Fuel Conservation

I understand that assists no longer yield rewards, but I still prefer making the game as realistic as possible. I have noticed when running long or extra long cup races i need to pit for fuel. Some other drivatars will but not all, which causes me to fall behind and lose the race ( im old school, below 3rd is a loss and i will not accept anything less than 3rd or i restart ) Other than the obvious “lay off the throttle” what can i do to better conserve fuel and still remain competitive throughout the race? I have tried taking it easy in the first 5 laps or so, then burning ■■■ the last few laps, problem is, i have no idea who will pit and who wont, to know where i need to be in the field when they do start pitting. Please keep it professional and again i do not want to turn off simulation dmg/tires/fuel.