Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Touring Mars
I like it! I might add that to my signature!!! 👍 *edit* Maybe not, the quote makes the signature look way too big!
Smallhorses' A-Spec Endurance Companion.
- Thread starter Smallhorses
- 163 comments
- 61,688 views
I like it! I might add that to my signature!!! 👍 *edit* Maybe not, the quote makes the signature look way too big!
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Motegi 8hrs. (168 A-Spec points)
Car :- Used, no oil change (14854.1miles) Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex (AE86) Shuichi Shigeno Version / SH (S1) Tyres / 190HP / 825kg / 4.342kg/HP
Grid:-
TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03
Tom's X540 CHASER '00
NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95
Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00
Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99
SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX S. Shigeno Ver. '00
Hour 1
Can't get past Integra for 1st lap, but finally get by at 1st turn of lap 2. Celica has a 9s lead by this time on a clear track. Move into 4th place by the end of lap 3. Cleanly pass Nismo on lap 4 and set about closing the 7s gap to the front pair. Make good progress & by lap 7 I'm hot on the heels of the 2nd placed Chaser. Finished lap 7 in 3rd, just 1.8s behind the leader. Took 2nd place just before the Bridgestone bridge, and end the lap swarming around the back of the Celica. Stays like this into lap 12, I'm just a fraction of a second from his bumper at the beginning of the lap and quicker through the bends, but each time we hit a straight he's able to pull away
. Keep pressuring him and hope he'll make a mistake, as I've had to back off a few time to avoid contact 
, and each time I get alongside he moves over & tries to force me onto the grass. The Chaser is sitting menacingly about a second behind us too, waiting to pounce should we take each other out. Lap 14, I push a little too hard out of turn 1 and ride up over the rumble strip, touch 2 wheels in the gravel and lose 2nd place to the Chaser. 
Slipped by the Chaser under the Bridgestone bridge when he slows down after hitting the back of the Celica trying to accelerate out of the bend 
, there's enough room to his left between him and the rumble strip and I take back 2nd place. 👍 Chaser gives me a nudge from behind as we approach the sharp righthander before the Dunlop bridge, to remind me he's there. 
The Celica has braked very very early and I'm clean through and away, followed by the Chaser, (not quite so gracefully! 
) as the Celica heads for the pits. For the past 6 laps my laptimes behind the Celica have been in the 2'22 to 2'23 region, some 2 to 3s slower than my fastest so far of 2'20.135 while I was in clean air gaining on the leaders. Started lap 15 in clean air 0.840s ahead of Chaser, finish in 2'20.436 and a gap of 1.870s. Took a 9.8s lead over Chaser into lap 20 knowing I'd have to pit at the end of the lap. Midway through lap 20, the Nismo takes over 2nd place, suggesting the Chaser's slip backwards is also due to tyre wear and I expect him to pit soon too, and sure enough he comes in at the end of his 20th lap. Relinquish 1st place while pitted and exit in 2nd place after taking tyres but no fuel. Just over 47 minutes have elapsed. 16.2s behind Nismo at the end of my outlap. Lapped Integra after he'd exited pits on lap 24. New fastest lap of 2'19.531 
on lap 25 puts me within 11s of Nismo as the hour mark approaches.
Hour mark passes 19s into lap 26. In 2nd place ~11s behind Nismo.
Hour 2
Nismo pits from 6s lead on lap 27, having lost nearly 4s in one lap
. Pass back into 1st place. Chaser is back into 2nd after Celica pits. Gap is constant around 16s for a while. New fastest lap of 2'19.334 on lap 34. Falls to 2'18.888 
on lap 36. Lap Civic beginning lap 40 while he's in the pits at the end of his 38th lap. Gap to Chaser has opened a bit,and he pits at the end of his 39th lap. Pit in on lap 41 since this set of tyres has worn better with lighter fuel load. Was about 49s ahead of 2nd placed Nismo going in. (Have used 57 units of fuel so far in 41 laps which equates to 1.39 units per lap or around 30 units per 21 lap stint.) Take on tyres and top up fuel to 35 units. Exit in 1st place as Civic unlaps itself. 24.4s ahead of Nismo at the end of my outlap and shaping up to re-lap the Civic, which turns out to be much harder than I'd thought it would be, and is somewhat like trying to pass the Celica 
. On cold tyres I can hang with him & am quicker through the bends but he's faster down the straights. Finally get by cleanly under breaking for the turn before the Bridgestone bridge. Lap the Integra a 2nd time on lap 47 while he's pitted at the end of his 44th lap. All this has allowed Nismo to close to 15.2s going into lap 47. Begin to pull away from Nismo as he's due for a pitstop on lap 54 and his tyres are probably beginning to go away.
Hour mark passes 57s into lap 51. In 1st place ~19s ahead of Nismo.
Hour 3
Nismo is over 30s back when I set new fastest lap of 2'18.869 on lap 53 and he pits at the end of his 53rd lap. Chaser takes over 2nd place about 39s behind. Chaser is about 46s back when he pits on lap 58, he exits still in 2nd about
1'16 behind. Pit on lap 62 from 1'17 lead from Chaser. Take on tyres and top fuel back up to 35 units. Exit in 1st place and have a 51s lead over Chaser at the end of my outlap. Lap Integra again on lap 69 going into turn 1. Lap Celica while he's
pitted on lap 72 after setting a new fastest lap on lap 71 of 2'18.509
. Chaser gained to within 43s at one point, but on lap 76 with hour mark approaching he's back to 53s behind.
Hour mark passes 1'46 into lap 75. In 1st place ~53s ahead of Chaser.
Hour 4
Lap Civic a 2nd time as he pits at the end of his 74th lap. Chaser pits from 2nd on lap 77, about 56s behind. Nismo takes over 2nd place about 1'23 behind but gradually drops back to 1'33 behind before pitting at the end of his 80th lap. Chaser takes up the chase again
, 1'36 behind. Lap Integra again on lap 81 as he exits the pits. Pit in on lap 83 from 1'31 lead over Chaser. Take on fuel up to 35 units and fresh tyres. Exit in 1st place and have a 59.3s lead over Chaser at the end of my outlap. Integra managed to unlap himself while I was pitted , re-lap him again on lap 87. Chaser gained to within 53s as my tyres warmed up, but during the last few laps before his pitstop on lap 96 he loses a ton of time. Not sure if he was having backmarker issues or just struggling with terrible tyre wear. He's 1'22 down when he pits but he exits still in 2nd place and is 1'54 behind at the end of his outlap.
Hour mark passes 9s into lap 102. In 1st place ~1'52 ahead of Chaser.
Standings at 1/2 way point:-
1st SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX Shuichi Shigeno Version '00
2nd Tom's X540 CHASER '00 +1'52
3rd NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95 On lead lap
4th TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03 +1 Lap
5th Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00 +2 Laps
6th Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99 +4 Laps
Hour 5
Lap Civic on lap 103, but he'll unlap himself when I pit. Chaser has caught Integra and has difficulty passing, which allows Nismo back into 2nd place, albeit 2'06 behind when I pit on lap 104. Take on tyres and top up fuel. Exit in 1st place, and have a 1'41 lead over Nismo at the end of my outlap. Chaser takes over 2nd place again on lap 107 as Nismo heads for the pits. Lapped Integra again during this lap too. Lap Nismo on lap 109 as his tyres are warming up after pitstop. Re-lap Civic on lap 114. Chaser pits on lap 115 from 1'56 behind, & I'm right on the back of him as he exits the pits. Follow him throughout the lap and show him the nose of the Sprinter a couple of times, before backing out to avoid contact. Finally outbrake him for the sharp right before the Dunlop bridge and finish my first lap (117) with a 1 lap cushion. Won't last long though as I'm due a stop in about 8 laps. Pit in on lap 125 for tyres & fuel. Chaser unlaps himself, as does the Nismo, for the time being...
Hour mark passes 29s into lap 127. In 1st place ~2'04 ahead of Chaser.
Hour 6
Finish outlap 2'02 ahead of Chaser. Lap Integra for the 6th time on lap 128 as he pits at the end of his 121st lap. Spend a few laps trailing the Celica again after I catch him after his 126th lap pitstop. He's every bit as hard to pass to put him 2 laps down as he was to steal 1st place from!
Nismo pits on lap 132, and goes 1 lap down permenantly while he's pitted. 👍 Chaser pits at the end of his 134th lap, and thanks to the time that the Celica blocking me has gained him 👎 , is able to exit the pits a whisker away from being re-lapped . He's able to hold out a while too! Lapped Celica while he's pitted beginning my 143rd lap. Pit in at the end of lap 146, 2'14s ahead of Chaser whose put in a major sprint to pull away from me. Take tyres and fuel. Chaser is about 1'46 behind now. Lap Integra a 7th time beginning lap 151. Lap Civic a 4th time beginning lap 152.
Hour mark passes 47s into lap 152. In 1st place ~1'49 ahead of Chaser.
Hour 7
Chaser pits from 2nd place, about 1'50 behind on lap 153 and drops to 2'13 behind after his outlap. A shocking period follows where I appear to forget what an apex is and spend some time in the sandtraps! 
Drop back to only 2'09 ahead of Chaser before finding a line again for a sub-2'20 lap on lap 166, just prior to pitting on lap 167. Tyres & fuel and exit still in 1st but only 1'45 ahead of Chaser. Chaser pits at the end of his 172nd lap and I re-lap him for good (hopefully! ) as well as the Integra for the 8th time while they're both pitted.
Hour mark passes 59s into lap 176. In 1st place 1 lap ahead of Chaser.
Hour 8
Lap Celica when he pits at the end of his 183rd lap. Pit in on lap 188. Tyres and fuel topped up to 26 units for the final stint. Chaser & Celica unlap themselves again temporarily. Exit pits close behind Civic who pitted just in front of me and the Celica which passed us in the pits. Lapped the Civic before the end of lap 189 to put him 5 down. Re-lap Celica in the same spot 2 laps later to put him back to 3 down. Chaser pits at the end of lap 191 and I pass him in the pits entering my 193rd lap and he's now definitely staying a lap behind as there's only 23 more minutes to go! Lap Integra again on lap 195 to leave him 9 laps back.
Finish 202 laps in 8:00'07.356 after 599.5 miles.
Result:-
1st SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX S.Shigeno Ver. '00 8:00'07.356
2nd Tom's X540 CHASER '00 +1 Lap
3rd NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95 +1 Lap
4th TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03 +3 Laps
5th Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00 +5 Laps
6th Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99 +9 Laps
Prize money 120,000Cr and a White Honda NSX-R Prototype LM Road Car '02 prizecar. 👍
That's all for now folks....
Car :- Used, no oil change (14854.1miles) Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex (AE86) Shuichi Shigeno Version / SH (S1) Tyres / 190HP / 825kg / 4.342kg/HP
Grid:-
TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03
Tom's X540 CHASER '00
NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95
Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00
Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99
SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX S. Shigeno Ver. '00
Hour 1
Can't get past Integra for 1st lap, but finally get by at 1st turn of lap 2. Celica has a 9s lead by this time on a clear track. Move into 4th place by the end of lap 3. Cleanly pass Nismo on lap 4 and set about closing the 7s gap to the front pair. Make good progress & by lap 7 I'm hot on the heels of the 2nd placed Chaser. Finished lap 7 in 3rd, just 1.8s behind the leader. Took 2nd place just before the Bridgestone bridge, and end the lap swarming around the back of the Celica. Stays like this into lap 12, I'm just a fraction of a second from his bumper at the beginning of the lap and quicker through the bends, but each time we hit a straight he's able to pull away
. Keep pressuring him and hope he'll make a mistake, as I've had to back off a few time to avoid contact , and each time I get alongside he moves over & tries to force me onto the grass. The Chaser is sitting menacingly about a second behind us too, waiting to pounce should we take each other out. Lap 14, I push a little too hard out of turn 1 and ride up over the rumble strip, touch 2 wheels in the gravel and lose 2nd place to the Chaser. Slipped by the Chaser under the Bridgestone bridge when he slows down after hitting the back of the Celica trying to accelerate out of the bend , there's enough room to his left between him and the rumble strip and I take back 2nd place. 👍 Chaser gives me a nudge from behind as we approach the sharp righthander before the Dunlop bridge, to remind me he's there. The Celica has braked very very early and I'm clean through and away, followed by the Chaser, (not quite so gracefully! ) as the Celica heads for the pits. For the past 6 laps my laptimes behind the Celica have been in the 2'22 to 2'23 region, some 2 to 3s slower than my fastest so far of 2'20.135 while I was in clean air gaining on the leaders. Started lap 15 in clean air 0.840s ahead of Chaser, finish in 2'20.436 and a gap of 1.870s. Took a 9.8s lead over Chaser into lap 20 knowing I'd have to pit at the end of the lap. Midway through lap 20, the Nismo takes over 2nd place, suggesting the Chaser's slip backwards is also due to tyre wear and I expect him to pit soon too, and sure enough he comes in at the end of his 20th lap. Relinquish 1st place while pitted and exit in 2nd place after taking tyres but no fuel. Just over 47 minutes have elapsed. 16.2s behind Nismo at the end of my outlap. Lapped Integra after he'd exited pits on lap 24. New fastest lap of 2'19.531 on lap 25 puts me within 11s of Nismo as the hour mark approaches.Hour mark passes 19s into lap 26. In 2nd place ~11s behind Nismo.
Hour 2
Nismo pits from 6s lead on lap 27, having lost nearly 4s in one lap
. Pass back into 1st place. Chaser is back into 2nd after Celica pits. Gap is constant around 16s for a while. New fastest lap of 2'19.334 on lap 34. Falls to 2'18.888 on lap 36. Lap Civic beginning lap 40 while he's in the pits at the end of his 38th lap. Gap to Chaser has opened a bit,and he pits at the end of his 39th lap. Pit in on lap 41 since this set of tyres has worn better with lighter fuel load. Was about 49s ahead of 2nd placed Nismo going in. (Have used 57 units of fuel so far in 41 laps which equates to 1.39 units per lap or around 30 units per 21 lap stint.) Take on tyres and top up fuel to 35 units. Exit in 1st place as Civic unlaps itself. 24.4s ahead of Nismo at the end of my outlap and shaping up to re-lap the Civic, which turns out to be much harder than I'd thought it would be, and is somewhat like trying to pass the Celica . On cold tyres I can hang with him & am quicker through the bends but he's faster down the straights. Finally get by cleanly under breaking for the turn before the Bridgestone bridge. Lap the Integra a 2nd time on lap 47 while he's pitted at the end of his 44th lap. All this has allowed Nismo to close to 15.2s going into lap 47. Begin to pull away from Nismo as he's due for a pitstop on lap 54 and his tyres are probably beginning to go away.Hour mark passes 57s into lap 51. In 1st place ~19s ahead of Nismo.
Hour 3
Nismo is over 30s back when I set new fastest lap of 2'18.869 on lap 53 and he pits at the end of his 53rd lap. Chaser takes over 2nd place about 39s behind. Chaser is about 46s back when he pits on lap 58, he exits still in 2nd about
1'16 behind. Pit on lap 62 from 1'17 lead from Chaser. Take on tyres and top fuel back up to 35 units. Exit in 1st place and have a 51s lead over Chaser at the end of my outlap. Lap Integra again on lap 69 going into turn 1. Lap Celica while he's
pitted on lap 72 after setting a new fastest lap on lap 71 of 2'18.509
. Chaser gained to within 43s at one point, but on lap 76 with hour mark approaching he's back to 53s behind.Hour mark passes 1'46 into lap 75. In 1st place ~53s ahead of Chaser.
Hour 4
Lap Civic a 2nd time as he pits at the end of his 74th lap. Chaser pits from 2nd on lap 77, about 56s behind. Nismo takes over 2nd place about 1'23 behind but gradually drops back to 1'33 behind before pitting at the end of his 80th lap. Chaser takes up the chase again
, 1'36 behind. Lap Integra again on lap 81 as he exits the pits. Pit in on lap 83 from 1'31 lead over Chaser. Take on fuel up to 35 units and fresh tyres. Exit in 1st place and have a 59.3s lead over Chaser at the end of my outlap. Integra managed to unlap himself while I was pitted , re-lap him again on lap 87. Chaser gained to within 53s as my tyres warmed up, but during the last few laps before his pitstop on lap 96 he loses a ton of time. Not sure if he was having backmarker issues or just struggling with terrible tyre wear. He's 1'22 down when he pits but he exits still in 2nd place and is 1'54 behind at the end of his outlap. Hour mark passes 9s into lap 102. In 1st place ~1'52 ahead of Chaser.
Standings at 1/2 way point:-
1st SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX Shuichi Shigeno Version '00
2nd Tom's X540 CHASER '00 +1'52
3rd NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95 On lead lap
4th TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03 +1 Lap
5th Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00 +2 Laps
6th Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99 +4 Laps
Hour 5
Lap Civic on lap 103, but he'll unlap himself when I pit. Chaser has caught Integra and has difficulty passing, which allows Nismo back into 2nd place, albeit 2'06 behind when I pit on lap 104. Take on tyres and top up fuel. Exit in 1st place, and have a 1'41 lead over Nismo at the end of my outlap. Chaser takes over 2nd place again on lap 107 as Nismo heads for the pits. Lapped Integra again during this lap too. Lap Nismo on lap 109 as his tyres are warming up after pitstop. Re-lap Civic on lap 114. Chaser pits on lap 115 from 1'56 behind, & I'm right on the back of him as he exits the pits. Follow him throughout the lap and show him the nose of the Sprinter a couple of times, before backing out to avoid contact. Finally outbrake him for the sharp right before the Dunlop bridge and finish my first lap (117) with a 1 lap cushion. Won't last long though as I'm due a stop in about 8 laps. Pit in on lap 125 for tyres & fuel. Chaser unlaps himself, as does the Nismo, for the time being...
Hour mark passes 29s into lap 127. In 1st place ~2'04 ahead of Chaser.
Hour 6
Finish outlap 2'02 ahead of Chaser. Lap Integra for the 6th time on lap 128 as he pits at the end of his 121st lap. Spend a few laps trailing the Celica again after I catch him after his 126th lap pitstop. He's every bit as hard to pass to put him 2 laps down as he was to steal 1st place from!
Nismo pits on lap 132, and goes 1 lap down permenantly while he's pitted. 👍 Chaser pits at the end of his 134th lap, and thanks to the time that the Celica blocking me has gained him 👎 , is able to exit the pits a whisker away from being re-lapped . He's able to hold out a while too! Lapped Celica while he's pitted beginning my 143rd lap. Pit in at the end of lap 146, 2'14s ahead of Chaser whose put in a major sprint to pull away from me. Take tyres and fuel. Chaser is about 1'46 behind now. Lap Integra a 7th time beginning lap 151. Lap Civic a 4th time beginning lap 152.Hour mark passes 47s into lap 152. In 1st place ~1'49 ahead of Chaser.
Hour 7
Chaser pits from 2nd place, about 1'50 behind on lap 153 and drops to 2'13 behind after his outlap. A shocking period follows where I appear to forget what an apex is
and spend some time in the sandtraps! Drop back to only 2'09 ahead of Chaser before finding a line again for a sub-2'20 lap on lap 166, just prior to pitting on lap 167. Tyres & fuel and exit still in 1st but only 1'45 ahead of Chaser. Chaser pits at the end of his 172nd lap and I re-lap him for good (hopefully! ) as well as the Integra for the 8th time while they're both pitted. Hour mark passes 59s into lap 176. In 1st place 1 lap ahead of Chaser.
Hour 8
Lap Celica when he pits at the end of his 183rd lap. Pit in on lap 188. Tyres and fuel topped up to 26 units for the final stint. Chaser & Celica unlap themselves again temporarily. Exit pits close behind Civic who pitted just in front of me and the Celica which passed us in the pits. Lapped the Civic before the end of lap 189 to put him 5 down. Re-lap Celica in the same spot 2 laps later to put him back to 3 down. Chaser pits at the end of lap 191 and I pass him in the pits entering my 193rd lap and he's now definitely staying a lap behind as there's only 23 more minutes to go! Lap Integra again on lap 195 to leave him 9 laps back.
Finish 202 laps in 8:00'07.356 after 599.5 miles.
Result:-
1st SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX S.Shigeno Ver. '00 8:00'07.356
2nd Tom's X540 CHASER '00 +1 Lap
3rd NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version '95 +1 Lap
4th TRIAL CELICA SS-II (ZZT231) '03 +3 Laps
5th Spoon CIVIC TYPE R (EK) '00 +5 Laps
6th Spoon INTEGRA TYPE R (DC2) '99 +9 Laps
Prize money 120,000Cr and a White Honda NSX-R Prototype LM Road Car '02 prizecar. 👍
That's all for now folks....
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Circuit de la Sarthe II 24hr (84 A-Spec points)
Car:- (Prizecar) Audi R8 Race Car '01 (Stock) with R2 Tyres. / 752HP (ending) / 900kg / 1.197kg/HP
Grid:-
Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Pits every 9 laps
Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Pits every 8 laps
Audi R8 Race Car '01 Pits every 8 laps
Hour 1.
Span out approaching fast turns on lap 1 and drop back to 6th place. Fight back to 1st by end of 4th lap. Pit on lap 8 from 15s lead. Tyres & fuel back to 69 units. Fastest lap on lap 13 3'05.400.
Pulled out to 1'13 lead by pitstop on lap 16. Had cut fuel a little fine! 1 unit left! Top up to 75 units.
Hour mark passed during lap 19. In 1st place in a more commanding lead than I'd expected from the lineup I'm up against. Sauber is in 2nd place.
Hour 2.
New fastest lap of 3'04.205 on lap 20. Lapped Jaguar just before end of lap 21. Lap 22 is 3'04.085. Lapped Mazda on lap 24. Pit in and take tyres & fuel, Mazda & Jaguar unlap themselves. 2nd placed Sauber is 2'11 back. Re-lap Jaguar on lap 25 as he pitted. Lap Nissan on lap 26 while he's pitted. Re-lap Mazda on lap 28. On the tails of Toyota & Sauber just before pitting on lap 32. Top up to 72 units. Lap Toyota & Sauber while they're pitted on lap 34.
Hour mark passed during lap 38. In 1st place 1 lap ahead of Toyota in 2nd place.
Hour 3.
Pit in on lap 40. Lap Jaguar again while he's pitted beginning lap 42. Lap Nissan on lap 45. New fastest lap on lap 46, 3'03.523. Lapped Mazda beginning lap 47 while he's pitted. Overshoot pit entrance on lap 48, loose time backing up to get into pits since I don't have the fuel to go another lap. Mazda & Nissan unlap themselves to go back to +1 lap. Re-lap Nissan beginning lap 51 while he's pitted. Re-lap Mazda on lap 53 after a 1 1/2 lap fight with him, he keeps knocking me off the track each time I get alongside. Pit in on lap 56.
Hour mark passes while I'm in the pits.
Hour 4.
1st action of 4th hour is about 19 minutes in when I lapped the Jaguar a 3rd time on lap 63. Pitted on lap 64 which allowed him to get back to only 2 laps down. Had once again cut fuel load fine with just 1 unit remaining. Top up to 74 units again to be safe rather than sorry! A flurry of lapping follows. Re-lap Jaguar when he pits beginning my 68th lap. Also lap Sauber on Mulsanne straight and Toyota before the chicanes at the end of lap 68. Lap the Nissan again on lap 70, but got 2 wheels on the grass towards the end of the circuit and span out, letting him past again. Take him again on lap 71 though. Pit on lap 72, allowing the 3 of them past. Re-lap Toyota & Sauber when they pit, beginning my 75th lap.
Hour mark passes during lap 75. 2 laps ahead of 2nd placed Toyota.
Hour 5.
Lap Nissan in pits beginning lap 76. Put Mazda 3 laps down on lap 78. Pit on lap 80, Mazda unlaps itself. Put him 3 down for good as he enters pits on lap 84. Repeat the whole lap/unlap/re-lap charade with the Jaguar from lap 87, through my pitstop on lap 88 and onto lap 91 when he's dispatched just after the Dunlop Bridge chicane. That'll be the last action of hour 5 since there's a lot of empty track ahead....
Hour mark passes during lap 94.
Hour 6.
First action of the hour is a pitstop on lap 96. Nothing happens until lap 101 when I pass Nissan coming out of the pits and he goes 4 laps behind. Blow by Mazda on the straight on lap 104, but pit in at the end of the lap so he re-passes me.
Suddenly its all go again. On lap 108 Sauber exits pits as I blast by Start/Finish grandstand and drops to +3 for a while.
Also cruised back past Mazda at 247mph on the straight having found his slipstream and the Toyota gets the same treatment on the following lap, which contributes to a new fastest lap of 3'03.344.
The Jaguar is passed in the pits too leaving masses of wide open track ahead.... 👍
Hour mark passes as I'm rolling down the pitlane at the end of lap 112.
Standings at 1/4 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 947 miles, 112 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +3 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +3 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +4 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +4 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +5 Laps
Hour 7.
Toyota slips back past as I exit the pits & becomes the 1st victim of the 7th hour
on my outlap. Nissan is next to go on lap 119, although he goes back past when I pit on lap 120. Nissan goes behind again on lap 123.
Jaguar succumbs again beginning lap 127 as he's in the pits.
Play the lap/unlap/re-lap game with the Mazda again beginning on lap 127, before my pit on 128. Can't quite re-pass him before the end of the hour, but he's in visible range!
Hour mark passes during lap 131.
Hour 8.
Lap Mazda for the 5th time permenantly when he pits, beginning lap 132. Lap Sauber while pitted on lap 133, and am catching Toyota rapidly. Play lapping game with Toyota beginning lap 135 before lap 136 pit. Sauber also gets by. Still, it gives me something to chase! Get by on lap 140, and take Toyota while he's pitted beginning lap 141. Nissan gets involved on lap 143, lapped but soon to unlap when I pit! Exit pits with Toyota spitting flames down my neck, but he's 4 laps back for good now! Nissan surrenders again on lap 147.
Hour mark passes during lap 150. Jaguar is mere seconds away from his 7th lapping as I'm in his slipstream on the straight!
Hour 9.
Sure enough, 20s into hour 9, the Jaguar is passed at a screaming, draft assisted 249mph! Pitted on lap 152. Things remain eventless until I lap Mazda beginning lap 160, but since I'll be pitting in, it'll go back to the usual scenario. Sure enough he goes by while I'm pitted, but his resistance doesn't last long, re-lapped on my outlap down the mainstraight.
That turns out to be the last "action" of the 9th hour. Run out the rest in clear air.
Hour mark passes towards the end of lap 168, while I'm about to pit in.
Hour 10.
Pit in on lap 168. A lapping frenzy follows. Jaguar is first to fall beginning lap 173, followed by the Nissan towards the end of the same lap. The Sauber pits and is lapped beginning lap 174. Toyota is next at the end of lap 175, but it'll be the lapping leapfrog game with him as I'm due a pitstop. He relinquishes his 5th lap to me as he enters the pitlane at the end of lap 181.
Mazda is next for leapfrog, passed on 183, pit on 184 and go behind, but by the hour mark on lap 187 I'm within touching distance accelerating out of the Mulsanne hairpin.
Hour mark passes during lap 187. +5 laps on 2nd placed Toyota.
Hour 11.
Mazda loses the lap just before he pits. Jaguar sees the back end of the Audi for the 9th time on lap 191. Pit in on lap 192, and Jaguar sneaks back past briefly but he's passed before the end of my outlap. Nissan goes another lap down on 196. Pit in on lap 200.
Hour mark passes during lap 206.
Hour 12.
Sauber passed again in pits on lap 207. Pass Mazda on lap 208, but pit at the end and he's clear away again. Jaguar lapped in pits on lap 211. Mazda caught on lap 213. Toyota lapped in pits beginning lap 215. Pit on lap 216. Nissan caught again on lap 220.
Thus concludes the 1st half's action!
Hour mark passes on lap 224, as I'm approaching the pit entrance.
Standings at 1/2 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 1893 miles, almost 224 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +6 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +6 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +8 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +9 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +10 Laps
Hour 13.
Enter pits at the end of lap 224. Jaguar is humiliated again down the straight, pull out of the slipstream at the very last split second this time at 250mph! Begin lapping game with Sauber on lap 232, pass him pitted, but pit myself at the end of the same lap. Mazda lapped again as he leaves the pits on lap 235. Sauber lasts until lap 237 before he falls again. Take Toyota in pits beginning 240, but it'll only last a while as its my pit in lap too. Nissan moves into double digits down on lap 243 to round out the hour. 
Hour mark passes during lap 243.
Hour 14.
On lap 246 the Toyota finally submits to being 7 laps down, and is followed shortly after by the Jaguar reaching 12 laps back. Pit on lap 248, and the Jaguar just slips past, not for long though, and he gives in on lap 250. Pit on lap 256. The most uneventful hour yet.
Hour mark passes just after I begin lap 262.
Hour 15.
Strangely enough, while doing 233mph down the mainstraight, the "no entry"/wrong direction icon appeared for a split second.
Even curiouser, the same thing happened to me during Sarthe I during hour 15. Spooky, huh? 
The Mazda is the latest casualty of the double digits behind crew, lapped while in the pits on lap 263. Pitted on lap 264. Add another to the Nissan's tally on lap 268 as he exits pits. Jaguar lapped again in the pits on lap 270. Pit on lap 272 directly behind Sauber. There follows some excitement as I catch him onto the straight and he & I swap places all the way down the Hunaudieres straight.
He outbrakes me into the Mulsanne hairpin at the end, but I'm on the power quicker and pull away down the next fast straight towards Indianapolis and he's accepted being 8 laps back! Toyota is dispatched 5 laps later.
Hour mark passes during lap 280.
Hour 16.
Pit on lap 280. Lap Jaguar beginning lap 288 and pit at the end, so he unlaps. Take Mazda as he exits pits on lap 291. Roar past and re-lap Jaguar on 292. Lap Nissan in pits beginning lap 293. Pit in on lap 296. Another quiet hour.
Hour mark passes on lap 299. +8 laps on 2nd placed Toyota. 2520 miles at 2/3 distance.
Hour 17.
Pit on lap 304. 30 mins have elapsed in this hour before the Sauber is lapped on 308. Pass Jaguar in pits on lap 312. Pit on lap 312. Sauber goes back past for a while until he's passed in the pits on lap 314. Toyota is sent packing again shortly before the end of lap 315.
Hour mark passes approaching Porsche Curve on lap 317.
Hour 18.
Nissan lapped in pits on lap 318. Mazda passed in pits on lap 319. Have a shocker on lap 320 and pay a visit deep into the enormous sandtrap after the Dunlop Bridge. Finally persuade a couple of folks to dig me out, but only after I've bought a couple of baguettes and a string of garlic from them! Lost a fair bit of time, and pit at the end of the lap. Mazda, Nissan & Toyota sneak back past. Get rid of the garlic, after only 3/4 of a lap with the heat in the cockpit, its already beginning to smell! 
Keep the baguettes handy for snacking on!!! 💡 Toyota offers least resistance to being re-lapped as he pits at the end of my outlap. Mazda falls onto Hunaudieres on lap 323, and Nissan goes down just after Arnage. Pit on lap 328. Jaguar goes 16 behind beginning lap 334.
Hour mark passes during lap 336.
Standings at 3/4 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 2835 miles, almost 336 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +9 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +9 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +12 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +13 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +16 Laps
Hour 19.
Pit in on lap 336. Nissan passed in pits on lap 242. First real signs of chassis wear appear on my pit in lap on worn tyres on lap 344.
At 223mph on the Hunaudieres, the car kicks, first right, then left, and before I can control it, its swinging out of control and spins! On a straight!?! Oh well, this should make the last 5 hours fun! Pit on lap 344. Nissan passes me in pits, but his puny resistance only lasts until lap 346 when he's seen off for good. Sauber passed round the outside of Porsche curve on lap 348! Toyota becomes the last car to go into double figures behind on lap 351, but only temporarily. Pit on lap 352, letting Toyota back into single figures. Sauber also gets past as I exit pitlane. Mazda lapped again on lap 353. Sauber caught & passed on lap 554 followed by the Jaguar lapped again on same lap during the run up to Indianapolis.
Hour mark passes approaching Porsche curve on lap 354.
Hour 20.
A new benchmark in uneventfulness! Toyota lapped in pits on lap 355. Nothing happens until I pit on lap 360. Temporarily lap Nissan beginning lap 368, but pit in at the end of it & hand him his lap back. Take lap back off Nissan on lap 372.
Hour mark passes on Hunaudieres straight on lap 373.
Hour 21.
Pass Mazda a 14th time, underneath Dunlop Bridge just after he's exited pits on lap 375. Another temporary arrangement as I'll be going in myself at the end of the next lap. Unexpected surprise on lap 376, accelerating away under the Dunlop Bridge the Jaguar lurches back across the track from the sandtrap and I can't avoid a collision! Had no idea he was anywhere even close to me in the first place! He follows me down Hunaudieres and slams the back of me at Mulsanne, and Indianapolis. On my shot out tyres I let him go at Arnage and pit in at the end of the lap, allowing the Mazda past too. Take Mazda under braking for Mulsanne on lap 378. Lap Jaguar in pits beginning lap 379. Take Sauber on lap 382, but expect to lose it back on lap 384 when I pit, and that's exactly what happens! Sauber lapped in pits beginning 388, and Toyota follows soon after.
Hour mark passes about 2s before the end of lap 391.
Hour 22.
Pit in on lap 392, Toyota passes. Re-pass Toyota on lap 394. Jaguar lapped in pits beginning lap 396, while Nissan follows at the Porsche curve. Pit on lap 400. Mazda passed again of lap 404. Pit in on lap 408.
Hour mark passes exiting Mulsanne hairpin on lap 410.
Hour 23.
Oil light comes on approaching Indianapolis on lap 413 with 3489 miles on the odometer. A far cry from the 187 mile oil in GT3!
Pass Jaguar a devastating 20th time right at the end of 413. Pass Sauber under braking for the Mulsanne on lap 414. Pit on lap 416, and Sauber re-passes. Its nearly carnage at Arnage on lap 419 as I try to pass the Nissan again, fortunately I'm able to back out at the last moment as he cuts in and we avoid an accident! Nab him on the approach to Porsche curve instead.
Beginning lap 421, the Sauber is re-lapped entering the pits and the Toyota is passed as he exits the pits. Pit on lap 424. Toyota clobbers the back of me exiting the pits and barges past before the Dunlop Bridge, Oaf. Pass him permanently on lap 426.
Hour mark passes on lap 429.
Hour 24!
Pass Mazda in pits beginning lap 431. Pit in on lap 432. Jaguar is passed for probably the last time on lap 436. Pit on lap 440, for the last time. In what promises to be the last action of this marathon event, the Nissan in passed onto the Hunaudieres straigh on lap 444 and I'm left to run the race out in peace. 👍
But wait! There's a last twist! I catch and pass the Sauber again in the very last chicane on the very last lap!
Race finishes at 24:00'44.135 on completion of lap 447. 3778.9 miles completed.
Result:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 3778.9 miles, 447 laps complete, 24:00'44.135
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +12 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +13 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +16 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +18 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +21 Laps
Prize 1,000,000Cr and a staggeringly gorgeous Bentley Speed 8 Race Car '03.
A little extra....
Music (Albums listened to during this race, in order!):-
The Bravery, Franz Ferdinand, New Order - Waiting For The Sirens Call, The Cure - Mixed Up,
Inspiral Carpets - Devil Hopping, The Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s, Morrissey - Southpaw Grammar,
They Might Be Giants - Mink Car, Ivy - In The Clear, Mansun - Little Kix, Pink Floyd - Meddle,
Craig Armstrong - As If To Nothing, The Stone Roses - Second Coming, Joy Division - Substance,
The Killers - Hot Fuss, The Beatles - Abbey Road, The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust,
Orbital - Middle Of Nowhere, The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation,
Astralasia - The Seven Pointed Star, Isaac Hayes - Best Of Volume 1, Lamb - Best Kept Secrets,
The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs, Doves - Some Cities, Feeder - Pushing The Senses,
Starsailor - Silence Is Easy, Steve Miller Band - Young Hearts (Greatest Hits), The Charlatans,
Aphex Twin - "Classics", Tori Amos - The Beekeeper, & for a grand fanfare finale....
Gustav Holst - The Planets.
Car:- (Prizecar) Audi R8 Race Car '01 (Stock) with R2 Tyres. / 752HP (ending) / 900kg / 1.197kg/HP
Grid:-
Nissan R89C Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
Mazda 787B Race Car '91 Pits every 9 laps
Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 Pits every 8 laps
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 Pits every 8 laps
Audi R8 Race Car '01 Pits every 8 laps
Hour 1.
Span out approaching fast turns on lap 1 and drop back to 6th place. Fight back to 1st by end of 4th lap. Pit on lap 8 from 15s lead. Tyres & fuel back to 69 units. Fastest lap on lap 13 3'05.400.
Pulled out to 1'13 lead by pitstop on lap 16. Had cut fuel a little fine! 1 unit left! Top up to 75 units.
Hour mark passed during lap 19. In 1st place in a more commanding lead than I'd expected from the lineup I'm up against. Sauber is in 2nd place.
Hour 2.
New fastest lap of 3'04.205 on lap 20. Lapped Jaguar just before end of lap 21. Lap 22 is 3'04.085. Lapped Mazda on lap 24. Pit in and take tyres & fuel, Mazda & Jaguar unlap themselves. 2nd placed Sauber is 2'11 back. Re-lap Jaguar on lap 25 as he pitted. Lap Nissan on lap 26 while he's pitted. Re-lap Mazda on lap 28. On the tails of Toyota & Sauber just before pitting on lap 32. Top up to 72 units. Lap Toyota & Sauber while they're pitted on lap 34.
Hour mark passed during lap 38. In 1st place 1 lap ahead of Toyota in 2nd place.
Hour 3.
Pit in on lap 40. Lap Jaguar again while he's pitted beginning lap 42. Lap Nissan on lap 45. New fastest lap on lap 46, 3'03.523. Lapped Mazda beginning lap 47 while he's pitted. Overshoot pit entrance on lap 48,
loose time backing up to get into pits since I don't have the fuel to go another lap. Mazda & Nissan unlap themselves to go back to +1 lap. Re-lap Nissan beginning lap 51 while he's pitted. Re-lap Mazda on lap 53 after a 1 1/2 lap fight with him, he keeps knocking me off the track each time I get alongside. Pit in on lap 56.Hour mark passes while I'm in the pits.
Hour 4.
1st action of 4th hour is about 19 minutes in when I lapped the Jaguar a 3rd time on lap 63. Pitted on lap 64 which allowed him to get back to only 2 laps down. Had once again cut fuel load fine with just 1 unit remaining. Top up to 74 units again to be safe rather than sorry! A flurry of lapping follows. Re-lap Jaguar when he pits beginning my 68th lap. Also lap Sauber on Mulsanne straight and Toyota before the chicanes at the end of lap 68. Lap the Nissan again on lap 70, but got 2 wheels on the grass towards the end of the circuit and span out, letting him past again. Take him again on lap 71 though. Pit on lap 72, allowing the 3 of them past. Re-lap Toyota & Sauber when they pit, beginning my 75th lap.
Hour mark passes during lap 75. 2 laps ahead of 2nd placed Toyota.
Hour 5.
Lap Nissan in pits beginning lap 76. Put Mazda 3 laps down on lap 78. Pit on lap 80, Mazda unlaps itself. Put him 3 down for good as he enters pits on lap 84. Repeat the whole lap/unlap/re-lap charade with the Jaguar from lap 87, through my pitstop on lap 88 and onto lap 91 when he's dispatched just after the Dunlop Bridge chicane. That'll be the last action of hour 5 since there's a lot of empty track ahead....
Hour mark passes during lap 94.
Hour 6.
First action of the hour is a pitstop on lap 96. Nothing happens until lap 101 when I pass Nissan coming out of the pits and he goes 4 laps behind. Blow by Mazda on the straight on lap 104, but pit in at the end of the lap so he re-passes me.
Suddenly its all go again. On lap 108 Sauber exits pits as I blast by Start/Finish grandstand and drops to +3 for a while.
Also cruised back past Mazda at 247mph on the straight having found his slipstream and the Toyota gets the same treatment on the following lap, which contributes to a new fastest lap of 3'03.344.
The Jaguar is passed in the pits too leaving masses of wide open track ahead.... 👍
Hour mark passes as I'm rolling down the pitlane at the end of lap 112.
Standings at 1/4 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 947 miles, 112 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +3 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +3 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +4 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +4 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +5 Laps
Hour 7.
Toyota slips back past as I exit the pits & becomes the 1st victim of the 7th hour
on my outlap. Nissan is next to go on lap 119, although he goes back past when I pit on lap 120. Nissan goes behind again on lap 123. Jaguar succumbs again beginning lap 127 as he's in the pits.
Play the lap/unlap/re-lap game with the Mazda again beginning on lap 127, before my pit on 128. Can't quite re-pass him before the end of the hour, but he's in visible range!
Hour mark passes during lap 131.
Hour 8.
Lap Mazda for the 5th time permenantly when he pits, beginning lap 132. Lap Sauber while pitted on lap 133, and am catching Toyota rapidly. Play lapping game with Toyota beginning lap 135 before lap 136 pit. Sauber also gets by. Still, it gives me something to chase! Get by on lap 140, and take Toyota while he's pitted beginning lap 141. Nissan gets involved on lap 143, lapped but soon to unlap when I pit! Exit pits with Toyota spitting flames down my neck, but he's 4 laps back for good now! Nissan surrenders again on lap 147.
Hour mark passes during lap 150. Jaguar is mere seconds away from his 7th lapping as I'm in his slipstream on the straight!
Hour 9.
Sure enough, 20s into hour 9, the Jaguar is passed at a screaming, draft assisted 249mph! Pitted on lap 152. Things remain eventless until I lap Mazda beginning lap 160, but since I'll be pitting in, it'll go back to the usual scenario. Sure enough he goes by while I'm pitted, but his resistance doesn't last long, re-lapped on my outlap down the mainstraight.
That turns out to be the last "action" of the 9th hour. Run out the rest in clear air.
Hour mark passes towards the end of lap 168, while I'm about to pit in.
Hour 10.
Pit in on lap 168. A lapping frenzy follows. Jaguar is first to fall beginning lap 173, followed by the Nissan towards the end of the same lap. The Sauber pits and is lapped beginning lap 174. Toyota is next at the end of lap 175, but it'll be the lapping leapfrog game with him as I'm due a pitstop. He relinquishes his 5th lap to me as he enters the pitlane at the end of lap 181.
Mazda is next for leapfrog, passed on 183, pit on 184 and go behind, but by the hour mark on lap 187 I'm within touching distance accelerating out of the Mulsanne hairpin.
Hour mark passes during lap 187. +5 laps on 2nd placed Toyota.
Hour 11.
Mazda loses the lap just before he pits. Jaguar sees the back end of the Audi for the 9th time on lap 191. Pit in on lap 192, and Jaguar sneaks back past briefly but he's passed before the end of my outlap. Nissan goes another lap down on 196. Pit in on lap 200.
Hour mark passes during lap 206.
Hour 12.
Sauber passed again in pits on lap 207. Pass Mazda on lap 208, but pit at the end and he's clear away again. Jaguar lapped in pits on lap 211. Mazda caught on lap 213. Toyota lapped in pits beginning lap 215. Pit on lap 216. Nissan caught again on lap 220.
Thus concludes the 1st half's action!
Hour mark passes on lap 224, as I'm approaching the pit entrance.
Standings at 1/2 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 1893 miles, almost 224 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +6 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +6 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +8 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +9 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +10 Laps
Hour 13.
Enter pits at the end of lap 224. Jaguar is humiliated again down the straight, pull out of the slipstream at the very last split second this time at 250mph!
Begin lapping game with Sauber on lap 232, pass him pitted, but pit myself at the end of the same lap. Mazda lapped again as he leaves the pits on lap 235. Sauber lasts until lap 237 before he falls again. Take Toyota in pits beginning 240, but it'll only last a while as its my pit in lap too. Nissan moves into double digits down on lap 243 to round out the hour. Hour mark passes during lap 243.
Hour 14.
On lap 246 the Toyota finally submits to being 7 laps down, and is followed shortly after by the Jaguar reaching 12 laps back. Pit on lap 248, and the Jaguar just slips past, not for long though, and he gives in on lap 250. Pit on lap 256. The most uneventful hour yet.
Hour mark passes just after I begin lap 262.
Hour 15.
Strangely enough, while doing 233mph down the mainstraight, the "no entry"/wrong direction icon appeared for a split second.
Even curiouser, the same thing happened to me during Sarthe I during hour 15. Spooky, huh? The Mazda is the latest casualty of the double digits behind crew, lapped while in the pits on lap 263. Pitted on lap 264. Add another to the Nissan's tally on lap 268 as he exits pits. Jaguar lapped again in the pits on lap 270. Pit on lap 272 directly behind Sauber. There follows some excitement as I catch him onto the straight and he & I swap places all the way down the Hunaudieres straight.
He outbrakes me into the Mulsanne hairpin at the end, but I'm on the power quicker and pull away down the next fast straight towards Indianapolis and he's accepted being 8 laps back! Toyota is dispatched 5 laps later.Hour mark passes during lap 280.
Hour 16.
Pit on lap 280. Lap Jaguar beginning lap 288 and pit at the end, so he unlaps. Take Mazda as he exits pits on lap 291. Roar past and re-lap Jaguar on 292. Lap Nissan in pits beginning lap 293. Pit in on lap 296. Another quiet hour.
Hour mark passes on lap 299. +8 laps on 2nd placed Toyota. 2520 miles at 2/3 distance.
Hour 17.
Pit on lap 304. 30 mins have elapsed in this hour before the Sauber is lapped on 308. Pass Jaguar in pits on lap 312. Pit on lap 312. Sauber goes back past for a while until he's passed in the pits on lap 314. Toyota is sent packing again shortly before the end of lap 315.
Hour mark passes approaching Porsche Curve on lap 317.
Hour 18.
Nissan lapped in pits on lap 318. Mazda passed in pits on lap 319. Have a shocker on lap 320 and pay a visit deep into the enormous sandtrap after the Dunlop Bridge.
Finally persuade a couple of folks to dig me out, but only after I've bought a couple of baguettes and a string of garlic from them! Lost a fair bit of time, and pit at the end of the lap. Mazda, Nissan & Toyota sneak back past. Get rid of the garlic, after only 3/4 of a lap with the heat in the cockpit, its already beginning to smell! Keep the baguettes handy for snacking on!!! 💡 Toyota offers least resistance to being re-lapped as he pits at the end of my outlap. Mazda falls onto Hunaudieres on lap 323, and Nissan goes down just after Arnage. Pit on lap 328. Jaguar goes 16 behind beginning lap 334. Hour mark passes during lap 336.
Standings at 3/4 distance:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 2835 miles, almost 336 laps complete
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +9 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +9 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +12 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +13 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +16 Laps
Hour 19.
Pit in on lap 336. Nissan passed in pits on lap 242. First real signs of chassis wear appear on my pit in lap on worn tyres on lap 344.
At 223mph on the Hunaudieres, the car kicks, first right, then left, and before I can control it, its swinging out of control and spins! On a straight!?! Oh well, this should make the last 5 hours fun! Pit on lap 344. Nissan passes me in pits, but his puny resistance only lasts until lap 346 when he's seen off for good. Sauber passed round the outside of Porsche curve on lap 348! Toyota becomes the last car to go into double figures behind on lap 351, but only temporarily. Pit on lap 352, letting Toyota back into single figures. Sauber also gets past as I exit pitlane. Mazda lapped again on lap 353. Sauber caught & passed on lap 554 followed by the Jaguar lapped again on same lap during the run up to Indianapolis.Hour mark passes approaching Porsche curve on lap 354.
Hour 20.
A new benchmark in uneventfulness!
Toyota lapped in pits on lap 355. Nothing happens until I pit on lap 360. Temporarily lap Nissan beginning lap 368, but pit in at the end of it & hand him his lap back. Take lap back off Nissan on lap 372.Hour mark passes on Hunaudieres straight on lap 373.
Hour 21.
Pass Mazda a 14th time, underneath Dunlop Bridge just after he's exited pits on lap 375. Another temporary arrangement as I'll be going in myself at the end of the next lap. Unexpected surprise on lap 376, accelerating away under the Dunlop Bridge the Jaguar lurches back across the track from the sandtrap
and I can't avoid a collision! Had no idea he was anywhere even close to me in the first place! He follows me down Hunaudieres and slams the back of me at Mulsanne, and Indianapolis. On my shot out tyres I let him go at Arnage and pit in at the end of the lap, allowing the Mazda past too. Take Mazda under braking for Mulsanne on lap 378. Lap Jaguar in pits beginning lap 379. Take Sauber on lap 382, but expect to lose it back on lap 384 when I pit, and that's exactly what happens! Sauber lapped in pits beginning 388, and Toyota follows soon after.Hour mark passes about 2s before the end of lap 391.
Hour 22.
Pit in on lap 392, Toyota passes. Re-pass Toyota on lap 394. Jaguar lapped in pits beginning lap 396, while Nissan follows at the Porsche curve. Pit on lap 400. Mazda passed again of lap 404. Pit in on lap 408.
Hour mark passes exiting Mulsanne hairpin on lap 410.
Hour 23.
Oil light comes on approaching Indianapolis on lap 413 with 3489 miles on the odometer. A far cry from the 187 mile oil in GT3!
Pass Jaguar a devastating 20th time right at the end of 413. Pass Sauber under braking for the Mulsanne on lap 414. Pit on lap 416, and Sauber re-passes. Its nearly carnage at Arnage
on lap 419 as I try to pass the Nissan again, fortunately I'm able to back out at the last moment as he cuts in and we avoid an accident! Nab him on the approach to Porsche curve instead. Beginning lap 421, the Sauber is re-lapped entering the pits and the Toyota is passed as he exits the pits. Pit on lap 424. Toyota clobbers the back of me exiting the pits
and barges past before the Dunlop Bridge, Oaf. Pass him permanently on lap 426.Hour mark passes on lap 429.
Hour 24!
Pass Mazda in pits beginning lap 431. Pit in on lap 432. Jaguar is passed for probably the last time on lap 436. Pit on lap 440, for the last time. In what promises to be the last action of this marathon event, the Nissan in passed onto the Hunaudieres straigh on lap 444 and I'm left to run the race out in peace. 👍
But wait! There's a last twist! I catch and pass the Sauber again in the very last chicane on the very last lap!
Race finishes at 24:00'44.135 on completion of lap 447. 3778.9 miles completed.
Result:-
1st Audi R8 Race Car '01 3778.9 miles, 447 laps complete, 24:00'44.135
2nd MINOLTA Toyota 88C-V Race Car '89 +12 Laps
3rd Sauber Mercedes C 9 Race Car '89 +13 Laps
4th Mazda 787B Race Car '91 +16 Laps
5th Nissan R89C Race Car '89 +18 Laps
6th Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88 +21 Laps
Prize 1,000,000Cr and a staggeringly gorgeous Bentley Speed 8 Race Car '03.
A little extra....
Music (Albums listened to during this race, in order!):-
The Bravery, Franz Ferdinand, New Order - Waiting For The Sirens Call, The Cure - Mixed Up,
Inspiral Carpets - Devil Hopping, The Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s, Morrissey - Southpaw Grammar,
They Might Be Giants - Mink Car, Ivy - In The Clear, Mansun - Little Kix, Pink Floyd - Meddle,
Craig Armstrong - As If To Nothing, The Stone Roses - Second Coming, Joy Division - Substance,
The Killers - Hot Fuss, The Beatles - Abbey Road, The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust,
Orbital - Middle Of Nowhere, The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation,
Astralasia - The Seven Pointed Star, Isaac Hayes - Best Of Volume 1, Lamb - Best Kept Secrets,
The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs, Doves - Some Cities, Feeder - Pushing The Senses,
Starsailor - Silence Is Easy, Steve Miller Band - Young Hearts (Greatest Hits), The Charlatans,
Aphex Twin - "Classics", Tori Amos - The Beekeeper, & for a grand fanfare finale....
Gustav Holst - The Planets.
- 1,020
Good luck, Smallhorses, looks like a tough field!!
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Yeah, that's what I thought, given that the Audi is about 150HP down on the rest of those cars, but its been disappointingly easy so far. Was hoping for a closer race since I don't have anything else in my garage that could keep up. Did try the Ford GT LM '02 with NA3 and oil change, but its extra weight and lower downforce mean it wears tyres too quickly to keep up.
for the encouragement though, I've got 3 days to get this out of the way before I have to fly off on business again....
Was hoping for a closer race since I don't have anything else in my garage that could keep up. Did try the Ford GT LM '02 with NA3 and oil change, but its extra weight and lower downforce mean it wears tyres too quickly to keep up. for the encouragement though, I've got 3 days to get this out of the way before I have to fly off on business again....
- 1,020
Nearly there, bud. How's the Audi handling?
We are watching, just quietly...
We are watching, just quietly...
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
At the moment the Audi is handling like a dream, however with 11 hours gone and 1700 miles on the clock I'm not far away from the dreaded chassis wear threshold, and as you'll see from some of Mr Slow's posts above, I'm expecting it to start kicking like a mule stung by a bee in a little while each time I head down Hunadieres straight and out of the Mulsanne hairpin, which should make the 2nd half of the race a tad interesting! It seems the Sauber has started to slow down a bit aready as I'm catching him more regularly than before.
and as you'll see from some of Mr Slow's posts above, I'm expecting it to start kicking like a mule stung by a bee in a little while each time I head down Hunadieres straight and out of the Mulsanne hairpin, which should make the 2nd half of the race a tad interesting! It seems the Sauber has started to slow down a bit aready as I'm catching him more regularly than before.
- 1,020
Great music list bud, however can you concentrate on the racing?? The Cure, Joy Division, The Beatles... you're older than you look!
Just doing the NY race myself, in a std Ruf RGT. Far too good. Hard to get a real competitve enduro. I've also been looking for a car for R246. Probably go for the 190E 2.5 16v Evo, it's a great chassis, if underpowered. Trouble is, it's probly my worst circuit, and the NSX's seem to be quite quick. Hmmm
Only recently found out that those are REAL Tokyo roads! Awesome. But then you would really, do a circuit of your home town, if you were KY, wouldn't you?
Instead of coffee, try neat Bourbon, and report on the effect on your lap times....
Just doing the NY race myself, in a std Ruf RGT. Far too good. Hard to get a real competitve enduro. I've also been looking for a car for R246. Probably go for the 190E 2.5 16v Evo, it's a great chassis, if underpowered. Trouble is, it's probly my worst circuit, and the NSX's seem to be quite quick. Hmmm
Only recently found out that those are REAL Tokyo roads! Awesome. But then you would really, do a circuit of your home town, if you were KY, wouldn't you?
Instead of coffee, try neat Bourbon, and report on the effect on your lap times....
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
FastEddie12Instead of coffee, try neat Bourbon, and report on the effect on your lap times....
Nah, though I'm in California, I'm a true Brit, never drink coffee, but tea with milk is excellent! As for Bourbon?
Tastes like Bells blended whisky! Give me a bottle of Ardbeg, Highland Park, Glenfiddich 18yr, Talisker, Auchentoshan among the many malts I have open at the moment! A little ice or water added, ahhhh perfect. Strangely enough in one of the race reports I posted here I did mention my laptimes dropping after a beer or two.....
Oh, and the music is helping me concentrate on racing! As nice as the Audi sounds at 7000rpm, 24hrs of listening to that alone would make me
!
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
@ vtec_guy 24 Hours straight?!!! No way! That'd be dangerous! To me anyway, I know a few people have tried it though. I've done/am doing 8 hours a day for 3 days. Breaks every hour for toilet, food & drink, grab more CDs and to update the thread.
Plus I keep my BlackBerry by me so I know when people have replied to threads I'm interested in, and I'll pause to read them.
Plus I keep my BlackBerry by me so I know when people have replied to threads I'm interested in, and I'll pause to read them.
Sounds cool,
I'm thinking of trying this soon. The academic year for apprentices starts a month or 2 after normal college students so I got to last tons of time without anything to do and wiht no friends to see. So I can quite easily make time for it. What would you recommend as a first 24hr race to a-spec? La Sarthe or the Nurb?
I'm thinking of trying this soon. The academic year for apprentices starts a month or 2 after normal college students so I got to last tons of time without anything to do and wiht no friends to see. So I can quite easily make time for it. What would you recommend as a first 24hr race to a-spec? La Sarthe or the Nurb?
- 2,354
- Bastrop, TX
Keep at it!!! Have NO idea how I missed this thread but I'll be rootin' for you through the finish! 👍 ...O.G.
Have NO idea how I missed this thread but I'll be rootin' for you through the finish! 👍 ...O.G.
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Thanks O.G., nice to see you back with encouragement for my second bout of insanity!
@ vtec_guy Not sure about the Nurburgring 24 hour as I haven't done that one yet. My thinking was this: get Sarthe I out of the way 1st as it'll be the harder of the 2 Sarthe races. Then do Sarthe II, which, with the enormous straight will be more boring, but more physically taxing with the wheel vibration for over a minute each lap...... then save the best for last Nurburgring 24 hour as a treat on a spectacular & certainly never boring circuit!
@ vtec_guy Not sure about the Nurburgring 24 hour as I haven't done that one yet. My thinking was this: get Sarthe I out of the way 1st as it'll be the harder of the 2 Sarthe races. Then do Sarthe II, which, with the enormous straight will be more boring, but more physically taxing with the wheel vibration for over a minute each lap...... then save the best for last Nurburgring 24 hour as a treat on a spectacular & certainly never boring circuit!
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vtec_guy
You're kidding aren't you? This is the longest 24hrs since Jack last saved the world!
Incidentally, Smallhorses My favourite town in the whole of France is Cognac, can't think why... Currently supping a VSOP Remy Martin
, also have an XO Armagnac :-P, a VS Courvoisier , and some three barrels, gevin to my by my Gran . I prefer to mix that with chocolate.
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
With breaks for replying to messages, and all the rest, I'm getting about 1 hour racing for every 2 real hours! It's taking a while! Plus 8hrs of sleep twice in between! You'd all have been scared if I'd put Sarthe 72 hours, with hourly updates though, wouldn't you!
@ FastEddie12 Know what you mean, I visited the Henessey Cognac distillery way back when I was 15 on a school French exchange. Their warehouse is excellent, they lose the equivalent of 2 million bottles of Cognac a year through evaporation from the Oak aging barrels, so you can well imagine what it smells like in there! Wouldn't mind the warehouse manager's job there, although you wouldn't be able to drive home legally after spending 8 hours breathing in there!
@ FastEddie12 Know what you mean, I visited the Henessey Cognac distillery way back when I was 15 on a school French exchange. Their warehouse is excellent, they lose the equivalent of 2 million bottles of Cognac a year through evaporation from the Oak aging barrels, so you can well imagine what it smells like in there! Wouldn't mind the warehouse manager's job there, although you wouldn't be able to drive home legally after spending 8 hours breathing in there!
- 1,020
Ahh, don't remind me, I had to go to Germany this year for my holiday .
But it's OK, we were on bikes and we went to the Nurburgring
Hurrah!
.But it's OK, we were on bikes and we went to the Nurburgring
Hurrah!
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
FastEddie12Ahh, don't remind me, I had to go to Germany this year for my holiday
But it's OK, we were on bikes and we went to the Nurburgring
Hurrah!
You make it sound like a chore!
Do you drink your cognac over a warmer? Makes a huge difference, I've found.
I do it the poor man's way though, fill a whisky tumbler with hot water and balance the brandy snifter in that. No fancy wood stands with candles for me.
That's it! The Sarthes are done! 10 down 6 to go!
Bring on the 'gring!
- 1,020
SmallhorsesYou make it sound like a chore!
Do you drink your cognac over a warmer? Makes a huge difference, I've found.
I do it the poor man's way though, fill a whisky tumbler with hot water and balance the brandy snifter in that. No fancy wood stands with candles for me.
That's it! The Sarthes are done! 10 down 6 to go!
Bring on the 'gring!
Only kidding, it was a great trip. But I used to live in France, and I miss it. The 'Ring is a petrolhead's paradise, but you have to drive through Belgium to get there
. To the German's, speed is an efficiency, which is so refreshing. Unfortunately they treat food in the same way. Wish they'd built the 'Ring near Toulouse....Not tried the warmer... merits investigation.
Great job on the 24hrs!!
Thinking about a 24hr party one weekend, to investigate the influence of alcohol.... It can only end in tears. Can't spare the time to do the whole thang myself...
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
FastEddie12but you have to drive through Belgium to get there
Mmmmmmmmmmm Belgian beer.
Now that's worth stopping for!
- 1,020
SmallhorsesMmmmmmmmmmm Belgian beer.
Wonder if Jordan would create an alcohol appreciation forum for us? 💡
Remember, kids, quality, not quantity!
- 1,020
Now come on Smallhorses, put your drink down and get back on topic!
I'm trying to pick a car for 2 (enduro) races that have almost identical fields: R246 and Suzuka 1000km (Ed makes sign of the cross with his fingers at these tracks in an attemot to ward off evil spirits...). I've whittled my choices down to 3: Alfa 155 DTM car, the BMW M3 GTR Race car, and (current favourite) Nissan Motul Pitwork 350Z.
The Alfa is the slowest (high 1'40"s- low1'41"s), and very heavy on front tyres. If I was more consistent at these tracks, I'd probably go for that, but I have this uncanny knack of slamming into brickwalls and throwing it into the kitty litter (they're probably my worst tracks), so I need a bit more of a margin.
The BMW is the quickest, even without an oil change (450bhp). I can do low 1'38"s with that car, and the opposition can do 1'40"s. I think, even with me at the wheel, this would be too easy, but it is tempting.
With the Nissan, on the other hand, I can do high 1'38"s- low1'39"s, which was pretty much on target, and that's with SH rubber, which is important, as they stay out for ages on these races. Quickly glances at Smallhorses at-a-glance guide to pit strategies and sees their pit strategies at a glance, which gives me a guide... 20-30 laps at R246, and 12-16 laps at Suzuka.
What do you think? I notice you haven't done these races yet, and your arse is probly aching after last weekend (ooer), but what do you reckon?
Alll the best...
Ed
I'm trying to pick a car for 2 (enduro) races that have almost identical fields: R246 and Suzuka 1000km (Ed makes sign of the cross with his fingers at these tracks in an attemot to ward off evil spirits...). I've whittled my choices down to 3: Alfa 155 DTM car, the BMW M3 GTR Race car, and (current favourite) Nissan Motul Pitwork 350Z.
The Alfa is the slowest (high 1'40"s- low1'41"s), and very heavy on front tyres. If I was more consistent at these tracks, I'd probably go for that, but I have this uncanny knack of slamming into brickwalls and throwing it into the kitty litter (they're probably my worst tracks), so I need a bit more of a margin.
The BMW is the quickest, even without an oil change (450bhp). I can do low 1'38"s with that car, and the opposition can do 1'40"s. I think, even with me at the wheel, this would be too easy, but it is tempting.
With the Nissan, on the other hand, I can do high 1'38"s- low1'39"s, which was pretty much on target, and that's with SH rubber, which is important, as they stay out for ages on these races. Quickly glances at Smallhorses at-a-glance guide to pit strategies and sees their pit strategies at a glance, which gives me a guide... 20-30 laps at R246, and 12-16 laps at Suzuka.
What do you think? I notice you haven't done these races yet, and your arse is probly aching after last weekend (ooer), but what do you reckon?
Alll the best...
Ed
Ive just watched "leMans" starring Steve McQueen and I just noticed the lack of overall track coverage in the film. It basically just covers the starting straight and the 2 chicanes leading onto it, Arnage and Indianapolis and the straight leading up to that. I dont think there's any footage of the Mulsanne straight or the first sector (my favourite bit). Anyway, all this has worked my up for a good 24hour race, im gonna do some testing for now.
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vtec_guy
I haven't seen Le Mans for ages, saw Grand Prix not so long ago, real atmospheric stuff.
What are you going to be in, V-TEC guy? How about the NSX LM Race car 👍 ?(Prize car frm Super Speedway 150
) Sounds like your kinda thing.PS I drive a '92 V-TEC Prelude in RL. Love it...
FastEddie12, i would agree with you about the BMW M3 GTR race car being a bit quick...However, i have found out that if you have the Madza RX-7 LM race car, that will generally push you the most, especially if you fall behind on the pits!
I did use the BMW M3 GTR car to complete the R246, and finished with a rather large margin of 53 seconds....all because the Nissan Motul Pitwork 350Z pitted with four laps to go, with a margin of 18 seconds! I did notice that the front tires wear faster than the rears....
It didn't seem to matter too much if you pit sooner than the AI, just so long as you were able to catch them up!
BTW, I A-spec'ced it, and was surprised at how much work you had to do, just to actually plan and win the race, with all the pit stops!
Now, i'm just wondering whether to do the Grand Valley or El Cap....?
Submerged.
I did use the BMW M3 GTR car to complete the R246, and finished with a rather large margin of 53 seconds....all because the Nissan Motul Pitwork 350Z pitted with four laps to go, with a margin of 18 seconds! I did notice that the front tires wear faster than the rears....
It didn't seem to matter too much if you pit sooner than the AI, just so long as you were able to catch them up!
BTW, I A-spec'ced it, and was surprised at how much work you had to do, just to actually plan and win the race, with all the pit stops!
Now, i'm just wondering whether to do the Grand Valley or El Cap....?
Submerged.
- 1,020
Submerged
Cheers for the advice bud, probably go with the Nissan. (Then fall behind half-way, give up and come back with the beemer...)
El Cap is a great race with a great prize car. I think I did it in a Lotus Esprit. I do like that track.
- 270
cool beans small hourse....i have always wanted some one to do this
- 270
good thing your here
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
@ TeamWilliams F1 Thanks for the feedback, you do realise there's an edit button don't you, it saves the double (and triple posts I saw elsewhere) from you! Just a friendly reminder before the mods jump all over you!
Keep watching this space, there's 6 more enduros to go, maybe more if I come back for 200 A-Spec points on each one!
@ FastEddie12 Not sure what to take on those races in yet, had an abortive attempt at Suzuka in the Subaru touring car to see when the AI pitted, but they outlast it by about 5 laps! Too heavy on tyres that one. Used it for GVS instead. Have been experimenting with R246 in the Stratos Rally car, but again I don't think its tyres will last, just wanted something a little unconventional.
The big disadvantage as far as I can tell with the Nissan (although I don't own it yet) is that it has better downforce than all the other JGTCs which means it won't cook its tyres so quickly and hence probably won't yield such a close race. The only other things I have in the garage race-wise are the 2 Mazda LMs & the Honda NSX-R LM which would be massive overkill so I'm not touching them. Was surprised to see that the NSX-R Road car is more powerful than the race car! Strange, huh?
@ submerged if you're looking for an 200pt A-spec special, do El Capitan, and try to do it in something absolutely stock, even leaving SM tyres on. There's been numerous reports of this, and 3 entries are mentioned so far in the stock car comparison/challenge thread. The Suzuki GSXR-4 which by all accounts is much too easy, the BMW M3 '04 and my own ride, the Supra RZ '97 which I got used and changed the oil on. Something with around 4.6kg/HP WPR which goes about 10 laps between stops should give an exciting race against the 5th or 6th lineup after a reset, it has the Corvette Grandsport as the closest competition. The AI suck at this course, there's masses of time to be made up just after the tunnel on every lap.
Sadly after finishing Sarthe II in the wee hours of Tuesday morning I had to fly back up to Montana for the rest of the week, so no more racing for Smallhorses until Saturday.
Keep watching this space, there's 6 more enduros to go, maybe more if I come back for 200 A-Spec points on each one!
@ FastEddie12 Not sure what to take on those races in yet, had an abortive attempt at Suzuka in the Subaru touring car to see when the AI pitted, but they outlast it by about 5 laps! Too heavy on tyres that one. Used it for GVS instead. Have been experimenting with R246 in the Stratos Rally car, but again I don't think its tyres will last, just wanted something a little unconventional.
The big disadvantage as far as I can tell with the Nissan (although I don't own it yet) is that it has better downforce than all the other JGTCs which means it won't cook its tyres so quickly and hence probably won't yield such a close race.
The only other things I have in the garage race-wise are the 2 Mazda LMs & the Honda NSX-R LM which would be massive overkill so I'm not touching them. Was surprised to see that the NSX-R Road car is more powerful than the race car! Strange, huh? @ submerged if you're looking for an 200pt A-spec special, do El Capitan,
and try to do it in something absolutely stock, even leaving SM tyres on. There's been numerous reports of this, and 3 entries are mentioned so far in the stock car comparison/challenge thread. The Suzuki GSXR-4 which by all accounts is much too easy, the BMW M3 '04 and my own ride, the Supra RZ '97 which I got used and changed the oil on. Something with around 4.6kg/HP WPR which goes about 10 laps between stops should give an exciting race against the 5th or 6th lineup after a reset, it has the Corvette Grandsport as the closest competition. The AI suck at this course, there's masses of time to be made up just after the tunnel on every lap. Sadly after finishing Sarthe II in the wee hours of Tuesday morning I had to fly back up to Montana for the rest of the week, so no more racing for Smallhorses until Saturday.
