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Tone's Rush to Forza3: Nurburgring Extravaganza What the Hell was I thinking? 500!!


Episode 12: Fifty laps in one day?!?!

laps- 211-260
As some of you may have read in my previous installments; I had driven twenty laps in one day a few times over now. Those events, distractions included, took me the majority of the day for each run. So what the hell was I thinking when I decided to try to do fifty laps in one day?!

With the Ring being around 13 miles in length that amounts to just over 650 miles in 24 hours or less. I was pushing for less; unless, of course, I wished to fall asleep at the wheel (again). Being that I had no desire to use the wheel as a pillow I set off bright and early. The wife was ready to help support me in my endeavor and she made me an awesome fruit smoothy for my morning energy needs. With Strawberries, bananas and Pinapple and loaded with vitamins and minerals. I was now set to begin my day of driving.


But, wait a tick. What the hell was I going to drive for fifty laps? After almost a half hour of interanl debate and browsing; My selection brought me to my all time favorite car: The Lambroghini Countach LP5000 QV. Sure I had already driven it for a lap earlier in this challenge. But, thats exactly why a picked it for a long distance run. When I drove this car in its single lap in one of my previous episodes, I remembered why I fell in love with this car to begin with. The sound of that big V12; the look of timeless 'supercarishness" (yes I think I just made that term up); The witdth of those tires. It reminded me of one of my favorite movies as a kid "Cannonball Run".




Now before we get out on the road here are the stats on this magnificent automobile:


General specifications
Country of origin Italy
Chassis number KLA12700
Numbers built 657
Produced from 1988 - 1990
Body design Marcello Gandini for Bertone and Horacio Pagani

Engine:
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Configuration V 12
Location Mid, longitudinally mounted
Construction alloy block and head
Displacement 5.167 liter / 315.3 cu in
Bore / Stroke 85.5 mm (3.4 in) / 75.0 mm (3 in)
Compression 9.2:1
Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed Bosch K-Jetronic Fuel Injection
Aspiration Naturally Aspirated

Drivetrain:
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Chassis/body aluminum and composite body on steel tubular frame
Suspension (fr/r) double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock-absorbers, anti-roll bar
Steering rack-and-pinion
Brakes Girling ventilated discs, all-round
Gearbox 5 speed Manual
Drive Rear wheel drive

Dimensions:
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Weight 1568 kilo / 3456.8 lbs
Length / Width / Height 4240 mm (166.9 in) / 2017 mm (79.4 in) / 1070 mm (42.1 in)
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 2473 mm (97.4 in) / 1535 mm (60.4 in) / 1606 mm (63.2 in)

Performance figures:
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Power 425 bhp / 317 KW @ 7000 rpm
Torque 500 Nm / 369 ft lbs @ 5200 rpm
BHP/Liter 82 bhp / liter
Power to weight 0.27 bhp / kg
Top Speed 295 km/h / 183 mph



I was so excited as I started out. I mean I had a full day with my favorite car from childhood. I was going to make the most of it. So I began my Run at 7:32 am and as the clock struck 7:41 I crossed my first lap. Nine minutes. I was off and away, but not at a blistering pace. I began to plot numbers in my head while I was on my second lap. how much driving time would it take me to do 650 miles? At 9 minutes a lap and each lap being roughly 13 miles; I crunched the numbers in my head. I was shocked that my trip at 9 minutes per lap was only going to take seven and a half hours! Also, at 9 minutes per lap I was had an average speed of roughly 86 mph! I crossed the line on lap two at 7:49. A lap time of 8:37 seconds.


But I remembered my single lap with this car and I knew I had a 8:23.xxx and I had to start pushing myself. So I did. The next 4 laps got progressively faster. By lap seven I had managed to crawl within 2 seconds of my time of 8:23.

Lap 8 was not an improvement as I pushed to hard through the edge of the second carousel and I scooted just off of the tarmac. No harm was done; save my lap time.

Lap nine was over almost before it began. Why? Well, many of you know that first straight at the start/finish line. At that moment my mind was so focused on the speedometer that I missed my braking point and almost totaled the car of my dreams!
I came to a screeching halt just before the track ran out into the right hand turn that brings you into the pits. I stopped for a seconds and regathered myself. I took a drink and a 420. Reflecting on the fact that I almost lost myself to the "Green Hell"; I was resigned to paying a bit more attention to the road and not worry so much about getting that final mph out of the car in the long straights.



Laps 10-21

These laps went on without incident and I spent most of the time cruising at around 8:45 seconds a lap and singing Bob Marley songs. Feeling Irie I's, ya know, mon.


Lap 22 brought me back to reality as the haze in the room began to clear; so to did my mind. I realized I had driven 273 miles. I looked over at the clock and it read 10:42. So I had been driving for 3 hours and 11 minutes. I was still averaging 9 minutes a lap. Which at first I thought was kinda slow. And it is, if your trying to get that one fast lap. But this was about endurance. Finishing lap 22, I decided to pull over and have a stretch. After all 286 miles were now under my belt. I only had 364 miles left...almost half way!



Laps 23-30

I was now in uncharted territory. The only time I had actually driven this long in my life was when the wife and I drove from the bottom of Florida (our home in the Keys) to Maine. to visit her family. We left the night prior and got to North of Orlando and got a hotel for the night. The following morning we drove from the north Florida to Mass in one day! And that was going through NY and the GW bridge at midnight or so. anyway, I was thinking of that very day as I was rounding the last turn and finishing my 30th lap. But unlike the trip to Maine; I was driving all alone on a great track and not stuck in traffic through the Beltway in DC.


laps 31-36

I was tiring. And I needed to pull over for about a half hour and take a good break. My eyes were red and dry and irritated and it wasn't from the greens. So I stepped outside into the sunshine and after about 15 seconds decided going outside in the middle of the afternoon in South Florida was not the best idea. So inside to the fresh AC and my comfy bed for a few minutes. the time was 12:24pm.


Two and a half hours later I awoke to see 2:56pm staring back at me. Slightly cursing myself I gathered my carcass off the bed and made my was back to the cockpit. After watching the above "Cannonball Run" clip again and putting on some grooving tunes; I started off again for the continuation of my trek.


Laps 37-44

After working out the cobwebs from my nap; I was able to keep a steady pace for the next few laps. My time was averaging around the 8:35 mark and I was making up for some of that lost time as a result of my slumber. 4:10 PM.

lap 45

I rounded the last turn and realized that the time was approaching 4:20pm. So I pulled off to the curb and took a small break to honor the herb. As the clock struck 4:21pm I pulled back onto the road with Peter Tosh Singing the main Chorus to "Wanted Dread and Alive".


Laps46-49

With a great mood and refreshed vigor, I began my final assault on the completion of this 650 mile run of insanity. I was flying through the laps now with an avg time of 8:29 seconds. What a great car this had been. I only had one lap left!


Lap 50

One thing had been noticeably absent throughout the day. I had not been interrupted by the cat. I hadn't even thought about it. Fortunately, fate was with me today as my feline friend had already been fed by the wife and was sleeping it off over on a pillow in the corner. Thankfully, I was able to pull my last lap with only 3 seconds of penalty and a lap time of 8:41. The time was 5:09.


I had actually made it through 50 laps in one day! 9 hours and 37 minutes. With roughly 7 hours of actual driving time. Also I was alot closer to my goal of 500 laps. I now had 260 laps finished. Over half way now.



Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed this episode of :Tone's Rush to Forza3: Nurburgring Extravaganza 500!! We will see you again next time.


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