Suzuka 1000KM in Aspec. Car suggestions?

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JParker

JParker

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I am currently going back through various races to increase my Aspec points and for more competitive racing. I have ran all of the shorter endurances with good matchups so far. Suzuka seems a little difficult to select a high scoring car and keep up. I ran 70+ laps last night in my Wedsport Celica stock with Superhard tires and thought I could do it. I was wrong. I easily managed to stay ahead of the JGTC cars and the Ford race car. The Ford is the early pitter and all of the JGTC's pit around lap 10. The RX8 however pits on lap 12 and is gaining 1-2 seconds per lap. I was getting a solid 14-16 laps per pit but couldn't make up for the RX8 steady gain.
I ran a few laps in the Wedsport with Stage 3 turbo, but quickly realized it would be a blowout and only 86 points.
I then tried the Alteeza touring car. A 146 point matchup. I only ran around 10 laps. The main competition was a Woodone Supra. I didn't run enough laps to really determine whether or not is was winable. It was getting late.

My question and reason for this thread is; I would like some suggestions for which car to use in this endurance. I know, six hours in Aspec are you crazy? There are a few here that have done it, and I wish to join your ranks. However, I would like a good close race with high Aspec points.

Your suggestions and help is greatly appreciated.

JParker
 
Come on guys! 800 horse power LMPs against a field of 400 hp JGTCs and 500 hp LMs? What's that a whopping 1 Aspec race. If it allowed decimals it was be sub 1.

route_66 where are you man? :)
 
I remember that race vividly. I was racing from 10 in the morning till about 5 in the evening (not non-stop) with my radio blasting away. I used the Pennzoil Nismo GT-R. Its the one that doesn't have the white booty.
 
Motul Pitwork Z baby 👍
It was leadin the standings last year, so it was my first choice.
 
JParker
...I would like a good close race with high A-Spec points...
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Wouldn't we all?

Seriously, have you taken a look at the Honda S2000 LM? It is probably the LM "dream" car with the lowest available HP, but it handles really well. It may give you a lot of A-Spec points against the field you'll be pitted against in that race.

I left the suspension stock, turned off ASM, and lowered all the LSD values, and won the Dream Car Championship with it.

Its available for purchase. It isn't a prize car.
 
Zardoz
Wouldn't we all?

Seriously, have you taken a look at the Honda S2000 LM? It is probably the LM "dream" car with the lowest available HP, but it handles really well. It may give you a lot of A-Spec points against the field you'll be pitted against in that race.
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LOL. No doubt man. A lot of inconsistancy in GT4. RX7 Spirit R at El Capitan Endurance yielded 190 points and I lapped the entire field.

But yes, I see the S2000 LM has 316 horses listed on Famine's car list. A touch above the Wedsport, and comparable weight. I loved it in GT3. Thanks Zardoz, I'll definately have to check it as well. How was the tire wear?

JParker
 
JParker
Come on guys! 800 horse power LMPs against a field of 400 hp JGTCs and 500 hp LMs? What's that a whopping 1 Aspec race. If it allowed decimals it was be sub 1.

route_66 where are you man? :)
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Hello.
Max out the GSX/R4, give it R1's. That might do (it can eat up JGTC). Otherwise............Zardoz' suggetion (S2000LM) might be in with a shout, also the Asparadrink RX-7, BMW 320i touring (N/A stage 2), Integra Touring car (again, might need a power boost), Cusco Impreza, Impreza touring....................but you see.....I think the Wedsport is better than any of these. Maybe go for a field without the RX-8? It can beat the JGTC 500's, but the RX-8 is an LM fantasy car isn't it?

oh....perhaps my other personal favourite - the Amg Mercedes 190 Evolution II touring car! (R1's of course). I don't recall what I did it in, but I would expect it to have been the Merc or the Celica.

66.
 
route_66
the Amg Mercedes 190 Evolution II touring car! (R1's of course). I don't recall what I did it in, but I would expect it to have been the Merc or the Celica.
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There you are. haha. Yes, I also have a thing for the 190 Evo touring car. I used it at the Grandvalley Endurance. Close race. I forgot to change to R1 and was using R3. The extra pits kept it close. And still got in the upper 100 point range. I finished with a handful of seconds in the lead.
Thanks for the suggestions 66.

JParker
 
190 E owns god i love that car its so much fun to drive, i love doing the dtm with it. i also used it in the nurg 24 hour race won by 20 secs lol.
 
JParker
Aspec or Bspec? I'm not sure if my wife will let me leave the PS2 on for 2 or 3 weeks to Aspec it. LOL.
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A spec b spec it would only be like in third, i did it from friday afternoon to saturday night i even took a 4 hour nap lol.
 
JParker
Aspec or Bspec? I'm not sure if my wife will let me leave the PS2 on for 2 or 3 weeks to Aspec it. LOL.
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what you have to do is wait 'til she's away for a day or two/weekend then do it in one sitting - that's what I did, and when she came back my girlfriend was none the wiser. Though she did wonder why I was so tired. And why my eyes were so bloodshot.
 
The Wedsport is probably the best of the JGTC300s for performance... so if that's not quite working for you I'm not sure that the Amemiya is gonna be your answer or the S2000LM. But, if they work, both of those cars will net you more points than the Wedsport. If you go with the 190E, expect to drop about 60p on the same tires for the same lineup.

IMO, I'd agree with route, try to get a lineup without the RX-8 LM (or RX-7 LM or whatever silly LMs they throw at you). I certainly wouldn't worry about the Woodone nearly as much. Good luck! 👍
 
Well guys it's looking good so far. I tried a few lineups last night. Tried one with an all JGTC including the Pitworks Z, I blew by everything but the Z. I was making times close to his but not gaining any. I pitted at lap 16 and when I exited on lap 22 he still had not pitted. Tried one with a RX7 LM I passed everyone by the second lap, the field pitted on laps 14 and 15, including the RX7. At lap 20 the RX7 finally worked his way from 5th to 2nd and started taking 1.5-2 seconds per lap off my lead and took it from me on lap 33. So tried again. Typically you only get about 3-5 varying lineups but here I got around 8 or better, the last one being an all JGTC; Mobile 1 NSX, Takata NSX, Pennzoil Skyline, Tom's Supra, and a Cerumo Supra. I took 2nd on the first lap and 1st on the third. The field is pitting on laps 14 and the two NSXs on lap 15, and me on 16. I'm only on lap 49 with a 15 second lead. I'm pulling 1/2 to 1 1/2 seconds per lap on the Mobile 1, this steady gain is helping with the goof every 10 laps or so. Nothing major just an occasional two tires in the sand, but it can still cost a second at times. It's sitting on pause at home and me at work. So guys, thanks for your help and wish me luck....

JParker

On a side note, the Wedsport is running stock 300 horses on R1s.
200 points!!!! yipee
 
I used the S2000 GT1 from the tuner village (can't remember if i tuned it (doubt it, but maybe wrong). very close race with about 10 second lead over second place by the end. very entertaining and helped me stay awake, poor B-spec bob is redundant again in the name of fun close racing.

Ps. As has already been stated (JParker), whats the point in racing an LMP car against a grid of JGTC?
BUT more to the point. Why share the info?
Why do people bother posting to say they used a near 1000bhp LMP or Group C car, like its news that a JGTC race can be won in this way? surely it goes without saying that these cars will walk it both in A-spec or B-spec. Anyone who plays this game enough to have bothered searching out this forum would be well aware of the ability of a 950Kg 1000bhp car to win against a field of 1100Kg 500bhp cars hands down.

Rant over I'm off for a coffee. Hmmmm caffine.
 
route_66
what you have to do is wait 'til she's away for a day or two/weekend then do it in one sitting - that's what I did, and when she came back my girlfriend was none the wiser. Though she did wonder why I was so tired. And why my eyes were so bloodshot.
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BUSTED!:ouch::ouch:
 
I know I've posted my little thread to death, but I feel the urge to give thanks to those that offer advise, and also to give updates on my progress. I have been saving my replays, planning to do writeups on them. However this particular race, as difficult a time I had getting a lineup that was winnable with my car of choice really isn't interesting enough to warrant a full writeup so I'll just add a little blog here. As I stated above with the start of the race, I easily moved into third position above the Hiroto Skyline (not Tom's Supra), Pennzoil Skyline, and Cerumo Supra. I then proceeded past the Takata NSX and Mobil 1 NSX to take the lead on lap three. And beyond that I simply held the lead for the remaining 169 laps. The only points of interest were lap times typically in the 2:06:XXX area. Once or twice per stint, I would log in a 2:05:XXX. These hot laps were typically near the end of my tire life, being dark yellow or light orange. Somewhere beyond lap 150 I managed to put in a blistering lap in the 2:04:XXX bracket. Beyond lap 160, my extra one to two laps per pit above the AI I managed to extend my lead on the AI a little beyond one minute, so I started getting a little sloppy, this compiled with four and a half hours of constant driving :crazy: , I logged in several 2:08:XXX's. I completed roughly 38:XXX in the lead. Oddly though somewhere the two NSX's fell off pace or the Pennzoil started making better times. The NSX's were making 15 lap stints to the remaining fields 14 lap stint. But somehow the Pennzoil would move into the 2nd position after the NSX pit cycle. I'm going to check out the replay to see what happened.
So,, thanks to all for your interest in the thread the good advise.

JParker
 
Matty Ryan
I told you the Pennzoil was good. :)

Well done on the win. Did you enjoy the race? I know I enjoyed when it I completed it.
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Well actually the Pennzoil was one of the AI. I used the Wedsport Celica. Yes the race was quite fun. Suzuka has always been a little tough for me. It has to be one of the more technical tracks in my opinion. One oops and your not just in the grass, you spinning your wheels in sand creeping back onto the track. I now love it. You would think after 6 hours it would be a thorn in my side, but I now have a new found respect for it. Just like many other tracks the AI don't drive it very well. Their clean lines do not optimize the potential speed of the track.
I am however, somewhat disappointed in the race overall. I entered repeatedly looking for a somewhat impossible race: winnable, close racing, closely matched AI. I only got the first of the three. With my car choice, the 300 HP Wedsport, it was no match for a field including a LM of anykind. Their superior handling, good tire life, and 500+ horses were just too much. The Wedsport is an incredible car. It has great tire wear, is a handling dream with minor tuning necessary, acceleration is near par with the JGTC500 lineup. A couple of lineups of all JGTC, would have one top JGTC apparently on steroids, with super, super hard racing slicks. LOL.
I think the Pennzoil started around 5th position and it took him an extremely long time to overtake the other Skyline and the Cerumo. I believe if he had started a little further up the lineup it would made for a more interesting/competitive race.

JParker

Edit: By the way Matty, what did you use? The Pennzoil?
 
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I felt the same way about it as you. When I started it I was expecting to be bored on this track that I didn't really like. About 15 laps in I realised the track suited my driving style quite well, and by choosing the Pennzoil Nismo I had a good experience. I was up against the RX-7 Race Car, ESSO Supra, Au Cerimo Supra, Raybrig NSX and Vauxhall Astra Touring Car. The Au Cerimo Supra was in second place (behind me) for quite a while, but once the RX-7 overtook it it didn't stand a chance. I think I'll give it a go in the WedsSport. I really like that car.
 
Matty Ryan
I think I'll give it a go in the WedsSport. I really like that car.
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The Wedsport is an incredible car for it's class. If you decide to give it a run, remember to exclude any lineup with a LM class car. They're just to powerful for the little Celica. If you can get the same as I had, you'll have a good shot. You'll need consistant 2:06's at least 7/8 of the race. With my prior experiences at Suzuka I really surprised myself with the good clean laps I was turning in through the majority of the race. I also used it at the JGTC's in the Japan hall. I only got 186 pts per race because I changed to R3's. I also ran the Dreamcar Championship with Stage 3 turbo. It was good racing with the Zonda. A little over 430 HP against the Zonda 600+ :scared:

JParker
 
JParker
The Wedsport is an incredible car for it's class. If you decide to give it a run, remember to exclude any lineup with a LM class car. They're just to powerful for the little Celica. If you can get the same as I had, you'll have a good shot. You'll need consistant 2:06's at least 7/8 of the race. With my prior experiences at Suzuka I really surprised myself with the good clean laps I was turning in through the majority of the race. I also used it at the JGTC's in the Japan hall. I only got 186 pts per race because I changed to R3's. I also ran the Dreamcar Championship with Stage 3 turbo. It was good racing with the Zonda. A little over 430 HP against the Zonda 600+ :scared:

JParker
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Thanks for the advice mate. :) Think I'll try it tomorrow.
 
JParker
The Wedsport is an incredible car for it's class. If you decide to give it a run, remember to exclude any lineup with a LM class car. They're just to powerful for the little Celica. If you can get the same as I had, you'll have a good shot. You'll need consistant 2:06's at least 7/8 of the race. With my prior experiences at Suzuka I really surprised myself with the good clean laps I was turning in through the majority of the race. I also used it at the JGTC's in the Japan hall. I only got 186 pts per race because I changed to R3's. I also ran the Dreamcar Championship with Stage 3 turbo. It was good racing with the Zonda. A little over 430 HP against the Zonda 600+ :scared:

JParker
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Well... since you say it wasn't quite as competitive as you'd have liked a couple cars slightly below the Wedsport may be worth considering:

1) The Toyota Altezza Touring CAr
2) The Amemiya RX-7
3) The Arta Garaiya


Also, did you win Sarthe and Seoul at Dream Car??? I used a stock M3 GTR with R2s for that race and it worked well... except for those two tracks and I'd been struggling to find a 200p that can win the last 2.



If you want competitive...

My most seriously competitive endurance race was at Grand Valley against an RX-8 LM driving a Subaru Touring Car w/ R1s. I tried previously against an RX-7 but it didn't look good. I do love the Suby :cool:

The RX-8 came to within .8s of passing me coming into his first pit. From then on he was basically 4s behind me the ENTIRE race! Wow, did I have to focus on clean lines. I could maybe pull 1/2 sec every lap only to lose the gain with some minor mistake such as a tire dipping into the sand, every few laps. The balance worked out well. Created 6 out of 10 best laps in the last 10 laps and pulled to 5.8s win.

Might I recommend that one for ya :dopey:


Congrats on your win! Awesome. :D
 

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