- 559
This morning I reached 29.8% in GT4 and, tempted by the next multiple of 10, I decided to do one more race. Having just acquired the AMG 190 Touring Car, I decided to try it out in the German Touring Car Championship. And if I was going to do just one race, it would of course be at the Nurburgring. It turned out to be an extremely fun race and so I saved the replay for a write-up. So here is the race that took me to 30.0%, 10,000 A-spec Points, and (coincidentally) my 500th GTP post:
- GT4 Race Report -
Series: Deutsche Touring Car Meisterschaft
Race: #4, Nurburgring Nordschleife (1 lap)
Car: Mercedes-Benz AMG 190 E 2.5-16V Evolution II Touring Car ('92), stock (as-won)
Field (at start):
Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car '02
Opel Astra Touring Car '00
Audi A4 Touring Car '04
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92
Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI '93
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 <- me
This field out-classes the 190 a bit, as indicated by the fact that the AI 190 finishes last and by the A-spec Points
A-spec Points: 127
Race Recap:
After seeing the opponents and the A-spec reward, I knew I was in for a challenge. The five AI cars got a good jump on me during the running start. I knew from doing Mission 34 that the fastest way through the first few turns of the Nordschleife is to mow the lawn. I hate doing it, because it is not realistic racing, but after seeing the jump the AI cars seemed to get, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I used some alternate lines for the first section of track.
One of the turns that I lost time on in Mission 34 and had to work on a lot was Flugplatz. (http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/satellite_pic_named.jpg) Getting out of it with good exit speed is key since it is followed by a long straight. I took a wide line through it and came out with enough speed to pass the AI 190 and the Alfa Romeo 155 on the straight.
I cut the grass again at Aremburg, another trick I had become accustomed to due to Mission 34. I regret doing it in this race, because I think that I could definitely win it without leaving the track given a few tries. Anyway, that helped me close the gap on the next two cars a bit. The next bit of track I raced properly, just trying to nail wide lines through all the turns. I did so pretty well, but still lost over a second on the cars in front of me.
The next turn that I learned is critical to good lap times is Bergwerk, since it too is right before a long straightaway. I hit a good line through it and closed a good deal on the A4 and the Astra. I went full-throttle through the slight kink before Angst Kurve and came out as far right as possible before braking lightly to set up a very wide/fast line through Angst. This move put me right up on the A4 and the Astra and I was able to pass them on the Kurve.
I followed a normal racing line through the next few turns including the Karussell, then cut a corner one last time at Hohe Acht. This was another move I learned during M34: come into it a gear above what is indicated and aim straight across the grass, letting off the throttle but not braking. Then, slide out back onto the road just before the sharper right turn. The time benefit is minimal for all these shortcuts, but for Mission 34 they did help. In this race, they were probably unnecessary and I would like to try racing it again without using them.
Wipperman was another section that gave me trouble in the mission, but the touring car gripped it well and I hit the lines near-perfectly, coming dangerously close to the outside grass/dirt on exit a few times. I closed on the TT-R and by this point, I knew I could take him.
The opportunity to pass came exactly where I would have wanted it: Pflanzgarten II. Again going on my Mission 34 experience, I took the jump with only slight let-up on the throttle and then floored it, coming through the next series of turns with so much speed that I gained about a second on the TT-R in that one section, flying past it just before Schwalbenschwanz.
The rest was just defending my lead. Exit speed out of Galgenkopf was important because it leads into the long straightaway. I think that if I was still behind the TT-R, I could have passed him on that stretch. The Schikane I handle by braking lightly at first and just trying to bleed off some speed without locking up, then braking harder on final approach to the T13 bend. It worked well and I finished off with a lap time of 712.003, 1.450 seconds ahead of the TT-R.
Here are my splits:
052.920 +6.655
127.367 +5.504
155.107 +4.760
247.096 +5.998
325.456 +6.033
353:320 +3.732
442.022 +2.002
521.963 +1.652
543.676 +0.760
624.908
649.132
712.003
That lap time is actually only 2 seconds slower than my Mission 34 lap in the MacLaren SLR. Mission 34 is standing-start, while this race was running-start, but on a track this big with a sharp turn a few hundred feet past the start, the difference shouldnt be much. Plus, I had to do M34 over and over to hit that time in the SLR, whereas this was my first time with the 190. I was surprised that the 370 HP, 4-clyinder 190 Touring Car can pretty easily beat the 610 HP V8 SLR on this track. I guess the tuning really makes a difference.
These were the final times for the field:
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 - 7'12.003
Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car '02 - 7'13.453
Opel Astra Touring Car '00 - 7'19.320
Audi A4 Touring Car '04 - 7'20.352
Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI '93 - 7'21.179
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 - ?'??.???
I think the AI 190 would have finished somewhere around 730. I was pretty happy to have done so much better than my AI counterpart on my first try at this race. I could tell that doing Mission 34 what seems like hundreds of times had paid off in my ability to handle The Ring. I wouldnt say that this was a very difficult race, but a nice challenge and a good test of my Ring skills. Since these touring cars were born there, it is a pleasure to run them on The Ring (much more enjoyable than the SLR, I thought). Ill probably go back and try it without the shortcuts at some point, but I was glad that such a fun race brought me to the 30.0% mark.
And heres the replay: http://web.mit.edu/scolton/www/AMG_ring_512.wmv
Enjoy!
-Shane
- GT4 Race Report -
Series: Deutsche Touring Car Meisterschaft
Race: #4, Nurburgring Nordschleife (1 lap)
Car: Mercedes-Benz AMG 190 E 2.5-16V Evolution II Touring Car ('92), stock (as-won)
Field (at start):
Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car '02
Opel Astra Touring Car '00
Audi A4 Touring Car '04
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92
Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI '93
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 <- me
This field out-classes the 190 a bit, as indicated by the fact that the AI 190 finishes last and by the A-spec Points
A-spec Points: 127
Race Recap:
After seeing the opponents and the A-spec reward, I knew I was in for a challenge. The five AI cars got a good jump on me during the running start. I knew from doing Mission 34 that the fastest way through the first few turns of the Nordschleife is to mow the lawn. I hate doing it, because it is not realistic racing, but after seeing the jump the AI cars seemed to get, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I used some alternate lines for the first section of track.
One of the turns that I lost time on in Mission 34 and had to work on a lot was Flugplatz. (http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/satellite_pic_named.jpg) Getting out of it with good exit speed is key since it is followed by a long straight. I took a wide line through it and came out with enough speed to pass the AI 190 and the Alfa Romeo 155 on the straight.
I cut the grass again at Aremburg, another trick I had become accustomed to due to Mission 34. I regret doing it in this race, because I think that I could definitely win it without leaving the track given a few tries. Anyway, that helped me close the gap on the next two cars a bit. The next bit of track I raced properly, just trying to nail wide lines through all the turns. I did so pretty well, but still lost over a second on the cars in front of me.
The next turn that I learned is critical to good lap times is Bergwerk, since it too is right before a long straightaway. I hit a good line through it and closed a good deal on the A4 and the Astra. I went full-throttle through the slight kink before Angst Kurve and came out as far right as possible before braking lightly to set up a very wide/fast line through Angst. This move put me right up on the A4 and the Astra and I was able to pass them on the Kurve.
I followed a normal racing line through the next few turns including the Karussell, then cut a corner one last time at Hohe Acht. This was another move I learned during M34: come into it a gear above what is indicated and aim straight across the grass, letting off the throttle but not braking. Then, slide out back onto the road just before the sharper right turn. The time benefit is minimal for all these shortcuts, but for Mission 34 they did help. In this race, they were probably unnecessary and I would like to try racing it again without using them.
Wipperman was another section that gave me trouble in the mission, but the touring car gripped it well and I hit the lines near-perfectly, coming dangerously close to the outside grass/dirt on exit a few times. I closed on the TT-R and by this point, I knew I could take him.
The opportunity to pass came exactly where I would have wanted it: Pflanzgarten II. Again going on my Mission 34 experience, I took the jump with only slight let-up on the throttle and then floored it, coming through the next series of turns with so much speed that I gained about a second on the TT-R in that one section, flying past it just before Schwalbenschwanz.
The rest was just defending my lead. Exit speed out of Galgenkopf was important because it leads into the long straightaway. I think that if I was still behind the TT-R, I could have passed him on that stretch. The Schikane I handle by braking lightly at first and just trying to bleed off some speed without locking up, then braking harder on final approach to the T13 bend. It worked well and I finished off with a lap time of 712.003, 1.450 seconds ahead of the TT-R.
Here are my splits:
052.920 +6.655
127.367 +5.504
155.107 +4.760
247.096 +5.998
325.456 +6.033
353:320 +3.732
442.022 +2.002
521.963 +1.652
543.676 +0.760
624.908
649.132
712.003
That lap time is actually only 2 seconds slower than my Mission 34 lap in the MacLaren SLR. Mission 34 is standing-start, while this race was running-start, but on a track this big with a sharp turn a few hundred feet past the start, the difference shouldnt be much. Plus, I had to do M34 over and over to hit that time in the SLR, whereas this was my first time with the 190. I was surprised that the 370 HP, 4-clyinder 190 Touring Car can pretty easily beat the 610 HP V8 SLR on this track. I guess the tuning really makes a difference.
These were the final times for the field:
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 - 7'12.003
Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car '02 - 7'13.453
Opel Astra Touring Car '00 - 7'19.320
Audi A4 Touring Car '04 - 7'20.352
Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI '93 - 7'21.179
AMG Mercedes 190 E Evoll Touring Car '92 - ?'??.???
I think the AI 190 would have finished somewhere around 730. I was pretty happy to have done so much better than my AI counterpart on my first try at this race. I could tell that doing Mission 34 what seems like hundreds of times had paid off in my ability to handle The Ring. I wouldnt say that this was a very difficult race, but a nice challenge and a good test of my Ring skills. Since these touring cars were born there, it is a pleasure to run them on The Ring (much more enjoyable than the SLR, I thought). Ill probably go back and try it without the shortcuts at some point, but I was glad that such a fun race brought me to the 30.0% mark.
And heres the replay: http://web.mit.edu/scolton/www/AMG_ring_512.wmv
Enjoy!
-Shane
lot of "mowing" there... it seems like you could still go a bit faster or just as fast on the right line, though.
There are cleaner videos somewhere in GTP.
