Tsukuba 4 h A-Spec, a report

  • Thread starter Thematic
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Finland
Finland
thematic604
I wanted to do a race that would play out interestingly, given the constraints of the game. What happened then, is outlined below.

Car: 175 bhp Mazda MX-5 Miata J-Limited '91 (404 pp)
- sports ECU
- sports intake manifold, racing air filter
- sports exhaust manifold, catalytic converter: sports
- supercharger
- 5 speed close-ratio transmission
- clutch: twin-plate, flywheel: sports, carbon propeller shaft
- fixed sports kit

Driving aids and ABS were off.

I didn't have all that much data before starting, since I had forgotten a lot of what I observed in my previous attempt, where I had an underpowered Roadster. Now that I checked on that premium car I see it has just comfort softs, whereas I thought I had used sports tyres then.

But on this second attempt I started with sports soft tyres, changed them to comfort soft after 59 laps. Refueled 16 liters. At the second stop - lap 141/142 - another set of CS and 20 liters of fuel. Race ended after 200 laps.

I passed the cars ahead of me at the beginning quickly thanks to the supercharger. A moment or few before my 1st stop I had an estimated 100 second lead from doing many sub 70 second laps. I had planned to change to less grippy tyres at the 1st pit stop, and only at this point I decided (CM, CS, SH, SS were installed). Comfort Soft Part 1 included me keeping ahead of two cars that were 1 lap behind, with the other one overtaking my car a few times.

After the last pitstop I couldn't concentrate as well, and my lap times were inconsistent. That includes a few bigger mistakes, where I ran off track. Usually either in the last bend - come on that's easy by now! - or the first slow left (second gear).

This part also had two cars on a different lap count following me most of the duration. Occasionally a car passed me due to a combination of drafting and me being slow, usually in the first corner. Since I wasn't going to do a third stop, I saw no real chance to increase my lead.

The two stops meant I didn't dig into my tyres too much. With comfort tyres I was usually happy with a lap around 1:12, and every few laps I did that or close. Managed a couple of tenths better once. I think it involved drifting the two second gear corners, which I'm really rubbish at.

At the finish line the second car - an MX-5 1800 RS - was just about 3.5 seconds behind, after it had gained on me the last few dozen laps. There was about 7 liters of fuel left, so those estimates on consumption I did during the race were important. I managed to hold on to first place ever since I reached it on the first lap, without "abusing" the AI cars.

Best lap: 9th 1:07.752
Duration (1st): 4:00:41.5
Experience (base without bonus): 332637
 
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I'm glad your Tsukuba 4h went better than mine. I suspended the race about halfway through, and resumed about a month later. But a nasty glitch cost me dearly. It was A-Spec, yet I had no control over the car, as if it were a B-Spec race. I lose the race thanks to not being able to pit to refuel. I finish dead last, and almost loose a controller.
 
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