Gran Turismo 7’s Lap Time Challenge, 15th-29th June: Watkins sprint

Another Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge is here, following last week’s blast around a wet Tsukuba in an Audi TTS Coupe. This time around, we head over the pond to Watkins Glen, where players can take their pick of Gran Turismo 7’s range of Gr.4 cars.

“The Glen’s” Long Course layout is commonly referred to as the “Boot”, thanks to its distinctive track map and Heel and Toe corners. Although it’s been the venue for Formula 1, Can-Am and IndyCar in the past, it still enjoys visits from NASCAR and IMSA today.

In terms of car choice, Jaguar’s F-type Gr.4 is the pick of the bunch. The V8-powered British monster is perhaps one of the most beautiful cars ever created, evoking the subtle curves of the classic sixties E-Type.

There was even a GT4 version created for the British GT Championship, with two Jaguar F-type SVRs built for Invictus Games Racing. The team was formed to help provide disabled armed forces veterans with the chance to work in motorsport, providing support and rehabilitation in the process.

In the flesh, the cars were beautifully presented but it was Jaguar’s brutal V8 exhaust note that stole the show, emitting a raspy tone copied by its GT7 counterpart.

At the time of publication, the fastest lap has been set by GT7 player DannyR_3967 with a 1:53.843. Shown above, the lap demonstrates the aggressive way you need to attack the wide kerbs of Watkins Glen to attain the fastest possible exit speeds.

Turn 1 is the most important corner of the lap, as the exit leads onto the longest section of full-throttle running on the entire track, halted only by the high-speed Inner Loop – or Bus Stop – chicane. This part of the track is where you can be agricultural with track limits, using all the kerbs (and more) to maintain corner speed.

The rest of the lap at Watkins involves tackling its banked corners, including the Outer Loop and the Chute. These require less braking than you’d expect, as you can use the camber to slingshot your car towards the exit. After the relatively slow speed Turns 8 and 9, the final two corners require just a touch of the brakes and it’s back onto the start/finish straight.

GT7‘s Lap Time Challenge is a time trial mode where you compete against other players to set the fastest time on the leaderboard. However, there’s a caveat: setting a lap within three per cent of the fastest time nets players 2,000,000 Credits.

If you aren’t quite quick enough, then lapping within five per cent gains you 1,000,000 Credits, while a time inside 10 per cent of the fastest results in a 250,000 Credit payout.

Recommended car: Jaguar F-type Gr.4 (Brand Central 350,000 Credits or free rental)

Lap Time Challenge

Race Information

Track: Watkins Glen Long Course

Entry Period: 15th-29th June 2023

Regulations

Useable Tyres: Racing: Hard, Intermediate, Wet

Category: Gr.4

Wide body: Prohibited

Nitrous: Prohibited

Car Restrictions

Bop/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed (M)

Car used: Garage Car, Event-Sepcified Car

Car Settings: Specified

Race Settings

Track Limit: Normal

Penalty Settings

Shortcut Penalty: Light