- 2,747
- Morgoth_666
I've been putting off taking the time to do this for a week or so, but dammit I'm going to write it. It'll be very long and probably boring - I know I get too verbose but I can't help myself. First report, too. Don't read it if you don't want to. 
First, a little background. I love endurance racing, watching or simming. I'd much rather run a whole enduro and lose than win by 3 laps, so I've sunk a lot of time into them and have lost every one I've won so far. But I've had endless fun and have not won one yet by more than about 10 seconds(other than a wacky end to the Nürb 4-hour where the guy I passed on the last lap pitted instead of taking the flag(it would've been under :10) and was somehow classed a full lap down). I was sure Indy would end that streak but was all right with that. OK, that takes care of me.
Now, to Indy. I figured the slow Audi R10 TDI would be a good choice, after deciding I didn't want a GT car due to the closed top. As I expected, the car stock wasn't too overpowering for the race, but it was still too fast for me. I spent a while tuning it to get it as fast and predictable as I could, then I dropped to Sports Soft tires versus the AI's Race Mediums and added 100kg of ballast(offset slightly to preserve the exact weight balance). Then I saw I had ruined the tire life balance and the fronts were dying in less than 20 laps. Reducing my aggressive front camber finally seemed to balance it back out.
The day I was going to race, I spent too much time fixing the tire wear, so I just started a throwaway race for a final test. I surprisingly was having so much fun I finished the whole thing despite being over a lap behind right from the start. My car badly needed new oil and I discovered by the end that I really just could not keep up with the 3 R8s who had a brilliant battle for the lead, literally all race long. I saw that two Pesca-Peugots were literally glued together as well, due to them having too low a rev limiter. I also learned that if you are laps down in a set-distance race, the race won't stop until you finish which means lots of 50mph cruising AIs. NOT a good thing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, believe me!
So then I was set to go again, and a friend unexpectedly arrived. I was all set to leave it for another day but he insisted I go ahead and do it anyway while he did other things. It sadly wasn't the sort of situation where I could ask for his help(I still suggested it). That would've required further testing and tweaking, and he had only spent a couple hours at most learning the wheel as well. So off I went.
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I changed my oil and washed my R10, and dropped the ballast to 85kg since I suspected the R8s would be tough late in the race, as well as that I'd be a bit distracted and drinking at least a little bit of whiskey and not really wanting to lose in "public". I also shortened my gear ratios a bit, which in hindsight probably did more to hurt fuel consumption than to help speed, given the R10's power curve.
My Specifics:
Audi R10 TDI '06
682 hp
852 ft-lb
1,010 kg
673 pp
Sports Soft tires
No aids/MT
Full HUD (I'd usually race with less, but I wanted to see exact mph, and follow the position shuffling of the competition. Minimap zoom level 2 is almost a must for this race unless you are really cranking the volume)
Ok, not full HUD, no tire load indicator or blinking gear thing.
Cockpit view
900 degree wheel - controller sensitivity 7(not sure if that affects wheels)
4:3 SD TV
The Players:
1 W Duncan - BMW V12 LMR
2 J Key - Audi R8 (Playstation)
3 L Walner - Audi R10 TDI
4 F Romppanen - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
5 U Pardo - Audi R8
6 M Huovinen - Pescarolo C60 Hybride - Judd
7 Morgoth_666 - Audi R10 TDI
8 C Bright - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5
9 F Eaton - BMW V12 LMR
10 D Bello - Audi R8
11 L Shannon - Audi R10 TDI
12 J Mustonen - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
The Start:
I immediately hit the limiter which doesn't affect Bright getting by me right at the flag. I recieve my first two rear impacts before even getting to turn 1. Rompannen is the only one to move up much in the first two corners, up to second starting the backstretch. That won't last long. He drops to 6th by the time we get to turn 3. J Key leads a very close first lap for what that's worth. I cross the line in 8th. I expect things to shuffle around for the first couple of laps and then I should be able to close the gap to the leaders. I also expect it to be a race with just the R8s in the end, one of the Pescas is fast(I think Huovinen) but it doesn't seem to last long enough on its tires.
My first flying lap is a 43.763 and I take the limited Romppanen's 7th. Huovinen takes the lead. I get 6th away from Bello in the first 2 corners of lap 3 and have a nice big gap ahead of me to the top 5, no slipstream for me.
After 5 laps the way the beginning of this will play out is becoming apparent. Pardo now leads Key, Bright, Huovinen and Duncan as they are all glued to each other and trading positions constantly. Then there's a gap of over 3 seconds to me, with Bello and Eaton stuck behind Walner's R10 a little further back. Gives me a moment to catch my breath as I know the BMW and R8 will eat me alive on the straights.
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The Early Laps:
6-10: The leaders continue their fantastic battle, I can barely keep track of who's where. Pardo leads for a noticeable time, then Huovinen, then Key, then Huovinen takes over again but of course the slipstream keeps them all glued together. I've now just settled in to driving by myself, 3.1 seconds behind. I've not been able to improve my best lap and have not been able to gain more than a tenth on the leaders. Bello and Eaton had a horrible time with the R10 so they are a further 3 or 4 seconds back, though they have gotten around now. All of the leaders have fast laps equal to or better than mine.
Pardo takes a turn at the lead on lap 11. I'm too busy watching the lead battle so I'm not sure how many flat laps I've run. I can do it flat, but only barely, and not after half of the stint. A quick look at me shows I'm not getting all the corners flat now, but I can't tell if I've hit the wall yet, the car still looks clean. I'll hit it plenty by the end of the race, but mostly just taps although there will be a few slightly bigger impacts. Not that it takes more than a tap to end this race in real life.
By lap 13, U Pardo is getting a little comfortable in front. The lead pack has finally spread into a line instead of a solid mass of metal and carbon fiber, but they are still close together. Their tires are all wearing about the same except for Huovinen, who is losing his rears quickly now. Surprisingly, the other R10s are keeping right together with Bello's R8 and Eaton's BMW, which can't be good for those two trying to catch up to me.
My outside front is still wearing faster than I hoped, even worse than the C60 Hybride's rears. My times are into the high 44s and I'm not sure I can survive 22 laps, but the others have slowed as well and the gap is holding at 3.9 seconds. On lap 15 the lead pack has closed back up again, Key takes the point from Pardo. The whole field is running 45s by now, except 46s from Mustonen and Romppanen.
Pardo back into the lead on lap 18 as their great battle continues. Huovinen must be about to pit but he's holding down 2nd, the others have a few laps left. He drops back to 4th and pits at the end of lap 19. So it begins.
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The First Pit Stops:
My right front is nearly gone but I'm trying to hold on as long as I can this opening stint. 46s are starting to appear and the gap has swollen to 5.8 seconds. Luckily, the cars chasing me have not closed their gap either. I decide discretion is best so I am second to pit on lap 20.
I know that it will be a little more fair and easier to read the race if I use the same strategy as the AI for fuel, but I balanced the competition intending to run with a proper fuel load, and I really just don't want to follow the boneheaded strategy of carrying around 100 pounds of fuel I won't use every lap. So I decide to only take 20-25 liters or so on my first two stints, to get a little fueling out of the way but not a great deal longer than the tire change requires. Cruising down the pits I can clearly see I have redecorated the wall-side of my car a bit already. I come out a few seconds clear of Huovinen so I know this strategy will surely push me into the lead once the cycle completes.
I should add that even though the AI likes to jump up to the racetrack proper as soon as they can, that seems very dangerous to me and I'm fairly certain that's not the real-life method, so I always continue through turn 2 and re-join on the backstretch. Of course I've clipped the grass there and spun many times in practice, so I worry a little every time I leave the pits now.
C Bright in the Judd GV5 is next to come in, on lap 22. Bello pits right after him. The other leading R8s have pulled away from Duncan's BMW but pit on lap 23, giving him the lead. He comes in the next lap and the cycle is complete. I take the lead an instant before completing my 24th lap.
After 25 laps are complete, the order is now:
Morgoth_666
M Huovinen +6.4
C Bright +10.9
U Pardo +13.1
J Key +15.7
W Duncan +22.2
D Bello +26.7
F Eaton +31.4
L Walder +34.6
Others nearly or a lap down.
I lap my first car on track, Shannon's R10, on lap 26. The gaps have all opened up and there is no more direct racing, so it seems the endurance has begun. Scratch that, Pardo has already caught Bright. I'm just about to lap Romppanen with Shannon and Mustonen on my tail. Pardo takes 3rd on lap 28, and I take care of business just after. Now begins the long haul through the middle of the race.
After 30 laps the gap is 7.7 to Huovinen, 11 to Pardo and Bright, who I imagine will stay glued together for the whole stint, and 15 back to Key in fourth. Walner in the other R10 gets lapped on lap 32. I see Bright(GV5 Judd) has an issue with hitting the limiter when in the slipstream. Huovinen is seeing his lap times go up, probably from his tires wearing fastest after pitting first, and the other two are catching fast. They both catch him on lap 34, so that pretty officially rules him out of contention. My lap times are dropping off too and they are within 8 seconds and closing.
I hit the wall a bit more than a tap on lap 37. Nothing major but that won't help. Pardo has used the traffic to attempt to get away from Bright and Huovinen and is gaining on me by a second per lap. Not good. After lap 39 he is within 2 seconds of me and I'm having to begin taking a big sweep to the inside of the straights to break the tow(a planned move from practice) for the first time in the race. I don't do it on the backstretch and he gets close enough to take the lead back at the yard of bricks ending lap 40, but of course I beat him into turn one and take it back. This is getting hairy. He gets it for good on the backstretch, but I'm trying to stretch my tires to set up my strategy.
I pit from second after a sketchy lap 42 on a nearly destroyed right front, 2 laps longer than the first stint. Pardo is now 8 seconds ahead of Key and Bright who are now together. Another slightly short fill and I'm back under way with just about enough fuel for a stint, coming out just in front of 3 of the 4 lappers. I've now got a proper fuel load so should be at my fastest, but no more time to gain from short stops. My oil has surely lost its luster by now too.
Pardo comes in on lap 46. Duncan briefly takes the lead and stops a lap later. My lead is regained with 6.2 back to Huovinen and 17.6 to Pardo who is clearly the main challenger.
After 1/4 distance:
Morgoth_666
M Huovinen +9.6
U Pardo +17.0
J Key +25.3
C Bright +25.5
D Bello +36.2
Both BMWs are now a lap down, Duncan is only a few seconds behind me on track.
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The Mid Race:
I see no reason to think the patterns will change soon, I'm all right at the start of my stints but lose a lot to the R8s at the end. Huovinen will eventually lose a full stop and disappear. Key could recover and become a factor, but Pardo is my main worry. I was hoping to build enough of a lead to be able to absorb one spin, but I'm realizing now that that is probably not going to happen so I better keep it contained. With no more time to gain in the pits and my oil only going to get dirtier, this already intense race just got that much more so.
Bright and Bello are having an intense battle for fifth as we go past 50 laps, and the limited Pescarolo Pugs are back into their normal restrictor-plate-esque duel that no one will ever see. Bright wins that battle and pulls ahead. I'm running steady 44s as deep as I can into my stint, pulling away from the Hybride, but with the Audi always steadily gaining, down below 12 seconds as we finish lap 60 and I start dipping into the 45s.
The tires hold up better this time, and I come in on lap 65 with more left than either of my first two stops. The lead just dips under 10 seconds the lap before I came in. It's amazing how much longer the extra fuel takes. Pardo stops on lap 68 after racing with the lap-down BMW of Duncan for a while. Duncan assumes the lead, but I'm only 6 seconds behind him with him about to stop. He does so on lap 70. After the stops, my lead from Pardo is only 12 seconds, with Huovinen still hanging around off-sequence.
After 75 laps only three cars remain on the lead lap:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +12.0
J Key +32.6
Huovinen has pitted already.
Bello and Bright are nose-to-tail, right behind me. They are fast enough that we are basically all racing each other, but they are a lap down so it's hard for them to stay ahead of me. This doesn't stop them from overtaking me multiple times despite me breaking the slipstream frequently. Every time I think I've pulled away and take a normal line, they're right on me again. I'm doing good to hit 213 on the straights, they're runing 220 without a tow.
Meanwhile, Pardo keeps slowly closing, less than 7 seconds after lap 87. I head for the pits to end the 89th lap, low on fuel but again with a little more tire left and again one more lap than before, 24 this time. The gap was still 6.9 seconds. Pardo runs out of rears and pits in on lap 91 just after I leave. It appears no make but Audi will lead this race again. When he comes back out, the gap is up to 10 seconds.
On lap 94, I'm closing on 5th place Bright who's just left the pits and then an R10 exits the pits just in front of me. That gives me a nice tow up to catch the GV5's airstream and then a wild moment sees me nearly hit the grass on the inside of turns 3-4. But I catch it and still re-set my fastest lap of the race for the first time since lap 2 with a 43.674.
Half way! With 100 laps complete, I've picked up 8th place F Eaton in the BMW. He's chasing Duncan, in the short chute after turn 1 as we cross the bricks.
The order:
1 Morgoth_666
2 U Pardo +8.6
3 J Key +36.3
4 D Bello (+1)
5 C Bright (+1)
6 M Huovinen (+1)
7 W Duncan (+1)
8 F Eaton (+1)
9 L Shannon (+2)
10 L Walner (+2)
11 J Mustonen (+2)
12 F Romppanen (+2)
Eaton and I make side-to-side contact entering turn 1 on lap 106, but we both carry on. Until now he hasn't been causing me much trouble and I'm surely helping him catch up to Duncan since he has a great tow down most of the straights - I'm not having to break it to keep him behind me, but he gets close. Pardo continues stalking, 5.2 seconds behind after 108 laps.
I just managed to break away from Eaton for a lap or two before it's time for fresh Sports Softs and fuel on lap 111. The lead was 5.1 seconds. I come out fourth, just behind the ever-battling Pugs who have now passed Walner. Pardo goes to lap 114. Somehow I managed to stretch the lead up to 12 seconds after the stops. I think Eaton did gain on Duncan while following me, but only by a few hundred yards.
Lap 122 an R10 decides not to let me past easily and I make contact trying to cut underneath. Nothing major comes of it but it looked ugly.
125 laps in the books:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +8.8
J Key has now gone down a lap and is directly racing with Pardo and Huovinen.
Somewhere around this time I realize just how tricky my situation is. I'm only gaining a little bit on each stop meaning the actual gap is quite small, and I know that they are going to have a fast stop at the end of the race when they won't need any fuel, and they'll also be faster then. I'm only going to keep getting slower if anything. All I can do is just stay calm, try to keep off the wall, and try to run as many 44s as I can and as low 45s as I can(and as few 46s as possible) at the end of my stints.
I come in on lap 133 with a 6.3 second lead over Pardo and his two friends who are still duking it out. Key pits to make that a two-way battle. On lap 137 it's Pardo's turn. I continue to get good pit work(plus I've shortened my stints a lap or two to keep the tires a little fresher) and the lead is now 17 seconds. After the stops Pardo, Key and Huovinen are right back together and back at it again. I just hope they slow Pardo down more than they help him.
I'm not sure where he came from, but by lap 143 Eaton's BMW is on my tail again. I know I'm long past the point of spin-and-win so every time we get close there's a chance of it all ending in tears. But I also know I can't afford to do anything but push push push while keeping it clean. This time I am breaking the slipstream, more for my own safety than anything. Not that it's helping me get away very fast.
Ok, 150 down now:
Morgoth_666(and Eaton)
U Pardo(and Key, and Huovinen, and Bright, and Duncan) +12.6
That's right, Pardo now has a 5-car group running around. 50 laps and two stops to go.
Lap 156 and I'm in. The lead is actually up to 14.5 seconds so I must be getting a little help from the big pack Pardo's running with, even though he is in front every time I've checked. I watch a whole group of cars go by me as I'm cruising through turn one leaving the pits that turns out to be Pardo and company. But I'll be too far behind by the time I'm up to speed to get any help from them.
Pardo comes in on lap 160. I'm running by myself now. He's going longer and going to thus be even stronger at the end, but we still both have to stop. But at the first split I can see that things have worked in my favor and the lead is now up to a whopping 23.8 seconds!
Wait a minute... I think I misjudged my fuel and will need to stop a little early which would explain that. I was thinking that I needed a little less than normal for these last two stints but I should probably have gone with a regular load now and less later. Oh well, it can't be helped now. Just push push push and conserve conserve conserve.
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To the Finish:
Well, this is looking to be as nailbitingly close as I had feared. I know he'll gain lots of time on the last stop, and I know my last stint is going to have to be too long to push beyond the limit. Sure, that gap looked big at first, but I know it will shrink at the stop and after 168 laps it's only 20 seconds already! He's possibly already a little lighter on fuel and can still run 43s. My mid-44s aren't looking very strong right now, but that was what I've been aiming for since practice.
With 30 to go, the gap is 18.4. I'm running mid-high 44s by myself, he just turned a 43.2 in a crowd with Huovinen and Eaton, who is now ahead of Duncan.
Lap 171 is better, 44.7 me vs 44.8 Pardo. I'm getting pretty low on fuel, the die will be cast soon. I'm still able to hit 213 on the straights. He's doing 223 with no slipstream.
175 in the books:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +16.0
I'm desperately low on fuel now, but I push on to get as close as I can. It turned out I wasn't way off with my strategy, just not really what I would have done if I had the time to think it over. I bring it in for the last time on lap 177, gap 15.763. My R10 TDI has a very nice two-tone grey paint scheme by now - light grey on the left side, dark grey on the right. Topped off and away we go for the final 23 laps. I know my tires can make it this far, but where's the R8 going to be?
Whoah! leaving the pits I get too wide at the end of turn two and put two wheels in the outside grass. The car lurches violently into a potential spin for a split second, and my race(and all the times I spun there in practice) flashes before my eyes! But patience on the throttle, a quick flick of opposite lock, and it straightens right out at 160mph. 5th place Huovinen gets a nice view of it, along with 6th place Eaton(yes, direct fight for position) and the last place Audi of Walner.
I come out right in front of them and they both pass me and each other, then we fall back into our original positions. Eaton then dives to the pits at the end of the next lap, while Huovinen stays to play. We make contact as he tries to cut under me and then backs out at the last second going into turn 1 of lap 181.
I missed this while both racing and watching the replay, but I set a new best lap of 43.280 somewhere between lap 156 and 160. Racing with Huovinen now I'm turning mid-low 44s right out of the pits. Pardo comes in for his final servicing after 182 laps.
So the question will now be answered. It is indeed a short stop for tires only, I'm 18.5 seconds behind at the yard of bricks as he's already underway. I see a car I think is him going through the acceleration lane in turn 1. It pulls out just before turn 2, still slow, and I think it's grey. He's still getting up to speed, a little slipstream and sure enough, it's Pardo! My momentum carries me past on the backstretch and there you have it. Nothing at all in it between he and I with Huovinen just a few yards behind!
Lap 184
Morgoth_666 leads. Times are irrelevant at this point. I screw up turn 1 and get into the wall a bit more than a tap, bleed some speed. He sneaks past but only for an instant.
Lap 185
Morgoth_666 leads. I lead at the stripe but Pardo takes it right after despite Huovinen bump-drafting me. But I get under Pardo and he parks in turn 1, drops back a bit. A bit of breathing space for me but I know they'll be back.
Lap 186
I set a 43.9 last lap, and I had a whopping 1.1 second lead at the line. Unfortunately his tires are perfect, and mine are already starting to wear. Come on, keep it together!
Lap 187
After a 44.2, it's now 0.8 seconds. You better believe I'm breaking the slipstream at every chance I get when he's not right on me. Won't keep me in front, but I have to make him work as hard as I can.
Lap 188
U Pardo flies past and leads at the line. A little slipstream, duck under and he backs off, but not behind Huovinen this time. He gets by on the backstretch but not by enough to hold it.
Lap 189
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen actually passes us both and I slightly rear-end him as I'm cutting underneath for turn 1. He continues with no harm but the usual backing off, and I'm ok as well. Other than that R8 on my bumper. Huovinen again passes me on the backstretch, which keeps Pardo behind me, then he backs off as I re-pass in turn 3 and holds up the R8 a bit. I get a BMW to slipstream to the line. Danke Schön!
Lap 190
Morgoth_666 leads. Another whopping 1.0 second gap. Uneventful lap.
Lap 191
Morgoth_666 leads. Yes, they're closing. My tires are down below half by now.
Lap 192
Morgoth_666 leads by a couple feet thanks to another bump-draft from Huovinen. By the way, I'm not blocking in any way I'd consider unusual, just breaking the slipstream on the main straights or else staying right on the standard line and either way making sure I stay on my line in the turns. If they get a run they can have it. Luckily they aren't too bright. Pardo takes 1st on the backstretch. He almost consolidated it but was just a little too slow(and of course way too wide) into turn 3 so I take it back.
Lap 193
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen flies past but then gives it up in turn 1, creating another bit of breathing room. Not enough, as Pardo gets a run out of turn 4.
Lap 194
U Pardo leads. But again, 100 feet isn't enough lead to take into turn 1. His slight re-pass on the backstretch isn't even close enough to stay in front.
Lap 195
Morgoth_666 leads. I get a bump-draft from Pardo this time. Tires going away, I'm mostly running 45s now. Huovinen gets in front and then hits the brakes at just the wrong time, I rear-end him again. That means Pardo gets by both of us as I go back past Huovinen. He's got his biggest lead yet coming off of turn 4, but I've still got the tow, despite some bricks being excreted.
Lap 196
U Pardo leads. He holds it through turn 1-2 but I get a nice run on the backstretch and make the pass into turn 3, then of course tap the wall. I'm too far inside coming off turn 4, try to get out to the wall as I see Huovinen trying the inside line but a hair too late as Pardo stuck his nose in just before I got there. We make some contact and he backs off. That one was my fault, sorry.
Lap 197
Morgoth_666 leads. A bump-draft from the C60 Hybride-Judd on the backstretch means I hold the lead through the turns. I haven't seen any lapped traffic other than Huovinen in a while.
Lap 198
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen pushes us both on the frontstretch but pushes Pardo into me before hitting me himself, meaning I keep the lead. But I understeer a bit in turn 1 and Pardo makes a legit pass in a corner. Then he brakes into my front bumper going into turn 2 meaning he can hold it, but I'm right in his slipstream. As expected, I retake the lead in turn 3. And Huovinen's tires can go no further, he dives for pit lane at the end of the lap, leaving just the two of us two laps to decide with honor who deserves a disgusting chug of really warm milk after the race.
Lap 199
Morgoth_666 leads. Pardo is just inches from my bumper but decides not to make a move. He gets close again on the backstretch, but again waits.
Lap 200
Morgoth_666 leads. Again he rides my bumper but makes no move. There's some extremely minor front-to-rear contact going into turn one, no consequence but several skipped heartbeats. I slide on my old tires and bleed off enough speed to need 4th gear in turn 2! Surely he's got me, but again he closes and backs off without moving to the inside. He stays as close as he ever has in turns 3 and 4 but one more time does not make a move to the inside. He seemed determined to catch me making a mistake and not getting out to the wall on exit, but I did not oblige him on those last 2 laps. To the yard of bricks and Morgoth_666 takes the win!!
The margin of victory?
No claim made of being good at doing photos.
That's 0.062 seconds for those who like numbers. It was pretty much that close the whole final 2 laps. Apparently Eaton was pretty close behind us, I didn't even notice that when I took the picture or while driving.
The final running order:
1 Morgoth_666 - Audi R10 TDI
2 U Pardo +.062 - Audi R8
3 J Key (+1) - Audi R8 (Playstation)
4 D Bello (+1) - Audi R8
5 M Huovinen (+1) - Pescarolo C60 Hybride - Judd
6 C Bright (+2) - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5
7 F Eaton (+2) - BMW V12 LMR
8 W Duncan (+2) - BMW V12 LMR
9 F Romppanen (+4) - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
10 L Walner (+4) - Audi R10 TDI
11 L Shannon (+4) - Audi R10 TDI
12 J Mustonen (+4) - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
My fastest lap was a 43.280(I set a personal best 3 whole times in 199 attempts).
Pardo's was 43.047.
Fastest lap of the race went to Huovinen with a 42.585, the only car in the 42s.
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What a race! I think it took 15 minutes for my heartrate and adrenaline level to return to normal. I don't think words can describe how intense that was, building for pretty much the whole race really. But those last 23 laps in particular are something I will not soon if ever forget. The worst(or who knows, maybe best) part was, my friend ended up being out of the room for the entire white-knuckle final stint.
If it wasn't for the AI backing off when I was alongside, and not sticking with it when they had a decent run, I'd have never pulled it off. If Huovinen hadn't been there most of that time I might not have been able to do it, he complicated things and took lanes away from Pardo a few times. If Pardo ever pulled ahead of the slipstream it was over. If anybody had nudged me the wrong way at the wrong time it was over. I suppose if I had never touched the wall I might have won by 10-20, who knows maybe 30 seconds, but I'm not too upset by the amount or the severity of wall-banging I did do, all things considered.
I don't know if anyone will bother reading all of this or get any entertainment out of it, but I'm glad I did it even though it took much longer to write than I had planned. Grew to about three times the size I planned, too. It was great just to relive this one. It was also nice to be able to see some of the epic battles I knew the AI was having, particularly at the beginning. I was hardly even watching my own car for most of the first stint.
That was easily one of the most amazing times I've had playing any GT game. And now I can very happily say that I will never need to run this race again.
First, a little background. I love endurance racing, watching or simming. I'd much rather run a whole enduro and lose than win by 3 laps, so I've sunk a lot of time into them and have lost every one I've won so far. But I've had endless fun and have not won one yet by more than about 10 seconds(other than a wacky end to the Nürb 4-hour where the guy I passed on the last lap pitted instead of taking the flag(it would've been under :10) and was somehow classed a full lap down). I was sure Indy would end that streak but was all right with that. OK, that takes care of me.
Now, to Indy. I figured the slow Audi R10 TDI would be a good choice, after deciding I didn't want a GT car due to the closed top. As I expected, the car stock wasn't too overpowering for the race, but it was still too fast for me. I spent a while tuning it to get it as fast and predictable as I could, then I dropped to Sports Soft tires versus the AI's Race Mediums and added 100kg of ballast(offset slightly to preserve the exact weight balance). Then I saw I had ruined the tire life balance and the fronts were dying in less than 20 laps. Reducing my aggressive front camber finally seemed to balance it back out.
The day I was going to race, I spent too much time fixing the tire wear, so I just started a throwaway race for a final test. I surprisingly was having so much fun I finished the whole thing despite being over a lap behind right from the start. My car badly needed new oil and I discovered by the end that I really just could not keep up with the 3 R8s who had a brilliant battle for the lead, literally all race long. I saw that two Pesca-Peugots were literally glued together as well, due to them having too low a rev limiter. I also learned that if you are laps down in a set-distance race, the race won't stop until you finish which means lots of 50mph cruising AIs. NOT a good thing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, believe me!
So then I was set to go again, and a friend unexpectedly arrived. I was all set to leave it for another day but he insisted I go ahead and do it anyway while he did other things. It sadly wasn't the sort of situation where I could ask for his help(I still suggested it). That would've required further testing and tweaking, and he had only spent a couple hours at most learning the wheel as well. So off I went.
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I changed my oil and washed my R10, and dropped the ballast to 85kg since I suspected the R8s would be tough late in the race, as well as that I'd be a bit distracted and drinking at least a little bit of whiskey and not really wanting to lose in "public". I also shortened my gear ratios a bit, which in hindsight probably did more to hurt fuel consumption than to help speed, given the R10's power curve.
My Specifics:
Audi R10 TDI '06
682 hp
852 ft-lb
1,010 kg
673 pp
Sports Soft tires
No aids/MT
Full HUD (I'd usually race with less, but I wanted to see exact mph, and follow the position shuffling of the competition. Minimap zoom level 2 is almost a must for this race unless you are really cranking the volume)
Ok, not full HUD, no tire load indicator or blinking gear thing.
Cockpit view
900 degree wheel - controller sensitivity 7(not sure if that affects wheels)
4:3 SD TV
The Players:
1 W Duncan - BMW V12 LMR
2 J Key - Audi R8 (Playstation)
3 L Walner - Audi R10 TDI
4 F Romppanen - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
5 U Pardo - Audi R8
6 M Huovinen - Pescarolo C60 Hybride - Judd
7 Morgoth_666 - Audi R10 TDI
8 C Bright - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5
9 F Eaton - BMW V12 LMR
10 D Bello - Audi R8
11 L Shannon - Audi R10 TDI
12 J Mustonen - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
The Start:
I immediately hit the limiter which doesn't affect Bright getting by me right at the flag. I recieve my first two rear impacts before even getting to turn 1. Rompannen is the only one to move up much in the first two corners, up to second starting the backstretch. That won't last long. He drops to 6th by the time we get to turn 3. J Key leads a very close first lap for what that's worth. I cross the line in 8th. I expect things to shuffle around for the first couple of laps and then I should be able to close the gap to the leaders. I also expect it to be a race with just the R8s in the end, one of the Pescas is fast(I think Huovinen) but it doesn't seem to last long enough on its tires.
My first flying lap is a 43.763 and I take the limited Romppanen's 7th. Huovinen takes the lead. I get 6th away from Bello in the first 2 corners of lap 3 and have a nice big gap ahead of me to the top 5, no slipstream for me.
After 5 laps the way the beginning of this will play out is becoming apparent. Pardo now leads Key, Bright, Huovinen and Duncan as they are all glued to each other and trading positions constantly. Then there's a gap of over 3 seconds to me, with Bello and Eaton stuck behind Walner's R10 a little further back. Gives me a moment to catch my breath as I know the BMW and R8 will eat me alive on the straights.
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The Early Laps:
6-10: The leaders continue their fantastic battle, I can barely keep track of who's where. Pardo leads for a noticeable time, then Huovinen, then Key, then Huovinen takes over again but of course the slipstream keeps them all glued together. I've now just settled in to driving by myself, 3.1 seconds behind. I've not been able to improve my best lap and have not been able to gain more than a tenth on the leaders. Bello and Eaton had a horrible time with the R10 so they are a further 3 or 4 seconds back, though they have gotten around now. All of the leaders have fast laps equal to or better than mine.
Pardo takes a turn at the lead on lap 11. I'm too busy watching the lead battle so I'm not sure how many flat laps I've run. I can do it flat, but only barely, and not after half of the stint. A quick look at me shows I'm not getting all the corners flat now, but I can't tell if I've hit the wall yet, the car still looks clean. I'll hit it plenty by the end of the race, but mostly just taps although there will be a few slightly bigger impacts. Not that it takes more than a tap to end this race in real life.
By lap 13, U Pardo is getting a little comfortable in front. The lead pack has finally spread into a line instead of a solid mass of metal and carbon fiber, but they are still close together. Their tires are all wearing about the same except for Huovinen, who is losing his rears quickly now. Surprisingly, the other R10s are keeping right together with Bello's R8 and Eaton's BMW, which can't be good for those two trying to catch up to me.
My outside front is still wearing faster than I hoped, even worse than the C60 Hybride's rears. My times are into the high 44s and I'm not sure I can survive 22 laps, but the others have slowed as well and the gap is holding at 3.9 seconds. On lap 15 the lead pack has closed back up again, Key takes the point from Pardo. The whole field is running 45s by now, except 46s from Mustonen and Romppanen.
Pardo back into the lead on lap 18 as their great battle continues. Huovinen must be about to pit but he's holding down 2nd, the others have a few laps left. He drops back to 4th and pits at the end of lap 19. So it begins.
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The First Pit Stops:
My right front is nearly gone but I'm trying to hold on as long as I can this opening stint. 46s are starting to appear and the gap has swollen to 5.8 seconds. Luckily, the cars chasing me have not closed their gap either. I decide discretion is best so I am second to pit on lap 20.
I know that it will be a little more fair and easier to read the race if I use the same strategy as the AI for fuel, but I balanced the competition intending to run with a proper fuel load, and I really just don't want to follow the boneheaded strategy of carrying around 100 pounds of fuel I won't use every lap. So I decide to only take 20-25 liters or so on my first two stints, to get a little fueling out of the way but not a great deal longer than the tire change requires. Cruising down the pits I can clearly see I have redecorated the wall-side of my car a bit already. I come out a few seconds clear of Huovinen so I know this strategy will surely push me into the lead once the cycle completes.
I should add that even though the AI likes to jump up to the racetrack proper as soon as they can, that seems very dangerous to me and I'm fairly certain that's not the real-life method, so I always continue through turn 2 and re-join on the backstretch. Of course I've clipped the grass there and spun many times in practice, so I worry a little every time I leave the pits now.
C Bright in the Judd GV5 is next to come in, on lap 22. Bello pits right after him. The other leading R8s have pulled away from Duncan's BMW but pit on lap 23, giving him the lead. He comes in the next lap and the cycle is complete. I take the lead an instant before completing my 24th lap.
After 25 laps are complete, the order is now:
Morgoth_666
M Huovinen +6.4
C Bright +10.9
U Pardo +13.1
J Key +15.7
W Duncan +22.2
D Bello +26.7
F Eaton +31.4
L Walder +34.6
Others nearly or a lap down.
I lap my first car on track, Shannon's R10, on lap 26. The gaps have all opened up and there is no more direct racing, so it seems the endurance has begun. Scratch that, Pardo has already caught Bright. I'm just about to lap Romppanen with Shannon and Mustonen on my tail. Pardo takes 3rd on lap 28, and I take care of business just after. Now begins the long haul through the middle of the race.
After 30 laps the gap is 7.7 to Huovinen, 11 to Pardo and Bright, who I imagine will stay glued together for the whole stint, and 15 back to Key in fourth. Walner in the other R10 gets lapped on lap 32. I see Bright(GV5 Judd) has an issue with hitting the limiter when in the slipstream. Huovinen is seeing his lap times go up, probably from his tires wearing fastest after pitting first, and the other two are catching fast. They both catch him on lap 34, so that pretty officially rules him out of contention. My lap times are dropping off too and they are within 8 seconds and closing.
I hit the wall a bit more than a tap on lap 37. Nothing major but that won't help. Pardo has used the traffic to attempt to get away from Bright and Huovinen and is gaining on me by a second per lap. Not good. After lap 39 he is within 2 seconds of me and I'm having to begin taking a big sweep to the inside of the straights to break the tow(a planned move from practice) for the first time in the race. I don't do it on the backstretch and he gets close enough to take the lead back at the yard of bricks ending lap 40, but of course I beat him into turn one and take it back. This is getting hairy. He gets it for good on the backstretch, but I'm trying to stretch my tires to set up my strategy.
I pit from second after a sketchy lap 42 on a nearly destroyed right front, 2 laps longer than the first stint. Pardo is now 8 seconds ahead of Key and Bright who are now together. Another slightly short fill and I'm back under way with just about enough fuel for a stint, coming out just in front of 3 of the 4 lappers. I've now got a proper fuel load so should be at my fastest, but no more time to gain from short stops. My oil has surely lost its luster by now too.
Pardo comes in on lap 46. Duncan briefly takes the lead and stops a lap later. My lead is regained with 6.2 back to Huovinen and 17.6 to Pardo who is clearly the main challenger.
After 1/4 distance:
Morgoth_666
M Huovinen +9.6
U Pardo +17.0
J Key +25.3
C Bright +25.5
D Bello +36.2
Both BMWs are now a lap down, Duncan is only a few seconds behind me on track.
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The Mid Race:
I see no reason to think the patterns will change soon, I'm all right at the start of my stints but lose a lot to the R8s at the end. Huovinen will eventually lose a full stop and disappear. Key could recover and become a factor, but Pardo is my main worry. I was hoping to build enough of a lead to be able to absorb one spin, but I'm realizing now that that is probably not going to happen so I better keep it contained. With no more time to gain in the pits and my oil only going to get dirtier, this already intense race just got that much more so.
Bright and Bello are having an intense battle for fifth as we go past 50 laps, and the limited Pescarolo Pugs are back into their normal restrictor-plate-esque duel that no one will ever see. Bright wins that battle and pulls ahead. I'm running steady 44s as deep as I can into my stint, pulling away from the Hybride, but with the Audi always steadily gaining, down below 12 seconds as we finish lap 60 and I start dipping into the 45s.
The tires hold up better this time, and I come in on lap 65 with more left than either of my first two stops. The lead just dips under 10 seconds the lap before I came in. It's amazing how much longer the extra fuel takes. Pardo stops on lap 68 after racing with the lap-down BMW of Duncan for a while. Duncan assumes the lead, but I'm only 6 seconds behind him with him about to stop. He does so on lap 70. After the stops, my lead from Pardo is only 12 seconds, with Huovinen still hanging around off-sequence.
After 75 laps only three cars remain on the lead lap:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +12.0
J Key +32.6
Huovinen has pitted already.
Bello and Bright are nose-to-tail, right behind me. They are fast enough that we are basically all racing each other, but they are a lap down so it's hard for them to stay ahead of me. This doesn't stop them from overtaking me multiple times despite me breaking the slipstream frequently. Every time I think I've pulled away and take a normal line, they're right on me again. I'm doing good to hit 213 on the straights, they're runing 220 without a tow.
Meanwhile, Pardo keeps slowly closing, less than 7 seconds after lap 87. I head for the pits to end the 89th lap, low on fuel but again with a little more tire left and again one more lap than before, 24 this time. The gap was still 6.9 seconds. Pardo runs out of rears and pits in on lap 91 just after I leave. It appears no make but Audi will lead this race again. When he comes back out, the gap is up to 10 seconds.
On lap 94, I'm closing on 5th place Bright who's just left the pits and then an R10 exits the pits just in front of me. That gives me a nice tow up to catch the GV5's airstream and then a wild moment sees me nearly hit the grass on the inside of turns 3-4. But I catch it and still re-set my fastest lap of the race for the first time since lap 2 with a 43.674.
Half way! With 100 laps complete, I've picked up 8th place F Eaton in the BMW. He's chasing Duncan, in the short chute after turn 1 as we cross the bricks.
The order:
1 Morgoth_666
2 U Pardo +8.6
3 J Key +36.3
4 D Bello (+1)
5 C Bright (+1)
6 M Huovinen (+1)
7 W Duncan (+1)
8 F Eaton (+1)
9 L Shannon (+2)
10 L Walner (+2)
11 J Mustonen (+2)
12 F Romppanen (+2)
Eaton and I make side-to-side contact entering turn 1 on lap 106, but we both carry on. Until now he hasn't been causing me much trouble and I'm surely helping him catch up to Duncan since he has a great tow down most of the straights - I'm not having to break it to keep him behind me, but he gets close. Pardo continues stalking, 5.2 seconds behind after 108 laps.
I just managed to break away from Eaton for a lap or two before it's time for fresh Sports Softs and fuel on lap 111. The lead was 5.1 seconds. I come out fourth, just behind the ever-battling Pugs who have now passed Walner. Pardo goes to lap 114. Somehow I managed to stretch the lead up to 12 seconds after the stops. I think Eaton did gain on Duncan while following me, but only by a few hundred yards.
Lap 122 an R10 decides not to let me past easily and I make contact trying to cut underneath. Nothing major comes of it but it looked ugly.
125 laps in the books:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +8.8
J Key has now gone down a lap and is directly racing with Pardo and Huovinen.
Somewhere around this time I realize just how tricky my situation is. I'm only gaining a little bit on each stop meaning the actual gap is quite small, and I know that they are going to have a fast stop at the end of the race when they won't need any fuel, and they'll also be faster then. I'm only going to keep getting slower if anything. All I can do is just stay calm, try to keep off the wall, and try to run as many 44s as I can and as low 45s as I can(and as few 46s as possible) at the end of my stints.
I come in on lap 133 with a 6.3 second lead over Pardo and his two friends who are still duking it out. Key pits to make that a two-way battle. On lap 137 it's Pardo's turn. I continue to get good pit work(plus I've shortened my stints a lap or two to keep the tires a little fresher) and the lead is now 17 seconds. After the stops Pardo, Key and Huovinen are right back together and back at it again. I just hope they slow Pardo down more than they help him.
I'm not sure where he came from, but by lap 143 Eaton's BMW is on my tail again. I know I'm long past the point of spin-and-win so every time we get close there's a chance of it all ending in tears. But I also know I can't afford to do anything but push push push while keeping it clean. This time I am breaking the slipstream, more for my own safety than anything. Not that it's helping me get away very fast.
Ok, 150 down now:
Morgoth_666(and Eaton)
U Pardo(and Key, and Huovinen, and Bright, and Duncan) +12.6
That's right, Pardo now has a 5-car group running around. 50 laps and two stops to go.
Lap 156 and I'm in. The lead is actually up to 14.5 seconds so I must be getting a little help from the big pack Pardo's running with, even though he is in front every time I've checked. I watch a whole group of cars go by me as I'm cruising through turn one leaving the pits that turns out to be Pardo and company. But I'll be too far behind by the time I'm up to speed to get any help from them.
Pardo comes in on lap 160. I'm running by myself now. He's going longer and going to thus be even stronger at the end, but we still both have to stop. But at the first split I can see that things have worked in my favor and the lead is now up to a whopping 23.8 seconds!
Wait a minute... I think I misjudged my fuel and will need to stop a little early which would explain that. I was thinking that I needed a little less than normal for these last two stints but I should probably have gone with a regular load now and less later. Oh well, it can't be helped now. Just push push push and conserve conserve conserve.
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To the Finish:
Well, this is looking to be as nailbitingly close as I had feared. I know he'll gain lots of time on the last stop, and I know my last stint is going to have to be too long to push beyond the limit. Sure, that gap looked big at first, but I know it will shrink at the stop and after 168 laps it's only 20 seconds already! He's possibly already a little lighter on fuel and can still run 43s. My mid-44s aren't looking very strong right now, but that was what I've been aiming for since practice.
With 30 to go, the gap is 18.4. I'm running mid-high 44s by myself, he just turned a 43.2 in a crowd with Huovinen and Eaton, who is now ahead of Duncan.
Lap 171 is better, 44.7 me vs 44.8 Pardo. I'm getting pretty low on fuel, the die will be cast soon. I'm still able to hit 213 on the straights. He's doing 223 with no slipstream.
175 in the books:
Morgoth_666
U Pardo +16.0
I'm desperately low on fuel now, but I push on to get as close as I can. It turned out I wasn't way off with my strategy, just not really what I would have done if I had the time to think it over. I bring it in for the last time on lap 177, gap 15.763. My R10 TDI has a very nice two-tone grey paint scheme by now - light grey on the left side, dark grey on the right. Topped off and away we go for the final 23 laps. I know my tires can make it this far, but where's the R8 going to be?
Whoah! leaving the pits I get too wide at the end of turn two and put two wheels in the outside grass. The car lurches violently into a potential spin for a split second, and my race(and all the times I spun there in practice) flashes before my eyes! But patience on the throttle, a quick flick of opposite lock, and it straightens right out at 160mph. 5th place Huovinen gets a nice view of it, along with 6th place Eaton(yes, direct fight for position) and the last place Audi of Walner.
I come out right in front of them and they both pass me and each other, then we fall back into our original positions. Eaton then dives to the pits at the end of the next lap, while Huovinen stays to play. We make contact as he tries to cut under me and then backs out at the last second going into turn 1 of lap 181.
I missed this while both racing and watching the replay, but I set a new best lap of 43.280 somewhere between lap 156 and 160. Racing with Huovinen now I'm turning mid-low 44s right out of the pits. Pardo comes in for his final servicing after 182 laps.
So the question will now be answered. It is indeed a short stop for tires only, I'm 18.5 seconds behind at the yard of bricks as he's already underway. I see a car I think is him going through the acceleration lane in turn 1. It pulls out just before turn 2, still slow, and I think it's grey. He's still getting up to speed, a little slipstream and sure enough, it's Pardo! My momentum carries me past on the backstretch and there you have it. Nothing at all in it between he and I with Huovinen just a few yards behind!
Lap 184
Morgoth_666 leads. Times are irrelevant at this point. I screw up turn 1 and get into the wall a bit more than a tap, bleed some speed. He sneaks past but only for an instant.
Lap 185
Morgoth_666 leads. I lead at the stripe but Pardo takes it right after despite Huovinen bump-drafting me. But I get under Pardo and he parks in turn 1, drops back a bit. A bit of breathing space for me but I know they'll be back.
Lap 186
I set a 43.9 last lap, and I had a whopping 1.1 second lead at the line. Unfortunately his tires are perfect, and mine are already starting to wear. Come on, keep it together!
Lap 187
After a 44.2, it's now 0.8 seconds. You better believe I'm breaking the slipstream at every chance I get when he's not right on me. Won't keep me in front, but I have to make him work as hard as I can.
Lap 188
U Pardo flies past and leads at the line. A little slipstream, duck under and he backs off, but not behind Huovinen this time. He gets by on the backstretch but not by enough to hold it.
Lap 189
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen actually passes us both and I slightly rear-end him as I'm cutting underneath for turn 1. He continues with no harm but the usual backing off, and I'm ok as well. Other than that R8 on my bumper. Huovinen again passes me on the backstretch, which keeps Pardo behind me, then he backs off as I re-pass in turn 3 and holds up the R8 a bit. I get a BMW to slipstream to the line. Danke Schön!
Lap 190
Morgoth_666 leads. Another whopping 1.0 second gap. Uneventful lap.
Lap 191
Morgoth_666 leads. Yes, they're closing. My tires are down below half by now.
Lap 192
Morgoth_666 leads by a couple feet thanks to another bump-draft from Huovinen. By the way, I'm not blocking in any way I'd consider unusual, just breaking the slipstream on the main straights or else staying right on the standard line and either way making sure I stay on my line in the turns. If they get a run they can have it. Luckily they aren't too bright. Pardo takes 1st on the backstretch. He almost consolidated it but was just a little too slow(and of course way too wide) into turn 3 so I take it back.
Lap 193
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen flies past but then gives it up in turn 1, creating another bit of breathing room. Not enough, as Pardo gets a run out of turn 4.
Lap 194
U Pardo leads. But again, 100 feet isn't enough lead to take into turn 1. His slight re-pass on the backstretch isn't even close enough to stay in front.
Lap 195
Morgoth_666 leads. I get a bump-draft from Pardo this time. Tires going away, I'm mostly running 45s now. Huovinen gets in front and then hits the brakes at just the wrong time, I rear-end him again. That means Pardo gets by both of us as I go back past Huovinen. He's got his biggest lead yet coming off of turn 4, but I've still got the tow, despite some bricks being excreted.
Lap 196
U Pardo leads. He holds it through turn 1-2 but I get a nice run on the backstretch and make the pass into turn 3, then of course tap the wall. I'm too far inside coming off turn 4, try to get out to the wall as I see Huovinen trying the inside line but a hair too late as Pardo stuck his nose in just before I got there. We make some contact and he backs off. That one was my fault, sorry.
Lap 197
Morgoth_666 leads. A bump-draft from the C60 Hybride-Judd on the backstretch means I hold the lead through the turns. I haven't seen any lapped traffic other than Huovinen in a while.
Lap 198
Morgoth_666 leads. Huovinen pushes us both on the frontstretch but pushes Pardo into me before hitting me himself, meaning I keep the lead. But I understeer a bit in turn 1 and Pardo makes a legit pass in a corner. Then he brakes into my front bumper going into turn 2 meaning he can hold it, but I'm right in his slipstream. As expected, I retake the lead in turn 3. And Huovinen's tires can go no further, he dives for pit lane at the end of the lap, leaving just the two of us two laps to decide with honor who deserves a disgusting chug of really warm milk after the race.
Lap 199
Morgoth_666 leads. Pardo is just inches from my bumper but decides not to make a move. He gets close again on the backstretch, but again waits.
Lap 200
Morgoth_666 leads. Again he rides my bumper but makes no move. There's some extremely minor front-to-rear contact going into turn one, no consequence but several skipped heartbeats. I slide on my old tires and bleed off enough speed to need 4th gear in turn 2! Surely he's got me, but again he closes and backs off without moving to the inside. He stays as close as he ever has in turns 3 and 4 but one more time does not make a move to the inside. He seemed determined to catch me making a mistake and not getting out to the wall on exit, but I did not oblige him on those last 2 laps. To the yard of bricks and Morgoth_666 takes the win!!
The margin of victory?
No claim made of being good at doing photos.
That's 0.062 seconds for those who like numbers. It was pretty much that close the whole final 2 laps. Apparently Eaton was pretty close behind us, I didn't even notice that when I took the picture or while driving.
The final running order:
1 Morgoth_666 - Audi R10 TDI
2 U Pardo +.062 - Audi R8
3 J Key (+1) - Audi R8 (Playstation)
4 D Bello (+1) - Audi R8
5 M Huovinen (+1) - Pescarolo C60 Hybride - Judd
6 C Bright (+2) - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5
7 F Eaton (+2) - BMW V12 LMR
8 W Duncan (+2) - BMW V12 LMR
9 F Romppanen (+4) - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
10 L Walner (+4) - Audi R10 TDI
11 L Shannon (+4) - Audi R10 TDI
12 J Mustonen (+4) - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugot
My fastest lap was a 43.280(I set a personal best 3 whole times in 199 attempts).
Pardo's was 43.047.
Fastest lap of the race went to Huovinen with a 42.585, the only car in the 42s.
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What a race! I think it took 15 minutes for my heartrate and adrenaline level to return to normal. I don't think words can describe how intense that was, building for pretty much the whole race really. But those last 23 laps in particular are something I will not soon if ever forget. The worst(or who knows, maybe best) part was, my friend ended up being out of the room for the entire white-knuckle final stint.
If it wasn't for the AI backing off when I was alongside, and not sticking with it when they had a decent run, I'd have never pulled it off. If Huovinen hadn't been there most of that time I might not have been able to do it, he complicated things and took lanes away from Pardo a few times. If Pardo ever pulled ahead of the slipstream it was over. If anybody had nudged me the wrong way at the wrong time it was over. I suppose if I had never touched the wall I might have won by 10-20, who knows maybe 30 seconds, but I'm not too upset by the amount or the severity of wall-banging I did do, all things considered.
I don't know if anyone will bother reading all of this or get any entertainment out of it, but I'm glad I did it even though it took much longer to write than I had planned. Grew to about three times the size I planned, too. It was great just to relive this one. It was also nice to be able to see some of the epic battles I knew the AI was having, particularly at the beginning. I was hardly even watching my own car for most of the first stint.
That was easily one of the most amazing times I've had playing any GT game. And now I can very happily say that I will never need to run this race again.
