4Hr Roadster Endurance Report

[Enviiouss-x]

4HOURS OF ROADSTERS

EUNOS ROADSTER J-LIMITED (NA) '91
Max Power: 151 BHP
Weight: 950 kg
Performance Points: 382



Driving Aids
Sports Hard Tyres
Automatic Transmission
TCS: Off SRF: Off ABS: 1 CSS: 0


I tried to make this race as close as possible, tuning my Eunos Roadster to be middle of the pack of the cars given under the car list.



The Race​

The first 10laps consisted entirely of me catching the leader, N.Szymanski who had achieved a decent lead before I got to the front of the pack. Consistently lapping in the mid 1:10s I was able to pull out around a twenty second lead in the following fifteen laps. My pace began to drop away as the tires lost grip, some how I managed to lap mid 1:11s for the next twenty or so laps, keeping the nearest rival L.Smith at bay by a mere 15seconds. It wasn’t long however, before my pace drastically dipped into the 1:12s, and L.Smith began to catch me up. It was time for a pit stop. I didnt have a plan on when to pit, so on lap45, ten laps after I hit the 1:12s I decided to make the stop. I entered the pit lane hastily, and to my amazement I was reset to track, and low behold my precious little Madza made its way through the pits without stopping. L.Smith was breathing down my neck, just 2seconds behind me. I pitted again, opting not to refuel, lapping an in-lap and outlap of 1:22 and 1:21 respectively. Rejoining in third, I was 18seconds off the leader...

My lap times came to me, 1:10.5 and below, improving my best lap consistently for about 6laps before finally catching L.Smith. The lead was mine once more..Approaching lap 68, the remainder of the field became visible. By lap 74 I had lapped all of the back runners and amassed a lead of 28seconds in the process. My lap-times were a bit slower than usual, but I was pleased I'd managed to build a pit-stop in hand. No AI had pitted yet, and I was wondering when exactly they would plan on doing so. The race is looking like it could be won now. I eventually lapped N.Szymanski, allowing 4th place U.Battaglia to close up to him in the process, after a further ten laps. L.Smith was the only unlapped car that remained. After reaching the end of my 45lap stint, I had amassed a 54second lead. I opted again not to refuel. My lap times were way down in the 1:12s, but a good in-lap of 1:18 and outlap of just 1:21 again. With my lead decreased to 39seconds, and N.Szymanski and U.Battaglia now having unlapped themselves, I was rather optimistic of a win with just 2hrs and 10minutes remaining. L.Smith had reached the back of pack, I expected his lap times to tumble and him dive for the pits any moment now...

Keeping up with my previous form, I managed to build on my lead again. To my relief, the rest of the field began making their stops on lap 108, with the whole field bar me stopping in a 10lap window. To my confusion, I'd managed to lap L.Smith in the pits somewhere, and see him lose second place to third place man U.Battaglia. I was baffled. How did L.Smith lose 30seconds in the pits?! I carried on, now being half-way through my stint. I found myself with a lot of open space ahead, with all twelve of us being covered by a little over half a lap. I lost my concentration and found myself doing all sorts of lap times, the worst one I noted being a dismal 1:19.5 through numerous errors. A few laps before my stop and I spun on the last corner, releasing four cars in the process and allowing U.Battaglia to un-lap himself, lapping an appalling 1:26 in the process. The time for my stop came and another awful lap of 1:43 saw me enter the pits. The rest of the field had now unlapped itself once in a single lap. I had no idea who I had now lapped, but a decent out-lap of 1:17 saw me back onto the pace. U.Battaglia remained a threat, now being a mere 32seconds. It seems my lead had been eroded quite significantly in that stint. I decided it was time for a break. I needed to get my head back in the right place after 2hrs and 45mins...

Rejoining from the pits on lap136, U.Battaglia had slashed my lead to 33seconds. I remained optimistic. After a few laps I'd caught traffic, and U.Battaglia was now just 31seconds behind me. Given my previous experience with the AI, I was extremely worried I would be closed down. With a remaining stop to make for fuel and tires, I knew I had to keep a nice gap to ensure I rejoined the race in the lead. The next 40laps or so were agony. When the one hour Time Left counter began to count down, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Fortunately, the AI played ball, and a flurry of laps sub 1:10 saw the gap rise to 36seconds. Consistent 1:10 deads in the middle part of the stint helped me to extend the gap further, now to 38seconds with only 25minutes remaining. I had to improve the gap. Any pit-stop blunder or stint mess-up would cost me first place. The last few laps of the stint recorded as mid 1:11's with an in-lap of 1:17 again. Would the clock reach 0:00 before U.Battaglia could catch me?

25litres of fuel went in the battered and bruised roadster. It sure felt like an eternity, sat there waiting. Three AI roadsters zoomed past the pit lane as I stood there. As I thrashed it into the corners the tarmac had yet more tires marks pressed into it. An out-lap of 1:35 was pretty standard, but I knew there was work to be done. I weaved amongst the three AI, dispatching them in quick succession. A mistake on the following lap allowed one to sneak back through. U.Battaglia now 4seconds behind had latched on to the back of the four of us. I'd done it. U.Battaglia dueled for fifteen grueling minutes with those guys while I raced the checkered flag. It was over.

Race Classification after 4hrs

1st: Enviiouss-x: 201laps
2nd: U.Battaglia: +15.417
3rd through to 5th: +1
6th: L.Smith: +1
7th: N.Szymanski: +2
8th onwards: +2​

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This is my first ever race report so any replies are appreciated. I hope this has been a useful source of information for some of you, and perhaps maybe a good read. It was a tough race and I think my brain might have turned to mush just doing it! I might be attempted the Suzuka 1000km tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled!

 

[Slash]

Wow great read!