Please help with car selection (fairly urgent)

[kart.no.38]

Hi everyone

I am about to enter into a 24hr Le Mans event. It is 'real life' in the sense that there will be 6 teams in a room competing against each other. Winner gets a trip to Brazil F1 race at the end of the year.

My issue is selecting the correct car. Obviously I need to use something fast but easy on tires.

I have a choice between the following cars, I have to choose one when we submit our entry which is in about 20mins. I only found out about this race 20mins ago, so panic has well and truly set in.

Car choices:

Audi R8 Race Car '01
Bentley Speed 8 Race Car '03
BMW V12 LMR Race Car '99
Mazda 787B Race Car '91
Nissan R89C Race Car '89
Nissan R92CP Race Car '92
Nissan R390 GT1 Race Car '98
Playstation Pescarolo C60 Judd Race Car '04
Sauber Mercedes C9 Race Car '89
Toyota GT-One Race Car '99

Based on my experience I am leaning toward the Playstation Pescarolo C60 Judd Race Car '04 but if you know better than me please speak now

EDIT:

Entries closed. Managed to get in, went with the Pescarolo. Going to be interesting.

 

[RacecarBMW]

Good luck sorry I just read the post

can explain more about this competition

 

[Parnelli Bone]

I woulda went with the Audi. But the Pesky is a good choice, too. Really they all have their merits in some way or another.

 

[Smallhorses]

Only about 24hrs late, but oh well...
I'd say having driven them all that you made the wise decision.
The Pesky will run out of fuel well before it eats tyres, and thus you don't have to go through a wear-in period and wear-out period where your laptimes suffer.
In this car you get only the warming up period, and pit for fuel before your tyres get to the stage where you're losing massive amounts of time due to wear, and causes you to lose less time overall due to less stops, and less time lost trying to nurse a car round 1/2 a lap of Sarthe on red rear tyres, which the less wily drivers that opted for Nissan or Sauber Group Cs will deal with. The other obvious choice given the way it performs for the AI would be the 787B.

Draft the AI as much as possible as it'll save you on fuel too. 💡
Hope this worked out well for you and we'll see you at Interlagos! 👍

 

[mynameissport]

Agree with Smallhorses it is a wise choice, the Pescarolo Judd '04 race car is one of the best LMP cars around. Set up in the right hands it is easy to drive, very stable and good tyre wear. The only slight disadvantage is that it is not as fuel economical as the Bentley Speed 8 so you will need to pit for fuel before the tyres are truly worn out.

I am not sure whether you are allowed to set up the car to your liking, but if you are it is crucial you get the right setup. There are some good setups around if you look hard. If you want me to give you some suggestions kart.no.38 feel free to let me know.

Also be aware after around 14 hours into the race the chassis will start wearing out meaning it will be harder to keep the car on the straight and narrow and on the straights it will start to wobble so car control will be more important.

In addition you said you are as part of a team I assume it will be a 3 man team like the real Le Mans. I would suggest you split your driving up between you and the team. Driving a constant 5 hour stint without a break is a no no unless if you are superman as you will lose more time due to tiredness and lack of focus.

Well if I think of anymore then will let you know.

 

[jrbabbitt]

Draft the AI as much as possible as it'll save you on fuel too.

From what i read above i do believe Kart38 is racing live against 5 others in a room with connected PS2s, so drafting the AIs wont help
I would love to know how he did in this race.

 

[Smallhorses]

From what i read above i do believe Kart38 is racing live against 5 others in a room with connected PS2s, so drafting the AIs wont help
I would love to know how he did in this race.

Yeah, I thought that at first, however, in LAN mode the maximum number of laps you can do is 50. This doesn't even get close to being 24hrs, even on Sarthe I.

Therefore I concluded they've got 6 "teams" of drivers on 6 machines who're individually completing the 24hr race against the AI and seeing who can complete the most laps in the 24hr period to declare the winner. They're probably swapping drivers every couple of pitstops, or indeed every stop like we've done in the 50 lap Clio Endurance races at UKGTP & SFGTP meetings.

It's the only way a 24hr race is possible, and thus AI drafting is going to be an advantage. It'd still work if he's drafting other racers in LAN mode, although the reduced race distance would mean it's less of an advantage.

 

[shepzki]

I think Polyphony Digital have made the 24HR races too easy, what with being able to pause them and resume. I think in GT5 they should disable the pause button and make you do them in 'real-time', just to be sadistic.👍

 

[oldmodelt]

I think Polyphony Digital have made the 24HR races too easy, what with being able to pause them and resume. I think in GT5 they should disable the pause button and make you do them in 'real-time', just to be sadistic.👍

I assume that you are being funny.

Then I would do none of them. 2/4/24hrs. Is just too long (for me). Being real would require you to get two other friends to run LeMans at least. Imagine the complaints due to an occasional power outage or some such unforseen circumstance after sitting in front of the tv for 20 straight hours.

Justifiable homicide because one of your kids tripped over the power cord.

I may be wrong, but I don't see any GT racer here sitting down for a real 24hr race. Try staying awake for it. Let alone bodily functions.

 

[Famine]

I may be wrong, but I don't see any GT racer here sitting down for a real 24hr race. Try staying awake for it. Let alone bodily functions.

I've done them all. Some more than once. And the very most I've done in one sitting is just over 8 hours (which would be a double-stint for a real Le Mans driver). And I have very nearly no boredom threshold.

24hr straight? No.


Incidentally, if I were running a race with one of those cars, my top three would be the 787B, the Pesky and the TS020. The Sauber C9 would be quickest though (so quick you might finish the race in 23hr... hurr hurr hurr)

 

[shepzki]

Of course I was not serious, but would be interesting I think if they at least gave you the option of doing it like that.

On the question in hand, my LM racer of choice is the Audi R8 without a doubt, even when used with over 10,000 miles & old oil it is a match for anything else in the game.

 

[DK]

I think in GT5 they should disable the pause button and make you do them in 'real-time', just to be sadistic.👍

No thanks, I don't want my room smelling like an elephant's enclosure at the zoo.

 

[jrbabbitt]

Yeah, I thought that at first, however, in LAN mode the maximum number of laps you can do is 50. This doesn't even get close to being 24hrs, even on Sarthe I.

I honestly did not know of the 50 lap limit on LAN races, My apologies for my lack of knowledge.

 

[RacecarBMW]

So kart can you tell us how you did?

 

[iluvgt4]

Probably R92CP. Get Stage 4 turbo if allowed. Recommend Racing Super Hard tires.
Start the race in A-Spec. When you have a lead of at least one, maybe two laps, when you go to the pits switch to B-Spec. Just a recommendation.

 

[Smallhorses]

You've not a clue about the calibre of drivers that you're dealing with on this site have you iluvGT4?

Not everyone needs, nor appreciates the recommendation of overkill cars, needless stage 4 turbos and B-spec.

If you'd please, please, please take the time to read the title and at least the first post of the threads you're posting in, it helps. 💡

He needed advice there and then, and even posted that he'd made his selection, and was actually racing (you know, when you actually "drive" the car against other competitors instead of letting the PS2 do it for you?) for a real prize.

It's not much of a contest if these 6 teams of drivers all pick the highest HP car, stick on a huge turbo and set the race into B-spec mode and watch it for 24hrs is it?!!!

kart.no.38 is amongst the fastest GT4 drivers in the world and has proved it, therefore there's little need for you jump in a week and a half late with another overkill recommendation as you've done everywhere else just so you can see your post appear in a forum. 👎

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Probably R92CP. Get Stage 4 turbo if allowed. Recommend Racing Super Hard tires.
Start the race in A-Spec. When you have a lead of at least one, maybe two laps, when you go to the pits switch to B-Spec. Just a recommendation.

Have a look at the opening post again. The guy (kart...) tells us he's doing a race against other teams of real drivers, don't you think he'd be laughed out of the room if he shows up and switches to B-spec? Not to mention the fact that any driver (any competent driver) can simply blow Bob away!!

Sorry man for bustin' on ya, but GTP is big-time. This isn't a bunch of wimpy, talentless drivers in this forum.

 

[kart.no.38]

So the race is tomorrow

Here are more details of the race: http://www.carmag.co.za/article/take-on-car-in-24-hours-of-le-mans-2010-05-14

We selected the Pesky with Stage 4 Turbo and are racing on Super Hards with NO driver aids (traction is non existent in this car).

I can lap in the 3:06.5 3:07.5 zone and I feel that this is very competitive. Setup also takes chassis looseness into consideration and we only lose a second once this happens.

It is a race against 7 teams, 3 drivers per team and a maximum of 2hr stints per driver. It is going to be interesting. I cannot wait to compete

Thank you everyone for the tips! Much appreciated and I am sorry I did not respond sooner to all your posts.

I will let you know how it went after the race. Hopefully I will be in Interlagos at the end of the year

 

[Parnelli Bone]

wow, neat. Looks intense.

So I clicked on that link you provided and it shows the drivers sitting in front of the screens, obviously driving. But there's also what looks to be people sitting in chairs behind the drivers. Are they the relief drivers? Or are they referees? Just seems odd that they're just sitting right there behind the actual drivers.

Anyways good luck. We're rootin' for ya.

 

[kart.no.38]

So the competition is over and I am glad to say that our team won

We ended up using the Pesky on Super Hard tires whereas everyone else went with either Hard/Hard or Medium/Hard (front/rear). With them on the softer option they would have to pit every 6 laps whereas we only had to pit every 7. The bonus plan was that we were actually faster than them despite being on harder rubber.

We took the lead of the race from half way through the first lap and never gave it back. Key to winning was not making any mistakes on the track, ALL of the other teams went off or spun whereas we kept a reasonable pace and didn't crash.

The key moments were when the chassis lost it's rigidity (happens after 12hrs/3000km). Our opposition thought that the only reason we were fast and consistent at the beginning was because we hadn't done our setup for when the chassis loosened up. They were in fact very wrong.

When the chassis performance dropped we maintained our pace whereas the opposition started crashing left right and center. From what we could see it was impossible for them to drive fast and keep the car on the track. While that happened we just kept circulating

Our pace was also more than reasonable. Our best time on Super Hards was 3.07.3 whereas the competitions best time on the softer hard option was 3.08.4. For fun I stuck on a set of hards towards the end of the race and even with a loose chassis I did a 3.04.9.

During practice at home we actually could go a lot quicker but for some reason at the event, on the day 3.09's were the best we could do consistently.

In the end we completed 427 laps of the circuit.

Our setup was on the very hard side. 17.0/14.3 springs, 56/56 ride height, 4/4 6/6 dampers, 7/7 stabilizers. It worked well for when the chassis went loose.

I have posted some video's of the early stage of the race on my personal site, www.davidperel.net for anyone interested

The prize for winning is a free trip to the Brazillian GP. It will be the first time I see F1 cars on a track in the flesh. I cannnnot wait.

@Parnelli those are the drivers of each team. There were 7 teams and 3 drivers per team, each driver drove for 2hrs.

 

[shepzki]

Congratulations on your victory, sounded like good fun despite the length. One question though, how the heck did you manage to get rained on indoors?

 

[kart.no.38]

There was a leak in the roof. Our race station was positioned directly below where the rain was dripping in. My brother literally got rained on in both his stints. It was quite funny to see.

 

[shepzki]

There was a leak in the roof. Our race station was positioned directly below where the rain was dripping in. My brother literally got rained on in both his stints. It was quite funny to see.

Haha, well it might have helped keep him awake I guess, great stuff.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

There was a leak in the roof. Our race station was positioned directly below where the rain was dripping in. My brother literally got rained on in both his stints. It was quite funny to see.

Wow, I'd be afraid of getting shocked! Awesome win. Consistency is definately key at a track like that.

 

[DK]

How much cans of Red Bull did you guys need?

 

[kart.no.38]

How much cans of Red Bull did you guys need?

There was an endless stream of RedBull available but we never had any. I think we had 1 cup of (dodgey) coffee each and mostly water.

 

[iluvgt4]

I've relied on the PlayStation Pescarolo on super hards. Give it stage 4 turbo if that's permitted. If you're high on skill, give a fully tuned Suzuki GSX/R4 a try. I'm not saying you'll do well in the Suzuki, but it's not that hard to get. I'd go with the Playstation Pescarolo.

 

[Austin343]

You know, reading a thread can help sometimes. kartno38 has already completed the race and posted extensively on it. And that advice about the Suzuki is gibberish - yes, it has unbelievable grip, but it could never be a match for an LMP with vastly more power and downforce, particularly on La Sarthe.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

I've relied on the PlayStation Pescarolo on super hards. Give it stage 4 turbo if that's permitted. If you're high on skill, give a fully tuned Suzuki GSX/R4 a try. I'm not saying you'll do well in the Suzuki, but it's not that hard to get. I'd go with the Playstation Pescarolo.

Dude....seriously, have you read the comments we've left for you on the first page of this thread? Here, I'll make it easy for you...

You've not a clue about the calibre of drivers that you're dealing with on this site have you iluvGT4?

Not everyone needs, nor appreciates the recommendation of overkill cars, needless stage 4 turbos and B-spec.

If you'd please, please, please take the time to read the title and at least the first post of the threads you're posting in, it helps. 💡

He needed advice there and then, and even posted that he'd made his selection, and was actually racing (you know, when you actually "drive" the car against other competitors instead of letting the PS2 do it for you?) for a real prize.

It's not much of a contest if these 6 teams of drivers all pick the highest HP car, stick on a huge turbo and set the race into B-spec mode and watch it for 24hrs is it?!!!

kart.no.38 is amongst the fastest GT4 drivers in the world and has proved it, therefore there's little need for you jump in a week and a half late with another overkill recommendation as you've done everywhere else just so you can see your post appear in a forum. 👎

Have a look at the opening post again. The guy (kart...) tells us he's doing a race against other teams of real drivers, don't you think he'd be laughed out of the room if he shows up and switches to B-spec? Not to mention the fact that any driver (any competent driver) can simply blow Bob away!!

Sorry man for bustin' on ya, but GTP is big-time. This isn't a bunch of wimpy, talentless drivers in this forum.

Also, as austin343 has noted, the race has already been done...for several days now.

 

[kart.no.38]

I haven't been in the forums for a very long time. It's nice to see nothing has changed