- 66
- Wales, UK
- Kevlad_84
This started as a race report for my first endurance race, I'd been wanting to do them for so long and with the option to save mid race now available, I could enter them without fear of real life getting in the way lol
However as the race went on my imagination started getting involved and this race report turned into more of a fictional race diary, I cant stress enough that this is fictional, Im by no means an expert on racing, or a seasoned novelist, Just a big kid, with an overly active mind and a love for Gran Turismo, so let me know what you think, I can take constructive criticism and would love feedback.
The Grand Valley 300km
15/10/2011 2hrs 14 mins completion
Car: 97 Honda Civic type-R Tuned to 250bhp, Setup by RKM. Started on Sports Hard Tyres.
Race off to a good start, managed to work my way through the pack from my starting position of 7th, By the end of the 2nd lap I had a firm hold on pole, with the Nissan 350z in 2nd place, By lap 5 the silver Nissan 350z was beginning to put a little pressure on me, but I managed to keep everything in check and hold him off, On lap 8 a yellow Honda NSX began to emerge in a bid to overtake 2nd place, He succeeds and the silver 350z drops back to 3rd, Lap 9 tyres are beginning to show signs of wear and I feel the car moving wider on the exit of turns, My head mechanic always criticised my lack of care for my tyres, By the end of Lap 10 the NSX was really starting to put on the pressure, forcing me to drive harder to defend my line, My tyres were really suffering now and by the end of lap 11 I gave in and headed for the pits, I opt to move to a slightly softer compound Medium sports tyre, No fuel for this pit. I take a few mouthfuls of water and wait for my cue, the car drops to the ground the lollipop raises and I head out to regain my place.
I emerge from the pit lane in 10th place, 11th is right on my tail and 9th is quite a way ahead of me. By mid-way through the 14th lap I manage to catch 9th place (Gold 350z) and sit in comfortably behind him waiting for my opportunity to pass hes a little slower through the tunnel and I see my opportunity to strike as we exit and pass him and 8th (Gunmetal R32 GTR) crossing the bridge. I pull back in behind 7th (Red Evo IV) and head through the corners to the start finish straight, The Evos a lot quicker than me on the straight, the GTRs moving out to pass me, I manage to defend my place and pull up behind the Evo as we brake for the first corner.
For the next few laps I sat in 5th place but by the end of lap 20 I was sat in 3rd place back behind the Silver 350z, heading down the start finish straight I feel lucky and pull out and alongside the 350z side by side I glance across at the driver but hes not flinching, we head into the first corner together I decide to test his guts and brake late to take his place, the gamble pays off he brakes earlier and harder, I slip in front and look to catch the NSX.
3 Laps later Im no closer to catching the NSX, my Team leader informs me over the radio that going from the current times, at this point in the race 1st place isnt an option and to just hold 2nd, 2nd is on the podium I thought but its still first place loser I want gold, I decide to follow team orders and hold 2nd, Coming out of the final corner onto the start finish straight on the end of lap 24 the car slides wide I hit the grass and feel her sliding towards the tyre wall, I ease off the throttle, turn a little harder and manage to avoid the tyres, back onto the tarmac and that little mistake has closed the gap between me and the car behind which is now looking to pass as we head down the straight, I take the sensible option and decide not to drag race him into the corner, I lose a little bit of ground but keep my place as we exit the first corner, Time to change the tyres again I thought.
I take it easy for the rest of the lap then pull into the pits taking Medium compound sport tyres again, The Head mechanic gives me another lecture on my lack of respect for the tyres, maybe its time to lose the know it all attitude I think to myself.
Tyres changed, liquid refreshment completed the car hits the deck and I leave the pits again, out onto the track and Ive only dropped 4 places to 6th, as I head for the first corner the red Evo IV cuts up the inside of me and steals 6th, Keep a cool head I tell myself.
After a few laps I make my way back to second, Youve just got to wait patiently for that NSX to pit in a voice comes over the radio, Theres no other way youre going to catch him, just sit in 2nd, look after your tyres and take it steady, but dont let 3rd gain on you, If your opportunity comes it comes, if it doesnt it doesnt, your last 20 or so laps have been quick, but all the ground your gaining, you then lose because your pitting to often to change your tyres Makes sense I think to myself.
For the next five laps I concentrate on driving smoother and less aggressive and begin to close the gap between me and the NSX, Ive just got to bide my time and wait for him to pit I tell myself. Im approaching the end of lap 35 The NSX is pitting in, keep your head use this to gain some time on him As Im heading down the start finish straight along the pit wall, I can make out the NSX leaving the pits, this is it I thought.
Hes on fresh tyres so hes going to be a little slower to start till he gets them warmed up a little, dont go for the overtake yet, just let your presence be known Hes right I thought, Im on warn tyres, not ready to change, but once the NSX has got its tyres up to temperature hes going to have a lot more grip than me. The voice of in-experience inside my heads telling me to seize the opportunity, go for gold! I catch the nsx and try to apply some pressure hoping hell cave and leave an opening for me, he goes wide heading into the corner, so I move on up to take his place as I pass alongside him I apply the brakes and she locks up, the nsx moves back into first and I head for the sand I release the brakes and feel the wheels grip, turning and narrowly avoiding the trap 3rd place is of no concern hes to far back to cause any problems Its just me and nsx now.
Dont get sucked into his game, your better than that, 2nd place is better than a DNF, Its a long walk back to the pits, Pull yourself together Hes right, Im way under-powered to challenge him, Ive got the weight advantage but after that little stunt my tyres are going to need changing soon, wait till Im on fresh rubber I tell myself.
40 Laps into the race and the race is starting to take its toll on me, Im sweating inside my suit, the material rubbing against my skin is really starting to irritate and the aching in my arms is making the steering feel really heavy, I take the opportunity to take a break and pit in for some fresh tyres and rest my arms. As my pit crew change the tyres I rub some feeling back into my arms, only 20 laps to go, before I know it the lollipop spins indicating for me to get in gear ready to go, the car hits the deck and Im back on the track.
Ive lost a bit of time against the nsx and as I exit the pits I see the 350z still in 3rd coming up the start finish straight, hes gaining on me so I try to increase the gap between us, another 5 laps pass and the nsx is getting nearer in sight and is looking to pit in, I see my opportunity and take it, The nsx is just leaving the pits as I pass it keeping my cool, I manage to increase my lead on the nsx, I Just need to hold onto this for 14 laps and Ive got this in the bag.
By this point we were more than ahead of the rest of the pack and found ourselves lapping the back of the grid. This was it, I could almost taste the sweet victory, Id managed to lose the nsx in the slower cars and increase my lead to more than 15 seconds, Lap 50 just 10 more laps but if I was going to pit for one last tyre change this was it, I contemplated making do with the tyres I had but they were beginning to show signs of giving in, my body was worn enough the last thing I needed at this point in the race was to lose control on that bottom corner like I did earlier, I approached the corner and entered slowly lining up for the pit entry.
This was it I needed my team to work fast I went for one last set of Medium compound sports tyres, I knew the nsx wasnt far behind the car hit the deck for one last time, 1st gear, up went the lollipop and I headed for the pit exit, as I approached the first corner that nsx was already on me, my tyres werent quite warm enough yet, I had to defend my position and my line without being too aggressive. As I turned in, out of the corner of my eye I caught the nsx in my mirror coming up my inside then backing off as he reconsidered, just a few more corners till I could really push it and try to increase my lead on him.
The nsx was persistent, constantly trying to push past, I had the advantage on the corners, but on the straights he was right back on me, I could almost make out the whites of the drivers eyes in my rear view mirror, this cat and mouse chase continued right up till the last lap, we caught up with the back of the pack again and started pushing our way through, If I could just lose him in here and break away.
As I rounded the final corner the finish line was in sight, I waited till the wheels were straight and pushed the throttle open as hard as I could, checking my rear view for the nsx, she was breaking out and giving chase, one last drag race to the finish line, I crossed the finish line, the nsx no more than a couple of seconds behind, My first endurance race victory, It felt great, the last 2 hours had really taken their toll on me! I was aching and I really needed a drink, but maybe this time champagne!!
However as the race went on my imagination started getting involved and this race report turned into more of a fictional race diary, I cant stress enough that this is fictional, Im by no means an expert on racing, or a seasoned novelist, Just a big kid, with an overly active mind and a love for Gran Turismo, so let me know what you think, I can take constructive criticism and would love feedback.
The Grand Valley 300km
15/10/2011 2hrs 14 mins completion
Car: 97 Honda Civic type-R Tuned to 250bhp, Setup by RKM. Started on Sports Hard Tyres.
Race off to a good start, managed to work my way through the pack from my starting position of 7th, By the end of the 2nd lap I had a firm hold on pole, with the Nissan 350z in 2nd place, By lap 5 the silver Nissan 350z was beginning to put a little pressure on me, but I managed to keep everything in check and hold him off, On lap 8 a yellow Honda NSX began to emerge in a bid to overtake 2nd place, He succeeds and the silver 350z drops back to 3rd, Lap 9 tyres are beginning to show signs of wear and I feel the car moving wider on the exit of turns, My head mechanic always criticised my lack of care for my tyres, By the end of Lap 10 the NSX was really starting to put on the pressure, forcing me to drive harder to defend my line, My tyres were really suffering now and by the end of lap 11 I gave in and headed for the pits, I opt to move to a slightly softer compound Medium sports tyre, No fuel for this pit. I take a few mouthfuls of water and wait for my cue, the car drops to the ground the lollipop raises and I head out to regain my place.
I emerge from the pit lane in 10th place, 11th is right on my tail and 9th is quite a way ahead of me. By mid-way through the 14th lap I manage to catch 9th place (Gold 350z) and sit in comfortably behind him waiting for my opportunity to pass hes a little slower through the tunnel and I see my opportunity to strike as we exit and pass him and 8th (Gunmetal R32 GTR) crossing the bridge. I pull back in behind 7th (Red Evo IV) and head through the corners to the start finish straight, The Evos a lot quicker than me on the straight, the GTRs moving out to pass me, I manage to defend my place and pull up behind the Evo as we brake for the first corner.
For the next few laps I sat in 5th place but by the end of lap 20 I was sat in 3rd place back behind the Silver 350z, heading down the start finish straight I feel lucky and pull out and alongside the 350z side by side I glance across at the driver but hes not flinching, we head into the first corner together I decide to test his guts and brake late to take his place, the gamble pays off he brakes earlier and harder, I slip in front and look to catch the NSX.
3 Laps later Im no closer to catching the NSX, my Team leader informs me over the radio that going from the current times, at this point in the race 1st place isnt an option and to just hold 2nd, 2nd is on the podium I thought but its still first place loser I want gold, I decide to follow team orders and hold 2nd, Coming out of the final corner onto the start finish straight on the end of lap 24 the car slides wide I hit the grass and feel her sliding towards the tyre wall, I ease off the throttle, turn a little harder and manage to avoid the tyres, back onto the tarmac and that little mistake has closed the gap between me and the car behind which is now looking to pass as we head down the straight, I take the sensible option and decide not to drag race him into the corner, I lose a little bit of ground but keep my place as we exit the first corner, Time to change the tyres again I thought.
I take it easy for the rest of the lap then pull into the pits taking Medium compound sport tyres again, The Head mechanic gives me another lecture on my lack of respect for the tyres, maybe its time to lose the know it all attitude I think to myself.
Tyres changed, liquid refreshment completed the car hits the deck and I leave the pits again, out onto the track and Ive only dropped 4 places to 6th, as I head for the first corner the red Evo IV cuts up the inside of me and steals 6th, Keep a cool head I tell myself.
After a few laps I make my way back to second, Youve just got to wait patiently for that NSX to pit in a voice comes over the radio, Theres no other way youre going to catch him, just sit in 2nd, look after your tyres and take it steady, but dont let 3rd gain on you, If your opportunity comes it comes, if it doesnt it doesnt, your last 20 or so laps have been quick, but all the ground your gaining, you then lose because your pitting to often to change your tyres Makes sense I think to myself.
For the next five laps I concentrate on driving smoother and less aggressive and begin to close the gap between me and the NSX, Ive just got to bide my time and wait for him to pit I tell myself. Im approaching the end of lap 35 The NSX is pitting in, keep your head use this to gain some time on him As Im heading down the start finish straight along the pit wall, I can make out the NSX leaving the pits, this is it I thought.
Hes on fresh tyres so hes going to be a little slower to start till he gets them warmed up a little, dont go for the overtake yet, just let your presence be known Hes right I thought, Im on warn tyres, not ready to change, but once the NSX has got its tyres up to temperature hes going to have a lot more grip than me. The voice of in-experience inside my heads telling me to seize the opportunity, go for gold! I catch the nsx and try to apply some pressure hoping hell cave and leave an opening for me, he goes wide heading into the corner, so I move on up to take his place as I pass alongside him I apply the brakes and she locks up, the nsx moves back into first and I head for the sand I release the brakes and feel the wheels grip, turning and narrowly avoiding the trap 3rd place is of no concern hes to far back to cause any problems Its just me and nsx now.
Dont get sucked into his game, your better than that, 2nd place is better than a DNF, Its a long walk back to the pits, Pull yourself together Hes right, Im way under-powered to challenge him, Ive got the weight advantage but after that little stunt my tyres are going to need changing soon, wait till Im on fresh rubber I tell myself.
40 Laps into the race and the race is starting to take its toll on me, Im sweating inside my suit, the material rubbing against my skin is really starting to irritate and the aching in my arms is making the steering feel really heavy, I take the opportunity to take a break and pit in for some fresh tyres and rest my arms. As my pit crew change the tyres I rub some feeling back into my arms, only 20 laps to go, before I know it the lollipop spins indicating for me to get in gear ready to go, the car hits the deck and Im back on the track.
Ive lost a bit of time against the nsx and as I exit the pits I see the 350z still in 3rd coming up the start finish straight, hes gaining on me so I try to increase the gap between us, another 5 laps pass and the nsx is getting nearer in sight and is looking to pit in, I see my opportunity and take it, The nsx is just leaving the pits as I pass it keeping my cool, I manage to increase my lead on the nsx, I Just need to hold onto this for 14 laps and Ive got this in the bag.
By this point we were more than ahead of the rest of the pack and found ourselves lapping the back of the grid. This was it, I could almost taste the sweet victory, Id managed to lose the nsx in the slower cars and increase my lead to more than 15 seconds, Lap 50 just 10 more laps but if I was going to pit for one last tyre change this was it, I contemplated making do with the tyres I had but they were beginning to show signs of giving in, my body was worn enough the last thing I needed at this point in the race was to lose control on that bottom corner like I did earlier, I approached the corner and entered slowly lining up for the pit entry.
This was it I needed my team to work fast I went for one last set of Medium compound sports tyres, I knew the nsx wasnt far behind the car hit the deck for one last time, 1st gear, up went the lollipop and I headed for the pit exit, as I approached the first corner that nsx was already on me, my tyres werent quite warm enough yet, I had to defend my position and my line without being too aggressive. As I turned in, out of the corner of my eye I caught the nsx in my mirror coming up my inside then backing off as he reconsidered, just a few more corners till I could really push it and try to increase my lead on him.
The nsx was persistent, constantly trying to push past, I had the advantage on the corners, but on the straights he was right back on me, I could almost make out the whites of the drivers eyes in my rear view mirror, this cat and mouse chase continued right up till the last lap, we caught up with the back of the pack again and started pushing our way through, If I could just lose him in here and break away.
As I rounded the final corner the finish line was in sight, I waited till the wheels were straight and pushed the throttle open as hard as I could, checking my rear view for the nsx, she was breaking out and giving chase, one last drag race to the finish line, I crossed the finish line, the nsx no more than a couple of seconds behind, My first endurance race victory, It felt great, the last 2 hours had really taken their toll on me! I was aching and I really needed a drink, but maybe this time champagne!!
