Le Mans 24h on A-Spec

[2002thx1138]

It seems that almost everyone uses B-Spec to race the 24h endurance races, at least that's what came up when I did a search.
If there is a specific thread to deal only with A-Spec Endurance races, please point me in the right direction. In the meantime I will go on...

I've been saving the 24h La Sarthe I endurance for a weekend when I can get together with a couple of mates, and race the whole thing between us, real-time, in A-Spec. Changing drivers at pit stops every 2 or 3 hours.

I just bought a DFP to add to the realism. 👍

We have set up a test session next week, and we'll pick a car to use, set it up, and get some practice in, and work out our pit strategy etc.

The race will start at 4pm GMT on a saturday (to be decided)

How many of you have done a similar thing?
Can you give me any advice? .... how much red bull will we need?
Which car will be competitive, but also make the race a challenge?

It's not that important that we win, (I could always b-spec a win later), it's more about the endurance experience we are looking for, but it would be good if we could come home first without having lapped the entire field...

Also I have read about the chassis getting knackered after about 9 or 10 hours, is there anyway to avoid this? or is there one car that survives better than the others?

Wish us luck.

B-speccers need not reply...

 

[Berrern]

Also I have read about the chassis getting knackered after about 9 or 10 hours, is there anyway to avoid this? or is there one car that survives better than the others?

Finally another fellow 24h A-speccer
Nice to see a post like this again, seeing as the forum is cluttered up with people B-speccing the 24-hour races. IMO B-spec is the worst thing ever introduced in the GT series, makes it way too easy to make ALOT of money and reach the 100% marker. Personally I've got 0 B-Spec points, as I'll never ever let Bob lay his hands on my lovely car park

Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to avoid the chassis issue, unless you use the Formula Gran Turismo car - but judging from your post you don't want an overkill.
I did the Nurb 24h in A-spec, and it took me about a week to finish, didn't have the time or courage to do it in one sitting. Longest session was about 8 hours.
About halfway into the race I did notice a "problem" with the handling - but it was far from undriveable, as some people claim. Perhaps when you let the B-Spec drive for you, say 10 hours, then take over yourself, there is a bigger difference - atleast that's what a lot of the people complaining have done.

I used the Toyota 88C-V btw, because we were 3 friends "sharing the experience", and one of them are a total race noob - so we needed a fast car in order to cath up with the time he lost, after all, the Ring ain't a good course for a noob

You're in for an awesome experience mate, especially with a couple of friends around the 24 hour races are awesome!
Just make sure you stack up enough coffee/red-bull and BEER. Beer definitely keeps the interest up 👍 I would also recommend 1/2 ounce of green plant, if you're into that thing

Have fun, and keep us posted on the progress!

 

[Duke]

There are writeups on this in the Race Reports board. Good luck.

 

[Smallhorses]

..... and BEER. Beer definitely keeps the interest up 👍

Strange you should say that! I'm currently into hour 14 of A-speccing Sarthe 1, been going since Sunday evening and curiously enough my fastest lap of the race coincidentally came just after I finished a beer! I'm posting progress updates in my A-Spec Endurance Companion which you'll also find here in the Race Reports thread.
Good luck with this quest.....oh, one more request, I'm trying to compile a definitive AI pit strategy guide for the 16 enduros so please could you keep track of who your opponents are and when they pit in? If you could post your findings in the AI pit strategy guide (There's a link to it in the GT4 FAQ section) I'd be most grateful.

Smallhorses

 

[jarre]

Im about to A-spec a 24h race all by myself cause all my friends are GT4 n00bs. Is this a good idea? Anyone who have done this?

 

[TeamWilliams F1]

I have........if you ask me.....its better not having a friend. That way....you can blam yourself for an accidente.lol.But also...if you think your a better driver than your friend......then....be my geust!!

 

[2002thx1138]

Thanks for the encouragement, although I think 1/2 ounce is excessive, Berrern!

I wouldn't want to try 24h on my own... I will need a snooze while my co-drivers are in the car!

We don't want to run the F1 car as it's not realistic... or fair, as it's way faster
The Minolta seems to be a bit over powered although I could take the stage 4 off it I suppose.
I was thinking of using the black 787B, but I'm not sure if it will keep up...
What kind of laptimes will the AI drivers be putting in, typically?

-----------------Edit--------------------
As this was a request for info, and I haven't raced yet, why has this thread been moved into race reports? I think it should be in general discussions...

 

[Smallhorses]

I'm not 100% sure of exact times, but it seems to me that the R89C is lapping in the 3'25 - 3'30 area, as is the 787B. They're the main competition in the field I'm racing, the 787B is more competetive since the R89C pits every 7 laps compared to every 8 laps for the 787B (and the rest of the field, BMW V12 LMR, Audi R8 and Playstation Pescarolo.) The Pescarolo is the backmarker of this lineup.
I've been lapping between 3'21 and 3'31 most of the time since hour 3 (took a while to get used to the car & course!) and now on hour 17 I'm 3 laps ahead of the 787B. I'm using the R89C too, but like the Minolta its overkill. Unfortunately I don't own any of the Black cars yet so I couldn't make a recommendation on how they'll perform. jdw or Route_66 would be the guys to ask.
If you're looking for high points, avoid any lineup with Corvette C5R, Panoz Esperante, Dodge Oreca Viper or Ford GT40 as they're totally outclassed any pull down the points value.
You need a field with as many out of the following cars in as possible, Sauber C9, Nissan R89C or R92CP, Jaguar XK-R9, Minolta Toyota 88C-V for maximum points
Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

[ANK]

Thanks for the encouragement, although I think 1/2 ounce is excessive, Berrern!

I wouldn't want to try 24h on my own... I will need a snooze while my co-drivers are in the car!

We don't want to run the F1 car as it's not realistic... or fair, as it's way faster
The Minolta seems to be a bit over powered although I could take the stage 4 off it I suppose.
I was thinking of using the black 787B, but I'm not sure if it will keep up...
What kind of laptimes will the AI drivers be putting in, typically?

-----------------Edit--------------------
As this was a request for info, and I haven't raced yet, why has this thread been moved into race reports? I think it should be in general discussions...

The black Mazda 787B will easily win thats what i used on this race and as an added bonus you will also get 200 a spec points with some added ballast. Do not forget to refresh the chasis before you start if you try using this car.

 

[rsmithdrift]

OMFG!!!!!!!!! I would have done a full report of this but because "B-Spec Dumb A**" couldn't handle it I had to do the entire 24hours of LeMans on the couse with the chicanes on the back stretch in A-Spec only (minus the two hours I b-spec'd at 1x and came back to find my 2:20.xxx lap lead had become a 2 lap defacite)

Anyways, I started the race (in a-spec obviously) at 5:30pm with my AMG Mercedes CLK-GTR Race Car, stock with oil change, chasis stiffening, and Hard Racing Tires, 820bhp, for a 61 point race using my DFP. The race started out fine and competative and I rode around in 3rd for a while behind the R92CP and R89C for the first few hours. I spent that time better learning the car and track and except for a spin on the first lap I was driving clean. The lead changed hands between the 3 of us 16 times in the first 40 minutes (all the replay would hold) I was running consistent 3:27.xxx lap times with a fastest of 3:25.6xx. The lead R92CP was running consistent 3:27.xxx laps with me pasing him.

At the 3 hour mark I wanted to build a lead so I could sleep and let b-spec take over for a few hours. I started running 3:25.xxx with 3:23.xxx as my best lap. Finally after 3 hours of pushing I had built a good 2 minute advantage over the R92CP. Pitted swapped to b-spec, and set him on level 4 and let him go. Checked back on him a half hour later and he was running 3:33.xxx laps and 3:31.xxx is the best he could do. So I changed him to Medium tires and he started running 3:29.xxx, so I was happy and left to get dinner. Came home an hour later and he was 2 laps back and going off track in almoast every turn not to mention he was in 3rd place. On level3 he was running 3:31.xxx on the same setup and losing just as fast. So I came back left the mediums on and took over.

So an hour later I'm running consistent 3:21.xxx laps with a best of 3:18.437. After 3 pit cycles, (with hards every 8-9 laps, on mediums every 6 laps) I had gotten back to 2nd place 3:15.xxx behind (and gaining 3-5 secs every lap) So since I was losing out on pit stop frequency (R92CP every 7 laps) I changed back to hards and started fighting to keep control. (didn't help that the wheel was soaking wet and my hands were sliding all over the place) My laps fell to a completely incosistent mess and I was not gaining or losing ground. Finally I got my act together and started pulling off 3:20.xxx laps and gaining again. I realized I could gain in 40 second gaps by him pitting twice to my one stop after every 8 pit cycles.

I cought him and the lead changed hands a good 20 or more times. As He was really fast down straight and slow in turns and i was fast in turns but not down the straight. So I could never hold a lead as he would draft me and blow me out of the water down the straights. Also we were equal thruogh the last two sectors. Also again my tires would wear out badly while trying to pass so the "pit trapping manuever" (That's what I call him pitting more often than me and instantly losing 40 secs.) didn't work. I finally cleared him and pulled away. I notice I pull away quicker after I get a 30 sec lead. I dunno whether it was me going faster or him going slower, but it was obvious. I backed off a little to save tires and not pull away so I dropped my laps down to 3:25.xxx and held my lead at 1 minute.

Just after the 19th hour I lapped the R89C and tried to pit in. HE HIT ME SO HARD AT PIT IN THAT I SPUN THROUGH THE PIT LANE AND COULD NOT GET MY CAR SERVICED!!!!!!! I ran out of gas half way round the next lap and my minute lead instantly became a 3 minute defacite!!! It was a 2 min. 30 sec. defacite initially, but I was so ANGRY that I kept making mistakes and losing time.

I got my rythm back at around the middle of hour 20. Started pulling consistent 3:22.xxx and occasionally a 3:20.xxx My fastest with hard tires was 3:19.565 (I had a funny trap time of: 1:55.555 ) My arms were sore, my neck was cramped, my palms were sweaty, and I was starting to lose hope, but I kept pushing 110% and gaining ground. I ran from hour 22 to the finish with out making any mistakes, while running laps at 3:21.xxx, and "pit trapped" him on lap 398. We traded the lead for a few laps and the 24 hour mark passed on lap 403 with me 11.9xx seconds ahead.

I WAS STOKED!!!!! 24 HOURS OF RACING AND IT CAME DOWN TO 11 SECONDS!!!!!!

During the whole race, 3481 miles passed and I never felt like the car was fading. I had no "shutter", or jerking back and forth with the DFP down the straights (even at 234mph) and felt totally in control.

I found the best method for car setup for endurance is to set the car up BEFORE YOU REFRESH THE CHASIS. Think about it if the car is drivable with a bad chasis then it will be great with a good one. They set cars up in real life anticipating this, so why not in a sim game?

My Settings:
Tires: Racing Hard (R2) front and rear
Suspension:
Spring rate: front-9.0; rear-8.0
Shocks: bound: front-7; rear-6. rebound: front-6; rear-7
Toe: front- (+2); rear- (-2)
LSD:
Initial-10; Accel-30; Decel-30
That's all I changed. Everything else is default setup.

This is long so please do not quote all of it.

Should I put this in a new thread in here?