AC Group C "Special Event" @ Le Mans - Wednesday 7th Oct 2020

[Bobby Pennington]

For anyone driving the Madaazda, here's my setup:

Yep, put a little shorter skirt on her and she shows her butt and tries to kill you. All of this while going down the straights like an asthmatic sucking air through a coffee stirrer Maybe we should just gear her lower so we can hear all those screaming 'gasams of hers

Since @HF2000 started it by posting his team, I want to let everyone know that my team is suited up and ready to go

***Note, this is as close as I'll get to the podium. If my team is still up there after the race, do you really want to bump them off just so you can stand there

 

[emarchena]

In please with the Mazda, thank you

 

[Medilloni]

In please with the Mazda, thank you

Welcome Efrain, you're in

 

[EireGreen™]

@Medilloni Mercedes please

 

[Medilloni]

Race server now set up, spare cars listed below, if/when you take one please copy and paste the full list updated with the car you've chosen - @EireGreen™ Michael, please pick one from the list buddy

Spares:
Mazda - 1
Merc - 2
Porsche LT - 3
Porsche ST - 1

 

[Interslice]

Sorry john, nearly made it. Hopefully be back up a running proper by the end of the month...

 

[Chris Down]

Great race everyone! The C9 is terrific fun, I had a few offs and code browns, but it mostly went ok except for a spin at the end of the Mulsanne. Went for fastest lap at the end and bungled it terribly.

Thanks a lot for organising @Medilloni and good to see you back around @Bobby Pennington!

 

[Bobby Pennington]

Thanks a lot for organising @Medilloni and good to see you back around @Bobby Pennington!

I second that @Medilloni , was a heap of fun. Chris, thanks man. It's so nice to hear all of the familiar voices of friends I've made at RD. Will always be my home.

Thanks to all the drivers that took part. I came dead last, but still loved it. Next time, I'm going to leave the Bumble Bee alone and drive a normal "stroker" motor

Cheers boys

 

[SOLO59]

Thanks for the racing guys! Damn that Porsche LT sounds amazing! Tried hanging with the podium guys from behind. Could only barely hang with y'all for "a" lap lol

Could have been more consistent but no major mistakes though.

Thank you @Medilloni for hosting and congrats to Chris and the podiums

 

[Reik Major]

...of friends I've made at RD. Will always be my home.

Yeah, I so much agree on that!

 

[Reik Major]

Entering the server I got a bit shocked about the lap times by @Chris Down and @Ronnie Böhme , because my so far best was 3 seconds slower. But in qualy I improved and was in P3, only 1 second away from Ronnie in P2. Well, what to say about Chris in pole? He'll always be out of reach... Top driving man!

From the start, Chris defended the lead and Ronnie in P2 slightly opend a small gap to me in P3. But in the end of the first stint, I came back closer again. Were you on softs getting out of grip? I used mediums all time...

In the last lap Ronnie made a mistake, so I reached the pits one second in front of him in P2. In the same order we left the pits and climbed up the field again. At that point Chris was far, far away allready.

Entering the pits again for the second and last time, a few other drivers behind came in too. @HF2000 stopped shorter with his Mercedes and left the pits a few meters infront of me. Mate, I didn't mean to overtake you in a rush, but I wasn't aware, how careful you had to go through the first slow corners. When touching in the first chicane I waited just to try it through the next chicane, making use of my better grip. When we touched again, I was allready completly on your inside, so I thought it was OK to go on, still having you in my tow.

From that point it was bringing it home in P2, finally with a comfortable gap of 20 seconds or so.

I'm satisfied with my result and consistent pace, however it feels a bit awkward to be best of the rest even in P2. That's not nice Chris.

Well, huge thanks to @Medilloni and @Bobby Pennington for hosting and to everyone involved for making RD such a nice place to be!

 

[Chris Down]

Here's my VR onboard:

 

[Kek700]

Yet another miserable race at Le Mans, I was followed by @Medilloni .
Noticing he fared no better. Totally confused how people did the race with the fuel they had. I had good pace but in the end I lost the will to live in the pit stops. Entering my last pit stop with two other cars. Looking forward to the last 4 laps. Exiting the pits with no one vaguely anywhere on the same bit of road as me.

 

[HF2000]

It was great for once to drive a car that is so much faster on the straights. I enjoyed overtaking that easy and holding off @Ronnie Böhme by surviving the turns and pulling away on the straight. Must have been frustrating for you, Ronnie.
Very happy with the podium. Started 10th because I messed up qually but with smart pitstop strategy and excellent crew I gained a lot of places.
The time needed for 95l and tyre change and repair engine took 20s less than with the other cars. So my strategy was first pitstop as described and 2nd pitstop with only fuel for 3 laps. If I hadn't gone off track twice I might have had a chance on finishing second. But @Chris Down was out of this world with the C9.
I would like to know which changes did you make on the setup. I watched your VR and besides better control you could brake later and go earlier full throttle.

Thanks all for racing and John for organizing!

 

[Kek700]

Just found out the Mercedes C9 fills it petrol tank twice as fast as the Porsche LT.

No wonder I sat in the pits watching the C9 come into the pits for 25 seconds to fill up and go
while I was still sitting there for 60 seconds for the same tank of bleeding fuel.

And to add insult to injury to it all, I was quicker in the thing.

 

[HF2000]

View attachment 411210

Just found out the Mercedes C9 fills it petrol tank twice as fast as the Porsche LT.

Yep, same goes for the ST and the Mazda (just as slow as the LT).
But Mazda had a fuel consumption enough for 8 laps so they could do with one pitstop. So I calculated with average lap times (mine) and pitstoptimes with or without tyre change and/or repair were part of, which car would be the fastest in a 60 min race. It was the C9. The LT and the Mazda were close to eachother. The ST was clearly last, being just a little bit faster than the Mazda but it needs two (long) pitstops.
But the C9 is the most difficult to handle imo and therefore a risk.

It will be interesting to do more of these combo's. On tracks with less long straights, the advantage of the C9 will be less but the pitstop advantage will stay. The results of the calculation will be different for sure.

 

[Ronnie Böhme]

It was great for once to drive a car that is so much faster on the straights. I enjoyed overtaking that easy and holding off @Ronnie Böhme by surviving the turns and pulling away on the straight. Must have been frustrating for you, Ronnie.
Very happy with the podium. Started 10th because I messed up qually but with smart pitstop strategy and excellent crew I gained a lot of places.
The time needed for 95l and tyre change and repair engine took 20s less than with the other cars. So my strategy was first pitstop as described and 2nd pitstop with only fuel for 3 laps. If I hadn't gone off track twice I might have had a chance on finishing second. But @Chris Down was out of this world with the C9.
I would like to know which changes did you make on the setup. I watched your VR and besides better control you could brake later and go earlier full throttle.

Thanks all for racing and John for organizing!

Not so much frustrating, It was actually a lot of fun. I tried sooo hard to pass you (sometimes even too hard) I was quite a bit faster in the corners but the Porsche turns are just to tight to squeeze by and yeah, no chance to pass that top-speed monster on the straight. I've enjoyed the battle a lot (I hope I didn't scare you that much the two times I came very close under braking ) and I was genuinly happy for your podium finish. Well deserved mate
Other than that a pretty - meh - race for me. Made a lot of mistakes and I think I've had one misshift again (have to look into that) from 2nd to R . Still, great event and as always a joy to race with you gents.

 

[GEO147]

John and guys I'm so sorry I missed this race. I was all geared up for it and even bought the 1:43 replica of the 787 in excitement. But we are gone back into semi lockdown in Dublin, Ireland and I was stuck in crazy traffic on Wednesday evening as a result of a Covid checkpoint on the road. Took me hours to get home instead of 45 mins.

Looks like it was a blast reading through the comments. Apologies and see you in the next one

 

[joeymac]

I had put in a couple of hours practice for this race, and I was able to set reasonable times and be consistent with the Porsche ST and the Mazda, but as the Mazda is more fun (that sound!) I was going to choose it.... but once again I couldn't commit to the race and in the end I only got home at 8:30. I enjoyed the preparation/practice process of trying out the different cars and trying to decide on a pit strategy anyway.

 

[Medilloni]

My apologies for the early exit on Weds and not being around, been a bit under the weather.

Congrats to the podium guys, great lap times and strategy! Thanks for the turnout and hope to see you at the next one.

Extra special mention for @Bobby Pennington , really appreciate your efforts in getting this one together buddy, and just magic to have you with us again.... I look forward to your next cunning plan, I'm all ears

Will try and get next Weds race up tomorrow, haven't been near my pc for a couple of days but thoughts are the new X-Bow...dunno where yet, but get some practice in!