- 1,795
Ok, I once beat the SS 150 enduro with a MX-5 Miata about 1 year ago, but I didn't want the same feat. So I tweaked out a Trueno. Still no good, the power-to-weight ratio was lower (faster). So, I figured what the hell, maybe I could score one for the lightweights. I called up Suzuki Motorsports and told them I want a full-blown assult vehicle, fast. The Escudos were on a 100-day waiting list and he had nothing but Altos. I called up Dihatsu... nothing but Miras. Called up Mini USA... apparently the Cooper 1.3 was no longer produced. So I drove over to the Suzuki dealer and picked up my Alto. Bland white with even blander rims. So I switched rims and shoes to T1's and went hunting.
I knew right off the bat my 2 biggest enemies would be the MotorSport Elise and 996 RGT... they were. I wasn't too worried about the 993 CTR because I knew it was slower through corners and had a crappy pit strategy. I had by far the slowest car in the field, but I figured I could snipe both of them with a 2-stop (34-67) strategy, stick to my line and hope all goes well, and don't screw up since I didn't have room to. Lap one rolls around, and it's a 50" lap. 2nd lap is 42.9", not bad, but still roughly 3 seconds slower than the meancing Elise. When you're in a K-car, you gotta remember that a big key to staying fast is maintaining momentum. By lap 7, however, some of the cars start/already pitted, including the 996. The Motorsport Elise took the lead and I was about half a track length back. The pit stops shuffled through again, and that watermelon red 996 was hunting down the Elise. By lap 18 it regained the lead. Now, remember on every pit stop I draw the cars about 30" in. 4 Laps later, the 996 pits and loses but then regains the lead as the Elise pits on lap 23. The 996 is now visible off of turn 2, but then disappears as quickly as it came. On lap 30 the 996 pits and I see a heavenly light as I *almost* close in on his rear bumper as he exits the pit. However, naturally, he smokes me, but I Lap 31 comes and the Elise, now in the lead, snuck up on me and tried to cut me off, but I blocked and when he tired to enter the pits he slammed into the pit barrier was was never heard from again. I felt miserable but happy because now I had one less opponent to deal with. So now it's me and 990's. The 993 closes in for second, but then pits. I finally have a chance at the lead, but my tires are telling me otherwise. I pit on lap 34, and the 996 laps me as I exit the pits. The 996 continues to pull away from me and the 993 until lap 996 pits on lap 37 when I pass him on pit road. However, the pass is to get back on the lead lap. For the next 63 laps, this process of reeling in, then pitting, then reeling in again would continue but on the second pit stop I left one and a half laps down, and continue to reel in on each and every pit stop until the checkers wave. Aside from pitting and warm-up laps, I didn't have a lap longer than 44.0. Still, it wasn't enough to beat that big, bad Porsche-in-disguise. I finished second, ahead of the 993 and behind the 996. Final finish was a lap ahead of the 993 and 34 seconds behind the 996. There was a Skyline and one more car in the mix, too, but they were easily taken. The little Alto that could, however, couldn't.
Moral of the story: If you've got a lightweight and you're shooting for the stars, make sure you wear steel toe boots.
I knew right off the bat my 2 biggest enemies would be the MotorSport Elise and 996 RGT... they were. I wasn't too worried about the 993 CTR because I knew it was slower through corners and had a crappy pit strategy. I had by far the slowest car in the field, but I figured I could snipe both of them with a 2-stop (34-67) strategy, stick to my line and hope all goes well, and don't screw up since I didn't have room to. Lap one rolls around, and it's a 50" lap. 2nd lap is 42.9", not bad, but still roughly 3 seconds slower than the meancing Elise. When you're in a K-car, you gotta remember that a big key to staying fast is maintaining momentum. By lap 7, however, some of the cars start/already pitted, including the 996. The Motorsport Elise took the lead and I was about half a track length back. The pit stops shuffled through again, and that watermelon red 996 was hunting down the Elise. By lap 18 it regained the lead. Now, remember on every pit stop I draw the cars about 30" in. 4 Laps later, the 996 pits and loses but then regains the lead as the Elise pits on lap 23. The 996 is now visible off of turn 2, but then disappears as quickly as it came. On lap 30 the 996 pits and I see a heavenly light as I *almost* close in on his rear bumper as he exits the pit. However, naturally, he smokes me, but I Lap 31 comes and the Elise, now in the lead, snuck up on me and tried to cut me off, but I blocked and when he tired to enter the pits he slammed into the pit barrier was was never heard from again. I felt miserable but happy because now I had one less opponent to deal with. So now it's me and 990's. The 993 closes in for second, but then pits. I finally have a chance at the lead, but my tires are telling me otherwise. I pit on lap 34, and the 996 laps me as I exit the pits. The 996 continues to pull away from me and the 993 until lap 996 pits on lap 37 when I pass him on pit road. However, the pass is to get back on the lead lap. For the next 63 laps, this process of reeling in, then pitting, then reeling in again would continue but on the second pit stop I left one and a half laps down, and continue to reel in on each and every pit stop until the checkers wave. Aside from pitting and warm-up laps, I didn't have a lap longer than 44.0. Still, it wasn't enough to beat that big, bad Porsche-in-disguise. I finished second, ahead of the 993 and behind the 996. Final finish was a lap ahead of the 993 and 34 seconds behind the 996. There was a Skyline and one more car in the mix, too, but they were easily taken. The little Alto that could, however, couldn't.
Moral of the story: If you've got a lightweight and you're shooting for the stars, make sure you wear steel toe boots.
Very creative...
and was out of the running, while the CTR2 after 3 stops was having trouble keeping pace, like a jogger with a 60-a-day habit! 
Always fun trying though, and isn't that what keeps us coming back time & time again? 
