The Rustiest Endurance Grand Slam

[RustyCitroen]

The Rustiest Endurance Grand Slam​

Hello chaps!
A wee while back, I was reminiscing on my favourite game, Gran Turismo 4, when I thought: I'm ridiculously bored in quarantine. Why not do what my twelve-year old self could never do, and complete all the endurance races in GT4? Even better, why not blather on about them to the wonderful GTPlanet forum members? (never mind my doubts about the GT4 section of the forum being a bit cobwebby)

And thus, Project Rusty Endurance Grand Slam was born, in which I, in a vaguely linear but not-in-order fashion, attempt to complete every endurance race in Gran Turismo 4, with the goal of finally, once and for all completing the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A few caveats before we start:
This thread will likely be fairly low on images, purely because I'm not exactly interested in filling a thread with five photos per post, and that I also sympathise with those on poorer internet connections than mine. One or possibly two per post shall be fine (except for maybe the 24h races)

I'm using a 100% with a bonkers amount of money. I'm not interested in grinding six months of racing for this. Purists, if you are consumed by rage that I haven't played through properly, please leave your axes and swords down and don't let the door hit you on the way out

All races with the exception of a couple will be driven using strategies derived from @Famine and Smallhorse's GT4 Endurance Companions, without which my four braincells could not hope to formulate an actual plan. Cheers chaps, sheer mind-bending work!

Right, with all that said, let's get on to our first race, which will be (sorry, easy, I know) the Super Speedway 150 miles! See you soon!

 

[RustyCitroen]

Okay, the most boring endurance event on the Grand Slam tour... I want to get this over with quickly. Can't stand oval circuits.
For this race, I selected my stock Mazda 787B (fresh oil change included) and loaded up the course. The grid looked like this:

Three GT Cars? A GILLET?!? What did I do to deserve this!?!
The BMW is too underpowered to compete with my 787B, so the Sauber C9 is my only real chance of competition, to be honest.

STINTS:
Lap 1 to 34: Super Hard tyres. Fastest lap 28.995

The first couple of laps of the race are a nightmare. I'm behind the Ford and Camaro, which have about 200-300 less horsepower than my Mazda, and the Gillet, which needs no introduction. 897bhp and brakes like a tricycle...
The first lap is basically dodgems, with the Camaro sitting on the racing line 40mph slower than me, the Ford accelerating away from Turn 1 only to graze the wall, and the Gillet doing Gillet things. By the end of the first lap, I'm 3rd, nearly four seconds behind the Sauber already. My first three or four laps are spent desperately acclimatising to the racing lines and catching the BMW - I'm doing low to mid 30s laps, nowhere near the Sauber's pace. By the end of lap 3, I squeeze past the BMW into second: the Sauber is now 6.5 seconds up the road. Slowly, I start reeling him in... by lap 5 he's 5.1 seconds ahead. Lap 6, he's 4.5. I'm shaving off precious tenths and setting best lap after best lap: I get a 29.042 before Lap 7 rolls around, and I have to play dodge the Gillet. The Ford GT is struggling too; the driver seems to be pile-driving into the final turn, hitting the wall, and scraping along the barrier. Time to lap these backmarkers. By the end of lap 7, I have dispatched the desperate tussle for 5th between the GT and the Gillet and I'm catching the Camaro... only to discover that the gap to the Sauber has dropped from about 6 seconds to less than 2. I exit Turn 1, and there, in front, the magnificent Camaro has blocked the C9 against the outside wall. I slipstream the stricken pair own to Turn 2 and dive up the inside, finally taking the lead as I exit the turn and enter lap 8. A cursory glance at my mirrors shows that the Sauber has broken free of the Camaro's grip and is hunting me down...

Except, er, not really.

I don't know whether the crash with the Camaro knocked his brain out of sync, or whether I'm just lapping fast, but at any rate the Sauber starts to fall behind. By the time I start lap 20, he's gone from 1.3s behind to 5.8s - a huge drop. Meanwhile, the Mazda gets faster and faster the longer the stint goes on. I set the fastest lap of the stint, a 28.995, on lap 28, and consistently keep the car in the low 29s until lap 31, where my pace starts to drop as my tyres wear. I'm just hoping the C9 pits first, the gap behind is only 7.9 seconds, and the rate of loss has been steadily decreasing. On lap 32, my rear tyres lock slightly on the exit of Turn 1, and I'm absolutely scared stiff. The tyres could probably do four or five more laps, but I'm dropping seven/eight tenths a lap with this wear.

Then hallelujah: the C9 pits as I start lap 33. Knowing that I've held him off, I cruise the Mazda round in high 29s before dropping into the pits at the end of lap 34 for stint 2.

1. Mazda 787B (me): leader - 1 stop -
2. Sauber Mercedes C9 (+14.581) - 1 stop -
3. BMW V12 LMR (+ 1 LAP)
4. Chevrolet Camaro LM Race Car (+ 5 LAPS)
5. Gillet Vertigo Race Car ( + 6 LAPS)
6. Ford GT LM (+ 7 LAPS) -1 stop -

Lap 35 to 67: Super Hard tyres. Fastest lap 28.785

My controller disconnects unbeknown to me as I spam X to complete refuelling (60 units) and promptly sail into the wall exiting the pits. The next few laps are miserable and frustrating as the slowing GT cars are once again proving to be a slog to lap. The Camaro goes on the straight without a fight, but on lap 38 going into Turn 2, the GT slams into me mid-corner and forces me to the outside wall, while two laps later the Gillet brakes hard and blocks me into Turn 1, resulting in a shunt. Miraculously, the C9 isn't faring much better in traffic and continues to fall behind. The BMW pits on lap 42. I set a new fastest lap of 28.948 on lap 43 and another on lap 47, which is a 28.889. The Sauber keeps falling behind, and by lap 50, I'm nearly close enough to lap him. After setting another fastest lap on lap 51 (28.826) and finally witnessing the Camaro pit (lap 52) I'm slipstreaming for the overlap on the Sauber on the back straight of lap 54. I dive down the inside of Turn 2... and the Sauber squeezes me into the wall on exit. No matter though; I slipstream him on the start/finish straight and pass him round the outside into Turn 1, cementing a lap's lead on this race.

On lap 57, the GT causes a ginormous accident. The Gillet's in his slipstream going into turn 2 when he suddenly brakes and jinks upward into the Gillet's line, effectively t-boning himself. The Gillet slows down a bit, but is otherwise fine; however the GT spins a near 180 and slams back-end first into the wall, diving instantly for the pits. I soar past, slipstreaming the Gillet into lap 60, and set the fastest lap of the stint at the end, the 28.665. The tyre wear is starting to bite, and I'm gonna need to pit in the next couple of laps if I don't want to spin out. I pit on lap 67, and to my delight the C9 drops in a few seconds later, losing even MORE time. By now I've resigned myself to victory. There's no way I can lose a lap and a half's lead by now!

1. Mazda 787B (me): leader - 2 stops -
2. Sauber Mercedes C9 (+ 1 LAP) - 2 stops -
3. BMW V12 LMR (+ 2 LAPS) - 1 stop -
4. Chevrolet Camaro LM Race Car (+ 10 LAPS) - 1 stop -
5. Gillet Vertigo Race Car (+ 13 LAPS) - 1 stop -
6. Ford GT LM (+ 13 LAPS) - 2 stops - (left the pits as I entered actually)

Laps 68 - finish: Super Hard tyres. Fastest lap: 28.385

As usual, the first couple of outlaps are relaxed, matching average overall pace of 29.1/29.2 seconds a lap, but knowing that I can double-lap the Sauber is a powerful motivator and I quickly start lapping 29 flat and under 29s. On the exit on Turn 1, lap 70, I go to lap the Gillet again when it sort of drifts into the wall and slams on the brakes entering the straight. I steer violently, nearly flying off the other side of the track, before straightening up. Sure enough, the Gillet pits after the collision. On lap 72, I notice the Sauber being held up by the BMW V12 and tuck in behind the two going into lap 73. There's contact as they head into Turn 1; the BMW continues seemingly oblivious, while the Sauber is knocked onto the apron. Using the slipstream, I catch the Sauber's poor exit and slingshot past on the straight, a poor entry into Turn 2 sees the Sauber unlap himself and tap my Mazda into the wall on exit for good measure. I take sweet revenge by swooping round the outside of both the BMW and the Sauber into Turn 1 lap 74: I'm now leading this race by 2 laps. Nothing unusual happens until lap 83, where, despite a tap with the Turn 2 wall, I manage to go nearly three tenths faster than my previous best lap. The BMW finally pits on lap 88, leaving the Camaro as the only car not to have stopped twice. Not that it matters, which the Camaro more than ten laps down, but still.

Apart from a little tussle on lap 90 and 95 with the GT and Camaro, nothing much of note happens in the last ten laps, and I just concentrate on setting consistent low 29s and saving tyres. I start to lose a bit of grip following a tap on the wall of Turn 2 on lap 96, and the Camaro finally pits a second time on lap 97 (three laps away from the finish, pfft). On lap 99, the field bunches up on a last slipstream train: I manage to put another lap ahead of the three GT cars on the final lap, and narrowly miss lapping the BMW again by a nose.
A successful (if largely uneventful) first race.

FINAL RESULTS:
1st: Mazda 787B (me): 50min 26.182sec
2nd: Sauber-Mercedes C9: + 2 LAPS
3rd: BMW V12 LMR: +4 LAPS
4th: Chevrolet Camaro LM Race Car: +16 LAPS
5th: Ford GT LM: +18 LAPS
6th: Gillet Vertigo Race Car: +19 LAPS

Overall, I think it was an underrated drive from the BMW (who would definitely be closer on a technical circuit) and the poor GT cars were nothing more than mobile chicanes. The Camaro just cruised to a 4th place finish and the GT may have been the slower car but the Gillet driver seemed to have a love affair with the wall every corner despite having a technically superior car.

With the Super Speedway 150 out the way, the next race will either be the Roadster 4-hour Endurance, or the Grand Valley 300km, both requiring vastly different car types. I hope you enjoyed reading this (if anyone actually finds it) and I'll see you next time!

The endurance menu; one race down, many, many more to go.

 

[RustyCitroen]

Nurburgring 4hr complete; report coming soon!

 

[jontikis]

That's some cool stuff mate, keep going. This kind of content from the game's old good years is something the forum needs to light up a bit.

Cheers! 👍

 

[RustyCitroen]

That's some cool stuff mate, keep going. This kind of content from the game's old good years is something the forum needs to light up a bit.

Cheers! 👍

Cheers, @jontikis I hope that the GT4 forum sees more activity too - it's still an incredible game fifteen years later, and I'm thoroughly enjoying these races.

 

[RustyCitroen]

Right, time to update.
I have been preoccupied with moving home to New Zealand from the UK, however I have completed the Nurburgring 4hr (something around 115 A-Spec points, I'll need to double check), Grand Valley 300km was a 197pt race and El Capitan 200 miles was a full 200pts. I'll see how soon I can upload reports.

Nice report. Missed playing GTO. Gonna try GT4 next

Thanks very much; GT4 has always been my favourite of the series, so I decided I'd do it justice here. Welcome to the forums, by the way!

 

[RustyCitroen]

RACE 2: Nurburgring Nordschleife 4hr
A-Spec points: 108
Vehicle Used: Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91

​

After my victory in the Super Speedway 150 miles, I found myself desperate to enter a race with some semblance of strategy, and more importantly, actual corners. So I signed up for a four-hour battle on one of the most treacherous racing circuits in the world: the 12.9 mile, 157-corner Nurburgring Nordschleife. The 4 hour variant of this event is contested by standard sports sedans and coupes, rather than the touring car/GT field in the 24 hour. Deciding to select a car with at least some heritage to the circuit, I ended up picking the Mercedes 190E Evolution II, which was a homologation model produced for the Mercedes DTM program in the late 80s/early 90s - I felt confident that it would be a good fit for the circuit. Armed with my completely stock Mercedes, I started up the race and loaded up the starting grid.

108 A-Spec points; evidently it'll be harder than the Super Speedway 150 miles. On with it, then!

STINTS:
Lap 1-5
With the least powerful and oldest car on the grid, I'm counting on my tyre efficiency and handling to get the victory here; the lumbering S-Type R is quick on the straights but slow in the corners, and I've already passed it as we head into Hocheichen. The Camaro SS is similarly easy to pass, and a mistake on his part sees him slide off the circuit at Flugplatz, handing me fourth place. The RX-8 is ahead, and we battle continuously for the rest of the lap, before I finally pass him as we exit Dottinger Hohe to start a new lap. I'm nearly 15 seconds behind the leading Evolution VIII; got some catching up to do.

I'm slowly pulling away from the RX-8, and by the end of lap 3, I'm about ten seconds up the road. The Jaguar and Camaro have vanished in my rear view; I'm about 12 seconds behind the Evo VIII and just catching glimpses of the Corvette at the end of long straights. However, a stupid mistake exiting Flugplatz sees me run wide onto the gravel; the RX-8 closes right back up, and I'm now 17 seconds behind the Evo VIII, which is by far the fastest car on pure pace in this race. However, the powerful V6 and 4WD drive system take their toll on the tires, and the Evo dives into the pits at the end of lap 4. I move into second, and start pulling away from the RX-8 again - my tires are a light orange on the display, enough to take off a few seconds per lap but not enough for me to gain this much on the Mazda. His tire wear must be worse than mine. I'm 14.1 seconds behind the Corvette at the start of the lap, but a solid in lap sees me pit just 11.966s seconds off the Corvette, who pits on the same lap!

1. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, leader - 1 stop -
2. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, +11.966s - 1 stop -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, +25s - 1 stop -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, + 39s - 1 stop -
5. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+1m 05s - 1 stop -
6. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+1m 08s - 1 stop -

Lap 5-10
Slowly, I begin whittling down the lead of the Corvette. It's a largely uneventful stint, although lap 8 is my fastest lap of the race so far at 8.06.851. The RX-8 continues to hold up the Evo VIII, and thankfully we don't see it again, as it's much faster than either me or the Corvette. The Evo pits again at the end of lap 8, with the Camaro and Jaguar following suit; they pit every 4 laps, while me and the Corvette pit every five. The RX-8 pits on lap 9; presumably, he's going on an alternating 5-lap/4-lap pit strategy.

By lap 8, my gap to the Corvette has closed to 8 seconds, and in the 9th lap, he slides off at Hatzenbach corner, and I close up to within a second. This produces some of the most incredible racing thus far; we went through Flugplatz nearly side by side, and after a hair-raising dive, I gained the lead at Bergwerk, only to lose it on the entry to Klostertal. However, my hubris gets the better of me, and I enter the Karussell too fast, spinning 90 degrees and hitting the wall. By the time we start lap 10, the final lap of the stint, I'm 7.2 seconds behind. The Corvette, however, is slower on his threadbare tires, and by the time we both pit at the end of lap 10, we're practically nose-to-tail.

1. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, leader - 2 stops -
2. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, +0.869s - 2 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, +41s - 2 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 1m 03s - 2 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+2m 23s - 2 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+2m 32s - 2 stops -

Lap 10-15
A stupendous out lap sees me take the lead with a risky move around the outside of the Corvette at Hatzenbach. I start putting in some solidly quick laps, all in the region of 8m 07s - 8m08s, and it gets to a point where I'm pulling away from the Corvette by four or five seconds per lap. By the time I pass the checkpoint at Pflanzgarten on lap 14, I'm nearly sixteen seconds ahead of the Corvette, but then again they do say pride comes before the fall.

My worn rear right tire clips the cobbles on the downhill run into Pflanzgarten, and my car wrenches to the left, spinning 90 degrees and hitting the wall almost head on. My wheels lock as I bounce off the barrier and a cloud of smoke surrounds me. I'm facing the wrong way, and it takes me some time to get back up to speed. The Corvette closes a 16 second gap to under two seconds by the Galgenkopf checkpoint, and overtakes me on the run down Dottinger Hohe by virtue of his higher top speed. As we head into lap 15, I'm right on the Corvette's bumper; spotting my chance, I dive up the inside in Hocheichen, and successfully defend my lead, pulling out a 3.1s gap by the time I've pitted in for fresh rubber. It's the first ever pitstop I've made in the lead, and while it's by no means a victory, it certainly feels like one.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 3 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +3.120s - 3 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 04s - 3 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 1m 23s - 3 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+3m 12s - 3 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+3m 44s - 3 stops -

Lap 15-20
An entirely uneventful stint. I extend my lead to 15s over the Corvette, the many stops of the Evo plunge it down the order, and one of the slower dots remains stationary on the map screen for a bit on lap 16. I assume the Jaguar or Camaro has spun; the delay between the Camaro and Jag pitting tells me it's the Jag. Ah well. I pit at the end of lap 20 with absolutely no issues.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 4 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +22.588s - 4 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 26s - 4 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 2m 29s - 5 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+4m 48s - 5 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+5m 06s - 5 stops -

Lap 20-25
It's the penultimate stint. I use about 42 units of fuel per lap - I reckon if my calculations are correct, the 4hr timer will end on lap 29, so I won't need to refuel for the rest of the race. Just in case, however, I save fuel for the first two laps of the stint, ensuring I can make it to the end of 30 laps. Again, the stint is very uneventful. Apart from a minor off at Flugplatz and a hair-raising moment as I somehow manage to drift the Karussell, nothing happens, and I pit for the final time on lap 25 with no issues.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 5 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +47.995s - 5 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 58s - 5 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 3m 04s - 6 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+6m 05s - 6 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+6m 22s - 6 stops -

Lap 25-29
The final stint; after three and a half hours, these last few laps will determine victory. I've pretty much got it in the bag, and with some extra fuel, I can afford to put in a few fastest laps. I set a 8:06.602 on lap 27, my first fastest lap since lap 8, and immediately beat that on lap 28, with a scorching 8:04.357. Lap 29 is the final lap; apart from a near-crash at Adenauer Forst, it passes without incident. The Jaguar's minimap dot is pretty close to being lapped, but I never manage to actually see it. The timer finally runs out as I pass through the Stefan-Bellof S curve, and I weave slightly down the Dottinger Hohe in celebration of my victory.

After 29 laps... it's finally over.

FINAL STANDINGS

Race duration: 4 hours, 00 minutes
(all finishing gaps are estimated from on track location at time of leader finish)

1ST PLACE: Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91 - 29 LAPS - 5 stops
2ND PLACE: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (C4) '96 - + 1 minute 12 seconds - 5 stops
3RD PLACE: Mazda RX-8 Type S (J) '03 - + 2 minutes 24 seconds - 5 stops
4TH PLACE: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR GSR '04 - + 3 minutes 21 seconds - 6 stops
5TH PLACE: Chevrolet Camaro SS '00 - + 7 minutes 09 seconds - 6 stops
6TH PLACE: Jaguar S-Type R '02 - + 7 minutes 35 seconds - 6 stops

RACE STATISTICS:

Laps completed: 29
Distance covered: 604.1 kilometers (375.4 miles)
Average speed: 150.74 km/h (93.68 mph)
Fastest laptime: 8 minutes, 4.357 seconds
A-Spec points: 108
Credits earned: 200,000, plus Chaparral 2D Race Car '67 prize car

With my two victories displayed on the menu screen, I decided to complete the El Capitan 200 mile endurance next; however, I'd be adding a few extra challenges of my own...

2 RACES DOWN, 14 TO GO

 

[jontikis]

RACE 2: Nurburgring Nordschleife 4hr
A-Spec points: 108
Vehicle Used: Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91

​

After my victory in the Super Speedway 150 miles, I found myself desperate to enter a race with some semblance of strategy, and more importantly, actual corners. So I signed up for a four-hour battle on one of the most treacherous racing circuits in the world: the 12.9 mile, 157-corner Nurburgring Nordschleife. The 4 hour variant of this event is contested by standard sports sedans and coupes, rather than the touring car/GT field in the 24 hour. Deciding to select a car with at least some heritage to the circuit, I ended up picking the Mercedes 190E Evolution II, which was a homologation model produced for the Mercedes DTM program in the late 80s/early 90s - I felt confident that it would be a good fit for the circuit. Armed with my completely stock Mercedes, I started up the race and loaded up the starting grid.

108 A-Spec points; evidently it'll be harder than the Super Speedway 150 miles. On with it, then!

STINTS:
Lap 1-5
With the least powerful and oldest car on the grid, I'm counting on my tyre efficiency and handling to get the victory here; the lumbering S-Type R is quick on the straights but slow in the corners, and I've already passed it as we head into Hocheichen. The Camaro SS is similarly easy to pass, and a mistake on his part sees him slide off the circuit at Flugplatz, handing me fourth place. The RX-8 is ahead, and we battle continuously for the rest of the lap, before I finally pass him as we exit Dottinger Hohe to start a new lap. I'm nearly 15 seconds behind the leading Evolution VIII; got some catching up to do.

I'm slowly pulling away from the RX-8, and by the end of lap 3, I'm about ten seconds up the road. The Jaguar and Camaro have vanished in my rear view; I'm about 12 seconds behind the Evo VIII and just catching glimpses of the Corvette at the end of long straights. However, a stupid mistake exiting Flugplatz sees me run wide onto the gravel; the RX-8 closes right back up, and I'm now 17 seconds behind the Evo VIII, which is by far the fastest car on pure pace in this race. However, the powerful V6 and 4WD drive system take their toll on the tires, and the Evo dives into the pits at the end of lap 4. I move into second, and start pulling away from the RX-8 again - my tires are a light orange on the display, enough to take off a few seconds per lap but not enough for me to gain this much on the Mazda. His tire wear must be worse than mine. I'm 14.1 seconds behind the Corvette at the start of the lap, but a solid in lap sees me pit just 11.966s seconds off the Corvette, who pits on the same lap!

1. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, leader - 1 stop -
2. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, +11.966s - 1 stop -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, +25s - 1 stop -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, + 39s - 1 stop -
5. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+1m 05s - 1 stop -
6. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+1m 08s - 1 stop -

Lap 5-10
Slowly, I begin whittling down the lead of the Corvette. It's a largely uneventful stint, although lap 8 is my fastest lap of the race so far at 8.06.851. The RX-8 continues to hold up the Evo VIII, and thankfully we don't see it again, as it's much faster than either me or the Corvette. The Evo pits again at the end of lap 8, with the Camaro and Jaguar following suit; they pit every 4 laps, while me and the Corvette pit every five. The RX-8 pits on lap 9; presumably, he's going on an alternating 5-lap/4-lap pit strategy.

By lap 8, my gap to the Corvette has closed to 8 seconds, and in the 9th lap, he slides off at Hatzenbach corner, and I close up to within a second. This produces some of the most incredible racing thus far; we went through Flugplatz nearly side by side, and after a hair-raising dive, I gained the lead at Bergwerk, only to lose it on the entry to Klostertal. However, my hubris gets the better of me, and I enter the Karussell too fast, spinning 90 degrees and hitting the wall. By the time we start lap 10, the final lap of the stint, I'm 7.2 seconds behind. The Corvette, however, is slower on his threadbare tires, and by the time we both pit at the end of lap 10, we're practically nose-to-tail.

1. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, leader - 2 stops -
2. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, +0.869s - 2 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, +41s - 2 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 1m 03s - 2 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+2m 23s - 2 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+2m 32s - 2 stops -

Lap 10-15
A stupendous out lap sees me take the lead with a risky move around the outside of the Corvette at Hatzenbach. I start putting in some solidly quick laps, all in the region of 8m 07s - 8m08s, and it gets to a point where I'm pulling away from the Corvette by four or five seconds per lap. By the time I pass the checkpoint at Pflanzgarten on lap 14, I'm nearly sixteen seconds ahead of the Corvette, but then again they do say pride comes before the fall.

My worn rear right tire clips the cobbles on the downhill run into Pflanzgarten, and my car wrenches to the left, spinning 90 degrees and hitting the wall almost head on. My wheels lock as I bounce off the barrier and a cloud of smoke surrounds me. I'm facing the wrong way, and it takes me some time to get back up to speed. The Corvette closes a 16 second gap to under two seconds by the Galgenkopf checkpoint, and overtakes me on the run down Dottinger Hohe by virtue of his higher top speed. As we head into lap 15, I'm right on the Corvette's bumper; spotting my chance, I dive up the inside in Hocheichen, and successfully defend my lead, pulling out a 3.1s gap by the time I've pitted in for fresh rubber. It's the first ever pitstop I've made in the lead, and while it's by no means a victory, it certainly feels like one.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 3 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +3.120s - 3 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 04s - 3 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 1m 23s - 3 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+3m 12s - 3 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+3m 44s - 3 stops -

Lap 15-20
An entirely uneventful stint. I extend my lead to 15s over the Corvette, the many stops of the Evo plunge it down the order, and one of the slower dots remains stationary on the map screen for a bit on lap 16. I assume the Jaguar or Camaro has spun; the delay between the Camaro and Jag pitting tells me it's the Jag. Ah well. I pit at the end of lap 20 with absolutely no issues.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 4 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +22.588s - 4 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 26s - 4 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 2m 29s - 5 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+4m 48s - 5 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+5m 06s - 5 stops -

Lap 20-25
It's the penultimate stint. I use about 42 units of fuel per lap - I reckon if my calculations are correct, the 4hr timer will end on lap 29, so I won't need to refuel for the rest of the race. Just in case, however, I save fuel for the first two laps of the stint, ensuring I can make it to the end of 30 laps. Again, the stint is very uneventful. Apart from a minor off at Flugplatz and a hair-raising moment as I somehow manage to drift the Karussell, nothing happens, and I pit for the final time on lap 25 with no issues.

1. Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, leader - 5 stops -
2. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, +47.995s - 5 stops -
3. Mazda RX-8 Type S, ~+1m 58s - 5 stops -
4. Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR, ~+ 3m 04s - 6 stops -
5. Chevrolet Camaro SS, ~+6m 05s - 6 stops -
6. Jaguar S-Type R, ~+6m 22s - 6 stops -

Lap 25-29
The final stint; after three and a half hours, these last few laps will determine victory. I've pretty much got it in the bag, and with some extra fuel, I can afford to put in a few fastest laps. I set a 8:06.602 on lap 27, my first fastest lap since lap 8, and immediately beat that on lap 28, with a scorching 8:04.357. Lap 29 is the final lap; apart from a near-crash at Adenauer Forst, it passes without incident. The Jaguar's minimap dot is pretty close to being lapped, but I never manage to actually see it. The timer finally runs out as I pass through the Stefan-Bellof S curve, and I weave slightly down the Dottinger Hohe in celebration of my victory.

After 29 laps... it's finally over.

FINAL STANDINGS

Race duration: 4 hours, 00 minutes
(all finishing gaps are estimated from on track location at time of leader finish)

1ST PLACE: Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91 - 29 LAPS - 5 stops
2ND PLACE: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (C4) '96 - + 1 minute 12 seconds - 5 stops
3RD PLACE: Mazda RX-8 Type S (J) '03 - + 2 minutes 24 seconds - 5 stops
4TH PLACE: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR GSR '04 - + 3 minutes 21 seconds - 6 stops
5TH PLACE: Chevrolet Camaro SS '00 - + 7 minutes 09 seconds - 6 stops
6TH PLACE: Jaguar S-Type R '02 - + 7 minutes 35 seconds - 6 stops

RACE STATISTICS:

Laps completed: 29
Distance covered: 604.1 kilometers (375.4 miles)
Average speed: 150.74 km/h (93.68 mph)
Fastest laptime: 8 minutes, 4.357 seconds
A-Spec points: 108
Credits earned: 200,000, plus Chaparral 2D Race Car '67 prize car

With my two victories displayed on the menu screen, I decided to complete the El Capitan 200 mile endurance next; however, I'd be adding a few extra challenges of my own...

2 RACES DOWN, 14 TO GO

I'm glad you returned back to your race reports! It's been a while since you posted. Keep going, we are interested in more GT4 stuff and take care 👍

 

[RustyCitroen]

I'm glad you returned back to your race reports! It's been a while since you posted. Keep going, we are interested in more GT4 stuff and take care 👍

Thanks very much, and yes I hope to post more often from now on

 

[KloakinDevice]

Love these breakdowns! Definitely useful too as I'm about to embark on doing the Endurance events too.