Willow Springs 20 Mile Race

[Ryk]

Did a few more here. (I did some of the yawn some Mission races - so I wasn't just camped out here all day!)

Mazda RX500

Easy on tyres and fuel - slow on the fast bits, but planted in the corners (Fitted with new SS tyres rather than the CS tyres it is fitted with when you buy it)

SS - None stop race. 11m25 race 1m20.9 best lap

I tried Comfort Softs. This was interesting much slower over a lap, but as you push harder the grip level snaps off the edge of the cliff. You are also very low to the ground in this car -
CS - None stop 12m10 race - 1m27.9 Best lap

Lexus LFA
It is a bit of a drinker and it likes to eat its tyres, so a No brainer to 1 stop. It does have a lot of outright pace.

SS - one stop (tyres were 4F6 - 3R6 when I pitted)
11m48 - 1m19.8 Best lap

Felt like an easy race as I was gaining on the lead car but he pitted on the start of the final lap. Which was a huge let down leading to disappointing champagne finish.

I then had a bash in a...
Bugatti Veyron (09)
This car is the Father Jack of cars. Drink drink drink drink. If you drive it hard... you may not even reach half distance. This Octane addiction also makes for a very long pit stop. No longer than that.
The car drives like a Dump Truck. (Konishiki? - Actually the Veyron is comparable to a Sumo wrestler - Except they can turn corners and perform belt throws and slap downs!)

SM tyres (3/2 stock brakes) (No Aids)
11m46 Race - 1m20.4 best lap
The car is fast on the straights but struggles to get round corners without killing the tyres - Overheat them and you slide wide into the endless sandy misery. Fuel use is easy to stretch as you can run a very high gear in the long sweepers (Rabbits Ear and the Sweeper itself.) The car however never had the grip to let me fly through the final Turn 9 - but the big fat engine would let you reel in cars ahead on the main straight - which felt odd as usually I lose time on the straights to the faster AI cars. Don't forget to brake! Higher speed and 3/2 road brakes means you can't slow down like other cars.


My personal Race time rankings for cars. They are mostly unmodified save the brake bias and the tyres are swapped to Sport softs. Also some of the times will be off the pace (Griffith, AMGVGT Rocket) as I am now in the groove with Willow Springs now.

• Race - Tyres (pit stops) Car Name
• 11m09 - SS (0) Rocket
• 11m17 - SS (1) McLaren F1
• 11m25 - SS (0) RX500
• 11m29 - SS (0) Tamora
• 11m29 - SS (0) Series 1 Super charged
• 11m32 - SS (0) XBOW Street
• 11m34 - SS (1) Cerbera Speed 12
• 11m36 - SS (0) Countach LP400
• 11m40 - SS (1) AMGVGT
• 11m46 - SM (1) Veyron
• 11m48 - SS (1) LFA
• 11m53 - SS (1) M4 Coupe
• 11m54 - SS (0) Griffith
• 11m59 - SS (1) Viper GTS 02
• 12m05 - ** (0) BTR

** - BTR used SM/SS tyres

 

[jsjakesaid]

used my ae86 trueno for this race... about 470pp on sports tires.. don't remember if sh or ss... great race in which i ended up winning due to ai pitting

 

[GTsail]

Another run with my trusty Ford GT '06 with the following spec's:

Horsepower: 509
Weight: 1280kg
PP value: 570
Tires: sport soft
No skid (I have decided that the SRF gives us too much of an advantage over the AI)

The starting grid has the following cars:
1) Veyron 16.4 '13
2) Ferrari FXX '07
3) Huayra '13
4) McLaren MP4
5) Murcielago LP670
6) Viper GTS '13
7) Alfa TZ3 Stradale
8) SLS AMG '10
9) Ford Shelby GT500

At the end of lap # 1, I'm in 11th place, 18.519 seconds behind the race leader.
At the end of lap # 2, I'm in 8th place, 21.301 seconds behind the race leader after a scrappy lap.
At the end of lap # 3, I'm in 7th place, still 21.461 seconds behind the race leader
At the end of lap # 4, I'm in 3rd place, 17.706 seconds behind the race leader. The Huayra pits at the end of lap # 4.
I pit at the end of lap # 5 for a new set of SS tires. I'm about 12 seconds behind the race leading Ferrari FXX who has also pitted at the end of lap # 5.
The Huayra passes us both while we are in the pits, since he pitted a lap earlier.
At the end of lap # 6, I'm in 3rd place, 7.557 seconds behind the Huayra.
At the end of lap # 7, I'm still in 3rd place but now only 2.476 seconds behind the Huayra.
On lap # 8, I catch and pass the 2nd place Ferrari FXX and chase hard after the race leading Huayra who didn't pit at the end of lap # 7 as expected. At the end of the lap, we cross the Finish line in a photo finish!

Finishing order:
---------------
1) Huayra '13.........RT 11:29.154
2) me in Ford GT.....0.182 secs back
3) FXX..................0.531 secs back
4) McLaren MP4......24.8 secs back
5) Viper GTS..........25.7 secs back
6) Murcielago.........36.2 secs back
7) Veyron..............50.2 secs back
8) GTR Black Ed......53.2 secs back

Great race!
The Huayra didn't slow down much on the last lap so I couldn't catch him and I was being challenged by the FXX since once I passed the FXX he put the hammer down (and of course, neither car caught the lap 7 pit-disease).

See you on the tracks!
GTsail

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I've been running the RUF BTR today and while getting faster still haven't managed to complete a race without spinning it out at least once or twice. Best finish so far is 8th, would have been higher but when I moved up to 6th the Stingray spun me out coming out of turn 1 and off into the desert again..

I am running the BTR mostly stock. I changed the oil and added 150 kg to it shifted to the front to help tame the tail happy rear then added the adjustable suspension dropped the rear by 5, increased front dampers by 1 and decreased rear roll bar by 1, doesn't drive to bad now but still have to be careful and will spin out easily if bumped while in a corner.

Best lap so far is a low 1:25 up from a 1:27 last race, gonna try a few more little tweaks and see what it does.
It is a bit rough on the rear tires but can make it 5 laps on SS and does not need any fuel so the pit stop is fairly quick. I may try it on a harder tire and see what it does.

 

[GTsail]

OK, I'm done licking my wounds from the Willow Springs race that I posted just above in post # 33.

Its back to the track to take down the same lineup mentioned above, that has the Huayra and the FXX, using my Ford GT '06 with the exact same specs.

At the end of lap # 1, I reach 12th place, some 19.4 seconds behind the race leader.
At the end of lap # 2, I reach 7th place, still some 19.2 seconds behind the race leader. On lap # 2, I received a collision penalty for 3 seconds while going thru the first corner. Late braking on my part, so the penalty was deserved.

On lap # 3, I catch and pass the 6th place Viper GTS and end the lap still 18.4 seconds behind the race leader.
On lap # 4, I catch and pass the Bugatti Veyron, the Murcielago and the McLaren MP4 and end the lap in 3rd place still 18.9 seconds behind the race leading FXX.

The 2nd place Huayra pits at the end of lap # 4, so as I begin lap # 5, I pass him while he's in the pits and take over 2nd place in the race. On lap # 5, my tires are pretty well shot, so I have to tip-toe my way thru the lap. At the end of the lap I dive into the pits for a much needed set of SS tires and 7 liters of fuel. The race leading FXX is already in the pits. While we are both in the pits, the Huayra flashes past the pits and takes over the race lead.

At the first checkpoint on lap # 6, I get the news that I am 15.1 seconds behind the race leading Huayra. I'm in 3rd place, about 7 seconds behind the 2nd place FXX.

As we begin lap # 7, I see that I am still 12.7 seconds behind the race leading Huayra, who hasn't slowed down much at this point.

As we begin lap # 8, I get the news that I'm still 7.4 seconds behind the race leading Huayra, but I've taken over 2nd place in the race because the FXX dove into the pits for a splash of fuel. I push my Ford GT hard for the entire lap but:

Finishing order:
--------------
1) Huayra...............RT 11:31.485
2) me in Ford GT......2.937 secs back
3) McLaren.............28.8 secs back
4) FXX...................29.6 secs back
5) Veyron...............43.4 secs back
6) Viper GTS...........49.5 secs back
7) Murcielago..........1min + back

Another loss!! The Huayra is too strong again!!
Even though the FXX caught the lap 7 pit disease and cleared my mirrors of any distractions!

The two losses are worrying.
So I partake in some liquid refreshment and get back behind the wheel of my Ford GT and take on the same lineup.

Race number two:
----------------
The flag fly's again and we're off!
At the end of lap # 1, I'm in 10th place, 18.8 seconds behind the race leader.
At the end of lap # 2, I'm in 7th place, 17.7 seconds behind the race leader.

On lap # 3, I pass two more cars and end the lap in 5th place, still some 18.4 seconds behind the race leader.
At the end of lap # 4, I dive into the pits for a new set of SS tires and 7 liters of fuel. The Huayra is already in the pits, so the FXX is now shown as the race leader.

When I exit the pits and begin lap # 5, I find myself in 11th place, 35.9 seconds behind the race leading FXX who hasn't pitted yet. On lap # 5, I quickly pass a 5-car pack and steak up the S/F straight in 6th place.

As I begin lap # 6, I find myself in 3rd place because the McLaren MP4 and the Murcielago have just pitted. At the first checkpoint on lap # 6, I see that I'm now only 7.6 seconds behind the race leading Huayra. As I begin lap # 7, I get the news that I am only 4.9 seconds behind the race leading Huayra, who is running just ahead of the FXX.

On lap # 7, I catch and pass the FXX who traveling a bit slowly, and seems to have decided to let the Huayra win the race. At the end of lap # 7, looking in my mirrors, I watch the FXX dive into the pits. He must need a splach of fuel.

As we begin lap # 8, I'm only 1.1 seconds behind the race leading Huayra. I catch and pass the Huayra as we brake for the left-hander at the top of the course and take over the race lead, and continue on to the finish.

Race Time: 11:29.145

Finishing order:
--------------
1) me in Ford GT...
2) Huayra...............0.397 secs back
3) FXX...................26.0 secs back
4) Murcielago..........26.1 secs back
5) Lexus LFA...........51.5 secs back
6) McLaren.............51.6 secs back
7) Viper GTS...........52.4 secs back
8) Alfa TZ3.............1 min + back

Finally, I was able to beat the Huayra! Many celebrations ensued.

See you on the tracks!
GTsail

 

[Ryk]

I ran the BTR here. Try mixing the tyres - SH front SS rear. the car will become much more stable - I made my tyres last the whole 20 miles (!?!) basically by not pushing in those hard grinding right-handers - The big left turns I did indulge in some hard wild cornering, but the right-handers I drove like Grandma was in the back.

---

Collision penalty? Never had one yet.
Famous last words...

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

458 Italia got easy win. Pitted on lap 5.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I ran the BTR here. Try mixing the tyres - SH front SS rear. the car will become much more stable - I made my tyres last the whole 20 miles (!?!) basically by not pushing in those hard grinding right-handers - The big left turns I did indulge in some hard wild cornering, but the right-handers I drove like Grandma was in the back.

---

Collision penalty? Never had one yet.
Famous last words...

What PP did you run the BTR at? Mine was around 497 or so

 

[Ryk]

post 24 -

RUF BTR 369bhp/1180kg/493PP

I think I may have to drive it again!
I never won with it but I was always on the track while it was busy. (Fun, in traffic stuff)

I'll look at GT5 as I had a good set up there for this - but it will do the same sort of thing, lower the grip at the front and try to give those rears more traction so that the big flat 6 hanging off the back of the car doesn't try to get to the front.

 

[eSZee]

Did it with a VW Nardo.
First go I did not pit to see how the tires and fuel would do.
The Veyron pitted 2x and finished 4th or 5th. The FXX pitted once and finished first...by ~40s. I ran out of rear tires at the start of lap 6 and out of fuel shortly into lap 7.

2nd go around, same story pit wise with veyron and FXX.
I went into the pits at end of lap 5 and put in 20liters of fuel. Coasted most of lap 8 and won by ~7 seconds, running out of fuel 3ft before the finish line and getting that trophy thing.

 

[GMHV8]

I used the FXX, its a bit thirsty on fuel but goes pretty hard. Won the race making two pit stops.

 

[Ryk]

Two pits stops! Heroic!

I just got my own Skin of your teeth trophy tonight I my "Jack Brabham's Cooper" F430 Scud.

----

Diablo GT (Repainted Arancio - From the 70's Countach)

SS tyres, 571bhp/1490kg/556PP 3/2 std brakes - all stock, no Aids (That means ABS=0)

I had used this car before and It felt - terrible. But I had used the "Race car" (The one with the pringles air restrictors on the roof - Has wings but ZERO Aero Downforce?!?!)

This is the road car version (You can't use the other one here anyhow.)

Vey/MurSV/FordGT/TZ3/SLS
My laps (A minute and...) I did 4 laps - pitted (Tyres were in whatever condition)
22.5/22.1/23.0/32.5 (7F8 - 2R5)
47.5/21.9/24.3/27.0 (6F8 - 2R5)
12m00
(MurSV=12m00...TZ3=12m12...Vey=12m18...Rev=12m27...GT=12m37)

The car wasn't that bad. The AI were close for me. And in this try the MurSV that I passed on lap7 reeled me in and passed me on the pit straight as my tyres were well past their best and I was unable to get a good clean line.

Repeated same AI
23.5/20.7/24.0/32.5 (7F8 - 4R6) (Added 25L (+2 on guide amount))
41.4/22.5/22.9/24.0 - WIN
11m51.2
(MurSV=12m06...SLS=12m11...Vey12m12...GTRBlack=12m36)

----
BTR '86
Brakes to 3/1 standard Brakes - SM/SS
369bhp/1180kg/493PP (Painted in Sebring Silver (Acura NSX - Winston Wolf's car in Pulp Fiction.)

I tried two non stop runs... all Fred and Ginger on the tyres... Well nearly!
28.3/25.7/24.4/27.8/30.8/29.9/41.8
and a final lap of 2minutes 41.8 seconds. Race time 13m39.2. Beaten by a Cadillac. The shame! (No AI times noted for some reason.)

Next go I was extra ginger! And I bolted on SH/SM tyres! - Same AI
33.3/27.0/28.0/26.8/30.9/29.5/29.5/33.6
12m18.7
(FXX=11m35...Enzo=11m43...ZR1=11m54...GTS'13=12m00...458=12m09)

Obviously not fast enough to manage a non stop run...
Reverted to SS/SM tyres but planned to push hard and pit at the end of lap 4...
25.4/24.1/24.7/32.7 (8F9 - 4R6)
44.5/24.1/23.7/25.0
12m04.3
(Enzo = 11m47... ZR1=11m57... FXX=12m02...GTS'13=12m02...TZ3=12m31)

5th place but I had plenty of tyre left so more speed is possible.


43OScud
3/2 standard brakes. 502bhp/1350kg/549PP (150/200 built in Aero!)

I had a feel in SH tyres but it was obvious that a fast single stop on SS tyres was going to be best.

20.7/19.5/20.7/29.3 (5F7-3R6)(Added a bit more (5litres?) than the Pit lane menu suggested.
39.6/20.3/20.3/21.5
11m31.0 WIN Skin of teeth trophy!)

F1=11m41...FXX=11m49...458=12m15...Vey12m27...Vento=12m37...FLA=12m42...C7=12m45

 

[Dotini]

Tommy Kaira ZZII '00

Horsepower: 542
Weight: 1150kg
PP value: 560
Tires: sport soft
SRF: Off

The 1st starting grid after console reset for me has the following cars:
1) Veyron 16.4 '09
2) Veyron 16.4 '13
3) Huayra '13
4) Ferrari FXX '07
5) Aventador
6) Alfa TZ3 Stradale
7) Shelby GT500
8) Murcielago LP670
9) Gallardo
10) GT-R Black Edition
11) V16T '94
12) LFA '10
13) F40
14) Stingray '14
15) California '08
16) me

I run the race several times to see who pits when, and I seem to discover that it's not entirely predictable. The rabbits, Huayra and FXX, will sometimes pit twice, but often one and/or the other will not, making it a tough race. I record the replay of a race in which the Huayra did not pit twice.

Lap 1: 1:18.825, up to 8th shortly after start/finish line end of lap
Lap 2: 1:18.523, up to 3rd shortly after crossing line
Lap 3: 1:19.520, ran off course in long right hand sweeper
Lap 4: 1:29.980, up to 2nd with FXX in the pits, Pit
Lap 5: 1:37.855, dropping to 8th due to stop
Lap 6: 1:17.558, up to 2nd, passing FXX
Lap 7: 1:19:139, FXX pits again. I pass the leading Huayra who's left rear tire is down to a 3.
Lap 8: 1:19.805, cruise mode.

Finishing order:
1) me, pits lap 4, left front tire worn to 5. End of race, left front tire tire down to 4. ~48 liters taken at stop.
2) Huayra +13, pitted once
3) FXX +35, pits twice
4) etc.

Total time: 11:20:618
MoV: 13 seconds
Fastest Lap: 1:17.558

Conclusion: The AI are somewhat unpredictable at Willow, but can often give you a very decent race if you run without SRF.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I tried 2 more 500PP cars in that race yesterday. Both did well

84 Ferrari GTO - SS tires, 1 pit for tires no fuel needed. Easy win - I think the AI pitted on lap 7 but can't remember for sure

Shelby Series One, This one did not need to pit, finished the race on the SS tires I started with and had fuel to spare. AI pitted on lap 7 and I cruised into the lead. Rear tires were down to 5 on lap 8 but the car was still easy to drive, lap time was a bit slower but still an easy win

 

[Ryk]

Ford GT40 (Original Lola based 60's one)

Had a few good runs in this.

The car is go for fuel, but TTyres are marginal at speed.
If you try a no pit race theyou have to really baby the tyres - When the left rear goes it will just go. And it goes at 2/3 left. And for me it tended to show this at the Sweeper (Turn 8R)

One stop makes things much easier. One you can drive with much more "Grrr!" And sslong as you don't go overboard that troublesome Left Rear will hold up till you make the pits.

The car has a lot of weight at the back, and that tyre takes most of the load in the faster rights... if it falls off the cliff... you fall into the desert.

Pitstop. I noticed that it also "time slips". I pitted ahead of an Aventador... but in the pit lane my car folded time space and popped up 400 yards behind where it was at the pit lane entrance when I clicked I wanted a full set of Sport Softs Some fries and a Medium Dr Pepper on the pit lane Menu (Got to love an American Drive through!)

The other oddball thing was when I pitted I seemed to waste a lot of time getting going - I only wanted a set of rubber boots, but my car seemed to be held (No car behind in pit lane) even when it did start rolling it took ages to get up to speed... this is due to the 4 speed box and the very long first gear.

21.2/19.6/21.4/30.5 (8F9-5R7)
48.0/21.6/21.8/21.2 (8F9-5R7)
11m45.3

Stock SS tyres 3/1Brake Bias (Standard)
No driver aids. Car has 50/100 Aero Downforce built in for free! (This is non adjustable) Not a huge amount but nice.
354bhp/1080kg/521PP
Top speed is only 168 - but you will be hard pushed to reach it here.

 

[GTsail]

I decided to switch back to the TommyKaira ZZII '00 and put on some more miles at Willow Springs, so I de-tune my ZZII some more and it now has the following spec's:

Horsepower: 302
Weight: 1190kg
PP value: 486
Tires: sport soft
P.Limiter: 50.3%
SRF: off

After a bit of searching I find a nice slow and consistent lineup which shows the following cars:

1) Veyron 16.4 '13
2) Aventador LP700
3) McLaren MP4
4) Viper SRT10
5) Aston One-77
6) Murcielago LP670
7) Viper GTS
8) Alfa TZ3
9) Murcielago LP640
10) Ferrari 599
11) Cizeta V16T
12) Lexus LFA
13) Audi R8 5.2
14) Corvette Stingray
15) CTS-V Coupe

End lap # 1 in 15th place, 17.2 seconds behind race leader
End lap # 2 in 10th place, 16.0 seconds behind race leader
End lap # 3 in 7th place, 11.6 seconds behind the race leader

On lap # 4, I catch and pass the 3rd place Viper SRT10.
The race leading Aventador pits at the end of lap # 4, so as I begin lap # 5, I see that I am in 2nd place only 5 seconds behind the race leading McLaren MP4.

On lap # 5, I catch and pass the 1st place McLaren who is moving pretty slowly. At the end of the lap I dive into the pits for a new set of SS tires and get told that I don't need any additional fuel. The McLaren MP4 is about 3 seconds behind me as I dive into the pits. The McLaren doesn't follow me into the pits, so he streaks past and takes over the race lead while my pit-crew goes to work on my ZZII.

While I'm in the pits, the Lexus LFA, the Lambo Aventador and the Corvette Stingray all streak past the pits and drop me into 5th place. At the first checkpoint on lap # 6, I see that I have fallen 16.1 seconds behind the race leading McLaren MP4.

The McLaren, the Lexus and the Corvette all pit at the end of lap # 6, so when I begin lap # 7, I get shown in 2nd place, now only 5.9 seconds behind the race leading Aventador.

As I begin lap # 8, I'm still 3.1 seconds behind the race leading Aventador, but pushing hard. On lap # 8, I catch and pass the 1st place Aventador and take over the race lead, and then streak to the Finish for the win!

Race Time: 11:50.094

Finishing order:
---------------
1) me in the ZZII
2) Aventador..........2.365 secs back
3) Murcielago..........16.6 secs back
4) Viper SRT10........20.7 secs back
5) Aston One-77......26.5 secs back
6) Alfa TZ3.............26.6 secs back
7) Cizeta................32.3 secs back
8) Veyron...............41.0 secs back
9) Viper GTS...........42.7 secs back
10) McLaren............49.9 secs back
11) Audi R8 5.2........50.3 secs back
12) Murcielago.........51.4 secs back
13) Ferrari 599.........54.1 secs back

A nice close race!
But I'm afraid that the ZZII can be too strong for this Willow Spring race. I don't think that the game is modeling the power limiter properly. I was showing 302 horsepower, but it felt more like 402, so I still had enough speed to drive thru the field. I would sometimes get passed by a car on the long back-straight, but this was only temporary and I would quickly re-pass the offending car.

See you on the tracks!
GTsail

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I've tried the BTR at 500PP now 10 times, still have not made it through a full 8 laps without getting spun out at least once, best finish so far is 3rd place.

I think using the power limiter on any car is a bit like cheating if not totally cheating as it flattens out the power cruve and gives you power at lower rpms that you should not have. I wish they would either fix that or give us an option to not allow it to be used in online races. Or at the very least change the way to PP is calculated when it is in use

Basically if you take a 500HP car and use the limiter to make it 250hp it is going to be stronger than any 250hp car simply because it is going to develop the 250hp at 3000-4000 rpms and maintain it almost all the way to the redline where it really should not develop that much HP until it gets much closer to the red line. Gives a huge and unfair advantage to cars which use it.

 

[GTsail]

****I think using the power limiter on any car is a bit like cheating if not totally cheating as it flattens out the power curve and gives you power at lower rpms that you should not have. I wish they would either fix that or give us an option to not allow it to be used in online races. Or at the very least change the way to PP is calculated when it is in use

Yeah, I think that PD should fix this. It was obvious in GT5 that the power limiter would sometimes give us some extra speed that just shouldn't be possible, so why wasn't it further/better addressed in GT6. If its hard to fix how the game flattens out the power curve, then PD should just change how the PP is calculated when the P.Limiter is used to reduce the horsepower.

GTsail

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

Or just get rid of the power limiter altogether. If limiting is needed they could possibly add an option for restrictor plates that would act in the opposite way as the various upgrade parts so like if you add an Intake to a car it may give you 20 HP where a restrictor plate could maybe give you -20Hp but still keep the shape of the power curve as it should be

One of the worst things about it right now is that you try to race online in a tuned car and someone will bring in a car that matches the PP but uses the power limiter and just open up a huge lead out of every corner due to the low rpm power

 

[ebadevil]

Beat it with the top hatch Impreza yesterday... first race lost to the the Vette by 0.047 seconds but as usual I got pitted by one of the cars early on the race and took too much fuel in the pit stop... would have easily won if the AI want trying to kill me... the second race I was ahead of the F1 on lap 7... 3-4 sec I think... then he decided to pit on lap 7????? Wasn't even close at that point... the next car was something like 40 seconds behind... Impreza actually runs that track very very nicely... not a burner on the straights but phenomenal on those sweeping bends... keeps traction like a boss...

 

[Dotini]

It was obvious in GT5 that the power limiter would sometimes give us some extra speed that just shouldn't be possible...
GTsail

I remember Famine's opinion that PL should not be set below 95% or 96% to be fair. I also recall that in the Laguna Seca and Grand Valley Companions we compromised and set an arbitrary limit of 85%.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I remember Famine's opinion that PL should not be set below 95% or 96% to be fair. I also recall that in the Laguna Seca and Grand Valley Companions we compromised and set an arbitrary limit of 85%.

That would not be so bad, 95% or so makes only a minor difference in the curve and may allow you to hit right on the PP desired.

When you take it down to 75% or worse 50% the difference becomes pretty dramatic

 

[Ryk]

AI causing spinouts.

Aigner (Austrian) tends to win a lot in a FXX, I also see L.Matthews (Union Flagland) in a McLaren F1 a lot.

Kind of nice to have the AI running very close and getting glancing blows. I've had several races with my car spun out as "Sherriff" J.Bunnell [Ret] (Best AI name ever!) drives off after performing a classic PITT move on me. The BTR is a spin held in check by the skill of the driver most laps. And when some AI joker decides to bas door handles it can result in much frantic action to remain on the grey sticky bit and not the sandy dusty bit of Willow Springs.

Had a couple of runs in the TVR V8S - It is a Low PP low Power car. but it sips fuel and it doesn't act like an axe murderer to the rear tyres. It wore my left front most, so when the grip does go it will be a safe understeer-y final lap.
SS TVR V8S none stop. 3/1 standard brakes - ABS=0 SRF=0 TCS=0 (Blind spot indicator = On - I know using a driver aid, deplorable!)
Laps
28.4/27.0/27.7/26.8
27.4/28.5/28.0/29.6 (3F5-4R6)
12m03 (None stop)

3F5 = front tyres. 3 on the left, 5 on the right.
4R6 = Rear tyres 4 on the left, 6 on the left.

I managed a second place finish here, but the winner was a FXX = 11m32 (He did a 11m31 in the first run while I was mucking about on SM tyres.

I can see the car going sub 12 minutes. (Easily!)

Next few tries I'll be in Japanese cars from the 1990's with 276 BHP... (Well they say they have 276 bhp anyhow!)

 

[Dotini]

I've run this race a number of times - enough to know that to achieve a low PP victory means you must select a lineup without a Huayra, FXX and maybe Enzo in the field. For instance, a recent run with 85% PL, 550 PP and no SRF was insufficient for me to defeat a field headed by a Huayra. But without the Huayra and the Ferraris; then 85% PL , 510 PP and no SRF suffices to win rather easily.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

I ran it a while ago using a 500PP RX7, the car did well but unfortunately there was an FXX, a F1 and an Enzo up front.

I tried to make it without a pit stop on SS tires but by the last lap my rear tire was down to 3 and I had to baby the car around the track. I did beat the Enzo but the F1 and FXX were still a good ways ahead

 

[JuiceMcGoose]

Some cars are faster than others. If you take one of the best cars in the game in it's pp range, and use the power limiter on it, it's still one of the best cars in the game. You have to compare apples to apples. If you take a lousy car and use the power limiter, it's still a lousy car.

If you take a car that has a stock peak of 400 hp at 500pp , put all the power goodies on it, and then limit it's pp to 500 using the power limiter, it's hp will be considerably less than 400, but flat. Since I didn't write down the hp numbers on the cars I did, I can't give a direct example. But I did question the advantage of the power limiter and tried it on different cars. Some good and some not so great. The good cars were still good, and the poor cars still sucked, compared to others with the same pp.

Remembering back, when I put all the power goodies on a car, then reduced the pp back to stock, the cars I tried it with actually handled worse than they did at the start of the test. Try it.

Otherwise...I ran Willow Springs 20 Mile again last night. One of my favorite Career races.

 

[Dotini]

I'm starting to get prepared for this race, with setup "A" at 565 PP for Huayra and FXX on pole, setup "B" at 500PP which beats an Enzo rabbit starting 4th. Even if they only pit once, I can count on winning at these levels, with no SRF and PL no lower than 95%.

 

[Ryk]

I've seen Pagani and Ferrari uber cars shown real pace when a McLaren F1 from the last century turns up. L Matthews and he uses SS tyres and runs 11m20ish races until.

Lamborghini Aventador

583pp - 690bhp - 1575kg -SS (5/4BB)

21.5/19.5/22.4/40.0
38.6/20.5/21.5/27.2
11m51

My SS tyres were dead near the end - but on lower numbers you can still have most of the car control needed to get a half decent lap time and the car isn't smelling of "Hospital visit" like some cars. (Ruf BTR, Cerbera Speed 12) when their rear tyres wear thin.

Ran again on SM tyres at 4/3 Brake Bias
21.0/19.7/20.7/33.1
40.2/20.7/20.7/24.1
11m41

The car is pretty neat and tidy. Stable in brake zones despite the pretty high speeds it dives into them at. It does seem to understeer a bit in corners - and my normal cure for that is a bit of throttle. But in my tree hugging tyre friendly Dolphin eating(*) frame of mind I try ever so hard not to just mash the throttle to help the old girl round in corners.

---
Stingray (C7)
526pp 453bhp/1500kg SS tyres at 3/2 brakes bias

22.4/21.0/22.7/30.1 (4F6-4R7) (+10 fuel)
39.8/20.7/22.7/23.8 (1 stop)
11m43

Nice enough car. - Deceptively fast. Single stop mid race lets you push pretty firmly all race. I did however have the Mother Father and Crazy Uncle of crashes in this car with a off track at the end of the sweeper on my inlap, the car acted like its namesake and was very much a fish out of water - got even more out of shape in the dirt after I slide down the berm and the wheels dug in and the car flipped over...
At times the car feels a bit hazy in corners. Is it going to stick? When it does get out of line, it seems to react to a "dab of oppo" like a Vampire does to a mouthful of Garlic Bread. Plenty of potential but it drinks fuel too willingly to attempt a none stop run.
--

Lotus Elise 111R
441pp 194bhp 860kg SS 3/1BB

Did an out of the box none stop run to an effortless 11m47.

I then pushed a little bit harder.
26.7/23.0/24.4/24.0
24.3/24.2/24.9/25.0 (7F8-3R6)
11m36.5 No pit stop

Car is slow on the straights, so you have time to plan your lines - perfect the little things. The Left rear is the weak point, but so long as you don't messing about it will do the job. It is light so don't get into any close quarter melee action with those big thug cars. This also means don't get hung out to dry on the outside of the sweeper - if they drift over on you there will only be one winner. (The Lotus authorised mechanic to fix your sand guzzling engine bay.) - You can however loop round the outside at the Rabbits Ear big long looping right hander (Turn 2R).

----

Remember that you are addicted to Champagne, and only "Top Step Bubbly" will hit the mark.
Drive thirsty my friends.



(*)(Save the Tuna - Eat a Dolphin)

 

[wigs2009]

I used the rocket, ai never pitted...so I came second...
2nd time at it... Ai pitted... Easy win...
Fuel over half full..
Tyres over half thread...
Me thinks using lighter cars is the way to go with these tyre/fuel races.

 

[Dotini]

R390 GT1 Road Car '98

Horsepower: 316
Weight: 1367 kg
PP value: 493
Tires: sport soft
PL: 90.0%
SRF: Off
TC: Off

Looking for a slow lineup, and found one with the following cars. I assumed the McLaren MP4-12C with its gizmo aerodynamics would be the rabbit, but surprisingly it was the ZR-1 '09 on softer tires. He and I traded the lead no fewer than 5 times before the issue was decided. An exciting and good race!

1) Veyron 16.4 '09 (G. de Wit)...SS tires
2) Veyron 16.4 '13 (L. Morel)...SH tires
3) MP4-12C (G. Davenport)...SH tires
4) Viper SRT10 ACR '08 (W. Andrews)...SH tires
5) Murcielago LP670 (T. De Angelis)...SM tires
6) Corvette ZR-1 '09 (W. Bradley)...SS tires
7) Viper GTS '13 (F. Mcneil)...SS tires
8) 458 Itala '09 ( B. Silva)
9) Diablo GT '00 (K. Grimes) <---very slow but likes to get in your way
10) GT-R Black edition '12 (A. Nakagawa)
11) V16T '94 (I. Mori)
12) LFA '10 (I. Dyer)
13) Corvette Z06 '06 (P. Edwards)
14) XKR-S '11 (J. Bryan)
15) California '08 (F. Wimmer)
16) me

Lap 1: 1:23.095, up to 13th
Lap 2: 1:20.675, up to 11th
Lap 3: 1:22.125, up to 8th
Lap 4: 1:28.842, Pit, tires 6F8/6R7, take 5 liters as insurance, depart in 9th
Lap 5: 1:40.854, here begins my battle with Bradley, with Davenport and his McLaren getting in the way.
Lap 6: 1:24.947, sometimes first, sometimes 2nd to Bradley. He rushes past me in a straight line, but I'm quicker around turns.
Lap 7: 1:24.358, sometimes first, sometimes 2nd to Bradley. I must congratulate Bradley on his fairness - he never barges into me.
Lap 8: 1:22.322, begin lap in 2nd, but finally consolidate the lead over the steady Bradley (who had a 1:23.669). Tires 6F8/5R7

Finishing order:
1) R390 GT1 Road Car '98 (S. Dotini)
2) Corvette ZR-1 '09 (W. Bradley) +1.475 seconds, pitted once lap 5, best lap 1:22.940 lap 2
3) McLaren MP4-12C (G. Davenport) + 8.8xx seconds, pitted once lap 5, best lap 1:24.546
4) Murcielago (T. De Angelis), + 15.xx seconds

Total time: 11:46.895
MoV: 1.475 seconds
Fastest Lap: 1:20.675

Conclusion: A thrilling race against an unexpected opponent.