Outpowered but Never Outgunned - Nurburgring 24hrs Endurance (Begin race 1/6/2010)

[DK]

Did I miss much? I'm the guy in the GT-R cap and hoodie at Galgenkopf, next to a blacked-out R34 GT-R with a big spoiler that has a loud engine (blame the 898 hp).

 

[Falcon787B]

Did I miss much? I'm the guy in the GT-R cap and hoodie at Galgenkopf, next to a blacked-out R34 GT-R with a big spoiler that has a loud engine (blame the 898 hp).

Haha! You've been getting some good shots of me sliding through the grass there then?!

(takes a look at your Skyline as I drive past) hmm, very nice, fancy racing me?

As for missing much...you did miss some action...have a look at the report in the first post

 

[DK]

Haha! You've been getting some good shots of me sliding through the grass there then?!

Sorry, the battery on my camera phone died.

(takes a look at your Skyline as I drive past) hmm, very nice, fancy racing me?

Your car's in a different league, I prefer taking out cocky Porsche and Ferrari drivers...I'll make them apologise for calling it a Datsun.

 

[Falcon787B]

Sorry, the battery on my camera phone died.


Your car's in a different league, I prefer taking out cocky Porsche and Ferrari drivers...I'll make them apologise for calling it a Datsun.

Haha! Aww man, I'll get my crew guys to run my Blackberry down to you so you can take photos

Hahaha, sounds good to me man! They never give tuner cars the respect they deserve do they? The Audis and BMW here were laughing and snorting derisivly when I turned up here at the 'Ring...I think they've stopped laughing now

 

[-raVer-]

Thanks for sharing that vid raVer, and thanks Smallhorses for fixing it

That's a fantastic vid actually raVer, were they seriously on Sports tyres?! That was 3/10ths of a second faster than my current fastest lap in the race so far, and I'm using Race tyres! Props to you!

I'm back in the saddle...and I'm seriously considering bringing B-Spec Bob into play. I mean, I have massive respect for the guys who do do the 24hrs events all A-Spec, but I'm slowly running out of time to do this race (I've got exams in a few weeks) as well as the fact that it's completly unrealistic - I think the last guy to try and do a 24hr event on his own was back in the 1950s at Le Mans.

Normally I wouldn't be thinking about using B-Spec, but the race is pretty much comfortable now. With 9 hours complete, I'm leading by nearly 4 and a half minutes over the TT-R, and bar the odd duel with lapped traffic (I've now put the Calibra, GT-R and A4 all a lap down), I'm just time trialling at the moment.

What I'm thinking of doing is trying a realistic format...i.e. I won't hand over to B-Spec Bob for the entirety of the rest of the race (I wouldn't do that anyway; anybody who read my 1000 Miles thread will know that I'm very weary of handing over to B-Spec Bob even with a healthy lead). Instead, we will combine to do the rest of the race, i.e. I will run several stints for an hour or so, then a driver swap will occur and B-Spec Bob will take over, and back to me, and vice versa.

What dya reckon all? I'm sorry if it feels like I'm copping out, but the thought of running 15 more hours straight of this with me driving isn't looking very appealing any more...if the race was still in the balance I'd certainly still be up for driving the rest of the event...plus B-Spec Bob's inherent lack of pace may well make the race a close one again...who knows?

Yes I did this lap on Sports Hard Tyres

If you want you can try this one:

http://gtvault.com/gt4/setup-view/s_sid::8292/Chrysler-Crossfire/


raVer

 

[Falcon787B]

Yes I did this lap on Sports Hard Tyres

If you want you can try this one:

http://gtvault.com/gt4/setup-view/s_sid::8292/Chrysler-Crossfire/


raVer

Awesome! I think that lap served as an inspiration, because since that video, I've gone several seconds quicker, my new fastest being a 7'11.321

I'll check those setups for sure, looks fascinating 💡

 

[DK]

I'm wondering, what lap what you have to do to be able to do in order to win this race? Would it have to be in the 7'20s, 7'30s, what kind of lap would help you win?

 

[Falcon787B]

I'm wondering, what lap what you have to do to be able to do in order to win this race? Would it have to be in the 7'20s, 7'30s, what kind of lap would help you win?

Hmmm....earlier on, when I was watching Barry completly destroy the lead I'd built up, I noted that the TT-R was lapping consistently in the 7'19-7'22s range. On his inlap, he was around 7'25s on worn tyres. So if you can lap in that range, and beat his every-6-laps pit window, then you could have a chance. In my case, I have an inferior tyre wear, and earlier on I was matching him in terms of laptimes, and gaining a little time on him on his in and outlaps on cold/worn tyres, which is why the first few hours were quite close, but now that I'm lapping consistently in the 7'12-7'14s range, with the odd really fast lap, I'm leaving him behind

 

[-raVer-]

I´m glad the Vid helped you a bit

I have also some info to access the lineup a bit faster

You need to do a quick "Laguna Seca 200mls" preview and enter the 2nd lineup of the 24hr Nurburgring endurance (same lineup as #8)

Found a similar lineup a few lineups later (maybe the 5th or 6th) that has the Alfa Touring Car instead of the Falken


I would be glad if someone could confirm this and also I would like to know what lineup of the NTSC version appears.



raVer

 

[Falcon787B]

This stinks.

I left to dog-sit the neighbours dog while they are on holiday, and the PS2 got powered down in my absence by my dad, who 'thought I was being an idiot and had left it on by mistake.'

Seems nobody told him that no, it was actually left on for a reason.

Full story is in the main report.

 

[DK]

Bummer. At least you can try again for those 200 A-Spec points. Got to leave now, met a really sexy lady at the 'Ring!

 

[Falcon787B]

Bummer. At least you can try again for those 200 A-Spec points. Got to leave now, met a really sexy lady at the 'Ring!

Indeed, I'll probably save that attempt for well after the exams now. Any suggestions for alternative rides? I love my Subaru, but once I nailed the track it was becoming quite easy to pull away from the TT-R.

haha! Aww man, I'm still stuck down in the garage, moaning with the other drivers about the race being stopped early! Did she have a friend!?

 

[GT-R]

It's a shame you couldn't finish this race. 👎 Good luck next time and make sure to write a new report, because this one was very good so far. 👍

 

[DK]

Any suggestions for alternative rides?

Your story has kinda inspired me to try and build a Skyline GT-R that go around the 'Ring in around 7'10. I'll post it to my garage after my exams.

Did she have a friend!?

Three, actually.

 

[Dan_]

This stinks.

I left to dog-sit the neighbours dog while they are on holiday, and the PS2 got powered down in my absence by my dad, who 'thought I was being an idiot and had left it on by mistake.'

Seems nobody told him that no, it was actually left on for a reason.

Full story is in the main report.

It happened once to me when I was finishing the 6th hour, since then I never tried again. Next time, don't be so nice to your neighbors....

 

[Smallhorses]

Bummer.

3 words.

Post-It Notes!

Even though there's only my wife in the house, I always, when I'm pausing an enduro, fold a Post-It Note 90-degrees and stick the top part to the top of the PS2, and leave the other 1/2 hanging down over the power button. Typically I write "DO NOT TOUCH, RACE IN PROGRESS!" on it too, just to reinforce the fact that it shouldn't be bypassed!

Oh well, remember this trick for your next attempt, give the Scooby a good service, dust yourself down and go back for your full 200 A-spec points, and this time, leave Bungling, Bumbling, Backwards, Belated-Bob back home in England!

 

[Falcon787B]

Thanks for the great replies all! Just to let you know, I've already lined up another attempt at this race, but I'll save it until my exams are over, which will be at the end of this month.

I just did a test with a Toyota Wedssport Celica, 311hp and downforce at 25/40 gives 200 points when pitted against the same lineup as this race, but with the Mercedes 190 Touring Car and the Chapparel 2D replacing the Calibra and Falken GT-R. In the testing I did, I ran around equal laptimes as to what I ran with the Subaru, but the 2D is much more of an able opponent than the TT-R and M3 GTR!

I may switch back to the Scooby as it goes...we'll see. Neither of the two cars have been used in Club 200, but are eminantly capable I feel...that Chapparel has been having things his own way for too long!

It's a shame you couldn't finish this race. 👎 Good luck next time and make sure to write a new report, because this one was very good so far. 👍

Thanks man! Glad to know people are enjoying reading my reports, and don't you worry, when I return here the action will be up here in textual form from start to finish!

Your story has kinda inspired me to try and build a Skyline GT-R that go around the 'Ring in around 7'10. I'll post it to my garage after my exams.

Three, actually.

Awesome! I'm sure it can be done, GT-Rs can be made to do anything if built the right way - road race, GT, top speed, drag race, probably rally and hillclimb and fly if so needed!

I await the setup with interest...be warned, if the 2D is there, you will HAVE to run between 7'10s and 7'13s every lap. If not, then 7'20s are around okay. In my test, I ran a couple of laps against the 2D, and with a 7'14 and a 7'13, and I was just about managing to keep up with the big 2D. His straight-line speed is incredible...but the old chassis is beatable for sure.

It happened once to me when I was finishing the 6th hour, since then I never tried again. Next time, don't be so nice to your neighbors....

Haha, you're telling me! That pic made me crack up too

Bummer.

3 words.

Post-It Notes!

Even though there's only my wife in the house, I always, when I'm pausing an enduro, fold a Post-It Note 90-degrees and stick the top part to the top of the PS2, and leave the other 1/2 hanging down over the power button. Typically I write "DO NOT TOUCH, RACE IN PROGRESS!" on it too, just to reinforce the fact that it shouldn't be bypassed!

Oh well, remember this trick for your next attempt, give the Scooby a good service, dust yourself down and go back for your full 200 A-spec points, and this time, leave Bungling, Bumbling, Backwards, Belated-Bob back home in England!

Great tip! I was thinking about putting a sign down, but then I 'assumed' (what is it they say about assumptions being the mother of all 🤬-ups?) that they knew that it was paused for a reason...not so. Ah well, I'll keep that in mind for the future, that's a good tip actually.

I'm toying between the Scooby and the Wedssport Celica, both are good cars and will capably outrun the TT-R and M3 over 24hrs, so I have 2 routes I could go down - either, I use one of the 2 above cars and challenge the Chapparel, which I think is possible, or I scale back and find a car that more closely matches the TT-R and M3's pace...I see someone has already done it in the 320i Touring Car, which is pretty damn impressive I really can't find another alternative...the Mugen Civic Race Car '87 I fear just won't have the grunt, even though it is light and nimble. If anybody has any suggestions for race cars between 250-300hp which AREN'T JGTC cars to attempt this race with, then I'd gratefully appreciate them!

And don't you worry, when we fly out to the 'Ring next time, Barry's getting a plane ticket...to the Lightweight Kei Car Cup at Autumn Ring! I'm not trusting him with anything with more than 100hp anymore...hell, 127hp was too much for him with my Alfa!

 

[Austin343]

The Renault Clio Trophy race car is one of my favorite cars to drive, and would give a very challenging race versus any of the fast touring cars, like the A4 or the M3. Alternatively, the Honda S2000 LM would be intermediate in difficulty between the Clio and the faster JGTCs that you're racing now. The Stratos rally car and the Spoon S2000 Race Car are probably a bridge too far, but might be worth a shot. Finally, the Opera S2000 might as well be a race car but can obliterate the field even on sports tires. And if you look in the Endurance Races thread in the 200-point section, I have a selection of road cars on sports tires that can win for 200 points if you wanted to try something novel.

 

[FishforRent]

DRATTSSS!!! Ahh, electrical 'gremlins' foil many an endurance competitor. (Though few are self/human induced.)

Nevertheless, excellent write-up. I was thoroughly enjoying your journey.

After today's long day of client/planning meetings (read: arguements; disagreements), I was looking forward to reading the conclusion of your 24hr challenge. So sorry for the misfurtune.

For your next attempt, I must agree with the Wedsport's potential. I was so encouraged with your 'Nurb race, I got the bug on Saturday and while the house was emtpy I did a couple of enduros myself (the short ones). I chose the Wedsport for the Toyko 300km and the GVS 300km. Excellent ride, and 200pts was nice too. I shod some R1's and was able to complete the R246 with only 1 stop and the GVS with only 2 stops. It is so excellent with tyre wear and still fast. Highly recommend it.

Furthermore, Saturday night (much later than I planned) I did the Infinion 2.75hr as well. I chose the Oreca Viper and had a GREAT battle with the Pesky, and inched him out in the end by 10secs, while matching his laptimes (I'll check my notes when I get home and include the times, as well as check the ones above for accuracy).

Wence you undertake the Nurb 24hr again, I may try myself. You know, feed off of the common inspiration. 👍

Thanks for sharing the enduro bug. 👍

 

[Falcon787B]

The Renault Clio Trophy race car is one of my favorite cars to drive, and would give a very challenging race versus any of the fast touring cars, like the A4 or the M3. Alternatively, the Honda S2000 LM would be intermediate in difficulty between the Clio and the faster JGTCs that you're racing now. The Stratos rally car and the Spoon S2000 Race Car are probably a bridge too far, but might be worth a shot. Finally, the Opera S2000 might as well be a race car but can obliterate the field even on sports tires. And if you look in the Endurance Races thread in the 200-point section, I have a selection of road cars on sports tires that can win for 200 points if you wanted to try something novel.

Excellant, thanks for the details! That sounds like an interesting list of cars to choose. I like the sound of the S2000 LM - that would presumably be for taking on the TT-R and M3? As opposed to the next level up to take on the Chapparel...I like the sound of those cars. Thanks for the info

DRATTSSS!!! Ahh, electrical 'gremlins' foil many an endurance competitor. (Though few are self/human induced.)

Nevertheless, excellent write-up. I was thoroughly enjoying your journey.

After today's long day of client/planning meetings (read: arguements; disagreements), I was looking forward to reading the conclusion of your 24hr challenge. So sorry for the misfurtune.

For your next attempt, I must agree with the Wedsport's potential. I was so encouraged with your 'Nurb race, I got the bug on Saturday and while the house was emtpy I did a couple of enduros myself. I chose the Wedsport for the Toyko 200km and the GVS 300km. Excellent ride, even bone stock. I shod some R1's and was able to complete the R246 (1'42.xxx) with only 1 stop and the GVS (1'54.xxx) with only 2 stops. It is so excellent with tyre wear and still fast. Highly recommend it.

Furthermore, Saturday night (much later than I planned) I did the Infinion 2.75hr as well. I chose the Oracle Viper and had a GREAT battle with the Pesky, and inched him out in the end by 10secs, while matching his laptimes (I'll check my notes when I get home and include the times, as well as check the ones above for accuracy).

Wence you undertake the Nurb 24hr again, I may try myself. You know, feed off of the common inspiration. 👍

Thanks for sharing the enduro bug. 👍

Haha, thanks man! good to know I'm inspiring others to do these races and dig up GT4 again!

Aww, sorry I couldn't provide the ending to the story! Wished I could, my dad was very apologetic, he didn't do it out of malice, he just geniunely did not know what was going on

Fantastic, were the Tokyo 200 and GV300 races close? The Wedsport is a great car, having tested it extensively, but I still want to go back and win the Nurb 24 with the Subaru - I love the car, I love the grip and speed of it, and I reckon it could take on the Chapparel on level ground. All depends on the pit strategy of the Chapparel.

...do you mean the Oreca Viper? I like that though...the Oracle of Speed! Sorry, couldn't resist that. The Infineon World Sportcar Race is a funny one, in that its one of the few races in the game that you can take on top-level LMP cars with a GT car such as that and have a great chance of winning.

Fantastic...maybe you could go in the Wedsport, and I go in the Subaru? I reckon both of those cars could take on the Chapparel - as I demonstrated, when I started nailing low 7'10s laptimes, I was leaving the TT-R and M3 GTR in the dust, and everyone else behind them were just nowhere. I think the Chapparel is eminently beatable with the JGTC machinery...I'm up for a duel effort for sure! Maybe we could post our reports in the same thread?

Possible idea, but I like the idea of someone else doing the same race along with me. My last exam is on the 25th of June, and then I go away on holiday for a week, getting back on 2nd July, so the race will start up around early July for sure. What d'ya reckon?

 

[FishforRent]

Oreca, Oracle same difference. ....Thanks. My day started at 3am...I usually double check my posts.

Tokyo 300km was not that close because I worked the setup to do the race in 1 stop, but mid stint the Astra was about .3 per lap faster. GVS was close, the RX7 was just as fast as I, but he was doing 15 lap stints, and I could get 20, so the end was about a 30secs gap. GVS was fun during the opening stints because the RX7 was behind me a steady 2-3 seconds lapping equal times.

Beginning of July sounds doable, it will give me time to research and test a little. I didn't do enough testing with these 3 races, I just kinda went by my gut and it worked out. Infinion could have ended in tears when I lost track of time and the stints the Pesky was doing. When I realized that he had only one stop left to make and I had 2, I had to scramble.

What kind of lap times would we need to match the Chap? 2J or D?

I only have time on the weekends and evenings. But July 4th weekend is 4 days for me. I don't have plans yet, so let's PM a little and plan this out.

I'm not set on the Wedsport, but I definitely want a FR car. Unless the Wed can get the laptime needed to be competitively close. I'll keep it on the maybe list.

Good luck on your exams.👍 Chat later.

(I got to get some sleep.👎)

 

[-raVer-]

...

I await the setup with interest...be warned, if the 2D is there, you will HAVE to run between 7'10s and 7'13s every lap. If not, then 7'20s are around okay. In my test, I ran a couple of laps against the 2D, and with a 7'14 and a 7'13, and I was just about managing to keep up with the big 2D. His straight-line speed is incredible...but the old chassis is beatable for sure.

...

I thought the Chap does better times (low 7s or better)

If the Chap does 7'10s , he can be dusted easily with the Wed and the CUSCO.

I will try against the Chap if the wear out process is done

By the way the Chap will pit every 6 laps IIRC



Edit

Did a quick Test with the Wedssport Celica and the result was as I expected

The Chap does 7'05 laps but he isn´t a challenge for the Celica.
After 2 laps I was 23secs in the lead over the Chap



raVer