- 1,573
- Rural Nebraska
- Apmaddock
Intro and Prep
After genuinely enjoying myself for the Roadster 4 Hour endurance race and picking off a win by a hair at the 200 Miles of Laguna Seca, it was time for the next endurance race on the list: The Indianapolis 500.
It seemed a fitting time to run this race, as the Super Bowl had just brought attention to Indianapolis.
It was difficult for me to pick the right car for this race. I obviously wanted to pick a car that would be competitive, but I wanted to make sure to not blow away the crowd. Keeping in the midst is what makes these kinds of races interesting.
I started out trying a few cars, but quickly realized that, if I was going to stare at a car for a few hours, it had to be a premium model. I briefly flirted with the Citroën GT by Citroën Concept '08, but its weird hybrid engine, lack of a gearbox, all wheel drive, and cramped cockpit made it difficult to use... maybe another time.
Eventually I decided to just use a car that really fit the event, and found that the car with the lowest PP that the AI brought to the show was a car in my garage, already: The Audi R10 TDI Race Car '06
I had spent some time in this car, so it was a bit broken in. I brought it to the show with 682 horsepower (no turbo mods added). It weighed 925 kg. One interesting thing about this car is that it is a turbodiesel. This gave it good fuel economy and astounding torque, giving 852 ft-lbs in standard spec. The horsepower number was a bit lower than its competition, though, and it only had a five-speed gearbox, which probably wouldn't be an issue in this race where only the top couple of gears are actually used. I messed with the transmission a bit to give the top speed I wanted, and played with the suspension to hopefully save a bit on tire wear and to run well on this track. With the downforce I chose the accelerator could be kept on the floor through most corners, but the rear end was in danger of breaking loose when the tires went bald. Sounds like just enough risk to make things interesting. All together the car came with a PP of 681.
I intended to use Racing Hard tires to begin the race and, if all went well, throughout.
(I race with the DS3. No aids save for ABS: 1)
Race Day
I took the first field of cars presented to me, knowing that several cars in the lineup could lead the pack, rather than just having one rabbit to chase. It was as follows:
I knew from experience that those Audi R8s were likely to be trouble. The '05 Pescarolo would be no pushover, either.
I double-checked my settings just to make sure that they were where I wanted them to be, then set off into the unknown.
First Stint (Laps 1-20)
Lap|Time|Position|Notes
1. 50.656 6th I set off and immediately get passed by Burks as we accelerate from the start, but I get him back in turn 1. On the back straight I manage to pull by Gustafsson in his matching R10.
2. 43.250 5th I block Burks through the back straight. Manage to pass Williams at turn 4. Castro has made a push up to sixth behind me.
3. 44.936 5th Casto and I swap back and forth on the back straight. I'm losing a little time on the leader. I hit 245 mph drafting on the front straight.
4. 43.246 4th I pass Ortiz in turn 3.
5. 44.617 4th Burks, Castro and I do some position and paint trading. I'm keeping stable with the leader, even gaining a bit.
6. 43.566 4th
7. 42.366 4th Only .250 behind and gaining on leader. Dahl, Delaunay, Kline and I are in the lead pack. Fastest lap so far.
8. 43.941 1st I passed the pack in Turn 1. Only .060 ahead at the lap line, though. Field is separating into three packs. Tires are about 1/3 or more gone. I'm considering stopping every 20 laps (so 9 stops, total).
9. 44.167 1st .071 sec in front. I win the turns, the rest win the straights. No real ground is there to be gained. The field likes to give me a tap when they can. I just noticed that the steering wheel display in the R10 TDI shows your previous lap time to the hundreth of a second to the left of the gear selection when you're in cockpit view. Awesome!
10. 43.768 1st
11. 44.137 1st
12. 45.238 2nd .020 behind. Bad lap. I hit the wall and lost the lead.
13. 44.597 1st Took lead back immediately after lap line.
14. 44.592 1st Swapped the lead a few times.
15. 44.887 1st Dahl, Castro, Burks, Kline in front pack. This is a real Audi race plus one Pesky.
16. 44.903 1st
17. 54.696 7th 9 seconds back. I was bumped going into turn 1. The massive torque of this diesel caused the rear wheels to spin and sent me into a slide. I didn't spin it but lost a lot of speed.
18. 45.868 6th I passed Ortiz again.
19. 45.902 6th
20. 1:37.383 12th Worn tires sent me into a spin in turn 3. I struggled into the pits. Looks like Kline is also pitting. I'll take tires and a token 20 liters of diesel. I'm now 1 lap down.
Laps 21-40
21. 1:03.784 12th Exit the pits three seconds behind Kline. More cars are starting to come in.
22. 43.496 10th I pass Delaunay as he leaves the pit and get a lap back from someone. Pass Gustafsson in the other TDI as he pits.
23. 43.227 7th Pass Cooley after he leaves the pit and comes to speed on the track. Pass Willems and Ortiz in the pit.
24. 43.842 5th
25. 42.361 5th 10 seconds back
26. 54.658 6th 21 seconds back. Pass Castro right after the lap line. He does a nice little pit maneuver on me at turn two, sends me into a spin. Bah.
27. 43.148 6th
28. 43.588 6th
29. 44.150 6th Catching up nearly one second per lap.
30. 43.378 5th Picked up a position on Cooley, again.
31. 44.698 5th
32. 43.507 5th I'm still making up decent ground on the leaders. I have to watch these tires. The spin earlier may make me have to pit early.
33. 44.015 5th
34. 43.649 5th
35. 44.601 5th 12.5 seconds back
36. 43.960 5th
37. 44.695 5th
38. 44.577 5th 10.5 seconds back. My tires are beginning to cause oversteer as the back end loosens up. I'm going to have to be careful to get 20 laps but I think that I can.
39. 46.338 4th I passed someone who was in the pit.
40. 1:29.121 9th 1 lap behind. Gustafsson nearly pit me. I barely held it together but have to limp to make it back to the pit. I pick up another 20 liters and find that I'm running about 43 liters per 20 laps. Good info to know.
Laps 41-60
41. 1:02.337 12th Back to the back
42. 43.283 11th Pass Delaunay in the pit
43. 47.672 11th Slow lap as I brush the wall.
44. 42.963 8th Pass Cooley in the pit and Carlier on turn one. I also nab a spot back from Gus on turn 3.
45. 43.595 8th
46. 43.737 7th Pass Ortiz in the pit.
47. 43.633 3rd Pass Alvarado, Burks, and Dahl as they leave the pits. I also Pass Willems as he heads into the pit.
48. 43.366 2nd I passed Castro as he came out of the pit. I'm now 6.501 seconds behind the leader
49. 43.369 2nd 5.718 back. The leader is in a bit of a traffic jam.
50. 43.039 2nd 3.924 back
51. 43.024 2nd 1.553
52. 46.377 2nd 2.634 One in the pack around the leader swiped me. I slide but keep it pretty well in control.
53. 44.230 2nd 1.217 back
54. 44.679 2nd .141 back. Man, this pack is not playing nice.
55. 44.459 1st Pass Kline in turn one. First place is mine!
56. 44.737 1st
57. 44.849 1st
58. 44.607 1st
59. 45.831 1st 6 second lead
60. 1:26.618 4th I pit and take 33 liters. Holding 45 should be enough for 20 laps plus a bit of insurance. Tires held up well, that time.
Laps 61-80
61. 1:02.694 8th 1 lap back. Passed by four while on the way out of the pit. Should be quick to pick those up.
62. 43.222 7th 1 lap behind. Pass Delaunay on turn 4
63. 43.493 7th
64. 44.040 4th Pass a crowd of people on inside in turn 2.
65. 43.215 4th Un-lap myself on back straight and catch a nice draft.
66. 43.349 4th
67. 43.242 4th
68. 43.466 4th
69. 44.043 3rd Making good time. Good laps. I pass Burks while he pits.
70. 43.452 2nd Pass Alvarado in the pit.
71. 43.759 1st Pass Kline in the pit. Back to first!
72. 44.415 1st 19.981 seconds in the lead
73. 43.536 1st
74. 44.131 1st
75. 43.399 1st
76. 43.733 1st
77. 44.367 1st
78. 44.588 1st 34.451 seconds in the lead
79. 46.844 1st
80. 1:31.735 4th I pit with 3 liters left. I'll take 42. Passed by Dahl, Castro, and Burks.
Laps 81-100
81. 1:02.613 4th Out of the pits and 34 seconds behind.
82. 43.497 4th
83. 42.946 4th
84. 45.284 4th
85. 43.646 4th
86. 44.284 4th
87. 43.567 4th
88. 43.942 4th
89. 43.662 4th
90. 43.761 4th 19.247 seconds behind.
91. 43.566 3rd Pass Burks as he pits.
92. 43.605 3rd
93. 43.622 1st Castro and Kline hit the pit, giving me the lead.
94. 44.117 1st
95. 43.503 1st 43 seconds in the lead.
96. 44.074 1st
97. 43.132 1st 1 lap up. I just lapped second place...
98. 44.603 1st
99. 43.809 1st
100. 1:29.876 1st The tires are running better and it seems like the car is a bit easier to drive. Perhaps its the lower fuel weight? I would need 25 lap stints to eliminate a pit stop, and I don't think the tires could handle that, so I'll stick with 20s. I'll take 43 liters of fuel this time.
After 100 laps I have led 30 of them. That feels pretty good; so does the fact that I managed to get nearly an entire pit stop without losing the lead.
Laps 101-120
101. 1:03.011 3rd Dahl and Castro pass me at the end of pit lane. I finally exit 9.159 seconds behind them
102. 43.650 3rd
103. 43.545 3rd
104. 43.539 3rd 6.857 seconds behind
105. 43.627 3rd
106. 43.268 3rd
107. 43.635 3rd 2.016 seconds behind
108. 43.562 1st I catch their stream and pass them both on the back straight
109. 44.539 1st It seems like the Audi R8s can no longer keep up with me for very long. I don't know if it's from the fact that I'm carrying minimal fuel or something else, but it doesn't take me long to lose them.
110. 42.867 1st
111. 44.350 1st
112. 45.328 1st
113. 44.061 1st
114. 42.857 1st
115. 44.399 1st 10 seconds ahead. This race might have just gotten easy...
116. 44.227 1st
117. 45.795 1st
118. 44.578 1st Dahl and Castro pit
119. 48.225 1st I make a sloppy turn and hit the wall. Still, I'm one lap ahead.
120. 1:28.996 1st I roll into the pit and notice that the right side of my car looks like it was in a fire from all of the wall and car scraping. That's pretty funny. I take another 43 liters of fuel.
Laps 121-140
121. 1:03.568 1st I lost no positions in the pit, this time. Nice.
122. 43.493 1st
123. 44.051 1st 6.163 seconds ahead
124. 44.275
125. 43.575 1st 6.972 seconds up
126. 43.484 1st
127. 46.298 1st Oops. I hit the wall again, losing some speed and time. Wake up!
128. 43.557 1st
129. 42.895 1st
130. 47.446 1st
131. 46.989 1st Argh! Two more bad laps. Get it together!
132. 43.360 1st
133. 45.192 1st Ahead by 6.521 seconds
134. 43.692 1st
135. 45.764 1st
136. 43.635 1st
137. 45.455 1st 10.772 up
138. 43.960 1st
139. 44.531 1st Dahl, Castro pit. They're turning out to be my only real competitors.
140. 1:32.206 1st. Take my pit.
Laps 141-158
141. 1:10.125 1st. I hit the grass in turn 3 and send my car into a spin when the back gets loose. . . that's a new one.
142. 44.538 1st
143. 44.570 1st
144. 46.965 1st Got shoved into a wall as I went around someone.
145. 44.772 1st Just .994 seconds ahead
146. 43.567 1st
147. 43.512 1st
148. 43.518 1st
149. 46.511 1st 1.804 seconds ahead
150. 44.245 1st
151. 44.141 1st
152. 44.277 1st 4.433 ahead
153. 43.693 1st
154. 43.979 1st
155. 53.429 2nd .636 seconds behind. I hit the grass in turn two and lose control again. Weird that this started happening after not happening for the first 3/4 of the race. Maybe chassis wear is making the car a bit less stable? I got passed by Dahl on the back straight following the incident.
156. 55.703 3rd Castro passed me after I spin trying to pass Dahl and receiving a bump. The car is definitely less stable, and with three spins this stint my tires are in real trouble already. I'll have to pit early. I'll try to get to lap 158 and do two 21 lap stints after that.
157. 45.175 3rd
158. 1:37.433 4th My tires are shot and I have to take it really easy to get back to the pits in one piece. I take 35 liters of fuel for the next stint. Burks passes me while I fill up. I guess I've made this into a race.
Laps 159-178
159. 1:03.450 3rd I'm one lap down. Burks hits the pits, though, and I pass him.
160. 43.818 3rd
161. 43.781 3rd Dahl and Castro pit. They should have to pit once more by the end. Unfortunately, so do I.
162. 44.134 3rd
163. 43.547 3rd 7.358 down
164. 43.685 3rd
165. 44.685 3rd
166. 43.587 3rd 7.062 down
167. 44.055 3rd
168. 44.227 3rd
169. 44.319 3rd +8.132. The leaders have the advantage of being able to draft each other down the straights. I have to rely on short bursts when I'm lapping someone. Still, though, they weren't pulling away like this earlier in the race.
170. 43.443 3rd
171. 44.371 3rd
172. 44.315 3rd +7.332
173. 43.797 3rd
174. 46.787 3rd
175. 47.106 3rd Two bad laps give them a 11.001 second advantage.
176. 45.782 3rd
177. 44.589 3rd
178. 1:43.349 4th I must've misjudged the fuel situation. My fuel gauge went red and the power cut out just as I get on the front straight. I slide into the pit without losing much time, thankfully. I decide to put in 60 liters to be safe. Another pit stop would make this impossible. Burks gets his position back while I'm in the pit.
Laps 179-200 THE FINAL STRETCH
179. 1:03.077 4th 1 lap down. The leaders have to pit one more time. . . I have to hope that it's a long enough stop.
180. 43.170 4th
181. 44.708 4th 1 lap down
182. 43.822 3rd I pass Burks as he pits.
183. 43.655 3rd
184. 43.602 3rd 1 lap down
185. 43.671 3rd The leaders pit. Let's see where I come out. . . Hopefully the fact that they only have 14 laps left doesn't lead them to throw on softer tires.
186. 43.925 3rd +28.634
187. 43.633 3rd
188. 43.530 3rd
189. 44.084 3rd +28.181 I had better start gaining ground quickly.
190. 43.486 3rd +28.082 Caught a draft. Little help, though.
191. 42.219 3rd +26.751 More drafting. It gave me my best lap time of the game. Last fastest was lap 7!
192. 43.809 3rd +26.203 Not looking good.
193. 43.697 3rd +26.479
194. 43.842 3rd +25.897 This can't be right.
195. 44.140 3rd +26.070 Ouch. Surely this is my fault for setting the rear up loose.
196. 45.073 3rd +25.877 🤬 I've come so far. Don't take this from me.
197. 45.073 3rd +26.184 Sigh. I wish I could at least see the leaders...
198. 45.431 3rd +26.912 ...
199. 45.783 3rd +27.579 I think I've got some ideas for next time...
200. 45.184 3rd 27.891 seconds behind the winner. Well, I wanted a race without the guarantee of winning. . . I guess I got it.
Poo.
Well, I took third place so I got some cash and a fair amount of experience, but it means that I have to run this race again.
I don't know what kept the leaders away from me for the last 40 laps or so. Perhaps my chassis damage was just too great. Perhaps they really did switch to softer tires at the last pit. I don't know, but what a bummer.
I'm not entirely disheartened by the experience. I know that the car can do it. If I just settle the rear end down a bit I should have no problem with the race, really. All of those spins and slides surely cost me the difference. I may even be able to stretch to 22 and 23 lap stints, which would give me one less pit stop.
Surprisingly, I didn't actually mind racing at Indy. I figured the oval would just be boring as hell. While the racetrack is simple, the speed is a bit exhilarating, and the dance of tires and fuel vs. number of pit stops vs. your competitors keeps things interesting.
I'm sure that I'll run this again very soon. The loss was tough to take, but at least the race isn't incredibly long, so making it up doesn't require a week long commitment or anything.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the read. I know that the lap times won't interest all that many people, but it is good to see that a car that can put down 44.000 second laps consistently should be a strong competitor.
Until next time: keep your foot on the floor.
After genuinely enjoying myself for the Roadster 4 Hour endurance race and picking off a win by a hair at the 200 Miles of Laguna Seca, it was time for the next endurance race on the list: The Indianapolis 500.
It seemed a fitting time to run this race, as the Super Bowl had just brought attention to Indianapolis.
It was difficult for me to pick the right car for this race. I obviously wanted to pick a car that would be competitive, but I wanted to make sure to not blow away the crowd. Keeping in the midst is what makes these kinds of races interesting.
I started out trying a few cars, but quickly realized that, if I was going to stare at a car for a few hours, it had to be a premium model. I briefly flirted with the Citroën GT by Citroën Concept '08, but its weird hybrid engine, lack of a gearbox, all wheel drive, and cramped cockpit made it difficult to use... maybe another time.
Eventually I decided to just use a car that really fit the event, and found that the car with the lowest PP that the AI brought to the show was a car in my garage, already: The Audi R10 TDI Race Car '06
I had spent some time in this car, so it was a bit broken in. I brought it to the show with 682 horsepower (no turbo mods added). It weighed 925 kg. One interesting thing about this car is that it is a turbodiesel. This gave it good fuel economy and astounding torque, giving 852 ft-lbs in standard spec. The horsepower number was a bit lower than its competition, though, and it only had a five-speed gearbox, which probably wouldn't be an issue in this race where only the top couple of gears are actually used. I messed with the transmission a bit to give the top speed I wanted, and played with the suspension to hopefully save a bit on tire wear and to run well on this track. With the downforce I chose the accelerator could be kept on the floor through most corners, but the rear end was in danger of breaking loose when the tires went bald. Sounds like just enough risk to make things interesting. All together the car came with a PP of 681.
I intended to use Racing Hard tires to begin the race and, if all went well, throughout.
(I race with the DS3. No aids save for ABS: 1)
Race Day
I took the first field of cars presented to me, knowing that several cars in the lineup could lead the pack, rather than just having one rabbit to chase. It was as follows:
- Ortiz - BMW V12 LMR Race Car '99
- Delaunay - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5 Race Car '04
- Daul - Audi R8 Race Car '01 (Red)
- Willems - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugeot Race Car '03
- Kline - Pescarolo C60 Hybride - Judd Race Car '05
- Gustafsson - Audi R10 TDI Race Car '06
- Me - Audi R10 TDI Race Car '06
- Burks - Audi R8 Race Car (Audi PlayStation Team ORECA) '05
- Alvarado - BMW V12 LMR Race Car '99
- Cooley - Pescarolo Courage - Judd GV5 Race Car '04
- Castro - Audi R8 Race Car '01 (Yellow)
- Carlier - Pescarolo Courage C60 - Peugeot Race Car '03
I knew from experience that those Audi R8s were likely to be trouble. The '05 Pescarolo would be no pushover, either.
I double-checked my settings just to make sure that they were where I wanted them to be, then set off into the unknown.
First Stint (Laps 1-20)
Lap|Time|Position|Notes
1. 50.656 6th I set off and immediately get passed by Burks as we accelerate from the start, but I get him back in turn 1. On the back straight I manage to pull by Gustafsson in his matching R10.
2. 43.250 5th I block Burks through the back straight. Manage to pass Williams at turn 4. Castro has made a push up to sixth behind me.
3. 44.936 5th Casto and I swap back and forth on the back straight. I'm losing a little time on the leader. I hit 245 mph drafting on the front straight.
4. 43.246 4th I pass Ortiz in turn 3.
5. 44.617 4th Burks, Castro and I do some position and paint trading. I'm keeping stable with the leader, even gaining a bit.
6. 43.566 4th
7. 42.366 4th Only .250 behind and gaining on leader. Dahl, Delaunay, Kline and I are in the lead pack. Fastest lap so far.
8. 43.941 1st I passed the pack in Turn 1. Only .060 ahead at the lap line, though. Field is separating into three packs. Tires are about 1/3 or more gone. I'm considering stopping every 20 laps (so 9 stops, total).
9. 44.167 1st .071 sec in front. I win the turns, the rest win the straights. No real ground is there to be gained. The field likes to give me a tap when they can. I just noticed that the steering wheel display in the R10 TDI shows your previous lap time to the hundreth of a second to the left of the gear selection when you're in cockpit view. Awesome!
10. 43.768 1st
11. 44.137 1st
12. 45.238 2nd .020 behind. Bad lap. I hit the wall and lost the lead.
13. 44.597 1st Took lead back immediately after lap line.
14. 44.592 1st Swapped the lead a few times.
15. 44.887 1st Dahl, Castro, Burks, Kline in front pack. This is a real Audi race plus one Pesky.
16. 44.903 1st
17. 54.696 7th 9 seconds back. I was bumped going into turn 1. The massive torque of this diesel caused the rear wheels to spin and sent me into a slide. I didn't spin it but lost a lot of speed.
18. 45.868 6th I passed Ortiz again.
19. 45.902 6th
20. 1:37.383 12th Worn tires sent me into a spin in turn 3. I struggled into the pits. Looks like Kline is also pitting. I'll take tires and a token 20 liters of diesel. I'm now 1 lap down.
Laps 21-40
21. 1:03.784 12th Exit the pits three seconds behind Kline. More cars are starting to come in.
22. 43.496 10th I pass Delaunay as he leaves the pit and get a lap back from someone. Pass Gustafsson in the other TDI as he pits.
23. 43.227 7th Pass Cooley after he leaves the pit and comes to speed on the track. Pass Willems and Ortiz in the pit.
24. 43.842 5th
25. 42.361 5th 10 seconds back
26. 54.658 6th 21 seconds back. Pass Castro right after the lap line. He does a nice little pit maneuver on me at turn two, sends me into a spin. Bah.
27. 43.148 6th
28. 43.588 6th
29. 44.150 6th Catching up nearly one second per lap.
30. 43.378 5th Picked up a position on Cooley, again.
31. 44.698 5th
32. 43.507 5th I'm still making up decent ground on the leaders. I have to watch these tires. The spin earlier may make me have to pit early.
33. 44.015 5th
34. 43.649 5th
35. 44.601 5th 12.5 seconds back
36. 43.960 5th
37. 44.695 5th
38. 44.577 5th 10.5 seconds back. My tires are beginning to cause oversteer as the back end loosens up. I'm going to have to be careful to get 20 laps but I think that I can.
39. 46.338 4th I passed someone who was in the pit.
40. 1:29.121 9th 1 lap behind. Gustafsson nearly pit me. I barely held it together but have to limp to make it back to the pit. I pick up another 20 liters and find that I'm running about 43 liters per 20 laps. Good info to know.
Laps 41-60
41. 1:02.337 12th Back to the back
42. 43.283 11th Pass Delaunay in the pit
43. 47.672 11th Slow lap as I brush the wall.
44. 42.963 8th Pass Cooley in the pit and Carlier on turn one. I also nab a spot back from Gus on turn 3.
45. 43.595 8th
46. 43.737 7th Pass Ortiz in the pit.
47. 43.633 3rd Pass Alvarado, Burks, and Dahl as they leave the pits. I also Pass Willems as he heads into the pit.
48. 43.366 2nd I passed Castro as he came out of the pit. I'm now 6.501 seconds behind the leader
49. 43.369 2nd 5.718 back. The leader is in a bit of a traffic jam.
50. 43.039 2nd 3.924 back
51. 43.024 2nd 1.553
52. 46.377 2nd 2.634 One in the pack around the leader swiped me. I slide but keep it pretty well in control.
53. 44.230 2nd 1.217 back
54. 44.679 2nd .141 back. Man, this pack is not playing nice.
55. 44.459 1st Pass Kline in turn one. First place is mine!
56. 44.737 1st
57. 44.849 1st
58. 44.607 1st
59. 45.831 1st 6 second lead
60. 1:26.618 4th I pit and take 33 liters. Holding 45 should be enough for 20 laps plus a bit of insurance. Tires held up well, that time.
Laps 61-80
61. 1:02.694 8th 1 lap back. Passed by four while on the way out of the pit. Should be quick to pick those up.
62. 43.222 7th 1 lap behind. Pass Delaunay on turn 4
63. 43.493 7th
64. 44.040 4th Pass a crowd of people on inside in turn 2.
65. 43.215 4th Un-lap myself on back straight and catch a nice draft.
66. 43.349 4th
67. 43.242 4th
68. 43.466 4th
69. 44.043 3rd Making good time. Good laps. I pass Burks while he pits.
70. 43.452 2nd Pass Alvarado in the pit.
71. 43.759 1st Pass Kline in the pit. Back to first!
72. 44.415 1st 19.981 seconds in the lead
73. 43.536 1st
74. 44.131 1st
75. 43.399 1st
76. 43.733 1st
77. 44.367 1st
78. 44.588 1st 34.451 seconds in the lead
79. 46.844 1st
80. 1:31.735 4th I pit with 3 liters left. I'll take 42. Passed by Dahl, Castro, and Burks.
Laps 81-100
81. 1:02.613 4th Out of the pits and 34 seconds behind.
82. 43.497 4th
83. 42.946 4th
84. 45.284 4th
85. 43.646 4th
86. 44.284 4th
87. 43.567 4th
88. 43.942 4th
89. 43.662 4th
90. 43.761 4th 19.247 seconds behind.
91. 43.566 3rd Pass Burks as he pits.
92. 43.605 3rd
93. 43.622 1st Castro and Kline hit the pit, giving me the lead.
94. 44.117 1st
95. 43.503 1st 43 seconds in the lead.
96. 44.074 1st
97. 43.132 1st 1 lap up. I just lapped second place...
98. 44.603 1st
99. 43.809 1st
100. 1:29.876 1st The tires are running better and it seems like the car is a bit easier to drive. Perhaps its the lower fuel weight? I would need 25 lap stints to eliminate a pit stop, and I don't think the tires could handle that, so I'll stick with 20s. I'll take 43 liters of fuel this time.
After 100 laps I have led 30 of them. That feels pretty good; so does the fact that I managed to get nearly an entire pit stop without losing the lead.
Laps 101-120
101. 1:03.011 3rd Dahl and Castro pass me at the end of pit lane. I finally exit 9.159 seconds behind them
102. 43.650 3rd
103. 43.545 3rd
104. 43.539 3rd 6.857 seconds behind
105. 43.627 3rd
106. 43.268 3rd
107. 43.635 3rd 2.016 seconds behind
108. 43.562 1st I catch their stream and pass them both on the back straight
109. 44.539 1st It seems like the Audi R8s can no longer keep up with me for very long. I don't know if it's from the fact that I'm carrying minimal fuel or something else, but it doesn't take me long to lose them.
110. 42.867 1st
111. 44.350 1st
112. 45.328 1st
113. 44.061 1st
114. 42.857 1st
115. 44.399 1st 10 seconds ahead. This race might have just gotten easy...
116. 44.227 1st
117. 45.795 1st
118. 44.578 1st Dahl and Castro pit
119. 48.225 1st I make a sloppy turn and hit the wall. Still, I'm one lap ahead.
120. 1:28.996 1st I roll into the pit and notice that the right side of my car looks like it was in a fire from all of the wall and car scraping. That's pretty funny. I take another 43 liters of fuel.
Laps 121-140
121. 1:03.568 1st I lost no positions in the pit, this time. Nice.
122. 43.493 1st
123. 44.051 1st 6.163 seconds ahead
124. 44.275
125. 43.575 1st 6.972 seconds up
126. 43.484 1st
127. 46.298 1st Oops. I hit the wall again, losing some speed and time. Wake up!
128. 43.557 1st
129. 42.895 1st
130. 47.446 1st
131. 46.989 1st Argh! Two more bad laps. Get it together!
132. 43.360 1st
133. 45.192 1st Ahead by 6.521 seconds
134. 43.692 1st
135. 45.764 1st
136. 43.635 1st
137. 45.455 1st 10.772 up
138. 43.960 1st
139. 44.531 1st Dahl, Castro pit. They're turning out to be my only real competitors.
140. 1:32.206 1st. Take my pit.
Laps 141-158
141. 1:10.125 1st. I hit the grass in turn 3 and send my car into a spin when the back gets loose. . . that's a new one.
142. 44.538 1st
143. 44.570 1st
144. 46.965 1st Got shoved into a wall as I went around someone.
145. 44.772 1st Just .994 seconds ahead
146. 43.567 1st
147. 43.512 1st
148. 43.518 1st
149. 46.511 1st 1.804 seconds ahead
150. 44.245 1st
151. 44.141 1st
152. 44.277 1st 4.433 ahead
153. 43.693 1st
154. 43.979 1st
155. 53.429 2nd .636 seconds behind. I hit the grass in turn two and lose control again. Weird that this started happening after not happening for the first 3/4 of the race. Maybe chassis wear is making the car a bit less stable? I got passed by Dahl on the back straight following the incident.
156. 55.703 3rd Castro passed me after I spin trying to pass Dahl and receiving a bump. The car is definitely less stable, and with three spins this stint my tires are in real trouble already. I'll have to pit early. I'll try to get to lap 158 and do two 21 lap stints after that.
157. 45.175 3rd
158. 1:37.433 4th My tires are shot and I have to take it really easy to get back to the pits in one piece. I take 35 liters of fuel for the next stint. Burks passes me while I fill up. I guess I've made this into a race.
Laps 159-178
159. 1:03.450 3rd I'm one lap down. Burks hits the pits, though, and I pass him.
160. 43.818 3rd
161. 43.781 3rd Dahl and Castro pit. They should have to pit once more by the end. Unfortunately, so do I.
162. 44.134 3rd
163. 43.547 3rd 7.358 down
164. 43.685 3rd
165. 44.685 3rd
166. 43.587 3rd 7.062 down
167. 44.055 3rd
168. 44.227 3rd
169. 44.319 3rd +8.132. The leaders have the advantage of being able to draft each other down the straights. I have to rely on short bursts when I'm lapping someone. Still, though, they weren't pulling away like this earlier in the race.
170. 43.443 3rd
171. 44.371 3rd
172. 44.315 3rd +7.332
173. 43.797 3rd
174. 46.787 3rd
175. 47.106 3rd Two bad laps give them a 11.001 second advantage.
176. 45.782 3rd
177. 44.589 3rd
178. 1:43.349 4th I must've misjudged the fuel situation. My fuel gauge went red and the power cut out just as I get on the front straight. I slide into the pit without losing much time, thankfully. I decide to put in 60 liters to be safe. Another pit stop would make this impossible. Burks gets his position back while I'm in the pit.
Laps 179-200 THE FINAL STRETCH
179. 1:03.077 4th 1 lap down. The leaders have to pit one more time. . . I have to hope that it's a long enough stop.
180. 43.170 4th
181. 44.708 4th 1 lap down
182. 43.822 3rd I pass Burks as he pits.
183. 43.655 3rd
184. 43.602 3rd 1 lap down
185. 43.671 3rd The leaders pit. Let's see where I come out. . . Hopefully the fact that they only have 14 laps left doesn't lead them to throw on softer tires.
186. 43.925 3rd +28.634
187. 43.633 3rd
188. 43.530 3rd
189. 44.084 3rd +28.181 I had better start gaining ground quickly.
190. 43.486 3rd +28.082 Caught a draft. Little help, though.
191. 42.219 3rd +26.751 More drafting. It gave me my best lap time of the game. Last fastest was lap 7!
192. 43.809 3rd +26.203 Not looking good.
193. 43.697 3rd +26.479
194. 43.842 3rd +25.897 This can't be right.
195. 44.140 3rd +26.070 Ouch. Surely this is my fault for setting the rear up loose.
196. 45.073 3rd +25.877 🤬 I've come so far. Don't take this from me.
197. 45.073 3rd +26.184 Sigh. I wish I could at least see the leaders...
198. 45.431 3rd +26.912 ...
199. 45.783 3rd +27.579 I think I've got some ideas for next time...
200. 45.184 3rd 27.891 seconds behind the winner. Well, I wanted a race without the guarantee of winning. . . I guess I got it.
Poo.
Well, I took third place so I got some cash and a fair amount of experience, but it means that I have to run this race again.
I don't know what kept the leaders away from me for the last 40 laps or so. Perhaps my chassis damage was just too great. Perhaps they really did switch to softer tires at the last pit. I don't know, but what a bummer.
I'm not entirely disheartened by the experience. I know that the car can do it. If I just settle the rear end down a bit I should have no problem with the race, really. All of those spins and slides surely cost me the difference. I may even be able to stretch to 22 and 23 lap stints, which would give me one less pit stop.
Surprisingly, I didn't actually mind racing at Indy. I figured the oval would just be boring as hell. While the racetrack is simple, the speed is a bit exhilarating, and the dance of tires and fuel vs. number of pit stops vs. your competitors keeps things interesting.
I'm sure that I'll run this again very soon. The loss was tough to take, but at least the race isn't incredibly long, so making it up doesn't require a week long commitment or anything.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the read. I know that the lap times won't interest all that many people, but it is good to see that a car that can put down 44.000 second laps consistently should be a strong competitor.
Until next time: keep your foot on the floor.
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