Road Of Endurance Series Finale: King Of The Ring

[RACECAR]

King Of The Ring

Pre-Race
At last, I returned to the Nurburgring, this time for the 24. Since I conquered the four hour with a reliable GT-R, I figured I may as well try my luck with another GT-R. The field was stacked with some steller GT cars from past and present, including a familiar foe from the Four Hour: The Audi R8 LMS. Now two had come to play, a Grey one and a black one decked in a Playstation livery. As the field was on its parade lap, the skys got dark and cloudy, which meant my stint was already going to be an interesting one. I just hoped interesting wouldn't mean me into the wall and on the highlights

Start/Hour 1
The Race starts and Everyone is on the gas now. I braked late and made a four wide pass from the outside in Turn one, managed to turn in and get around the other cars through the Mercedes Arena. I was then fighting the Citreon for the lead, trying to keep onto it while it kept accelerating away. The car goes wide in the Dunlop corner and I brake deep into it, making the pass and drive away, gapping it through the Schumacher S . I was well on my way. Had a decent lead for the next four laps. then I pitted on Lap 5 for full service. However, I was passed in the pits by the peugeot and had to get going to catch it. I caught up with it in the pits and this time beat it out. Over those laps, I made about an 30 second gap and it kept growing. So far So good.

Hour 2
Out the pits I came and kept the lead. It was a very smooth drive and very uneventful. However, I would be in for a world of absolute torture and afterwards, would find myself trying to overcome it.

Hour 3
After what was a simply flawless Run, I misjudged the amount of fuel I had left and had to coast all the way from Flugplatz to the pits, not only costing me the lead, but putting me down to 4th and 5 Minutes behind. To make manners worst, I also got to see that there wasn't 1, but two Prototypes in the field. I finally made it to the pits and once I got the car fueled all the way up, I set off. Having now dug myself a very deep hole, I now had to attack the course flat out to get the lead back. Every lap I was gaining around 4-8 seconds and continue to do so, even with pit stops. By the end of this hour, I had got it down to 3 minutes 30 seconds.

Hour 4
Pit stop finished up, back out on attack. I was focused back on catching up and as I was, the Sun was beginning to drop. I had at least two hours before night fell to catch up before I would have to do so in the dark. Now I had gotten the lead down to 2 minutes 12 seconds

Hour 5
Another few stops, back on. Lapped traffic here was dreadful, almost always caught them in the most cramped corners. I found myself making alot of risky moves just to avoid hitting them.The lead was coming down, now to 1 minute 5 seconds. However, I would run into more bad news.

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 6
After I came out the pits in full attack mode, I was back to making up the time including what I lost in the pits when once again, I screwed up on fuel calculation and again had to coast. This time it would be coming out the Eiskurve. All that time I made up lost and now I was more frustraited as I now had to work hard again and to make matters worse, the sun was almost down. Now I would have no choice but to go all out to make up the 4 minute 32 second gap in the dark, at a track I have no experience in the night at.

Hour 7
Full service and out I went, Now even more spured on with the 3 Minutes and 22 Seconds I had managed to cut it down to all the while adjusting from day to night. Lapped traffic and a continuous flux of the time made it even more challenging. As the sun was nearing the horizon, I got the time down to 1 minutes 43 Seconds. Hopefully, I could catch the lead cars by night, By the end of the hour, I actually managed to get all the way down to 20 seconds. Seemed like both a huge number of traffic and the leaders battling each other managed to take a big hit, which would then be further crushed by there pitstops. Now I had them in site as thanks to a pit strategy I decided to use, it would mean that I would now pit on the same lap as they did

Hour 8
After All those hours of driving, I finally found the leaders and after a full service, managed to get by in the pits. I took the opportunity to try and build as big a gap as I could before I pitted two laps later. Best I could do was 42 seconds before I pitted for a full tank and tires. I was passed by but thankfully with the cushion, I only had to make up 15 seconds on the leaders and that was all on the same lap. Even better was that they pittied the lap after, giving me the much needed breathing space I needed. Now I was finally back in the lead and now all I had to worry about was lapped cars and the darkness of the Green Hell.

Hour 9
The race was now back to normal for me, trying to stay on track while keeping an eye out for cars. Two good pit stops and I continued to build that lead. I maintained a 1 minute 35 second lead and kept it there, despite a close call with both R8s and a moment with the Citroen.

Hour 10
The night had now taken full darkness and it wasn't fully sunk in until while I was flickering my headlights, when I notice how much of a difference they were making. With that now relised, I had to back off just alittle, one wrong move and into the wall I went. Thankfully, this hour had no traffic, hard to believe considering it seemed like they were there every time at the most inopportune times. What a lonely, intimedating feeling it was in all that dark. Only now did I truly begin to comprehend why it is"the Green Hell".

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 11
Came in for another full service stop, electing to now go with mediums for the first time as I now had a lead that at this point couldn't be challenged. Out the pits I went and I kept on my way. I was now just wanting for the night to be over, hoping it wouldn't be too long before the Sun started rising. Traffic was even worse at night, starting as just this redish glare in the distance flying around, then trying to find a place to pass them without crashing. I just had to keep focus and not put a wheel wrong

Hour 12
Another Full service stop and it was back on to softs as I was getting abit more confident in the dark now. That of course didn't ease my feelings around lapped cars though as again, they resume to just getting in the way at the most inconvient corners. Some I was able to to pass securly while others were just shoved abit. Either way, it was another bad hour for passing through traffic.

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 13
Thankfully, the traffic flow died down this hour as there was only about three cars to lap and they were spread out so I was actually able to catch a break. While it wasn't as peaceful or as uneventful, it was far less of a hassle as I actually managed to pass the few cars I encountered in places that weren't so cramped. So I didn't have to make some jinky moves to avoid disaster. This would only be temporary though as the next would have the craziness came back.

Hour 14
After a full service stop, the flow went back to its chaotic, unpredictable nature that seemed to happen every lap. However, one positive finally happened. At first I thought I was just seeing things and maybe the night was playing tricks on me, but once I got on the back stretch, I knew it was actually happening: The sun was rising. Light was beginning to fill the sky, with a slightly purple-like hue. I was beginning to feel more motivated. Now I can just watch the darkness fade as the end comes closer

Hour 15
At long last, sunrise was coming. The sky was slowing but surely lighting up, the shadows and dark portions were disappearing and the track was becoming better to see again. It was fantastic to see that morning sun peaking over the trees at the start of the north loop. This was helping alot with the traffic, though suprisingly the flow was again slow and not disrupting like the hour before. 9 hours to go and a big lead. It was now just a matter of dealing with traffic for the rest of the race and keeping off the wall.

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 16
The sky was now full of visible light, a welcome German morning. The high beams were now dimmed as they were no longer necessary with most of the track lit up. With all this light, I found some speed and starting making some 8:08s. I was in the zone now and feeling confident. I would also start figuring in if it was necessary to keep on full speed or to start backing down with no immediate threat to take the lead. Even so, only one car was capable of taking the lead and it was far away. I would decide on the next stop.

Hour 17
The sun continues its rise, as I continue my run towards the finish. This hour went again very uneventful and peaceful without incident. Light was getting brighter. And looking at the gap I had to the second place car, I found myself a new objective: To catch and lap it. so after doing both stops many laps apart, I was now set on chasing it down

Hour 18
With now 7 minutes and 56 seconds, I was now on the verge of catching the car and lapping them. Thanks to a pitstop for both the second place car and I, I managed to now get right within striking distance over the next 40 minutes and on the straight, I was able to draft up and pass. He was holding strong as he had some power too. Eventually however, I could hear the car hitting the rev limit whereas my car was still climbing in speed. I got him before rejoining the GP circuit and now crossed the line, with the entire field a lap down. Two more hours of this driving and the win was guaranteed.

 

[hellnback]

2 hours? More like 6?

 

[RACECAR]

2 hours? More like 6?

I said "Two more Hours of this driving and the win was guaranteed" as in, building the gap even more to the point where the 2nd place car cannot make up time. Notice I said "Guaranteed", not "Over"

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 19
Unexpectidly, a new element now added some tension for the end of the race: The rain. I was hoping it was just cloudy and dark but as I saw the raindrops pounding the window, I knew it was here. For while it was just sprinkles so it wasn't quite dangerous and threfore, I didn't really feel the need for Rain tires. This was something however I knew that once it started, it was going to only get worse as it went on.

Hour 20
As the race went on, more and more rain was coming down. It was now pounding but the track still was not really wet enough for some rain tires. Visibility was beginning to get abit hazy though and the clouds were getting darker and the sun was completely covered. It'll be only a matter of time before the track really gets tricky to drive on. Just when I thought the race was going to be a walk in the park, now I have to deal with yet another element I've never had to encountered at the ring. This looks to be the longest final four hours of a race for me.

Hour 21
As predicted, the rain really started pouring and the track was now beginning to lose its grip. I came in for intermediates and set off. For three laps they were optimal and still kept me on track but at the end of the fourth lap, I was beginning to really feel the loss of traction. The fact that the car was beginning to slide abit in braking was alarming so I stopped and put on full rain tires. The Rooster tails were getting bigger and the traction was really fading

 

[RACECAR]

Hour 22
Three hours to go and visibility dropped. The worse combination of circumstances now in front as I now had to navigate all 170 corners in conditions I never have driven in at the ring AND avoid traffic (which now had the irritaing element of rooster tails) for three more hours. I came in for a full service and set off. If I could just keep it off the wall and on the track for abit more, I had this win.

Hour 23
It was now down to two hours and more cars to navigate around. Traction was barely existant and I was really slowing my pace just to make sure I got to the end. Made my second to last stop and off I went. Victory was in sight, I just had to keep it on track just abit longer. Some of the lapped cars were going off the track, which didn't help ease the nerves as I approached them while they were recovering from their brushes from the wall.

Hour 24
Finally, after 23 hours that included lots of passing, hard racing, bad fuel calls, Storming to the front twice, fast laps at night and rain, the final hour was here. I pitted with 30 minutes to go, my final stop of the race. With my final load of fuel and final set of rain tires, I set off for the final time and keep a slow but steady pace. Time slowly goes by and as the final ten minutes tick down, I notice that my pace will actually result in me crossing the line before the clock stops. So with 9 minutes to go, I slow it down to try and time crossing the line. After letting two lapped cars by on the final lap, I wa able to perfectly cross the line exactly one second after the clock stops and the race is over.

Final Reflection
Well it was a incredibly long and ardious Journey, but its finally complete. I have finally completed the endurance races. Some of these races were complete amounts of torture that seemed endless, some were all out sprint races that were longer then most and more fun. Whatever they were, I was able to complete them all. It was an amazing adventure and one I hope all have enjoyed me sharing.