My second Endurance race (and first report) is the Roadster Enduro at Apricot Hill.
They say if you want an easy win, go with T2 tires and pit only twice, or even once, but I thought I might be lonely that way. I went with T5 tires instead, thinking I'd get 7 or 8 laps between pit stops. Maybe a couple of AI's will be on the same schedule and I'll have pit buddies. (It didn't work out that way.) Still, I'm not too confident, so I use the Miata LS.
I notice the lineup includes 2 other LS models. Their names are 'blue" and "light-blue".
After the first 2 laps those two LS's are far far gone. I expected them to pull away, but +12:00 secs seems like a lot. Both of them pit at lap 3 however, so I might have a chance. The non-LS cars fall far behind and didn't really figure in the race. I didn't work out their pit schedules because I couldn't tell which was which.
At the start of lap 8 my front right tire is orange, but not dark, so I skip the pit stop. If I can stretch it to 10 laps I'll only have to pit 3 times.
Lap 8 was 1:49.xxx, 3 secs worse than average, so maybe 8 laps is the limit.
At the first turn of lap 9 I nearly go into the sand. I pit at the end of lap 9, and come out of the pits retaining my lead.
Until Lap 11, when blue catches up and passes me. And halfway through the lap light-blue passes me in a turn. I didn't even know he was there until the BANG when he sideswiped me. He entered the turn too fast, though, and I passed him again on exit. So I was only in third place for about 1/2 a second.
Lap 12 I was chasing the blue rabbit. Trying to regain the lead I drove my best lap so far - 1:43.937.
On lap 17 I come out of the pits with a 5 sec lead. Good. I'm wondering if I can keep the lead on cold tires when I see a flash of blue in the rear-view immediately followed by another BANG! I guess 5 seconds isn't much when you're just pulling out of the pits and the other guy is barrelling down the long straight flat out. But he doesn't get past me, instead he gives me a nice speed boost. I block him for a couple turns, but he slips ahead by the end of the lap. I keep up with him pretty well, but I don't manage to pass him before he pits again on lap 18.
Laps 19 through 25 I didn't see any other cars. I'm beginning to think they all went home. I'm getting sloppy and turning in poor times; even ran off the track when the front right tire turned orange again. And just as I'm telling myself to get my head together, I forget to pit on lap 26 and have to run a lap with an almost red tire. Sheesh.
I come out of the pits with 13 laps to go and 30 seconds lead time. I'll need to make just 1 more pit stop - blue and light-blue will make 4 or 5. Things are looking good.
On lap 37 I spy another car in the distance. I guess they didn't go home after all. Chasing him I get another another 1:43.xxx lap time. I guess I only drive fast when there's a carrot dangled in front of me. He was the only guy I lapped.
End result:
Me - 1:12'36.479" (best lap 1'43.345")
blue - 1:13'23.815"
light-blue - 1:13'30.280"
Miata (J) - 1:13'55.517"
Miata 1.8 RS - 1:13'56.841"
Miata (J) - +1 lap
My prize Miata is a color called "Mica Merlot", which I kind of like. (I'd call it plum.)
They say if you want an easy win, go with T2 tires and pit only twice, or even once, but I thought I might be lonely that way. I went with T5 tires instead, thinking I'd get 7 or 8 laps between pit stops. Maybe a couple of AI's will be on the same schedule and I'll have pit buddies. (It didn't work out that way.) Still, I'm not too confident, so I use the Miata LS.
I notice the lineup includes 2 other LS models. Their names are 'blue" and "light-blue".
After the first 2 laps those two LS's are far far gone. I expected them to pull away, but +12:00 secs seems like a lot. Both of them pit at lap 3 however, so I might have a chance. The non-LS cars fall far behind and didn't really figure in the race. I didn't work out their pit schedules because I couldn't tell which was which.
At the start of lap 8 my front right tire is orange, but not dark, so I skip the pit stop. If I can stretch it to 10 laps I'll only have to pit 3 times.
Lap 8 was 1:49.xxx, 3 secs worse than average, so maybe 8 laps is the limit.
At the first turn of lap 9 I nearly go into the sand. I pit at the end of lap 9, and come out of the pits retaining my lead.
Until Lap 11, when blue catches up and passes me. And halfway through the lap light-blue passes me in a turn. I didn't even know he was there until the BANG when he sideswiped me. He entered the turn too fast, though, and I passed him again on exit. So I was only in third place for about 1/2 a second.
Lap 12 I was chasing the blue rabbit. Trying to regain the lead I drove my best lap so far - 1:43.937.
On lap 17 I come out of the pits with a 5 sec lead. Good. I'm wondering if I can keep the lead on cold tires when I see a flash of blue in the rear-view immediately followed by another BANG! I guess 5 seconds isn't much when you're just pulling out of the pits and the other guy is barrelling down the long straight flat out. But he doesn't get past me, instead he gives me a nice speed boost. I block him for a couple turns, but he slips ahead by the end of the lap. I keep up with him pretty well, but I don't manage to pass him before he pits again on lap 18.
Laps 19 through 25 I didn't see any other cars. I'm beginning to think they all went home. I'm getting sloppy and turning in poor times; even ran off the track when the front right tire turned orange again. And just as I'm telling myself to get my head together, I forget to pit on lap 26 and have to run a lap with an almost red tire. Sheesh.
I come out of the pits with 13 laps to go and 30 seconds lead time. I'll need to make just 1 more pit stop - blue and light-blue will make 4 or 5. Things are looking good.
On lap 37 I spy another car in the distance. I guess they didn't go home after all. Chasing him I get another another 1:43.xxx lap time. I guess I only drive fast when there's a carrot dangled in front of me. He was the only guy I lapped.
End result:
Me - 1:12'36.479" (best lap 1'43.345")
blue - 1:13'23.815"
light-blue - 1:13'30.280"
Miata (J) - 1:13'55.517"
Miata 1.8 RS - 1:13'56.841"
Miata (J) - +1 lap
My prize Miata is a color called "Mica Merlot", which I kind of like. (I'd call it plum.)
Use T8's and pit every 3 laps, just like the AI.
Congrats on a long awaited match, too. I'm taking a break from Gt for a few days but i'll be back on it sooon.
