Back in the Saddle - World Circuit Tour Races

[Falcon787B]

I've had a few people following my GT5 diary chronicling my first tentative foray into the world of GT5, but I've just done one race that I think deserves my first standalone race report for the GT5 forums. So without further ado, let me introduce you to my comeback to the top echelons of GT5 racing...

'Back In The Saddle'
Part 1 - World Circuit Tour: Laguna Seca

Thanks to AMG once again for his track maps

Seasonal Event. 5 Laps, 11.2 Miles
12 Cars, 702-734PP Average, 750PP Maximum.

Having taken C-ZETA's wise advice to get my B-Spec driver Phil Sykes into a Mazda Eunos and racing the NR-A Roadster Cup, I was rewarded for his burdgeoning prowess with a car rated at 655PP, a car that could legitimately take on the very fastest cars GT5 has to offer and win given half a chance. It's been a very long time since I've raced a prototype-spec racecar in anger in any game, and of course I haven't even sat down behind the steering wheel in one at all in GT5. Until now

Having taken it out for a few test laps, I felt ready to give it a crack head-to-head in a race, and decided to go straight in against the very best GT5 has to offer in a World Circuit Tour race at the legendary Laguna Seca. On paper the odds aren't stacked in my favour - I'm down nearly 400+hp and up to 80PP on around half the field, if not more But paper can be misleading on it's own, and after attempting this race once and finishing a distant 3rd to the 2 leaders, I felt more than confident that this sleek machine could be taken to victory lane here. It would all depend on me, and my ability to slice through a crowded 12-car field from the back to give myself a shot at the win. So, naturally, no pressure or anything, just pass 2-3 cars PER LAP and we'll be just fine ...

I'm well aware I've not mentioned what this mystery fast-but-underpowered car is...time to reveal it. It's sleek, it's flowing, and in the right hands it's a race winner. It's a 2008 Mazda Furai Concept

2008 Mazda Furai Concept
Drivetrain: MR
Power: 489hp
Torque: 289.20lb/ft
Weight: 675kg
Performance Points: 668PP
Tyres: Racing Soft


I kept the same racing soft tyres I used for my first attempt, as having finished 3rd on them, I feared that downgrading any more would make things too difficult. Still learning as I go here, folks Anyway, with that being the only tweak done to the stock Furai, I hit the track with the following starting grid rolling off in front of me:

1. 1989 Minolta Toyota 88-CV Race Car
2. 2005 Pescarolo C60 Hybride-Judd Race Car
3. 1988 Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car
4. 1991 Mazda 787B Race Car
5. 2001 Audi R8 Race Car
6. 1999 Toyota GT-One (TS020) Race Car
7. 1998 Nissan R390GT1 Race Car
8. 1997 BMW Mclaren F1 GTR Race Car
9. Pagani Zonda LM Race Car
10. GT by Citroen Race Car
11. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C2) Race Car

Around the top 5 will be the strongest opponents against me, whereas the rest look like cannon fodder that I'll have to dispatch literally as quickly as possible to have a shot at the leaders. In my first attempt, the Toyota and Pescarolo ran off into the sunset, and were 9s clear at the start of lap 5 once I'd cleared the 3rd place 787B. To have any chance to even close up to them, let alone pass them, I'd have to literally TEAR through the field. And we've yet to mention my Mazda's snap oversteer when powering out of corners...with all these ingredients in the melting pot, excitement is guarenteed

So on an absolutely beautiful day in Monteray, California, the rolling start commences, the green flag drops and the snake of high-performance race cars mash pedal to the metal - we're racing!

Laps 1-5

Much as I love my classic American cars, I've got no time to be sentimental, so immediately I lunge on the brakes on cold tyres alongside the Corvette, clearing him by mid-corner at Andretti Hairpin.

The GT by Citroen (no, not just a Citroen GT, a GT...by CITROEN!! ) falls exactly one corner later, as I get a good blast off the next corner.

This seems to be where my Furai's strength lies - if I get my throttle control right and ensure the rear end doesn't slew around under acceleration, the Furai is a rocketship off the corners. I set off after the Zonda, and catch him by surprise with a divebomb under braking for T5 (the left-hander onto the backstraight), as he goes to turn in for the apex to find me already alongside him! You snooze you loose!

Through the corkscrew for the first time is as thrilling as it always is, especially in my nimble Furai! I emerge on the other side to see the BMW Mclaren up ahead, and before I can react he jumps hard on the brakes for the next left at T8 (Rainey Curve) and I brake hard but cannot avoid nerfing the back end of the Mclaren As he squirrels under acceleration, I zip to his left, the outside for the next corner, and he aggressively comes across and squeezes me towards the edge of the track, but I still sneak by before turn-in for T9. I guess he took my nudge as delibrate, but it wasn't intentional. Still, doesn't matter what he thinks, I'm ahead of him now

To complete a wholly satisfying first lap, I pull up right behind the R390 at T10, the final sharp left, and out-drag him off the corner to pull into 8th position by the end of lap 1. My 'pass 2-3 cars a lap' goal is working so far - that was 5 in one lap 👍

I set my sights on the GT-One in 6th, but perhaps I'm being overconfident by dismissing all but the top 5, as the R390 attempts a revenge divebomb at Andretti Hairpin, but I nail the apex perfectly to keep him at bay, and pull away from him through the next few corners. A valiant effort, sir

The GT-One is gradually coming into view, and I get guilty of concentrating too hard on him, as I miss my braking mark for T4, the uphill left However, I run wide, keep it on the track, recover and floor the throttle - and end up in front of the Toyota?! How'd that happen?!? Passed on the outside by a guy who screwed up the corner...that's slightly embaressing for the GT-One driver

As I thought, the top 5 have already pulled out quite a gap, with the top 2 leading by 11s from me at this stage, and 3rd through 5th a little further back. I chase them down pretty quickly, and look to attack the Audi R8 under braking for T9, swarming his back bumper through the apex, but in the excitement I gas it way too early and drift out onto the gravel! Hair-raising moment! Somehow I not only save the rallying Furai, but get it back on the track in time for braking for T10 - and in front of the Audi! So I'm alive, and I gained a position - that situation could've been worse 👍

I swarm the 787B through the final turn, but he and the Jaguar's superior power pulls them away down the front stretch. This race is swiftly beginning to remind me of those 3-lap battle series races from GT4, with a field evenly spread out and you charging from back to front with the laps, clock and track position all against you. It's still as adreneline-pumping as ever, I can tell ya!

With the gap to the leaders still around the 10s mark, I'm determined not to get caught behind other cars and let that lead extend any further, so I try a divebomb on the 787B at Andretti Hairpin, and just sneak the nose in alongside! Before he can react, I see a glint of light at the 2nd of the double-apex in this corner on the inside of the Jag, and go for it - and just get there too! I emerge somehow unscatched on the other side in 3rd place, with two utterly bemused Group C racers behind me! My Furai is driving like a slither of mercury right now, slipping and sliding through gaps.

I've helped my cause enourmously by giving myself nearly three full laps to chase down the leaders, and I'm going to need them. Set all phasers to stun - Furai, what've you got? The answer is a helluva lot of speed still to come, and with a new fastest lap of the race, a 1:19.771, and I end lap 3 having almost halved the gap from me to the leaders - down from 10.2s to just 5.7s. So long as I keep this pace going (no easy feat believe me), I'm gonna have the final lap open to have a shot at passing them both for the win. I nail another stirling lap, this time a 1:19.714, and this sets us up for a last-lap showdown, as I trail the Toyota by just 1.3s. I'm ready to rock

I pull right up behind the Pescarolo under braking for Andretti Hairpin, and literally swarm all over his rear wing through the corner, before darting to his right and slipping up the inside under braking for T2. One down, one to go!

Coming up towards T4, I brake and look to line up a move on the Toyota at perhaps T5 or the corkscrew, but as we round the corner, he mysteriously slows - what happened there?! I can only assume he wheelspun, or lost the rear end, or just plain gave up?! I'm so amazed I nearly miss T5 completely, but I hang in there, and realise - I've got the lead with half a lap to go!

No mistakes now, although not that it matters, as it seems the Toyota has definitely thrown in the towel now. 1s lead by Rainey Curve becomes 4s by the finish line, but no matter, I've done it - I'm got my first win in top-level GT5 racing!

Final Results
1. 2008 Mazda Furai Concept
2. 1989 Minolta Toyota 88-CV Race Car +4.067s
3. 2005 Pescarolo C60 Hybride-Judd Race Car +5.566s
4. 1991 Mazda 787B Race Car +16s
5. 2001 Audi R8 Race Car +17s
6. 1988 Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car +18.5s
7. 1999 Toyota GT-One (TS020) Race Car +20.2s
8. 1998 Nissan R390GT1 Race Car +21.9s
9. 1997 BMW Mclaren F1 GTR Race Car +24s
10. Pagani Zonda LM Race Car +27.5s
11. GT by Citroen Race Car +37s
12. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C2) Race Car +56.5s

So, a healthy wad of cash under my arm and a new hero in my red Furai, a truly wonderful car to drive fast, going as fast and as sleekly as it looks. In hindsight, perhaps Soft tyres were a little overkill, but this is research in the bank for me. In this thread I'll be reporting on the remaining World Circuit Tours races with me and my Furai, and in those I'll likely test out Hard/Medium tyres and so on. But until then, time to relax and enjoy my best victory in GT5 so far

Thanks for reading, until next time!
​

 

[W3H5]

Round of applause at your effort and write up. I genuinely enjoyed reading that and the pictures made it that extra bit more fun.

I wish more people would take the time to put up some good race reports.

This is one of the two RCT races I haven't tries yet. I'm wondering, in your opinion, if a BMW GTR Race Car with a Mid Range turbo on RS crack this race? It's not the fastest in a straight line but in my hands the thing can hold corners like nothing I know.

Again, good job. Any chance of another tantalising report from the same series?

 

[Falcon787B]

(takes bow) Thanks very much!

I've been doing these kind of reports for years over in the GT2 and 4 forums. I can't take credit for them, I was inspired to report in this style, with pictures and lots of detail, by the legendary Smallhorses. In fact, he inspired me in a lot of ways - it was him who inspired me to go hunting for close races to start with, so I owe a lot to him I'm surprised, I was expecting a wealth of really indepth reports and so on in the GT5 forums, what with the new graphics tech and photomode etc.

Errrm, in my humble opinion, I've only been playing GT5 for a few days, so I've not driven a BMW Mclaren in the game yet, so I couldn't say for sure. All I will say is back in the GT4 days I won the Fuji 1000km endurance race up against identical opposition to this in a stock BMW Mclaren, and then I had the advantage of lots of laps to make it to the front. With a turbo and soft tyres on I see no reason why it can't do it Let me know how it goes!

Yeah, well I'm planning on reporting on each of my races in this series - it might not be consecutively, and I might go off and do other races in the interim, but I want to attempt all the races in this series in my Furai, they're great fun. So to answer your question, yes there are more reports to come from this series

 

[W3H5]

Errrm, in my humble opinion, I've only been playing GT5 for a few days, so I've not driven a BMW Mclaren in the game yet, so I couldn't say for sure.

I was referring to the BMW M3 GTR, should have made that clearer, sorry. Guess I'll give it a try for myself and try to get a report in here.

If you get around to running the 4 hours Nurburgring endurance there's a thread in which some like minded folk post race reports, myself included. It's mainly to compare stats but many of them are detailed race commentary reports which can make for hours of good reading.

For this series of online races I've used different cars with varying levels of successes. Every car I drive is allocated a weight ballast equal to my own weight to increase realism, I find it improves some of the more easily won races like the DTM or Super GT classes. Close racing, just as Smallhorses intended!

Look forward to your next report, if you get a chance, PM me the link. 👍

 

[Akmuq]

Very nice report.👍

If you're interested I've done a few of my own in the last couple of months and they're all online races, so the racing is more realistic (equal cars, faster opponents etc.)
I've only got 3 in there at the moment and they're all from the TOCA race series, have a read if you want.👍

 

[Falcon787B]

Very nice report.👍

If you're interested I've done a few of my own in the last couple of months and they're all online races, so the racing is more realistic (equal cars, faster opponents etc.)
I've only got 3 in there at the moment and they're all from the TOCA race series, have a read if you want.👍

Thanks for the kind words

Cheers for including those links, I'll check them out - always nice to have something to read I also like the idea of a GT5 TOCA championship (being a big fan of classic BTCC and that)

I was referring to the BMW M3 GTR, should have made that clearer, sorry. Guess I'll give it a try for myself and try to get a report in here.

If you get around to running the 4 hours Nurburgring endurance there's a thread in which some like minded folk post race reports, myself included. It's mainly to compare stats but many of them are detailed race commentary reports which can make for hours of good reading.

For this series of online races I've used different cars with varying levels of successes. Every car I drive is allocated a weight ballast equal to my own weight to increase realism, I find it improves some of the more easily won races like the DTM or Super GT classes. Close racing, just as Smallhorses intended!

Look forward to your next report, if you get a chance, PM me the link. 👍

Ah, my bad! I saw BMW GTR and assumed it was the Mclaren, apologies. I wouldn't feel so confident in an M3, but I wish you the best of luck Let me know how it goes!

Excellent, good to see someone else hunting down good close races! There really is nothing like it. It's an incredible sensation, and I wonder why on Earth I used to just overkill things and move on - adds another dimension to games, and makes those wins and prizecars that more satisfying knowing you've had to drive the wheels off your car to get them 👍

Thanks, the next report should be coming soon. I've grabbed the bull by the horns and have decided to take on what might be the toughest challenge yet, Monza, next up. That might sound weird considering we also have the Nurburgring etc in this series, but for my car it is the toughest, as Monza is of course an incredibly fast track, which means my Furai is at a disadvantage in terms of straightline speed

I've been testing for a while now by attempting runs at this race. First run was more to learn the track, finished 6th. Second run and I was more up to speed, finished 4th this time, but nearly 14s down on the leading Sauber C9, and 12s down on the 2nd place C60 On the third run I tweaked the downforce and top speed, and managed third this time, but still 11s behind the lead Sauber. Fourth run is my closest yet, I literally drove the wheels off my Furai, running new personal best fastest laps every time (1:38.998 on the final lap, compared to my 1:41 averages up until this point!), but it's still no good - 4s down on the 2nd place C60, and 6s behind the Sauber

Thing is, I'm loathe to add any mods to this car (might be a hangover from GT4 and the Club 200, which rewarded people for getting 200 A-Spec points in totally stock cars - see sig), but it looks like I might have to. So I've just this second added a mid RPM turbo kit to it, boosting HP from 489 to 511, and PP from 662 to 667 (seems to change from screen to screen, I thought it said 655PP in my garage screen? ) Once I'm successful, you can bet the report will appear right here

UPDATE: HNNNNNGGGGGGG.... this race will honestly be the death of me. I can't believe how many times I've got close. I quit the lineup I had before and restarted with the Sauber and our old friend the Minolta 1st and 2nd, and the Minolta was even faster than the Sauber so that was near impossible. I switched out a few more times, looking for a lineup that had the Toyota 7 on pole, as it was in my test races above, which helped slow down those guys at the front just enough to help me out. I then found a lineup with the 7 starting pole and the Minolta 2nd, and man...I've even rather shamefully resorted to corner-cutting (going across the green areas at the chicanes), and I just CANNOT WIN. On one run I was behind the Minolta coming out of Ascari on the final lap and clipped my right front in the gravel, and that was enough to get him far enough away to win. On another, I outbraked myself at the Parabolica on the penultimate lap with the Minolta in sight...and just now...behind him coming into Ascari on the final lap, and he jumps on the brakes, I bump him, get sideways, and he drives away. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...

I have therefore concluded the Minolta is just one step too far for me to beat in my Furai, and even if I did, the fact I had to trim the corners to get to him would taint the victory somewhat. However, if I can find a lineup with the Toyota 7 on pole and no Minolta in the field, I reckon I might have a chance without having to bend the rules. We'll see...I must be nuts

FURTHER UPDATE: Read below for details...excuse the double post, but I decided to put the race report in a seperate post for ease of reading for other people

 

[Falcon787B]

'Back In The Saddle'
Part 2 - World Circuit Tour: Monza

Thanks to AMG once again for his track maps

Seasonal Event. 5 Laps, 18 Miles
12 Cars, 702-734PP Average, 750PP Maximum.

The second leg of my quest to conquer the World Circuit Tour series with my beautiful red Mazda was going to be very tough. Very very tough. I mentioned in the report for race 1 that the Furai is down nearly 400hp on some of it's rivals in this series, which means it has a huge top speed disadvantage. And which track are we at now? A track all about speed - the legendary Monza circuit This will be a test like no other - no amount of ducking and weaving will save me now

So the only option was to shoehorn some more power into my Mazda, and after strapping on ALL power upgrades, this is how she rolled out onto the grid on a sweltering hot day in Italy:

2008 Mazda Furai Concept
Drivetrain: MR
Power: 550hp
Torque: 318.12lb/ft
Weight: 675kg
Performance Points: 685PP
Tyres: Racing Soft
Mods: High RPM Turbo Kit, Engine Stage 3, Chassic Reinforcement.


I also, for the first time pretty much in my racing career, went hunting for a setup from the huge armoury of setups here on GTPlanet, and found a brilliant setup from praiano63. Massive props to this guy for unlocking the maximum potential from my already awesome Mazda 👍

Despite the additional 61hp, this will still be a huge challenge. Not only am I still at a huge disadvantage in terms of speed, but I'll be starting nearly 20s down on the leader, and will have to run an average of 4s quicker per lap to get to the front! Is that even possible?! It was at Laguna, but here, on the long straights and fast apexes? Only one way to find out Here's the starting grid:

1. 1970 Toyota 7 Race Car
2. 2005 Pescarolo C60 Hybride-Judd Race Car
3. 2003 Bentley Speed 8 Race Car
4. 2001 Audi R8 Race Car
5. 1999 Toyota GT-One (TS020) Race Car
6. 2004 Gillet Vertigo Race Car
7. 1998 Nissan R390GT1 Race Car
8. 1970 Chapparel 2J Race Car
9. 2000 Dodge Viper GTS-R Team Oreca
10. 2000 Ford Falcon XR8
11. 1999 Lister Storm V12 Race Car

A big advantage I do have is the Toyota 7 on pole - with any luck, he'll slow up the Pescarolo just enough to help my cause. Having attempted this race without him on pole and being blown away, I know I need him to do me a massive favour. It's still the season of goodwill, isn't it? 💡

Tension is rising, sweat is dripping from my palms already, and my hands are tight on the steering wheel. It's not often that even I think that there's no chance of me winning, but today is the case. Come on Furai, prove me wrong! Let's GO!

Laps 1-5

Just as at Laguna, clearing the tail end Charlies will be absolutely pivotal, and there's no time to waste at all. I draft past the Lister before we even start braking for T1-2 (Goodyear chicane)...

...then dive by the Falcon...

before nailing the Viper under acceleration out of the chicane. Three down in the space of two corners - good start 👍

The 2J and the R390 are getting involved in a little skirmish, which I rudely interrupt at T6 (Lesmo 1) by sliding up the inside of the 2J...

...before pulling an audacious move on the OUTSIDE of the R390!

The Vertigo falls next, on the run out of Lesmo 2 (T7) and down Serraglio, the back straight. Half the field in half a lap, and trust me when I say that this level of mad ducking and diving through the field is the bare minimum I need to do to even be in with a vague chance - something I'm reminded of when the gap flashes up at the Ascari checkpoint showing me 18s down on the leader - I guess the Toyota 7 wasn't feeling too generous

However, if I get it right, the Ascari complex is a big advantage area for me, and this partially helps me claw back some time, leaving me 13s down at the end of lap 1 - I would say it's a mountain to climb, but I'm not exaggerating when I say it's more like Everest...

The field has gapped out a lot more by now, leaving me some open highway to really put pedal to the metal and push my Mazda to it's limits. And thanks to praiano63's superb tuning setup, I can do just that. I thought the Furai out of the box was a tremendous handling car, but this custom setup has eradicated it's sometimes slippery rear end, particularly under hard acceleration out of corners. It's cornering like a slot car right now - absolutely sublime. Big props to you man

The one car I meet on lap 2 is the Toyota GT-One, on it's own in 5th, and I pass him with ease through the Lesmo corners. I quickly leave him behind, and once again nail the apexes to blast out a new PB laptime - 1:36.948 - and trim the gap to the lead to just 8s. I'm making good progress, but there's still 3 cars to pass before I get to the leader, and I cannot afford to get hung up with any of them. I have to nail three more laps as good as the last one, or at least in the 1:37s.

The hapless Toyota 7 has already fallen to 4th, and he may as well be waving a white flag already when I reach him at 2nd chicane (T4-5), as he falls with consumate ease. Well, it's the least he could do to make up for being about as effective a roadblock as a slice of cheese and some corduroy trousers

Deja vu hits when I meet the two Audi R8s - sorry, the one Audi R8 and the Audi R8 dressed up as a Bentley - and pull an identical move on both of them as I did on the 2J and R390, complete with audacious pass on the outside of the lead car!

The Bentley driver gets a good view out his left side window of me overtaking him sideways - talk about rubbing salt in the wounds! I'd love to say I was posing for the cameras, but really I was just mashing the throttle and hoping for the best

No time for showboating now - halfway through lap 3, and the chase is now well and truly on. Passing the previous three cars has hampered my progress, but not too much...saying that though, I'm 6.699s down at the conclusion of lap 3. I've now gotta somehow average over 3s a lap faster than the Pescarolo for the next two laps, basically meaning not only no mistakes, but no let up at all...but a glimmer of hope is there. I'm in with a chance. It may be a slim one, but considering I thought I didn't have a chance at all when the green flag dropped...it's something. Come on Mazda, don't let me down now!

I absolutely storm lap 4, again beating my PB with a new fastest lap, a 1:36.839 I have no idea where I'm finding this pace and bravery from, but I'm grateful for it! Starting the final lap, the gap is just 3.4s, and the Pescarolo is in sight. Just a little bit more...

I continue to ring every last fibre of speed out of the Furai, but I'm not quite close enough to draft down Serraglio for the last time. I'm hanging in for dear life. I need to nail the Ascari complex one more time, and I'll have half a chance at a final-corner showdown...

...and that's just what I do!

I'm dangling on the coat-tails of the Pescarolo's draft down the last straight for the final time, urging my Mazda's speedometer ever higher.

But it just isn't enough. Coming into the long final corner, I'm not close enough to try to get up the inside. I've come up short once again...

...or have I? Surely there's no chance of a pass on THE OUTSIDE?! Here goes nothing!!

...I can't believe it...she's holding the line! SHE'S HOLDING IT!

I'm sideways...BUT I'M ALONGSIDE! COME ON GIRL, HANG ON TO IT!! DON'T LET ME DOWN NOW!!

YES!!!!!! I'M IN FRONT!!!! YOU BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!

I get a tremendous head start on the Pescarolo, and I'm going to need it! COME ON, COME ON! ONE STRAIGHT AWAY TO GO! THE FINISH LINE'S IN SIGHT!! COME ONNNN!!!!!

The Pescarolo's coming back, he's coming back...BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH!! I'VE DONE IT! I'VE WON!!!! 👍 👍 👍 👍

1. 2008 Mazda Furai Concept
2. 2005 Pescarolo C60 Hybride-Judd Race Car +0.274s
3. 2001 Audi R8 Race Car +8.660s
4. 2003 Bentley Speed 8 Race Car +12.704s
5. 1970 Toyota 7 Race Car +24s
6. 1999 Toyota GT-One (TS020) Race Car +27s
7. 2004 Gillet Vertigo Race Car +39s
8. 1998 Nissan R390GT1 Race Car +44s
9. 1970 Chapparel 2J Race Car +46s
10. 2000 Dodge Viper GTS-R Team Oreca +1:06s
11. 2000 Ford Falcon XR8 +1:12s
12. 1999 Lister Storm V12 Race Car +1:27s

The adreneline is pumping, and my heart is absolutely racing. I slump back in my chair and loosen my iron grip on the steering wheel. My t-shirt is stuck to my chest with sweat. That was one of the most incredible races I have ever had, in any Gran Turismo game ever. Absolutely staggering. I cannot believe I've pulled it off. I've done the impossible, and taken my underdog Furai to victory at Monza. I've had to drive harder, faster and better than I've ever had to before, and that I ever thought I could do. I'm no superman behind the wheel, no Smallhorses - and yet the victory I've just achieved feels really special. One that'll live long in the memory, and has already gone into my top 5 favourite races of all time in the Gran Turismo series. And if this is what GT5 has to offer in terms of thrills, then bring it on!

And lastly, having fallen totally in love with the wonderful Furai, I feel it's time to carry on a tradition I've started since starting playing GT5 - name my favourite cars. So with that, I've christened her Marilyn

And on that rather soppy bombshell, it's time to wrap up this race report. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time where me and Marilyn will head to race 3 at Fuji Speedway, as our quest to conquer the World Circuit Tour series continues! Until then, goodbye!
​

 

[DK]

If it handles like a slot car, how come it doesn't becoming a rolling hunk of scrap metal if you take a corner too fast?

Nice report. 👍

 

[Suzumiya]

If it handles like a slot car, how come it doesn't becoming a rolling hunk of scrap metal if you take a corner too fast? 👍

Sounds like me everytime I attempt to race those thingies.
Sounds like an intense race if your shirt sticks to your chest because of sweat. XD

OH GOD I USED SOUNDS LIKE TWICE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? D:

 

[C-ZETA]

Nice to see the Furai you got is the same colour as mine was - Red Metallic. Everything's better with red metallic

And also nice to see you picked a good tuner to give your Furai that much speed. And now you know how useful it really is...

I did the Nurburgring race in a McLaren F1 though, that wasn't even fully modded. That Pesky kept it close, but the Toyota 7 helps a lot there...

 

[W3H5]

Once again, great report. It made my lunch hour much more interesting. 👍

 

[lilcat89]

Nice reports. I have to say that the pictures are pretty good. Im very impressed and looking forward to more reports. I have subscribed to both your threads, btw. 👍

 

[Falcon787B]

If it handles like a slot car, how come it doesn't becoming a rolling hunk of scrap metal if you take a corner too fast?

Nice report. 👍

Haha! Thanks for the kind words.

Sounds like me everytime I attempt to race those thingies.
Sounds like an intense race if your shirt sticks to your chest because of sweat. XD

OH GOD I USED SOUNDS LIKE TWICE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? D:

Hah, yeah it was pretty intense. I'll explain the full circumstances behind this race later in this post, but I had good reason to be elated when I FINALLY won this 🤬 race!

Nice to see the Furai you got is the same colour as mine was - Red Metallic. Everything's better with red metallic

And also nice to see you picked a good tuner to give your Furai that much speed. And now you know how useful it really is...

I did the Nurburgring race in a McLaren F1 though, that wasn't even fully modded. That Pesky kept it close, but the Toyota 7 helps a lot there...

Yeah, beautiful colour for a gorgeous car. It just so happened that that was the colour of the car when I got it as a prizecar

I'll tell you what, I've never needed to browse through the tuning forums thus far in my racing career, but when I needed every advantage I could get, I turned to them in my hour of need, and they delivered. Brilliant setup, I really can't praise it enough

I'd guess it would, as the Nurb isn't as wide, so passing oppurtunites are more limited. I figure that the Pesky blew by the 7 really early on at Monza, hence why it was barely held up at all Well done on doing it in the Mclaren, it's a great car. Won the Fuji 1000km in GT4 with it 👍 Was the the World Circuit Tours also?

Once again, great report. It made my lunch hour much more interesting. 👍

Thanks man! I appreciate the kind words Glad I brought some entertainment to your lunch hour too, haha

Nice reports. I have to say that the pictures are pretty good. Im very impressed and looking forward to more reports. I have subscribed to both your threads, btw. 👍

Thanks very much! I'm definitely no pro with the camera, I literally pick an angle that looks nice and get the shot, but I do enjoy embellishing a report with plenty of photos. Brings it more to life 👍 I really appreciate the kind words, and the subscriptions. Stay tuned

Just some background on the report too...I realise now re-reading it having woken up the next morning, it probably sounds incredibly emotionally charged and OTT in places, especially the finale. I can explain that on three counts.

One, it was a last-corner, last-lap pass, the most thrilling way possible to win a race

Two, I appreciate there are some of you that will be saying 'what's the big deal? I creamed this race in a Furai easy!' and so on. As I said in the post, I am no superman or Smallhorses at this game. So if I manage to pull off underdog victories like this I'm pretty happy with myself

Which leads me to point Three - the fact that I had been attempting this race for OVER THREE HOURS STRAIGHT! As I said in the previous post, I had had so many near misses and agonising close calls it was ridiculous - how I didn't ragequit and send my steering wheel flying out the window I have no idea I definitely had a few 'walk away and cool down' moments, I'll tell you!

I think if the Sauber C9 or Minolta Toyota had still been in the field, I'd still be here now attempting it. I just couldn't beat either of them, even with the Toyota 7 starting pole. I've actually lost count of the total number of attempts I gave this, including the ones where I restarted after screwing up a corner or wrecking into another car in the first few laps.Somewhere in the region of 70 million, I think

Hence why when I finally achieved the win, I went nuts for about thirty seconds, then slumped in my chair, drained and sweaty, before IMMEDIATELY saving everything, the savegame, replay etc, and backing it up just for good measure! Haha!

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I'll bask in the glow of victory for a while and play around with a few other cars and races before returning for the next race in this series 👍

EDIT: Also just to say I'm really impressed with the new graphics - it may only be a slight step up in overall quality from GT4, in terms of smoothness and that, but looking through the photos I love just how realistic the sun glare and reflections are. Really makes it look like a beautiful summers day. Excellent job PD 👍