- 180
5.736 seconds
That was the margin at the finish line at yesterday's Tsukuba Mazda MX-5 4 hour endurance race.
A race long battle between my MX-5 1989 and the MX-5 1800 RS 2000 saw the lead change at least six times, as pit strategy, backmarkers, and tyres all played their crucial part.
This was undoubtedly the most tense enduro I have ever done. I had to do this race again after my memory card crashed last month. Man, you only want to do these 4 hour races once, and that was my motivation when trailing the 1800.
The lineup 131 points
Mazda MX-5 SR-Ltd '97
Mazda MX-5 1.8 RS '98
Mazda MX-5 Special Type I '95
Mazda MX-5 1800 RS '00
Mazda MX-5 VR Ltd '95
Mazda MX-5 '89 120 hp, normal street tyres, oil change, triple clutch, racing flywheel
The first 20 laps were familiar territory. Me pulling away to a 20 second lead after passing all the cars in front by lap 6, before the 1800 finally broke away from the pack and started chasing me down fast. By lap 41 he was past, as my tyres were shot. I pitted on lap 42, and resumed some 28 seconds behind, which grew to 35 seconds by the time the Mazda pitted on lap 46.
Crucially, the 1800 pitting just under 60 minutes into the race meant that we were both on the same 4 stop strategy.
The pattern would thus repeat four times. He would come out of the pits some 10 seconds ahead of me. I would close up whilst he warmed up his tyres (as I pitted earlier, my tyres were already warm). I would eventually pass him and pull away to a 5 second lead before he would close in again as my tyres went off. I would do my best to resist him for some 5-10 laps before he would eventually get pass. I would pit straight away so as to not lose time.
And so it was as the last 45 minutes started. I was grimly hanging onto the lead. I wanted to stay out in the lead as long as possible, so as to minimise the time when I was on new tyres and the 1800 was flying before his pitstop.
He passed me at the hairpin and I pitted with 30 minutes to go (lap 185). I came out of the pits and my heart started racing as the gap grew to 38 seconds. With 20 minutes left, even if the 1800 pitted now, I would have no time to catch him
Then, my saviour came!! One backmarker decided to help me out and the gap reduced lap by lap. I couldn't believe my luck (and the stupidity of the
AI
). With a 31 second lead, the 1800 pitted with 15 minutes of the race to go. He came out 6 seconds in front. I knew the race was mine, if I kept my cool. But my little MX-5 had lost horsepower from the start of the race and my accelarator thumb was getting numb. Willpower!!!
I passed the Maxda 1800 at the hairpin with about 8 minutes to go and put a backmarker in between us. That should be it, but I could only do 1:14s laps now with my thumb nearly wasted and my car losing power all the time. The gap stayed at 5 seconds, but I brought it home and did a giant burn-out on the start/finish line to celebrate one of my greatest ever victories.👍
Result
Mazda MX-5 '89 194 laps
Mazda MX-5 1800 RS '00 +5.736
Mazda MX-5 VR Ltd '95 192 laps
Mazda MX-5 1.8 RS '98 191 laps
Mazda MX-5 Special Type I '95 191 laps
Mazda MX-5 SR-Ltd '97 191 laps
Fastest lap: 1:12.536
That was the margin at the finish line at yesterday's Tsukuba Mazda MX-5 4 hour endurance race.
A race long battle between my MX-5 1989 and the MX-5 1800 RS 2000 saw the lead change at least six times, as pit strategy, backmarkers, and tyres all played their crucial part.
This was undoubtedly the most tense enduro I have ever done. I had to do this race again after my memory card crashed last month. Man, you only want to do these 4 hour races once, and that was my motivation when trailing the 1800.
The lineup 131 points
Mazda MX-5 SR-Ltd '97
Mazda MX-5 1.8 RS '98
Mazda MX-5 Special Type I '95
Mazda MX-5 1800 RS '00
Mazda MX-5 VR Ltd '95
Mazda MX-5 '89 120 hp, normal street tyres, oil change, triple clutch, racing flywheel
The first 20 laps were familiar territory. Me pulling away to a 20 second lead after passing all the cars in front by lap 6, before the 1800 finally broke away from the pack and started chasing me down fast. By lap 41 he was past, as my tyres were shot. I pitted on lap 42, and resumed some 28 seconds behind, which grew to 35 seconds by the time the Mazda pitted on lap 46.
Crucially, the 1800 pitting just under 60 minutes into the race meant that we were both on the same 4 stop strategy.
The pattern would thus repeat four times. He would come out of the pits some 10 seconds ahead of me. I would close up whilst he warmed up his tyres (as I pitted earlier, my tyres were already warm). I would eventually pass him and pull away to a 5 second lead before he would close in again as my tyres went off. I would do my best to resist him for some 5-10 laps before he would eventually get pass. I would pit straight away so as to not lose time.
And so it was as the last 45 minutes started. I was grimly hanging onto the lead. I wanted to stay out in the lead as long as possible, so as to minimise the time when I was on new tyres and the 1800 was flying before his pitstop.
He passed me at the hairpin and I pitted with 30 minutes to go (lap 185). I came out of the pits and my heart started racing as the gap grew to 38 seconds. With 20 minutes left, even if the 1800 pitted now, I would have no time to catch him
Then, my saviour came!! One backmarker decided to help me out and the gap reduced lap by lap. I couldn't believe my luck (and the stupidity of the
AI
). With a 31 second lead, the 1800 pitted with 15 minutes of the race to go. He came out 6 seconds in front. I knew the race was mine, if I kept my cool. But my little MX-5 had lost horsepower from the start of the race and my accelarator thumb was getting numb. Willpower!!!I passed the Maxda 1800 at the hairpin with about 8 minutes to go and put a backmarker in between us. That should be it, but I could only do 1:14s laps now with my thumb nearly wasted and my car losing power all the time. The gap stayed at 5 seconds, but I brought it home and did a giant burn-out on the start/finish line to celebrate one of my greatest ever victories.👍
Result
Mazda MX-5 '89 194 laps
Mazda MX-5 1800 RS '00 +5.736
Mazda MX-5 VR Ltd '95 192 laps
Mazda MX-5 1.8 RS '98 191 laps
Mazda MX-5 Special Type I '95 191 laps
Mazda MX-5 SR-Ltd '97 191 laps
Fastest lap: 1:12.536
Last edited:
to say there's a 0.398s margin of victory at Infineon World Sports Car Race reported somewhere on these forums, 
but that's a shorter race, and you've got my 5.910s MOV @ Nurb' 4hr licked with this one!!! 
But you knew that, right? 
