Shorter Long Championships

Learn a clever strategy to win Long Championships in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec without constant oil changes. Dominate the series with this expert tip!

Alright, let's talk about winning those Long Championships in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, especially if you're like me and hate dealing with oil changes mid-series. This is a little trick I've found that works like a charm, letting you snag wins without your car falling apart.

The core idea is to manipulate the points system. Here's the breakdown:

1. Don't Qualify: Skip qualifying altogether. This is key because it messes with the starting grid.
2. Win the First 6 Races: Focus on winning the initial six races of the championship.
3. Sabotage the Second Place Car: Somewhere along the line, you need to make sure the car that's currently in second place finishes way down the order. I did this with a Z06 Corvette by nudging him into a wall at Seattle, making him finish last. This is the only time I'd suggest anything like this, but it's a workaround for the game's annoying oil change mechanic.

Here's how the points usually shake out with this method:

• After the 6th race, I typically end up with around 60 points.
• The Corvette I mentioned had only 30 points.
• If you skip qualifying, the main rival often starts in third. If you then immediately exit the race after starting it, they'll finish in third, netting minimal points (like 3 or 4). This isn't enough for them to catch up to you.
• Keep an eye on the car that normally takes pole position if you don't qualify. They'll get about 10 points per race for the remaining four races.

Depending on how that pole-sitter car performs, you might only need to race seven times total. I've used this strategy to win championship after championship, and the game's AI doesn't seem to catch on. The main reason I do this is because by the fifth race, my oil light is on, and I really want to avoid that permanent horsepower drop.