24h Nurburgring Race Report - C6 ZR1 RM

[panzabonanza]

Sooo...

I got super bored doing the 24h of Le Mans in the BMW V12 LMR...it quickly turned into a huge test session for fastest lap against myself. So I decided that for the 'Ring I'd take some time to identify a car that would be easy to drive and ensure I had close competition throughout the race.

I've ended up with my C6 ZR1 'Vette (RM) which is fully modded and tuned. The C6 ZR1 is one of my favorite cars in GT5 to drive, in factory form or Race Modified form. Surprising balance, predictable handling, and tons of power. I'm starting this post a little late - I'm 3h43m into the race - but I've never done a race report so I figured better late than never.

Competition is, in a word, fierce! The race started off dry but with very cloudy conditions...I've been fortunate enough to see the clouds clear and have a dry track to get into a groove. I'm fighting the rabbit, of course, as all the other cars are well off pace. Here's the current running order:

---ON LEAD LAP---
*Corvette ZR1 (C6) RM '09 (ME!)
Courage - Judd GV5 Race Car '04
905 Race Car '92
Courage C60 - Peugeot Race Car '03
---LAPPED---
Zonda LM Race Car
Ford GT LM Race Car Spec II
Viper GTS-R Team Oreca Race Car '00
R8 LMS Race Car '09
---OFF DRIVER LIST, UNKNOWN RUNNING ORDER---
2000 Ford Falcon XR8
Dunlop ER34 Skyline '07
Storm V12 Race Car '99
Corvette Z06 (C2) Race Car '63

I spent the first two hours or so running RH tires, pitting every other lap and taking on 36 liters of fuel. I was swapping for the lead with the Courage GV5 and finding it very difficult to keep pace, as the second lap on a set of RH was just atrocious. I was having to drive very conservatively to ensure that I had any tires left for the last half of the lap. Basically, what was happening was that I'd pull a ~5-7 sec lead on my pit-out lap on fresh RHs, would gain 10-15 seconds while the Courage GV5 hit the pits (he is pitting every lap on RMs), then BARELY hold onto the lead only to hit the pits on the 2nd lap with the Courage GV5 right behind me. Rinse, and repeat. Occasionally I'd actually lose the lead and enter the pits about 5-10 seconds behind.

This started getting annoying and, honestly, a little mentally taxing. I was pushing the envelope every single lap and getting tired very quickly. One big mistake could take hours to make up at this point.

Hour 3...I decided to switch things up a bit. I began a single-lap pit strategy to match the Courage GV5 and switched to RMs. I am burning 18 liters of fuel per lap and coming into the pits with about 55% left on my RM tires...not bad. In comparison to the Courage GV5, I am on pace through the GP track, quite fast through most of the 'Ring. I can pull ~10 seconds on the 'Ring through to Karussell. Between Karussell and coming out onto Dottinger Hohe straight I am just terrible with this car. If I come out of Karussell with a 10 second lead I'm coming out of Pflanzgarten II only 3-5 seconds up...the final part of the lap is fast for me and I can usually get to the pits with a ~5-7 second lead. If I put everything together perfectly and click off a real hot lap, I'm coming into the pits with a 10 second lead.

I did not expect for the race to be this close, and small mistakes here and there are preventing me from building any sort of lead! I am running between 8:26 and 8:40, including pitstop for 18 liters of fuel. Most laps are under 8:30 but occasionally I make a mistake and have a terrible lap, which is why I haven't built up a comfortable lead.

I'm thinking of trying out RS tires but I'm not sure if they will last an entire lap! Like I said, I'm pitting with about 55% left on RMs after one lap. I don't want to be on track with any tires at less than 25%...I'll lose too much time through a part of the track where I'm already slow. If I go for the RS and botch it, I'm going to lose A LOT of time. Does anybody know if I can go a full lap on RS? I should have tested before I started. I have been prepping for a couple different strategies to build a lead.

1. Instead of grabbing just the 18 liters of fuel I need for a lap, for the last 10 laps I put in 20 liters. Didn't lose too much time in the pits, but I now have enough fuel to throw on a set of RH tires and run two laps to try to open up a bit of a lead, then go back to the 1-lap strategy on RM tires.

2. Try the RS tires out, and pray to all that is holy that I can make it through a lap.

I think I will go put down a hot clean lap on RM, do the double stint on RH, hopefully come out of that with a big enough lead to where I feel comfortable throwing on a set of RS tires to see if they'll last a lap.

Will report back in 4 laps

 

[panzabonanza]

well....that did not work out too well.

I put down a decent 8:28 lap and decided to move forward as planned. Came into the pits with a small lead of about 6 seconds and changed to RH for my 2-lap stint. The first lap was a nailbiter. Having only a 6 second lead going into the pits did not give me much to work with when I knew I was going to be way slower than the Courage GV5 (on RM tires). My goal for the out-lap was just to keep him behind me so that when he pit I would have the next lap to open up a lead. To help with this, I decided not to take any more fuel than can be put in during the tire change...I've worked this out to be around 14-15 liters.

Everything was going pretty well until I put a wheel off at Kesselchen, the beginning of the high-speed sweeping esses at the back end of the 'Ring. CATASTROPHIC SPIN destroys my lead and puts the Courage GV5 right on my tail going into my slowest section of the track. I get passed going through Pflanzgarten I and I know that if I let him get too far ahead I won't be able to draft down Dottinger Hohe so I buckle down and push as hard as I can. Pulling onto the straight I fall in-line and use the draft as much as I can, pulling out at the last second to make the pass on the left side. As I come back into the racing line I check my mirrors and realize there's too much of the straight left to go and he's going to get a run on me off my draft. We end up going into Antoniusbuche side-by-side at 210mph! Somehow I managed to hold the outside line and keep the lead through the rest of the lap.

The Courage GV5's pitstop gives me a 30-second lead which steadily dwindles away as my 2nd lap on this set of tires goes by. By the end of the long straight my lead is down to 15 seconds. I'm ready to give the RS tires a shot and see if they last a full lap, and then...I kid you not...SOMETHING, maybe it was the setting sun, the wicked glare on the track surface, or me being distracted because I know I have 8th row mid-court tickets for tonight's game...whatever it was, I blew right by pit entrance. Crap.

I hit pause and turn on the tire wear indicator. I'm at about 35% maybe so I figure if I just take it easy I'll be okay. I'll have a 45-second lead to work with by the time the Courage GV5 gets out of the pits. I probably should have also looked at the fuel gauge, because about 3 minutes into the lap 👎👎👎👎 shut down. Completely out of fuel.

Long story short, I get back to the pits in 4th place, come out 4 minutes 9 seconds behind the leader on RS tires with 20 liters of fuel. It turns out that the RS tires will last a full lap with decent grip left by the end, and I pick up about 3-4 seconds a lap off my best time running consistent 8:23 laps.

Lap 35, hour 5, headlights come on. I'm now 3 minutes 47 seconds behind the leader and going to continue on RS tires with the 1-lap pit strategy through the night, assuming it doesn't rain. If the Courage GV5 keeps up his pace through the night, I should catch up to him in about 30-35 laps, so roughly 4 and half hours.

Aiming to be back in the race lead by hour 10. I've got my work cut out for me!

 

[panzabonanza]

Lap 42, hour 6.

Sun is very low in the sky and I'm starting to get an glimpse of how dark this track is at night. I know it's been said before, but do not attempt this race using a car with poor headlights. Luckily, it seems as if the C6 'Vette ZR1 RM has a decent set of highbeams as I haven't come across any visibility issues yet.

I've just strung together 3 great laps at 8:22.9, 8:20.3, and then 8:21.4. On lap 41 I caught up to the 3rd place Courage C60 and 2nd place 905 Race Car coming out of Pflanzgarten II. These two have been in a swapping match for the entire race so far and actually have a good pace through most of the track, however the draft helps me out on the long straight. I ended up side by side with each of them for a good portion of the straight.

I'm enjoying the single-lap strategy on RS tires and am now in 2nd place about 2:59 behind the leader. I think I'll keep this up for a while, taking on 20 liters of fuel every pitstop until I have enough for a two-lap stint on RH tires. Pulling off a few good pairs of laps there will eat a big chunk out of the GV5's lead.

Won't get to play much tomorrow or the day after, massive school work for one of my Master's courses. Then class Thursday night after work, then hopping in the car to meet my camp at Sebring for the 12h ALMS race. Next update will most likely be Monday. Have a great weekend, I know I will!

 

[Snowmanimal]

Sure is an interesting choice of car. I love the ZR1 RM in the game. I have yet to unlock the 24 Hours of the Nurb. I'll have to give it a shot in this car when I do.

 

[panzabonanza]

Yeah, I was definitely looking for a challenge so I'm happy with my choice, but I certainly did not expect to be a couple minutes behind at any point in the race! I suppose it was a bit optimistic of me to assume I could make it through the whole race without a big mistake (like running out of fuel!)

Haven't had a chance to put in another stint yet. Had a great time in Sebring for the ALMS race last weekend and now I'm swamped with school work.

 

[Crowood]

The Z06 RM or ZR1 RM is also close to be chosen, when i do the 24h Nurb.

You said, your vette is fully modded, means more than 800 HP and your doing 8:20:XXX Lap times (i assume pit time is included).

Well i did a 8:04:XXX on NS Type V (VLN layout) in a 550 HP ZR1 RM (on racing hards) and jeah i know the 24h Layout is a bit longer.

I do not like the fact of pitting every single lap, but your report is the second i read, where this is done.

Can you tell us, what the fastest lap or average lap time driven from the Ai is?

EDIT: I tried the start of the race with the ZR1 RM 560 HP vette.....raining 100% wet, got the lead after the first 2 corners, had to pit in Lap 4 cause the rear rain tyres where gone with a lead of 1 minute +. I think it is doable, and i can stay out 2 laps on racing mediums.