- 644
Here we go, my shot at the British GT Series.
My car for this event: Jaguar XK-R R Performance '02, with tuning thanks to CamryFan and his N-Tune garage.
The lineup:
TVR T350C '03
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '03
TVR Tamora '02
Lotus Esprit V8 SE '98
TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00
Jaguar XK-R R Performance '02
I expect this to be somewhat of a challenge, because of two reasons: 1) My car weighs a lot compared to these and 2) I am a rubbish driver (that's the main one).
So, we head to Grand Valley Speedway, the first race of the championship.
Grand Valley Speedway
Qualifying
The first couple of laps I used to get used to the cars grip levels on S3 (I've only run on R1's previously) and also to re-learn entry speeds and cambers etc.
Lap 6 - Time for a hot one!
Hard onto the brakes and into the first tight right hairpin, and held a very good exit speed which was carried into the high-speed S's. Flat chat through the left, and just a small dab of brakes on the right, then flat again through the final left. Very hard onto the brakes for the notorious hairpin, exiting at around 40 mph. A bit of a slide through the dual bus-stop complex, but still an OK lap. Carrying great speed through the chicane and holding 77 through the tight right hander, before being back down hard onto the brakes through the chicane, 75 on the exit, and 100 through the last right hander, then across the line at 144mph, with a time of 2' 09.483, a pole position start.
Race Day
The starting order:
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan Speed 6
3) TVR Tamora
4) Lotus Esprit V8 SE
5) TVR T350C
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
A-Spec points (for those that care): 133
The lights go out, and the Tuscan gets a fantastic start, while too much wheel spin from the Jag saw me slip back to 2nd. I catch up the Tuscan by the time we get to the S's, but completely ruin the hairpin, and both the Tuscan and the Esprit slip through.
I catch and pass the Lotus through the bus-stop complex, and have hauled n the Tuscan (which is much faster on the straights) by the time we get to the final chicane, and dive down the inside on the exit. The eventful lap one is over, 2' 18.167, 1.11s in front of the Tuscan.
During lap 2, I went too hot into the final S, and clipped the grass, but held on and crossed the line in 2' 07.779, now (amazingly) 5 seconds in front of the Tuscan.
Lap 3 was a nice clean relaxed lap, after I realised I no longer had to push hard, and pulled an absolute screamer of 2' 06.714, finishing 6 seconds in front of the TVR.
Total race time: 6' 32.166
Scores after Round 1:
Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 10
TVR Tuscan Speed 6: 6
Lotus Esprit V8 SE: 4
TVR T350C: 3
TVR Tamora: 2
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 1
Fuji Speedway '90s
Qualifying
Amazingly, my first timed lap here got me pole, so lets run through it.
The Hot Lap
Overbraking a bit at the end of the straight caused a lack of speed and a loss of a few tenths at the right hander, but I managed to carry great speed through the right hand "parabolika". Through the left hairpin, and just touching the grass, my team told me I was around 3 seconds up. I ruined the chicane and no doubt lost a chunk of time, but I still crossed hte line at 157mph, with a time of 1' 38.834, and nearly 4 seconds faster than everyone else.
Race Day
The starting order:
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan
3) Lotus Esprit SE V8
4) TVR T350C
5) TVR Tamora
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
A-Spec points: 133
Once again, the Tuscan gets a much better start, but I caught and overtook him under braking for the first hairpin. Lap one time: 1' 45.395, only one tenth in front of the faster-on-the-straights Tuscan.
At the end of the straight, I once again caught and overtook the Tuscan, because TVR's are all brake-horsepower and no brakes. Holding a comfortable lead, I pulled a lap 2 time of 1' 39.050, a very long way in front now of the Tuscan.
Lap 3 was uneventful, and I crossed the line without another car in site, a lap time of 1'37.836, and a race time of 5' 02.279.
Scores after Round 2
1. Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 20
2. TVR Tuscan: 12
3. Lotus Esprit SE V8: 8
4. TVR T350C: 6
5. TVR Tamora: 4
6. Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 2
El Capitan
Ugh. Enough said. I don't like this track, and I don't know it properly, but we can only try.
Qualifying
I used most of qualifying to try and learn the track, but the Hot lap was still more of a learner lap, with little to nothing of any interest to report on, but I still got pole by 6.833 seconds, as my car is not a TVR and thus goes around corners. The time: 1' 59.827.
Race Day
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan
3) Lotus Esprit SE V8
4) TVR T350C
5) TVR Tamora
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
For once I got a good start, but the Tuscan would have none of it, and whacked me quite hard off hte line, and then again on the first corner, but some classy race line holding saw me keep first.
I took another couple of whacks from the TVR toward the end, and still he was unable to get past, and I end lap 1 with a time of 2' 09.930, 1.874 seconds in front.
I had a big moment on turn 2, and watched the Tuscan simply drive past, but I caught up with him by the end of the lap with a time of 2' 04.564.
The final lap was possibly my worst driving lap ever around El Capitan, so bad I can't even report on it, but I do know that I finished an incredible 1.629 seconds behind the Tuscan, giving me my first silver of the championship.
The scores after Round 3
1. Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 25
2. TVR Tuscan: 22
3. Lotus Esprit SE V8: 12
4. TVR T350C: 8
5. TVR Tamora: 7
6. Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 3
My car for this event: Jaguar XK-R R Performance '02, with tuning thanks to CamryFan and his N-Tune garage.
The lineup:
TVR T350C '03
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '03
TVR Tamora '02
Lotus Esprit V8 SE '98
TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00
Jaguar XK-R R Performance '02
I expect this to be somewhat of a challenge, because of two reasons: 1) My car weighs a lot compared to these and 2) I am a rubbish driver (that's the main one).
So, we head to Grand Valley Speedway, the first race of the championship.
Grand Valley Speedway
Qualifying
The first couple of laps I used to get used to the cars grip levels on S3 (I've only run on R1's previously) and also to re-learn entry speeds and cambers etc.
Lap 6 - Time for a hot one!
Hard onto the brakes and into the first tight right hairpin, and held a very good exit speed which was carried into the high-speed S's. Flat chat through the left, and just a small dab of brakes on the right, then flat again through the final left. Very hard onto the brakes for the notorious hairpin, exiting at around 40 mph. A bit of a slide through the dual bus-stop complex, but still an OK lap. Carrying great speed through the chicane and holding 77 through the tight right hander, before being back down hard onto the brakes through the chicane, 75 on the exit, and 100 through the last right hander, then across the line at 144mph, with a time of 2' 09.483, a pole position start.
Race Day
The starting order:
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan Speed 6
3) TVR Tamora
4) Lotus Esprit V8 SE
5) TVR T350C
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
A-Spec points (for those that care): 133
The lights go out, and the Tuscan gets a fantastic start, while too much wheel spin from the Jag saw me slip back to 2nd. I catch up the Tuscan by the time we get to the S's, but completely ruin the hairpin, and both the Tuscan and the Esprit slip through.
I catch and pass the Lotus through the bus-stop complex, and have hauled n the Tuscan (which is much faster on the straights) by the time we get to the final chicane, and dive down the inside on the exit. The eventful lap one is over, 2' 18.167, 1.11s in front of the Tuscan.
During lap 2, I went too hot into the final S, and clipped the grass, but held on and crossed the line in 2' 07.779, now (amazingly) 5 seconds in front of the Tuscan.
Lap 3 was a nice clean relaxed lap, after I realised I no longer had to push hard, and pulled an absolute screamer of 2' 06.714, finishing 6 seconds in front of the TVR.
Total race time: 6' 32.166
Scores after Round 1:
Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 10
TVR Tuscan Speed 6: 6
Lotus Esprit V8 SE: 4
TVR T350C: 3
TVR Tamora: 2
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 1
Fuji Speedway '90s
Qualifying
Amazingly, my first timed lap here got me pole, so lets run through it.
The Hot Lap
Overbraking a bit at the end of the straight caused a lack of speed and a loss of a few tenths at the right hander, but I managed to carry great speed through the right hand "parabolika". Through the left hairpin, and just touching the grass, my team told me I was around 3 seconds up. I ruined the chicane and no doubt lost a chunk of time, but I still crossed hte line at 157mph, with a time of 1' 38.834, and nearly 4 seconds faster than everyone else.
Race Day
The starting order:
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan
3) Lotus Esprit SE V8
4) TVR T350C
5) TVR Tamora
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
A-Spec points: 133
Once again, the Tuscan gets a much better start, but I caught and overtook him under braking for the first hairpin. Lap one time: 1' 45.395, only one tenth in front of the faster-on-the-straights Tuscan.
At the end of the straight, I once again caught and overtook the Tuscan, because TVR's are all brake-horsepower and no brakes. Holding a comfortable lead, I pulled a lap 2 time of 1' 39.050, a very long way in front now of the Tuscan.
Lap 3 was uneventful, and I crossed the line without another car in site, a lap time of 1'37.836, and a race time of 5' 02.279.
Scores after Round 2
1. Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 20
2. TVR Tuscan: 12
3. Lotus Esprit SE V8: 8
4. TVR T350C: 6
5. TVR Tamora: 4
6. Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 2
El Capitan
Ugh. Enough said. I don't like this track, and I don't know it properly, but we can only try.
Qualifying
I used most of qualifying to try and learn the track, but the Hot lap was still more of a learner lap, with little to nothing of any interest to report on, but I still got pole by 6.833 seconds, as my car is not a TVR and thus goes around corners. The time: 1' 59.827.
Race Day
1) Jaguar XK-R R Performance
2) TVR Tuscan
3) Lotus Esprit SE V8
4) TVR T350C
5) TVR Tamora
6) Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
For once I got a good start, but the Tuscan would have none of it, and whacked me quite hard off hte line, and then again on the first corner, but some classy race line holding saw me keep first.
I took another couple of whacks from the TVR toward the end, and still he was unable to get past, and I end lap 1 with a time of 2' 09.930, 1.874 seconds in front.
I had a big moment on turn 2, and watched the Tuscan simply drive past, but I caught up with him by the end of the lap with a time of 2' 04.564.
The final lap was possibly my worst driving lap ever around El Capitan, so bad I can't even report on it, but I do know that I finished an incredible 1.629 seconds behind the Tuscan, giving me my first silver of the championship.
The scores after Round 3
1. Jaguar XK-R R Performance: 25
2. TVR Tuscan: 22
3. Lotus Esprit SE V8: 12
4. TVR T350C: 8
5. TVR Tamora: 7
6. Aston Martin DB9 Coupe: 3
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Keep up the good work! 
Well, fellow not-good-driver, i wish you the best in this race series, Good luck, you are working hard for those trophies 
