- 1,051
- London
- JohnsonCapote
Happy New Year everybody, I hope you all rang in 2011 in style 
Whilst I was testing for my 2nd run on the 1000 Miles, I realised there were still far too many races and A-spec points left unfinished and unraced on the schedule, including many of the endurance races. Time to change that, starting today, with...
Grand Valley 300km
'The Valley of Death'
(Hat tip to AMG as always for the track map.)
Race Distance: 60 Laps, 184.2 Miles
I've attempted this race a few times already, but every time seemed to be thwarted, which perplexed me, as I was using each time a car that, on paper, should be the perfect giant-killer for this race...
2003 Toyota Wedssport Celica (JGTC)
Engine: 2.0L L4 DOHC
Horsepower:327hp (after oil change)
Drivetrain: FR
Weight: 1050kg
Tyres: R1s front, R1s rear.
No more failure. On the first day of 2011, I would end the hoodoo at this track and claim victory - and those elusive 200 A-spec points. I was determined to do so. It must be possible, surely. And having studied opponent pit strategies carefully, I bided my time and eventually rolled onto this grid:
1. 2002 Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car
2. 2000 Mercedes CLK Touring Car
3. 2001 Nissan XANAVI HIROTO GT-R (JGTC)
4. 2001 Toyota Esso Ultraflow Supra (JGTC)
5. 2003 Honda Takata Dome NSX (JGTC)
My strategy was relatively simple - make it a 3-stop race, pitting every 15 laps, and try to match the opposition laptimes, whom would easily average 1'55-1'56 most laps. Easier said than done of course
But I had to believe in my car - I knew it could do it, it was all down to me to make it happen from behind the steering wheel 
Watch the lights, watch the lights, and....GO!
Laps 1-20
The field fans out and charges up the hill towards Turn 2, and I take advantage of the NSX's woeful acceleration off the line to slip alongside and complete the pass cleanly exiting T2.
My good start continues swiftly after as the Supra falls through T3, and the CLK can only watch as I slip by, first on the outside at T4, before mounting the rumble strip to finish the job on the inside of T5!
The perfect start you may think, but it's not over yet - the GT-R leaves a yawning gap on the inside going into the T6 hairpin, and I take advantage of his charity, and the stunned TT-R, whom I've earmarked as my main rival for this race, is powerless to stop me sweeping past and into the lead through the Turns 7-10 complex!
I've amazed myself with how well this race has begun - normally by this stage I'm barely hanging on to the leader's coat-tails at this early stage - so I instantly sense an chance to eke out an advantage, and whilst the rest of the field do their traditional struggling around on cold tyres, I zip into a 1.8s lead by the end of the first lap, which only grows to a 5.061s after 2 laps! What on Earth is going on?! Have my rivals been on the New Year's lash till late, and are still recovering from a sherry and whiskey-induced hangover of gargantuan proportions?! 💡
I can worry about their good spirits and slow speeds at the end of the race - right now, I'm not in such a charitable mood, and I instead fiercely turn the screw during the first stint. The gap grows to 6.7s by Lap 4, and that's where I'm expecting the opposition to start fighting back, now that their tyres are up to temperature, but no - 6 laps in the books, and I'm now 7.3s up, and I even breach the 8s barrier, leading by 8.2s at the stripe at the conclusion of Lap 8. What gives, then?!
Well, I did change the oil before the race, giving me a 20hp boost from previous attempts (up to 327hp from 307hp), but I'm willing to bet that the main difference is that I'm really pushing the car to the absolute limit - before, I was averaging high 1'56s to mid 1'57s, but today, its all low-to-mid 1'56s, and I swiftly break the 1'55 barrier by starting to average mid-to-high 1'55s, with the zenith in the early going being a 1'55.409 on lap 5.
My first real error comes on lap 11, as I completly misjudge the exit speed of T6 and end up doing a bit of rallying in the grass of the corner exit
But in all honesty, it's my only error of the opening stint, and it hands the Audi a brief reprieve - the gap, which had gone up over the 9s mark, decreses briefly to 8.2s, before growing again to over 10s by the time he dives into the pits ending lap 14. The majority of the rest of the field join him on this lap, too - the NSX has already stopped ending lap 12, which effectively, barring some incredible discovery of a grade of tyre that seemingly never wears out and stimultaneously gives infinate grip, puts him out of contention for the race win 
I pit in at the end of lap 15 from a 23s lead, and just to pile on further misery to the Audi and my other opponents, I discover that my car is actually still very stable and drivable at the end of stints, despite the tyres now showing up dark orange by the time my pit crew strip them off, fling them to one side and replace them with brand spanking new ones I top up to 60 units of fuel, which should be more than enough for the next stint, and I end my outlap a good 16s ahead of the 2nd place TT-R. This is bizaare, I have to say - I really was expecting a much closer race than this. I know there's no au cerumo Supra, or my nemesis from previous attempts, the Mazda RX7 LM, but still...my theory on the new year's boozing from earlier still stands, I think 
I end lap 20 with a new fastest lap time, 1'55.291
and a healthy 22.4s lead over the 2nd place Audi TT-R.
Laps 21-40
I'm not sure if it's because I lost an endurance race on GT2 very closely last night (which you can read about here - shameless plug ahoy!
), but I'm in no mood to take my foot off the gas, and I keep plugging away in the mid 1'55s mark for the next 10 laps or so, with the gap back to 2nd steadily increasing - the train has left the station, and the TT-R and his cohorts are very much in danger of missing it if they can't pull something out of the bag here! It appears they have no resistance, as the gap continues to increase, bit by bit, up until their next round of stops at lap 28. This time, the NSX manages 13 laps before pitting end of lap 25, but unless he's spotted something we haven't, he's still got about as much chance of winning this one as Adolf Hitler has of winning a popularity contest against a cute, fluffy teddy bear 
👎
Interestingly, it seems that the GT-R is fed up of conforming with everyone else's pit strategy, and actually stays out past lap 28. I watch his progress with interest, and for a lap, it's the GT-R's image that flashes up in 2nd place at each checkpoint, rather than the familiar rounded blue shape of the TT-R. But it appears all in vain, as the inevitable pitstop is only postponed by a lap, and the TT-R retakes 2nd soon after. I pit in at the end of lap 30, right on schedule, and this time top off to only 50 units of fuel - I easily had enough left in the tank after the last run, so I see no reason of filling up to the brim - no need to waste fuel where it isn't needed, eh? The thing is, the way I'm going, I could probably switch to a 14-lap strategy and take an extra pitstop if I so needed, and would still have a comfortable margin back to 2nd (I exit the pits with a good 30s advantage), but the car is running well enough on the 15-lap stints to not warrant this anyway. Besides, I shouldn't count my chickens just yet - there's still a good hour's worth of racing still to go, and my shoulders actually begin to feel sore around this point - that'll teach me for being a lazy gitsmith over the Christmas period and basically sleep all day and sit on the computer all night, eh? 
I'm happy enough with my progress, so I decide to ease off the pace just a tad through the next section, but oddly my laptimes don't really drop at all. I also find myself getting a bit lonely...with nobody giving much of a challenge behind, and nobody falling away from the main pack in order to be lapped, it's pretty much plain sailing on my own out front for me. Shall I drop back and find someone to battle with? Not a chance, me ol' mucka!
I finish Lap 40 with a healthy 36s advantage over the 2nd place Audi TT-R after just under 1 hour and 20 minutes of racing.
Laps 41-60
Actually, I take back my last paragraph or so - after the NSX's 3rd pitstop at lap 40, I'm closing rapidly in on his rear bumper, and by lap 42, his distinctive large rear wing fills my view. At last - I've grown a bit bored of racing the clock, time for a little duel
Actually, the NSX driver appears to have given up altogether, and actually holds me up badly through the next lap or so as I look for a way past. Okay, I know you said it was unlikely you could win the race, but at least TRY to look like you're bothered!
Ah well, I line up the pass on the outside through the T13 tunnel, and I slip by easily under braking for T14. I then go on to trim another 2/10ths of a second off my fastest lap on lap 44, with my new record standing at 1'55.073!
When Fishforrent first told me that this car was capable of winning this race, he told me comfortable 1'54 laptimes were possible, and though I haven't quite achieved those yet, I can believe his claim that this car has the potential to do them.
This is all pretty rudimentary, of course, as I pit at the end of lap 45 anyway, for my final scheduled stop of the day, allowing the depressed NSX to unlap himself as I sit in the pits and recieve my final set of tyres. This time, I only top up to 45 units of fuel, as once again I had a comfortable amount left in the tank from the previous run.
By now, everyone else in the field has also stopped - the TT-R and friends at the end of lap 42, the GT-R once again one lap afterwards - and I resume after my stop having added yet more time to my lead, sitting as it does now at 42s at the end of my outlap. By now, it's a safe bet that either a power failure or accidental quit are the only things that will stop me from gaining the magic 200 points, so I sit back and relax a little further, and my last stint is a pretty sloppy one, with another off at T6 and the odd error under braking for a few of the corners creeping in. It's all by the by, though, and with the NSX pitting once again at lap 51, I'm left with an empty track ahead of me to cruise around for the final 9 laps. Just to cement the victory, the TT-R and cohorts stop one more time at lap 56, with the GT-R trying one last time to snatch 2nd by staying out a few more laps. However, his hopes evaporate as he pits in at the end of lap 58, and I have well over a minute in hand on the TT-R as I cruise home for the victory!
Final Results
1. 2003 Toyota Wedssport Celica (JGTC) 1:58'09.388
2. 2002 Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car +1'06.495
3. 2001 Nissan XANAVI HIROTO GT-R (JGTC) +1'17s
4. 2001 Toyota Esso Ultraflow Supra (JGTC) +1.22s
5. 2000 Mercedes CLK Touring Car +1.36s
6. 2003 Honda Takata Dome NSX (JGTC) +1 Lap
So quite possibly the easiest 200 A-Spec points I'll ever earn have been won and banked, and I also get to take home a nice fat cheque of prize money, plus a gorgeous 1937 Auto Union V16 Type S Streamline! Now, where can I use that to win 200 A-Spec points, I wonder?! 💡 Whatever happens to it, it's going on a nice plinth in a backroom of my garage for now, and I'm gonna head off and have a beer, and enjoy my victory. It's always great fun driving the GT300 spec JGTC cars, and the Celica is no exception. Thanks for reading!
Whilst I was testing for my 2nd run on the 1000 Miles, I realised there were still far too many races and A-spec points left unfinished and unraced on the schedule, including many of the endurance races. Time to change that, starting today, with...
Grand Valley 300km
'The Valley of Death'
(Hat tip to AMG as always for the track map.)
Race Distance: 60 Laps, 184.2 Miles
I've attempted this race a few times already, but every time seemed to be thwarted, which perplexed me, as I was using each time a car that, on paper, should be the perfect giant-killer for this race...
2003 Toyota Wedssport Celica (JGTC)
Engine: 2.0L L4 DOHC
Horsepower:327hp (after oil change)
Drivetrain: FR
Weight: 1050kg
Tyres: R1s front, R1s rear.
No more failure. On the first day of 2011, I would end the hoodoo at this track and claim victory - and those elusive 200 A-spec points. I was determined to do so. It must be possible, surely. And having studied opponent pit strategies carefully, I bided my time and eventually rolled onto this grid:
1. 2002 Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car
2. 2000 Mercedes CLK Touring Car
3. 2001 Nissan XANAVI HIROTO GT-R (JGTC)
4. 2001 Toyota Esso Ultraflow Supra (JGTC)
5. 2003 Honda Takata Dome NSX (JGTC)
My strategy was relatively simple - make it a 3-stop race, pitting every 15 laps, and try to match the opposition laptimes, whom would easily average 1'55-1'56 most laps. Easier said than done of course
But I had to believe in my car - I knew it could do it, it was all down to me to make it happen from behind the steering wheel Watch the lights, watch the lights, and....GO!
Laps 1-20
The field fans out and charges up the hill towards Turn 2, and I take advantage of the NSX's woeful acceleration off the line to slip alongside and complete the pass cleanly exiting T2.
My good start continues swiftly after as the Supra falls through T3, and the CLK can only watch as I slip by, first on the outside at T4, before mounting the rumble strip to finish the job on the inside of T5!
The perfect start you may think, but it's not over yet - the GT-R leaves a yawning gap on the inside going into the T6 hairpin, and I take advantage of his charity, and the stunned TT-R, whom I've earmarked as my main rival for this race, is powerless to stop me sweeping past and into the lead through the Turns 7-10 complex!
I've amazed myself with how well this race has begun - normally by this stage I'm barely hanging on to the leader's coat-tails at this early stage - so I instantly sense an chance to eke out an advantage, and whilst the rest of the field do their traditional struggling around on cold tyres, I zip into a 1.8s lead by the end of the first lap, which only grows to a 5.061s after 2 laps! What on Earth is going on?! Have my rivals been on the New Year's lash till late, and are still recovering from a sherry and whiskey-induced hangover of gargantuan proportions?! 💡
I can worry about their good spirits and slow speeds at the end of the race - right now, I'm not in such a charitable mood, and I instead fiercely turn the screw during the first stint. The gap grows to 6.7s by Lap 4, and that's where I'm expecting the opposition to start fighting back, now that their tyres are up to temperature, but no - 6 laps in the books, and I'm now 7.3s up, and I even breach the 8s barrier, leading by 8.2s at the stripe at the conclusion of Lap 8. What gives, then?!
Well, I did change the oil before the race, giving me a 20hp boost from previous attempts (up to 327hp from 307hp), but I'm willing to bet that the main difference is that I'm really pushing the car to the absolute limit - before, I was averaging high 1'56s to mid 1'57s, but today, its all low-to-mid 1'56s, and I swiftly break the 1'55 barrier by starting to average mid-to-high 1'55s, with the zenith in the early going being a 1'55.409 on lap 5.
My first real error comes on lap 11, as I completly misjudge the exit speed of T6 and end up doing a bit of rallying in the grass of the corner exit
But in all honesty, it's my only error of the opening stint, and it hands the Audi a brief reprieve - the gap, which had gone up over the 9s mark, decreses briefly to 8.2s, before growing again to over 10s by the time he dives into the pits ending lap 14. The majority of the rest of the field join him on this lap, too - the NSX has already stopped ending lap 12, which effectively, barring some incredible discovery of a grade of tyre that seemingly never wears out and stimultaneously gives infinate grip, puts him out of contention for the race win I pit in at the end of lap 15 from a 23s lead, and just to pile on further misery to the Audi and my other opponents, I discover that my car is actually still very stable and drivable at the end of stints, despite the tyres now showing up dark orange by the time my pit crew strip them off, fling them to one side and replace them with brand spanking new ones
I top up to 60 units of fuel, which should be more than enough for the next stint, and I end my outlap a good 16s ahead of the 2nd place TT-R. This is bizaare, I have to say - I really was expecting a much closer race than this. I know there's no au cerumo Supra, or my nemesis from previous attempts, the Mazda RX7 LM, but still...my theory on the new year's boozing from earlier still stands, I think I end lap 20 with a new fastest lap time, 1'55.291
and a healthy 22.4s lead over the 2nd place Audi TT-R. Laps 21-40
I'm not sure if it's because I lost an endurance race on GT2 very closely last night (which you can read about here - shameless plug ahoy!
), but I'm in no mood to take my foot off the gas, and I keep plugging away in the mid 1'55s mark for the next 10 laps or so, with the gap back to 2nd steadily increasing - the train has left the station, and the TT-R and his cohorts are very much in danger of missing it if they can't pull something out of the bag here! It appears they have no resistance, as the gap continues to increase, bit by bit, up until their next round of stops at lap 28. This time, the NSX manages 13 laps before pitting end of lap 25, but unless he's spotted something we haven't, he's still got about as much chance of winning this one as Adolf Hitler has of winning a popularity contest against a cute, fluffy teddy bear 👎 Interestingly, it seems that the GT-R is fed up of conforming with everyone else's pit strategy, and actually stays out past lap 28. I watch his progress with interest, and for a lap, it's the GT-R's image that flashes up in 2nd place at each checkpoint, rather than the familiar rounded blue shape of the TT-R. But it appears all in vain, as the inevitable pitstop is only postponed by a lap, and the TT-R retakes 2nd soon after. I pit in at the end of lap 30, right on schedule, and this time top off to only 50 units of fuel - I easily had enough left in the tank after the last run, so I see no reason of filling up to the brim - no need to waste fuel where it isn't needed, eh?
The thing is, the way I'm going, I could probably switch to a 14-lap strategy and take an extra pitstop if I so needed, and would still have a comfortable margin back to 2nd (I exit the pits with a good 30s advantage), but the car is running well enough on the 15-lap stints to not warrant this anyway. Besides, I shouldn't count my chickens just yet - there's still a good hour's worth of racing still to go, and my shoulders actually begin to feel sore around this point - that'll teach me for being a lazy gitsmith over the Christmas period and basically sleep all day and sit on the computer all night, eh? I'm happy enough with my progress, so I decide to ease off the pace just a tad through the next section, but oddly my laptimes don't really drop at all. I also find myself getting a bit lonely...with nobody giving much of a challenge behind, and nobody falling away from the main pack in order to be lapped, it's pretty much plain sailing on my own out front for me. Shall I drop back and find someone to battle with? Not a chance, me ol' mucka!
I finish Lap 40 with a healthy 36s advantage over the 2nd place Audi TT-R after just under 1 hour and 20 minutes of racing.
Laps 41-60
Actually, I take back my last paragraph or so - after the NSX's 3rd pitstop at lap 40, I'm closing rapidly in on his rear bumper, and by lap 42, his distinctive large rear wing fills my view. At last - I've grown a bit bored of racing the clock, time for a little duel
Actually, the NSX driver appears to have given up altogether, and actually holds me up badly through the next lap or so as I look for a way past. Okay, I know you said it was unlikely you could win the race, but at least TRY to look like you're bothered! Ah well, I line up the pass on the outside through the T13 tunnel, and I slip by easily under braking for T14. I then go on to trim another 2/10ths of a second off my fastest lap on lap 44, with my new record standing at 1'55.073!
When Fishforrent first told me that this car was capable of winning this race, he told me comfortable 1'54 laptimes were possible, and though I haven't quite achieved those yet, I can believe his claim that this car has the potential to do them.This is all pretty rudimentary, of course, as I pit at the end of lap 45 anyway, for my final scheduled stop of the day, allowing the depressed NSX to unlap himself as I sit in the pits and recieve my final set of tyres. This time, I only top up to 45 units of fuel, as once again I had a comfortable amount left in the tank from the previous run.
By now, everyone else in the field has also stopped - the TT-R and friends at the end of lap 42, the GT-R once again one lap afterwards - and I resume after my stop having added yet more time to my lead, sitting as it does now at 42s at the end of my outlap. By now, it's a safe bet that either a power failure or accidental quit are the only things that will stop me from gaining the magic 200 points, so I sit back and relax a little further, and my last stint is a pretty sloppy one, with another off at T6 and the odd error under braking for a few of the corners creeping in. It's all by the by, though, and with the NSX pitting once again at lap 51, I'm left with an empty track ahead of me to cruise around for the final 9 laps. Just to cement the victory, the TT-R and cohorts stop one more time at lap 56, with the GT-R trying one last time to snatch 2nd by staying out a few more laps. However, his hopes evaporate as he pits in at the end of lap 58, and I have well over a minute in hand on the TT-R as I cruise home for the victory!
Final Results
1. 2003 Toyota Wedssport Celica (JGTC) 1:58'09.388
2. 2002 Abt Audi TT-R Touring Car +1'06.495
3. 2001 Nissan XANAVI HIROTO GT-R (JGTC) +1'17s
4. 2001 Toyota Esso Ultraflow Supra (JGTC) +1.22s
5. 2000 Mercedes CLK Touring Car +1.36s
6. 2003 Honda Takata Dome NSX (JGTC) +1 Lap
So quite possibly the easiest 200 A-Spec points I'll ever earn have been won and banked, and I also get to take home a nice fat cheque of prize money, plus a gorgeous 1937 Auto Union V16 Type S Streamline! Now, where can I use that to win 200 A-Spec points, I wonder?! 💡 Whatever happens to it, it's going on a nice plinth in a backroom of my garage for now, and I'm gonna head off and have a beer, and enjoy my victory. It's always great fun driving the GT300 spec JGTC cars, and the Celica is no exception. Thanks for reading!
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