Honda Arta NSX [20]
----
I'm going to have to go back and do this again with a bit of ballast and/or a tougher lineup to get the full 2,000 A-Spec points. It was very fun but also quite long, taking almost two hours of racing total. Could be done without the R5 tires and nitrous, which might provide a tougher fight down the stretch, although I didn't use any after Super Speedway, preferring speed taps from the car behind me. Pictures will come when I find the time and patience to sit down with the replays and snap some off. The Celica handles like a dream, I think I'll take to to the Grand Valley for enduro for 200 next.
