- 19,830
- Alabamamania
Here's my first GT3 Write-Up; the 2 Hours of Trial Mountain.
I won this one easily long ago with a XJ220; but this time, I wanted a closer race. I raced my prize Camaro SS in a single 3-lap American Championship race, but I was ahead midway through the first lap. Hmmm, need something with less power...so I bought a red Chevrolet Camaro Z28, since I liked the way the SS handled.
I bought a oil change, and T3's as well as T2's. The T3's were bright yellow after the end of the second qualifying lap, so I ran the T2's instead. Maybe the harder tires will make me run with the mid-packers, and I had a feeling the R34 would pit every 5-6 laps just like the PD Cup, though it's faster in almost all places on the track.
Qualifying:
1) R34 V-Spec II - 1'37.624
2) Camaro Z28 - 1'38.971
3) Supra RZ - 1'41.148
4) RX-7 RZ - 1'41.684
5) R32 V-Spec II - 1'41.779
6) Evo. VII RS - 1'43.290
The race begins with the R34 in the lead, and my cold tires allow the Supra RZ by easily. The RX-7's even trying to get by, but I shut the door in the tight-right hander after the first tunnel. I'm in third after the first lap, which becomes second during the 3rd lap after the Supra makes an unforced error just before the second tunnel. I'm still lagging the R34 by about 8.75 seconds.
By lap 4, the gap to the R34 is down to 8.75, even though my laps aren't exactly on fire, since I set the fastest lap on lap 2 with a 1:38.952...so it seems the R34's tires are going away. By the end of the 4th lap, the R34 pits, thus ensuring it's not a serious challenge to me for rest of the race. It would go on to pit every 5 laps.
I'm ahead by 5.5 on the Supra, which pits 2 laps later, while I'm still in the lead. The R34 takes 2nd until it makes the inevitable "next" pit stop, and falls behind the Supra and RX-7 on lap 9. Meanwhile, the R32 and Lancer run in lock step for the rest of the race, the white Evo lagging in the rear. They would make for entertaining overtaking when being lapped, that's for sure.
At the end of lap 13, I make my first stop, as the tires are starting to lose any predictable grip. It's just enough for the Supra, which comes out in the lead by just over a second on me. By lap 15, the Supra's pulled out a lead of 5.162s, but pits on the end of the lap. So I'm leading again, and the RX-7 is in a steady 2nd place.
By lap 23, the RX-7 is narrowing the gap a little bit each time, just a tenth or two a lap; enough to not worry me nor bore me. I started to wonder if the RX-7 was going to pit, since it was now just 18.0s behind me, and sure enough, on lap 23, just after I'd pitted, the RX-7 went in. So much for the challenge; I come out 7.4 seconds ahead of the Supra.
The gap would shrink to about 2 seconds over the next two laps, since my tires are cold and tough, but on lap 25, I'd lose the lead. I'm coming up to lap the Evo/R32 pair just before the first tunnel, but the Lancer gives me a shove into the dirt, so the Supra moves by with ease under braking for the tight left-hander. I get him right back at the end of the long straight, having made a perfect exit out of the second tunnel.
The Supra didn't give up; on lap 28, it passed me in the same place as before, but at least I wasn't held up by traffic. On the next lap, I give the Supra a taste of it's own medicine, and pass on the inside of the same first-tunnel turn. On lap 30, the Supra pits, so the gap's now 17.0s to me. I pit on lap 33, and come out ahead by 6 seconds, which oddly becomes 8.9sec midway through that lap, leading me to believe the Supra had hit the wall in the same spot as before while chasing me.
With a clear track, and tires at a good wear/temperature, I attacked the fastest lap record. I hadn't come close to my personal record set on the 2nd lap, oddly enough. So on lap 38, I set a 1'38.870, then a 1'38.748, and a 1'38.710 in a row. After a nip in the wall exiting the tunnel on lap 41, I plucked out a 1:38.500 (even) on the following lap. On the next lap, I pitted and came out a good 16.9 seconds on the RX-7.
On lap 45, the Supra pitted, but somehow, the RX-7 was now just 13.6 seconds down on me. I'm not sure how it made up the time, but I kept the hammer (okay, button) down and set a fastest lap of 1:37.982 on lap 50. I pitted on lap 54, and came out 16.9 ahead of the Supra, which pitted a few laps later.
I pitted again on lap 68 (really should have pitted a bit sooner), and the RX-7 was holding on to 2nd place. I kind of wanted the rotary-powered machine to come in second, even though it was 36.8seconds away from me. Alas, on lap 69 (with just 2 laps left), it pitted, and the Supra took over 2nd place. At the end of 2 hours, I'd completed 71 laps, completing 72 laps in total with a time of 120'28.083 in my Camaro Z28.
Results:
Camaro Z28 - 2:00'28.083 - 173.2 miles completed
Supra RZ - 2:01'05.967
RX-7 RZ - 2:01'23.048
R34 V-Spec II - 1 lap down
R32 V-Spec II - 3 laps down
Evo. VII RS - 3 laps down
Conclusion:
I'm wondering if the race might have been closer if I changed to T3s. However, maybe the gap for warming up tires would have been erased, and any "wanted" time gap between me and the AI would have been eroded. Maybe not changing the oil would have taken away a slight power advantage. I thought the Z28 would be fair fight because the 290hp before the race began was on par with the rest of the cars; the Camaro also has a heavier weight than the most of the cars, save the R34.
Music:
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold as Love
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland.
Other notes:
A thunderstorm started about 20 minutes into the race; thankfully, it was not close enough to disturb the game, although the rain's been much needed around here!
Won an orange-and-black F094/S. I was hoping for another color, since the F090/S has a similar paint scheme. (Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.) I still have the dark blue and white, one so this will be a spare.
Zatarain's Jambalaya mix is almost as good as homemade. Not bad for something you throw in the oven. (Enduros are more productive if you're doing something else at the same time, I've found.)
I won this one easily long ago with a XJ220; but this time, I wanted a closer race. I raced my prize Camaro SS in a single 3-lap American Championship race, but I was ahead midway through the first lap. Hmmm, need something with less power...so I bought a red Chevrolet Camaro Z28, since I liked the way the SS handled.
I bought a oil change, and T3's as well as T2's. The T3's were bright yellow after the end of the second qualifying lap, so I ran the T2's instead. Maybe the harder tires will make me run with the mid-packers, and I had a feeling the R34 would pit every 5-6 laps just like the PD Cup, though it's faster in almost all places on the track.
Qualifying:
1) R34 V-Spec II - 1'37.624
2) Camaro Z28 - 1'38.971
3) Supra RZ - 1'41.148
4) RX-7 RZ - 1'41.684
5) R32 V-Spec II - 1'41.779
6) Evo. VII RS - 1'43.290
The race begins with the R34 in the lead, and my cold tires allow the Supra RZ by easily. The RX-7's even trying to get by, but I shut the door in the tight-right hander after the first tunnel. I'm in third after the first lap, which becomes second during the 3rd lap after the Supra makes an unforced error just before the second tunnel. I'm still lagging the R34 by about 8.75 seconds.
By lap 4, the gap to the R34 is down to 8.75, even though my laps aren't exactly on fire, since I set the fastest lap on lap 2 with a 1:38.952...so it seems the R34's tires are going away. By the end of the 4th lap, the R34 pits, thus ensuring it's not a serious challenge to me for rest of the race. It would go on to pit every 5 laps.
I'm ahead by 5.5 on the Supra, which pits 2 laps later, while I'm still in the lead. The R34 takes 2nd until it makes the inevitable "next" pit stop, and falls behind the Supra and RX-7 on lap 9. Meanwhile, the R32 and Lancer run in lock step for the rest of the race, the white Evo lagging in the rear. They would make for entertaining overtaking when being lapped, that's for sure.
At the end of lap 13, I make my first stop, as the tires are starting to lose any predictable grip. It's just enough for the Supra, which comes out in the lead by just over a second on me. By lap 15, the Supra's pulled out a lead of 5.162s, but pits on the end of the lap. So I'm leading again, and the RX-7 is in a steady 2nd place.
By lap 23, the RX-7 is narrowing the gap a little bit each time, just a tenth or two a lap; enough to not worry me nor bore me. I started to wonder if the RX-7 was going to pit, since it was now just 18.0s behind me, and sure enough, on lap 23, just after I'd pitted, the RX-7 went in. So much for the challenge; I come out 7.4 seconds ahead of the Supra.
The gap would shrink to about 2 seconds over the next two laps, since my tires are cold and tough, but on lap 25, I'd lose the lead. I'm coming up to lap the Evo/R32 pair just before the first tunnel, but the Lancer gives me a shove into the dirt, so the Supra moves by with ease under braking for the tight left-hander. I get him right back at the end of the long straight, having made a perfect exit out of the second tunnel.
The Supra didn't give up; on lap 28, it passed me in the same place as before, but at least I wasn't held up by traffic. On the next lap, I give the Supra a taste of it's own medicine, and pass on the inside of the same first-tunnel turn. On lap 30, the Supra pits, so the gap's now 17.0s to me. I pit on lap 33, and come out ahead by 6 seconds, which oddly becomes 8.9sec midway through that lap, leading me to believe the Supra had hit the wall in the same spot as before while chasing me.
With a clear track, and tires at a good wear/temperature, I attacked the fastest lap record. I hadn't come close to my personal record set on the 2nd lap, oddly enough. So on lap 38, I set a 1'38.870, then a 1'38.748, and a 1'38.710 in a row. After a nip in the wall exiting the tunnel on lap 41, I plucked out a 1:38.500 (even) on the following lap. On the next lap, I pitted and came out a good 16.9 seconds on the RX-7.
On lap 45, the Supra pitted, but somehow, the RX-7 was now just 13.6 seconds down on me. I'm not sure how it made up the time, but I kept the hammer (okay, button) down and set a fastest lap of 1:37.982 on lap 50. I pitted on lap 54, and came out 16.9 ahead of the Supra, which pitted a few laps later.
I pitted again on lap 68 (really should have pitted a bit sooner), and the RX-7 was holding on to 2nd place. I kind of wanted the rotary-powered machine to come in second, even though it was 36.8seconds away from me. Alas, on lap 69 (with just 2 laps left), it pitted, and the Supra took over 2nd place. At the end of 2 hours, I'd completed 71 laps, completing 72 laps in total with a time of 120'28.083 in my Camaro Z28.
Results:
Camaro Z28 - 2:00'28.083 - 173.2 miles completed
Supra RZ - 2:01'05.967
RX-7 RZ - 2:01'23.048
R34 V-Spec II - 1 lap down
R32 V-Spec II - 3 laps down
Evo. VII RS - 3 laps down
Conclusion:
I'm wondering if the race might have been closer if I changed to T3s. However, maybe the gap for warming up tires would have been erased, and any "wanted" time gap between me and the AI would have been eroded. Maybe not changing the oil would have taken away a slight power advantage. I thought the Z28 would be fair fight because the 290hp before the race began was on par with the rest of the cars; the Camaro also has a heavier weight than the most of the cars, save the R34.
Music:
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold as Love
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland.
Other notes:
A thunderstorm started about 20 minutes into the race; thankfully, it was not close enough to disturb the game, although the rain's been much needed around here!
Won an orange-and-black F094/S. I was hoping for another color, since the F090/S has a similar paint scheme. (Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.) I still have the dark blue and white, one so this will be a spare.
Zatarain's Jambalaya mix is almost as good as homemade. Not bad for something you throw in the oven. (Enduros are more productive if you're doing something else at the same time, I've found.)
