- 180
I had to try this. Been looking forward to it all week.
I don't think I will win, due to tyre dualrability, but I will give it my best and I think I will have a definite speed advantage on new tyres.
And of course, I consider Tokyo as my hometrack, living just two hours down the road in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture
Specs
421 hp (stage 3 turbo)
Super hard tyres
Ok, I did a mid 1:43 in practice, so I'm all set!!👍
The Line-Up
Opel Aztra Touring Car 2000
Toyota au Cerumo Supra (JGTC) 2001
Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R (JGTC) 2001
Honda Mobil 1 NSX (JGTC) 2001
Opel Calibra Touring Car 1994
Subaru Impreza Rally Car Prototype 2001
151 points on offer.
The NSX looks like the car to beat. Here we go!!!
Laps 1-5
Have the lead by the end of lap 1. Settle into mid 1:44s. Doing it easy. By lap 5, the chasing pack is 17seconds behind, with the Calibra lagging at the back. However, I don't think these tyres will be good for much more then 10 laps. They were already green by the end of the first lap!!! I do my fastest lap so far of 1:44.245 at the end of lap 5.
Laps 6-10
The Aztra has broken away from the pack and begins chasing me down!!! But the gap stabilises at the end of lap 10 to 19.3 seconds. However, my left-front is beginning to turn red, so I will try to make it to lap 12 and thus do a 4 stop strategy. Not looking good.[
Laps 11-20
Had to pit at the end of lap 12. Came out 18 seconds behind the Aztra, much more then I expected. This is compound when I made a mistake at the first left-right combo, which cost me some 3 seconds. The gap at the end of lap 20 is 19 seconds.
Laps 21-31
The A1 cars all pit between laps 27-29, all excect for the Aztra!!, which carries on, crucially, to lap 30, and thus has to do one less stop. He has this race won, I feel. Anyway, I plug on and pass some A1 cars whilst they are on cold tyres. At the end of lap 31, I am 4 seconds behind the Aztra and the NSX, who are battling for the lead.
laps 32-42
I slipstream the NSX down Aoyama dori and outbrake him (just!!) at the first turn. I realise if I can keep these guys behind me, even with red tyres, I might be able to change to medium tyres for my last stint, if I can buy some extra laps on these tyres. Alas, in the end I pitted on schedule on lap 36. I am really battling for a podium, so it is no use staying on worn tyres and letting them catch up to me before I pit. I come out 24 seconds behind the NSX. I pass the au Supra on lap 41, after having a good battle for one lap. Am now in 4th, and am a long shot for a podium. Have over 15 seconds to catch up to the 3rd-placed Pennzoil. Fastest lap so far is a 1:43.701.
laps 43-60
I push on and pit on lap 48 for the last time. I come out about 56 seconds down on the Aztra-NSX-Pennzoil battle for the lead. For some reason, in the last ten laps, I can't get down into the 1:43s anymore, whether due to fatique or a drop in horsepower. Alas, I can't catch the Pennzoil for a podium in the end and finish 56 seconds down on the Aztra in 4th.
Final Placings
1. Opel Aztra Touring Car 1:46:16.146
2. Honda Mobil 1 NSX +41.988
3. Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R +49.085
4. Subaru Impreza Rally Car Prototype +56.673
5. Toyoto au Cerumo Supra + 1:10 (estimate)
6. Opel Calibra Touring Car +2 laps
Well, I think I did well enough considering my tyre wear issue. I would have liked to have finished on the podium though. The Aztra surprised me, and in fact, if the Aztra pitted twice, then I was really only 14 seconds off the pace, but it would be almost impossible to push anymore out of the car to make up that time.
In closing, I have no doubt I would win this race if I gave the Subaru one more turbo upgrade.
I don't think I will win, due to tyre dualrability, but I will give it my best and I think I will have a definite speed advantage on new tyres.
And of course, I consider Tokyo as my hometrack, living just two hours down the road in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture
Specs
421 hp (stage 3 turbo)
Super hard tyres
Ok, I did a mid 1:43 in practice, so I'm all set!!👍
The Line-Up
Opel Aztra Touring Car 2000
Toyota au Cerumo Supra (JGTC) 2001
Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R (JGTC) 2001
Honda Mobil 1 NSX (JGTC) 2001
Opel Calibra Touring Car 1994
Subaru Impreza Rally Car Prototype 2001
151 points on offer.
The NSX looks like the car to beat. Here we go!!!
Laps 1-5
Have the lead by the end of lap 1. Settle into mid 1:44s. Doing it easy. By lap 5, the chasing pack is 17seconds behind, with the Calibra lagging at the back. However, I don't think these tyres will be good for much more then 10 laps. They were already green by the end of the first lap!!! I do my fastest lap so far of 1:44.245 at the end of lap 5.
Laps 6-10
The Aztra has broken away from the pack and begins chasing me down!!! But the gap stabilises at the end of lap 10 to 19.3 seconds. However, my left-front is beginning to turn red, so I will try to make it to lap 12 and thus do a 4 stop strategy. Not looking good.[
Laps 11-20
Had to pit at the end of lap 12. Came out 18 seconds behind the Aztra, much more then I expected. This is compound when I made a mistake at the first left-right combo, which cost me some 3 seconds. The gap at the end of lap 20 is 19 seconds.
Laps 21-31
The A1 cars all pit between laps 27-29, all excect for the Aztra!!, which carries on, crucially, to lap 30, and thus has to do one less stop. He has this race won, I feel. Anyway, I plug on and pass some A1 cars whilst they are on cold tyres. At the end of lap 31, I am 4 seconds behind the Aztra and the NSX, who are battling for the lead.
laps 32-42
I slipstream the NSX down Aoyama dori and outbrake him (just!!) at the first turn. I realise if I can keep these guys behind me, even with red tyres, I might be able to change to medium tyres for my last stint, if I can buy some extra laps on these tyres. Alas, in the end I pitted on schedule on lap 36. I am really battling for a podium, so it is no use staying on worn tyres and letting them catch up to me before I pit. I come out 24 seconds behind the NSX. I pass the au Supra on lap 41, after having a good battle for one lap. Am now in 4th, and am a long shot for a podium. Have over 15 seconds to catch up to the 3rd-placed Pennzoil. Fastest lap so far is a 1:43.701.
laps 43-60
I push on and pit on lap 48 for the last time. I come out about 56 seconds down on the Aztra-NSX-Pennzoil battle for the lead. For some reason, in the last ten laps, I can't get down into the 1:43s anymore, whether due to fatique or a drop in horsepower. Alas, I can't catch the Pennzoil for a podium in the end and finish 56 seconds down on the Aztra in 4th.
Final Placings
1. Opel Aztra Touring Car 1:46:16.146
2. Honda Mobil 1 NSX +41.988
3. Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R +49.085
4. Subaru Impreza Rally Car Prototype +56.673
5. Toyoto au Cerumo Supra + 1:10 (estimate)
6. Opel Calibra Touring Car +2 laps
Well, I think I did well enough considering my tyre wear issue. I would have liked to have finished on the podium though. The Aztra surprised me, and in fact, if the Aztra pitted twice, then I was really only 14 seconds off the pace, but it would be almost impossible to push anymore out of the car to make up that time.
In closing, I have no doubt I would win this race if I gave the Subaru one more turbo upgrade.
