As previously mentioned, I have a soft spot for Lexus. So, when chosing what car to run, I decided I wanted to run the Lexus SC430. The Petronas livery is great, and reminds me of the F1 livery, so originally, I chose this car.
The Petronas Tom's Lexus SC430
However, as I tested, I realized that it would make it way too easy. In the dry, I was a couple of seconds faster than my opponents. In the wet, I was lightyears ahead, around 15 sec a lap. Quite clearly, the SC430 would blow the opposition away. This car was ranked in at 600pp.
In my search for a more suitable car I remembered the GT300 Weds Sport Lexus. With a Stage 4 turbo an oil change, and some aero tweak it was ranked at 580pp, as such, a bit lower than previously. Testing proved a lot of close racing. In the dry, I was able to comfortably match my opponents time, and I could pull away around 1 sec a lap if I really pushed through the corners. In the wet, the baby Lexus still did blow the opposition away, but atleast not by 15 sec a lap. An interesting thing, is that while I was faster when the track was more than 50% wet, the GT500 cars left me for dust once the track started to dry. After a testing run on a wet track, the GT500 cars beat me by 7 sec a lap once we all changed to slicks. I have no idea how they suddenly found 7 sec, but oh. I decided to run the Baby Lexus. It looks cool.
The Weds Sport Lexus IS350 - Awesome on wheels
Pre race testing - wet track
Race day, and the track is fortunately dry! I was hoping for a dry track, as that would lead to a more stable and probably a close race. I would be proven wrong due to something I did not consider, but more on that later.
Starting lineup:
S. Pereira YellowHat YMS Tomica GT-R ’08
U. Soininen Motul Autech GT-R ’08
H. Nishikawa Calsonic Impul GT-R ’08
H. Booth Raybrig NSX ’06
S. Bender Eneos SC430 ’08
R. Garrison Woodone Advan Clarion GT-R ’08
I. Careless Weds Sport IS350 ’08
M. Mercier Takata Dome NSX ’06
P. Asensio Epson NSX ’08
B. Hoover Arta NSX ’06
H. Bosch Bandai Direzza SC430 ’06
F. Solano Petronas Tom’s SC430 ’08
Lap 1. Over the line, and on the run down to Turn 1. The Takata Dome NSX of M. Mercier starts on my inside, and is faster than me down to T1. I realize if I stay on the outside line through Turn 1, I will be boxed in behind the Clarion GT-R and with the Dome NSX on the inside. So, I chose the inside line instead, and really dive into T1. Some hard braking is necessary in order to avoid hitting the other cars at the exit of T1, and I lock up, but avoid contact. I also pass the Dome NSX, and find myself fourth after the hairpin, on the run up to the Spoon curve.
Lap 2. Over the line, and getting the tow of the Autech and Yellowhat GT-Rs in front of me. The Raybrig NSX has already taken the lead with the two GT-R’s in 2nd and 3rd. We go three wide into turn 1, and the baby Lexus emerge victorious. I am now in 2nd. Gap to first across the line was 5 sec, and the end of lap 2, it was 7 sec.
I spend the next 5 laps closing on the first place Booth in his Raybrig NSX, before making the pass in lap 8. He tries to retake his position on the inside of Turn 1 in lap 9, but unfortunately, the GT500 cars doesn’t like to take that turn at full speed, and though his position was good and speed was a whole lot more than mine, he brakes too early, and misses his opportunity.
On lap 11, Booth pits. My racing hards could probably last a little longer, but I notice a drop in performance and lap times. I decide to pit on lap 12 and do 12 lap stints.
Lap 12: Inlap, with a near spin on the exit of the spoon curve. I take a new set of RH, and minimum fuel.
And that is pretty much what I did not consider. While I take min fuel, the AI takes a full tank, as such, I will gain quite a lot in the pits, atleast for the first stops. I’m not very good at Suzuka though, so I chose to keep my advantage. In hindsight, I shouldn’t, because it made for a lonely race.
I emerge in first, just in front of Pereira in the Yellowhat GT-R. He tries to go on the outside of T1, but I am able to fend his attack off. He has yet to pit, so he’s not really the car I’m battling. He pits on lap 13, and the gap to Booth in 2nd is close to 10 sec. A few lap later on lap 16, the gap is 8 sec, so he is closing.
Lap 20 and disaster spin. On the exit of the Degner turn (Turn 9) I must’ve had a rear wheel on the kerb, as I oversteer to the right when I put my foot down in third gear. All my lead to Booth, has vanished, and he’s on my tail into the Spoon curve. I pull away from .3 sec to 2 sec over the next two laps before Booth pits on lap 22. I stay with my 12 laps stint, and pit on lap 24 taking min fuel again.
During the next stints, not much happen. The gap is stable around 10 seconds for the entire stint. I pit again on lap 36, taking min fuel a third time.
Lap 40. The gap is still stable, though around 20 sec now.
Lap 47 and clearly, my opponent has pitted, as the gap is close to 50 sec now. My inlap is furiously slow, as I have near spins on the exit of Degner, the Hairpin, and Spoon, but I catch all three in time, so I don’t lose a whole lot of time. I pit again on lap 48, taking min fuel for the last time.
Lap 49, and clearly my laps before and after the pit was slow, because even as I took min fuel, Booth is still 20 seconds behind. I try to pick up the pace to manage the gap.
Lap 60, I go in for my fifth stop. Error free stint, and the gap increased by 5 seconds over this stint to 25 sec. I suspend the race, as my impatient friends want to try GT Academy.
On resume, it looks like rain, but as I enter the race, it’s still dry. I take 35 L and a new set of RH, and set off again, disaster looming in Turn 1. As the brake pedal isn’t calibrated yet, my 30% brake input is counted as a 100% brake input. I lock up, and end up in the sand. Fortunately, there is a lot of run off, so I don’t lose too much.
Lap 62 and the gap to Booth suddenly is 45 sec. I have no idea how he lost that much, I suspect he just pitted again.
Lap 63 I lap someone after Spoon. He overtakes me again on the start/finish straight, moves in ahead me, and brakes too early. I try to go on the outside, but he’s squeezing me onto the grass. There is some contact, but nothing major.
Lap 72 and my battle with a backmarker and generally, worn tires ensures that the gap to Booth has fallen to 35 seconds. He pits every 11th lap, so he was in at lap 66th for fresh tires, while I pit this lap for 35L and RH.
Lap 75, and I try to set a lap record. I usually run between 2:06 and 2:07, though when my tires are worn the lap times can get as high as low 2:08’s. I set a fastest lap of 2:05.5.
Lap 76 and of course, without even trying, I set a lap of 2:04.3. Guess I’m getting used to the car/track combo. Gap is back to 45 seconds.
Lap 84, 48,837209% into the race, I pit for 37L and RH. I thought this race would be closer, as I run roughly as fast as the Raybrig NSX. I do gain a lot in the pits though, and no major disasters has happened yet, leading to a lonly race with a quite constant gap.
As I exit pit, the gap is around 30 sec. Booth didn’t pit though, he’s probably gonna pit on lap 88, and I will keep my lead, and I realize I’ve won this race.
Lap 100-172 can be described as a lonely drive to the finish line. The gap pretty much remain constant, increasing while I’m on fresh tires, decreasing as they get worn. I have a blondie moment when I forgot to pit, and thought I’d run out of fuel. I was pretty empty as I pit as it suggested 100L, but I made it. RH all the way, and across the line, ages before everyone else. I lapped everyone but the 2006 NSX’es.
Final order:
I. Careless Weds Sport IS350 ’08
H. Booth Raybrig NSX ’06
M. Mercier Takata Dome NSX ’06
B. Hoover Arta NSX ’06
P. Asensio Epson NSX ’08
R. Garrison Woodone Advan Clarion GT-R ’08
S. Bender Eneos SC430 ’08
S. Pereira YellowHat YMS Tomica GT-R ’08
H. Nishikawa Calsonic Impul GT-R ’08
U. Soininen Motul Autech GT-R ’08
F. Solano Petronas Tom’s SC430 ’08
H. Bosch Bandai Direzza SC430 ’06
The Baby Lexus laps its bigger brother
Unfortuantely, this race was not as interesting as the previous. Thus I vow to do a much more throughout research before the 9H of Tsukuba. The problem was really the fact that the AI was so much more faster than me while running slicks on a slightly wet track, as such I wanted a car that could at least keep up in the dry. I did not consider the fact that I would get away with faster pit stops though, and in a dry race, that really made the difference. After that, it was all about managing the gap, and avoid stupid things. Over the six hours, I did spin three times, forgot to pit once, and hit a backmarker twice. In other words, I did not lose too much time doing silly stuff, I gained a whole lot more in the pits.
Onto the 9H of madness/Tsukuba. I hope I will have it done by next week.
).
