Since January also hosts a famous 24 hour race, I thought it might be fun for us to run a 24 hour race and remember the great Group C era at Le Mans. This race is for fans of endurance racing and fans of Group C prototypes. (There was a long and enthusiastic Group C thread, so I hope a few of those posters will participate.) I am aiming for a fun and realistic racing experience for all participants. If you have any questions, comments, etc., please feel free to post them in the thread or send me a PM. I look forward to your participation and hope you have an enjoyable experience in this race.
1989 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th and last Le Mans race to use the original, unadulterated Ligne Droit des Hunaudieres. The next year, two chicanes would be installed to slow the cars, which by that time had reached speeds of over 250 m.p.h. / 400 k.p.h. The entry list also read like a program at an auto show, with seven major manufacturers taking part: Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota. Jaguar were the defending champions; Mercedes were back as a factory team for the first time since 1955 and while Porsche had withdrawn their factory team, the marque was represented by no less than 17 962Cs. These three manufacturers would be chased by entries from Nissan, Toyota, Mazda and newcomers Aston Martin. The race is now considered a classic Le Mans and the end of an era in motorsports.
Race Report: http://www.bigmoneyracing.com/bigmoney/lemans/lemans89.shtml
Photos of the race: http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?Y=1989&S=LEMANS&E=24_Hours_of_Le_Mans
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vugj2PJliQ0
Come race with us as we try to recreate the magic of 1989 24 Heures du Mans.
Schedule:
Qualifying: Monday, 5 January to midnight Sunday, 11 January 2009
Race: Monday, 5 January to Sunday, 25 January 2009
Eligible Cars: (Group C Prototypes)
Jaguar XJR-9 (974 bhp / 894 kg.)
Mazda 787B (843 bhp / 830 kg.)
Mercedes-Benz Sauber C9 (987 bhp / 893 kg.)
Nissan R89C (968 bhp / 900 kg.)
Nissan R92CP – black test car (951 bhp / 900 kg.) – entered as the Porsche 962C
Toyota 88C-V (965 bhp / 850 kg.)
1989 24 Hours of Le Mans entries: http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1989-06-11-photo.html
Rules:
Overview
* Race will be in GT Mode –> Endurance Hall –> Sarthe Circuit 24 Hours II (no chicanes).
Entry/Car Selection
* Drivers will select an eligible Gran Turismo Group C car and then choose one of the real-life 1989 Le Mans entries to represent. The car you choose (Jaguar, Mercedes, etc.) is also the real-life manufacturer you will represent. The black Nissan R92CP test car may be entered as any Porsche 962C.
* Car selection is on a first-claimed, first-reserved basis.
* To enter the race, simply respond with a post in the following form:
Your screename
B-Spec drivers name (if you plan to use B-spec)
Car choice (Gran Turismo car and real-life entry, including car number)
Car Technical Rules
* Cars must remain stock as won or purchased. No other parts may be added.
* Chassis stiffening, chassis refreshes and oil changes are allowed.
* The Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota must add weight to bring them up to 900 kilograms. (Because the Mazda is underpowered compared to the others, it does not need to add weight.)
* ASM (stability management) must be set at 0 for all cars.
* TCS (traction control) may be set at 0 or 1, at the driver’s discretion, but may not be set higher than 1.
* Car set-ups (suspension, aerodynamic and gear settings) are up to the driver.
* During the race, tire choice is up to the driver.
Driver Sporting Rules
* Standard on-line racing rules apply (no wall-riding, grass/track cutting, etc.) Drivers should keep at least two wheels on the track at all times. While it is understood that mistakes will happen over 24 hours, these are the boundaries of the circuit:
- Dunlop Chicane: Two wheels on the yellow/blue kerbs at all times. Raised asphalt sections on the apex are out of bounds.
- Esses: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
- Tertre Rouge: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds. Red area on the outside of the corner is out of bounds.
- Mulsanne Corner: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. Grey area on the left side of the track is legal, but the raised asphalt section on the right side of the track is out of bounds.
- Indianapolis: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
- Ford Chicanes and Pit Lane entrance: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
Qualifying
* Qualifying will take place from Monday, 5 January to midnight Sunday, 11 January 2009. In GT mode, drivers should go into World Circuits –> Le Sarthe II –> Practice.
* Drivers will post their best lap times, including sector times, in the qualifying forum thread. Drivers may post as many qualifying laps as they wish. Drivers are also encouraged to post their top speeds on the Mulsanne Straight.
* R1 (RSH) tires are the only tires allowed in qualifying.
* Different car set-ups (aerodynamic, suspension and gear settings) may be used for qualifying.
* After qualifying, time adjustments will be made to the race times based on qualifying positions. Each position lower on the grid will have an extra second added to the race times. (2nd place is + 1 second; 3rd place is + 2 seconds, etc.)
Race Procedure
* Drivers are allowed unlimited practice, but may only complete the race once.
* Avoid unnecessary contact with AI drivers.
* B-Spec is allowed, but not required. Also, B-Spec at accelerated clock speed is allowed.
* Pausing the game is allowed.
* Race scoring will be based on the number of laps completed and the total race time. In the event of a tie on the number of laps completed, the winner will be the driver with the shorter total race time.
* All race times are due by midnight U.S. Eastern Time Sunday, 25 January 2009.
* Drivers must PM:
Your screename / B-Spec drivers name
Car number and Car
Total number of laps completed
Total race time (written as 24:0#:##.###)
Laps completed at the end of 6 hours, 12 hours and 18 hours
A small race report (fastest lap, spins, incidents, pit stops, driver changes/B-Spec times, etc.) is also requested.
* Results will be posted ASAP.
1989 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th and last Le Mans race to use the original, unadulterated Ligne Droit des Hunaudieres. The next year, two chicanes would be installed to slow the cars, which by that time had reached speeds of over 250 m.p.h. / 400 k.p.h. The entry list also read like a program at an auto show, with seven major manufacturers taking part: Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota. Jaguar were the defending champions; Mercedes were back as a factory team for the first time since 1955 and while Porsche had withdrawn their factory team, the marque was represented by no less than 17 962Cs. These three manufacturers would be chased by entries from Nissan, Toyota, Mazda and newcomers Aston Martin. The race is now considered a classic Le Mans and the end of an era in motorsports.
Race Report: http://www.bigmoneyracing.com/bigmoney/lemans/lemans89.shtml
Photos of the race: http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?Y=1989&S=LEMANS&E=24_Hours_of_Le_Mans
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vugj2PJliQ0
Come race with us as we try to recreate the magic of 1989 24 Heures du Mans.
Schedule:
Qualifying: Monday, 5 January to midnight Sunday, 11 January 2009
Race: Monday, 5 January to Sunday, 25 January 2009
Eligible Cars: (Group C Prototypes)
Jaguar XJR-9 (974 bhp / 894 kg.)
Mazda 787B (843 bhp / 830 kg.)
Mercedes-Benz Sauber C9 (987 bhp / 893 kg.)
Nissan R89C (968 bhp / 900 kg.)
Nissan R92CP – black test car (951 bhp / 900 kg.) – entered as the Porsche 962C
Toyota 88C-V (965 bhp / 850 kg.)
1989 24 Hours of Le Mans entries: http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1989-06-11-photo.html
Rules:
Overview
* Race will be in GT Mode –> Endurance Hall –> Sarthe Circuit 24 Hours II (no chicanes).
Entry/Car Selection
* Drivers will select an eligible Gran Turismo Group C car and then choose one of the real-life 1989 Le Mans entries to represent. The car you choose (Jaguar, Mercedes, etc.) is also the real-life manufacturer you will represent. The black Nissan R92CP test car may be entered as any Porsche 962C.
* Car selection is on a first-claimed, first-reserved basis.
* To enter the race, simply respond with a post in the following form:
Your screename
B-Spec drivers name (if you plan to use B-spec)
Car choice (Gran Turismo car and real-life entry, including car number)
Car Technical Rules
* Cars must remain stock as won or purchased. No other parts may be added.
* Chassis stiffening, chassis refreshes and oil changes are allowed.
* The Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota must add weight to bring them up to 900 kilograms. (Because the Mazda is underpowered compared to the others, it does not need to add weight.)
* ASM (stability management) must be set at 0 for all cars.
* TCS (traction control) may be set at 0 or 1, at the driver’s discretion, but may not be set higher than 1.
* Car set-ups (suspension, aerodynamic and gear settings) are up to the driver.
* During the race, tire choice is up to the driver.
Driver Sporting Rules
* Standard on-line racing rules apply (no wall-riding, grass/track cutting, etc.) Drivers should keep at least two wheels on the track at all times. While it is understood that mistakes will happen over 24 hours, these are the boundaries of the circuit:
- Dunlop Chicane: Two wheels on the yellow/blue kerbs at all times. Raised asphalt sections on the apex are out of bounds.
- Esses: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
- Tertre Rouge: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds. Red area on the outside of the corner is out of bounds.
- Mulsanne Corner: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. Grey area on the left side of the track is legal, but the raised asphalt section on the right side of the track is out of bounds.
- Indianapolis: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
- Ford Chicanes and Pit Lane entrance: Two wheels on the kerbs at all times. The pavement inside the kerbs is out of bounds.
Qualifying
* Qualifying will take place from Monday, 5 January to midnight Sunday, 11 January 2009. In GT mode, drivers should go into World Circuits –> Le Sarthe II –> Practice.
* Drivers will post their best lap times, including sector times, in the qualifying forum thread. Drivers may post as many qualifying laps as they wish. Drivers are also encouraged to post their top speeds on the Mulsanne Straight.
* R1 (RSH) tires are the only tires allowed in qualifying.
* Different car set-ups (aerodynamic, suspension and gear settings) may be used for qualifying.
* After qualifying, time adjustments will be made to the race times based on qualifying positions. Each position lower on the grid will have an extra second added to the race times. (2nd place is + 1 second; 3rd place is + 2 seconds, etc.)
Race Procedure
* Drivers are allowed unlimited practice, but may only complete the race once.
* Avoid unnecessary contact with AI drivers.
* B-Spec is allowed, but not required. Also, B-Spec at accelerated clock speed is allowed.
* Pausing the game is allowed.
* Race scoring will be based on the number of laps completed and the total race time. In the event of a tie on the number of laps completed, the winner will be the driver with the shorter total race time.
* All race times are due by midnight U.S. Eastern Time Sunday, 25 January 2009.
* Drivers must PM:
Your screename / B-Spec drivers name
Car number and Car
Total number of laps completed
Total race time (written as 24:0#:##.###)
Laps completed at the end of 6 hours, 12 hours and 18 hours
A small race report (fastest lap, spins, incidents, pit stops, driver changes/B-Spec times, etc.) is also requested.
* Results will be posted ASAP.
I will try to participate, although the B-spec driver will probably get a lot of use in the race. I'm already planning to A-spec this race once at some point (in a Cadillac Cien!), and I'd rather not do so twice!
so if we can get a few people interested, I'll be happy.
)
