PPPPP RRRR OOOOO P P R R O O PPPPP RRRRR O O P R R O O P R R OOOOO RRRR AAA CCC EEEEE R R A A C C E RRRRR AAAAA C EEEE R R A A C C E R R A A CCC EEEEE DDDD RRRR IIIII V V EEEEE RRRR D D R R I V V E R R D D RRRRR I V V EEEE RRRRR D D R R I V V E R R DDDD R R IIIII V EEEEE R R PRO RACE DRIVER: DRIVING GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: December 25, 2002 Version 3.0 Completed: February 21, 2003 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== MILESTONE This guide was originally submitted December 25, 2002, exactly two years after the submission of my first-ever game guide (Midnight Club: Street Racing - Capture the Flag Guide). This marks my 99th guide in these two years of writing, and when my first guide was submitted, I never dreamed that I would become such an authority figure on PlayStation and PlayStation2 racing games. Due to support from readers and other guide writers, I have launched my own Web site with my guides as well as an e-mail list to inform others of my writing projects. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of readers who have e-mailed me with suggestions, comments, criticisms, and even simply short notes of thanks. It is truly for the readers that I continue to write game guides, and reader feedback and input is definitely welcome. I eagerly look forward to the next two (and hopefully more) years of writing game guides - which will almost certainly be concentrated within my specialty of auto racing games. ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Getting Started Career Mode Mandatory Pit Stops Race Circuits in Pro Race Driver Bonus Codes General Tips Car Tuning Braking Cornering Rumble Strips Concrete Extensions Tires Drafting/Slipstreaming Wet-weather Racing/Driving Circuit Histories Circuit History: A1 Ring Circuit History: Adelaide Circuit History: Bathurst Circuit History: Brands Hatch Circuit History: Bristol Circuit History: Canberra Circuit History: Catalunya Circuit History: Charlotte Circuit History: Dijon Prenois Circuit History: Donington Park Circuit History: Eastern Creek Circuit History: Fuji Circuit History: Hockenheim Circuit History: Knockhill Circuit History: Las Vegas Circuit History: Magny-Cours Circuit History: Mantorp Park Circuit History: Mexico Circuit History: Monza Circuit History: Norisring Circuit History: Nurburgring Circuit History: Oran Park Circuit History: Oschersleben Circuit History: Oulton Park Circuit History: Phillip Island Circuit History: Rockingham Circuit History: Sandown Circuit History: Sears Point Circuit History: Silverstone Circuit History: T1 Circuit AIDA Circuit History: Vallelunga Circuit History: Vancouver Circuit History: Zandvoort Circuit History: Zolder Driving Instructions Driving Instructions: A1 Ring Driving Instructions: Adelaide Driving Instructions: Bathurst Driving Instructions: Brands Hatch Grand Prix Driving Instructions: Brands Hatch Indy Driving Instructions: Bristol Driving Instructions: Canberra Driving Instructions: Catalunya Driving Instructions: Charlotte Driving Instructions: Dijon Prenois Driving Instructions: Donington Park Driving Instructions: Eastern Creek Driving Instructions: Fuji Driving Instructions: Hockenheim Long Driving Instructions: Hockenheim Short Driving Instructions: Knockhill Driving Instructions: Las Vegas Driving Instructions: Magny-Cours Driving Instructions: Mantorp Park Driving Instructions: Mexico Driving Instructions: Monza Driving Instructions: Norisring Driving Instructions: Nurburgring Driving Instructions: Oran Park Driving Instructions: Oschersleben Driving Instructions: Oulton Park Driving Instructions: Phillip Island Driving Instructions: Rockingham Oval Driving Instructions: Rockingham Road Driving Instructions: Sandown Driving Instructions: Sears Point Driving Instructions: Silverstone Driving Instructions: T1 Circuit AIDA Driving Instructions: Vallelunga Driving Instructions: Vancouver Driving Instructions: Zandvoort Driving Instructions: Zolder Diagrams Online Resources Completely Subjective Section Thanks Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 12345678901234567890123456 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ This guide is approximately *****150 pages long***** in the Macintosh version of Microsoft Word98 using single-spaced Courier 12-point font. Therefore, it is probably NOT a good idea to print this guide in its entirety!!!!! ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Games Domain, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RobsGaming.com, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, RedCoupe, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, CheatHeaven, IGN, GameReactors.com, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION Pro Race Driver is definitely an above-average simulation- style auto racing game. It can best be compared with Gran Turismo 3 in relation to the number of circuits in the game (some of which must be unlocked), although Gran Turismo 3 definitely has the upper hand in terms of the photorealistic graphics and the sheer number of vehicles. However, whereas Gran Turismo 3 has literally HUNDREDS of races and race series, there is no connecting thread or storyline to the game, and this is where Pro Race Driver truly shines. Pro Race Driver's Career Mode has the player enacting the racing life of Ryan McKane. The game's opening film (available in French or in English) shows a young Ryan and his older brother at a race and watching their near-legendary father die in a horrifyingly terrible accident. Fifteen years later, Ryan gets his first shot at a big-time auto racing series (Americas Series). All this is done with nice cinematic cutscenes which sometimes includes cutscenes with rival drivers and team managers based upon the on-track racing actions. With forty-two licensed cars as well as thirty-eight licensed circuits from around the world, Ryan will have A LOT to overcome (including - and perhaps ESPECIALLY - his own ego) to become a legendary race car driver in his own right, surpassing even the racing community's high expectations of his deceased father. Please note that some of the information in this guide comes from my General Racing/Driving Guide, Total Immersion Racing: Game Guide, and World-famous Racing Circuits Guide - which can all be found in full at FeatherGuides (http://feathersites.angelcities.com) and at GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/); the General Racing/Driving Guide and the World-famous Racing Circuits Guide are exclusive to these two sites. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== GETTING STARTED There is certainly A LOT to Pro Race Driver, and it may be a bit difficult for the player to decide exactly where to begin. Without question, once past the opening cutscenes for the game, the player should set the game options and controller setting to the desired liking. Once this is done, the player should probably go into Free Time, the room where the drivers simply 'hang around' when there is nothing officially racing-related to do. To get a good feel for how the game works and plays, the player should go to Free Race. Here, there are two 'sets' of circuits on the Tracks of the World menu selection screen. The top of this screen shows race venues using the order of the racing series in which they are used; circuits selected from within a race series will also have only series-specific vehicles on the upcoming vehicle selection screen (note that some race venues are used in multiple race series). The bottom of the Tracks of the World screen lists ALL the race circuits available in the Freestyle section; when a race venue is selected from Freestyle, then the initially- available and unlocked cars appropriate for the selected circuit(s) are available from the vehicle selection screen. Vehicle selection is done by picking the car key for the vehicle the player wishes to drive; only those vehicles specific to the chosen race venue or series will be available. Next, options can be made, such as the transmission type, the vehicle color (unfortunately, this is not available for all cars, likely due to vehicle licensing issues), etc. Finally, it is time to head to the circuit!!! Now the player is shown the garage at the circuit. Unfortunately, Pro Race Driver does not include qualifying (which is the one major downfall of this game), so the player is stuck with wherever she or he is placed on the starting grid by the CPU; this can be noted before the race by selecting Grid Positions. Selecting Car Setup/Test Drive will allow the player to change the various aspects of each car, from downforce to gear ratios (combined or individually) to brake bias to ride height to tires and beyond (there are not as many tuning options in Pro Race Driver as in Gran Turismo 3, but there are definitely more than enough to keep the player quite interested); car set-up changes can be tested using Test Drive, but the player will unfortunately be the only one on the circuit, so there is no opportunity to determine how the vehicle will handle in traffic. When ready, the player can go to Race to line up on the starting grid for the race itself - bonne chance!!!!! After competing in several races at favorite race venues, the player should probably go back to the Tracks of the World screen and become familiar with the three Americas Series venues: Mexico, Sears Point, and Vancouver. This is because the Americas Series is where Ryan McKane will always begin when a new Career Mode profile is created. Mexico and Vancouver are current CART circuits, whereas Sears Point is perhaps best known in the States as one of the two road courses used by NASCAR. Once the player clears the Americas Series in Career Mode, the player will then have access to all the other Tier 1 racing series (TOCA, Southern European, etc.). Before progressing to each of the other racing series, the player would benefit greatly from returning to Free Race and participating in races at the circuits used in the series the player wishes to participate in next. This is important even if the player is very familiar with given race venues from other racing games, as each game has its own idiosyncrasies in relation to circuit design, car handling, etc. This is ESPECIALLY important for those highly familiar with F1-based racing games, as F1 cars have FAR more power, agility, and braking ability than any of the cars used in Pro Race Driver. One other benefit of participating in races at the circuits used in the series the player wishes to participate in next is to conduct car tuning for each circuit. There are thirty- two slots available in Pro Race Driver for saving car set- ups, and set-ups are all available for Free Race Mode AND Career Mode. So long as the player uses the same model of vehicle in Free Race Mode and in Career Mode for a given circuit, the car set-up can be saved and loaded at will. This way, when the player finally begins to work through Career Mode, there will not be a need to spend a lot of time trying to find the appropriate car set-up for each race venue. ============================================== CAREER MODE This is the main feature of Pro Race Driver, and where the player will likely spend the majority of gameplay (although Free Race Mode certainly has its own appeal). After a cutscene to introduce Ryan McKane and his entry into high- level auto racing, he is thrust directly into the Americas Series, which races at Mexico, Sears Point, and Vancouver. However, he must first pass a test drive at Mexico - and the target time is set high enough that Ryan can have one or two off-course excursions and still successfully land the drive for the season. This is a series of six races - two races per venue - and the player must attain at least thirty championship points in order to unlock ALL the Tier 1 races and gain a $100,000 bonus for the season. Once the Americas Series has been successfully completed, Ryan can then go to any of the other racing series in Tier 1. This is done via e-mail, with various racing teams from various racing series offering either a test drive or a direct ride for their series. Before selecting a team/series, the player should probably exit Career Mode and return to Free Race to participate in 'meaningless' races at the race venues in a series in which the player wishes to compete, in order to become more familiar with the rendition of each of those circuits in Pro Race Driver. When ready, the player can return to Career Mode, select the appropriate e-mail, and enter the desired series with a better idea of what to expect from each circuit in the chosen race series. (See the Race Circuits in Pro Race Driver section later in this guide for a list of all the race circuits used in each series.) Each Career Mode race series awards points to most or all of the competitors. The number of competitors WHO FINISH A RACE receiving points and the number of points each of these competitors receives varies by race series. These points are all combined throughout the series, so that the driver with the most points at the end of a race series will be that season's series champion. Should Ryan McKane become a season's series champion, he will be shown (in a cutscene) accepting that series' championship trophy. At times, depending on how Ryan performs in a series, there will be individual challenges from other drivers. If accepted, these are head-to-head events in identical cars (differing only by color). Should Ryan win, he will be able to keep the cars for later usage in the game. Also based upon in-series performance, Ryan may receive e- mails concerning one-time races, or Single-day Events. These events also award points, which count toward the total career points. A minimum of 132 career points in the Tier 1 race series are required to unlock the Tier 2 race series and their associated race venues; a minimum of 162 career points in the Tier 2 race series are required to unlock the Lola Championship. The trick here, however, is that if a race series is run multiple times, only the highest single-season point total is counted toward the overall career points. Therefore, unless a player really enjoys a particular race series, a series should not be repeated unless the player believes that she or he has an excellent chance at bettering the current series 'high score' in terms of single-season points (or unless the player is Michael Schumacher himself!!!!!). When the Tier 2 race series are unlocked, Ryan McKane automatically has only one series offer: DTM. This begins with a test drive at Hockenheim Short. Once again, the target time is set high enough that Ryan can make one or two mistakes and still best the target time with plenty of time to spare. However, it is still a good idea to go to Free Race Mode and compete in a few races in the DTM series (using series-specific vehicles) before embarking upon the DTM series in Career Mode. Note that there are two types of test drives to earn a ride for a series. The first type is similar to those mentioned above: Ryan must complete a lap at a given circuit within a specified amount of time, and has a certain number of attempts in which to accomplish this task. The second type of test drive is actually a one-lap race (similar to the Single Day Events); in this case, Ryan must finish the race at or better than the specified position, and within the allotted number of attempts. Except for when first entering a new tier of events, there may not even be a need for a test drive of either type, depending on how Ryan was able to perform in the previous series' season. Fortunately, it is possible to obtain enough career points to advance to Tier 2 without competing in all the Tier 1 race series. Unfortunately, however, once in Tier 2, the game will not permit a return to Tier 1 without first beating the Lola series. Success in Tier 1 is largely based upon car set-up (tuning). Success in Tier 2 is a combination of car set-up with PRECISION throttle and braking management (especially throttle management) as well as navigation of the overly- aggressive CPU-controlled competition. Most race series and Single Day Events in Pro Race Driver use the pre-2003 FIA points system. In this points system, only the top six drivers WHO ACTUALLY FINISH A RACE will receive points in the order shown below (some race series will use a different points system; those who do not finish a race receive no points even if they are in the Top 6 in the final race results): Place Points ----- ------ 1st 10 2nd 6 3rd 4 4th 3 5th 2 6th 1 Others 0 Note that at the end of a series, should Ryan McKane be tied with another driver for the championship, the CPU still credits Ryan with winning the series championship 'outright.' In other words, the trophy presentation cutscene for that series is still played. (There are apparently no tiebreaker rules such as most wins, better qualifying positions, etc.) ============================================== MANDATORY PIT STOPS Some Career Mode races - as well as those Free Race Mode races for which the player specifies pit stops - have a mandatory pit stop rule. In these races, the mandatory pit stop MUST be made in the middle 60% of the race. This means that should the player need to stop to repair damage before the first 20% of the race has been completed, that stop will NOT count as the mandatory pit stop and the player will be required to make a return trip to Pit Lane in the middle 60% of the race. There are several tactics concerning when to make the mandatory pit stop. One is to do it as soon as the middle 60% window opens (at the end of Lap 2 in a typical 5-lap mandatory-pit-stop race in Career Mode); this way, the mandatory pit stop is done; however, many competitors will also use this tactic, so Pit Lane could be rather busy with cars entering and exiting their pit stalls, and it makes the on-track action even more important. Another tactic is to wait until the final lap of the 60% window (at the end of Lap 4 in a typical 5-lap mandatory-pit- stop race in Career Mode). The advantage to this is that there will be few (if any) other cars in Pit Lane at the same time, and since most CPU-controlled competitors 'prefer' to make the mandatory pit stop earlier in the 60% window, there will be a much higher chance that the player will not need to deal with any traffic (unless lapping backmarkers, which will be rather unlikely in Career Mode's Tier 1 and Tier 2 race series), and thus should be able to run a number of fast lap times to attain or extend the overall lead once all of the mandatory pit stops have been made. A second advantage of waiting to conduct the mandatory pit stop close to the end of the 60% window concerns vehicle damage. If the mandatory pit stop is conducted early in the 60% window and the vehicle later becomes severely damaged, it may be necessary to return to Pit Lane to make repairs, which almost always results in losing the race (and quite likely not gaining even a single point for the race). If the mandatory pit stop is conducted near the end of the 60% window, then the player should hopefully have a far enough lead over the rest of the field (once all mandatory pit stops have been completed) that she or he can still finish first, or at least finish somewhat high in the points. There is one major 'flaw' in making a pit stop, however, whether mandatory or not. When the player's car enters Pit Lane, the CPU automatically takes over car control and does not relinquish this control until the car is once again squarely on the actual raceway (not the Pit Exit lane, but the actual raceway itself). Where this could be a problem is if one or more competitors already on the main raceway come up FAST behind the player's car and slam into the player's vehicle; the CPU-controlled competition, therefore, will do everything possible to maintain its own racing line irregardless of the player's control or lack of control when rejoining the race after a pit stop. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== RACE CIRCUITS IN PRO RACE DRIVER This is a list of the race circuits available - by series - in Pro Race Driver. Those circuits/series which must be unlocked (by progressing through Career Mode) are so noted; only the Tier 1 series and circuit are originally available in the game. While Free Race Mode allows racing at any of the unlocked circuits in any of the unlocked series, Ryan McKane will ALWAYS begin with the Americas Series when a new Career Mode profile is created. (Also, Ryan will ALWAYS begin with DTM once Tier 2 becomes available.) Series Circuits Used --------------------------- ------------------------------ Americas Series Mexico Sears Point Vancouver AAS (American All Stars) Charlotte Bristol Sears Point Las Vegas V8 Supercars (Initially Phillip Island locked) Adelaide Eastern Creek Canberra Bathurst Sandown Oran Park TOCA Brands Hatch Indy Oulton Park Silverstone Donington Park Knockhill Brands Hatch Grand Prix Alfa GTV Cup Monza Vallelunga Catalunya Pacific Challenge Fuji T1 Circuit AIDA Bathurst Southern European Challenge Dijon Prenois Magny-Cours Catalunya Northern European Challenge Mantorp Park Zolder Oschersleben A1 Ring DTM (initially locked) Hockenheim Short Nurburgring Oschersleben Norisring Zandvoort Hockenheim Long Euro Tour (initially locked) Rockingham Oval A1 Ring Rockingham Road Brands Hatch Indy Catalunya Lola (initially locked) ??? Freestyle All above circuits which are initially-available or have been unlocked by progressing through Career Mode Single Day Events These take place at circuits where Ryan has already raced Head-to-head Challenges These take place at circuits where Ryan has already raced ============================================== BONUS CODES There are several bonus codes available for Pro Race Driver. These are entered in the Bonus folder of the Options file cabinet. Codemasters provides two bonus codes simply for registering for both the game and Code M (Codemasters' online newsletter concerning its current and upcoming games, combined with its special members-only section of the Codemasters Web site); without giving anything away (hopefully), these two bonus codes definitely make the game a little more challenging, especially on tight street circuits such as Vancouver. Note that the physics engine for Pro Race Driver is not really conducive for oval track racing, especially in the American All Stars (AAS) racing series (in Tier 2). The second of the codes received for registering (as listed in the above paragraph) can be activated to make the American All Stars series MUCH easier - and can also allow for relatively easy wins, making it QUITE possible to win EVERY race in the series :-) Unfortunately, the North American version of the game has one severe problem: THERE ARE NO NUMBERS ON THE CODE-ENTRY SCREEN TO INPUT THE NUMBER-BASED CODES GIVEN ON THE PRO RACE DRIVER TIP LINE >:-( The only codes which CAN be entered into the North American version of the game are the text-based codes received by registering with Codemasters as indicated above. ============================================== GENERAL TIPS Save game progress at every opportunity. In Career Mode, this occurs after every head-to-head event and Single Day Event, and after every TWO races within a race series. Pro Race Driver does not use rules; in other words, there are no official repercussions (such as ten-second penalties or immediate disqualifications) for unsportsmanlike or dangerous driving, shortcutting corners, etc. Many corners (especially chicanes) do have barriers to ensure that all drivers (including the player) keep to the racing line, and there are plenty of sand traps and gravel traps to significantly slow cars which go off-line at many corners, but this is really the extent of the implementation of any 'rules' in Pro Race Driver. Note, however, that it is DEFINITELY possible (and highly likely) to anger the CPU-controlled competition through blocking, swapping paint, etc.; some drivers may even develop a deep-rooted grudge against the player and take extreme measures to attempt to knock the player's vehicle out of the way or foil the player's chances of winning a race and/or a championship in the given car class. The PlayStation2 features 256 levels of button sensitivity (for the X, Square, Circle, and Triangle buttons), and Pro Race Driver makes definite use of this feature (but fortunately NOT to the extreme of Total Immersion Racing). Pressing harder on the accelerator button (set to the X button as the default) will provide faster acceleration; pressing harder on the brake button (set to the Square button as the default) will provide harder braking. (However, in the quest for harder braking, it is important to never brake too hard, as this will cause wheel-lock and cause the vehicle to slide and NOT decelerate.) Pro Race Driver seems to be best suited to a player who prefers a slightly- to somewhat-loose car, meaning that the back end tends to swing about. This means that drift-style racing is quite feasible for those skilled in this highly- specialized driving technique, and that plenty of countersteering will be required at most race venues. However, there are certainly enough tuning parameters that a player with good knowledge of car tuning can truly adapt virtually any vehicle in the game to a given circuit. Auto racing is largely dependent upon racing line, braking zones, braking strength, and acceleration strength. Pro Race Driver very much places these four prime elements of auto racing into play. Certainly, a car's set-up can affect a player's race, but the way that the player uses these four areas to make the most of a car's set-up is key to success... moreso than in many other auto racing games due to the construction of the physics engine. It IS possible to take a corner so quickly that a car goes up on two wheels. While this is a bit difficult to do, it is also possible to cause a vehicle to flip and roll. Pro Race Driver allows for a total of 32 car set-ups to be saved on the memory card in Memory Card Slot 1. If there is more than one Career Mode game saved on the memory card, the saved car set-ups can ALL be accessed from within ANY of the Career Mode game saves. In other words, car set-ups are NOT career-independent. Before progressing to each of the racing series in Career Mode, the player would benefit greatly from going to Free Race and participating in races at the circuits used in the series the player wishes to participate in next. This is important even if the player is very familiar with given race venues from other racing games, as each game has its own idiosyncrasies in relation to circuit design, car handling, etc. This is ESPECIALLY important for those highly familiar with F1-based racing games, as F1 cars have FAR more power, agility, and braking ability than any of the cars used in Pro Race Driver. Before beginning any Tier 2 series in Career Mode, it is best to go to Free Race Mode and compete in a Tier 2 series (such as DTM) using that series' racecars. This is important because these cars have MUCH more power and attain MUCH higher speeds than those for Tier 1. What makes this especially important in Pro Race Driver is that this game apparently does NOT use a one-size-fits-all physics engine, unlike games such as Total Immersion Racing, Gran Turismo 3, Le Mans 24 Hours, or Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero despite the vast differences in the games' many cars. Therefore, trying to drive a Tier 2 vehicle in the same manner as a Tier 1 car will result in near-complete destruction of the vehicle. For those players who have driven these circuits in other racing games and/or with other vehicles, it is important to remember that braking zones and acceleration points do not generally 'convert' well from one racing game to another and from one vehicle (type) to another. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CAR TUNING In order to be successful in Pro Race Driver, the player must have a strong sense of car tuning. While a car may perform okay in its default/stock set-up, each vehicle needs to be tuned specifically for each circuit in order to truly get the best possible performance and thus have the best possible chance at winning each race. Gears Transmission Gear selection can be set to automatic (the CPU handles all shifting duties) or manual (the player must handle all shifting duties). If the player uses automatic transmission, then the shoulder buttons originally assigned to gear shifting (for manual transmission) are instead used to provide the player with a view of each side of the vehicle; this can be important to see the extent of the damage to the vehicle when using a chase camera view in gameplay. When using a driver (in-car) view in gameplay, these buttons (if automatic transmission has been selected) instead allow Ryan McKane to glance to either side of the car; this can be useful in passing other vehicles. Ratios In Pro Race Driver, each individual gear can be set independently, or all gears can be highlighted at once for overall adjustments. Shortening gear ratios (moving the curved lines to the left) will provide better acceleration at the sacrifice of top-end speed; this is ideal for tight, technical circuits such as Bristol. Lengthening gear ratios (moving the curved lines to the right) will provide better/faster top-end speed at the sacrifice of acceleration (i.e., slower acceleration, especially from a standing start and when exiting the pit stall); longer gear ratios are crucial to circuits with few corners and/or many long straightaways, such as Hockenheim Long and Monza. Downforce Downforce controls how the air passes over and around the vehicle, and helps to keep a car firmly on the ground (the opposite effect of wings from an airplane). Raising downforce will provide better pavement grip and easier cornering, but at the sacrifice of top-end speed; this is best for tight, technical circuits such as Zandvoort. Lowering downforce will reduce pavement grip and provide better/faster top-end speed, but cornering will be more difficult (and the vehicle may have a much greater tendency to slide while cornering, especially at high speeds); this is best for circuits with few corners and/or many long straightaways, such as Hockenheim Long and Monza. Suspension Stiffness Softening a vehicle's suspension will allow for a much smoother ride overall and will also help with cornering, but the car is then more prone to flipping when cornering at high speeds or performing sudden evasive maneuvers. Hardening a vehicle's suspension will cause the driver to feel virtually every possible bump in the pavement and will also make cornering more difficult (especially at high speeds). Ride Height Ride height controls airflow underneath a vehicle. Raising ride height will allow for more air to pass underneath the vehicle, thus slowing the car moderately due to aerodynamic friction and also assisting slightly in cornering. Lowering ride height will reduce the amount of air passing underneath the vehicle, thus slightly augmenting top-end speed while also making cornering moderately more difficult. Anti-roll Anti-roll devices are designed to prevent the vehicle from flipping. Strengthening the anti-roll devices will reduce the chances that the car may flip during high- speed cornering and evasive maneuvers; this will also make cornering more difficult in general. Softening the anti-roll devices will make flipping a stronger possibility, but will also make cornering easier. Brake Bias Braking can be applied more toward the front or the rear of the vehicle. However, moving the brake bias more toward one end of the car makes wheel-lock a stronger possibility for those wheels. Tires In Pro Race Driver, the pit crew will automatically apply the type of tire appropriate for the racing conditions; however, the player can override the pit crew's decision. Slicks are for dry-conditions racing. Intermediates are for use when the pavement is damp but not really wet (as in a slow, gentle drizzle). Wets are used during hard rain and in the period immediately following actual rainfall. It is VERY rare that the player can only adjust the tuning of one aspect of the car without causing one or more parts of the car set-up to be out of balance. For example, for racing at Monza, the downforce and ride height should both be lowered as much as possible; to counterbalance the cornering difficulty inherent with these downforce and ride height settings, anti-roll and suspension stiffness should both also be lowered as much as possible to lessen (although not necessarily eliminate) the difficulty in cornering. Pro Race Driver allows for a total of 32 car set-ups to be saved on the memory card in Memory Card Slot 1. If there is more than one Career Mode game saved on the memory card, the saved car set-ups can ALL be accessed from within ANY of the Career Mode game saves. In other words, car set-ups are NOT career-independent. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== BRAKING The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and how much to slow down (braking). In some games, a brake controller can be acquired or purchased, allowing the player to customize the brake strength by axle or by adjusting the bias of the brakes toward the front or the rear of the car. The use of a brake controller will affect the braking zone, as will other factors. Specifically, the car's speed on approaching a corner, the amount of fuel in the car at a given moment, the drivetrain of the car, the weight of the car, and even the car's center of gravity can all affect the braking zone. Similarly, the driving conditions - sunny, overcast, damp, wet, icy, snowy etc. - will affect the braking zone for each corner (as well as the car's ability to attain high speeds). Except for purely arcade-style games, the braking zone will differ somewhat for each car depending upon its strengths and weaknesses. It certainly helps for the player to try a Free Run or a Time Trial (if these modes exist in a given game) to learn the circuit(s) - including the braking zones. When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps tremendously if this object is far enough away from the circuit that it will not be knocked over during a race. To begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is parallel with the chosen stationary object. If this does not slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary object on the following lap and try again. Whenever changes are made to the car - whether to the brake controller or to other aspects of tuning and/or parts - it would be a good idea to go back into Free Run mode and check that the braking zones still hold; if not, adjust as necessary using the method in the paragraph above. For those races which include fuel loads, the car will become progressively lighter during a race. The lesser weight can often mean a slightly shorter braking zone; however, if tire wear is excessive (especially if there have been numerous off-course excursions), that might dictate a longer braking zone. Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking zone than cars with a lower horsepower output. Try a Volkswagon New Beetle, a Mini Cooper, a Dodge Viper, a Panoz Esperante GT-1, a Corvette C5R, and an F-2002 (all in stock/base configuration) along the same area of a circuit and note how their braking zones differ. A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake in a straight line. If braking only occurs when cornering, the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the corner, resulting in the car sliding, spinning, and/or flipping. (Some games purposely do not permit the car to flip, but a slide or spin can still mean the difference between winning and ending up in last position at the end of a race.) If nothing else, players should strive to become of the 'breakers' they possibly can. This will essentially force a player to become a better racer/driver in general once the player has overcome the urge to constantly run at top speed at all times with no regard for damages to self or others. Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other aspects of racing/driving easier, especially in J-turns, hairpin corners, and chicanes. ============================================== CORNERING Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner. At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be right up against the edge of the pavement. On corner exit, the car drifts back to the outside of the pavement and speeds off down the straightaway. So, for a right-hand turn of about ninety degrees, enter the corner from the left, come to the right to hit the apex, and drift back to the left on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample standard corner. For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be able to clear such corners successfully. However, the same principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner exit. For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180 degrees, braking will certainly be required. However, for these 'J-turns,' the apex of the corner is not the midpoint, but a point approximately two-thirds of the way around the corner. J-turns require great familiarity to know when to begin diving toward the inside of the corner and when to power to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample J-turn. Hairpin corners are turns of approximately 180 degrees. Braking is certainly required before corner entry, and the cornering process is the same as for standard corners: Approach from the outside, drift inside to hit the apex (located at halfway around the corner, or after turning ninety degrees), and drifting back to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample hairpin corner. If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner. Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway between the corners that is long enough to prohibit a hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically set up the approach to the next turn. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn. FIA (the governing body of F1 racing, World Rally Championship, and other forms of international motorsport) seems to love chicanes. One common type of chicane is essentially a 'quick-flick,' where the circuit quickly edges off in one direction then realigns itself in a path parallel to the original stretch of pavement, as in the examples in the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Here, the object is to approach the first corner from the outside, hit BOTH apexes, and drift to the outside of the second turn. FIA also seems to like the 'Bus Stop' chicane, which is essentially just a pair of quick-flicks, with the second forming the mirror image of the first, as shown in the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Perhaps the most famous Bus Stop chicane is the chicane (which is actually called the 'Bus Stop Chicane') at Pit Entry at Spa- Francorchamps, the home of the annual Grand Prix of Belgium (F1 racing) and the host of The 24 Hours of Spa (for endurance racing). Virtually every other type of corner or corner combination encountered in racing (primarily in road racing) combines elements of the corners presented above. These complex corners and chicanes can be challenging, such as the Ascari chicane at Monza. See the Diagrams section for an idea of the formation of Ascari. However, in illegal street/highway racing, the positioning of traffic can 'create' the various corners and corner combinations mentioned here. For example, weaving in and out of traffic creates a virtual bus stop chicane (see the Diagrams section at the end of this guide). Slowing may be necessary - it often is - depending on the distance between the vehicles. See the Sample Circuit Using Some of the Above Corner Types Combines in the Diagrams section at the end of this guide; note that this is a diagram for a very technical circuit. At some race venues, 'artificial chicanes' may be created by placing cones and/or (concrete) barriers in the middle of a straightaway. One such game which used this type of chicane is the original Formula1 by Psygnosis, an F1-based PlayStation game from 1995, which used this at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve along Casino Straight (shortly after passing the final grandstands at the exit of Casino Hairpin). One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the available vision. Blind and semi-blind corners require ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners. Here is where gamers have an advantage over real-world drivers: Gamers can (usually) change their viewpoint (camera position), which can sometimes provide a wider, clearer view of the circuit, which can be especially important when approaching semi-blind corners; real-world drivers are obviously inhibited by the design of their cars and racing helmets. Great examples of real-world blind and semi-blind corners would be Mulsanne Hump at Le Mans, Turns 14 and 15 at Albert Park, and each of the first three corners at A1-Ring. Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended corners - is the corner's radius. Most corners use an identical radius throughout their length. However, some are increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners. These corners may require shifting the apex point of a corner, and almost always result in a change of speed. Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally requiring more braking as well as more turning of the steering wheel. Increasing-radius corners are corners for which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can backfire and require more braking. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing- radius corner and an increasing-radius corner. For traditional road racing circuits, increasing-radius and decreasing-radius corners may not be too much of a problem; after several laps around one of these circuits, a driver will know where the braking and acceleration points are as well as the shifted apex point (should a shift be required). However, for stage-based rally racing, where the roads are virtually unknown and the driver knows what is ahead only because of the navigator's instructions (which - based upon notes - may or may not be absolutely correct), the unknown can cause drivers to brake more often and/or more heavily. For rally-based games, such as the Need for Speed: V-Rally series (PlayStation/PSOne) or for World Rally Championship (PlayStation2), there is often specialized vocabulary used: 'tightens' generally designates that a corner has a decreasing radius, whereas 'widens' or 'opens' indicates that a corner has an increasing radius. This need for 'extra' braking is also tempered by the fact that in much of rally racing, corners are either blind or semi-blind, due to trees, buildings, cliffs, embankments, and other obstacles to clear vision all the way around a corner. One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous racing/driving games I have played over the years. This aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and safely navigating sharp corners. This works by first BRAKING AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner). The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little faster. Using this rapid-pumping technique with the accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this technique can pay dividends, especially with REALLY sharp hairpin corners, such as at Sebring International Raceway. ============================================== RUMBLE STRIPS Depending on car set-up and weather conditions, rumble strips (sometimes also called 'alligators') can be either useful or dangerous. The purpose of rumble strips is to provide a few extra centimeters of semi-racing surface to help keep cars from dropping wheels off the pavement, which can slow cars and throw grass and other debris onto the racing surface (which makes racing a little more dangerous for all involved, especially in corners). Generally, rumble strips are found on the outside of a corner at corner entry and corner exit, and also at the apex of a corner - these locations provide a slightly better racing line overall. If a car is set with a very stiff suspension (i.e., there is not much room for the suspension to move as the car passes over bumps and other irregularities in the racing surface), hitting rumble strips can cause the car to jump. Even if airborne for only a few milliseconds, at speed, it could be just enough so that the driver loses control of the car. Obviously, if one or more wheels are not in contact with the ground, the car is losing speed, which could be just enough of a mistake for other cars to pass by, and the lack of contact with the ground could result in excessive wheelspin which risks to flat-spot the tire(s) when contact is regained with the ground. When the racetrack is damp or wet, however, it is generally best to avoid using the rumble strips. Since rumble strips are painted (usually red and white), ANY amount of moisture will make the rumble strips extremely slick as the water beads on the paint, so that hitting a rumble strip in the process of cornering (especially at the apex of a corner) will cause the tire(s) to lose traction and often send the car spinning. ============================================== CONCRETE EXTENSIONS Similar to rumble strips are concrete extensions. These are generally (much) wider than rumble strips, and may or may not be painted (at FIA-approved F1 circuits, for example, these are generally painted green). Also, whereas rumble strips protrude slightly above the level of the racing surface, concrete extensions are at the same level as the racing surface. Concrete extensions can be used in the same manner as rumble strips. However, if painted, concrete extensions should be avoided for the same reasons listed above for rumble strips n the event of wet or damp racing conditions. Players should note that in some games - especially where challenges or license tests are involved - concrete extensions are often NOT designated as part of the official track, resulting in an 'Out of Bounds' designation. This is true, for example, in EA Sports' F1-based series (F1 2000, F1 Championship Season 2000, F1 2001, and F1 2002) and in the Gran Turismo series. ============================================== TIRES As a 2000/2001 Michelin commercial campaign (shown in the States) stated, the tires are the only safety features on the road which actually TOUCH the road. Implicit in this series of commercials is the message that special care must be given to tires. In the case of Michelin, this means that choosing Michelin tires is far safer than choosing any other brand of tires (note that this series of commercials had been running since LONG before the Firestone/Ford controversy erupted in 2000). In the case of racing/driving games, this same implicit message - that the tires are the only safety features on the road which actually TOUCH the road - means that special care must be given to the tires to keep them from wearing out too quickly. Of course, some games (usually arcade-style games, such as the Ridge Racer series) do not use tire wear. Other games do offer an array of tires, but simply to provide higher levels of pavement grip as higher levels of tires are acquired or purchased (such as Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero). Other games have races which are simply too short to make tire wear a viable issue; an example of this type of game would be Downforce. In general, tire wear is not an issue in rally racing games. Some games simply provide Levels of tires. Here, the assumption is that Level 1 tires provide the least amount of pavement grip, with higher levels providing more pavement grip than previous levels. However, many games (especially simulation-based games such as Le Mans 24 Hours and the Gran Turismo series) offer several choices of actual tire compounds. For non-racing cars intended for mundane street use, Normal tires are standard issue. While Normal tires may work well on the highway and on city streets, they are virtually worthless in an actual racing situation. Normal tires do not provide adequate grip to be effective in racing. This is most noticeable when trying to corner at relatively high speeds with a vehicle with Normal tires. Simulation tires supposedly give a more accurate feel of what it is like to drive a racing-tuned car. Sports tires are a little better than Normal tires. When first playing a racing/driving game which offers Sports Tires, one of the best things you can do to improve your chance of success is to upgrade to Sports Tires as soon as possible. This will improve cornering ability, and provide a little more grip for acceleration (especially from a standing start). Racing tires come in an array of 'flavors,' with each tire compound giving a varying level of grip countered by an inverse level of durability. Not all racing games offer such a variety of tire compounds from which to choose. Super-slick Least grip, maximum durability Slick Medium-slick Medium Average grip, average durability Medium-soft Soft Super-soft Maximum grip, least durability Note that in some games, Slick and Super-slick are more likely to be called Hard Tires. Dirt Tires are required for dirt-based rally events. In some racing games (primarily Gran Turismo 2 and Gran Turismo 3), some non-racing cars can also be equipped with Dirt Tires - and in some cases can easily outperform rally-dedicated vehicles if given proper tuning considerations. Intermediate Tires are often used in games with varying weather effects, such as Le Mans 24 Hours. Whereas Normal, Sport, Super-soft, Soft, Medium-soft, Medium, Medium-slick, Slick, and Super-slick Tires are designed specifically for dry racing conditions, Intermediate Tires are generally used when the pavement is damp. A good indicator as to whether Intermediate Tires or Wet Tires (see the following paragraph) should be used is whether there is a large spray of water - often called a 'rooster tail' - coming up from underneath the car at high speeds on the straightaways. If there is not a rooster tail, or if the rooster tail is fairly small, then Intermediate Tires should be a good choice. Unfortunately, EA Sports has never included Intermediate Tires in its F1- based games, despite the fact that Intermediate Tires are used in real-world F1 racing; Intermediate Tires very much came into play, for example, at the 2002 Grand Prix of Great Britain. Wet Tires are designed for truly wet conditions. A good indicator as to whether Intermediate Tires (see the preceding paragraph) or Wet Tires should be used is whether there is a large spray of water - often called a 'rooster tail' - coming up from underneath the car at high speeds on the straightaways. If there is a large rooster tail, then Wet Tires are definitely needed. Some racing games have an on-screen tire indicator. This can range from a set of brackets or an image of the car with the tires highlighted in a particular color to a small line with an arrow indicating the condition of the tires. If the color system is used with a bracket or an image of the car with the tires highlighted, then the following colors are often used to indicate tire conditions: At the beginning of a race and immediately after a Pit Stop, the tires are brand new ('stickers') and need to be brought up to temperature as quickly as possible so that they can provide the best possible grip. This is noted by dark blue tire indicators. During this period, sharp turns or extremely-fast cornering will almost certainly cause the car to slide, and perhaps even spin. However, slides and spins will bring the tires up to optimum temperature even faster, so you may wish to purposely induce slides when entering corners, IF the tire indicators are dark blue. Once the tire indicators are green, the tires have reached their optimum performance temperature, thus providing you with the best possible grip for that set of tires. The amount of time the tire indicators remain in the green color range depends on your driving style, the amount of time off-course (in the grass or sand) or banging the barriers (or other cars), and the initial selection of tire compound. Note that in some games, new tires put on in a Pit Stop and tires on the car at the beginning of a race start with green indicators (bypassing the 'stickers' condition mentioned above). As the tire indicators switch to yellow, you need to start taking better care of your tires. You may experience slides when cornering. Orange tire indicators are a warning to get to Pit Lane to change tires as soon as you possibly can. You will be sliding around a lot more. Red tire indicators are effectively Game Over. Unless you have a HUGE (multi-lap) lead or a significant horsepower advantage over your competitors, you will not have a chance of winning the race, especially if you stop to change tires. Essentially, you are driving on pure ice, and the only way to 'reliably' get around the circuit is to ride the rails (barriers) alongside the circuit. Note that not all four tire indicators will be the same color at all times. If even ONE tire shows a red indicator, you need to limp back to Pit Lane to change tires as soon as possible. Even if a game does not have a tire wear indicator, players will inherently KNOW when the tires are worn due to the amount of slipping around, primarily when cornering and during extreme braking and acceleration. Some games, such as F1 2002, will have team radio communications which state that the tires are wearing down. If available in a given game, traction control affects tire durability. With a low traction control setting, the tires will spin for a while (especially on a standing start or when under strong acceleration out of a corner) before they actually grip the pavement; the friction of the pre-grip spinning wears away at the tires. With a high traction control setting, wheel spin is reduced or even eliminated, thus extending the durability of the tires. One of the best ways to reduce the durability of the tires is to corner at high speeds. The game manual for Gran Turismo 3 gives an excellent, highly-detailed description of what occurs with the tires when cornering; this explanation should be read at least once by EVERY serious gaming racer. In short, cornering at high speeds causes a high percentage of the tire to be used for speed, and a low percentage to be used for the actual cornering. To combat this and thus extend the durability of the tires, try to brake in a STRAIGHT line before reaching a turn, thus reducing overall speed and providing a lower percentage of the tires to be used for speed, and a greater percentage used for cornering. Note that if the percentage of the tires used for speed is too high compared to the percentage used for cornering, the car will slide and/or spin. Perhaps one of the best things to do to learn to take care of the tires is to play a racing game (such as F1 2002) in which vehicle damage is available. Playing with the damage option on will certainly make the effects of worn tires quite visual. As tire grip wears away (due to a long stint, multiple off-track excursions, etc.), the car may begin sliding around, potentially resulting in car damage (broken and missing parts), which REALLY makes driving a nightmare at high speeds. Many racing/driving games do not make this damage visibly clear, so it is easy to underestimate the condition of the tires; similarly, without any car damage (generally due to licensing concerns, but also because damage modeling requires MUCH more from the game programmers), cars in these games can simply 'ride the rails' around corners when tire conditions are less than optimal. ============================================== DRAFTING/SLIPSTREAMING One very useful racing technique is drafting, also known as slipstreaming. In some forms of motorsport, especially in oval track racing such as NASCAR and IRL, drafting is essential to making passes; NASCAR even raises drafting to an art form at its restrictor plate races by forcing cars to draft off each other simply to stay in contact with the leaders. Drafting works because of the aerodynamic vacuum which occurs behind a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed. As air flows around Car A, there is an area around which the air is forced as it flows off Car A's rear end. If Car B can get close enough to Car A, its front end can get into this vacuum area. Since vacuums prefer to fill their void with anything possible, Car B is drawn closer and closer to Car A. If the driver of Car B does not do anything or does not react fast enough, then Car B will eventually crash in to the back of Car A. However, once sufficient vacuum-assisted momentum has been gained, Car B can pull out to the side, exiting the vacuum with added momentum/speed, and rocket past Car A. By using Car A's natural high-speed vacuum in this manner, Car B will emerge from the draft with a major advantage in terms of speed without ever pressing harder on the accelerator. Often, drafting results in an additional 5MPH/8KPH over Car A; while this may not seem like a lot of extra speed, it is often enough to make a successful pass. Drafting is a great tactic for oval and tri-oval courses. However, its effectiveness at road racing venues is essentially limited to just long straightaways. In this case, it is highly important that Car B safely make the drafting pass well before the braking zone for the next corner, as the added speed will require earlier and/or stronger braking. Also, cars with variable downforce - especially cars with wings, such as CART and F1 cars - seem better able to make use of the draft. Specific to F1 2002, there is a draft/slipstream meter on the right side of the screen during races and other events (such as challenges) in the game. This can be useful, with the meter lighting up from bottom to top as Car B approaches the rear end of Car A. When the meter is fully lit, the player should quickly pull out of the draft/slipstream or risk an accident. ============================================== WET-WEATHER RACING/DRIVING Almost everything written to this point in the guide focuses solely upon dry-weather racing/driving conditions. In fact, most racing/driving games deal ONLY with dry-weather conditions. However, simulation-based games will include at least a few wet-conditions situations. This can range from Gran Turismo 3 - which uses two circuits (hosting a total of eight races between Simulation Mode and Arcade Mode) where the roadway has A LOT of standing water, as if the races take place just following a major prolonged downpour - to F1 2002 - where in most situations, players can purposely select the desired weather conditions for a given race. In wet-weather racing/driving conditions, it is IMPERATIVE to use tires designed for wet-conditions usage. For example, in F1 2002, in a full 53-lap race at Monza, I purposely tried running as long as I could with Dry Tires, then switched to Rain Tires when I could no longer handle the car's inherent sliding about... and my lap times instantly dropped by more than five seconds. In games which offer Intermediate Tires, such as Le Mans 24 Hours, the period when the racing circuit is simply damp (at the start of a period of rain, or when the circuit is drying after a period of rain) can be tricky in terms of tires. Intermediate Tires are certainly best for these racing conditions, but the time in Pit Lane spent changing to Intermediate Tires can mean losing numerous race positions, especially if the weather conditions change again a short time later and require another trip to Pit Lane to change tires yet again. Tires aside, simulation-style games simply will not allow a player to drive a circuit the same way in wet-weather conditions as in dry-weather conditions. The braking zone for all but the gentlest of corners will need to be extended, or else the car risks to hydroplane itself off the pavement. Throttle management is also key in wet-conditions racing. Due to the water on the circuit, there is inherently less tire grip, so strong acceleration is more likely to cause undue wheelspin - which could in turn spin the car and create a collision. If a car has gone off the pavement, then the sand and/or grass which collect on the tires provide absolutely NO traction at all, so just the act of getting back to the pavement will likely result in numerous spins. In general, cornering is more difficult in wet conditions than in dry conditions. To help ease this difficulty in cornering, simulation-style games will sometimes allow the player to change the car's tuning during a race (if not, the player will be forced to try to survive using the tuning set- up chosen before the beginning of the race). Tuning is covered in more detail in another section below, but the main aspect to change for wet-weather conditions is to raise the downforce at the front and/or rear of the car; this will help improve cornering ability, but will result in slower top-end speed and slower acceleration. If the car's brake strength can be adjusted, it should be lowered, as strong braking will raise the likelihood of hydroplaning off the pavement; lowering brake strength will also mean an additional lengthening of the braking zone for all but the gentlest corners of a given circuit. When the circuit is damp or wet, rumble strips and concrete extensions (which are usually painted) should be avoided as much as possible. The water tends to bead on the paint used for rumble strips and concrete extensions, making them incredibly slippery, especially if a drive wheel is on a rumble strip or concrete extension while the player is in the process of turning the car; this will cause undue wheelspin in that particular drive wheel, usually resulting in the car spinning. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORIES The 'ancient' predecessor to this section was a guide created due to a personal inquiry for a guide for F1 2002, as I was wishing to learn more about the history of the race venues then used in F1 competition; this section takes that information (from my Circuit Histories Guide) and expands it to cover other racing venues (F1 and otherwise) worldwide. This is not intended to be a detailed history of all the race venues, but more of a general overview of the many circuits included in Pro Race Driver. The majority of information for this guide comes from circuits' official Web sites, Formula1.com (http://www.formula1.com/), NASCAR.com (http://www.NASCAR.com/), and Driver Network (http://www.drivernetwork.net/). In some cases, historical information is taken directly from the circuits' own official Web sites. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: A1 RING The A1-Ring has been the host of F1's Grand Prix of Austria since 1997, but also hosts Truck Grand Prix, Classic Grand Prix, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and motorbikes, among other racing series. The 2002 Grand Prix of Austria was surrounded by controversy following an extreme Ferrari public relations faux pas. Reubens Barrichello had truly dominated the entire race weekend, and was definitely on his way to his second-ever F1 win. In the closing laps of the race, teammate Michael Schumacher (P2) began closing in on Barrichello, but the assumption was that this move was to allow Ferrari's cars to be close enough for a photo opportunity for its sponsors. However, since Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya (Schumacher's closest expected competition) were at that point very close in points in the Drivers' Championship, Barrichello - who that week had signed a contract extension as the NUMBER TWO TEAM DRIVER behind Michael Schumacher - was ordered to pull aside in the final meters of the race to allow his teammate to gain an extra four points in his lead over Montoya (P1 awards 10 points; P2 awards 6 points). While FIA could not do anything against the team or the drivers for the team orders, the fans in the stands (and myself watching live on television at 7AM in Arizona) were FURIOUS. Michael Schumacher having officially 'won' the race was to take the top rung on the podium, but instead took the second rung and pushed the 'true' winner Reubens Barrichello to the top rung; the FIA took objection to this and sanctioned the team and the drivers at a special hearing later in the year. F1 winners at A1-Ring: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998 and 2000), Eddie Irvine (1999), David Coulthard (2001), and Michael Schumacher (the official winner in 2002 - see the note on the controversy above, as many consider that Reubens Barrichello won the race). See the official Web site (http://www.a1ring.at/) for more information. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have any historical information on the circuit itself, nor can I find any such information online. Also, the official Web site is entirely in German, a language I cannot read. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ADELAIDE This 3.22-kilometer (2.01-mile) temporary street circuit was used for eleven years by Formula1 for the Grand Prix of Australia (which is now held at Albert Park in Melbourne). It is currently used by Australia's V8 Supercars series in the same configuration as the F1 series. Official history relating to the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars race: Since the inaugural 1999 Sensational Adelaide 500 attracted 162,000 patrons - a record for a national motorsport meeting in Australia, the event has not stopped growing in popularity and audience. The 2000 event attracted another record crowd for a national motorsport event, 164,000. The 2001 event raised the bar even higher, attracting a crowd of 166,800 spectators and the 2002 event surpassed all expectations with a new record attendance of 171,200. The event has been awarded the AVESCO 'Motorsport Event of the Year' for each year - 1999, 2000, 2001, as well as the Yellow Pages Tourism Award as South Australia's best major festival or special event. Over its three-year history the Clipsal 500 Adelaide has provided economic benefit to SA totaling $44.9m, with visitor bed nights having increased forty two per cent to 43,400, and the length of stay of visitors increasing from five to seven nights. This year [2002] 21,000 grandstand seats were built, providing more than three thousand extra as compared with last year (2001). Corporate clients this year numbered over 8,000 per day. Increasing from the 2001 daily figure of 7,200. Employment as a result of the event has increased to 290 full time job equivalents, while the media benefit (that is the value of international and national television, radio and press coverage) had grown by 32% over the past three years with the total value being $87.67m. A New Family Area was introduced to the event this year. The area, located in the Rymill Park Lake section of the circuit off Bartels Road (Adelaide Straight) was a designated 'dry zone' and provided a number of free attractions for children from 10am to 4pm each day, including face painting, a jumping castle, a horse & car carousel, and ladybird carousel. The area was complete with a Clipsal Vision Super screen for ease of viewing. This year two concerts were held at the event. The Saturday Night After Race Concert delivered the ultimate country show with a city appeal - featuring Lee Kernaghan and Beccy Cole, with the Sunday Night Concert featuring Australia's premiere male vocal group Human Nature, joined by special guest Deni Hines, and new South Australian talent, Candyce. The Clipsal 500 Adelaide track was modified for this year's event. The turn 8 / 9 chicane was removed making it a fast sweeper from Adelaide Straight on to Brabham Straight. The nominated charity to benefit from fundraising opportunities during the 2002 event was The Leukaemia Foundation of SA. The Clipsal 500 Adelaide television audience had grown, not only on Network 10 throughout Australia, but live in New Zealand and with a growing global audience which included South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, forty four countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States and South America. See the official Web site (http://www.clipsal500.com.au/) for more information. This information on the 1994 F1 race at Adelaide is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. Adelaide. This was the final race of the 1994 F1 season (the season often referred to as "The Year in Hell.") and during the race; Michael Schumacher messed up and tapped the wall at a turn. Damon Hill cut to the inside on the next turn, but Michael (who have catched up) steered right into Damon Hill, taking them both out (and with Michael's Benetton riding on 2 wheels for 3 seconds!) Michael won the championship because he was leading in the points that season. Damon Hill, and many others (including me) blamed Michael for trying to take Damon out. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BATHURST From the official Web site of Bathurst 24 Hours (since there is no official Web site for the circuit itself; unfortunately, there is very little historical information available here): This unique circuit is located literally at the end of the main street of Bathurst, a city of 40,000 people with another 160,000 located within an 80-kilometer radius. It holds legendary status within Australian motorsport history, having hosted long distance races every year since 1963. ... The circuit runs 6.213 kms in an anti-clockwise direction. A lap time for FIA N-GT cars is expected to be in the 2 min 10 sec to 2 min 15 sec region. Although it is usually a public road, the track is constructed to an extremely high standard for racing with excellent surfaces, width and safety. The main pit areas feature permanent lock-up garages (55) with overhead corporate hospitality suites. Additional temporary pit structures will be provided for the Bathurst 24hr situated along Mountain Straight. All pit garages will use the same pit exit lane to the circuit. ... Mount Panorama is the only active motor racing track in Australia, which is open to the public. It is 6.213 kms in length, 870 metres above sea level at its height, 670 metres above sea level at its lowest point and has grades of up to 1 in 6.13 - downhill on the actual racing circuit. See the official Web site of Bathurst 24 Hours (http://www.bathurst24hr.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BRANDS HATCH Events at Brands Hatch include: MRO Powerbike, BRSCC Championship, Aston Martin Race Weekend, Champion of Brands, Historic Superprix, British F3, WSB Championship, Ferrari and Maserati Festival, British Touring Cars, MG Racing Spectacular, and Formula Ford Festival. Official circuit history (from the Octagon Motorsports Web site): Since its birth in 1926 as a local bicycle-racing venue, Brands Hatch has become synonymous with the best of British motor racing. Situated in a natural bowl, the circuit provided panoramic views of all the action, so its popularity as a racing venue grew rapidly. In 1950 Brands Hatch consisted of a mile-long oval tarmac circuit, but extensions and improvements meant that by 1960, Brands Hatch was ready to host Grand Prix events, and to write itself into the history books. In 1964, Jim Clarks won the European Grand Prix - not long after, he posted the first 100 mph lap of the circuit. A regular Grand Prix venue in the 70's and 80's, Brands Hatch also provided Nigel Mansell with his first World Championship win in 1985. Unofficial circuit history (from grandprix.com): It was back in 1926 that a group of cyclists on the main road from London to Folkestone noticed a natural amphitheater on land belonging to Brands Hatch farm, near the village of West Kingsdown. After discussions with the local farmer it was agreed that the field could be used for bicycle racing and time trials. Within a couple of years motorcycles had begun to use the dirt track and a three-quarter mile circuit was laid out in the little valley. It remained in operation throughout the 1930s but it was not until after World War II that a proper organization was established. That came with the formation of Brands Hatch Stadium Ltd. in 1947 and later that year the organizers convinced the BBC to film motorcycle races to be transmitted on the new television network. In April 1950, with a new tarmac surface and extended to a mile, the track opened for car racing with 500cc Formula 3 becoming the mainstay of the racing calendar. In 1953 the Universal Motor Racing Cub was established and a racing school was set up at the circuit. The following year the track was lengthened to 1.24-miles - with the addition of the hairpin at Druids Bend - and widened and the racing changed direction, the track having previously been anti clockwise. A grandstand, acquired from the Northolt trotting track, was added in 1955. The Le Mans disaster that year was to provide a boost to Brands Hatch as many of the rival postwar tracks were closed down because they were not safe enough. Brands Hatch managed to keep up with requirements and in 1956 hosted its first Formula 2 race with victory going to Roy Salvadori, who was in considerable pain having broken several ribs in a crash in an earlier sportscar event. There was a second F2 race a month later which was won by Colin Chapman driving one of his own Lotus 11s. A third F2 race at the end of the season established Brands Hatch as a serious racing circuit although it was obviously too short to attract any major international events. As a result the track authorities applied for planning permission to build an extension through the woods behind the track. The Kent County Council agreed and the new track hosted its first major race in August 1960 with victory in the non-championship Silver City Trophy F1 race going to Jack Brabham in a Cooper-Climax. The following year the circuit's press officer John Webb negotiated the sale of Brands Hatch to Grovewood Securities. He was put in charge of Motor Circuit Developments, the company which took over the management of the track. Major upgrading followed with new facilities added and new circuits acquired by MCD, including Mallory Park (1962), Snetterton (1963) and Oulton Park (1964). In July of that year Brands Hatch hosted its first World Championship F1 race, the RAC having agreed to alternate the British GP between Brands Hatch and Silverstone. From the earliest days Brands had a number of fatal accidents, but in the winter of 1965-66 Paddock Hill Ben in particular had acquired a dreadful eputation, for within a matter of months George Crossman, Tony Flory and Stuart Duncan were killed there and two others were seriously hurt. The death of Jo Siffert in October 1971 would lead to major safety work in 1972. In the 1970s Brands Hatch played an important role in the development of Formula Ford and in 1976 took over the running of the Formula Ford Festival. Two years later Brands Hatch hosted a race featuring Indycars, imported for the occasion from the United States of America. Webb's abilities as an organizer even enabled the track to host the 1983 European Grand Prix at 10 weeks notice after the unexpected cancellation of the New York GP. The last British GP at Brands Hatch was held in 1986 with victory going to Nigel Mansell in a Williams-Honda. That year John Foulston bought Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton from Grovewood Securities and established a new company called Brands Hatch Leisure. The following year the company bought Cadwell Park but tragedy struck when Foulston was killed while testing a McLaren Indycar at Silverstone. BHL was taken over by his widow Mary Foulston, although John Webb remained in charge until his retirement in 1990. The running of the group was then taken over by Nicola Foulston. Without a Grand Prix Brands Hatch concentrated on Formula 3000 but a huge multiple accident in 1988 raised questions of safety again and by 1991 the F3000 circus turned its back on the track. Nicola Foulston was unperturbed and continued to develop BHL as a business. In 1996 she floated the company on the London Stock Exchange. This was a big success and Foulston began to make preparations for a bid for the British Grand Prix. In 1999 she announced that she had acquired the rights to hold the race in 2002. Planning permission was sought for rebuilding work but while this was still being discussed Foulston sold the company to the giant American advertising firm Interpublic for $195m, a premium of 36% on the price of the shares. See the official Web site of Octagon Motorsports (http://circuits.octagonmotorsports.com/) for more information on this and other Octagon Motorsports race venues in the United Kingdom. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: BRISTOL First used for NASCAR in 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway is the shortest track on the current NASCAR calendar at 0.533 miles (0.853 kilometers) - thus it is known as 'The World's Fastest Half-mile.' Formerly asphalt, the Bristol, Tennessee, USA, circuit was converted to concrete in 1992, and boasts attendance easily topping 150,000 for NASCAR events. The banking is thirty-six degrees in the corners and sixteen degrees on the straightaways. World of Outlaws and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have also held races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Racing schools at Bristol Motor Speedway include Buck Baker Racing School, Fast Track High Performance Driving School, Jarrett Favre Driving Adventure, Richard Petty Driving Experience, SpeedTech Auto Racing School, and Roy Hill's Drag Racing School. Here is the history of Bristol Motor Speedway as given on the official Web site of the circuit: Bristol Motor Speedway could very easily have opened in 1961 under a different name. The first proposed site for the speedway was in Piney Flats but, according to Carl Moore, who built the track along with Larry Carrier and R.G. Pope, the idea met local opposition. So the track that could have been called Piney Flats International Speedway was built five miles down the road on 11-E in Bristol. The land that Bristol Motor Speedway is built on used to be a dairy farm. Larry Carrier and Carl Moore traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960 to watch a race and it was then that they decided to build a speedway in Northeast Tennessee. However, they wanted a smaller model of CMS, something with a more intimate setting and opted to erect a half mile facility instead of mirroring the 1.5-mile track in Charlotte. Work began on what was then called Bristol International Speedway in 1960 and it took approximately one year to finish. Many ideas for the track were scratched on envelopes and brown paper bags by Carrier, Moore and Pope. Purchase of the land on which BMS now sits, as well as construction of the track, cost approximately $600,000. The entire layout for BMS covered 100 acres and provided parking for more than 12,000 cars. The track itself was a perfect half-mile, measuring 60 feet wide on the straightaways, 75 feet wide in the turns and the turns were banked at 22 degrees. Seating capacity for the very first NASCAR race at BMS - held on July 30, 1961 - was 18,000. Prior to this race the speedway hosted weekly races. The first driver on the track for practice on July 27, 1961 was Tiny Lund in his Pontiac. The second driver out was David Pearson. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race at BMS with a speed of 79.225 mph. Atlanta's Jack Smith won the inaugural event - the Volunteer 500 - at BMS on July 30, 1961. However, Smith wasn't in the driver's seat of the Pontiac when the race ended. Smith drove the first 290 laps then had to have Johnny Allen, also of Atlanta, take over as his relief driver. The two shared the $3,225 purse. The total purse for the race was $16,625. Nashville star Brenda Lee, who was 17 at the time, sang the national anthem for the first race at BMS. A total of 42 cars started the first race at BMS but only 19 finished. In the fall of 1969 BMS was reshaped and remeasured. The turns were banked at 36 degrees and it became a .533-mile oval. The speedway was sold after the 1976 season to Lanny Hester and Gary Baker. In the spring of 1978 the track name was changed to Bristol International Raceway. In August of 1978 the first night race was held on the oval. On April 1, 1982 Lanny Hester sold his half of the speedway to Warner Hodgdon. On July 6, 1983, Warner Hodgdon completed 100 percent purchase of Bristol Motor Speedway, as well as Nashville Speedway, in a buy-sell agreement with Baker. Hodgdon named Larry Carrier as the track's general manager. On January 11, 1985, Warner Hodgdon filed for bankruptcy. After Warner Hodgdon filed for bankruptcy, Larry Carrier formally took possession of the speedway and covered all outstanding debts. In August of 1992 BMS became the first speedway to host a Winston Cup event that boasted a track surface that was all concrete. On Jan. 22, 1996, Larry Carrier sold the speedway to Bruton Smith at a purchase price of $26 million. At the time of the sale, the facility seated 71,000. On May 28, 1996 the track's name was officially changed to Bristol Motor Speedway. By August of 1996, 15,000 seats had been added bringing the seating capacity to 86,000. BMS continued to grow and by April of 1997 was the largest sports arena in Tennessee and one of the largest in the country, seating 118,000. The speedway also boasted 22 new skyboxes. For the August 1998 Goody's 500 the speedway featured more than 131,000 grandstand seats and 100 skyboxes. Improvements to the speedway since Smith took possession are in excess of $50 million. The seating capacity for the Food City 500 in March of 2000 was 147,000 as the Kulwicki Terrace and Kulwicki Tower were completed. Some notable track facts (taken from the official Web site): - Kurt Busch won his first career Winston Cup race in the 2002 running of the Food City 500. - Tony Stewart's initial Bristol win came in the 2001 Sharpie 500. - Elliott Sadler's victory in 2001 Food City 500 was the first for Bristol victory for Stuart, Va.'s, famed Wood Brothers team. - In 21 of 40 years since Bristol opened, a driver who won a Winston Cup race at Bristol went on to win the series title later the same year. - Rusty Wallace snapped Jeff Gordon's four-year Food City 500 winning streak in 1999 and got his 50th win in 2000. - WCS track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, 127.216 mph, 15.083 sec. 126.37 mph, 3/22/02. - WCS race record: Charlie Glotzbach, 101.074 mph (2:38:12), 7/11/71. - Most Bristol wins (driver): Darrell Waltrip, 12 (seven consecutive). - Most Bristol wins (car owner): Junior Johnson, 21 (eight consecutive). - Most Bristol wins (manufacturer): Chevrolet, 36 (Ford is second with 23). - Most Bristol poles (driver): Cale Yarborough, nine. - Johnny Allen crossed the finish line first in the inaugural BMS race, but he was driving in relief of Jack Smith, who gets credit for Bristol's first victory. For NASCAR, race speed records are: - Winston Cup: C. Glotzbach at 101.074MPH (161.718KPH, set July 11, 1971) - Busch Series: H. Gant at 92.929MPH (148.686KPH, set April 4, 1992) - Craftsman Trucks: R. Carelli at 83.992MPH (134.387KPH, set June 22, 1996) See the official Web site (http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/) for more information as well as photo galleries. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CANBERRA No information or official Web site found. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CATALUNYA The Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona has hosted the Grand Prix of Spain since 1997. The circuit hosts numerous forms of racing, including FIA Sportscar Championship, Spanish Formula-1 Grand Prix, 24 HOURS MOTORBIKE ENDURANCE, 24 HOURS CAR ENDURANCE, Catalunya Motorbike Championship, Spanish GT's Championship, Truck GP, and certainly F1 Racing; Catalunya even holds courses for the preparation of racing officials. Many teams also use the circuit for practice and testing. The circuit has three configurations: Grand Prix (7.563 kilometers, or 4.727 miles), National (4.907 kilometers, or 3.067 miles), and School (2.725 kilometers, or 1.703 miles). F1 winners at Catalunya: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998-2000), and Mika Hakkinen (2001 and 2002). See the official Web site (http://www.circuitcat.com) for more information. Unfortunately, it does not have any historical information on the circuit, nor can I find any such information online. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: CHARLOTTE Named 'Charlotte' in Pro Race Driver, this is really now known as Lowe's Motor Speedway. The complex sports both a superspeedway (which is highly famous amongst NASCAR fans) and a dirt track (which is highly famous amongst World of Outlaws fans). Here is the circuit history from the official Web site: Lowe's Motor Speedway was designed and built in 1959 b current chairman O. Bruton Smith. The late Curtis Turner, one of stock car racing's earliest driving stars, was Smith's business partner. At the time Smith, a native of Oakboro, N.C., was an automobile dealer and short-track stock car racing promoter at Concord Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Fairgrounds. Turner, a Virginian who amassed his money in the lumber industry, became one of the first drivers on the NASCAR circuit after the sanctioning body debuted in 1949. Together, they built their dream of a 1.5-mile superspeedway on the outskirts of The Queen City and, on June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was run at the new facility. In 1961, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales. After his departure from the speedway in 1962, Smith pursued other business interests in Texas and Illinois. Working within Ford Motor Company's dealership program, Smith became quite successful and began purchasing shares of stock in Lowe's Motor Speedway. By 1975 Smith had again become the majority stockholder in the speedway, regaining control of its day-to-day operations. He hired current President H.A. 'Humpy' Wheeler as general manager and the two began to implement plans for needed improvements and expansion. During the ensuing 25 years, Smith and Wheeler demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction, building a facility that continuously established new industry standards. Thousands of grandstand seats and luxury suites were built. Food concessions and restroom facilities were added and modernized to increase the comfort of race fans. Smith Tower, a 135,000-square-foot, seven-story facility connected to the speedway's grandstands, was erected and opened in 1988. The building houses the speedway's corporate offices, ticket office, souvenir gift shop, leased office space and The Speedway Club, an exclusive dining and entertainment facility. Under the watchful eye of Smith and direction of Wheeler, in 1984 Lowe's Motor Speedway became the only sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations when it built 40 condominiums high above turn one. Twelve additional condominium units were added in 1991. Another innovation implemented by Smith and Wheeler was a $1.7 million, 1,200-fixture permanent lighting system developed by MUSCO Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles. The lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Lowe's Motor Speedway to be the first superspeedway to host night auto racing. Ever cognizant of the competitors as well as the spectators, Smith and Wheeler added a new $1 million, 20,000-square-foot Winston Cup garage area in 1994. Other additions and improvements include the development of the speedway's 2,000-plus acres. In addition to the speedway, the property, some of which is leased, includes an industrial park that serves as home to several motorsports-related businesses, a modern landfill facility operated by BFI and a natural wildlife habitat. In addition to the 1.5-mile quad oval, the Lowe's Motor Speedway complex includes a 2.25-mile road course and a six-tenths-mile karting layout in the speedway's infield; a quarter-mile asphalt oval utilizing part of the speedway's frontstretch and pit road; and a one-fifth-mile oval located outside turn three of the superspeedway. Three NASCAR Winston Cup events, two NASCAR Busch Series races, a pair of Automobile Racing Club of America events and a Goody's Dash Series race are among the events held each year on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The FasTrack Driving School and the Richard Petty Driving Experience also use the track extensively throughout the year. Other events on the various tracks include a weekly, nationally televised short track series for Legends Cars; Sports Car Club of America national and regional competitions; American Motorcycle Association events; and World Karting Association regional, national and international races. In May 2000, a state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile clay oval-The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway-was complete across Highway 29 from the speedway. The stadium-style facility has nearly 15,000 seats and plays host to the Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint cars, dirt late model stock cars, the AMA Grand National motorcycles, the Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series and Monster Trucks. Lowe's Motor Speedway also annually presents two of the nation's largest car shows and swap meets-the Food Lion AutoFairs in April and September-and rents the facility more than 300 days per year. Corporations such as IBM, UNOCAL, Miller Brewing, Coca-Cola, Duracell, Wendy's and Lipton Tea have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides. Motion pictures such as 'Days of Thunder,' 'Speedway' and 'Stroker Ace' and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence's 'If the Good Die Young' have been filmed at the speedway. Adding to rental dates are race team testing and automobile manufacturer research. Smith and Wheeler will quickly point out they have yet to complete their vision, and they continue to improve and expand the facility. More than 10,000 stadium-style seats, 20 new executive suites and 40 special 32-seat boxes were built in turn four in 1995. In May 1997, the Diamond Tower Terrace grandstand was opened along the backstretch to accommodate an additional 26,000 race fans for The Winston and Coca Cola 600. In May 1998, an 11,000-seat expansion of the new Diamond Tower Terrace was completed, bringing the total seating capacity of Lowe's Motor Speedway to approximately 147,000. Then in May 1999, more than 10,000 new seats were completed in the Fourth Turn Terrace grandstand. A 10,860 seat expansion of the Ford grandstand on the frontstretch was completed in May 2000, bringing the speedway's total seating capacity to 167,000. These additions are all part of a long-term project calling for additional grandstand seating, infrastructure improvements, spectator amenities and the development of adjacent land for possible commercial real estate ventures. Building on the basic philosophy of keeping spectator and competitor comfort a high priority, Lowe's Motor Speedway continues to be a leading promoter and marketer of motorsports activities in the United States. See the official Web site (http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: DIJON PRENOIS This French circuit hosts numerous events: F3, GT, F.Renault Coupe 206CC, Porsche Carrera Cup, an historic Ferrari weekend, Historics Grand Prix, Euro 3000, and F3000. Motorcycle events here include 125cc Open, 250cc Open, 600 Supersport, Super Production, Hornet Cup, Aprilia Cup, Coupe Ducati Club, and Side Car. Historical information (translated and abridged): 1968: Beginning of the 'Automobile Stadium Project' May 26, 1972: Inauguration of Circuit Dijon-Prenois at 3.289km (2.056 miles) June 4, 1972: First race - European Prototype Championship 1974: Host of the first Grand Prix of France (F1); winner: Ronnie Peterson 1975: Host of Grand Prix of Switzerland (F1); winner: Clay Regazzoni 1977: Host of Grand Prix of France; winner: Mario Andretti 1981: Host of Grand Prix of France; winner: Alain Prost (his first F1 win) 1984: Final F1 Grand Prix race held at Dijon-Prenois; winner: Niki Lauda See the official Web site (http://www.circuit-dijon- prenois.com/) for more information. However, the Web site is currently only available in French. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: DONINGTON PARK The Donington Park venue holds two circuits: the National Circuit and the International Circuit (the latter includes the parallel straightaways behind the Paddock Area). Donington Park is billed as a great place for car testing and launches, and also has days where the average drivers can take their cars and motorcycles to the tracks. The Honda Ron Haslam Race School also used Honda Hornets, CBR600 and CBR900RR Fireblades to train people of all ages and abilities on motorcycles. There is also the public Donington Grand Prix Collection museum, which contains more than 150 grand prix cars from the 1930s to the present. Race events include: Historic Sports Car Club Championships, British Formula 3 and British GT Championships, German Touring Car Masters, Donington Vintage and Historic Car Weekend, Cinzano British Motorcycle Grand Prix, Ford Racing Festival, Mini Racing Festival, MCN British Superbike Championship, BRSCC Car Championship, and British Truck Racing Championship. The official Web site (http://www.donington-park.co.uk/) unfortunately does not include any historical information. This information on the 1993 F1 race at Donington Park is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. You forgot about one of the GREATEST drives in Formula 1 history. In 1993 the weather was absoulutely MISERABLE. Ayrton Senna qualified 4th in a uncompetitive McLaren Ford with a 1 year old Ford engine. When the race started, he dropped to 5th place but he was able to over take Michael Schumacher in the Benetton, Karl Wendlinger in the Sauber, Damon Hill in the Williams, and FINALLY Alain Prost in the Williams ALL IN THE FIRST LAP IN THE RAIN. Also, during the post-race press conference, Prost said he had a bad set-up, and was blaming the car, so Senna said to him "So why don't you trade cars with me?" Which sparked a lot of laughs from everyone except Alain. The following URL has the first lap of Donington. http://www.geocities.com/downward_spiral_soldier/senna- donington-1993.zip ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: EASTERN CREEK This 3.93-kilometer (2.456-mile) circuit hosts V8 Supercars, many Formula series, a number of sports cars and sports sedans series, touring cars, production cars, and numerous national and support motorcycle series. The pit straight even incorporates a drag strip, and the circuit permits the average driver to enter cars and motorbikes for drag racing events (so long as the vehicle is road-registered). See the official Web site (http://www.eastern-creek- raceway.com/) for more information. This Web site unfortunately does not include historical information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: FUJI This Japanese circuit is perhaps most notable to North American classic video game enthusiasts from its appearance in Atari's Pole Position series in the stand-up arcades of the 1980s. There are a few of these classic Pole Position and Pole Position II arcade boxes still in existence, although the best bet for finding these games now is on the various gaming consoles. However, those who prefer the version of the circuit in the Pole Position series will be rather disappointed at the chicanes added along the faster sections of the Fuji circuit. See the official Web site (http://www.fujispeedway.co.jp/) for information. There is virtually NO information on the English-language portion of the site, and NO historical information. The majority of information on the site is available only in the Japanese-language section. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: HOCKENHEIM The Hockenheim circuit was an EXCELLENT and very high-speed race venue until 2002, when the circuit was redesigned and severely shortened while accommodations were added to bring in even more spectators than before. The former Hockenheim configuration ran almost entirely through the German forest. The circuit was designed in 1932, and hosts F1 and many other forms of motorsport. Notable F1 winners at Hockenheim: Niki Lauda (1977), Mario Andretti (1978), (1981, 1986, and 1987), Alain Prost (1984, 1993), Ayrton Senna (1988-1990), Nigel Mansell (1991 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2002), and Mika Hakkinen (1998). The official Web site (http://www.hockenheimring.de/) is unfortunately only available in German - which is a language I cannot read :-( ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: KNOCKHILL The official Web site (http://www.knockhill.co.uk/) is unfortunately unavailable, loading only a single blank page at the time of the writing of this guide. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Motor Speedway sports a superspeedway, 'bullring,' drag strip, and dirt track. Amongst these four venues, more than four hundred different racing events were held on LVMS property in 2002. Circuit history from the official Web site: # Sept. 15, 1996-Inaugural Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Richie Hearn. # Nov. 3, 1996-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Carquest 420k, won by Jack Sprague. # March 16, 1997-NASCAR Busch Grand National 300, won by Jeff Green. Oct. 11, 1997-Las Vegas 500k Indy Racing League, won by Eliseo Salazar. # Nov. 9, 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Carquest 420k, won by Joe Ruttman. # Feb. 28, 1998-NASCAR Busch series Sam's Town 300, won by Jimmy Spencer. # March 1, 1998-Inaugural Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup, won by Mark Martin. # Oct. 11, 1998-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Arie Luyendyk. # Nov. 8, 1998-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sam's Town 250, won by Jack Sprague. # March 6, 1999-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Mark Martin. # March 7, 1999-NASCAR Winston Cup Las Vegas 400, won by Jeff Burton. # September 24, 1999-Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Orleans 250, won by Greg Biffle # September 25, 1999-Nascar Winston West Gold Coast 150, won by Kevin Richards # September 26, 1999-Pep Boys Indy Racing League Vegas.com., won by Sam Schmidt # March 5, 2000-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton # March 6, 2000-NASCAR Winston Cup Series Carsdirect.com 400, won by Jeff Burton # April 7, 2000-Inaugural NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, winners were Kenny Bernstein (TF), Jim Epler (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST), Angelle Seeling (PSB) # April 21, 2000-NASCAR Winston West, Orleans 150, won by David Starr # April 21, 2000-IRL Vegas Indy 300, won by Al Unser Jr. # March 1, 2001-NASCAR Winston West NAPA 300, won by Mark Reed # March 3, 2001-NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Todd Bodine # March 4, 2001-NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Jeff Gordon # April 8, 2001-NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Kenny Bernstein (TF), Tommy Johnson Jr. (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Bob Panella (PST) # Oct. 14, 2001, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Orleans 350, won by Ted Musgrave # Oct. 28, 2001, Inaugural NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, won by Darrell Russell (TF), Ron Capps (FC), Mark Pawuk (PS) and Shaun Gann (Bikes) # March 2, 2002, NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300, won by Jeff Burton. # March 3, 2002, NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, won by Sterling Marlin # April 7,2002, NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, won by Larry Dixon (TF), Gary Densham (FC) and Ron Krisher (PS). See the official Web site (http://www.lvms.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MAGNY-COURS Characterized by its three parallel straightaways (which can be aurally difficult for drivers while on the middle straightaway), Nevers Magny-Cours has hosted F1 events since 1991. The 4.226-kilometer (2.641-mile) circuit is also used for Motorbikes Championship, FIA GT Championship, Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup, FIA Sportcar Championship, Formula Nissan, historical races, and various endurance races. F1 winners at Nevers Magny-Cours: Nigel Mansell (1991 and 1992), Alain Prost (1993), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2002), Damon Hill (1996), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1999), and David Coulthard (2000). Visit the official Web site (http://www.magnycours.com/) for more information. Unfortunately, the site does not include any circuit history in either the French- or English-language versions of the site. This information on the 1996 F1 race at Magny-Cours is provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever met. It is edited only for formatting purposes. As for Magny-Cours, Heinz Harald Frentzen's win was a very special one. He made a BEAUTIFUL drive in the wet, in the Jordan Mugen-Honda. It was one of the races that made HHF into a superstar driver AND the Driver of the Year in 1999. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MANTORP PARK The official Web site (http://www.mantorppark.com/) is currently available only in Swedish, so a circuit history is not available in English. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MEXICO This 2.75-mile (4.40-kilometer) permanent road circuit began hosting CART events in 2001. As such, there is no real history available for this circuit. Please see the official Web site (http://www.telmexgigantegranpremiomexico.com/) for information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: MONZA Originally opened in 1922 to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Milan Automobile Club, the Monza circuit (Autodromo Nazionale Monza), near Milan, Italy, has been the site of more F1 grand prix events than any other. The Monza circuit has seen numerous configurations, including the famous banked section from 1955 to 1961. Monza has always been an incredibly fast race venue... and with this speed comes even greater danger. Phil Hill's 1961 race victory (his second consecutive win at Monza) was severely overshadowed by a collision between Jim Clark and Wolfgang von Trips which took the lives of the latter driver and over one dozen spectators. A 1970 mechanical failure during Qualifying killed Jochen Rindt, so one may not be surprised that chicanes, guard rails, and reinforced fencing were added beginning in 1972 as an attempt to slow the cars and make Monza's events safer for all involved; however, the chicanes specifically were really just makeshift safety measures due to the increasing performance in virtually all realms of motorsport. In more recent years, the opening lap of the 2000 Grand Prix of Italy was seriously marred by the death of a trackside race marshal due to all the flying debris at the Roggia Chicane (the second chicane of the circuit). While there were no dangerous incidents at the 2001 Grand Prix of Italy, that particular event happened to be scheduled for the first weekend following the world- shocking terrorist attacks on the United States (September 11, 2001) AND the near-fatal accident at a new race venue in Germany (the previous afternoon) which forced the amputation of the legs of CART driver Alex Zanardi; these events cast a dark shadow over the race itself as well as the entire Grand Prix weekend. On a far more positive note, Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya - truly making his first great impact upon the F1 world following several years of astounding success in CART - broke Keke Rosberg's twenty-seven-year record for the fastest ever F1 qualifying lap. Rosberg's then record-setting lap was 259.005KPH (161.878MPH) set at Silverstone; Montoya's new record-setting lap was 259.827KPH (162.392MPH). What makes Montoya's achievement even more impressive is that Michelin- shod F1 vehicles (led by Williams and McLaren) have generally not been able to compete with Bridgestone-shod cars (led by Ferrari). The Monza circuit has seen all sorts of motorsport events, including motorcycles and touring cars, and currently is 5.736 kilometers (3.585 miles) in length. A recent Italian telefilm on the life of Enzzo Ferrari exclusively used the Monza circuit for its racing shots using time-appropriate vehicles. Notable F1 winners at Monza: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1953-1955), Stirling Moss (1956 and 1957), Stirling Moss (1959), Jim Clark (1963), Jackie Stewart (1965 and 1969), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), Mario Andretti (1977), Niki Lauda (1978 and 1984), Alain Prost (1981, 1985, and 1989), Nelson Piquet (1983, 1986, and 1987), Ayrton Senna (1990 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002), and Juan Pablo Montoya (2001). The official Web site of Autodromo Nazionale Monza (http://www.monzanet.it/) has plenty of great information, including a large track map of Monza's various configurations and plenty of images of racing action on Monza's banked turns. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NORISRING The official Web site (http://www.autohausamnorisring.de/) is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: NURBURGRING Originally 22.677 kilometers (14.173 miles) in length, the Nurburgring first opened in 1927 (following two years of construction) and is still going strong. The opening events featured motorcycles (June 18, 1927), with cars featured the following day. The 1939 German Grand Prix was the final race at Nurburgring for quite some time due to the beginning of World War II. The circuit itself was damaged in the closing months of the war, but racing returned to Nurburgring in 1947. However, there were no races at Nurburgring in 1948, as the circuit was being brought up to safety standards. Nurburgring began hosting F1 events in 1951. Estimates show that 400,000 spectators came to the track for the 1954 F1 race. In 1958, however, the F1 race saw the death of Peter Collins as his Ferrari went out of control. The 1968 world motorcycle championship at Nurburgring had a strange stoppage: a forest fire. The F1 Grand Prix later that year had nearly impossible visibility due to intense rain and fog. In 1970, the Northern Loop of the circuit was called into question after numerous accidents. Improvements were made for the following year, when 130,000 spectators witnessed Jackie Stewart winning the F1 Grand Prix. More improvements were demanded in 1974 (first by motorcyclists, then by F1 drivers). When Nikki Lauda was seriously injured in 1976, the Northern Loop was decommissioned as an F1 venue. A new, shorter circuit was then designed and built, opening in 1984 at 4.542 kilometers (2.839 miles) in length. Alan Prost won that year's European Grand Prix. In 1986, however, the F1 race moved to Hockenheim. 1995 saw the return of F1 to Nurburgring, and the historic race venue has produced excellent races ever since. Some of the notable F1 winners at Nurburgring: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1956), Stirling Moss (1961), Jim Clark (1965), Jack Brabham (1966), Jackie Stewart (1968, 1971, and 1973), Alain Prost (1984), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2000, and 2001), Jacques Villeneuve (1996 and 1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998), and Rubens Barrichello (2002). See the official Web site (http://www.nuerburgring.de/) for plenty more details about the Nurburgring. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ORAN PARK Oran Park contains two separate circuits which are joined for form the Grand Prix circuit of 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) which is used for V8 Supercar. From the official Web site: Oran Park is a motorsport facility steeped in history. The facility was established by the Singer Car Club 40 years ago. In its early days it would host one race per day. The circuit initially consisted only of the current south circuit, with the extended Grand Prix figure-8 layout not being incorporated into the track until the 1970s. Oran Park has played to host to a number unique and exciting events. It has hosted Australian Grand Prix, been the home of truck racing and was the home of the final round of the Australian Touring Car Championship for quite some time. Oran Park was instrumental in running Sports Sedans racing, that captivated Sydney motor racing fans in the 1970s (and still proves very popular today). Oran Park is a multi-faceted faclity, and includes a number of separate tracks and a driver training facility. Oran Park boasts the famous Grand Prix circuit, which is a challenging figure-8 layout, with a combination of fast sweepers and tight, technical corners. The Grand Prix Circuit is able to be split up and used concurrently as South and North Circuits. The South Cicuit incorporates the long straight, while the North Circuit incorporates the figure-8 section of the track and is a short and challenging track. Additionally, Oran Park has a Skid Pan for driver training, two dirt circuits for off road events, a motorcross track, and a popular go-kart circuit. See the official Web site (http://www.oranpark.com/) for more information. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OSCHERSLEBEN The official Web site (http://www.motopark.de/) is only available in German, so a circuit history is not available. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: OULTON PARK Located near Cheshire, England, this circuit hosts British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship, and British GT Championship, along with numerous club series. Official circuit history from Octagon Motorsports: Oulton Park first established itself as the North West's premier motorsport venue in the 1950s. A decade later, it was hosting international meetings, and among the winners were household names such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. The circuit has been extended over the years, and boasts the unique distinction of having three circuits in one. This allows Oulton Park to present a racing programme that includes something for just about every motorsport enthusiast. Unusually, it is also able to seat spectators within the perimeter of the circuit, providing unrivalled views of the action. See the official Web site of Octagon Motorsports (http://circuits.octagonmotorsports.com/) for more information on this and other Octagon Motorsports race venues in the United Kingdom. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: PHILLIP ISLAND In 1952, the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club was formed with the vision of building the first international grand prix circuit in Australia. In December 1956, the circuit finally opened. Major events held at Phillip Island include Australian Superbike Championship, World Superbike Championship, V8 Supercar Championship Series, Konica V8 Supercars, and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. See the official Web site (http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au/) for more information, including a highly-detailed circuit history. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: ROCKINGHAM Rockingham Motor Speedway hosts an 'oval' circuit plus an infield road circuit (i.e., a 'stadium circuit'), allowing for many types of racing at this British facility. Events here include Ascar Oval Race Meeting, Classic Motorcycle Race Meeting, British Superbike Race Meeting, F3/GT, ASCAR Oval Race Meeting, CART Rockingham 500, Uniroyal Challenge with Formula Palmer Audi & VSR Club Race Meeting, and BRDC Winter Raceday. See the official Web site (http://www.rockingham.co.uk/) for more information. Unfortunately, a circuit history is not given on the official Web site. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SANDOWN The official Web site (http://www.sandownraceway.com.au/) is extremely slow and virtually unresponsive at the time of the initial writing of this game guide. ============================================== CIRCUIT HISTORY: SEARS POINT Sears Point Raceway is now officially known as Infineon Raceway. This is the site of one of NASCAR's two road circuit events each year, providing a drastic change for the oval-dedicated stock car drivers. Circuit history from the official Web site: Since 1968, Infineon Raceway has provided the best in motorsports action. From the fender-rubbing action of NASCAR Winston Cup and ground pounding thunder of NHRA Drag Racing to the grassroots SCCA road races and AFM motorcycle events, Infineon Raceway has played host to many of racing's greatest moments and stars. Racing legends such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Dan Gurney, Kenny Roberts, Dale Earnhardt, Shirley Muldowney and Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme, as well as modern day stars including Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Ron Hornaday Jr., Miguel DuHamel and John Force, have all left their indelible marks at this unique and historic facility. NASCARInfineon Raceway is arguably the world's busiest racing facility, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. It is one of the nation's only high performance automotive industrial parks. Under the ownership and vision of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, Infineon Raceway is poised to reach new heights in facility development and in the quality of events it offers fans. What follows is a brief history of how Infineon Raceway came to be one of North America's most complete and versatile motorsports complex: In the Beginning Franklin Sears was born in Indiana in 1817. He spent his childhood in Missouri, and in 1844 ventured westward to Oregon. He left home with his friend, Granville Swift, a rifle, mule and $1.50 in his pocket. After one winter in Oregon, Sears was fed up with the rain and headed south. He volunteered for the U.S.-Mexican war and was named a hero of the Battle of San Pasquale. He spent much of the time in the thick of the battle and was a decorated solider during the war. Following the war in 1851, he married Granville Swift's sister, Margaret, and settled on 600 acres of land south of Sonoma. He built his home of hand-hewn redwood. He was a blacksmith by trade but a large source of his income came from ranching. Sears eventually partnered with Granville Swift and bought 15,000 acres of land that stretched from Infineon Raceway all the way to what is now Lakeville Highway. 1968 The 2.52-mile road racing course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Infineon Raceway was an SCCA Enduro, held on December 1, 1968. 1969 The track was sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, Infineon Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, SCCA races, and drag races. 1970 Dan Gurney won a 150-mile USAC IndyCar road race with a field that included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser. Not long after, the track closed in May and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $300,000 were reported. 1973 Hugh Harn of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track through Filmways vice president Lee Moselle for $1 million. Bob Bondurant, owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, announced that he would move his school from Ontario Speedway in Southern California to Infineon Raceway. The Pacific Region of the Sports Club Car of America announced it would hold a driver's school and series of non spectator races at the track. 1974 Bob Bondurant and partner Bill Benck took over management and control of the leased raceway from Archer and Harn. American Motorcycle Association national motocross races in the hills north of Turn 7 become popular with Bay Area fans, but were phased out by the end of the decade because of rising insurance costs. 1977 AMAMoselle, a lawyer with no racing experience, comes aboard and hires Jack Williams, the 1964 NHRA top fuel drag racing champion, to be his operations chief, and Art Glattke to handle public relations. Moselle was under orders from Filmways to clear spectator restrictions with the county of Sonoma and to build a major-event schedule. A group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bob Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $1.5 million. Two months later, in May, Kenny Roberts did wheelies on the final two laps while he waved to a crowd of 20,000 for a runaway victory in the AMA-Sonoma Motorcycle Classic. 1980 The Black Mountain Group took on an additional partner -- the Long Beach Grand Prix Association -- in hopes of improving marketing and public relations. 1981 The Long Beach Grand Prix, headed by Chris Pook, decided to rename the track Golden State International Raceway. The Black Mountain group obtained an injunction to keep Filmways from claiming the property after defaulting on payments. Black Mountain claimed Filmways gave false financial projections when it sold the property in 1979. Bondurant resigned as president of Golden State Raceway in a dispute with Pook over the Long Beach Grand Prix's management plan. Filmways regained ownership of the track and Williams, Rick Betts and John Andersen purchased the track from Filmways at an au