first full run of the roadster 4 hours, epic finish

[Tad Dainty]

I've just been playing GT a couple of months. A spec level 31. I don't have all the events completed in Expert, Extreme, or Endurance yet. I've won the Grand valley 300k, Laguna Seca 200mi, and Indy 500 already, but the Roadster race confounded me. couldn't keep up since my car was new.

Well my Roadster RS (NC) '07 was finally broken in, and I entered the race again with it completely stock except for all the sports tires purchased and Softs equipped. of course that's the most powerful car the AI uses too, and there was one present. Painted the same color white as me too (white rabbit). The race was entirely a battle between us two, with all the lap traffic acting as obstacles.

I built up a decent lead but I was driving like a fool.. I didn't know the AI would wait over 2 hours before pitting! I had to make an early pit stop for front tires. I totally wore out the new set of tires catching up to the lead car just as he made his first pit stop (2hrs+ time elapsed), and went in the pits again right behind him! Since I got fuel previously, I only took 10L and switched to Hard front Soft rear tires thinking I could go further without another change. I was out of the pits 20 or 30 seconds before him.

I held this lead approaching 3 hours into the race, but my reduced traction was hurting my lap times. He chipped away at my lead mercilessly until we were running neck and neck like lap 1 all over again. However he was never able to pass me and always stayed about a second or two behind when I was driving well.

but in these endurance races, it's hard to keep driving well and concentrating. and the worst happened with under 40 minutes remaining: i went off in the sands of Tsukuba and found myself 15 seconds behind, completely unable to gain any ground and slowly losing more. The white rabbit's gone down some hole where I can't follow... My heart sank.. i didn't even know what to think for a second. then I thought oh well, too bad about the 4 hours, keep going for the chunk of A-spec experience at least. I had come too far to just quit (an hour further than last time I quit actually)

then I made the clutch decision to pit for soft/soft tires. I thought maybe if I could gain 2 or 3 seconds per lap (my fastest lap being way back on lap#3, 1:08xx while I had been struggling for 1:10xx the majority of the race with mixed tires), i could pull it off, even with the extra time spent in the pits.

That's basically how it worked out too; even thought i didn't drive great I stayed on course, ran some 1:07 hot laps, regained the lead with under 1 minute remaining and finished with the gold trophy 👍

 

[cjr3559]

I did this race yesterday. Used the same car with hard sports tires and the computer chip upgrade.

I lapped the field by hour 3 but knew I was going to need some fuel before the end. Luckily my tires were fine.

Only problem was the game wouldn't allow me to pit when I was ready. Tried 4 times unsuccessfully while the competition apparently had no issues pitting. Odd.

Finally ran out of gas at the end of the front straight only to have to limp all the way around at reduced power and THEN the game allowed me to pit. Meanwhile I watched hopelessly as my 1 lap lead disintegrated to a 15 second deficit with less than 30 minutes remaining.

I hauled ass the rest of the way and wound up winning by about 5 seconds. Needless to say it was an interesting race. Still not sure why I couldn't pit.

 

[GTsail]

****Only problem was the game wouldn't allow me to pit when I was ready. Tried 4 times unsuccessfully while the competition apparently had no issues pitting. Odd.

Finally ran out of gas at the end of the front straight only to have to limp all the way around at reduced power and THEN the game allowed me to pit. Meanwhile I watched hopelessly as my 1 lap lead disintegrated to a 15 second deficit with less than 30 minutes remaining.

Still not sure why I couldn't pit.

Where on the Tsukuba track were you trying to enter the pits?

If it was after the last turn instead of before the final turn, the game will consider it an incorrect pit entrance and give you a drive-thru without allowing the tire change/fuel fill-up. The game considers it an un-safe pit-entrance if you enter the pits after the last turn (where the orange cones are standing).

Sometimes, even if you enter the pits correctly, the game will give you a drive-thru if you enter the pits too fast (though the latter is unlikely if you were driving the MX-5 Miata.

Respectfully,
GTsail

 

[cjr3559]

Where on the Tsukuba track were you trying to enter the pits?

If it was after the last turn instead of before the final turn, the game will consider it an incorrect pit entrance and give you a drive-thru without allowing the tire change/fuel fill-up. The game considers it an un-safe pit-entrance if you enter the pits after the last turn (where the orange cones are standing).

Sometimes, even if you enter the pits correctly, the game will give you a drive-thru if you enter the pits too fast (though the latter is unlikely if you were driving the MX-5 Miata.

Respectfully,
GTsail

Good info. I tried it four different times, from the end of the corner right before the main straight and all the way back at the beginning of the pit entranceway. I thought I had it figured out by entering further back along the pit entrance, but the game just kicked me back onto the track.

I'll have to try it again when I do the 9 hour endurance eventually.

 

[cjr3559]

Sometimes, even if you enter the pits correctly, the game will give you a drive-thru if you enter the pits too fast.

I purchased the Amuse S2000 and started the 9-Hour endurance last night and was doing competitively well. The AI also had the same car in the lineup, and by the end of the first hour he was my only competition. He was usually 1-5 seconds behind depending on whether or not there was traffic to lap, but I thought this would be a good way to get through this race without being bored out of my gourd.

Well, 1 hour passed, and the field started to pit. My sport soft tires held together well, and I was in no danger of running out of fuel by lap 60. So I figured it was time to put on some fresh tires.

But lo and behold, I had the exact same issue entering the pit as I did in the 4-Hour Roadster enduro. What is it about the pit entrance that you have to thread it like a needle? I can't remember if it was three or four attempts, but the game finally gave me permission to enter. Ultimately I wound up dropping down a lap and abandoned the race.

Result: I figured it was time to break out Tsukuba in practice mode and master the pit entry.

Summary: This is still one of the toughest pit lanes in the game.

Ugh.