24 hour races

Magnethead

Magnethead

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I'm whooped. Just finished the 24 hours at Monza. Looks like Hockenheim, Germany will be my next 24 hour race in what I believe is either a porsche or Ferarri invitational (dont remember which).

As for the race recap for Monza, I started off on pit schedule, then noticed i was losing positions via my pit sequence and how it compared to some of the slower cars (I started front-mid pack- 15th or so out of 45). So I hopped off sequence and ran that way for the next 6-8 hours, before doing another short pit (this time for damage) putting me close to the origional pit schedule, and i finished from there. With 45-48 minute pit windows, I ran the race from where I was and knew i'd be close on making it on 1 less stop than the others. My last pit stop was with 28 minutes to go, I only put 16 gallons in, left the worn front tires (hard compound) on but changed the rears to new medium compounds for equality. Pitting from 2nd, i came out right ahead of 4th place and managed to hold the ferarri off for the final half hour. I believe a Saleen won.
 
Started the 24H at HockenheimRing today. Was 2 seconds off pace in first practice (running 94.xx's), but picked up the pace slowly in second practice as I tweaked the suspension and gearbox. This showed in qualifying as I lined up to start 17th out of a 35 car field with a time of 90.3 seconds.

The 24 hours at HockenheimRing is a porsche invitational event, consisting soley of a field of Porsche 911 GT3 RS's. With the 'Ring being a slippery yet flat track and porsche's being known as tail happy, it will be interesting how the race turns out. Note that this is also an actual race, which I didn't know till I looked it up.

The first lap I picked off 7 positions, mostly on the start, and was up to 2nd place 5 minutes in. The main factor is that I'm running the car on medium compound (I favor hard's) which will wear out sooner, with a #1 splitter nand only 3 ticks of rear wing. So once the tires wear out, it will be entertaining to get around the track. But on the short runs, the car is very fast with plenty of grip.
 
Well, I was WAY off on setup for them porsche's. Made a pit stop in no time, changing the wing, ride height, and tire compounds. Still not optimal but i'm staying "Out of the box, out of the rocks" as best I can, as the Speed TV guys coined it.
 
I'll say right now, 1 race ahead, that the LM patch for GTR2 is too complex for me to want to deal with. So I'll be running the CompUSA Daytona Prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when I get there. Wrong car, but at least it's a proto.
 
I've DNF'd my way out of HockenheimRing. The Porsches and that track justdo not get along well enough without using full traction control. The tails are just all over the place.

On to France, then...(oh, and I may turn on weather for Le Mans...if I can get a good setup goin.)
 
I was so-so practicing in the rain. so i'm gonna go for it. Gonna be one loooong race...

Also, striking Hockenheim from the history. I'd like to run it since it is a real race (unlike monza- it's 1000km, not 24 hr), but not gonna happen. If I can get a finish in 24 hour races at 3 of the most historic road racing tracks, I'll be happy. Circuit de La sarthe is the last one of the 3.

GTR2 also lists a 24 hr at zhuhai, china (US sports cars only, ironically); Enna-Pergusa, Italy; Spa-Francorchamps, Belguim (Proximus 24 hrs); and a few other no-names i havent heard of. Plus all the 3 hour races. But who cares about 3 piddly hours when you can go for the 24. I dont remmeber if I have the Mbil 1 12 hours at sebring on there or not.
 
well, 1 lap in at lemans.

Made up all of 1 position the whole lap. What a zoo!

66 frames per second at an 8.7 mile track with 62 cars.

I think the graphics card is going to shoot me when i'm done.
 
22:15:59 in the race...8 cars out already. 3 are DP's.

A fuel run is 50 minutes or so.

23:10
22:20
21:30
20:40
19:50
19:00
18:10
17:20
16:30
15:40
14:50
14:00
13:10
12:20
11:30
10:40
09:50
09:00
08:10
07:20
06:30
05:40
04:50
04:00
03:10
02:20
01:30
00:40
--
-00:10

So I'll have 10 minutes worth of fuel left over at the end of the race, according to that. which actually means I'm gonna be REAL close.
 
21:22:39 in so far. still 8 cars out. High rate of attrition as far as body parts flying around. Many cars going wide around dunlop kicking dirt onto track. Challenging as expected, but quite fun.

This isn't fun. it still baffles me how they can make an object SO BRIGHT! It's like im driving into the real thing. Not to mention the kink thats up hidden by the glare, leading into the indianapolis corner.

britesun2.jpg
 
19:45:14 in, and 15 cars are already out of the race, most due to accidents. The pitstop set for 19:50 actually happened at 19:53 so i'm about 3 minutes behind the fuel game. I probably could have made it had I ran the extra 2 gallons of fuel I had (it takes 2-2.5 gal per lap) but I didn't feel like cutting it that close. Currently running second, 75 seconds behind the leader.
 
Turned that pit sequence back on track now. Made it into the pits with about half a gallon of gas left, i was shortshifting the whole lap and shutting the motor off on coast into the corners.

Also, added a link in my sig where you can take a ride for a lap around Le Mans with me. Safety Suit Required please. :D
 
I'm past the 100 lap and 5 hour mark. It's basically down to me and a saleen. The rest of the field is over 2 minutes back, and only 3 DP's are on the lead lap.

Whoodathunk that the GT cars would be faster than a DP. Only reason i'm still up on the saleen is my pit strategy. I'm double stinting fronts to save the extra 10 seconds and pitting as late as i can, till the tank is almost dry.
 
well, i'm past 200 laps, got a little over 7 hours to go.

I recieved 2 1 lap penalties for rough driving. aso that put me back in 5th, and i'm working my way back. Depending on how the pit stops fall, I go from 5th to third and back thrugh a fuel stint. I'm still double stinting front tires, working fairly well.

The overnight hours were fairly uneventful, other than the rough driving penalties. But the sun made the track a little more difficult during sunset and sunrise. I was more or less, guestimating where the end of the asphalt was coming off the musiline straight in sunset, and the track was blinded out from the end of the front straight all the way back to the musiline in sunrise.
 
so to recap, I was in 6th. Then the car in 4th had a major "off", and had to pit early of the fuel window. That put me in 5th. Then, another car ahead of me knocked it's splitter off and had to pit. That put me in 4th. Now, through the double stinting fronts and other practices, I'm in 2nd place, with a full load of fuel and 5:46 to go. Leader has a 2:51 lead and has to pit in 4 laps, car in 3rd is 10 seconds behind me and had 8 laps of fuel left. Car in 4th is 14 seconds behind 3rd, not sure on fuel.
 
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