- 643
I've just completed my first 24hr 200point race... and it was GREAT!!!
I used the BMW 320i Touring Car, Stage 3 NA Tune, and a slight decrease in aerodynamics and you have yourself a 200point race... of course, the opposition matters though.
Here's the 2 line-ups I have raced against for the 200 A-Spec Points in the past:
AUDI TT-R Touring Car '02
AUDI A4 Touring Car '04
Vauxhall Calibra Super Touring Car '94
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 '93
CUSCO IMPREZA (JGTC) '03
and
AUDI TT-R Touring Car '02
AUDI A4 Touring Car '04
Vauxhall Calibra Super Touring Car '94
BMW M3 GTR Race Car
FALKEN R34 GTR Race Car
In this case it was package number 2.
Rolling around the final turns before the start I knew I was in for a treat, big name manufacturers with big power under the hoods of the 5 cars ahead. My 327hp BMW 320i would be pushed to the limit if I was to stand a chance...
Streaming into the first corner I stare blankly at the rear tail lights of the sister BMW ahead, they soon begin to appear smaller and smaller as I get left behind in the fast second and third turns, but I've soon caught up into the breaking zone for the bumpy turn 5 chicane. I hold on as tight as possible sliding my nimble sedan onto the outside curb almost slicing the amco. I get a good run out of the chicane and find myself along side the M3 GTR, we're side by side up to the next apex, but he has too much power and is edging ahead, I wait till the last second into the breaking zone and seize 5th place.
Over the bridge in the distance the R34 & Audi A4 are battling it out side by side up the hill, I try my best to keep close enough for a sniff of slipstream, but again my 2.0L engine doesn't have the grunt. As we approach the end of the straight I have the M3 dancing all over my rear bumber looking for a way passed, I dive to the inside and defend my line forcing him to make a move on the outside, but the weight of his car is far greater than mine and I manage to keep the inside line tight all the way giving him no option but to fall back in line.
Down the hill I get a whisper of slipstream for the 2 cars battling ahead, I line myself up for an extremely late breaking manouver up the inside of the next turn, almost shaving the front of the R34 as I take position I'm amazed by the grip this little car has!
I follow close to the back of the A4 in front as we weave through the chicane over the crest, he gets on the power late and I'm able to keep with him back down the hill. I'm not close enough for a run up the inside of the sweeping left up ahead, so I stay out high on the right and perform a switch-back to give myself the inside line into the left-right esses ahead... I gain 3rd place!
Heading down the hill into the tight right handed sweeper I look for the cars ahead, but nothing... they're long gone. I head down the hill again through the extremely bumpy - yet, flat out - chicane. Crossing the sector timing board I am 6.570 behind the 1st place Vauxhall (to my suprise, I expected the TT-R to have got the job done by now).
I have an open road in front of me now and the tyres have come to temperature, I push hard, slowly eating into the lead of the cars ahead...
6.278... 5.451... 4.277... 3.936... 2.250...
I can see them now as we sweep through the tight twisting 2nd and 3rd gear corners around the rear of the circuit. Soon I am on the tail of the AUDI, who is only a car length behind the Vauxhall. We dash over a crest and back down the hill, into the dipper before getting are sharp tap on the brakes to take the fast 3rd gear right hander, being careful not to get too deep into the slipstream losing downforce and understeering into the sand trap, I clip the grass on the apex and slide effortlessly around the corner lining myself up perfectly into the banking of the fast esses.
Approaching the end of the short back straight I line myself up the inside to out break the AUDI... but the breaking zone fools me and he's able to hang on around the outside. Side by side we make our way up the hill, he edges in front so I break early and switch back mid corner giving myself the inside line into the second Karossel. I dive down the inside without much retaliation from the AUDI.
The Calibra bottoms out on the banking and I am able to get right under his tail as we make our way onto the long back straight. We make our way to top speed... 258, 259, 260, 261... I sit tight up behind him slightly off the gas pedal waiting to make my move. We duck through the cross-over walkway and I hang wide giving it 100% throttle... 5th gear... 273, 274... up the hill. I take the first section flat out, the rear sticking like glue, then hard on the brakes and down to 2nd gear for the final few turns.
Across the line I am 1.278 ahead. I take a quick glance in the mirror as I pull out of the first turn... the TT makes it's move, sharp precise, down the inside of the Calibra. I take a guess that it's tyres have started to come good, so I don't make ease of my first place.
Giving it all I start to pull away a small lead... 2sec, 3sec, 4sec, 5sec, 6sec... then breaking hard for the tight right hander before the first Karossel I miss my mark, hung out high I try to keep it on the road, riding the outside curb... but my rear TOE angle is too much for the angle of the curb and it spins me across the track. I give it all the opposite lock available, and power out hard regaining control of the car.
I can hear the purr of the TT's engine right behind me again, I take a quick look back to see how close he is... too close!!! He's riding my bumper into the Karossel, my confidence left on the curb behind in the form of black rubber, I try to pull away but keep making small mistakes. But still I just manage to hold him at bay.
Crossing the line at a 7:22.533 - too slow... even without the spin I can't pull out enough to make up for the extra pit stops I'm going to have to make... I need to revise my style.
I slow everything down, trying to smooth out my lines to make the most of my tyre wear. It's working, I get into the 7:12.9's and make 5 laps per stint.
Slowly I regain confidence in my car, smashing my way into the 7:09's.
By the end I am only 3 laps ahead of the TT, and to my supprise only 5 laps ahead of the last placed FALKEN R34.
The feild is tighter that I expected... and made for a great race!
But now I must rest my poor PS2, it's been on for 14 days straight leaving me with no option but to put it to bed for a few days.
Hope you enjoyed my race as much as I did... DFP & Nurb FOREVER!
I used the BMW 320i Touring Car, Stage 3 NA Tune, and a slight decrease in aerodynamics and you have yourself a 200point race... of course, the opposition matters though.
Here's the 2 line-ups I have raced against for the 200 A-Spec Points in the past:
AUDI TT-R Touring Car '02
AUDI A4 Touring Car '04
Vauxhall Calibra Super Touring Car '94
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 '93
CUSCO IMPREZA (JGTC) '03
and
AUDI TT-R Touring Car '02
AUDI A4 Touring Car '04
Vauxhall Calibra Super Touring Car '94
BMW M3 GTR Race Car
FALKEN R34 GTR Race Car
In this case it was package number 2.
Rolling around the final turns before the start I knew I was in for a treat, big name manufacturers with big power under the hoods of the 5 cars ahead. My 327hp BMW 320i would be pushed to the limit if I was to stand a chance...
START
Streaming into the first corner I stare blankly at the rear tail lights of the sister BMW ahead, they soon begin to appear smaller and smaller as I get left behind in the fast second and third turns, but I've soon caught up into the breaking zone for the bumpy turn 5 chicane. I hold on as tight as possible sliding my nimble sedan onto the outside curb almost slicing the amco. I get a good run out of the chicane and find myself along side the M3 GTR, we're side by side up to the next apex, but he has too much power and is edging ahead, I wait till the last second into the breaking zone and seize 5th place.
Over the bridge in the distance the R34 & Audi A4 are battling it out side by side up the hill, I try my best to keep close enough for a sniff of slipstream, but again my 2.0L engine doesn't have the grunt. As we approach the end of the straight I have the M3 dancing all over my rear bumber looking for a way passed, I dive to the inside and defend my line forcing him to make a move on the outside, but the weight of his car is far greater than mine and I manage to keep the inside line tight all the way giving him no option but to fall back in line.
Down the hill I get a whisper of slipstream for the 2 cars battling ahead, I line myself up for an extremely late breaking manouver up the inside of the next turn, almost shaving the front of the R34 as I take position I'm amazed by the grip this little car has!
I follow close to the back of the A4 in front as we weave through the chicane over the crest, he gets on the power late and I'm able to keep with him back down the hill. I'm not close enough for a run up the inside of the sweeping left up ahead, so I stay out high on the right and perform a switch-back to give myself the inside line into the left-right esses ahead... I gain 3rd place!
Heading down the hill into the tight right handed sweeper I look for the cars ahead, but nothing... they're long gone. I head down the hill again through the extremely bumpy - yet, flat out - chicane. Crossing the sector timing board I am 6.570 behind the 1st place Vauxhall (to my suprise, I expected the TT-R to have got the job done by now).
I have an open road in front of me now and the tyres have come to temperature, I push hard, slowly eating into the lead of the cars ahead...
6.278... 5.451... 4.277... 3.936... 2.250...
I can see them now as we sweep through the tight twisting 2nd and 3rd gear corners around the rear of the circuit. Soon I am on the tail of the AUDI, who is only a car length behind the Vauxhall. We dash over a crest and back down the hill, into the dipper before getting are sharp tap on the brakes to take the fast 3rd gear right hander, being careful not to get too deep into the slipstream losing downforce and understeering into the sand trap, I clip the grass on the apex and slide effortlessly around the corner lining myself up perfectly into the banking of the fast esses.
Approaching the end of the short back straight I line myself up the inside to out break the AUDI... but the breaking zone fools me and he's able to hang on around the outside. Side by side we make our way up the hill, he edges in front so I break early and switch back mid corner giving myself the inside line into the second Karossel. I dive down the inside without much retaliation from the AUDI.
The Calibra bottoms out on the banking and I am able to get right under his tail as we make our way onto the long back straight. We make our way to top speed... 258, 259, 260, 261... I sit tight up behind him slightly off the gas pedal waiting to make my move. We duck through the cross-over walkway and I hang wide giving it 100% throttle... 5th gear... 273, 274... up the hill. I take the first section flat out, the rear sticking like glue, then hard on the brakes and down to 2nd gear for the final few turns.
Across the line I am 1.278 ahead. I take a quick glance in the mirror as I pull out of the first turn... the TT makes it's move, sharp precise, down the inside of the Calibra. I take a guess that it's tyres have started to come good, so I don't make ease of my first place.
Giving it all I start to pull away a small lead... 2sec, 3sec, 4sec, 5sec, 6sec... then breaking hard for the tight right hander before the first Karossel I miss my mark, hung out high I try to keep it on the road, riding the outside curb... but my rear TOE angle is too much for the angle of the curb and it spins me across the track. I give it all the opposite lock available, and power out hard regaining control of the car.
I can hear the purr of the TT's engine right behind me again, I take a quick look back to see how close he is... too close!!! He's riding my bumper into the Karossel, my confidence left on the curb behind in the form of black rubber, I try to pull away but keep making small mistakes. But still I just manage to hold him at bay.
Crossing the line at a 7:22.533 - too slow... even without the spin I can't pull out enough to make up for the extra pit stops I'm going to have to make... I need to revise my style.
I slow everything down, trying to smooth out my lines to make the most of my tyre wear. It's working, I get into the 7:12.9's and make 5 laps per stint.
Slowly I regain confidence in my car, smashing my way into the 7:09's.
By the end I am only 3 laps ahead of the TT, and to my supprise only 5 laps ahead of the last placed FALKEN R34.
The feild is tighter that I expected... and made for a great race!
But now I must rest my poor PS2, it's been on for 14 days straight leaving me with no option but to put it to bed for a few days.
Hope you enjoyed my race as much as I did... DFP & Nurb FOREVER!
Im gonna need a better wheel before I attempt a race of that stature. Great report:tup:
