- 24,120
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
My last long series beside the Formula GT is the GT All Stars Pro. The preview showed me the usual suspects: TS020, R390, maybe the Esperante. I was considering the Zonda racer, which I've never driven, but seeing the GT One there scared me out of it. I saddled up the worn-but-trusty 787B, shod it with T3s on custom wheels, and headed to California. Turbo 1, pretty much the only available option, is on the transporter as well as a selection of softer tires. Although I have refined it from what I began with, here's the setup I've used pretty much throughout the series:
Springs: 16.4/14.8
Ride Ht: 80/80
Bound: 7/7
Rebound: 7/7
Downforce: 0.90/1.15
Camber: 3.0/1.0
Toe: 0.0/0.0
Swaybars: 4/4
Brakes 11/11
FD: 3.800
AS: 34 or 44
LSD: 10/40/20
ASM: 0
TCS: 1
Laguna Seca - 15 laps
I really enjoy this course, even though I'm not terribly good at driving it. It's got all the fun of the level changes, without the off-camber turns and hidden ripples found in some other tracks. And no walls lurking right off the pavement.
The field I drew lost the TS020 (of course) so it looks like I'll be facing off against the R390 and my teammate in the other 787B as my only real competition. The settings were a little different from what's shown above: slightly higher ride height, less downforce, more brakes at both ends. I ran a quick qualifier just to see if the car was in the ballpark setup-wise, and took 2nd spot, around 1.low" behind the R390.
I dropped a spot on the launch, but held the 3rd position through turns 2-3. The slab cars quickly outpaced the LM cars, which I didn't see again until we started lapping them. I moved to 2nd during that first lap, passing the R390 to the inside at turn 6 before the overpass. I followed my teamate into lap 2, beginning to close pretty tightly. This proved to be a mistake, because he suddenly dropped anchor right in the fairway leading up to the Corkscrew, causing a grinding crash and smokey spinouts for both of us as I rearended him hard. I recovered first, but the R390 had already slipped by and was headed downhill out of the Corkscrew. I caught up to him at the last turn, which he took wide, allowing me to slip by inside and grab the lead before the end of lap 2.
Once I was out front I was able to extend my lead fairly steadily, wasting some margin when I ran wide on turn 7 once or twice. The R390 fell out of 2nd place for a bit (I saw in the replay that he had spun on the last turn), but took it back within a lap or so. The 787B is very easy on tires and at the halfway point these had plenty of life remaining, so I opted not to pit. The R390 pitted out of 2nd place on lap 9, followed by the other 787B on 10 or 11. The R390 must have spun again on cold tires, because my teammate was hanging on to a distant second. I encountered the backmarkers on laps 13 and 14, passing the 2 LM cars. I cruised to an easy victory despite some sloppy laps in the middle.
Margin: +39.170", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM
Total Time: 19':10.646"
Fast Lap: 1':14.504"
Average Lap: 1':16.709"
Deep Forest - 15 laps
After the big margin of victory at Laguna, I switched up to T4s and scheduled a pit for the halfway mark to make it more interesting. T5s would probably make it 8 laps but I'll go for the gusto instead; settings are the same as Laguna. This time I didn't qualify, taking the green from the back of the grid. I headed into turn 1 in the middle of the pack, with the LM cars dropping off slightly through the off-camber twisties leading into the first tunnel.
The back side of this track is totally manic at these speeds. I don't think I ever felt in control throughout the Bus Stop section. At the exit to the last tunnel of lap 1 I was able to hang back, then punch it to duck inside both the R390 and the 787B to take the lead. My driving never warmed up that well, and my laps were fairly sloppy, leading to less margin than last race. I pitted after lap 8, falling back to 2nd after the R390. He pitted after the next lap, but I don't recall if I passed him on track or in the pits to regain the lead. The 787B pitted on 10 and must have encountered trouble, because his margin got big and stayed big. We encountered lap traffic on 13 and 14, putting all three backmarkers off the lead lap.
Margin: +15.615", R390; +44.021", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 17':24.597"
Fast Lap: 1':05.972"
Average Lap: 1':09.639" with 1 pit
Teams had a short break at this time for rest and maintenance.
Midfield Raceway Reverse - 15 laps
Good old Midfield. Because of the smoother level transitions, I dropped the ride height to 80mm all round, though I left spring rates where they were rather than stiffening them as usual. I'm sticking with the T4s/1-pit strategy, and declining to qualify.
I'm always amazed at how fast you can take the turn 1-2 combination leading into the first real tunnel on this track, and always disappointed at how slow you have to take the 3rd turn coming out of it. For some reason I have a very difficult time getting an efficient line through the tight one. I exited there a lagging 3rd place, and promptly stole the lead when the R390 and my teammate both ran wide in turn 6, the long right sweeper leading into the second tunnel. I extended this lead for another 7 consistent, clean laps. The R390 would gain on me in the straights, but could not handle the turns well at all. I saw later that he put it into the kitty litter at the runout for turn 6 on every freaking lap. For a surprise, I lapped the GT40 on lap 7; he must have spun at some point.
I pitted after lap 8 on healthy tires, dropping from +14.mid" ahead to -4.low" behind. Though he had a huge top speed advantage, the R390's tires were about dead, making his cornering worse than usual, and I was able to pass him before he pitted after 9. My teammate was hanging back, and pitted out of 3rd after lap 10. After the pit cycle, I simply kept running, lapping the two LM cars on 12. Most of my laps in this race were cleaner and more consistent than I can usually manage.
Margin: +28.915", R390; +57.326", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 16':42.959"
Fast Lap: 1':03.221"
Average Lap: 1':06.863" with 1 pit
Test Course - 15 laps
I actually don't hate this track, and I've had some very exciting slipstreaming battles here. However, tonight I wasn't too interested, so the techs fitted the bigger turbo, boosting power from 710 hp to 946 (cheez, talk about a bargain at 5 kilocredits). I minimized downforce, switched to T2s, and spun the spring perches down to 55mm. I ran most of a qualifying lap to set my transmission A/S at 44, but started from 6th, as if that mattered.
Running clean and smooth towards the beginning of the race, I was clocking 263 mph on the straights with the needle a couple hundred revs shy of the limiter. Not even the mighty R390 could keep anywhere near me. After I saw him pit (fire that crew chief), I began to play around, running a lap or two looking in the rearview and steering backwards. This led to a nasty collision with the outside wall, which I saw from the replay stood the car up on its butt, about a carlength above the rail, before slamming down and wobbling all over the track. That almost caused me to make an unintended pit stop, but I got it stabilized and back up to speed.
Shortly after that I saw my top end start sagging to around 257 mph, and right on cue the oil light popped on. I played some backmarker tag, boosting the GT40 up towards 220 mph, and spending half a lap trying to spin the Altezza and S2000, who were locked in a deadly battle for 4th place. Some time later I crossed the finish line, then went to relieve myself while the pack caught up.
Margin: +1':13.367", R390; +1'.???", 787B; +2 laps, Altezza LM, S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 23':57.328"
Fast Lap: 1':32.141"
Average Lap: 1':35.821"
After this there was another break in the schedule for rest and refit.
Springs: 16.4/14.8
Ride Ht: 80/80
Bound: 7/7
Rebound: 7/7
Downforce: 0.90/1.15
Camber: 3.0/1.0
Toe: 0.0/0.0
Swaybars: 4/4
Brakes 11/11
FD: 3.800
AS: 34 or 44
LSD: 10/40/20
ASM: 0
TCS: 1
Laguna Seca - 15 laps
I really enjoy this course, even though I'm not terribly good at driving it. It's got all the fun of the level changes, without the off-camber turns and hidden ripples found in some other tracks. And no walls lurking right off the pavement.
The field I drew lost the TS020 (of course) so it looks like I'll be facing off against the R390 and my teammate in the other 787B as my only real competition. The settings were a little different from what's shown above: slightly higher ride height, less downforce, more brakes at both ends. I ran a quick qualifier just to see if the car was in the ballpark setup-wise, and took 2nd spot, around 1.low" behind the R390.
I dropped a spot on the launch, but held the 3rd position through turns 2-3. The slab cars quickly outpaced the LM cars, which I didn't see again until we started lapping them. I moved to 2nd during that first lap, passing the R390 to the inside at turn 6 before the overpass. I followed my teamate into lap 2, beginning to close pretty tightly. This proved to be a mistake, because he suddenly dropped anchor right in the fairway leading up to the Corkscrew, causing a grinding crash and smokey spinouts for both of us as I rearended him hard. I recovered first, but the R390 had already slipped by and was headed downhill out of the Corkscrew. I caught up to him at the last turn, which he took wide, allowing me to slip by inside and grab the lead before the end of lap 2.
Once I was out front I was able to extend my lead fairly steadily, wasting some margin when I ran wide on turn 7 once or twice. The R390 fell out of 2nd place for a bit (I saw in the replay that he had spun on the last turn), but took it back within a lap or so. The 787B is very easy on tires and at the halfway point these had plenty of life remaining, so I opted not to pit. The R390 pitted out of 2nd place on lap 9, followed by the other 787B on 10 or 11. The R390 must have spun again on cold tires, because my teammate was hanging on to a distant second. I encountered the backmarkers on laps 13 and 14, passing the 2 LM cars. I cruised to an easy victory despite some sloppy laps in the middle.
Margin: +39.170", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM
Total Time: 19':10.646"
Fast Lap: 1':14.504"
Average Lap: 1':16.709"
Deep Forest - 15 laps
After the big margin of victory at Laguna, I switched up to T4s and scheduled a pit for the halfway mark to make it more interesting. T5s would probably make it 8 laps but I'll go for the gusto instead; settings are the same as Laguna. This time I didn't qualify, taking the green from the back of the grid. I headed into turn 1 in the middle of the pack, with the LM cars dropping off slightly through the off-camber twisties leading into the first tunnel.
The back side of this track is totally manic at these speeds. I don't think I ever felt in control throughout the Bus Stop section. At the exit to the last tunnel of lap 1 I was able to hang back, then punch it to duck inside both the R390 and the 787B to take the lead. My driving never warmed up that well, and my laps were fairly sloppy, leading to less margin than last race. I pitted after lap 8, falling back to 2nd after the R390. He pitted after the next lap, but I don't recall if I passed him on track or in the pits to regain the lead. The 787B pitted on 10 and must have encountered trouble, because his margin got big and stayed big. We encountered lap traffic on 13 and 14, putting all three backmarkers off the lead lap.
Margin: +15.615", R390; +44.021", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 17':24.597"
Fast Lap: 1':05.972"
Average Lap: 1':09.639" with 1 pit
Teams had a short break at this time for rest and maintenance.
Midfield Raceway Reverse - 15 laps
Good old Midfield. Because of the smoother level transitions, I dropped the ride height to 80mm all round, though I left spring rates where they were rather than stiffening them as usual. I'm sticking with the T4s/1-pit strategy, and declining to qualify.
I'm always amazed at how fast you can take the turn 1-2 combination leading into the first real tunnel on this track, and always disappointed at how slow you have to take the 3rd turn coming out of it. For some reason I have a very difficult time getting an efficient line through the tight one. I exited there a lagging 3rd place, and promptly stole the lead when the R390 and my teammate both ran wide in turn 6, the long right sweeper leading into the second tunnel. I extended this lead for another 7 consistent, clean laps. The R390 would gain on me in the straights, but could not handle the turns well at all. I saw later that he put it into the kitty litter at the runout for turn 6 on every freaking lap. For a surprise, I lapped the GT40 on lap 7; he must have spun at some point.
I pitted after lap 8 on healthy tires, dropping from +14.mid" ahead to -4.low" behind. Though he had a huge top speed advantage, the R390's tires were about dead, making his cornering worse than usual, and I was able to pass him before he pitted after 9. My teammate was hanging back, and pitted out of 3rd after lap 10. After the pit cycle, I simply kept running, lapping the two LM cars on 12. Most of my laps in this race were cleaner and more consistent than I can usually manage.
Margin: +28.915", R390; +57.326", 787B; +1 lap, Altezza LM and S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 16':42.959"
Fast Lap: 1':03.221"
Average Lap: 1':06.863" with 1 pit
Test Course - 15 laps
I actually don't hate this track, and I've had some very exciting slipstreaming battles here. However, tonight I wasn't too interested, so the techs fitted the bigger turbo, boosting power from 710 hp to 946 (cheez, talk about a bargain at 5 kilocredits). I minimized downforce, switched to T2s, and spun the spring perches down to 55mm. I ran most of a qualifying lap to set my transmission A/S at 44, but started from 6th, as if that mattered.
Running clean and smooth towards the beginning of the race, I was clocking 263 mph on the straights with the needle a couple hundred revs shy of the limiter. Not even the mighty R390 could keep anywhere near me. After I saw him pit (fire that crew chief), I began to play around, running a lap or two looking in the rearview and steering backwards. This led to a nasty collision with the outside wall, which I saw from the replay stood the car up on its butt, about a carlength above the rail, before slamming down and wobbling all over the track. That almost caused me to make an unintended pit stop, but I got it stabilized and back up to speed.
Shortly after that I saw my top end start sagging to around 257 mph, and right on cue the oil light popped on. I played some backmarker tag, boosting the GT40 up towards 220 mph, and spending half a lap trying to spin the Altezza and S2000, who were locked in a deadly battle for 4th place. Some time later I crossed the finish line, then went to relieve myself while the pack caught up.
Margin: +1':13.367", R390; +1'.???", 787B; +2 laps, Altezza LM, S2000 LM, and GT40
Total Time: 23':57.328"
Fast Lap: 1':32.141"
Average Lap: 1':35.821"
After this there was another break in the schedule for rest and refit.
