Four Hours: The Nürburgring 4Hr Companion & Competition
- Thread starter Famine
- 989 comments
- 134,158 views
- 84,366
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
Just to save speculation, it's in-keeping with the field (classed as a tuner), has a stock adjustable rear wing and runs near 480PP standard (I thought it was 47x, but in the Settings it was 480PP). I've added 70ish kg of ballast to bring it to 1003kg and 96.0% on the power limiter to bring it down to 255hp, but it is still breaking in so it'll gain over the course of the race. And it has a door number, but runs SH tyres as standard.
- 84,366
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
26th October 2011
Car used: Opera Performance S2000 '04
Tuning: Detuning, mainly. 96% on the power limiter, 70ish kg of ballast, rear wing set to minimum and race soft tyres.
PP: 469PP
Power, Weight, PWR: 255hp, 1003kg, 254.2hp/tonne
Grid:
1. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87
2. S.Leon; AEM S2000
3. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32
4. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
5. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS
6. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09
7. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04
8. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04
9. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04
10. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
11. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60
12. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
Lap 1 - 8'50.208
Now that's a grid with teeth!
The usual "descend to 12th" start for 250hp cars occurs, but seven places are made up again braking into the hairpin. I come into Mercedes in 5th and there's a bizarre pile-up in my rear view mirror which looks like the HPA R32 is sideways and blocking the hairpin exit. No matter - he's holding up the S2000s, so I'm unbothered.
Up at the pointy end are the Yellowbird, R8 LMS, HPA TT and the AEM S2000. The AEM is passed around the outside of the curve leading onto the Nordschleife and the HPA TT follows at T13 - two places in the same corner complex! Up at the front the Yellowbird is clearly holding the R8 LMS back and the change of places finally occurs at Aremberg. I pass the Yellowbird going into Wipperman (as usual), leaving me to chase the R8...
The R8 is almost as good as me in the bends and much faster on the straights, but the 5s lead he had over me as I passed the Yellowbird is only stretched to 14s by the finish.
Lap 2 - 8'35.320
A solid lap from the little S2000 and the R8 is only able to pull to 20s ahead. Of course by now the Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo, with 300hp more than me, is likely past the traffic and I can expect to see his canards soon...
Lap 3 - 8'38.859
Another fine lap and a mere 30s deficit to to the R8. As predicted, the S2000 Turbo joins my rear bumper at Antoniusbusche, but cannot get past until just after the finish line.
Lap 4 - 8'41.991
Yet I'm only third briefly as I take the inside of the hairpin.
Where I've been holding station before (passing through five successive sectors at +23.3 in lap 2), I'm now gaining a little ground on the R8 and the Turbo is not as close this lap as previous ones. I'm looking at 50% tyre life and just about 30 litres of fuel use... could the rabbits be burning through theirs? Either way, my pre-race calculations say I should run a majority of five lappers, so I'm in next time around...
Lap 5 - 8'47.492 & pit-in
Suspicions confirmed... the R8 goes from 37s ahead to 34s over the first quarter of the lap and then, at Karussell, the times start tumbling until he's just eleven seconds up by the gantry. The Turbo has fallen away markedly too and we pit in almost equidistant from each other.
The crew tell me that 42 litres of gas have been turned into fun - 8.4 of them each lap - so I take on a free 15 and bugger off for another 5 laps. Apparently the front-right wheelman hasn't done his job properly and I carry my old wheel with me down the pit lane... D'oh. On the bright side, the R8 is immobile and I cruise past on the limiter.
Lap 6 - 9'04.919 & pit-out
The first available split tells me I have a 28s advantage over the now-chasing R8, which should give me two laps' grace. Or, more specifically, three laps' grace less Dottinger Hohe...
Lap 7 - 8'36.155
Uneventful. Quick, but uneventful. The hour passes at 6 laps complete plus 7'21.211 at Schwalbenschwanz.
Lap 8 - 8'36.531
Uneventful. Quick and consistent, but uneventful. And shouldn't the R8 be on my tail by now?
Lap 9 - 8'38.756
The R8 is closing quickly, but nowhere near as quickly as I was expecting. The 6s gap at the end of lap 8 is a 1.1s gap by the end of lap 9, but I'm in no danger of being passed at any point of the lap...
Lap 10 - 8'44.502 & pit-in
It seems his tyres are done - he loses time hand over fist and from being on my bumper into the first hairpin he's all but nowhere by Aremberg and the time keeps piling on. At Eschbach his tyres are shot and at the end of the lap I pit in - 40 litres used (8 per lap), 33 litres remaining, 15 taken on board for 48 total and a four lapper requiring 38 - with a thirty second advantage...
I briefly lap the Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS at Galgenkopf but he unlaps himself while I'm in the pits.
Lap 11 - 9'04.557 & pit-out
The first genuine split puts the Audi 1'08 behind me. Ouch.
During this lap I relap the Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS at Bergwerk and the Art Morrison Corvette in the middle of Angstkurve - he seems to have a smoke generator on board...
Lap 12 - 8'34.293
New best lap. Rah! Lightly held up too, by the Ruf Yellowbird and the Opera 350Z at Hocheichen, but otherwise empty.
Lap 13 - 8'37.415
Uneventful again. The R8 is only closing the gap by a few seconds a lap now.
Lap 14 - 8'38.580 & pit-in
More uneventful. Two hours pass at 13 laps plus 6'29.002, approaching Brunnchen. I pit in with an advantage of 52s, take on 30 litres of fuel - 15 left in the tank meaning 33 used (8.3 per lap) and 45 on board for a 5 lap stint - and leave with an advantage of 12s and the R8 is on his fifth lap of fail...
With 2 hours and half race distance passed, it's halfway ranking time!
1. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04
2. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09
3. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
4. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32
5. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
6. S.Leon; AEM S2000
7. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04
8. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
9. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04
10. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87
11. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60
12. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS
Lap 15 - 9'12.351 & pit-out
Fifth lap of fail indeed - I'm already back up to my pre-stop advantage when I cross the line, and when the R8 and Turbo emerge from the pits they are a full two minutes back...
Lap 16 - 8'33.856
New fastest lap! I lap the HPA R32 in the middle of Wipperman, but nothing else to note.
Lap 17 - 8'35.928
The Mine's Skyline emerges from his pitstop just in front of me and lets me past in Bitkurve. Other than that... nada.
Lap 18 - 8'40.644
Everyone's queueing up to be lapped... The HPA TT is busy lapping the Art Morrison Corvette at Flugplatz - somehow the pair of them manage to find two lines through it - and settle their squabble in time for me to pass the Corvette around the outside of Aremberg. The HPA yields (eventually) at Adenauer Forst. Shortly after that, the AEM S2000 gets a poor run through Miss-Hit-Miss and I put a lap on him at Wipperman.
Lap 19 - 8'44.159 & pit-in
The normal Amuse S2000 GT1 is the next to be lapped, conceding the place at Hatzenbach.
The pitcrew say I've got 4 litres left - that's 41 used at 8.2 per lap - so I opt for another 41 litres for the next five laps. Peculiarly, the HPA TT unlaps himself while I'm in the pits...
Lap 20 - 9'18.144 & pit-out
But he concedes the place again at Schwedenkreuz and the lap is otherwise empty.
Lap 21 - 8'35.457
The Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS finds himself two laps down, leaving Karussell (somehow), on a largely standard lap.
3 hours passes at 20 laps plus 4'45.340, leaving Bergwerk.
Lap 22 - 8'38.970
A wildly spinning Yellowbird appears to be next in line, eventually lapped again in the middle of Adenauer Forst. Typically he spends much of the rest of the lap glued to me...
Lap 23 - 8'42.609
So much for nepotism - the sister Opera Performance 350Z '04 holds me up badly at Wipperman, eventually to be lapped again in the first part of Pflanzgarten.
Lap 24 - 8'40.089 & pit-in
A straightforward lap with a straightforward splash & dash - 4 litres left (again 41 used at 8.2 per lap), so 31 are taken on to get me to the end of lap 28...
Lap 25 - 9'07.400 & pit-out
...
Lap 26 - 8'32.599
Since I'm not likely to encounter anything now, I may as well chuck it about a bit, eh? New best lap too!
As the R8 comes out of the pits, the splits now say he's over three minutes behind...
Lap 27 - 8'33.629
Apparently, the Art Morrison Corvette chose to pit up ahead and provide me with some entertainment. He moves aside through Brunnchen and I go on my merry way.
Lap 28 - 8'41.325
Little to report save for the AI gradually finishing behind me after 4 hours passes at 27 laps plus 3'54.587 expired - just leaving Miss-Hit-Miss. The little S2000 ploughs round one last time and take the chequered flag.
1. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04; 28 laps; 4hr04'46.738
2. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09; 28 laps; 4hr07'45
3. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo; 28 laps; 4hr08'00
4. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32; 26 laps; 4hr01'25
5. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04; 26 laps; 4hr02'10
6. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06; 26 laps; 4hr02'25
7. S.Leon; AEM S2000; 26 laps; 4hr02'55
8. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT; 26 laps; 4hr04'05
9. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04; 25 laps; 4hr00'35
10. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS; 25 laps; 4hr07'30
11. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87; 25 laps; 4hr08'00
12. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60; 24 laps; 4hr06'45
Summary
After the first pitstop it was pretty apparent this wasn't going to be a race. After the second I was considering stopping given how much I figured I'd win by...
This car has no right to put down these lap times. It is obscenely fast for the power, weight and PP rating. It might even put up enough of a fight on sport softs to win the same race - and would certainly blow away any field that didn't have the two 28 lappers in it.
Car used: Opera Performance S2000 '04
Tuning: Detuning, mainly. 96% on the power limiter, 70ish kg of ballast, rear wing set to minimum and race soft tyres.
PP: 469PP
Power, Weight, PWR: 255hp, 1003kg, 254.2hp/tonne
Grid:
1. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87
2. S.Leon; AEM S2000
3. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32
4. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
5. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS
6. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09
7. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04
8. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04
9. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04
10. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
11. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60
12. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
Lap 1 - 8'50.208
Now that's a grid with teeth!
The usual "descend to 12th" start for 250hp cars occurs, but seven places are made up again braking into the hairpin. I come into Mercedes in 5th and there's a bizarre pile-up in my rear view mirror which looks like the HPA R32 is sideways and blocking the hairpin exit. No matter - he's holding up the S2000s, so I'm unbothered.
Up at the pointy end are the Yellowbird, R8 LMS, HPA TT and the AEM S2000. The AEM is passed around the outside of the curve leading onto the Nordschleife and the HPA TT follows at T13 - two places in the same corner complex! Up at the front the Yellowbird is clearly holding the R8 LMS back and the change of places finally occurs at Aremberg. I pass the Yellowbird going into Wipperman (as usual), leaving me to chase the R8...
The R8 is almost as good as me in the bends and much faster on the straights, but the 5s lead he had over me as I passed the Yellowbird is only stretched to 14s by the finish.
Lap 2 - 8'35.320
A solid lap from the little S2000 and the R8 is only able to pull to 20s ahead. Of course by now the Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo, with 300hp more than me, is likely past the traffic and I can expect to see his canards soon...
Lap 3 - 8'38.859
Another fine lap and a mere 30s deficit to to the R8. As predicted, the S2000 Turbo joins my rear bumper at Antoniusbusche, but cannot get past until just after the finish line.
Lap 4 - 8'41.991
Yet I'm only third briefly as I take the inside of the hairpin.
Where I've been holding station before (passing through five successive sectors at +23.3 in lap 2), I'm now gaining a little ground on the R8 and the Turbo is not as close this lap as previous ones. I'm looking at 50% tyre life and just about 30 litres of fuel use... could the rabbits be burning through theirs? Either way, my pre-race calculations say I should run a majority of five lappers, so I'm in next time around...
Lap 5 - 8'47.492 & pit-in
Suspicions confirmed... the R8 goes from 37s ahead to 34s over the first quarter of the lap and then, at Karussell, the times start tumbling until he's just eleven seconds up by the gantry. The Turbo has fallen away markedly too and we pit in almost equidistant from each other.
The crew tell me that 42 litres of gas have been turned into fun - 8.4 of them each lap - so I take on a free 15 and bugger off for another 5 laps. Apparently the front-right wheelman hasn't done his job properly and I carry my old wheel with me down the pit lane... D'oh. On the bright side, the R8 is immobile and I cruise past on the limiter.
Lap 6 - 9'04.919 & pit-out
The first available split tells me I have a 28s advantage over the now-chasing R8, which should give me two laps' grace. Or, more specifically, three laps' grace less Dottinger Hohe...
Lap 7 - 8'36.155
Uneventful. Quick, but uneventful. The hour passes at 6 laps complete plus 7'21.211 at Schwalbenschwanz.
Lap 8 - 8'36.531
Uneventful. Quick and consistent, but uneventful. And shouldn't the R8 be on my tail by now?
Lap 9 - 8'38.756
The R8 is closing quickly, but nowhere near as quickly as I was expecting. The 6s gap at the end of lap 8 is a 1.1s gap by the end of lap 9, but I'm in no danger of being passed at any point of the lap...
Lap 10 - 8'44.502 & pit-in
It seems his tyres are done - he loses time hand over fist and from being on my bumper into the first hairpin he's all but nowhere by Aremberg and the time keeps piling on. At Eschbach his tyres are shot and at the end of the lap I pit in - 40 litres used (8 per lap), 33 litres remaining, 15 taken on board for 48 total and a four lapper requiring 38 - with a thirty second advantage...
I briefly lap the Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS at Galgenkopf but he unlaps himself while I'm in the pits.
Lap 11 - 9'04.557 & pit-out
The first genuine split puts the Audi 1'08 behind me. Ouch.
During this lap I relap the Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS at Bergwerk and the Art Morrison Corvette in the middle of Angstkurve - he seems to have a smoke generator on board...
Lap 12 - 8'34.293
New best lap. Rah! Lightly held up too, by the Ruf Yellowbird and the Opera 350Z at Hocheichen, but otherwise empty.
Lap 13 - 8'37.415
Uneventful again. The R8 is only closing the gap by a few seconds a lap now.
Lap 14 - 8'38.580 & pit-in
More uneventful. Two hours pass at 13 laps plus 6'29.002, approaching Brunnchen. I pit in with an advantage of 52s, take on 30 litres of fuel - 15 left in the tank meaning 33 used (8.3 per lap) and 45 on board for a 5 lap stint - and leave with an advantage of 12s and the R8 is on his fifth lap of fail...
With 2 hours and half race distance passed, it's halfway ranking time!
1. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04
2. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09
3. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
4. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32
5. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
6. S.Leon; AEM S2000
7. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04
8. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT
9. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04
10. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87
11. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60
12. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS
Lap 15 - 9'12.351 & pit-out
Fifth lap of fail indeed - I'm already back up to my pre-stop advantage when I cross the line, and when the R8 and Turbo emerge from the pits they are a full two minutes back...
Lap 16 - 8'33.856
New fastest lap! I lap the HPA R32 in the middle of Wipperman, but nothing else to note.
Lap 17 - 8'35.928
The Mine's Skyline emerges from his pitstop just in front of me and lets me past in Bitkurve. Other than that... nada.
Lap 18 - 8'40.644
Everyone's queueing up to be lapped... The HPA TT is busy lapping the Art Morrison Corvette at Flugplatz - somehow the pair of them manage to find two lines through it - and settle their squabble in time for me to pass the Corvette around the outside of Aremberg. The HPA yields (eventually) at Adenauer Forst. Shortly after that, the AEM S2000 gets a poor run through Miss-Hit-Miss and I put a lap on him at Wipperman.
Lap 19 - 8'44.159 & pit-in
The normal Amuse S2000 GT1 is the next to be lapped, conceding the place at Hatzenbach.
The pitcrew say I've got 4 litres left - that's 41 used at 8.2 per lap - so I opt for another 41 litres for the next five laps. Peculiarly, the HPA TT unlaps himself while I'm in the pits...
Lap 20 - 9'18.144 & pit-out
But he concedes the place again at Schwedenkreuz and the lap is otherwise empty.
Lap 21 - 8'35.457
The Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS finds himself two laps down, leaving Karussell (somehow), on a largely standard lap.
3 hours passes at 20 laps plus 4'45.340, leaving Bergwerk.
Lap 22 - 8'38.970
A wildly spinning Yellowbird appears to be next in line, eventually lapped again in the middle of Adenauer Forst. Typically he spends much of the rest of the lap glued to me...
Lap 23 - 8'42.609
So much for nepotism - the sister Opera Performance 350Z '04 holds me up badly at Wipperman, eventually to be lapped again in the first part of Pflanzgarten.
Lap 24 - 8'40.089 & pit-in
A straightforward lap with a straightforward splash & dash - 4 litres left (again 41 used at 8.2 per lap), so 31 are taken on to get me to the end of lap 28...
Lap 25 - 9'07.400 & pit-out
...
Lap 26 - 8'32.599
Since I'm not likely to encounter anything now, I may as well chuck it about a bit, eh? New best lap too!
As the R8 comes out of the pits, the splits now say he's over three minutes behind...
Lap 27 - 8'33.629
Apparently, the Art Morrison Corvette chose to pit up ahead and provide me with some entertainment. He moves aside through Brunnchen and I go on my merry way.
Lap 28 - 8'41.325
Little to report save for the AI gradually finishing behind me after 4 hours passes at 27 laps plus 3'54.587 expired - just leaving Miss-Hit-Miss. The little S2000 ploughs round one last time and take the chequered flag.
1. GTP_Famine; Opera Performance S2000 '04; 28 laps; 4hr04'46.738
2. R.Kimura; Audi R8 LMS Race Car '09; 28 laps; 4hr07'45
3. N.Nicholson; Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo; 28 laps; 4hr08'00
4. G.Mari; HPA Motorsports Stage II R32; 26 laps; 4hr01'25
5. C.Maas; Amuse S2000 GT1 '04; 26 laps; 4hr02'10
6. M.Marchese; Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06; 26 laps; 4hr02'25
7. S.Leon; AEM S2000; 26 laps; 4hr02'55
8. H. van Beek; 2007 HPA Motorsports FT565 twin turbo Audi TT; 26 laps; 4hr04'05
9. L.Albert; Opera Performance 350Z '04; 25 laps; 4hr00'35
10. J.Hanson; Gran Turismo Amuse/Opera Performance 350Z RS; 25 laps; 4hr07'30
11. O.Gustafsson; RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" '87; 25 laps; 4hr08'00
12. G.Keller; Art Morrison Corvette '60; 24 laps; 4hr06'45
Summary
After the first pitstop it was pretty apparent this wasn't going to be a race. After the second I was considering stopping given how much I figured I'd win by...
This car has no right to put down these lap times. It is obscenely fast for the power, weight and PP rating. It might even put up enough of a fight on sport softs to win the same race - and would certainly blow away any field that didn't have the two 28 lappers in it.
- 11,122
- Bromley
- V16T91
- E0nLeader
👍 Normally I would give a +rep but your rep is already infinite anyway. Also I need my internet cookie for the correct guess. Also funny you post this on the day I post a fanfic chapter showing a Caterham beating an S2k Turbo The Opera S2000 though is truly a very fast machine. It would be the best of all S2000's in the game if it was a little more controllable at times, and it's probably the best of the faster ones. RS seemed quite overkill as well
Wasn't the Opera a similar giant-killer in GT4 as well? I think Smallhorses might have done an endurance with it, think it might have been the old Nurb 4h actually...
- 1,942
- Emerging from semi-retirement
- GTP_DGiant2000
- I think not
Very nice write up again Famine and interesting that you could win so 'easily' with a car so far down on power. Interestingly I was considering attempting with the Opera 350z and see how I got on there, it has a bit more power and a lot more talk but is a fat boy compared to the S2k, pp wise they're almost identical though. I will do some testing tomorrow and see what kind of laptimes I can produce.
My other vehicle to try is an old 80's audi quattro which would have to run against the non rabbit grid but again more testing is needed before I take the plunge with it.
My other vehicle to try is an old 80's audi quattro which would have to run against the non rabbit grid but again more testing is needed before I take the plunge with it.
- 36,520
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
I've just finished the race I've been doing since Monday.
The Prius of Pinkness is still on Racing Softs, but this time has 100kg of ballast in the boot. I had mucked about a bit with suspension settings, but I think the tyre wear was helped more by running maximum downforce this time. Stats are 199bhp, 1135kg and 466pp. The grid was the first, non-rabbit, grid with the HPA TT and the S2000GT1 '04.
I've got all the laptimes, but I'll just give a summary as it was quite a boring race. I got up to 3rd during the course of the first lap, which I held until I moved up to 2nd past the HPA TT during the pitstops at the end of lap 5. The S2000 was ahead but just starting it's 6th lap of doom. It made it to the pits still ahead but I drove past into the lead while he was still being refuelled. As you may recall, the magical Prius of Pinkness uses absolutely zero fuel.
This left me with a 32 seconds lead over the TT, and the S2000 had plummeted to 6th. The TT got my lead down to 4 seconds just before our 2nd stops. My stop was obviously much quicker so I came out with a 20 second lead over the S2000 (Its 6 lap strategy jumped it over everyone else who pitted) but his tyres then died leaving me 47 seconds ahead of the TT. I was lapping between 9'07 and 9'15 for much of the race which meant the gap was yoyo-ing as he caught me on the track only for me to pull out a gap by being in the pits less.
I was doing a 5 lap pit strategy again, which would take me to lap 25, but I knew that I would need to do one, possibly two, 6 lap stints. I did the first of these by pitting on lap 21, and knew that my next stint would maybe be a 6 lapper too. The gap by this point had went out to nearly 2 minutes.
I crossed the line at the end of lap 25 with 9'17 left of the race. I decided at that point to see if I could manage to get to the end of the lap within the time so I could do a 27th lap. Lap 26 was a 9'15 lap and I scraped into the 27th lap by 2 seconds!
I cruised the 17th lap with a 9'27-ish laptime, for a total time of 4"09'30-ish.
Best lap was a 9'02.340 on lap 2!
The Prius of Pinkness is still on Racing Softs, but this time has 100kg of ballast in the boot. I had mucked about a bit with suspension settings, but I think the tyre wear was helped more by running maximum downforce this time. Stats are 199bhp, 1135kg and 466pp. The grid was the first, non-rabbit, grid with the HPA TT and the S2000GT1 '04.
I've got all the laptimes, but I'll just give a summary as it was quite a boring race. I got up to 3rd during the course of the first lap, which I held until I moved up to 2nd past the HPA TT during the pitstops at the end of lap 5. The S2000 was ahead but just starting it's 6th lap of doom. It made it to the pits still ahead but I drove past into the lead while he was still being refuelled. As you may recall, the magical Prius of Pinkness uses absolutely zero fuel.
This left me with a 32 seconds lead over the TT, and the S2000 had plummeted to 6th. The TT got my lead down to 4 seconds just before our 2nd stops. My stop was obviously much quicker so I came out with a 20 second lead over the S2000 (Its 6 lap strategy jumped it over everyone else who pitted) but his tyres then died leaving me 47 seconds ahead of the TT. I was lapping between 9'07 and 9'15 for much of the race which meant the gap was yoyo-ing as he caught me on the track only for me to pull out a gap by being in the pits less.
I was doing a 5 lap pit strategy again, which would take me to lap 25, but I knew that I would need to do one, possibly two, 6 lap stints. I did the first of these by pitting on lap 21, and knew that my next stint would maybe be a 6 lapper too. The gap by this point had went out to nearly 2 minutes.
I crossed the line at the end of lap 25 with 9'17 left of the race. I decided at that point to see if I could manage to get to the end of the lap within the time so I could do a 27th lap. Lap 26 was a 9'15 lap and I scraped into the 27th lap by 2 seconds!
I cruised the 17th lap with a 9'27-ish laptime, for a total time of 4"09'30-ish.
Best lap was a 9'02.340 on lap 2!
Last edited:
- 3,130
- HaylRayzor
- 84,366
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
It had purple on it already. No painting needed 
I just worked out that I averaged 104.1mph... Lawks. I'll do some Sport Soft testing tomorrow and see if I can acquire one that's already broken in and, for preference, worn out
I just worked out that I averaged 104.1mph... Lawks. I'll do some Sport Soft testing tomorrow and see if I can acquire one that's already broken in and, for preference, worn out
- 629
- England
- TheBonobo4
Race finished and as you can see it went horribly wrong. Hard to say if that set-up could have won, I was 5 minutes behind.Here goes my 2nd attempt with the Dome Zero.
253BHP/846kg
299.1BHP/tonne
483PP
RS Tyres used throughout race
Starting Grid (to save time I'm just using initials of drivers)
L.V - Gran Turismo Skyline GT-R
P.W - G37
K.N - S2000 GT1 (main rival)
J.B - Fairlady Z
T.D - EVO VI
B.S - GT 350Z RS
Me - Dome Zero
W.T - 350Z
A.C - Skyline GT-R S Tune (R32)
H.L - AEM S2000
L.M - RX-7
A.G - NISMO 380RS
Lap 1 - 9:11.395
Up to 4th by the Nordschleife, then 3rd somewhere later. GT1 is 16s ahead at the line, with the Fairlady Z second. The car tops out cleanly at 166mph.
Lap 2 - 9:07.380
Uneventful. Still in 3rd 32s behind GT1.
Lap 3 - 9:45.313
Very sloppy lap because of me. Without aids (except ABS set to 1) this car can get kinda sideways, even on RS Tyres. Though the tyres should be good for a total of 5 Laps. Now down to 7th.
Lap 4 - 9:18.960
Not the best, not the worst lap. Sideways at times but never had to reverse out of a crash. Got 6th at Galgenkopf only to be overtaken again by the GT Skyline GT-R but then back to 6th after Tiergarten,
Lap 5 - 9:29.333 (Pit-In)
My only real hope now of winning is the possibility of winning the economy race, or due to the speculated "6th lap of doom". If I'm not ahead by the start of Lap 8, (or at least within winning range/hope of victory), I'm pulling out and trying again at a future date. In my stint I used 42L of fuel, so that's 8.4L per lap, so I just put in the 14L free fuel and leave. This means I had 58L going in and I'll have 72L coming out. So by next stop I'll have 30L, so technically I could just put in 14L then have 2L by the 3rd stop (Lap 15). At this rate it'll be a 5 stop race needing ~210L of fuel.
Lap 6 - 9:29.790 (Out-Lap)
Thankfully, the GT1 had its lap of doom and I gained 30s because of it, plus about 1 minute when it was in the pits. I'm now 4th as I passed 2 in the pits.
However, I'm going to be saving and quitting after the next stop as it'll be about 10PM when I pit and midnight if I finish tonight, so I'll finish tomorrow.
Lap 7 - 9:04.349
Very good lap, only a few mistakes. I managed to pass the RX-7 into 3rd after Aremburg. Gap is now 63s behind the GT1.
Lap 8 - 9:22.682
Lot of mistakes. Still 3rd, gap is now 1:29.
Lap 9 - 9:12.328
Relatively decent lap. Still 3rd but the AEM is about 1s behind. Gap is now 1:39 behind the S2000. This really is a battle of economy and laps of death as in flying laps he is around 20s a lap faster on average, so I need to gain around 1-1.5 minutes on him every pit-stop, hard but doable. Oh and make few mistakes.
Lap 10 - 9:30.517 (Pit-In and Race Suspended)
LOst 4th to the AEM S2000 after the first hairpin but regained it onto the Nordschleife only to lose it again. Then, on Dottinger I see 5th.I keep him off as I enter the pits for my 2nd stop and I suspend the race. Gap is around 1:50.
-----------------------------------------------------
Lap 11 - 9:45.382 (Pit-Out)
And we're back after a race suspension. It turns out I had 33L left in nthe tank, so I only used up 39L of fuel, or 7.8L per lap. I'm uncertain as to how much to put in so I put in 30L, giving 63L for the next stint where I'll have ~23L by Lap 15 so I can put in just 20L to give ~43L of fuel by the end of Lap 20, then an earlier pit on Lap 24 not 25 with about 3L left so put in another 20L then.
As for the lap, not much to report here. Started and ended 5th. Gap is now 2:30.
Lap 12 - 9:06.296
A good lap, but a few mistakes so could have been better. However, I managed to take 3rd in the pits and the S2000 is no longer 1st, but 2nd. The Fairlady leads. I feel there is still some hope.
Lap 13 - 9:15.933
Another average lap, few mistakes. S2000 still 2nd, I'm still 3rd. Gap to the Fairlady is now 1:55.
We've now had half the race time gone. The grid stands at:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Fairlady
2. Amuse S2000 GT1
3. Dome Zero
4. NISMO 380RS
5. AEM S2000
6. RX-7
7. G37
8. Skyline GT-R S Tune (R32)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lap 14 - 9:17.726
Not much to report here. Gap is now 2:11.
Lap 15 - 9:28.212 (Pit-In)
As I pit in from 3rd I had 23L left as expected so I put in just 20L. I drop down to 5th in the pits, but no worries as I'll likely regain lost time when everyone pits or because of my fresh tyres.
At the moment it seems I'll likely come 3rd, I can't see myself winning this one but doubt I'll come worse than 3rd.
Lap 16 - 9:31.459 (Pit-Out)
Not much to say really. Still 5th.
Lap 17 - 9:09.080
Average lap. Still 5th.
Lap 18 - 9:17.824
Average lap in terms of pace, but good otherwise. Passed the AEM S2000 just before the Karussel to take 4th and then the 3rd placed NISMO 380RS to take 3rd. Still in 3rd at the line.
Lap 19 - 9:28.139
Quite a poor lap, lots of spins. Still 3rd though thankfully.
Lap 20 - 10:12.020 (Pit-In)
This'll be my last lap of the night as once again it is 11:30PM, so I'll finish this tomorrow. Sorry all to anyone who is actually even read all this.
The lap was actually terrible. Many spins caused me to drop to 5th upon entering the pits with my tyres completely worn down. No hope of winning now as we enter the final hour.6th exiting the pits and for the rest of the lap.
Lap 21 - 9:52.717 (Pit-Out)
Another dreadful lap. Passed 5th just before Galgenkopf (RX-7).
Lap 22 - 9:19.474
Dull lap.
Lap 23 - 9:32.216 (Pit-In)
I've lost all motivation for this race. There's no point any more. With just 23 minutes left and 1st 4:30 ahead I can't win, unless his car is hit by a meteor and the driver impaled on shrapnel.
Lap 24 - 10:19.239 (Pit-Out)
A terribly pathetic lap, but honestly right now who cares? All I want right now is for this stupid race to end. Still 13 boring minutes to go, still sadly 5th.
Lap 25 -
Well the race is over. Couldn't be bothered doing a 26th lap so just dawdled my way to an early finish. Finished 9th, coulda come 5th.
Strangely though a bug occurred so I actually won, though I clearly came 9th. With 200% rewards, U Jelly?
Finished 25 Laps in 4 hours +~10 seconds, average speed of ~94.9mph.
1st - Fairlady
2nd - S2000 GT1
9th - Me
Didn't recall final lap time/total race time/finishing grid, but it was roughly 13:00/4:00:10.
Don't know what my next car will be, but it won't be for a LONG time. Personally right now I feel a bit of a combination of:
- Fed up of the race
- Not a good driver
- Not good at the race (I've tried 3 times and only won once, in an overpowered car).
SuperCobraJet
(Banned)
- 2,472
- Virginia USA
- SuperCobraJet1
It seems Famine has come upon KY's sweetspot car.
I have to agree, it has an over abundance of giddyup for the stats assigned.
At any rate, still a good job of thrashing the rabbits. 👍
I have to agree, it has an over abundance of giddyup for the stats assigned.
At any rate, still a good job of thrashing the rabbits. 👍
- 84,366
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
Big update to the first post Lots of races.
I'll just point out that this:
isn't true - no races after that one had been added, but all races before it had been. The first post had been updated for AI stats (which I'll need to look at again following this update) and thumbnails after ZeroG's report had been posted, but no races had been added to the leaderboards.
I'm considering adding some little gold medals to each leaderboard for each drivetrain class record, just for a little sparkle.
I think you have a couple of issues that are easy to address.
First up, remember that a bigger engine - regardless of power - means more fuel consumption. Notice how the top few cars in every category are naturally aspirated, 2 litre or less four pots? That's because they spend way less time in the pits compared to any car with a bigger engine (note that turbochargers and superchargers increase effective engine capacity by forcing more air through - engines are air-processing machines - but they can be more efficient than a naturally aspirated engine of the same capacity) and the same race pace. Being 2s a lap faster is no help if you use 3 litres a lap more.
Secondly, remember how GT treats tyre wear. Squeal = slip, slip = wear. Soft tyres grip more and hard tyres slip more, so hard tyres wear quicker. Bear in mind that putting more power through the same tyres in the same application means more slip and that means more wear. More weight means more wear too, although more downforce (which is also weight) means less wear due to increased grip (go figure). Certain settings also help.
Lastly, the 'Ring is a killer. You cannot overdrive it. The kerbs will kill you, the grass will kill you, the kitty litter will kill you and there's barriers two feet from the side of the track. Keep it between the white lines at all times - in my Opera S2000 race I left the confines of the white lines four times in the entire race, once by force, and only once did I not scrape my car on something. If your car ends the race looking like Hermann Munster's stunt double, you're overdriving it.
If you take a 500hp V8 to this race, it will drink fuel, it will shred its tyres and then you'll have to overdrive it to get it to the pits. If you already recognise you're not that great a driver, you'll also be crashing it all by yourself anyway... power is nothing without control and if you don't have control, more power is just shorthand for a faster, bigger crash.
Start small and practice. Grab one of the 300hp Japanese cars - an Evo VI or a GD Impreza - drop it under 1250kg, fit Racing Softs and plough round the track in Practice for a while. I'll lend you a 9'0x ghost to "chase" and follow the lines of - concentrate on smoothness and sticking between the white lines rather than outright pace. Put it in a (no rabbit) race when you can get consistent 9'05 laps or better and you've got a good win going - 300hp is 200hp down on the AI and 240hp/tonne is 100hp/tonne down on the AI. That's no small achievement. Plan your stops right - I always use a mix of 5 lap and 4 lap stints to get me to the end of the distance after the end of the time - and make sure you take your 15 litres in your first couple of stops even though you won't need it (your car is static for that time anyway and it saves time later on in the race). Make sure you can do 160mph down Dottinger Hohe unaided and you'll largely be safe from the AI as they cannot keep up sufficiently during the Kesselchen to Galgenkopf section to bother you. If you're not fussy about giving the AI respect, block them (only the leaders - don't bother with the others as they can't fight for the win) on the straights by jiggling the wheel so they cannot pick a side to pass.
By then you'll have learned the track, the lines and the tactics and you can do more with less.
Edit: Okay, this is odd... The Opera S2000 I used hasn't gained power or PP over the course of the race, despite being a prize car with 54 miles on it when I started. It's showing an additional race win and my stats show I have the appropriate prize money and new XP, putting me one N4 race away from Lv40 at 200% bonus. However, more oddly than that, the car is showing a total of 99.9 miles on it - it's gained mileage, but not the full 425 miles I did in it...
Edit edit: I just did another practice lap - 8'55.1 on sport softs (way too fast for any field not containing the rabbits, not fast enough for the rabbits) - and it added the mileage and gained a horsepower!
Lots of races.I'll just point out that this:
isn't true - no races after that one had been added, but all races before it had been. The first post had been updated for AI stats (which I'll need to look at again following this update) and thumbnails after ZeroG's report had been posted, but no races had been added to the leaderboards.
I'm considering adding some little gold medals to each leaderboard for each drivetrain class record, just for a little sparkle.
Race finished and as you can see it went horribly wrong. Hard to say if that set-up could have won, I was 5 minutes behind.
Don't know what my next car will be, but it won't be for a LONG time. Personally right now I feel a bit of a combination of:
- Fed up of the race
- Not a good driver
- Not good at the race (I've tried 3 times and only won once, in an overpowered car).
I think you have a couple of issues that are easy to address.
First up, remember that a bigger engine - regardless of power - means more fuel consumption. Notice how the top few cars in every category are naturally aspirated, 2 litre or less four pots? That's because they spend way less time in the pits compared to any car with a bigger engine (note that turbochargers and superchargers increase effective engine capacity by forcing more air through - engines are air-processing machines - but they can be more efficient than a naturally aspirated engine of the same capacity) and the same race pace. Being 2s a lap faster is no help if you use 3 litres a lap more.
Secondly, remember how GT treats tyre wear. Squeal = slip, slip = wear. Soft tyres grip more and hard tyres slip more, so hard tyres wear quicker. Bear in mind that putting more power through the same tyres in the same application means more slip and that means more wear. More weight means more wear too, although more downforce (which is also weight) means less wear due to increased grip (go figure). Certain settings also help.
Lastly, the 'Ring is a killer. You cannot overdrive it. The kerbs will kill you, the grass will kill you, the kitty litter will kill you and there's barriers two feet from the side of the track. Keep it between the white lines at all times - in my Opera S2000 race I left the confines of the white lines four times in the entire race, once by force, and only once did I not scrape my car on something. If your car ends the race looking like Hermann Munster's stunt double, you're overdriving it.
If you take a 500hp V8 to this race, it will drink fuel, it will shred its tyres and then you'll have to overdrive it to get it to the pits. If you already recognise you're not that great a driver, you'll also be crashing it all by yourself anyway... power is nothing without control and if you don't have control, more power is just shorthand for a faster, bigger crash.
Start small and practice. Grab one of the 300hp Japanese cars - an Evo VI or a GD Impreza - drop it under 1250kg, fit Racing Softs and plough round the track in Practice for a while. I'll lend you a 9'0x ghost to "chase" and follow the lines of - concentrate on smoothness and sticking between the white lines rather than outright pace. Put it in a (no rabbit) race when you can get consistent 9'05 laps or better and you've got a good win going - 300hp is 200hp down on the AI and 240hp/tonne is 100hp/tonne down on the AI. That's no small achievement. Plan your stops right - I always use a mix of 5 lap and 4 lap stints to get me to the end of the distance after the end of the time - and make sure you take your 15 litres in your first couple of stops even though you won't need it (your car is static for that time anyway and it saves time later on in the race). Make sure you can do 160mph down Dottinger Hohe unaided and you'll largely be safe from the AI as they cannot keep up sufficiently during the Kesselchen to Galgenkopf section to bother you. If you're not fussy about giving the AI respect, block them (only the leaders - don't bother with the others as they can't fight for the win) on the straights by jiggling the wheel so they cannot pick a side to pass.
By then you'll have learned the track, the lines and the tactics and you can do more with less.
Edit: Okay, this is odd... The Opera S2000 I used hasn't gained power or PP over the course of the race, despite being a prize car with 54 miles on it when I started. It's showing an additional race win and my stats show I have the appropriate prize money and new XP, putting me one N4 race away from Lv40 at 200% bonus. However, more oddly than that, the car is showing a total of 99.9 miles on it - it's gained mileage, but not the full 425 miles I did in it...
Edit edit: I just did another practice lap - 8'55.1 on sport softs (way too fast for any field not containing the rabbits, not fast enough for the rabbits) - and it added the mileage and gained a horsepower!
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- 3,130
- HaylRayzor
- 36,520
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
No, not in a stock Prius TC. The rabbits do 28 laps, where I only scraped into 27.
It will need to be refuelled now but it shouldn't have lost any speed. It should still be do-able
I left the track once in my last race. This race and track rewards consistency more than speed. Remember it is an endurance race also and can't be won in one lap.
- 1,942
- Emerging from semi-retirement
- GTP_DGiant2000
- I think not
This is the biggest thing I had to remind myself of on my first attempt, stint one I knackered the tyres trying to catch the TT and the S2k, 2nd stint I tried to drive more smoothly and avoid the horrible squealing noise and my tyres were in a much better state. Spin and go off though and you can chew the tyres up very fast.
ItsHim
Premium
- 1,315
- Bavaria/Germany
bonobo4Race finished and as you can see it went horribly wrong. Hard to say if that set-up could have won, I was 5 minutes behind.
Don't know what my next car will be, but it won't be for a LONG time. Personally right now I feel a bit of a combination of:
[*]Fed up of the race
[*]Not a good driver
[*]Not good at the race (I've tried 3 times and only won once, in an overpowered car).
Cheer up mate. I think you're putting yourself under too much pressure. Setting and beating records is fun and exciting and always a good read.
But don't do it just for the fame but also for the fun. The new N24 GT-R is a good ride. Start with race tyres and work your way to harder compound is my advice. That should be fun, too!
ItsHim
Premium
- 1,315
- Bavaria/Germany
I found the 430 Scuderia or the 458 really pleasant rides. ECU upgrade and an exhaust and you are ready to go. I started using TCS set to 1 or 2 now when on a DS3 - just can't manage the tyres like when using my G25.
The Acura RM is a fine car, too.
Still haven't completed another race, just too busy mocking around with Spa and the new TC cars and figuring out the new lineups. As Famine said they now change depending on the race you did before entering the N4.
Also with the updated physics, a rear wing now induces much more under steer so I'm doing only test runs for the moment.
The Acura RM is a fine car, too.
Still haven't completed another race, just too busy mocking around with Spa and the new TC cars and figuring out the new lineups. As Famine said they now change depending on the race you did before entering the N4.
Also with the updated physics, a rear wing now induces much more under steer so I'm doing only test runs for the moment.
- 3,130
- HaylRayzor
- 11,122
- Bromley
- V16T91
- E0nLeader
Not for me it doesn't. It's pretty much normal for me. Also, if you knew the HKS CT230R (stock) understeered to heck all levels in Spec 1, try it now in Spec 2. Mind you, my original tune that fixed the understeer before seems to have been very much hit by the new physics...but only on certain tracks. Something to do with it reacting to different kinds of surface me thinks...
SuperCobraJet
(Banned)
- 2,472
- Virginia USA
- SuperCobraJet1
So true.
Just my two cents here.
When running an Enduro, and particularly one at the Nurb, I do everything I can,
to get the car as comfortable, consistant, and predictable as possible.
Of course some cars are much more inclined to allow this than others, but it will help minimize mistakes and frustration.
Running 4hrs and 27-28 laps there, will provide ample opportunity for mistakes.
As the old saying goes, the first rule is : Don't beat yourself.
- 3,130
- HaylRayzor
Race finished and as you can see it went horribly wrong. Hard to say if that set-up could have won, I was 5 minutes behind.
Don't know what my next car will be, but it won't be for a LONG time. Personally right now I feel a bit of a combination of:
- Fed up of the race
- Not a good driver
- Not good at the race (I've tried 3 times and only won once, in an overpowered car).
To throw in my 2 cents (worth less than a penny in today's economy)...
Go to the AMG Challenge and do the beginner until you get all golds. Then do the intermediate until you get all golds. Watch the demos to see how to drive each corner.
This from a guy who has no alien talent. (Some might say little talent of any kind.) It took me a while to get gold on these events. It took me even longer to get gold on the wet challenges.
But learning the proper lines for each corner makes you faster and makes you enjoy the drive so much more.
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- 629
- Bill_R848, Honda_F1, Rev29k
I used the Schulze Motor Sports GT-R yesterday. Won by about 1:30 on RM tires, but that's the best car I have ever driven on the Ring. Soften up the suspension a little and it's perfect. My best lap was 8:56:27, with most laps in the low 9 range. Tires and fuel lasted 7 laps on the first stint, then 6 after that for a 4 stopper.
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- 1,942
- Emerging from semi-retirement
- GTP_DGiant2000
- I think not
I started my second attempt at this today in a Z4 M Coupe, slightly lower pp than my previous attempt (still waiting for the opera 350z to show up in the UCD) but I stopped after 5 laps as it was looking too easy. I was already 4s in the lead and could comfortably do another lap on my tyres. Turns out I'd put on RS tyres instead of RH so I'm going to try again tomorrow, could be a good race.
- 98
- Netherlands
- GTP_Michel17
Started a race with 408PP (194hp/1100kg) on RS tyres.
This is going to be tough.
This is going to be tough.
- 36,520
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
I decided to do this race again using the "other" hybrid, the CR-Z TC. To make it even more interesting, I gave it 100kg of ballast. So its stats were 196bhp, 1010kg & 453pp. It was using racing soft tyres and the only "tuning" I did was to give it full downforce.
Lap one was the usual plummet to the back, then make up some places in the first corner, then make up up a couple more only to lose some of them again coming along Dottinger hohe at the end of the lap. The AI is doing 160ish mph at that point, and I'm struggling to reach 130mph! The hybrid battery power in the CR-Z is nowhere near as good as the Prius' and it runs out before the end of the lap. It then takes a full lap to recharge, and then only works for a minute or 2 before it needs to charge for a lap again. So most of this race was done on normal petrol power.
I spend the first stint in 4th, and come in for my first stop on lap 5. I have used 33 litres for the first 5 laps so just take on 15 litres, and come out in 6th place. The S2000 is leading at this point and I'm about 5 seconds down on the TT. I got past the TT, and 2 other cars, through Wipperman and, when the S2000 and CT230 pit, I take the lead! Not for long though as the TT and the Nismo Z tune out power me down the straight and relegate me to 3rd. Which becomes 4th as the S2000 GT1 comes back past me at the end of lap 8.
The end of lap 10 sees my 2nd pit. I take on 15 litres again and overtake the TT in the pits, although he comes past again a lap later. Laps 12-14 see me holding 2nd place 25 seconds behind the TT, and just ahead of the Z tune.
I come out of the pits to start lap 16 in 2nd place 43 seconds behind the S2000 and a few ahead of the TT. I'm running slightly slower than the TT, but am able to keep in touch through shorter pitstops. The S2000 is not really a thread due to his usual slower 6th lap on worn tyres but he's hanging on gamely. I yoyo between 2nd and third for the next few laps due to the S2000's pitstop.
Lap 20 should be my last stop but, as I'll need to do a 6th lap at some point, and my tyres will be very worn for it, I decide to make this the longer stint. Reason being that I know it'll be close at the end and I don't want the extra pressure of having to hold off (hopefully anyway) the TT on worn tyres.
I pit on lap 21, having taken on 30 litres (only had 7 left) and start the dash for the line in 4th place. The order was S2000, TT, CT230 and me. The S2000 and CT230 would be stopping at the end of lap 24, and hopefully the TT would need another stop at the end of lap 25.
Lap 22 and I'm in 4th, 54 seconds behind the leader.
23 and the Z tune passes me to put me down to 5th. This is looking slightly dodgy now...
24 and I get past the Z tune, and the S2000 and the CT230 stop for tres leaving me in 2nd place 43 seconds behind the TT.
25 and I'm 45 seconds behind and he pits. I start the last lap in 1st, and the TT is now out of the pits and 22 seconds down.
It's now an impromptu 1 lap magic. I know he can take 6 seconds out of me at Kesselchen and another 8 seconds along Dottinger hohe. This is going to be tight. I feel the pressure and run wide a couple of corners but I come out onto dottinger hohe 12 seconds in the lead. The next, and last split at Antoniusbuche is 4 seconds....
I take Tiergarten as fast as I dare, and make a dash for the line. He's closing all the time, but I just sneak across about 1 second ahead. He passes me just after the line but too late.
So after 4"02'00.433, I win by about a second. Phew.
Is there an award for closest finish? (although it's slightly annoying that GT doesn't tell you what the margin was...)
Lap one was the usual plummet to the back, then make up some places in the first corner, then make up up a couple more only to lose some of them again coming along Dottinger hohe at the end of the lap. The AI is doing 160ish mph at that point, and I'm struggling to reach 130mph! The hybrid battery power in the CR-Z is nowhere near as good as the Prius' and it runs out before the end of the lap. It then takes a full lap to recharge, and then only works for a minute or 2 before it needs to charge for a lap again. So most of this race was done on normal petrol power.
I spend the first stint in 4th, and come in for my first stop on lap 5. I have used 33 litres for the first 5 laps so just take on 15 litres, and come out in 6th place. The S2000 is leading at this point and I'm about 5 seconds down on the TT. I got past the TT, and 2 other cars, through Wipperman and, when the S2000 and CT230 pit, I take the lead! Not for long though as the TT and the Nismo Z tune out power me down the straight and relegate me to 3rd. Which becomes 4th as the S2000 GT1 comes back past me at the end of lap 8.
The end of lap 10 sees my 2nd pit. I take on 15 litres again and overtake the TT in the pits, although he comes past again a lap later. Laps 12-14 see me holding 2nd place 25 seconds behind the TT, and just ahead of the Z tune.
I come out of the pits to start lap 16 in 2nd place 43 seconds behind the S2000 and a few ahead of the TT. I'm running slightly slower than the TT, but am able to keep in touch through shorter pitstops. The S2000 is not really a thread due to his usual slower 6th lap on worn tyres but he's hanging on gamely. I yoyo between 2nd and third for the next few laps due to the S2000's pitstop.
Lap 20 should be my last stop but, as I'll need to do a 6th lap at some point, and my tyres will be very worn for it, I decide to make this the longer stint. Reason being that I know it'll be close at the end and I don't want the extra pressure of having to hold off (hopefully anyway) the TT on worn tyres.
I pit on lap 21, having taken on 30 litres (only had 7 left) and start the dash for the line in 4th place. The order was S2000, TT, CT230 and me. The S2000 and CT230 would be stopping at the end of lap 24, and hopefully the TT would need another stop at the end of lap 25.
Lap 22 and I'm in 4th, 54 seconds behind the leader.
23 and the Z tune passes me to put me down to 5th. This is looking slightly dodgy now...
24 and I get past the Z tune, and the S2000 and the CT230 stop for tres leaving me in 2nd place 43 seconds behind the TT.
25 and I'm 45 seconds behind and he pits. I start the last lap in 1st, and the TT is now out of the pits and 22 seconds down.
It's now an impromptu 1 lap magic. I know he can take 6 seconds out of me at Kesselchen and another 8 seconds along Dottinger hohe. This is going to be tight. I feel the pressure and run wide a couple of corners but I come out onto dottinger hohe 12 seconds in the lead. The next, and last split at Antoniusbuche is 4 seconds....
I take Tiergarten as fast as I dare, and make a dash for the line. He's closing all the time, but I just sneak across about 1 second ahead. He passes me just after the line but too late.
So after 4"02'00.433, I win by about a second. Phew.
Is there an award for closest finish? (although it's slightly annoying that GT doesn't tell you what the margin was...)
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