- 24,120
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
I've been spending my rare hours of GT3 time on OLR competition, so I decided to do some fender rubbing last night. First time in 6+ weeks I've been on the track with cars other than a ghost.
For some reason I had only completed 2 of the 3 Amateur Turbo races, so I hopped in my Lemon Yellow Audi TT that I used to beat the Amateur TT cup. It was on T4s and stock suspension, with stage 2 lightweight, stage 2 turbo, and racing transmission. Also included were VCD and sports brakes, but no LSD.
The third race was at Grand Valley, and I consistently was able to beat the likes of the S4, WRX, Silvia Aero, with the MR2 giving me the best fight. The Beetle RSi, however, had at least 3-4" per lap on me. On the straights he would pull away like smoke, and he was smooth in twisties, if a little slower. I tried my undriven stock RSi, with the same results, so I know the AI car was prepped heavily. To make a long story longer, I got back in the TT, maxed out my credit card on it, and went back to GV with 416hp/512tq under the hood plus all the other available goodies.
This time, of course, the bastid RSi didn't show, and starting in the basement, I roared to a +3" victory over the WRX sti, despite almost blowing the big hairpin on the second lap. Not the 4WD cup, I know, but it started the evening by awarding me the Mine's Lancer.
Still in the TT, I drove over to the Amateur 4WD cup. Upon seeing a similar field, I skipped qualifying and started from 6th on the grid every time.
Super Speedway
Lowered the car to 100mm front and back, stiffened the springs to compensate, and adjusted the trans to 28 AS with 4.433FD. Thanks to the extra gearing I moved through the pack in the first lap, and widened my lead steadily. I hadn't realized that this series had tire wear on, so I was still on T4s. I had to baby these for the last few laps as 8 times around with the AWD TT had the fronts looking orangish and the rears getting there. I don't keep good records of Speedway races, but I think my fastest lap was about 31.xxx" and I had at least a 3 second margin over the Celica GT4. The big GTO VR-4 finished in the bucket by more than 10 seconds, further proof that this car is powerful but useless.
Grand Valley
Since I was freshly practiced at Grand Valley in this car, I went there next, after stopping in the shed to switch to T2s. Car setup like this:
416 hp
24 AS / 4.433 FD (very slightly short for the long straight)
ASM/TCS zero as almost always
Springs: 9.0/6.6
Ride ht: 100/100
Bound: 3/4
Rebound: 7/8
Camber: -3.0/-1.0
Toe: +0.5/-0.5
Stab: 3/6
Brakes: 12/12
Starting from the back of the grid, I passed the Silvia and the big Subie Blitzen under braking, and went round the big hairpin in a pack with the R32 Skyline, the MR2-S, and WRX Sti. The Skyline fell back on the way to the smaller hairpin, where I also passed the Sti on corner exit by holding a tighter line and getting inside him. I followed the MR2 for the balance of the lap, gaining slightly on the straights but losing slightly in the turns. With the Sti chasing me, I finally got around the MR2 just over the S/F line at the beginning of the second lap. From there it was an uneventful race, as I held a 2" lead for most of the time.
Interesting note: smoothness pays off! Around lap 4, my T2s started to show signs of wear, so I drove for smoothness on the last 2 laps. On comparing the two GV races, I was surprised to note that my last lap with light yellow T2s was only about 0.4" slower than my earlier lap on full-grip T4s, which was not as clean.
Fastest Lap: 2':04.751"
Total (5 laps): 10':38.564"
Margin: +2.711", WRX Sti
Apricot Hill II
A fun track, though I'd never driven the TT there. Setup unchanged from the GV run, I started 6th. Due to the shorter straight, I was in 5th going into the first turn, then passed for 4th leading down the hill to the dirt chicane. I believe those cars were the Silvia and the S4, respectively. The Celica, Sti wagon, and the R32 were in a wad going through the dirt chicane, and I had to spike the brakes to avoid bunting the Skyline off. I clawed my way around both he and the Sti wagon on the climbing right sweeper, as they both drifted wide.
I followed the Celica GT4 down through the hairpin, around the giant right sweeper, and passed him on the inside at the crowning left. Unfortunately I did it by cutting the grass (well, dirt) because I forgot that the rubber track on the near side of the crest leads directly into the $%*d@mn kitty litter on the far side. As soon as I realized this, I backed off and let him pass me again.
The Celica has fairly tall gearing and so I wasn't gaining much on the long straights. I caught up to him with a crisp run through the dirt chicane, and passed him on the short chute leading up hill before the S leading down to the hairpin. After that I never looked back, despite a couple of overenthusiastic brushes with the closely-placed wall of 'squiggle valley' before the final double-apex right. This won me an Evo VII GSR in a boring Champagne Gold, to add to the closet full of Evos I've won already at just over 50% done.
Interesting note: I hadn't realized how much AHII rewards a tight, inside line. Nearly every turn is best taken by hugging the inside curb, with a few combinations being the exception where drifting wide on exit of the earlier turn sets up a good entry to the later turn - the turn 1/2 combination (though 1 should be held tight until almost all the way around), and the two halves of the double-apex final right hander.
This track also reinforces the "sometimes you've got to go slow to be fast" axiom. The Dirt Chicane and Squiggle Valley are both sections where calm control will win out over steer-n-slide careening every time.
Fastest Lap: 1':31.184"
Total (5 laps): 7':48.636"
Margin: +2.729", Celica GT4
For some reason I had only completed 2 of the 3 Amateur Turbo races, so I hopped in my Lemon Yellow Audi TT that I used to beat the Amateur TT cup. It was on T4s and stock suspension, with stage 2 lightweight, stage 2 turbo, and racing transmission. Also included were VCD and sports brakes, but no LSD.
The third race was at Grand Valley, and I consistently was able to beat the likes of the S4, WRX, Silvia Aero, with the MR2 giving me the best fight. The Beetle RSi, however, had at least 3-4" per lap on me. On the straights he would pull away like smoke, and he was smooth in twisties, if a little slower. I tried my undriven stock RSi, with the same results, so I know the AI car was prepped heavily. To make a long story longer, I got back in the TT, maxed out my credit card on it, and went back to GV with 416hp/512tq under the hood plus all the other available goodies.
This time, of course, the bastid RSi didn't show, and starting in the basement, I roared to a +3" victory over the WRX sti, despite almost blowing the big hairpin on the second lap. Not the 4WD cup, I know, but it started the evening by awarding me the Mine's Lancer.
Still in the TT, I drove over to the Amateur 4WD cup. Upon seeing a similar field, I skipped qualifying and started from 6th on the grid every time.
Super Speedway
Lowered the car to 100mm front and back, stiffened the springs to compensate, and adjusted the trans to 28 AS with 4.433FD. Thanks to the extra gearing I moved through the pack in the first lap, and widened my lead steadily. I hadn't realized that this series had tire wear on, so I was still on T4s. I had to baby these for the last few laps as 8 times around with the AWD TT had the fronts looking orangish and the rears getting there. I don't keep good records of Speedway races, but I think my fastest lap was about 31.xxx" and I had at least a 3 second margin over the Celica GT4. The big GTO VR-4 finished in the bucket by more than 10 seconds, further proof that this car is powerful but useless.
Grand Valley
Since I was freshly practiced at Grand Valley in this car, I went there next, after stopping in the shed to switch to T2s. Car setup like this:
416 hp
24 AS / 4.433 FD (very slightly short for the long straight)
ASM/TCS zero as almost always
Springs: 9.0/6.6
Ride ht: 100/100
Bound: 3/4
Rebound: 7/8
Camber: -3.0/-1.0
Toe: +0.5/-0.5
Stab: 3/6
Brakes: 12/12
Starting from the back of the grid, I passed the Silvia and the big Subie Blitzen under braking, and went round the big hairpin in a pack with the R32 Skyline, the MR2-S, and WRX Sti. The Skyline fell back on the way to the smaller hairpin, where I also passed the Sti on corner exit by holding a tighter line and getting inside him. I followed the MR2 for the balance of the lap, gaining slightly on the straights but losing slightly in the turns. With the Sti chasing me, I finally got around the MR2 just over the S/F line at the beginning of the second lap. From there it was an uneventful race, as I held a 2" lead for most of the time.
Interesting note: smoothness pays off! Around lap 4, my T2s started to show signs of wear, so I drove for smoothness on the last 2 laps. On comparing the two GV races, I was surprised to note that my last lap with light yellow T2s was only about 0.4" slower than my earlier lap on full-grip T4s, which was not as clean.
Fastest Lap: 2':04.751"
Total (5 laps): 10':38.564"
Margin: +2.711", WRX Sti
Apricot Hill II
A fun track, though I'd never driven the TT there. Setup unchanged from the GV run, I started 6th. Due to the shorter straight, I was in 5th going into the first turn, then passed for 4th leading down the hill to the dirt chicane. I believe those cars were the Silvia and the S4, respectively. The Celica, Sti wagon, and the R32 were in a wad going through the dirt chicane, and I had to spike the brakes to avoid bunting the Skyline off. I clawed my way around both he and the Sti wagon on the climbing right sweeper, as they both drifted wide.
I followed the Celica GT4 down through the hairpin, around the giant right sweeper, and passed him on the inside at the crowning left. Unfortunately I did it by cutting the grass (well, dirt) because I forgot that the rubber track on the near side of the crest leads directly into the $%*d@mn kitty litter on the far side. As soon as I realized this, I backed off and let him pass me again.
The Celica has fairly tall gearing and so I wasn't gaining much on the long straights. I caught up to him with a crisp run through the dirt chicane, and passed him on the short chute leading up hill before the S leading down to the hairpin. After that I never looked back, despite a couple of overenthusiastic brushes with the closely-placed wall of 'squiggle valley' before the final double-apex right. This won me an Evo VII GSR in a boring Champagne Gold, to add to the closet full of Evos I've won already at just over 50% done.
Interesting note: I hadn't realized how much AHII rewards a tight, inside line. Nearly every turn is best taken by hugging the inside curb, with a few combinations being the exception where drifting wide on exit of the earlier turn sets up a good entry to the later turn - the turn 1/2 combination (though 1 should be held tight until almost all the way around), and the two halves of the double-apex final right hander.
This track also reinforces the "sometimes you've got to go slow to be fast" axiom. The Dirt Chicane and Squiggle Valley are both sections where calm control will win out over steer-n-slide careening every time.
Fastest Lap: 1':31.184"
Total (5 laps): 7':48.636"
Margin: +2.729", Celica GT4
