Super GT "round 1" Suzuka Wet B-Spec

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Shinzah

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Shinzah
My Bobs:

J. Benson (Starting) Class 15
S. Pruitt (Relief) Class 16

Weather:

Absolute monsoon on the grid at race start.

Car:
Arta NSX '00 tuned to 542 horse, rain tires.



Report:

I was about to restart this race in dry, but I decided to see it out. The first lap was dismal, at speeds not much higher then a parade lap. The old NSX, captained by J.Benson moved from 7th to 5th, Mired behind the Yellowhat GT-R

Getting a bit impatient by the chicane, I began mashing wildly on overtake. Eventually, Benson gave the GT-R A chrome horning into the hairpin, and motored by.

Race pace began to increase slightly at this point. The Xanavi GT-R Put up little trouble as Benson took him in the chicane and went on down the straight to catch the Xanavi 350Z and the leading Arta NSX 06.

The extra horsepower came in handy, and coming back into the hairpin it was a three car train, with fourth five seconds adrift.

Babysitting Benson, I had him peak out coming to the chicane, but he outright refused to pass until 130R on the next lap, for some reason. Now in second, the two Arta's traded posistions and paint from lap 5 until lap 11 when Benson finally began pulling away.

Laps 11 through 18 were a bit uneventfull and I let Benson grab a breather to save his tires. Around lap 17 though, the rain began to dwindle and I knew the AI would have some early takers to the pits to grab some slicks.

Arta 06 and the Yellowhat GTR-R Roared by on lap 18, at this point I had decided to gamble and run the race out single stint.

It was those two, Benson about half a second adrift, and the Xanavi 350 knocking on his bumper.

On lap 20, half the field pitted. Benson cycled to the lead, his tires at this point a little better then half worn on the rear, the fronts were perfect.

I let him rest as the field cycled through pit stops, and his laps dropped consideribly. But on lap 22 another deluge of rain hit, and AI progress was hampered significantly. I suspected maybe they hadn't taken slicks at all, or the ammount of rain is the ammount of slow they go. In any case, the Yellowhat GT-R and the Arta 06 were consideribly far back.

Unfortunately Benson had a spin coming to the high speed Degner corner and found himself momentarily impeded by the gravel trap.

The Yellowhat GT-R, Arta 06 and Xanavi 350 roared on past, Benson exited the gravel and recieved a shunt by the Xanavi GT-R.

Three seconds adrift, and six laps remaining hope seemed to fade away. I left Benson, and got some coffee. Angry.

When I returned I saw Benson and the Yellowhat GT-R fighting wildly, the other Arta nsx and the 350 just in front, all four car battling hard. Benson sliding the tail through some of the corners eventually, 'accidentally' got a little wide on exit and wiped out the Yellowhat GT-R coming to lap 28

Benson caught the Xanavi and Arta in the first turn. The three of them sparred through the Suzuka Esses, through Degner, up through 130R with about five lead changes between them happening during this time. Coming to the chicane, the 350 ducked out of line and put a diver on the Arta, but slid up too fast, coming off the chicane wide and sideways, and giving Benson a door.

Despite having nearly 40 more horse then the other Arta, Benson and him drag raced into turn 1 with me mashing on increase pace.

Benson had the inside line, and he took it beautifully for a well executed last lap pass coming out of the corner.

The rest of the lap was uneventfull, Benson kept a steady pace eventually winning by 2.3 seconds over the Arta NSX 06 and the Xanavi 350.

B-Spec haters take note. It IS enjoyable.
 
Last edited:
I'm running fuji now, and despite the dismal performance S. Loeb is putting on, there is plenty of action. I think ill run this through as well.
 
I'll post Fuji here;

Super GT "Round 2" Fuji

This report is LONG. But it really shows the dynamic properties of B-Spec racing in a car ment for the series.

Bobs:

S. Loeb (Starting) Class 0
J. Benson (Relief) Class 16


Weather:
Sunny and blue skies obv

Car:
Arta NSX '00 tuned to 542 horse, race hards (R1).


Report:

I knew this would be interesting. I put S. Loeb in the car as I haven't developed him at all yet. He's a hot-headed driver with no driver class, so I decided to put him into a super GT driver development program.



12 Super GT 500 cars on the grid at Fuji. S. Loeb rolls off 7th in the now eleven year old ARTA. Coming into the first turn he's dropped to 8th.

The Takata NSX passes mid lap, leaving Loeb 9th.

The Woodone GT-R passes nearing the end of the lap, leaving Loeb 10th.

This is not a good situation. Suddenly coming just off the line for lap 2, Loeb shunts the Woodone GT-R on the straight. The driver can't maintain control, and the car has a DEVASTATING spin right in front of Loeb. I physically cringed.








Loeb gets through easily enough retaining 9th position. The Woodone GT-R rejoins in 12th.

The Eneos S430 and the Denso S430 are fighting for 7th. Loeb shunts both of them a few times before taking the Denso in the final corner and the Eneos on the straight.


Now in seventh, things are beginning to look up.


On lap three Loeb passes more cars. Coming to the line fifth behind the yellowhat supra. Passing it mid lap four.




Lap five is a different story as the yellowhat supra finds its go-gear and re-passes into turn one just as Loeb caught the Takata nsx.

So far I was impressed at Loebs driving ability. So far. He had adapted in five laps and was holding pace with some of the faster cars in the field.

That would all begin to change soon.

Double passing the yellowhat and the takata, loeb roared to third. But he drifted the first corner after a race of relatively good tire management. He was agitated and I knew a decrease pace command anywhere on this course in the tight racing would cause a crash.

The first three cars became usual suspects. The Xanavi 350 leading, the newer ARTA behind, Loeb in the old ARTA behind him.

Coming to lap 7 Loeb had the advantage but ducks back into line behind the ARTA.

On lap 8, Loeb passed the second place ARTA and shunted the Xanavi 350 coming to the chicane, forcing him wide, Loeb drove through taking his first career lead, fourteen minutes into the race.





I cheered at my monitor. But the lead lasted literally two seconds, when Loeb Piledrived the barrier at chicane out. His passing line too agressive, his progress instantly halted by a wall of white. A dualshock 3 almost died.



Loeb rejoined in 6th. Angry as a junkyard dog he began abusing the living life out of his tires. Coming from the rally school of thought apparently.

He left giant swaths of smoke around the course, and more importantly rubber.

I began to contemplate pit strategy, when in the first corner of lap nine, Loeb had another crash.




He rejoined in 10th. Tires now half gone.

I tried to keep him as calm as possible during this time. His strength was gone, tires wearing, and the car battered. I knew if he could hold on until lap 14 I could short pit for a driver change and fresh rubber. But as Loeb laid down more smoke, it became unlikely I would do the race on one stop.

I would try my damndest though.

Loeb worked his way up to 8th before spinning and falling to 10th once again. He drifted the chicane back to 8th, and the final two corners for seventh.

Over the next bit, Loeb worked his way back to 6th his way. Kicking out the rear, burning up the tires. Lap 12, Loebs in sixth, his tires are everywhere on the track except for the car. It would be difficult to get two and a half more laps out of them.

I began mashing decrease pace. Loeb swerved and spun and drifted his way into fifth instead, and then spun out again. I continued mashing decrease pace until finally he settled in 10th.


With just 1/12th life in the rear tires, Loeb needed to give me two more laps. With his driving, I was hesitent to expect even one. And sure enough after yet another spin, Loeb demanded I pit him in.

I panicked. If I short stop this early, Benson would have to do more then half the race on one set of tires. coming to the front stretch is when I made my choice. Loeb would pit at the end of lap 14. I canceled his pit in request and began chewwing my nails.

Loeb fell to 11th early in the lap. Finally spinning out a short time after and falling to last.



He began limping the car back to the pits at no more then about 150kph as the field left him behind. No rear tires left, I hit the pit in button as he had not done it himself yet.

Loeb pitted coming to lap 15 and exited the car promptly. The crew went to work as Benson climbed in for his stint. Benson being the hero of the previous race in the series had a huge task ahead of him. Adrift by a minute and a half and entering turn 1 as the leaders exited the final corner I told him to get a move on until he was pretty cheesed off.




The fresh rubber, higher horsepower and experience pulled off though, as near the end of his out lap, Benson was only 46 seconds adrift of the leader, with half the field pitting.

This stint would be less interesting then Loebs, as Benson has far more experience commanding this car to a rain soaked victory at Suzuka in the last race. However, the valiant effort put forth is nothing short of noteworthy for an AI driver.

Mid lap 16 he caught the backmarkers. Easily passing the yellowhat supra for 11th by the end of the lap.



coming to lap 17th, he was 8th.

Out of the first corner, he was 5th.

Coming to lap 19 he was passing for 4th. (Not the Takata NSX, he was passing a Lexus pitting. The Takata took the lead into turn 1)





Into the first turn and he was in the lead pack of cars.



Exiting, he was Third.

Mid lap he was Second.

Down the straight and he peaks out to pass for first place!



Taking the lead on lap 20, and holding it for more then five seconds, Benson negated all the damage done by Loeb in the first stint.

Fell to second on lap 22.

Got it back on lap 23.

Fought ARTA on lap 24.




With five laps to go it was the two ARTA's leading, Benson by about seven tenths of a second.

On lap 26 I began to notice a buildup of cars forming a defined train. They were about ten seconds adrift, but they were eating into Bensons lead, and the other ARTA began to get more aggressive

The end race was on!

On Lap 27 the ARTA put a move on Benson into the first corner. I didn't need to hit pace up, Benson was more then a little agitated by this and began fighting back. The train of cars was now in sight behind them.

Lap 28 and three laps to go, Benson roars around the ARTA for the lead and drifts turn 1. Pulling a gap but the Takata NSX was gaining on the second place ARTA and I began to worry that Benson would get freight trained with two, or even one lap remaining.

Lap 29 and two to go. The split at the line is Benson to ARTA by 1.5 seconds, the Takata nsx another second beyond that, and gaining hard. Bensons tires a lap older then anyone in the field, two laps older then some of the field.

The Takata caught the ARTA in the final corner of the lap, but Benson was three seconds ahead now and he wasn't about to look back.

coming into turn one it was Benson, Takata NSX, ARTA NSX and Xanavi 350.

The Takata closed to 2 seconds midlap.

Less then 1.5 seconds to seperate the first two out of the chicane, and into the final corner the Takata caught Benson and it looked like it was going to be a drag race.




But Benson held on at the line for victory by .197 seconds. (was too late on the pause button to get a shot of this.)


GO GO B-SPEC AWESOMESAUCE.
 
Isn't it weird how all of his B-Spec drivers have the initials of real drivers
J.Benson-Johnny Benson
S.Pruitt-Scott Pruitt
S.Loeb-Sebastien Loeb
 

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